Mary Harrsch (Mary_Harrsch@ccmail.uoregon.edu)
Wed, 16 Sep 1998 13:35:52 -0700
>Received: from mail.gmd.de (postix) by zeus.gmd.de with SMTP id AA19418 (5.67b8/IDA-1.5 for <ifetsarc@zeus.gmd.de>); Thu, 1 Oct 1998 10:45:31 +0200
>Received: from mail.gmd.de (postix) by zeus.gmd.de with SMTP id AA11762 (5.67b8/IDA-1.5 for <rashev@zeus.gmd.de>); Wed, 16 Sep 1998 22:50:10 +0200
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 13:35:52 -0700 From: Mary Harrsch <Mary_Harrsch@ccmail.uoregon.edu> Subject: Re: [ifets] RE: Third World Computing
** Digest version of list available -> more information ->
http://ifets.gmd.de/maillist.html
---------------------------------------------------------
I had to smile when I read the part about the elephant and train question.
Years ago I was asked by my private sector employer to take a screening test
that would point out areas of my professional development that may need
further development. After I completed the questionnaire I was called in
for a discussion of the results. Because I couldn't answer which team won
the super bowl three years ago and I didn't know who the governor of the
state was I was told I should concentrate on being more aware of current
events. I pointed out to the analyst that the super bowl question was
irrelevant to a person who was not interested in sports and (at least to my
way of thinking) extremely gender biased. I also pointed out that the
governor question did not take into account people like me who had just
moved into the state. I'm afraid my first priority was not memorizing the
names of the local politicians. I certainly agree with Samantha that local
relevance needs to be a primary review factor in the design of educational
materials and the incorporation of culture-specific questions avoided unless
they are tailored for the specific population that will be using the
materials.
Mary Harrsch
Network and Information Systems Manager
College of Education
102-K Education
University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403
(541) 346-3554
http://oregon.uoregon.edu/~mharrsch/index.htm
-----Original Message-----
From: ifets@gmd.de <ifets@gmd.de>
To: ifets@gmd.de <ifets@gmd.de>
Date: Wednesday, September 16, 1998 4:31 AM
Subject: [ifets] RE: Third World Computing
** Digest version of list available -> more information ->
http://ifets.gmd.de/maillist.html
---------------------------------------------------------
Scott,
Thank you for making most of the points that I was intending to! The
only ones I would add would be of a practical nature (as usual).
In my experience of teaching in several countries including Zambia and
Mauritius, even if technology or even machinery is donated by a country
that can afford it, the problems encountered when there is a fault or
breakdown are frequently insurmountable. Spare parts are extremely
difficult to find (in Zimbabwe recently I travelled in a very unreliable
vehicle, unreliable because one particular part was unobtainable for
more than 3 months, hence 4 wheel drive held together with tins and
string!) and currently the skills needed to fix computers are equally
scarce. .... and who can claim never to have had soft or hardware
problems?
Also, there seems to be the assumption that this 24 hour solar computer
can have access to the internet ..... as Jean mentioned, most people
living in 'the bush' have no access to telephone lines. (I am happy to
stand corrected if a solar powered non-land-based link is available, I
am just not aware of one)
A non-practical concern I have is that even if the educational software
were available and the access were possible, I am not convinced of how
relevant it would be, particularly for lower schooling ages. Again, I
can only give examples from experience but in Mauritius one year an
unexpectedly large number of students of English Language failed their
'Cambridge Certificate' (rough age 16). The reason was that the main
comprehension passage was concerning an elephant which refused to move
off a train track forcing the train to stop, with questions such as 'why
did the people not move the elephant?' and 'why did the train not go
round the elephant?'. Unfortunately, Mauritius is a small isolated
island with no trains and no zoos, the students had no idea that trains
needed to be on the tracks and so on. Also in Mauritius, where the
population is largely of Indian extraction, the students had to be
taught to use european colour combinations if they want good marks in
art. Those appropriate to their culture and experience were not
appreciated by the European-based examiners.
Adapting content to fit environments takes skill and time and access to
relevant materials.
Delayne commented as a reason for using the internet:
+Jean, I seemed to have missed some of your supporting evidence which
(at
+minimum) assumes the existance of text books and live instructors. In
+most of the developing countries I've worked/visited such were in
+extremely short supply. Especially those that had any idea as to how to
+teach
If there are no people with these skills, I would suggest that there may
also not be sufficient with the skills to develop, adapt, find and
integrate as well as technically support the computer/internet
resources.
I sound negative. I am certainly not against proposing and supporting
use of the internet/WWW where possible, practical and
appropriate,(indeed, not only am I employed to do so but I also strongly
believe it is an excellent and flexible meddium), I just feel that it
may be useful to appreciate the physical, practical and cultural
barriers to its use in many places.
Samantha
-----Original Message-----
From: Scott Overmyer [mailto:Scott.Overmyer@cis.drexel.edu]
Sent: 16 September 1998 02:09
To: ifets@gmd.de
Subject: Re: [ifets] Final Summary of recent Web discussion
** Digest version of list available -> more information ->
http://ifets.gmd.de/maillist.html
---------------------------------------------------------
DeLayne H. writes, in response to Jean, that:
>> Even in the major
>> cities of many countries in the world, the electrical power is not
>> reliable throughout all 24 hours, and in many remote rural areas
there
is
>> no "connectivity," so that even a person with his/her own computer
(and
>> modem) would have trouble connecting to the net, or would find it
>> prohibitively expensive.
> Such is a matter of political will. Further, you seem to ignore the
> issue of appropriate technology. Very cheap battery operated radios
with
> solar chargers have been used (as in Liberia 10+ years ago) with good
> success to distribute educational programs.
Whose political will would that be? There are political factions
even in the U.S. who would and do resist technological incursions
into their lives, and for a variety of reasons would not support
such initiatives by their government representatives. As you cite,
there
are cost-effective solutions to many of these problems, but there
are still costs.
>> I don't remember the fraction, but before we get
>> too carried away by the democratic potential of web technology, let's
>> remember that only a minority of the people currently living have
>> telephone technology. For the educational needs ofpeople without
>> internet access, sending books -- and live instructors -- would make
much more sense.
> Jean, I seemed to have missed some of your supporting evidence which
(at
> minimum) assumes the existance of text books and live instructors. In
> most of the developing countries I've worked/visited such were in
> extremely short supply. Especially those that had any idea as to how
to
> teach... that could distinguish between information and instruction.
Here I agree with you. Instructors and textbooks are expensive and in
short
supply in many areas of many countries, however, all I have is anecdotal
and experiential evidence myself. Currently I'm working with some
people
in
Ukraine to develop a distance learning system to help mitigate the
effects
brought on by the lack of trained instructors, who are now out selling
shoes and pencils to buy bread. These people exist, they are willing,
but
they
simply can't be paid by the state. By comparison, and in terms of
political
costs, I think the investment in the live instructors at this point
would
be the better option.
> Let me assert that the Internet, with all its current weakness, is
still
> the optimum blend of access to raw data, information, instruction and
> teaching systems that do not rely on the distribution of warm bodies.
Again I must ask: Where are all of the Internet-based educational
applications required to teach? Who has developed them? If they
exist, are they smart enough to support learning by a variety of
individuals who have different capabilities, limitations, learning
styles, and motivations?
Not everyone can employ a search engine to maximum efficiency and
effectiveness. Even if they could, we are very far from the point of
being able to state with any certainty that there is a critical mass
of information (in accessible form) currently available on the Internet.
> To be effective warm bodies require a tremendous input and support
> investment plus considerable and constant maintenance.
Is this a terrible cost, considering the benefit?
> My guess is that a $2,500 solar powered computer, with VSAT, usable
> 24 hours a day, is a much better bargan than the best trained and
> most motivated instructor.
Depends what it can do. If the applications required to support
learning
are not available and appropriate, then the equipment might better be
utilized as a boat anchor so that at least the students can learn to
fish.
Can it sooth the nerves of a troubled student who can't learn because
of some reason that can only become apparent through exploratory
discourse? No. Can it change the mood of a student from irritated and
unreceptive to calm, relaxed and receptive to learning? Not yet, maybe
not ever. Can it engage in systematic desensitization to help someone
get over technophobia? Never.
> Access to the communication channels and supporting equipment is an
> issue of using this install base for multiple purposes so that the
> infrastructure can be supported by multiple users (health, commerce,
> agriculture, etc.)
Sure, but this takes money and contributions from these other
(underfunded)
agencies and government organizational units. I'm not opposed to
intelligent tutoring systems, distance education, or the use of
computers
in the classroom (otherwise I wouldn't be involved with this list).
IMHO,
however, we must recognize the needs of the individual and society and
temper our enthusiasm with some serious requirements analysis with
respect
to exactly what it is that we intend to offer the public in terms of
education and training.
Perhaps this also a question of political will, but whose politics -
and who's Will? :-)
scotto...
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+++
Scott P. Overmyer, Ph.D. College of Information Science and Technology
Associate Professor 306 Rush Building
Drexel University
Phone: (215) 895-1271 3141 Chestnut Street
Fax: (215) 895-2494 Philadelphia, PA 19104-2875
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+++
---------------------------------------------------------
Forum website: http://ifets.gmd.de/
Email address for sending message to everyone on the list ifets@gmd.de
Forum's contact person ifets-info@gmd.de
---------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------
Forum website: http://ifets.gmd.de/
Email address for sending message to everyone on the list ifets@gmd.de
Forum's contact person ifets-info@gmd.de
---------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------
Forum website: http://ifets.gmd.de/
Email address for sending message to everyone on the list ifets@gmd.de
Forum's contact person ifets-info@gmd.de
---------------------------------------------------------
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.0b3 on Thu 01 Oct 1998 - 11:13:26 MET DST