Technology in the classroom in conditions of infrastructural and capacity constraints: Lessons from Uganda

For at least the past decade, political leaders and policymakers have stressed how important it is for Africa to harness technology, leapfrog development, and take part in the global knowledge economy. In numerous initiatives aimed at realizing these goals, education is a primary target, viewed as a mechanism through which ICT can empower societies to develop technologically literate workforces. Unfortunately, there is a considerable gap between policy rhetoric and effective project implementation. This paper’s argument is centered on and informed by ICT-in- education projects that are increasing in number, yet still often lack necessary pre-project assessments, enumerated goals for outcomes, or an understanding of what technology can and cannot do. The paper introduces a case study of an ICT-in-education project in rural Uganda that offers important lessons to inform similar projects in the future, as well as government-led policy initiatives

Dynamic Bargaining and the Prospects for Learning in the Petroleum Industry: The Case of Kazakhstan

1his article examines the bargaining interface between petroleum-rich developing countries and large multinational corporations, with an application to the case of Kazakhstan, formerly a Soviet Republic. In the analytic narrative tradition, this ankle combines a case study with an extensive form game, applying Theodore Moran\u27s dynamic bargaining theory, which posits that, over time and through repeated interaction, developing countries do better for themselves, incrementally improving their outcomes through bargaining and strategic interaction, thereby advancing along a learning curve. The application of this theory is systematized through the utilization of game theory; an extensive game modded on strategic, iterated bargaining behavior between the two actors is introduced. 1his dynamic game allows for the recalculation of strategies based on the players\u27 revealed moves, allowing for the concept of learning while doing. The game is then applied to Kazakhstan\u27s particular situation. The application of Moran\u27s theory through the use o fa generalizable game provides a method for resource-rich developing countries particularly those in the nascent stages of developing these industries to systematize the negotiation process and accelerate their ascent on a bargaining learning curve

A Pilot Takes Off: Examining Sustainability and Scalability in the Context of a Sri Lankan Public-Private Partnership Telecenter Project

Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) are being looked to as a promising method for bringing the benefits of information and communications technology (ICT) to the developing world, particularly in the case of shared access (telecenter) models, but questions remain as to how best to pursue sustainability and scalability with such initiatives. This paper provides a “snapshot” of an innovative, franchise-model partnership, captured at a unique point in time: the transition period from completion of pilot stage to project scaling stage. The paper thus identifies both challenges and success factors arising at this pivotal point, often not addressed in the literature on such projects. Going beyond what makes a successful pilot to the question of what is important for scaling, this case provides insight on the critical topics of sustainability and scalability. The project also promotes the development of small and medium sized enterprises, which has been identified as crucial for sustainable development in emerging economies

Making the transition from pilot to scale: examining sustainability and scalability issues in a public-private telecenter partnership in Sri Lanka

Public-private partnerships (PPPs) are increasingly the vehicles of choice for the implementation of information and communications technology in the developing world. This is particularly true with regard to locally appropriate, shared-access models such as the telecenter franchise. However, the sustainability and the scalability of such initiatives remain in question. This article examines an innovative PPP project at a crucial developmental point: the period of transition from pilot to scaling stage. It identifies challenges and success factors seldom covered in the literature on such projects, then addresses the question(s) of sustainability and scalability, and explores the advantages of focusing on sub-urban areas and the small-and-medium-enterprise sector of emerging economies

Policies, Partnerships, and Pragmatism: Lessons from an ICT-in-Education Project in Rural Uganda

For at least the past decade, political leaders and policy makers have stressed how important it is for Africa to harness technology, leapfrog development, and take part in the global knowledge economy. In numerous initiatives aimed at realizing these goals, education is a primary target, viewed as a mechanism through which information and communication technologies (ICT) can empower societies to develop technologically literate workforces. Unfortunately, there is a considerable gap between policy rhetoric and effective project implementation. Even as ICT-in-education projects increase rapidly in number and scope across the continent, many still lack necessary pre-project assessments, enumerated goals for outcomes, or understanding of what technology can and cannot do. This article’s focus on policies, partnerships, and pragmatism is informed by a case study of a multi-partnered ICT-in-education project in rural Uganda that set pragmatic technology-use goals, a project for which governmental policy provided an important initial incentive, and which was subsequently revised to address actual student needs for acquiring technology skills. The case offers important lessons to inform both similar projects and government-led policy initiatives in the future

Policy Considerations from a Nationwide IT-in-Education Initiative: Macedonia Connects

Though information technology (IT) is increasingly touted as an effective tool through which governments may enhance their development efforts, to date, many IT-related deployments have remained in a pilot stage, which does little to aid governments in understanding macro-level IT policy approaches to confronting development challenges. To address this shortcoming, this article presents a unique nationwide initiative: Macedonia Connects, a multipartner, scaled IT-for-education project wherein every school in the country was equipped with both computers and wireless Internet connections and through which the Internet was made available to citizens across the entire country. A number of policy-related aspects of the project are identified and discussed, including the predeployment training of teachers in IT adoption, the equality of technology and training provision across the entire country, the long-term focus on the part of all stakeholders in terms of outcomes, and the business model employed in the public–private partnership. Although it is too early to discuss long-term outcomes, there are many aspects of this case that will be applicable to governments and practitioners alike in future IT-for-development endeavors. Some of Macedonia\u27s neighboring states have already indicated interest in following this model

Green Cloud Computing in Developing Regions: Moving data and processing closer to the end user

The Internet has provided an unlimited potential with access to ebooks, multimedia content, news, new ideas, and information access in general. Yet, due to poor broadband infrastructure and available grid power to support the Internet and ICT growth, the developing regions have actually been left even further behind. The basic requirements in any developing region (beyond clean water and food) are a reliable electric power grid, network infrastructure, education, jobs, and a stable government and banking system. Nothing works without the electric and network infrastructure in place. The sad fact is diesel generators are used to power everything in place of a stable power grid. The other sad fact is most of these countries have tremendous amount of wind or solar energy that can be used in place of imported fossil fuels. The developing regions in most cases are connected to the Internet; the question is how best to interconnect inside the regions and countries and move the data closer to the end user? We need a developing world approach, not our western model of bigger is better, ie over sized, energy hungry Data centers. Many papers have been written on how Cloud Computing will help the developing world by just lower ICT costs, yet this is a flawed theory. As the data, systems, telecommunication bandwidth, and people required still remain in the western world and its control. Moving processing and data closer to the user in the developing region plays an import role on three fronts; 1. Keeps needed jobs and systems ICT people in region, 2. Sidesteps high telecommunication bandwidth costs and network latency issues in and out of the region and 3. Quality of service: in region computing can remove a major points of network failure and potential bandwidth bottlenecks. Energyefficient computing cannot be achieved without the integration between computer science, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and environmental science. Designing data centers for the developing regions require a vertically integrated efforts to drive key energy-efficient technologies in computing (cloud computing), electronics (low power CPUs and systems), and building systems (spot rack cooling, higher ambient temperatures, and natural convention cooling). Collectively, these technologies address very significant near-term and long-term energy challenges and environmental issues. What is that approach for developing region ICT, in region Green Cloud Computing, which is cloud computing using low power CPUs servers, and renewal energy and most important, which is closer to the end user. This paper presents an approach for a low energy use data centers using cloud computing designed for developing regions, powered with renewable energy

Technology, teachers, and training: Combining theory with Macedonia\u27s experience

Numerous developing countries are currently planning or executing projects that introduce technology into their educational systems. This article asserts that such projects will have limited long-term success or impact until they are reconceptualized to incorporate three transformative concepts: teachers play the key role in determining the success or failure of such projects; change is a years-long process and not a one-time event; and teachers need ongoing support to adopt the technology and should be treated as stakeholders in the innovation-adoption process. In the Macedonian nationwide computers-in-schools project herein described, teachers received extremely comprehensive advance training in both computer use and methods of actively incorporating technology into their curriculum and teaching. Still, the majority of teachers were not successfully employing technology in the classroom three years after the training and deployment were carried out. This article applies the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (or CBAM, which describes how individuals’ concerns evolve as they undergo the process of change and how these concerns may be addressed over time) to Macedonia’s experience. CBAM serves as a lens through which to examine ICT-in-education efforts and determine whether they effectively match up with how teachers experience change and where there is room for improvement in such efforts

The Use of Mobile Phones for Development in Africa: Top-Down-Meets-Bottom-Up Partnering

The African continent currently boasts the highest mobile telephony growth rates in the world, bringing new communications possibilities to millions of people. The potential for mobile phones to reach a large and growing base of users across the continent, and to be used for development-related purposes, is becoming widely recognized, evidenced by the growing number of development-oriented projects, applications, and programs that specifically make use of mobiles. Pent-up demand and limited resources have led to innovative usage and services being developed at the grassroots level. Yet much remains to be done by governments in order to support further growth of telecommunications markets and services, while the private sector, non-profits, and academics all have an important role to play in the development process as well. The phenomenon of top-down-meeting-bottom-up partnerships that are springing up across the continent offers the potential for cultivating the necessary feedback loops between various actors involved in the development process, in order to create relevant applications that meet real needs

Technology, Teachers, and Training: Combining Theory with Macedonia’s Experience

Numerous developing countries are currently executing or planning—pouring both hope and money into—projects that introduce technology into their educational systems. This paper puts forth the assertion that developing world ICT-in-education projects will continue to disappoint until they are reconceptualized and redesigned to incorporate three transformative concepts: teachers play the key role in determining the success or failure of such projects; change is a years-long process and not a one-time event; and teachers need ongoing support to adopt the technology and should be treated as stakeholders in the innovation-adoption process. In the Macedonian nationwide computers-in-schools project herein described, teachers received extremely comprehensive advance training in both computer use and methods of actively incorporating technology into their curriculum and teaching. Still, the majority of teachers are not successfully employing technology in the classroom three years after the training and deployment were carried out. This paper applies the Concerns- Based Adoption Model (or CBAM, which describes how individuals’ concerns evolve as they undergo the process of change and how these concerns may be addressed over time) to Macedonia’s experience. CBAM serves as a lens through which to examine ICT-in-education efforts and determine whether they effectively match up with how teachers experience change and where there is room for improvement in such efforts