Africa is becoming a powerful source of new ideas and innovation in the development and use of new technologies for learning and training. Participants in eLearning Africa, the African continent’s largest conference and exhibition on ICT for development, education and training, which was held in Dar es Salaam recently, were shown how the innovative use of technology is transforming African education.
The Vice President of Tanzania, Dr Mohammed Gharib Bilal, told the conference that “Africa’s role is now shifting from spectator to active participant” and Michael Trucano, the World Bank’s ICT and Education expert, said that Africans now asked “How can we innovate with what we have?” rather than expecting to rely on someone else delivering successful learning by “air-dropping pre-packaged material.”
The Dar es Salaam conference was the sixth eLearning Africa, an event which has grown to become an essential fixture in the diaries of educators, entrepreneurs, officials and politicians from Africa and beyond. This year, it attracted a total of 1,702 participants from over 90 countries. 322 speakers from 57 countries shared best practices and ideas in 65 parallel sessions, presenting new ways of learning in Africa and other parts of the world. The conference also brought together 25 ministers and deputy ministers and more than 50 government officials from 21 countries throughout Africa for a discussion at the annual Ministerial Round Table about the future role of ICTs in African education.
An exhibition with 52 exhibitors from 16 countries accompanied the conference, showcasing innovative technologies and educational resources. The conference was held in English, French and Kiswahili.
Conference participants were delighted with the many speeches, sessions and special networking events, which demonstrated a new mood of determination to innovate and improve learning for all. They described the event as “invigorating,” “inspiring” and “exhilarating.”
At the top of the conference agenda were sessions on ‘Youth, Skills & Employability’ – this year’s core theme –, with topics ranging from the use of ICTs to develop skills in the performing arts to making agriculture attractive for the young.
In a session attended and run entirely by young people under the age of 24, participants urged their governments to improve access to Internet services and make basic training in ICT compulsory for teachers. Schools should integrate digital technologies in all subjects and demonstrate abstract concepts with the help of simulations, animations or videos. All subject curricula should be continuously updated with information from the Internet and other sources.
Learning with mobile phones was once more identified as a powerful means to reach large numbers of people. Innovative projects, such as interactive storytelling for behavioural change, studying mathematics or conducting clinical consultations with the help of mobile devices attracted much attention.
The use of social media and interactive Web 2.0 tools, such as Facebook, Twitter, blogs and Skype, was enthusiastically championed by experts from all over Africa, including participants from universities in Tanzania, Uganda and South Africa. Whilst reducing costs, Web 2.0 technologies can help to mobilise learning resources and expand research capacities, they argued.
A number of presentations focused on new ways to bridge the skills gap in the health sector. The complexity of the problem was highlighted by skills fragmentation, where health workers with the same qualification are trained to very different skill levels. eLearning was suggested as a partial solution to the problem.
Participants in the eLearning Africa debate were asked “Is the Open Educational Resources Movement flawed?” After a passionate and controversial parliamentary-style discussion, the audience decided it is not. The debate reflected the nature of the eLearning Africa community: diverse in perspective but united in its commitment to improve education.
The 7th eLearning Africa conference will take place in May 2012.
eLA in a nutshell
eLearning Africa, 6th International Conference on ICT for Development, Education and Training
May 25–27, 2011
Mlimani City Conference Centre, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Organisers: ICWE GmbH, www.icwe.net, Government of the Republic of Tanzania
Contact: ICWE GmbH, Ms Katharina Goetze,
info@elearning-africa.com, www.eLearning-africa.com
Tel.: +49 (0)30 310 18 18-0
Press Contact
ICWE GmbH
Beate Timmer & Andrea Marshall
Tel.: +49 (0)30 310 18 18-0, press-service@icwe.net
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