1 Relevant Research: A Case for Africa D. Ng’ambi Centre for Educational Technology University of Cape Town Interface between development goals and emerging technologies

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4 Introduction African states lag far behind in the basic requirements for ICTs to play a meaningful and sustained role in people’s lives.

5 e-research Dimensions e-Research e-Why? e-What? e-How? e-Where?

6 e-Why? Millennium Development Targets –Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger (less than $1 a day) (Goal 1). –Ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling (Goal 2). –Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education, preferably by 2005, and in all levels of education no later than 2015 (Goal 3).

7 e-Why? Millennium Development Targets –Reduce by two thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-five mortality rate (Goal 4). –Reduce by three quarter, between 1990 and 2015 the maternal mortality ratio (Goal 5). –Have halted by 2015, and begun to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS (Goal 6). –By 2020, to have achieved a significant improvement in the lives of a least 100 million slum-dwellers (Goal 7).

8 e-Why? Millennium Development Targets –In cooperation with the private sector, make available the benefits of new technologies, especially information and communication (Goal 8). Access to information and communication technologies grows steadily, but ‘digital divide’ persists.

9 e-What? 21 st Century Skills –Digital-Age Literacy Basic, scientific, economic, and technological literacies Visual and information literacies Multicultural literacy and global awareness

10 e-What? 21 st Century Skills –Inventive Thinking Adaptability and managing complexity Self-direction Curiosity, creatity, and risk taking Higher-order thinking and sound reasoning

11 e-What? 21 st Century Skills –Effective Communication Teaming, collaboration, and interpersonal skills Personal, social, and civic responsibility Interactive communication

12 e-What? 21 st Century Skills –High Productivity Prioritizing, planning, and managing for results Effective use of real-world tools Ability to produce relevant, high-quality products

13 e-What? 21 st Century Skills –High Productivity Prioritizing, planning, and managing for results Effective use of real-world tools Ability to produce relevant, high-quality products

14 e-Where? Technological Constraints –Lack of or unstable supply of electricity Rural Communities –Three quarters of the population is illiterate and live in rural areas Mobile Communication –Infrastructure exists –Both urban and rural communities –Digital ‘divide’ bridge …the level of ICT use in any country is closely related to the country’s income (Hesselmark, 2003)

15 e-How? “…there are great potentials of ICTs as tools for enhancing people’s daily lives whether by increasing access to information relevant to their economic livelihood, better access to other information sources; healthcare, transport, distance learning or in the strengthening of kinship” Elijah and Ogunlade (2006)

16 e-research dimensions e-Research e-Why? e-What? e-How? e-Where? To meet Millennium Development targets To develop 21 st Century skills In developing and least developed countries To use affordable, adoptable, and available technologies

17 e-How? As technology advances, users will find the technology increasingly easier to use and it is likely that little computer literacy will be needed to use the future communication devices (James et al. 2003)

18 e-research dimensions e-Research e-Why? e-What? e-How? e-Where? To meet Millennium Development targets To develop 21 st Century skills In developing and least developed countries To use affordable, adoptable, and available technologies Explain phenomenon Explore & expose nature of… Observe & describe reality of… Appropriate for fit & relevance

19 e-research dimensions e-Research e-Why? e-What? e-How? e-Where? To meet Millennium Development targets To develop 21 st Century skills In developing and least developed countries To use affordable, adoptable, and available technologies Explain phenomenon Explore & expose nature of… Observe & describe reality of… Appropriate for fit & relevance e-Who? e-When?

20 Example Project e-why?e-what? e-how?e-when? e-who?

21 e-research dimensions e-Research e-Why? e-What? e-How? e-Where? To meet Millennium Development targets To develop 21 st Century skills In developing and least developed countries To use affordable, adoptable, and available technologies Explain phenomenon Explore & expose nature of… Observe & describe reality of… Appropriate for fit & relevance e-Who? e-When?

22 Possible research areas Teaching and learning processes and teachers / learners access issues Web 2.0 vs infrastructure constraints, and exploitation of available tools Web 2.0 as a 21 st century development catalyst Affordances of Web 2.0 for new teaching practices, new teaching practices supported by Web 2.0 Creating communities (i.e. producers / consumers) of collective thinking, collaborative writing, and faster publishing etc.

23 Questions / Discussion