Technological Infrastructure and Use of ICT in Education in ... - ADEA
Technological Infrastructure and Use of ICT in Education in ... - ADEA
Technological Infrastructure and Use of ICT in Education in ... - ADEA
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88 Work<strong>in</strong>g Group on Distance <strong>Education</strong> <strong>and</strong> Open Learn<strong>in</strong>g<br />
9. <strong>ICT</strong> <strong>in</strong> Primary <strong>and</strong> Secondary <strong>Education</strong><br />
Box 6: Internet<br />
para as Escoles<br />
<strong>in</strong> Mozambique<br />
The Introduc<strong>in</strong>g Information<br />
<strong>and</strong> Communication<br />
Technologies <strong>in</strong> Secondary<br />
Schools <strong>in</strong> Mozambique<br />
<strong>in</strong>itiative, also known as<br />
Internet para as Escoles,<br />
began <strong>in</strong> Mozambique <strong>in</strong><br />
1998 <strong>and</strong> ran until 2001.<br />
It was <strong>in</strong>itiated <strong>and</strong> funded<br />
by the International Development<br />
Research Centre<br />
(IDRC). The project had<br />
two ma<strong>in</strong> components:<br />
• To facilitate the shar<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>ICT</strong> among students,<br />
teachers, <strong>and</strong> educational<br />
departments us<strong>in</strong>g email<br />
<strong>and</strong> Internet, <strong>and</strong><br />
• To <strong>in</strong>troduce computer literacy,<br />
as well as <strong>in</strong>tegrate<br />
computers, <strong>in</strong>to the teach<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>of</strong> different subjects.<br />
The targeted beneficiaries<br />
were 350 teachers<br />
<strong>and</strong> 4680 learners at 24<br />
schools <strong>in</strong> Mozambique.<br />
It was envisaged that for<br />
each school, 11 computers<br />
for the lab <strong>and</strong> one for<br />
email would be <strong>in</strong>stalled,<br />
although these targets<br />
were not met dur<strong>in</strong>g implementation.<br />
The evaluation <strong>of</strong> this<br />
project, conducted by<br />
Siluma, Roberts & Browde<br />
(2002), revealed several<br />
important lessons. One is<br />
that it is essential to underst<strong>and</strong><br />
the context <strong>and</strong> plan<br />
carefully, tak<strong>in</strong>g contextual<br />
constra<strong>in</strong>ts <strong>in</strong>to account.<br />
<strong>Infrastructure</strong> availability,<br />
skills levels, work conditions,<br />
<strong>and</strong> culture <strong>of</strong><br />
technology use, must be<br />
understood <strong>and</strong> the project<br />
adapted to meet the specific<br />
contextual requirements<br />
for each <strong>of</strong> these areas.<br />
Proper management <strong>and</strong><br />
communication channels<br />
between all stakeholders<br />
<strong>and</strong> at all levels <strong>of</strong> the<br />
project are essential. The<br />
scale <strong>of</strong> implementation<br />
should be realistic; ‘start<br />
where the skills are <strong>and</strong><br />
then progress from there’.<br />
It is <strong>of</strong>ten tempt<strong>in</strong>g to get<br />
excited by the prospects<br />
<strong>of</strong>fered by <strong>ICT</strong>, yet these<br />
prospects may not be appropriate<br />
to the specific<br />
context. Objectives should<br />
be simple <strong>and</strong> clear, <strong>and</strong> all<br />
<strong>in</strong>volved should underst<strong>and</strong><br />
them. Government support<br />
is essential for <strong>ICT</strong> <strong>and</strong> education<br />
projects, but this<br />
needs to be carefully managed<br />
to ensure that control<br />
<strong>of</strong> the project rema<strong>in</strong>s with<br />
the implementers. F<strong>in</strong>ally,<br />
this project highlighted<br />
the need for susta<strong>in</strong>ability<br />
plans after donor fund<strong>in</strong>g<br />
has ended.<br />
Source: Siluma, Roberts,<br />
& Browde (2002)