Saturday, June 19, 2010
The Digital Divide
I found an interesting video regarding the Digital Divide which I decided to post here. The video deals with certain ideas and misconceptions that we have about the Digital Divide, what can be done to narrow the Digital Divide, and also what is being done. It also explains how technology is implemented and used in under-developed countries to improve their lifestyle and help in the day-to-day needs. It is good to see that major companies and organizations are taking the initiative to actually do something to narrow down the Digital Divide between communities (sometimes even whole countries) around the world.
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This is very interesting. I did some research about 'One Laptop Per Child'. This is their mission statement as stated in their website:
ReplyDeleteTo create educational opportunities for the world's poorest children by providing each child with a rugged, low-cost, low-power, connected laptop with content and software designed for collaborative, joyful, self-empowered learning. When children have access to this type of tool they get engaged in their own education. They learn, share, create, and collaborate. They become connected to each other, to the world and to a brighter future.
I think this is a great initiative, but it depends a lot on our contribution. For us, technology is part of our life, and we don't even think how we could live without. For these people, who are not even aware of such technology, it could be a new portal to a better life! It might sound strange, but this is all about e-learning in third world countries, as these laptops are being used as a way of educating these poor children.
This was an interesting video posted by Seafarer. The Digital Divide exists in Malta too, although with very different proportions than the video portrays (thank God!). In trying to find connections to our reality in Malta, besides connections to our e-Learning module, I have noted the following thoughts.
ReplyDeleteThere had been a couple of posts and replies in the first stages of this blog that dealt with the issue that not all students had computers at home. Without repeating the argument, I think that this is a fact. However, I believe that we should not let this fact hinder us from developing e-Learning programs for our students.
I think there are two ways of viewing this:
1. EITHER grumble about the digital divide and its effects (and directly/indirectly curtail the use of it in the name of students who do not have computers at home;
2. OR see what one can do in order to support and empower such students to access ICT resources through other means.
I definitely vote for option 2.
Simultaneously, I notice a lot of students who have access to ICT resources such as our Library yet do not have the skills to use such resources. This is of utmost concern because despite the training that has been given and is still being given in the form of basic skills in IT, a significant number of students are still not conversant with using computers.
I believe that as a country we should have a clear, reasonable and high-standard target of teaching ICT skills to as many people as possible. I do not know whether this forms part of the government's Vision2015 - I hope it does! If we continue on this path, we risk ending up in an imbalanced situation whereby the accessibility of ICT resources outnumber our students' ability to use them!
Thanks for posting the video. It is nice to see large companies helping developing countries to narrow the digital divide. However I am sure that the governments of these countries can do much more to help their own people. Unfortunately some governments spend a lot of money on armaments and wars and yet they fail to provide basic necessities such as food, medicine and education.
ReplyDeleteIn Malta there are families that do not afford to buy PCs. However several computers are available and can be used for free at all public schools and local council offices. Then it's up to the students to make use of these!
I agree with Mark that we have become technology-dependent. When I saw this video some thoughts crossed my mind.
ReplyDeleteWhat happens if we forget our mobile somewhere?
What happens if the internet connection is down?
How do we react if the computer is not working?
And the list goes on..what do we do? We panic!
Well, this video says it all! Last year I had an opportunity to carry out voluntary work in Kenya for 3 months teaching computing. The students' first reaction when they saw a computer was "Wow!! Television!" There are people in developing countries who do not know what a mobile phone is or how a computer looks like! Although we are very lucky compared to these people we still complain because we do not have the latest gadget.
I think we cannot close off this blog without mentioning the OLPC project (One Laptop Per Child).
ReplyDeleteThe project's mission is an initiative aimed at providing inexpensive laptops to children in poor countries as a means to bridge the digital divide. This way the children would be able to gain access to knowledge, and opportunities to explore, experiment and express themselves.
Originally the target of OLPC was to manage to lower manufacturing cost of the laptops less than 100 dollars. However this was not reached. Programs such as "give 1 get 1" were very popular whereby if a donor donates 399 dollars, he would get one of the laptops himself and the OLPC project would send one laptop on the donor's behalf to a child in a developing country.
It-teknoloġija, minkejja li tista’ tixpruna l-batut u d-dgħajjef, x’aktarx (bħall-globalizzazzjoni) minn dejjem kienet tagħti prijorità lil min jużaha. Donnha hi kumdità li ħadet kontroll u min ma jistax jew jiddeċiedi li ma jkunx parti minnha jispiċċa iżolat. Ma jagħmilx sens u l-kumpaniji ewlenin ma jaqblilhomx lil xi naħat tad-dinja, minħabba l-faqar, ma jkunux bħall-bqija.
ReplyDeleteTant dawn is-sistemi ħadu kontroll li saru fattur ewlieni tal-litteriżmu tal-poplu. Illum il-tagħmir elettroniku sar ħtieġa, u l-kumdità m’għadhiex status soċjali, madanakollu d-dinja virtwali ma tista’ qatt tieħu post id-dinja reali, għalkemm din tal-aħħar saret dipendenti fuq l-oħra. X’aktarx sistemi awtonomi bħall-mobile learning li jiddependu fuq konnessjoni, ikomplu jsostnu did-dipendenza.