Market definition study of photovoltaic power for remote villages in developing countries

The potential market of photovoltaic systems in remote village applications in developing countries is assessed. It is indicated that photovoltaic technology is cost-competitive with diesel generators in many remote village applications. The major barriers to development of this market are the limited financial resources on the part of developing countries, and lack of awareness of photovoltaics as a viable option in rural electrification. A comprehensive information, education and demonstration program should be established as soon as possible to convince the potential customer countries and the various financial institutions of the viability of photovoltaics as an electricity option for developing countries

On education and training appropriate information technology for developing societies

A research paper on education curriculum for appropriate Information Technologies (ICT's) for developing countries.While information technology' (IT) potentially holds promise in the technological advancement of developing countries, it is a revolution whose diffusion needs to be assessed. With the advent of IT in developing societies, education and training should play a significant role in IT policy dissemination and initiatives. Education and training towards appropriate IT remains crucial for the viability of a developing nation or region. Such viability is based on the effective use of material resources for public and private infrastructure. This paper focuses on the applicability of IT in developing countries. It presents some issues of appropriateness that need to be considered in formulating IT policies. It identifies education and training as crucial means of harnessing the potential of the emerging IT in developing societies

E-Learning – A Proposed Model to Meet the Millennium Development Goal-2

This paper reviews the literature and proposes a latest fastest and cheaper ways of imparting universal quality education at primary school level in developing countries. Literature review shows that blending of e-tools in present way of learning is helpful in improving the standard of education at national and international level. At present time, different ways of learning are available in the world, like: virtual universities, distant education, privately appearing in examinations, online papers etc. According to MDGs report, Goal 2 is: Achieve Universal Primary Education: Ensure that all the boys and girls complete primary school by 2015. It is found that the education and training systems of all the nations make vulnerable the future of millions of the children and of the nation itself. In developing countries villages where schools are available, enrolments are there, in spite of that there is no productivity because there something is lacking in teachers and society. Efforts made by government and donors agencies are encouraging but not enough; it is also found that with available resources by proper innovation and blending with information technology productivity can be improved, so for this a model is proposed , which will be helpful to meet the MDG-2e-Learning; Universal Education; Innovative; MDG-2; Information Technology

E-Learning – A Proposed Model to Meet the Millennium Development Goal-2

This paper reviews the literature and proposes a latest fastest and cheaper ways of imparting universal quality education at primary school level in developing countries. Literature review shows that blending of e-tools in present way of learning is helpful in improving the standard of education at national and international level. At present time, different ways of learning are available in the world, like: virtual universities, distant education, privately appearing in examinations, online papers etc. According to MDGs report, Goal 2 is: Achieve Universal Primary Education: Ensure that all the boys and girls complete primary school by 2015. It is found that the education and training systems of all the nations make vulnerable the future of millions of the children and of the nation itself. In developing countries villages where schools are available, enrolments are there, in spite of that there is no productivity because there something is lacking in teachers and society. Efforts made by government and donors agencies are encouraging but not enough; it is also found that with available resources by proper innovation and blending with information technology productivity can be improved, so for this a model is proposed , which will be helpful to meet the MDG-2.e-Learning; Universal Education; Innovative; MDG-2; Information Technology

E-learning in developing countries: suggesting a methodology for enabling computer-aided assessment

Traditional education has shifted towards new methods of teaching and learning through the proliferation of information and communication technologies (ICT). The continuous advances in technology enable the realisation of a more distributed structure of knowledge transfer. This becomes critically important for developing countries that lack the resources and infrastructure for implementing cutting-edge education practices. The two main themes of technology in education for developing countries focus either on aspects of technological support for traditional methods and localised processes, or on the investigation of how such technologies may assist distance learning. Commonly such efforts are threefold, relating to content delivery, assessment and provision of feedback. This paper focuses on issues regarding the implementation of e-learning in developing countries and particularly those aspects of computer-aided assessment (CAA) that could be tailored to satisfy the needs of a limited educational infrastructure. The primary contribution of this paper is a proposed methodology for supporting both formative and summative CAA

Survey of rehabilitation support for children 0-15 years in a rural part of Kenya

Abstract Purpose: Information regarding the nature, availability and distribution of rehabilitation services for children with disabilities across developing countries is scarce, and data that do exist are of variable quality. If planning and development are to progress, information about service provision is vital. The aim was to establish the scope and nature of rehabilitation support available to children with disabilities (0-15 years) and their families in rural Kenya. Method: A comprehensive sample comprising service provision in the health and special education sectors was established. Non-governmental and community-based organisations were also included. A survey of rehabilitation services was conducted through examination of service-related documentation and key informant interviews with the heads of services. Results: Rehabilitation comprised hospital-based occupational therapy, physiotherapy and orthopaedic technology; and seven special education establishments plus an education assessment resource centre. There was one non-government organisation and one community-based organisation relevant to children with disabilities. Activities focused on assessment, diagnosis and raising community awareness. Provision was challenged by inadequate staffing, resources and transport. Government funding was supplemented variously by donations and self-sufficiency initiatives. Rehabilitation approaches appeared to be informed by professional background of practitioner, rather than the needs of child. Service documentation revealed use of inconsistent recording methods. Conclusions: The data highlight the challenges of rehabilitation, demanding greater investment in personnel and their training, more material resources, improved access to the community and better recording mechanisms. Implications for Rehabilitation There needs to be greater investment in rehabilitation provision in developing countries. Consideration of community-based initiatives is required to support better access for all. In order to argue the case for improved resources, better skills and mechanisms for recording, monitoring and evaluating practice are needed

Challenges to full implementation of open distance and flexible learning in Nigerian tertiary institutions

This paper focused on the challenges to full implementation of open distance and flexible learning in Nigerian tertiary institutions. The conceptual clarification of distance education, open distance learning was presented; the justifications for ODFL programmes in developing countries were highlighted. The expected role of libraries towards the sustainability of ODFL programmes include provision of technology-based information services, organization and provision of online information resources, provision of digital information literacy; the challenges to implementation of ODFL programmes in tertiary institutions in developing countries such as dearth of well-defined national distance education policies, dearth of trained cadre of professionals to support the implementation of distance education; technological constraints, dearth of collaborative partners, low level of funding in Nigerian institution and erratic power supply were well articulated. Strategies like adequate funding, recruitment of quality staff, engaging in sustainable collaborative effort, re-training of librarians and compliance with quality assurance principles

Mobile libraries: Where the schools are going to the students

This article looks at examples of mobile libraries in developing countries, and ways that they can be enhanced and operated using communications technology. It draws on examples from Mongolia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Thailand, Mali, Malaysia, Nigeria, Ghana, Uttar Pradesh (India) and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The author argues that mobile libraries can be a way of giving students access to information technology for education, despite difficult conditions or scarce resources

Harnessing information and communication technologies to leverage scarce resources for cancer education, research and practice in developing countries

In developing countries, low levels of awareness, cost and organizational constraints on access to specialized care contribute to inadequate patient help-seeking behavior. As much as 95% of cancer patients in developing countries are diagnosed at late to end stage disease. Consequently, treatment outcome is dismally poor and a vicious cycle sets in, with public mystification of cancer and the admonishment of cancer medicine as a futile effort, all, to the further detriment of patient help-seeking behavior and treatment engagement. The situation spirals down, when the practice of cancer medicine is not gratifying to the medical practitioner and does not appeal as a medical specialty to those in training. The future of cancer medicine in developing countries thus hinges on the demystification of cancer through positive information, coupled to an effective organization that allows for the optimal use of available resources, facilitates access to specialized care and promotes the flow of knowledge and technology amongst various stakeholders. This paper strives to make a cogent argument and highlight the capital importance of information and communication technologies in organizing and leveraging scarce resources for cancer education, research and practice in developing countries

A conceptual framework for planning management information systems curriculum in developing countries.

Decision-making is the heart of the management process. Decisions are needed for the construction, authorization and operation of all economic, social and political programs in developing countries. Effective decisions cannot be made without adequate information. It was found that the production of information for decision-making is not less important that the production of physical commodities. The production of information is the purpose of MIS. The literature of MIS does not have any reference to developing countries.First, five conceptual factors of MIS were identified: (1)systems concepts for MIS, (2)human and organizational behavior, (3)decision-making, (4)systems analysis, and (5)information technology. The five factors were found to constitute dimensions of a theory base for MIS which provided essential components of MIS curriculum.Third, the framework for curriculum planning in developing countries was developed to utilize the theory base for MIS for planning MIS curriculum in developing countries. The third stage of the investigation presented a coherent conceptual framework for planning MIS curriculum in developing countries. This framework consisted of the integration of the first and second stages.It was found that MIS techniques can be introduced in developing countries through education. This required the development of a conceptual framework for planning MIS curriculum in developing countries. The development of the framework involved three interrelated stages.This investigation was a library research project which was conducted through the use of written materials obtained from libraries located throughout the United States. The purpose of the investigation was to adapt the different techniques of MIS to the needs of developing countries.Human resource development was found to be one of the most serious problems which drain human and economic resources of developing countries. An aspect of this problem is the shortage of managerial and administrative skills which represents an inhibiting factor in developing countries. This shortage is due to the lack of the appropriate professional education for management.Second, environmental and cultural factors influencing curriculum planning were identified. The characteristics that distinguish developing countries in the world were used to determine the major environmental factors influencing curriculum planning in these countries. The major factors were technology and science, employment, and population. Major culture factors which influence curriculum planning were values (the roots of culture) and ideology (the framework for interpreting values). The environmental and cultural factors were used to develop a framework for curriculum planning in developing countries