Title: Transformative Impact of ICT: Change stories from rural India
Authors/Editors: Arundhathi, Suchit Nanda and Subbiah Arunachalam
Pages: 31 pp.
ISBN: 978-81-88355-16-7
Source: www.photonicyatra.com
Publisher: Jamsetji Tata National Virtual Academy (NVA) M S Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai
Date (published): 19/01/2010
Date (accessed): 29/01/2010
Type of information: report
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
ICT is now recognized as a technological tool which can serve as a catalytic intervention in respect of transforming the lives and livelihoods of rural families. The economic and income divides between urban and rural areas can be overcome only by the technological upgradation of rural professions. The present publication provides examples of the transformational role of ICT in a wide range of rural professions. For example, artesenal fishermen going out into the ocean in a catamaran can now carry a cell phone with GPS data on the location of fish shoals and information on wave heights at different distances from the shore line. The Village Knowledge Centre or Gyan Chaupal (VKC) provides information on sanitary and phytosanitary measures and Codex Alimentarius standards of food safety, so that Salmonella and other infections can be avoided.
The present publication contains 12 case studies, which illustrate the transformational role of ICT in villages. I hope the men and women who have mastered the technologies and are applying them in day today life will serve as role models for other rural families. We should convert the small programme started by MSSRF in 1992 into a mass movement, bringing hope and cheer in the lives of the rural poor.

Title: Reaching the Unreached: Community based Village Knowledge Centres & Village Resource Centres
Authors/Editors: Suchit Nanda and Subbiah Arunachalam
Pages: 59 pp.
ISBN: 978-81-88355-15-0
Source: www.photonicyatra.com
Publisher: Jamsetji Tata National Virtual Academy (NVA) M S Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai
Date (published): 19/01/2010
Date (accessed): 29/01/2010
Type of information: report
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
The power of ICT in the field of information, communication and technology empowerment in rural areas is now widely recognized. Reaching the unreached and voicing the voiceless are now achievable objectives in development programmes. To assess whether Village Knowledge Centres (VKCs) and Village Resource Centres (VRCs) are really making a difference in the lives and livelihoods of the socially and economically handicapped sections of the rural population, it is essential that continuous monitoring and evaluation, as well as documentation are undertaken.
In this publication guidance is given on the procedure to be adopted for setting up VKCs and VRCs (Village Resource centres which have satellite connection and telecommunication facilities). It was the hope of scientists of MSSRF in the year 2000 that by 2007, all our villages will have Knowledge Centres. The Government of India included Knowledge Connectivity under its Bharat Nirman programme (i.e., New Deal for Rural India), and provided funds for establishing 100,000 common service centres to service rural India. Private sector companies like ITC started expanding its e-chaupal programme.

Title: Emerging Trajectories and Sustainability of ICTs in Educational Reforms in Africa: Exploring the Prospects of the Teacher Laptop Policy in South Africa
Author: Chijioke J. Evoh
Pages: 13 pp.
ISSN: 1554-2262
Source: Journal of Education for International Development 4:2, December 2009
Publisher: Educational Quality Improvement Program (EQUIP)and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
Date (published): 22/12/2009
Date (accessed): 29/01/2010
Type of information: research paper
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
The integration of information communication technologies (ICTs) in education is part of the effort to ensure a better outcome in public education. Other sectors of the society have raised productivity by using technology to augment human labor. However, the teaching profession in Africa has become more labor-intensive due to lack of necessary resources. In line with the goal of raising teacher productivity, and given the shortage of qualified teachers in the system, the Teacher Laptop Initiative (TLI) policy in South Africa aims to bring innovation in the teaching profession by constantly improving the contents and pedagogical skills of teachers. Based on the technological, pedagogical and content knowledge theoretical framework, this study explores the prospects and challenges of the TLI program. As desirable as policy may be, this paper argues that a successful TLI in South African schools will go beyond providing teachers with laptop computers. The success will depend on how well the laptops are used by teachers for productive educational outcomes.

Title: Tuned In To Student Success: Assessing the Impact of Interactive Radio Instruction for the Hardest-to-Reach
Authors: Jennifer Ho, Hetal Thukral
Pages: 18 pp.
ISSN: 1554-2262
Source: Journal of Education for International Development 4:2, December 2009
Publisher: Educational Quality Improvement Program (EQUIP)and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
Date (published): 22/12/2009
Date (accessed): 29/01/2010
Type of information: research paper
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
A review of recent research was conducted to assemble evidence on the impact that Interactive Radio Instruction (IRI) may have on improving student learning outcomes. IRI is an instructional tool designed to deliver a family of active learning packages via radio broadcast using a dual-audience approach. IRI exposes students to regular, curriculum-based learning content while modeling effective learning activities and classroom organization techniques for teachers. As IRI continues to be called upon to improve teaching and learning in low-resource and hard-to-reach areas, a better understanding of the empirical data available is critical to guide the way forward. IRI has been implemented by Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC) in over 50 countries over the past 30 years. This paper is a review of existing student and teacher data collected by EDC’s IRI projects. Effect sizes are used to summarize what is known about the effect of IRI on student learning gains in Grades K-4 for English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and Local Language. In all, student test results from 13 projects, ranging from Nicaragua in 1977 through Indonesia in 2008, are reviewed, as are teacher observation outcomes from Mali and Madagascar.

Title: An Analysis of the Research and Impact of ICT in Education in Developing Country Contexts
Authors: Nitika Tolani-Brown, Meredith McCormac, Roy Zimmermann
Pages: 12 pp.
ISSN: 1554-2262
Source: Journal of Education for International Development 4:2, December 2009
Publisher: Educational Quality Improvement Program (EQUIP)and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
Date (published): 23/12/2009
Date (accessed): 29/01/2010
Type of information: research paper
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
Despite evidence of increased usage of information and communication technology (ICT) in educational programming, extant evaluations on the impact of ICT on educational child outcomes are sparse and often lack the methodological rigor necessary to guide policymakers towards sound, evidence-based practices. The American Institutes for Research (AIR) has conducted a global analysis of research undertaken to date on the deployment of ICT solutions to support education goals in developing countries. The present study is comprised of two phases. First, a series of in-depth, structured interviews were conducted with a range of stakeholders, including policymakers and academicians, researchers, users and developers of ICT solutions. These interviews touched upon the challenges associated with developing, implementing and evaluating ICT solutions within educational settings, perceptions on the utility and future of ICT solutions and extant gaps in the usage of ICT solutions within developing countries. Second, AIR conducted a detailed literature review of published and unpublished evaluations on the educational impacts of ICT solutions. This paper reports on the demonstrated and measurable impacts of ICT on students and generates an innovative and rigorous research agenda addressing salient issues such as impact and effectiveness, return on investment, and total cost of ownership.