SURVEY OF ICT AND EDUCATION IN AFRICA - infoDev

nnnnnThis plan may be problematic unless it is accompanied by an intensive staff development programme indesigning materials for e-learning.LocalisationIn the absence of expertise and capacity to develop indigenous content, there have been attempts at reversioningcontent produced for an international audience and localising it for use at local level. TheSkool.Com project of Intel is a case in point where multimedia content has incorporated local examplesin an attempt to promote contextual relevance.International contentShort of producing content locally or localising content produced elsewhere, there has also been atendency to adopt international content for use in African classrooms. National Geographic and theDiscovery Channel are good examples. The Discovery Channel Global Education Fund has promotedthe use of Discovery content in countries like Zimbabwe and Angola; in the latter, content has beenmade available in Portuguese. The importation of content of this nature appears to be a growing trend.Learning objectsIn addition to the design and development of digital curriculum content, the systematic codification,storage, and management of digital education content is also a growing issue in Africa. The concept of“learning objects” has been introduced, referring to learning resources that can be used for intendedlearning outcomes and reused in a range of learning environments. 14 The African Virtual University haspartnered with the Commonwealth of Learning in the development of an African Learning ObjectRepository.Intellectual propertyDigital content has either been produced as proprietary content, which is often copyrighted, or licensedunder the Creative Commons, which allows for a range of options to render it free and open foradaptation. The establishment of the African Digital Commons to promote Creative Commons is arecent phenomenon that has been established as part of a growing trend towards open educationresources. Open educational resources include learning objects such as lecture material, references andreadings, simulations, experiments and demonstrations, as well as syllabuses, curricula, and teachers’guides. 15Education portalsThe establishment of education portals has also been a feature of learning management systems. TheSouth African Department of Education established its Thutong portal as a gateway for aggregatinglearning objects and resources for use by South African teachers.Cost ModelsThe promotion of total cost of ownership (TCO) models has become increasingly popular for ICTs ineducation in the schools sector. Key examples include:nnnnresearch supported by CATIA:consultative discussions, research, and workshops organised by SchoolNet Africa’s Campaign for OneMillion PCs;the TCO model developed by SchoolNet Namibia; andthe TCO model and work done to date by the Global e-Schools and Communities Initiative (GESCI),and more recently by the NEPAD e-Schools project.That said, utilization of TCO models in the planning and assessment of ICT and education initiatives inAfrica remains quite low.22Survey of ICT and Education in Africa: A Summary Report Based on 53 Country Surveys