The challenge of HIV/AIDS: Where does agroforestry fit in? - World ...

Chapter 19: Can e-learning support agricultural development in developing countries?159Box 1. The Rice Knowledge BankThe Rice Knowledge Bank at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is a repositoryof training and extension resources. It receives an average of 634 visitors a day,with a total of more than 2.5 million web hits since its launch in April 2002. Its contentis screened before publication with three criteria in mind: i) is it credible? ii) is it valueadded,i.e. has it been organized in a format and sequenced in a way that promoteseasy understanding? and iii) is it demand driven? For the demand-driven criterion, theKnowledge Bank uses statistical web traffic-monitoring software. This provides:• A live view of the formats users prefer, measured by the frequency of downloads forspecific formats.• Keyword query analysis that indicates the subject areas users are most interested in,as indicated by the frequency of certain keywords that are typed into the knowledgebank’s search field and those that are used in the Internet’s leading search engines tofind content on the knowledge bank.• Demographic analysis of where the users are located and the types of systems andsoftware they are using to access the Knowledge Bank.Source: Albert Dean Atkinsen www.knowledgebank.irri.org.Table 3.Summary of e-learning tools.Type of e-learning sourceWeb-based on-line coursesFunctionAdministered through the Internet, have flexible timeschedules, alleviate geographical barriersfor disseminating information and education,despite a lack of reliable Internetconnection (Table 4). When asked aboutpersonal Internet use, 53 per cent of respondentssaid they used it frequently, butonly 31 per cent thought their connectionwas reliable. The survey also showed thatmost institutions viewed on-line databasesand news reports as the most useful formsof e-learning.The relatively low interest in on-linecourses and communities suggests a correlationbetween the level of interest andusage in computer-based technologies andlack of reliability in Internet connectionsas well as limited relevance of current Internetcourses. Those with little access orslow connections and minimal technicalsupport may not see on-line communitiesas appropriate or feasible. The low figuresalso suggest that exposure to and understandingof on-line communities is limited,and thus they are not perceived as useful.Similarly, on-line courses are perceived toneed a more efficient Internet connectionthan is currently available in some areas.Using on-line communication as part of anexisting course or lesson plan may be morereadily accepted.On-line databasesModerated listservesOn-line communitiesCD-ROMsVirtual universitiesNetwork host provides a central repository of informationaccessible from anywhere in the worldTechnologically easy to set up, e-mail lists are well adaptedto low bandwidth situationsRequires consistency in moderating list activitiesBuilds international links based on research, elaborates onexisting education and training coursesLess common than e-mail, more affected by bandwidthrestrictionsConverts hard-copy documents into electronic versionsWidespread usabilityProvides on-line courses to those without access to universityfacilitiesRequires high-powered networks and computersUsing a combination of various types ofe-learning or ‘blended learning’ such ason-line databases, recent agroforestry newsupdates, on-line communities and on-linecourses may be appropriate to match thebenefits of ICT in education and training touser needs and capabilities. For example,a particular web site or repository maycontain links to on-line databases, provideupdated research information and offershort-term courses or sections of trainingcourses. Alternatively, an existing coursemay contain on-line components or opportunitiesfor discussions pertaining to faceto-facelearning and course content.