In the Ghanaian capital Accra, one government minister takes questions from citizens via Facebook. One journalist in Kenya uses his smart phone to e-mail breaking news instantly from a corporate press conference; his announcements affect share prices on the Nairobi Stock Exchange. Technology is rapidly changing Africa, and at the forefront of this change is rising access to broadband Internet. Broadband is even more […]

Anyone involved in eLearning will be familiar with the challenge: A new technology is introduced into a school accompanied by a lot of energy and enthusiasm, but over time it doesn’t quite get utilised in the way the proponents anticipated. Understanding the reasons behind this is central to enhancing our effectiveness. In this second article introducing the new research stream at eLearning Africa, David […]

    The agricultural industry in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries faces many challenges. Despite the heavy reliance on this sector for economic growth, food security and employment, agriculture is not perceived as an attractive option by young people. ICTs are key to engaging young people’s interest and involvement. CTA, the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation, has worked with local partners […]

Pearson Fronter specialises in simple tools for secure online education and collaboration in specific virtual ‘rooms’. Its Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) gives students, teachers and parents access to communications, assignment submission, planning and shared resources. Here, eLearning Africa shows how introducing this platform in a school in the United Arab Emirates is helping to meet the educational needs of the children and connect the […]

When the 650 million dollar Seacom undersea cable was hauled ashore on Kunduchi beach near Dar es Salaam, its high-capacity bandwidth offered Tanzania the glittering opportunity of becoming a knowledge-based economy. But the country needs more than just fast broadband from the 17,000 km of largely African-owned fibre-optic cable that has linked South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Mozambique with Europe and Asia since […]

  As Africa’s mobile telecommunications continue to expand rapidly, the continent’s education systems are seeing major developments in the learning process for school children, students, apprentices and technicians. This year’s eLearning Africa conference in Lusaka identified the main trends.

  Imagine a classroom packed with the latest educational technology, such as high-end networked computers, projectors and digital whiteboards. And then imagine what happens when the lights go out and the screens go blank. In fact, power cuts are still a common problem on the African content. eLearning Africa addressed this issue and presented some impressive ideas regarding alternative energy sources. Presentations covered the […]

Open Educational Resources (OERs), unveiled at UNESCO’s 2002 Forum on the Impact of Open Courseware for Higher Education in Developing Countries and funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation are educational materials and resources offered free and open to anyone and usually free to be re-mixed, improved or redistributed. They can be found on the Internet, but how good are they? How efficient […]

Old computers are piling up in Africa and the developing world. Electronic waste, eWaste, eScrap or Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) contains deadly contaminants like lead, cadmium, beryllium and poisonous flame retardants. UN officials say the developing countries face the spectre of mountains of hazardous waste damaging the environment and threatening public health. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is now creating awareness […]

Three solar panels, a battery, ten folding chairs, five tables, fifteen Intel-powered Classmate PCs and two teachers in a small van: This is the basic “equipment” of the Mobile Solar Computer Classroom (MSCC). It has been en route through rural Uganda for two years now with the purpose of teaching pupils and teachers IT and computer skills. The initiator is Eric Morrow, founder of […]