Trends

Trends

Africa’s smartphone revolution

Smartphone use in Africa is on the rise, and major mobile makers and distributors are starting to pay attention to the emerging African market by producing devices that cater to the needs of the developing region. How will increased smartphone use revolutionise the way education takes place in Africa?

Trends

Open Access Nairobi

The Open Access movement appears to be gaining ground, with the oldest and largest university in Kenya, the University of Nairobi, having adopted an Open Access policy in December 2012. The need for change had been heavily emphasised by researchers who concluded that an Open Access policy would allow them the opportunity and platform to promote their academic work and enhance the visibility and […]

Trends

UNESCO Mobile Learning Week 2013: Scratching the surface

The recently hosted UNESCO Mobile Learning Week (MLW) 2013 set out to answer three vital questions: how can mobile technologies support literacy development for both children and adults? How can they support teachers and their professional development, to ensure quality education is delivered to all students? And how can mobile technologies contribute to gender equality and extend opportunities to women and girls? A series […]

Trends

Educating women and girls: is this the key to meeting the Millennium Development Goals?

The Millennium Development Goals have come under critical fire for engaging with social issues in a largely statistical manner. The targets and indicators used to measure progress tend to be more quantitative than qualitative, failing to take into account the stories, complexities and experiences behind the statistics, particularly when it comes to the continuing prevalence of gender inequality. eLearning Africa will offer participants the chance […]

Trends

What matters is government policy on creating local open educational resources

Open Educational Resources (OER) are seen as a solution to the dire lack of access to quality education across the world, especially in Africa. Activity surrounding open licensing and open access to education content has increased exponentially since the term OER was coined in 2001, catalysed by strong advocates for open resource sharing, especially in Africa. However, a host of issues remain open for […]

Trends

The Post-2015 Development Agenda: time to learn and connect

With the 2015 deadline of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) fast approaching, governments and organisations across the world are looking towards the next step. Introspection is a necessary part of the process as both the successes and failures of the original MDG agenda are being assessed and dissected, providing captivating accounts on both sides. The eLearning Africa news service has been following developments and […]

Trends

Getting healthcare online in Africa

The accessibility of healthcare has had a major boost from technology in the last ten years with the development of communication systems that can deliver relevant information to practitioners with minimum fuss. Nowhere is this as important as in Africa, where there is a large gap in healthcare service provision between rural and urban areas and there is a major shortage of qualified healthcare […]

Trends

Finding the sweet spot: Open Educational Resources in the developing world

With debate about the benefits and future of the MOOC dominating the educational blogosphere in the last year, discussions about the open sharing of educational resources are becoming more prevalent. Open Educational Resources, or OERs, offer a potential tool for impacting education in developing countries and fast growing economies, particularly in the emerging technology hubs of Africa. These open, freely available educational resources can […]

Trends

Finding the sweet spot: open educational resources in the developing world

With debate about the benefits and future of the MOOC dominating the educational blogosphere in the last year, discussions about the open sharing of educational resources are becoming more prevalent. Open Educational Resources, or OERs, offer a potential tool for impacting education in developing countries and fast growing economies, particularly in the emerging technology hubs of Africa. These open, freely available educational resources can […]

Trends

Crowdsourcing: is the African continent a step ahead?

Can it be an asset for educational projects on the continent? The African continent is certainly in a good position to utilise knowledge and skills sourced through or funded by a “crowd”, as it can rely on a strong link between tradition and innovation. Whether to provide help in times of economic hardships or to demonstrate common solidarity with the community, alternative or complementary […]