Electronic learning gets boost

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 24 - Intel Corporation has embarked on a program of cutting down education costs through partnership with the ministry of Education to have e-Learning solutions incorporated in the curriculum.

Intel Corporation Corporate Communications Manager Suraj Shah said on Thursday that the program has an educational environment that uses technology to create a 1-to-1 relationship, not just between the student and a dedicated computer, but between the student and a broad set of learning resources.

“We have a number of school representatives that have already been taken through this solution and some are ready to have this rolling out”, he said.

John Kimotho, deputy director of Kenya institute of Education said effective use of ICT could engage students better, enable dynamic curricula, and provide the freedom to soar beyond textbooks and classroom walls.

It can ignite student learning, improve educational outcomes and equip children for the future to compete successfully in the knowledge economy.

“We view this technology as a tool for building these skills and advancing individual and national competitiveness,” Mr Kimotho said.

In a student-centric approach, students work together in groups to share information, learn interaction skills, and create projects. Students increasingly become independent, self-directed learners that build their knowledge and explore new topics.

Technology, connectivity, and digital content provide the infrastructure that facilitates this transition from teacher-centric to student centric classrooms.

The solution is being implemented across the East African region in various institutions through Mustek East Africa which has netted revenue in excess of Sh70 million so far since its launch in December last year, said Albert Kigada, Channel sales manager

The lying of the fibre-optic cable by the government is expected to increase the bandwidth making it easier for students to use internet in the learning environment.

The programme will also make internet accessible to rural areas as it is a knowledge based and if utilised well could add value to what many students have been able to gain from teachers.

Mr Kigada urged the government to embrace this technology as it will increase computer knowledge in schools thus developing a computer literate society as well as cut down on costs since parents will not be required to buy books.

Physical integration of e-learning which consists of making technological equipment available to teachers and students by promoting its use under the e-schools initiative rolled out by Intel cooperation and New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) as an economic development program of the African Union.

NEPAD was adopted at the 37th session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government in July 2001 in Lusaka, Zambia - Nepad that targets 600,000 schools on the continent.

A similar project has shown success in Uganda under the Maendeleo Foundation which uses solar power at Kisyoro Secondary School and under the Millennium Villages Project of Ruhiira in Uganda.