Berhanu Beyene Computer Science Department University of Hamburg October 2004

1. Prospects and Challenges to Promote E-Learning in Developing Countries: A Case Study of Ethiopian Higher Education Berhanu Beyene Computer Science Department University of Hamburg October 2004

2. Introduction • Education in Ethiopia:At Crossroad • ICT: The last truck left • E-Learning: What is the problem to which e-learning is the solution • Background • Objective • ICT and Education:Think global act local • E-Learning:Opportunities vs. Challenges B.Beyene : E-Learning in DCs

3. Status quo River to cross Goal/ Destination • Country • Population • Language ICT Knowledge- economy Challenges ? ? ICT Education ICT-Supported Education Why this Topic? B.Beyene : E-Learning in DCs

4. ቀዳሚሃ ለጥበብ ፈሪሃ እግዚአብሔር The fear of God is the Beginning of Knowledge Education in Ethiopia • Objectives • Education for all • Manpower Development • Knowledge Creation • Poverty Reduction - Ultimate goal • Type of Education • Traditional - Religion • Non-Formal • Formal • Regular • Distance and Open Learning • Life-Long Learning (continuing) B.Beyene : E-Learning in DCs

5. The Nonformal and Adult Education • What is Nonformal Education • Educational activity organized outside of the established formal system. There are no hierarchy, classrooms, registration, examination, etc. • Role of Nonformal • Socio-economic development • Community Skill Training Center (CSTC) • Indigenous Knowledge (Knowledge Creation) • Basic (Adult) Education • Education to All (ETA) • Alternative to Formal education for children out of school B.Beyene : E-Learning in DCs

6. The Regular Education System • Primary School • Secondary (Comprehensive) • Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) • Tertiary (University/College) B.Beyene : E-Learning in DCs

7. Grade/Level Life Long Learning T E R T . 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Technical Educ. And Vocational Training (10+2) Medium Vocational Training (10+1 S E C O N D A R Y Junior Vocational Training (6 Months) P R I M A R Y Basic Vocational Training (4 Months) Training Program Education Program Regular Education and Training Program (Source: MOE, 1998) World of Work Higher Education Higher general Education general Education Basic Education B.Beyene : E-Learning in DCs

8. Information Communication Technology (ICT) in Ethiopia • The Concepts ICT • Information: Knowledge • Communication: Exchange of information • Technology: Tool used to process, store, transmit information • Diffusion • As early as 1963 • UN- ECA, OAU • Establishment of NICT-Center (State intervention ) • Breakthrough • PCs and price of ICT • Education and Training • Application software • Email, Internet B.Beyene : E-Learning in DCs

9. ICT in Ethiopia: leapfrogging • Market • Mainly service (manpower development, Networking, Internet, etc.) • Software and Application Development (Font, Website, DB, etc.) • Establishment of ICT-Development Authority • Establish ICT infrastructure • Design and maintain appropriate system to capture indigenous knowledge • Facilitating and directing ICT use in the country • and more B.Beyene : E-Learning in DCs

10. Impact of ICT on Education and Culture • Culture • Awareness (Computer literacy) • Readiness (and Capacity Building) • Indigenous knowledge and Innovation • Teaching / Learning • Spread of ICT field of studies and Training • Teaching / Learning Material (Presentation) • Distance and Open Learning • Learn Material Preparation • Course Delivery B.Beyene : E-Learning in DCs

11. E-Learning: Defintion • What is E-Learning? • INSTRUCTION -- CAI, CAE • TRAINING(CBT, WBT, IBT, etc.) • InteractiveLearning system • What is not E-Learning? • Substitute traditional face-to-face education system • A solution to all ills in the Education System • Not a panacea for all ills B.Beyene : E-Learning in DCs

12. E-Learning (Web-based interactive Learning) E-Learning: Metamorphosis ? 2001 E-Learning Back home Merried with Commerce (?) Globalization 1995 WBT 1990 CBT Invisible 1980 CAE 1960 CAI Experimental B.Beyene : E-Learning in DCs

13. E-Learning: Components • Learning Management Systems (LMS) • Student Registration (On-line) • Course Management • Collaboration • Content Production and Management • Authoring (Reduction) System • Content Management System • Delivery Management • Synchronous • Asynchronous • Evaluation and Accreditation B.Beyene : E-Learning in DCs

14. Administration Content Management User Data Learn Object Course Data Meta data Learn Management System (LMS) B.Beyene : E-Learning in DCs

15. LCMS: The Concept • Definition • Tools to assure content quality • Tools to deliver that content to the end consumers. • Tools to manage communication among participants and administer their roles • Principles • Separation of: • Structure, • content and • Presentation • Storage of Contents in a media-independent format • Aim • improved quality, fitting with the consumers need • better (re)usability and • reduced cost of production and management could be assured. B.Beyene : E-Learning in DCs

16. Process Input Output Content(m) Content(n) CMS Integrating (Available) Numerous tools and processes Creating (New) ConsumersUtilities Presentation and Delivery media Choice of Processing Technology Choice of Learn object Evaluation and deployment LCMS: Features B.Beyene : E-Learning in DCs

17. LCMS: Points to consider • Software and hardware independence • Support for distributed production • Reusability • Improving the quality of the e-learning product by • Considering the end users during the whole life cycle, • Taking into account the existing IT systems, • Detailed requirements specifications, and • Continuous evaluation B.Beyene : E-Learning in DCs

18. Curriculum Identifying goals and priorities Pedagogy Specifying the learning content Selecting suitable methods Finding available content Content Standards and regulations Requirements elicitation Technology LCMS: Specification Specifying the need for training Training content and structure Process-model Process-modelling Identifying and accumulating content Content-matrix Requirements specification requirements analysis and classification Require-ments validation Finding available products B.Beyene : E-Learning in DCs

19. LCMS: Content Production with Ethiopic • Points to Consider • Multi-lingual (National and Local Languages) • Non-Latin script – Ethiopic (with over 450 characters) • Cultural values • Metadata with Language Preference • Learn Platform with choice of Preferred Language(s) • Integrated Online Lexica B.Beyene : E-Learning in DCs

20. The Prospects “(The) Internet has distinctive powers to complement, reinforce, and enhance some of our most effective traditional approaches to university teaching and learning. We should embrace those capacities, not resist them.” Harvard President Neil L. Rudenstine • General Premises • Reduced Costs Education Technology: ICT-Technology, i.e. Hardware, Software, etc. • Accessibility (in quantity and quality and yet real time) • Innovative and Collaborative: Self-paced and Self-directed Learn System • Distributed (Distance never hampers from learning) • Global Influence on Education • Global pressures for more education • Exponential growth of knowledge • Cost-effective education technology B.Beyene : E-Learning in DCs

21. Prospects: Factors • Comparative Advantage of ICT-Supported Education • Extenal Factors • Technological (Global ICT) • Political (The New order and Globalization system) • Economical (Market – Material Knowledge) • Internal Factors • Emanated from External Factors • Policy Issues - ICT Capacity Building measures • The Learning Society • Awareness and Supporting Policy Issues • Capacity Building and NITC B.Beyene : E-Learning in DCs

22. General Agreement o Trade in Services (GATS) • Liberalization of trade in services • Education one of twelve service sectors • Five levels of education services • 21 of 44 countries committed to trade in HE • Request/offer stage ends 30/03/03 • Negotiations close 31/01/05 B.Beyene : E-Learning in DCs

23. Human Resource Educatiton Knowledge Economy Challenges ICT Poverty Reduction The Challenges Education System at Cross-road B.Beyene : E-Learning in DCs

24. Challenges: Conceptual “We tend to under-estimate change in the longer term and over-estimate it in the shorter term.” Gill Ringland 1998 • ICT • Information • Information Technology • Communication Technology • E-Learning • Learning (Teaching) • Training (WBT, CBT, IBT, etc.) – in enterprises • Instruction (CAI) – Traditional System • Technology Choice (depends on the concept) • Motive: Tension between two functions • Assuring continuity (i.e. passing on what is known) • Fostering creativity and change (i.e. propelling learners into the unknown) B.Beyene : E-Learning in DCs

25. Forces Driving Change in HE • Continuing growth in demand • Increased recognition of the economic returns • Expanding and shifting frontiers of knowledge • Communications and information technology • Economic globalisation and inter- nationalisation • Democratic quest for cohesion, justice and equity in social arrangements B.Beyene : E-Learning in DCs

26. Challenges: The Technology • Overall Management of E-Learning • LMS • CMS • Platform • Infrastructure • Delivery - Networking • Technical Capabilities • Technical Skill • Expertise beyond Computer Literacy • Skill needed to develop or use tools & Equipment • Teaching/Learning Knowledge B.Beyene : E-Learning in DCs

27. Challenges: The Infrastructure • Delivery • Networking (LAN, WAN, MAN, Wireless, etc.) • Mode • Asynchronous • Synchronous • Technical Capabilities • Connection Speed and Quality • Computer Capability • Power and Phone Services • Internet Access B.Beyene : E-Learning in DCs

28. Challenges: Infrastructure – Internet Access At what cost? Proprietors ETC’s HUB Schools/End Consumers InternationalTeleport Source: ETC, with little modification

29. Challenges: The Socio-Economical • Investments and Incentives (ROI) • Individuals • Public • Is learning rewarding? • Coordination and Collaboration • Policy Makers • Teaching Body • Learning Body B.Beyene : E-Learning in DCs

30. Cultural and pedagogical relevance • Can a global curriculum serve the needs of students in all countries? • What adaptations need to be made? • How does the level of Internet access affects the pedagogical process? • What are the challenges facing locally based tutors? B.Beyene : E-Learning in DCs

31. Challenges: Culture • Cultural beliefs about teaching and learning have some impact on the way the Program is taught • Lack of experience and understanding of how traditional instruction interfaces with web based teaching materials B.Beyene : E-Learning in DCs

32. Challenges: Culture Recognition of the need for cultural adaptation • Local tutors are important in helping to make resources pedagogically and culturally relevant • Support for local tutors is vital in helping them to use and adapt global e-learning resources with students • The variations in ease and cost of access to the Internet will affect the way programmes are used and taught B.Beyene : E-Learning in DCs

33. user-friendly, flexible, • adaptable desktop • reliable technical support Recommendations B.Beyene : E-Learning in DCs

34. consider the attitude • of the learners • motivated and able • to handle online learning Recommendations B.Beyene : E-Learning in DCs

35. of trust within a protected • establishing an atmosphere • learning environment • individual learning processes • have to be synchronised • self-discipline and shared • responsibilities Recommendations B.Beyene : E-Learning in DCs

36. fix a clear time-schedule Recommendations B.Beyene : E-Learning in DCs

37. create a suitable learning framework • recognise participants’ needs • dealing with queries and giving • sufficient feedback • make sure that course structure, • tasks, materials and support are as • participant-centred as possible Recommendations B.Beyene : E-Learning in DCs

38. Summary and Conclusion • E-Learning in Ethiopia • The Prospects • Global and Internal Factors • Comparative Advantages • The initiative ICT projects spearheaded by MCB insight a lot of promises to change this picture • Challenges The poor states of Institutional capacity; Infrastructure; Info-structure and Human Resource have denied Ethiopia from benefiting by ICT • Technological • Socio-Economic • Cultural (Public Awareness) B.Beyene : E-Learning in DCs

39. Pilot Project: Promoting E-Learning in Ethiopian HE • Objective • Providing Multi-Lingual E-Learning Platform • Support Traditional Teach/Learn system with ICT • Promote Virtual Teach/Learn system • Target Group • Higher Education Society • Those who are unable to join Higher Education • Life-long Learning Society • Implementation • Prototyping • Testing the Prototype • Evaluation and Documentation B.Beyene : E-Learning in DCs

40. References • [Bate2001] Bates, Tony: “Fundamentals of Educational Planning: National strategic for e-learning in post-secondary education and training”, UNESCO-IIEP, Paris • [BaPo2003] Bates, Tony and Gary Poole: “Effective Teaching with Technology in Higher Education: Foundations for Success”, Jonh Wiley & Sons Inc., USA • [Berh2003] Berhanu Beyene: “Project Proposal (Draft) -The Establishment of ICT-Center and Local Community Development Networks (LCDNs) for E-Learning and E-Healthcare in Ethiopia - Application for Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF)/Seed Fund” • [EndFul2002] Enders, Jürgen and Oliver Fulton: “Higher Education in Globalising World: International Trends and Mutual Observations, A Festschfift in Honour of Ulrich” Teichler, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht 2002 • [Horton2000] Horton, William: “Designing Web-Based Training: How to teach anyone anything anywhere anytime”, John Wiley & Inc., Totonto, 2000 • [Tekeste1996] Tekeste Nagash: “Rethinking Eduation in Ethiopia”, Nordiska Afrikainstitutet, Uppsala 1996 • [FDRE-MOE2002] The FDRE Ministry of Education (Revised Draft): “Educaiton Sector Development Program II 2002/2003 – 2004/2005 (1995-1997 EFY):Program Action Plan”, Addis Ababa May 2002 (unpublished document) B.Beyene : E-Learning in DCs

41. Discussion • Comments • Q & A B.Beyene : E-Learning in DCs

42. ***** END ***** Contact: e-mail: beyene@informatik.uni-hamburg.de Download: http://berhanu.geez.org/public-docu Thank you for your attention B.Beyene : E-Learning in DCs