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Dr. ABBI GODFREY NANGAWE. INTRODUCTION. Education entails many processes, procedures and activities in achieving high quality education.
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INTRODUCTION Education entails many processes, procedures and activities in achieving high quality education. The increasing availability of Internet has created great interest in developing Internet-based educational tools to support teaching and learning to replace the traditional education systems.
Research indicates that, for Learning Institutions (LIs) to effectively participate in today’s digital information age; sustained use of Information Technology innovations (ITIs) is essential. Specifically, developing countries should realize that in the rapid growth of digital technology economy and education in particular, there is a possibility that the world will create a new form of inequality among education graduates.
In order to remain globally competitive, there is increasing pressure for LIs in developing countries to incorporate a greater use of ITIs into their curriculum. African countries are duty bound to ensure that their students receive the best education that will determine their access to the world of work.
Research that were undertaken to evaluate the use of ITIs on teaching and learning in African countries, confirmed that: Higher Learning Institutions (HLIs) have been slow in taking the fullest advantage of the potential benefits that can be afforded by the use of ITIs.
Unlike ten years ago, todays’ students in African HLIs come with cell phones, personal data assistance (PDAs), laptops, MP3 players, digital cameras, personal web-pages, etc. The terms Generation D and Millennium Gap describe the differences that exist between the students entering University or College today and those who entered before the year 2000.
Many of these students their computer knowledge transcend that of their lecturers. They arrive on campuses ready to engage ITIs in their learning processes only to be taught by faculty members who are reluctant to alter their ‘chalk and talk’ pedagogy.
EFFORTS IN TRANSFORMING EDUCATION IN AFRICA African Government’s commitment to use ITIs in addressing various educational challenges is detailed in various policy papers:
In the Tanzanian National ICT Policy, Vision, 2025 - outlined ICT as a powerful development facilitator in the fight against poverty, poor education, ignorance and disease.
Tanzania also established the Ministry of Communication, Science and Technology which among other tasks has to create a conducive environment for investments in the use of ITIs for national development.
Other practical steps have been taken by African leaders to demonstrate their political will and commitment in promoting the use of ITIs i.e. • liberalization of the ICT sector as reflected in the increase of cell phone operators; • exemption of tax on personal computers, etc.
THE REAL SITUATION With the increased number of students and reduced budgets in education to African countries, the question is: What contributions can ITIs make to ensure that education in African countries are capable of promoting high-quality teaching and learning?
The truth is: If ITIs shall be used appropriately in Africa it will substantially add value to all the activities associated with teaching and learning in LIs.
While most Higher Learning Institutions now possess abundant computers and technological infrastructure, there is considerable variability in adoption patterns when it comes to the activities and processes for which the technology is being used in promoting quality education in Africa.
In 2008, there were only two HLIs making use of digital learning environments in Tanzania namely the University of DSM (UDSM) and Open University of Tanzania (OUT). Other HLIs however, were offering general ICT training for teachers and students.
Aside from basic ICT skills training and some limited use of e-Learning at UDSM and OUT, the real integration and exploitation of ICT to address issues of access and quality seems to be extremely limited.
The arrival of submarine fibre to Tanzania and the installation of the national fibre backbone are expected to greatly benefit LIs and other educational providers by providing high speed Internet connections for education and research.
AREAS THAT FINNISH EdTech EXPERTS CAN SUPPORT AFRICA Whereas, Finland compared to other developed countries, came from behind in the 1970’s to become the world leader in educational achievement; Africa have not yet harmonised what the leaders and politicians are saying and what is in reality on the ground. There are still no genuinely commitment as to what exactly Africa want to achieve in it’s future education.
Teaching and learning system in Africa lack a well-designed and connected elements including well-prepared teachers and quality curriculum supported with appropriate teaching materials and assessments.
Finland created a productive “teaching and learning system” by expanding access while investing purposefully in ambitions educational goals using strategic approaches to build teaching capacity.
The need for knowledge-based economies in African Countries is not only for bulling more efficient domestic economics, but to take advantage of the available resources that are still not exploited.
This will require African countries to create cooperation with well-developed IT knowledge-based economic countries like Finland in transforming its teaching and learning processes.
University of Eastern Finland-IMPDET admission to doctoral studies report indicates that “The transformational use of information and communication technologies in Africa” provides an overall picture of ICT usage across Africa, divided into six sectors:
Agriculture, climate change, education, health, financial services, government. The report provides grassroots level case examples of ICT-based innovations and transformation in relation to each of the six sectors.
Specific areas of collaboration with EdTech experts from Finland may include but not limited to: • Conduct “STUDIES” in collaboration with African academic institutions to determine the real educational technology challenges that Africa countries are currently facing;
Collaborate with African academic institutions in the “REVIEW” of the currently used curricula to incorporate educational technology components. Also, to collaborate in “DESIGNING” the new education system which will enable African teachers and learners change from traditional way of teaching and learning;
Participate in PRE-TESTING” of the newly designed educational technology system (EdTech System) in order to ensure compatibility in its application to African education environment; and, • Collaborate with academic institutions in “MONITORING AND EVALUATION” the implementation of the new EdTech System in Africa;
