Eschborn/Bonn (GER), May 2007 - Education and knowledge are the key factors driving national economic and social development. Broad-scale citizens' participation in education processes is therefore crucial for sustainable poverty reduction. In the majority of developing countries, however, only a small fraction of the population has access to education and knowledge, and the educational services on offer are frequently of poor quality and hence not very effective. The problem of insufficient teaching and learning materials is compounded by a lack of qualified teaching staff.
By harnessing information and communication technologies (ICT) for education processes, wide sections of the population have the chance to participate in basic and further education and vocational training. At the same time, the sustainable and efficient use of these technologies poses enormous challenges.
German development cooperation promotes the functional application of ICT in partner countries while helping establish the necessary infrastructure, in particular through capacity development. The main aim is to harness the potential and competencies of individuals, organisations and companies.
InWEnt - Capacity Building International Germany, the German Development Service (DED) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH are assisting partners in cooperation countries in establishing eLearning services. ELearning is seen as a means of building educational competence and thus raising the quality of education services and making these services accessible to a broad range of participants.
For eLearning services to be successful in the various regions, the solutions applied must be aligned with the specific needs and conditions on the ground. Achieving sustainable results in eLearning projects depends not only on the infrastructural conditions but also on developing capacities at all flanking levels and on embedding all activities in a coordinated strategy.
ELearning poses new challenges in terms of the design of teaching and learning frameworks. It requires teachers to adapt to new roles as moderators and advisors in the learning process. In order to increase the acceptance and recognition of eLearning, it is necessary to develop appropriate standards and organisational frameworks - a task that falls to decision-makers in particular.
To make eLearning services successful in different regions, it is essential to customize the applied solutions to the respective requirements and preconditions. Hence, in order to assure sustainable success of an eLearning project together with the infrastructure, accompanying measures in the field of Capacity Development are required. In addition, the implementation of a strategy that integrates and coordinates all activities is crucial.
At eLearning Africa 2007, German development cooperation organisations will be presenting their joint efforts to promote the use of eLearning for sustainable development. In working groups and at public forums, staff from InWEnt - Capacity Building International Germany, the German Development Service (DED) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH will join with partners from Africa to report on their work and the experience gained in this field to date.
Under the motto "Capacity Development for eLearning in Africa", German Development Cooperation organisations will showcase strategies and approaches that contribute to mastering the challenges rising in eLearning project work. At their conference stand, the German Ministry for Cooperation (BMZ), DED, GTZ, and InWEnt will also provide information on the latest developments, strategies, and solutions for expanding eLearning capacity in partner countries.
