SchoolNet Africa, an active contributor to building a better future for African youth and Children

Ms. Nafissatou Mbodj, Executive Director – SchoolNet Africa

Technology enhanced learning as a concept is far more than desirable whether in developed or developing nations. The level of applicability and usage yet vastly differs in different parts of the world. In the developed world we have infrastructure, easy access, awareness of ICT not as a tool but as an integral part of everyday life and   education is an enabling factor that is taken for granted. In the largest part of Africa however this is not the case, the challenges the continent faces are tremendous and are not only limited to ICT infrastructure and access to tools and knowledge of ICT but stretch to reach basic infrastructure needs as electricity, roads, and basic life needs. In that sense high level technological tools and applications seem hard to achieve (though are being implemented in parts of Africa). Great efforts on part of civil society, private and public sector supported by enlightened governments is leading to a slow move towards allowing or enabling the infra structure that would support ICT4D efforts in the area of education and human development.

Information technology has become an important tool in today’s world that is used in all aspects of life, it is crucial to empower the African youth and enable them to use new advanced technologies in their daily activities and to be contributors rather than only recipients of knowledge.

SchoolNet Africa (SNA) is an independent, pan-African NGO. SNA operates in over 33 African nations, through local partners from the government, civil society and private sector, in an endeavor to provide access to quality education through the use of ICTs.  SNA stands for the right of every African child to have access to information and knowledge allowing them to be global citizens.

SNA promotes provision of ICT for educational development through providing access to technology infrastructure and training to support its mission in provision of:

• The right of every African child to have access to education, information and knowledge
• Affordable and sustainable ICT access for African schools using a variety of solutions;
• The creation of locally developed, digitized education content;
• Expression through the recognition of indigenous African languages;
• Multi-stakeholder partnerships within a progressive development framework;
• Gender equality and women's empowerment;
• The achievement of the Education for All objectives and the UN Millennium Development Goals

SNA has a number of programs that all promote the above and provide access to technology training, tools, capacity building and skills of African youth to enhance employability and skills needed to allow African youth to be active contributors to the knowledge based society.

SNA has realized the role of online collaborative learning in overcoming the challenges that Africa meets in terms of offering a virtual avenue for communication, collaboration, knowledge sharing and exposure to different cultures, backgrounds and set of skills, a matter that enhances learning and overcomes challenges of space and time boundaries.  Allowing cross cultural exchange of knowledge and expertise. This tool allows Africa to become a virtual learning community. Online collaborative learning (MAf and Josoor Arabia) allows for reaching new heights of educational excellence through preparing youth with a needed set of skills to meet the needs and requirements of the emerging markets and enable them to actively contribute and work efficiently in the global setting.

iClass and an Educational Leap in Developing Educational Systems

From my perspective the “educational leap” concept is applicable and desirable because we already have Internet connection, computers, cyber spaces, computer labs, Smart boards, mobiles (which school principals use to communicate with parents for meetings or for giving the students’ grades). The mobiles are present everywhere throughout the country and the connectivity is quite available to the majority of the population and not very expensive. This concept will be of tremendous help to enhance learning and research.

However, I have some reservations about the cost of the mobiles and the lack of control over the students who can use them for other purposes and the fact that not all the places have easy access to internet or to the network.

The ideal mobile terminal I envision is easy to handle, simple, very low cost and can be accessible and used everywhere by students giving them freedom of learning. 4th generation mobiles with larger screens and keyboards, low cost laptops, radios, TV, low cost Smart boards will do the work.

I see the contribution of iClass as a preparation and anticipation of graduate studies. It predisposes the students to leadership by having them take more initiatives and get more freedom in learning. The students won’t always rely on the teacher and will be able to do their researches by themselves; iClass is a method that empowers students. It can be easily integrated in the curricula and will give more fun and more implication to the class work. iClass  offers the students ‘concrete’ knowledge and real situations to deal with and answers students interrogations in some science processes (for example the process of childbirth or viruses explained on the Smart board is so real that students don’t need a teacher for explanation). It can be an extension to the curricula.

All what is said is easier in urban settings as far as developing countries are concerned. It will be very difficult in rural areas where getting a connection and a network is very difficult or very limited. Sustainability and affordability are to be taken into account, as well as the maintenance of the material. Thus providing the appropriate infrastructures and connectivity will be necessary.