eLearning for rural communities An overview paper by LinkNet

Adrian Pais 24 April 2007 e-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Abstract – eLearning has the potential to bridge the educational gaps that exist in society and improve the lives of millions of people in the developing world who do not enjoy the same opportunities as those in rich, developed countries. The purpose of this paper is to outline the benefits and challenges associated with implementing eLearning in rural communities, specifically from the point of view of the Macha village community in Zambia. A model for implementing eLearning in rural areas is presented. This model includes four key components– pedagogy, technology, applications, and benchmarking/continuous monitoring. As a result of the research presented in this paper, it is recommended that teachers ‘drive’ the implementation of eLearning, supported by technical specialists to enhance the learning process within the context of the syllabus. It is also essential that local people are empowered to lead in this process so that ownership is inculcated within the community, ultimately improving the educational outcomes for students.

1.0

Introduction

This paper provides an overview of eLearning within the context of its implementation in rural areas. It is to stimulate thought on how eLearning can be implemented within the Macha community (for a proof of concept in rural Zambia), ultimately leading to the implementation of eLearning throughout rural Zambia. The subject areas and the educational level (e.g. primary, secondary or tertiary education) for which eLearning is assumed in this paper are non-specific, but at this stage it is envisaged that eLearning programmes will initially be implemented in the Macha Innovative Community School (MICS), which is a primary school. eLearning describes the use of ‘tools’ such as computers, the Internet and in general, information and communication technology (ICT), to provide learning or education in one or more subject areas (Pittinsky, 2003). It may be implemented in any environment – e.g. school, industry, government or village – and may be provided at any level of expertise. There is a plethora of possible ways of eLearning. For example, eLearning could be as simple as a student communicating by e-mail with a professor. A more complex example of eLearning could be a class in Macha having a lesson from a teacher in the United States via a video linkup on the Internet. Another example is a student in a remote location doing an entire course of study offered by a university via the Internet (i.e. distance education). In the context of rural areas, eLearning presents both opportunities and challenges. For example, rural areas are often geographically isolated from developed towns and cities where there are better opportunities for education and employment. eLearning, if implemented in the right way in rural areas, has the potential to overcome these geographical barriers. From this point of view, eLearning is possibly more beneficial for rural areas than any other area (e.g. towns and cities) because it helps people to overcome resource limitations (e.g. lack of libraries and books) which other areas do not necessarily encounter. However, the challenges of implementing eLearning in rural areas are usually far more extreme than those faced in developed areas. For example, rural areas usually have a poorer infrastructure (e.g. poor electricity supply and roads), less finances, lower levels of general literacy,

Page 1

lower accessibility/higher cost of Internet access and limited understanding/appreciation of the potential of eLearning (and ICT in general) (LinkNet, 2006). It has recently become apparent that not a single student passed their nationally administered primary school (Grade 7) exams in government-run schools in Macha. This is an issue of serious concern and is largely due to the poor infrastructure and a lack of educational resources including the high studentto-teacher ratio in classrooms. It is possible that eLearning could be a tool to help Macha overcome this situation. In the author’s opinion, there are a number of core principles associated with eLearning. Firstly, eLearning should not be thought of as an entity that replaces a traditional education, but as a tool to help and enhance the process of learning based on the unique circumstances of the environment in which it is implemented. Secondly, a traditional classroom is a medium that allows students to interact and communicate with each other in a personal way involving not only conversation but also ‘hidden messages’ such as body language. Through these personal interactions, students are able to understand their and other people’s emotions, likes/dislikes, culture and values. The relationships fostered within a ‘physical’ classroom environment give students the opportunity to grow into well-rounded individuals who can communicate effectively with other people and understand the world around them. This inherent feature of a traditional education can never be replaced by eLearning. This paper begins by discussing the opportunities and challenges of eLearning for rural areas in more detail (Sections 2.0 and 3.0). In Section 4.0, the common issues associated with eLearning in rural areas are presented together with possible solutions. To implement eLearning in rural areas, several factors need to be accounted for in the planning stages – in Section 5.0, a model for an approach to implement eLearning is presented by focusing on four key areas: (i) pedagogy, (ii) technology, (iii) applications and (iv) benchmarking/ continuous monitoring. This paper presents the model as a whole, and then breaks it down into its individual components, describing and relating them to each other. Section 6.0 briefly describes a case study on efforts being made to bring technology into the classroom in East Africa. Section 7.0 presents some recommendations, while Section 8.0 presents the conclusions of this paper.

2.0

Opportunities for rural areas

eLearning presents significant opportunities to people in rural areas if it is implemented in an appropriate and sustainable manner. Obviously there are a plethora of pedagogical benefits which can be found in (Pittinsky, 2003), but this section attempts to present the opportunities specifically from the perspective of rural areas and is an outcome of discussions that the author had with local people from within the Macha rural community. eLearning to overcome resource challenges In rural environments there are often resource challenges in schools, e.g. an insufficient number of textbooks, libraries, teaching materials and stationery. Additionally, the student to teacher ratio is often very high, e.g. a teacher often has as many as 80 students in a classroom. The provision of eLearning has the potential to overcome these resource limitations as information is directly accessible through a single medium that can be shared easily by students, i.e. computers and the Internet. Although the cost of computers/Internet services is not trivial, the benefits are significant. Initiatives such as the one laptop per child (OLPC) project which aims to develop a $100 laptop computer (OLPC, 2007) are encouraging for rural areas. eLearning to develop relevant content for rural areas In rural areas, schools are often forced to teach based on the curricula in books that are donated or obtained from overseas rather than on curricula developed locally. It is important that relevant teaching methods and content are developed based on the knowledge, systems, environment and

Page 2

culture that are unique to the given rural area. Obviously, this should be complemented by more ‘general’ teaching content so that students have a global understanding of concepts. eLearning presents the opportunity for people in rural areas to develop content and curricula that is tailored to local educational needs (whatever these may be), rather than be dependent on what is obtained from overseas. Additionally, eLearning can be used to specifically cater for pedagogical methods that are best suited to local people, e.g. through relevant audio/visual cues that the local people can understand/relate to better than conventional textbooks/teaching methods. eLearning to bridge gaps between rural and urban areas, between Africa and the West Rural areas are often hampered by poor roads and transport. In Macha, for example, it takes at least 2 hours to travel 80 km by dirt road to the nearest town of Choma. The cost for this trip is K 28,000, which is at least two or three days’ salary for most people in Macha. With eLearning, people in rural areas potentially have the opportunity to collaborate with people all over the world, which would otherwise not have been possible. In this sense, eLearning is a mechanism to overcome geographical barriers that separate rural communities from the outside world. There are also socio-economic, cultural and communication gaps between those in rural communities and those in developed towns, cities and countries. With the opportunity of collaboration and mutual sharing of information between the people in rural areas and those in developed areas, these gaps can also be bridged to create greater mutual understanding between communities. Blogging could especially be useful in enabling interaction and social/cultural understanding between people within and outside rural areas. eLearning to give hope and empowerment to the poor People in rural areas often have a low socio-economic background and due to the lack of opportunity, they also have a lack of hope about the future. With the provision of eLearning, they are likely to have a sense of pride that they too are sharing in the benefits that people in the developed world enjoy. They are also likely to feel that they are no longer isolated or ‘behind’ the rest of the world. This has the potential to give the people of rural areas more hope, motivation and freedom to move forward in life. eLearning to stimulate innovation in rural areas In some senses, exploration using the Internet is a learning experience in itself as it stimulates new ideas. A recent study conducted by Meredith Brinster, an undergraduate student researcher at Johns Hopkins university, revealed that young children aged between 36 and 42 months, can learn better ‘if they figure it out themselves’ (Reuters, 2006). In other words, kids can learn more by inference, e.g. by the process of elimination, than by direct instruction. In a similar sense, the exploration of the surrounding world/environment can be considered a learning experience in itself. In Macha, the provision of the Internet has already stimulated innovations – for example, a young man, Mr Fred Mweetwa has learnt to grow sunflower seeds using information gathered from the Internet.

3.0

Challenges for rural areas

Although eLearning presents significant opportunities for rural areas, there are also several challenges. While people in rural areas are among the most needy in the world, they are also the least equipped (with knowledge and skills) to meet their needs because of the environment in which they live and the circumstances they are faced with. This section details the major challenges in implementing eLearning with respect to rural areas. Poor infrastructure leading to high fixed and operational costs Rural areas such as Macha are hampered by poor infrastructure such as unreliable electricity supply, unreliable water supply, poor transport/roads and a lack of basic resources (e.g. buildings and houses). While rural areas require innovative and cost-effective solutions for development, this is often difficult to achieve because the poor infrastructure leads to high costs, e.g. due to the unreliable electricity supply, equipment failure is far more common than in urban areas where electricity supply is more

Page 3

stable. A critical issue is that the cost of bandwidth in rural areas is often exorbitant, e.g. in Macha, the cost is $1100 per month for a connection of only 128 kbps (LinkNet, 2006) shared among all Internet users within the village. Due to these challenges, the question remains as to whether eLearning can be implemented sustainably in such an environment. Community acceptance and participation Due to the difficult circumstances they are faced with, people in rural areas often ‘live for the day’, trying to make ends meet. They have traditionally led agrarian lifestyles without much exposure to technology. Locals might also have uncertainties about the ownership of the computers and network infrastructure, which might disincline them from actively using the technology. This is especially true in rural areas in Africa, where relationships among people are at the heart of decision making processes. All these factors could culminate in a lack of community acceptance and participation. The obvious way to ensure that people do not feel reluctant to use the technology is for leaders within the community to communicate with local people about these issues. Balancing social/cultural values in the eLearning framework The interactions between students and computers are impersonal, insufficient for developing relationships and instilling social and cultural values, which are particularly important in rural areas. It is therefore important that a blended approach is used, whereby eLearning is mixed with traditional methods of teaching and learning. Of course, there are ways that eLearning itself can be used to demonstrate social and cultural values, e.g. through software that demonstrates behaviour using locally developed content, but it should not be considered as a way of replacing traditional teaching methods. Inclusion of rural partners during eLearning development The development of eLearning applications and resources often takes place in well-resourced organisations in developed areas. There is a risk that the needs of rural areas may not be accounted for in this development process. For this reason, it is critically important that rural partners (e.g. LinkNet) are given the opportunity to contribute and participate, e.g. to develop educational content that is unique to rural areas. Monitoring, continuity and improvement of eLearning programmes eLearning is simply a tool to help the process of teaching and learning. For the learning experience to be ‘optimised’, a blended approach, involving both traditional and eLearning-based methods, is required. It is important to determine whether the right mix between these methods is achieved. One way of judging this is by the results that the students achieve (e.g. the pass rate for the national Grade 7 exams) as well as more subjectively by the way teachers view the influence on an individual student’s learning. It is recommended that the school develops and implements a process to evaluate the effectiveness of eLearning, which is a component of the overall assessment of the education process. For this to be successful, communication and reporting between all the stakeholders (e.g teachers, technical specialists and students) is critical. It is very important that applications such as web browsing and chat programs (e.g. MSN messenger, Skype and MP3 music downloading programs) are monitored very carefully because they could potentially be time-wasters and students could come across inappropriate material. In this context, the school must also have a policy for IT access.

4.0

Maximising the potential of eLearning for rural areas

The majority of the challenges encountered in rural areas are due, to a great extent, to the lack of high ‘level’ initiatives, policies and regulations (e.g. in electricity and telecommunications) suitable for rural area development. It is through such mechanisms (i.e. a ‘top-down’ approach) that far-reaching positive change can be made. However, due to the lengthy process for these mechanisms to be implemented and the existing lack of effectiveness, it is necessary for the needs of rural areas to be met ‘on the ground’ by developing solutions that are tailored to the local conditions (a ‘bottom-up’ approach). Obviously, both approaches are critical to bridging the gaps that exist in society.

Page 4

In the context of eLearning, some of the issues outlined in Sections 2.0 and 3.0 can be addressed by the suggested solutions shown in Table 1. Issue Inadequate classroom facilities (e.g. chairs, desks and other basic resources) and harsh environmental conditions (e.g. dust). Unreliable electricity supply. Insufficient Internet bandwidth/throughput due to high costs. Frequent Internet outages. High cost of hardware – computers, printers etc. High cost of educational software. Lack of educational resources (e.g. textbooks, libraries and stationery). Frequent breakdown of equipment, e.g. computers and printers. eLearning participation and acceptance by community members.

Stimulating innovative ideas and implementations for rural areas. Poor infrastructure leading to a high-cost environment.

Recognising and demonstrating cultural/social values through eLearning. Continuity, improvement and monitoring of eLearning programmes. Developing relevant content for rural areas. Bridging communication/cultural gaps between rural areas and developed areas. Inadequate after-sales equipment support. Lack of skills required to provide technology based education (e.g. teachers and technical specialists). Lack of students’ foundation knowledge – e.g. not a single Grade 7 student passing in Macha’s government-run schools.

Solution Adapt the technology to the environment by ensuring sufficient supply if equipment breaks down. Manage the technology carefully and ensure that it is used appropriately. Use cheap, small scale power solutions when there are outages. Continuously monitor offerings from service providers. Cache frequently requested information on the server. Manage technical resources carefully and educate community members to use technology appropriately. Use open source software that is available for free. Suitable eLearning applications can overcome resource limitations. Manage equipment very carefully by ensuring that there is sufficient supply and that it is used appropriately. Empower the leaders of the community through the opportunities provided by eLearning. Communicate the benefits of eLearning to the community using successful cases (e.g. the growing of sunflower seeds by Fred Mweetwa in Macha). Make people within the community feel like they ‘own’ eLearning. Development of an ‘innovation hub’ in Macha, i.e. a centre of experience. Adapt the technology to the environment and ensure sufficient supply if equipment breaks down. Manage the technology carefully and ensure that it is used appropriately. Develop and provide local content and systems to manage the content. Applications such as blogging allow people to demonstrate cultural/social values. Develop a process to ensure that technology is used appropriately with quantifiable indicators of the impact of eLearning on educational outcomes for students. Total involvement of local people to develop content and the e-implementation of the Zambian syllabus, where necessary and beneficial. Encourage collaborative work between different communities through projects and specific applications such as blogging and penpals. Manage equipment very carefully by ensuring that there is sufficient supply and that it is used appropriately. Develop human resources through training in LinkNet and schools. Teach fundamentals that are required for students’ development. Use eLearning technology to overcome constraints such as limited books and limited number of teachers.

Table 1. Major issues related to eLearning in rural areas and suggested solutions.

Page 5

5.0

A generalised model for eLearning implementation

The purpose of this section is to present a generalised model for implementing eLearning in rural areas, accounting for the unique environmental settings and underlying costs. This model is intended to address the issues (see Table 1) already outlined. In this paper, eLearning is presented as an ‘intersection’ between four key areas: pedagogy, technology, applications and benchmarking/ continuous monitoring. This model is represented in Fig. 1.

Pedagogy eLearning

Technology

Applications

Benchmarking/ continuous monitoring Fig. 1. A generalised model for eLearning In each of the ‘key’ areas, the decision-making processes and solutions must account for the unique conditions and circumstances of the environment in which eLearning is to be implemented. Specialists of the various areas must coordinate their activities and ‘thinking processes’ accordingly. In a document outlining strategies for eLearning in African higher education, Uys et. al have suggested that the pedagogical aspects of eLearning need to be addressed first before any technological decisions can take place. Indeed, it is important that teachers have complete ownership in the changes that will occur in their classrooms due to technology, as they will ultimately be the ‘drivers’ of eLearning and are the most qualified to assess its effectiveness. It is also critical that technical specialists advise teachers on the capabilities of the technology and possible eLearning applications. This requires continuous communication between technical specialists and teachers to foster mutual understanding and a ‘meeting of minds’. Using this mutual collaboration, appropriate curricula/learning material and applications can be developed and implemented. Once implemented, the eLearning framework needs to be continuously monitored and assessed so as to ensure its sustainability and continuous improvement. The following sections attempt to address the various ‘key’ areas of eLearning shown in Fig. 1, from a rural area perspective accounting for the opportunities and challenges already discussed.

Page 6

5.1

Pedagogy

Pedagogy is arguably the most fundamental mechanism in the context of eLearning and is best addressed by teachers. As already suggested, it is important that eLearning itself is ‘driven’ by teachers for it to be successful. The information presented in this section is based on a discussion that the author had with Mr and Mrs Krause, who are teachers at the Macha Innovative Community School (MICS) and have had about 10 years of experience in primary education in Africa (MICS, 2007). While this section focuses on primary education, inferences can also be drawn for education at other levels (e.g. secondary and tertiary). In broad terms, there are two components to a good primary education, regardless of the environmental, social or cultural setting. Firstly, children should have knowledge of fundamental concepts, e.g. how to add/subtract and spell words. Secondly, they should also be given the freedom to explore, through which they are able to develop their critical and creative thinking abilities. Unfortunately, in rural areas, both these components are often lacking. Very often, children are not ‘stimulated’ enough before schooling age (i.e. the age of four or five years old), and for this reason when they enter school, they often lag behind their counterparts in developed areas. The reasons for this are manifold – firstly, rural areas are challenging to live in, meaning that parents cannot focus on their children’s learning as much as in more affluent areas. Secondly, parents themselves often have not received an extensive education and therefore do not know how or what to teach their children during their development. Thirdly, children often do not have exposure to ‘tools’ that would allow them to develop their thinking abilities when they are at a young age, e.g. books and toys. When children start going to school, there are often resource challenges and there is usually a high student-to-teacher ratio. Due to the lack of attention and quality education, they lag behind even further and it becomes difficult for them to ‘catch up’ to where they should be because they do not have fundamental concepts. eLearning is a tool which can be harnessed to meet the pressing needs of rural areas; in primary education this includes both fundamental knowledge as well as critical/creative thinking skills. However, as stated previously, it should compliment traditional teaching methods (e.g. with chalk and blackboard) to enhance the learning process (i.e. blended learning) – in this sense, it is important to achieve the right balance between eLearning and traditional methods. Through technology, fundamental knowledge can be improved and reinforced using specific eLearning applications. Creative and critical thinking can be improved if children are given the freedom to explore and ‘find out things for themselves’ using computers and the Internet – obviously for this to be effective, there needs to be appropriate monitoring and assessment. In MICS, there is already a computer curriculum and pupils have computer classes every day using five desktop computers. The curriculum covers basic computer skills such as identifying parts of a computer, typing and using drawing tools. Appendix A is an example of part of the computer syllabus for Grades 1 to 4. There are also specific eLearning programmes that are used to compliment learning in particular subject areas, e.g. for mathematics, a programme called ‘MathBlaster’ has been used. However, due to resource challenges (i.e. insufficient computer capabilities), it is presently not possible to use other (more powerful) applications. Consider the impact on learning if each child has a personal laptop (e.g. through the OLPC initiative, described in Section 5.2). Obviously, this will require a carefully thought out process for rollout in a rural area such as Macha. The laptop could be thought of as a tool through which children can explore things and communicate with others; in essence, they have an unlimited opportunity (i.e. 24 hour per day exposure) to harness their creative and critical thinking abilities, which is so often lacking in rural areas. In the author’s opinion, the role of teachers is to choose suitable eLearning applications/techniques (Section 5.3) to compliment their traditional teaching methods, with relevance to the syllabus. Of course, this process also requires input from technical specialists (Section 5.2) and a lot of trial and

Page 7

error to see what works and what does not (benchmarking/continuous monitoring, described in Section 5.4).

5.2

Technology

In this paper, technology refers to both the hardware and software to provide the basic infrastructure for eLearning. This includes components for networking (e.g. access points and links to the Internet) as well as client computers and software for basic services (e.g. e-mail, file sharing, web pages etc.). Technology also refers to servers that could be used for centralised data/program storage. It does not include specific eLearning software intended purely for the purposes of pedagogy, which is covered under ‘applications’. However, the underlying technology is intended to have the capabilities to support eLearning applications. In the context of rural areas, the following technology-related factors/developments are important: • Technology (both hardware and software) must be cheap but robust enough for rural conditions. In essence, it must have an excellent cost/benefit ratio. • Open-source software is most suitable as it is free for use under the GNU public license. The ServerAtSchool server (ServerAtSchool, 2007) is an excellent example of this. • Given the harsh conditions (e.g. dusty environment) in rural areas, it is necessary to develop a programme/policy for the type of equipment used, how to best protect equipment, and how to monitor breakdowns and associated costs, with a desire to continuously improve utilisation/lifespan of equipment. • Given limitations in cost, it is impossible to ensure a 1:1 student to computer ratio. Indeed, this is not even done in well-funded public schools in developed countries. Instead, given the requirement to minimise costs, it is best to maximise technology utilisation to ensure a good cost/benefit ratio, e.g. by having a computer lab. • Bandwidth in rural areas is often very expensive – for example, in Macha it costs $1100 for a 128 kbps connection (Linknet, 2006) that serves the entire village. How do we ensure that bandwidth is utilised optimally? • The One Laptop per Child (OLPC) project (OLPC, 2007) aims to eventually develop a $100 laptop primarily intended for children in developing countries. While this project has had its critics, it is very promising for rural areas. At present the cost of the laptop is $158 (OLPC, 2007). 5.2.1 Network-side solutions - ServerAtSchool ServerAtSchool (http://www.serveratschool.net) is a freely available Linux-based server (under the GNU public license) that is intended to meet the ICT requirements of primary schools. It can be used to drive networks that have in excess of 100 client computers. In summary, the main features of this server, in layman’s terms, are listed below (adapted from ServerAtSchool, 2007). For further information, refer to http:://www.serveratschool.net or to Appendix A, which lists the features in more detail. •

Documents: Staff/pupils can work with their own documents and share them among each other in workgroups. Staff can simply copy relevant files to student folders. There are hourly backups of all documents on the server and it is easy to restore lost documents. At home it is possible to connect to the server and work on documents.

•

Web: Internet access is provided on every computer with ‘safe’ access. The school has its own website, which is easy to manage. Pupils have their own webpages, supervised by teachers. An internal website may be used for access to web-based educational software. An Intranet is also provided for private local access using password protection. Webmail is provided for e-mail access via the Internet.

Page 8

•

E-mail: Webmail is available with access control depending where the use is. An unlimited number of e-mail addresses/aliases are possible. All mail is scanned for computer viruses.

•

User management: Very simple account creation and management of pupils, groups of pupils, faculty teams, working groups, staff, etc. Promoting pupil accounts or groups to the next grade is easy and can be done with a couple of mouse clicks.

•

Programs: When users log in they automatically get their programs (i.e. roaming profiles). It is very easy to manage and assign software for groups and individuals. CD images can be stored on the server and played everywhere. This is useful in rural environments such as Macha, where CD/DVD-ROM drives break down easily.

•

Security: Backups are made automatically, removing the hassle of doing so manually. For Windows computers, there is a free virus scanner. The school’s management system (i.e. financial administration, pupil administration) has a double backup.

•

Hardware/System: ‘Older’ client computers are sufficient and good performance is achieved on an ‘older’ server computer. Free programs are used to protect against viruses and spam. Offsite management of the server is possible with a safe/encrypted connection.

•

Documentation: The server is documented fully. There is also client installation documentation and end user documentation.

5.2.2 Content/course management systems A content/course management system may be used by educators to create and manage online courses for rich interaction. An example of such a system is Moodle (http://www.moodle.org), which can be obtained for free under the GNU public license. Moodle has many useful features expected for eLearning purposes: • Forums, • Content managing (resources), • Quizzes with different kinds of questions, • Blogs, • Wikis, • Database activities, • Surveys, • Chat, • Glossaries, • Peer assessment, • Multi-language support (over 60 languages are supported for the interface). Moodle is currently being installed and trialled in LinkNet. 5.2.3 Client-side solutions The client-side solutions are computers used by pupils/teachers to access the network. The two suggestions presented in this paper are traditional desktop/laptop computers and the $100 laptop (One Laptop per Child), now discussed in turn. Traditional desktop and laptop computers Most educational institutions around the world maximise utilisation of ICT equipment by having computer labs where students can log into computers and do their work. Stand-alone computers can be acquired from organisations such as Computer Aid International (http://computeraidinternational.org),

Page 9

which refurbish used computers and distribute them to communities/organisations in developing countries. The price of brand-new computers has significantly reduced in recent years. A recent survey conducted by the author on market prices of brand-new computers in the USA suggests that a low-end desktop computer can be purchased for $400, while a laptop can be purchased for $500. Second hand computers with Pentium III (or better) processors are available from Computer Aid International for approximately $140 (Computer Aid International, 2007). Obviously, the end-price for Macha (i.e. including transportation and duties) might be as much as double the purchase price. The use of computers in the classroom can be rotated among pupils, or if there are a sufficient number of computers, a computer lab could be operated so that pupils could go whenever they desire. One Laptop per Child One Laptop per Child (OLPC) (http://www.laptop.org) is an initiative aimed at designing a laptop eventually costing as little as $100. Presently, the cost of the laptop is $158 (OLPC, 2007). It is due to be released during 2007. While the laptop can operate using Windows, it comes with a free preinstalled Linux-based operating system that has a ‘friendly’ user interface for children. The laptop is intended to be an educational tool but does not come with eLearning software. Instead, as stated on the OLPC website (OLPC, 2007), “Laptops are both a window and a tool: a window into the world and a tool with which to think. They are a wonderful way for all children to learn learning through independent interaction and exploration.” In other words, children can discover new things using the Internet as well as communicate/share ideas. The obvious benefit of OLPC is that every child has his/her personal laptop, which means unlimited exposure to the Internet and potentially unlimited learning opportunities. There are four major features of the laptop that make it ideal for rural areas (OLPC, 2007): • • • •

It is made to be as rugged as possible for the conditions of rural areas (e.g. dust). A non-reflective screen so that it can be used both in the sunlight and in the dark. The laptop has a dynamo (operated using a string) to charge the battery. It can operate as a node in a mesh network, i.e. a laptop may connect to the Internet backhaul through several other laptops. Therefore, minimal network infrastructure (e.g. access points) is required if there are a sufficient number of laptops in use.

At the time of writing this document (March 2007) laptops are only available through bulk orders made by governments. Countries such as Nigeria and Brazil have already ordered millions of laptops. However, the Zambian government has not yet made a decision as to whether to purchase the laptops. Reports in the media suggest that the laptops will eventually be released to the public for general purchase, but no timeframe has been given. Discussions with Prof. Nicholas Negroponte, director of OLPC, revealed that by mid-2007 a UN programme will be announced, through which independent organisations (e.g. LinkNet or MICS) can apply to acquire the laptops. However, at this time no further information on this programme is available, but discussions with Prof. Negroponte are underway. From the perspective of Macha village, the impact of these laptops needs to be examined very carefully prior to their widespread rollout. For example, who will own the laptops and how is it ensured that the laptops are used properly and by the people they are intended for? Can Macha cope with the bandwidth that will be demanded by users of these laptops? How will users be charged for the laptops and the Internet? While the laptop can be a powerful tool for learning, it can also be a distraction – e.g. computer games. How is the use controlled so that the children of Macha have maximum benefit?

Page 10

Recommendation for client-side computers It is recommended that a blend of ‘traditional’ desktop/laptop computers and OLPC computers are experimented with to determine what mixture is optimal in the long-term. The ‘traditional’ computers are ideal within the classroom environment or for pupils who do not have OLPC computers. The major benefit of the OLPC computers, as discussed previously, is that pupils have unlimited learning opportunities (though, of course, their effectiveness needs to be monitored carefully, especially in the early stages of the rollout). A cost/benefit analysis of various types of computers (e.g. new, refurbished and OLPC computers) needs to performed to determine what type of machines should be purchased. An investigation relating to this matter can be found in (SchoolNetAfrica, 2004).

5.3

Applications

5.3.1

Web-based applications specifically for educational purposes

iSchool.zm To the author’s knowledge, the only eLearning implementation that has been developed in Zambia is a web portal called iSchool (see http://www.ischool.zm) designed by AfriConnect (2007). Primary, secondary and tertiary education levels are all covered in this portal. However, iSchool is still in its early development and for this reason there is not yet any local (Zambian) educational content. There are plans to make Zambia national exam papers (at various levels) and other material downloadable from the website. Presently, the site primarily provides links to web-based eLearning applications that have been developed around the world (e.g. MIT courseware for tertiary education). See Fig. 2 for a snapshot of the website.

Fig. 2. Snapshot of iSchool webpage.

Page 11

Other web-based eLearning applications There is a plethora of web-based eLearning applications already available. A good Internet resource which provides links to eLearning applications is the ‘e-learning centre’, which can be found at http://www.e-learningcentre.co.uk. This resource is very comprehensive and also contains information and tutorials about eLearning itself, including a showcase of web-based eLearning applications developed around the world. The eLearning for Kids Foundation (http://www.e-learningforkids.org) is a global, non-profit organisation that provides a free learning platform on the Internet. This resource has eLearning courseware to build basic skills in reading, maths, science, keyboarding, English, and health and life skills. Over forty courses have been launched to-date in English and Spanish. Courseware will also be translated into other languages, e.g. French and Mandarin. A simple google search is likely to reveal a plethora of other eLearning resources on the Internet. 5.3.2

Innovations for rural areas

In Macha, the mere provision of the Internet has stimulated some ‘accidental’ innovations, which were never anticipated - this itself can be considered as an educational process through discovery. One such example is that a man in the village, Mr Fred Mweetwa, independently learnt how to grow sunflower seeds using information he gathered from the Internet. He grinds the newly grown sunflower seeds to yield cooking oil which he sells to people within and outside the local community. Additionally, the residue from the grinding process is an excellent source of nutrition for his pigs. A detailed case study about this has been published by LinkNet and can be found in Appendix B or at http://drupal.vanstam.net/?q=node/713. Other educational uses of the Internet have also been reported, for example farmers obtaining information about the growing of maize.

5.4

Benchmarking and continuous monitoring

To ensure that eLearning is effective in the pedagogical process, it is critical that it is benchmarked and monitored continuously. The term ‘benchmarking’ has been used in the field of business to evaluate processes, but since 2005 it has also been associated with eLearning, mainly in tertiary institutions (e.g. universities). There is a plethora of benchmarking schemes that have been developed, but their effectiveness is yet to be tested ‘vigorously’. Further information regarding benchmarking can be found at (Wikipedia, 2007). It is likely that a benchmarking scheme is required that accounts for specific rural area needs. In this sense, LinkNet can contribute significantly to eLearning in rural areas.

6.0

Case study – Viafrica’s CLASSworks

Viafrica (http://www.viafrica.org) is an organisation that supports educational organisations in Africa with the use and management of ICT. At this time, the focus has largely been on improving ICT facilities in secondary schools in East Africa. According to its website, CLASSworks is based on the requirement that secondary schools must take the initiative. A list of conditions has to be met before computer science is made available at the school and computer science teachers have to be trained. When a school has met all the necessary conditions and is willing to make investments for the new facility, Viafrica provides the necessary computers, the implementation and further training of teachers. After this the school takes over completely and is solely responsible. So far, more than thirty implementations have been done. While the CLASSworks project is aimed at providing ICT facilities to schools, it does not appear to focus on eLearning or specific educational outcomes from using the technology.

Page 12

7.0

Recommendations

As a result of this research into eLearning, the author recommends the following: • Teachers should be the ‘drivers’ of eLearning within the community. In this sense, they must explore applications that can be used to enhance the pedagogical process within the context of the syllabus. • Technical specialists need to advise teachers on issues relating to technology and its capabilities, as well as provide necessary support. • A cost/benefit analysis of technologies to provide eLearning (e.g. types of computers, network infrastructure, software), involving all the stakeholders, must be performed to aid the decision making process. • There are certainly overlaps between the educational needs in rural areas and those elsewhere. In this sense, LinkNet must collaborate with other organisations to develop useful and relevant eLearning applications and content. The primary input for LinkNet in this process would be to provide rural area content. • Communication with members of the community is critical to the success of eLearning implementations. Inculcating a sense of ownership and belonging will require the involvement of local leaders. In Macha, one way of doing this is through the Vision Community Radio Station to stimulate dialogue and debate. • A relevant benchmarking/continuous monitoring process should be developed and implemented. This should involve all the stakeholders including teachers, technical specialists, students and parents. • A useful long-term research project would be to do a pilot study in which eLearning is implemented in a school and related to the results achieved by students in a nationallyadministered exam (e.g. Grade 7). The findings will certainly have implications for the benchmarking/continuous monitoring process and for wider implementation in other schools.

8.0

Conclusions

This paper has presented an overview of eLearning in the context of rural areas. Several benefits and challenges associated with eLearning in rural areas have been discussed. It has been shown that eLearning is an ‘intersection’ between pedagogy, technology, applications and benchmarking and continuous monitoring. For eLearning to be a success in a rural area such as Macha, there needs to be total involvement of the local community, leading to its acceptance and ownership, combined with continuous communication among the various specialists (e.g. teachers and IT specialists) as well as relevant benchmarking/continuous monitoring processes.

Page 13

References Computer Aid International (2007). Computer Aid International website, retrieved March 29, 2007 from http://www.computeraidinternational.org. dgCommunities (2006). E-learning – knowledge, collaboration, information, partnerships, retrieved March 29, 2007 from http://topics.developmentgateway.org/elearning. Hudson, H. 2006. From rural village to global village: Telecommunications for development in the information age, NJ, USA : Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. iSchool (2006). iSchool, retrieved March 29, 2007 from http://www.ischool.zm. LinkNet (2006). LinkNet Master Plan: Communications for rural Zambia, retrieved October 22, 2006 from http://www.link.net.zm. LinkNet (2007). Case study: Sunflower http://drupal.vanstam.net/?q=node/713.

farming,

retrieved

March

29,

2007

from

MICS (2007). Macha Innovative Community School, retrieved March 29, 2007 from http://mics.macha.org.zm. Moodle (2007). Moodle retrieved March 29, 2007 from http://www.moodle.org. OLPC (2007). OLPC website, retrieved March 29, 2007 from http://www.laptop.org. OLPC Foundation (2007). One Laptop per Child Foundation, Invest your money and your time, retrieved March 29, 2007 from http://www.laptopfoundation.org. Pittinsky, M. 2003. The Wired Tower: Perspectives on the Impact of the Internet on Higher Education, NJ, USA: Prentice Hall. Reuters (2006). Kids learn better if they figure it out themselves: study, retrieved March 29, 2007 from http://www.reuters.com/article/gc08/idUSL0862420070308. Rydhagen, B. and Trojer, L. (2006). Digital delivery: e-learning in rural secondary schools in Tanzania, retrieved March 29, 2007 from http://www.spidercenter.org/upl/filer/506.pdf. SchoolNetAfrica (2006). A Total Cost of Ownership Comparison between New and Used Computers, retrieved March 29, 2007 from http://www.schoolnetafrica.net/1495.0.html. ServerAtSchool (2007). ServerAtSchool.Net http://www.serveratschool.net.

retrieved

March

29,

2007

from

Uys, P., Nleya, P., Molelu, G. (2004). “Technological Innovation and Management Strategies for Higher Education in Africa: Harmonizing Reality and Idealism”, Education Media International Vol. 41, No. 1, pp. 67-80. Viafrica (2007). Venture Intelligence Africa, retrieved March 29, 2007 from http://www.viafrica.org. Warschauer, M. 2003. Technology and Social Inclusion: Rethinking the Digital Divide, USA: MIT Press. Wikipedia (2007). Benchmarking e-learning http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benchmarking_e-learning.

retrieved

March

29,

2007

from

Page 14

Appendix A: Example of computer skills syllabus at Macha Innovative Community School (MICS).

Macha Innovative Christian School Macha, Southern Province, Zambia Syllabus for Computer Technology Grades 1-4 Page 1 Content Standard: Students at Macha Innovative Christian School (MICS) will select technology to access, organize, create and communicate information for solving problems and constructing new knowledge, products and systems.

4.1 •

•

• • • •

Performance Standards

Grade-Level Benchmarks

Performance examples

By the end of Grade 4, students will:

Grades 1 – 4

What it might look like? Grades 1 – 4

Use common technology terminology and equipment Identify and define basic computer technology (e.g., software, hardware, cursor, startup/shutdown, storage medium, file, memory) Identify and explain the functions of the components of a computer system (e.g., monitor, central processing unit, storage devices, keyboard, mouse, printer) Demonstrate proper care and correct use of computer equipment Demonstrate the correct use of input devices (e.g., mouse, keyboard) and output devices (e.g., monitor, printer, speakers) Save and backup files on a computer hard drive, storage medium, or server. Solve problems using the basic four arithmetic functions of the keypad when appropriate

•

•

• • • •

• •

Identify and define basic computer technology (e.g., software, hardware, cursor, startup/shutdown, storage medium, file, memory) Identify and explain the functions of the components of a computer system (e.g., monitor, central processing unit, storage devices, keyboard, mouse, printer) Identify and use numerals on the keypad Identify and use monitor, keyboard, CPU, CD-ROM drive, printer, diskette drive, and mouse Identify and use keys to run standard-level software programs Use appropriate software/hardware for specific tasks (e.g., simulation, skill development, creativity, productivity, and research applications) Identify and demonstrate correct use of diskette, software programs, hardware, menu, cursor, log-in, log-out, exit Demonstrate proper care and correct use of the equipment

• • • • • •

Point to appropriate computer part when named Add graphics to a story or card Create and save a story Retrieve a previously saved story and add to it Exit a program using the appropriate routine Attempt to solve simple problems before asking for help

Page 15

Appendix B: Basic features of ServerAtSchool (obtained from http://www.serveratschool.net) Introduction ServerAtschool is a Linux-based network server optimised for speed and security. It can be used to drive networks with hundred or more client computers. The features of the server are developed especially for primary schools. In short, its services include: webserver, content management system for the website, mailserver, flexible tool for user management, chroot jail for users, hourly backups of user documents, nightly (off-site) backups, spam control, name server, DHCP, printer server, webmail, virusscan, firewall, database server, proxyserver, fileserver for Windows client computers, time server and a secure shell. After the complete installation a school will have a rock-solid, fully functional and above all secure server. In the remainder of this chapter we describe the features of the combination of the ServerAtSchool server and Windows workstations. NOTICE: Sometimes the same feature appears twice. Is the item 'webmail' a web or a mail feature? Features in layman's terms

A description of the features (in non-technical terms) of ServerAtSchool 1.0. 1)Documents

• • • • • • •

On every workstation in school you can work with your own documents. You can share documents with workgroups like faculty, staff, principals, healthcare committee, pupils, etc. At home you can work with the documents on the school server via an encrypted (safe) connection. Hourly backups of all documents. Very easy system (requires no systems administrator intervention) to restore lost documents. Teachers can simply copy material to pupils folders. Teachers can check pupils folders. Every pupil or grade has its own 'My Documents' folder with automatic backups which they can manage themselves.

2)Web • Internet access on every computer in school. Safe access when necessary. • One or more websites for the school. • A Content Management System specially designed for primary education. • Pupils have their own webpages, supervised by teachers. • Easy maintenance of the website from everywhere, lots of optional extras (multiple

calendars, guestbook, photo allbum, etc.) Internal website for web based educational software. Intranet (with password protection) for faculty and staff. Webmail (see below).

• • • 3)Electronic mail

• • •

Webmail with fine grained access control: no access, only accessible at school, acessible from anywhere, access from specific locations outside the school. Unlimited number of e-mail addresses and aliases. All mail, including attachments, is scanned for computer virusses.

4)User management

•

Very simple account creation and management of pupils, groups of pupils, faculty, teams, working groups, staff, etc. Page 16

• • •

Promoting pupil accounts or groups to the next grade with a couple of mouseclicks. Easy excluding of pupils that need to repeat a grade. Flexible import function for pupil data (name, grade, etc.) This permits mass creation and mass-promotion to the next grade of pupil accounts. Workgroups (for example, healthcare committee, parents’ council, board of directors, etc.) can have shared folders. Exchange of documents is very easy, also from home.

5)Programs • Roaming profiles: when users log in they automatically get their programs. • Very simple management and assignment of software for groups and individual • CD images are created on the server with two mouseclicks. They can be played

users.

everywhere. No hassling with CD's in school, No CD player in computers in school. No wear and tear of CD's. 6)Security

• • • • • •

A complete system for backups that need NO attention. No fiddling around with tapes, removable racks, USB devices, etc. Everyone owns his own backups that are automatically made. No sysadmin or ICT person needed to search through backups. Encrypted backups of the complete server can safely be stored at a partner school. So, in case of a fire, within two days the server with all its valuable content can be up and running again. Free virusscanner for the Windows client computers. Restore a broken Windows OS in minutes by downloading its image from the server. Double backup of the school's management system (financial administration, pupils administration, etc.). This backup can also be encrypted.

7)Hardware/System • Works on older client computers. • Gives good performance, also on older server hardware. • When a computer crashes, or someone ruins Windows, you

have a new operating

system in 10 minutes. • Protection against viruses and spam with free programs. • Protection against intruders (firewall). • Off site management of the server with a safe and encrypted connection. • The system software is very stable and desighned for mission critical applications. 8)Documentation

• • •

The server is 100% documented. Of every part a comprehensive descriptions is available (installation, configuration, the available services, optimisations, etc.) The client installation is fully documented (workstation setup, software installation, tweaks, etc.). Extensive end user documentation.

3. Features (in technical terms)

Overview of the possibilites of ServerAtSchool 1.0 in a more technical terminology. 1)Basics

• • • • •

A robust and safe server (Linux-kernel 2.4.29 with GRSecure security patch). Robust filesystem (ReiserFS). Automatic performance of tasks per hour/day/week/month (Vixie Cron 3.0.1). Connection to internet via cable or xDSL. Secure shell (OpenSSH 3.9p1). Page 17

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

System is unaccessible for normal users (chroot'ed environment). Nameserver (Bind 9.2.4). Automatic processing of logfiles (Logcheck 1.1.1). Port scan detetion and blocking via firewall (Portsentry-1.1-1). Programmable webserver (Apache 2.0.53 with PHP 4.3.10). Database server (MySQL 4.0.23a). Mailserver (Exim 4.44). Protection against spam, integrated in mailserver (Spamassassin 3.0.2). Protection against viruses integrated in mailserver (ClamAV 0.83). Workstions can be protected agaist viruses via server with auto-update of virusdefinitions(ClamAV 0.83) POP3-server (tpopd 1.5.3). Windows fileserver (Samba 3.0.7). Automatic IP-address assignment for clients (ISC DHCP 3.0p12). Limitation of used disk space for users (Quota 3.09). Automatic time synchronization for server and clients (Ntp 4.2.0). Auto update (security fixes) of the system (Autoupdate 5.2.16). Content management system for website (Site@School 2.3.03). Hourly backup of 'My Documents' (BU 3.3beta + patch). Nightly (encrypted) backup; on-site and off-site (REOback 1.0 + patch, des 4.04b). Simple, web based tools for users and application management.(Janitor 0.9.6).

• • • • •

Proxyserver (Squid 2.5). Firewall (GIPtables 1.1a en IPTables 1.2.11). Webmail (Squirrelmail 1.4.3a). Mailing lists (Mailman 2.1.2). Utilities, for example for USB-disk (usbutils 0.11, hotplug 2002_04_01).

2)Basic options server

3)Basic options clients • Making/restoring disk images for Windows-clients (G4U 1.17). • Virtual CD on Windows-clients (Daemon Tools 3.46). • Access to 'My Documents' at school from home computer via an

encrypted connection

(WinSCP 3.6.1).

Page 18

Appendix C: Case Study report on Sunflower farming in Macha. (Obtained from http://drupal.vanstam.net/?q=node/713)

CASE: SUNFLOWER FARMING Internet Changes Rural Africa

Farmer Fred Mweetwa's second year sunflowers production

Published by LinkNet P.O. Box 630722, Choma, Zambia Author: Gertjan van Stam E-mail: [email protected] Date: 16 March 2007

Page 19

1 SUMMARY Introduction of Internet at rural Macha has led to innovations in many areas, among which is innovation in farming. This paper describes the case of introduction of sunflower production in Macha. 2 ENVIRONMENT Farming at rural Macha has been according to traditional way, for as long history goes. The primary livelihood is subsistence farming with maize being the main crop. The staple diet is cooked maize meal supplemented with peanuts, sweet potatoes and leafy green vegetables. Innovations in farming are virtually non-existent, influence from outside-experts is limited because of long held traditions and the realities of a daily struggle to live in a resource limited environment. Macha is located in the Southern province of Zambia, 75 km from the nearest town of Choma and 300-380 km by road from the capital city of Lusaka. The topography of the area is somewhat undulating, primarily open savannah woodland averaging 1100 meters above sea level. The climate is tropical with a rainy season that runs approximately late October to early April. The Macha area is populated by traditional villagers, primarily members of the Batonga tribe, living in small scattered homesteads which usually consist of one extended family. There are no commercial farmers or industries in this area. While much of the population is stable, younger adults move to and from the urban areas of the country. There is an estimated population of 128,000 (c. 2000) within an approximately 35 km radius of Macha. Overall population density in this area is 25 per square kilometre and 50% of the population is under 12 years of age. Other specific data for the local population are not reliable, but country-wide the crude birth rate is 49.5 per 1,000 population with an infant mortality of 107 per 1,000 live births. Average life expectancy at birth is 39 years. 3 INTERNET ACCESS LET TO INTRODUCTION OF SUNFLOWER FARMING Introduction of internet access at Macha has changed this rural community. Internet access supports the development of professional institutions like Macha Mission Hospital, the Medical Institute at Macha (MIAM), and innovations hub Vision Community Centre Macha. All change starts slowly and gradually picks up pace. However, already after a few months of introduction of Internet at Macha, a farming innovation was introduced with sunflower farming, a direct result of access to new information and ideas through the Internet. Fred Mweetwa is a young person, born, grown and educated in the rural Macha community. During his work at Vision Community Centre Macha he has full time access to the internet. While browsing the internet searching for new farming ideas, he came across information on how to farm sunflowers at websites (www.sunflowernsa.com, www.jeffersoninstitute.org). This was mid 2005, at which time internet arrived at Macha. Based upon the information provided on the internet, Fred started preparing his land. This land is located within Macha chiefdom, in an area where title deeds are non-existing. It been used by Fred Mweetwa's family for many years. Previously, only maize or ground nuts have been grown at these fields, with varied yields. 20 kg of sunflower seeds were bought and planted in two fields of approximately 25 x 100 meters for the 2005-2006 growing season, during December 2005,. Fred employed ten people on a parttime basis to weed and tend the plants in line with specific information given on the internet. At the end of April, early May 2006, Fred Mweetwa used the same ten persons to harvest the sunflowers. All this work resulted in 70 bags of 50 kg of sunflower seeds. These seeds then were pressed into cooking oil, yielding approximately 3 litres of oil per 20 kg of sunflower seeds. This oil was then bartered for maize to feed the whole Mweetwa family during 2006, which family consists

Page 20

of the parents, two daughters, two sons, and five other relatives. The barter rate was 750 ml of oil to be exchanged for 10.5 kg of white maize. Some of the oil was sold for ZMK 5.000 (equivalent to EUR 1) per 750 ml. The money thus gained was held back to cover investments for the next growing season, 2006-2007. The demand for oil was beyond production, as the community trusted this oil through witness of the whole production process, in contrast to uncertainties about the content of cooking oil bought at the markets or in shops in town. After pressing seeds to extract the oil, sunflower cake remains. This cake is being used for supplementary feeding of Fred Mweetwa's fifteen pigs. Some of the cake was sold at the Choma market for ZMK 12.000 per 10 kg. And sunflower cake is also used to feed broilers -chickens maturing in 2 months. 4 EXAMPLE BEING FOLLOWED For the growing season 2006-2007, Fred planted 40 kg of sunflower seeds in six fields scattered over the area. His mother supervises ten workers whom now work full time, each working day from 08.00 – 13.00 hours for ZMK 4.000 (equivalent to USD 1). These ten workers come from the Macha area, 9 women and 1 man, and they had no access to paid employment before. In the area of Macha, during the season 2006-2007, four other farmers have started growing sunflowers, as a direct result of the example of the success shown by Fred Mweetwa during 20052006 season. Fred helped these farmers to start, supplying expertise and sunflower seeds. Sunflower farming now has become an innovative source of new employment. For certain there is a keen interest in furthering sunflower farming, and others have been accessing the internet also, to also review the information upon which Fred based his work. With tangible results present, the local community radio will this locally acceptable source for a radio station program on farming development and innovation. On 12 December 2006, Fred Mweetwa presented this case of sunflower production during a presentation at the University of Zambia (UNZA). This presentation gained follow up interest of two students in Lusaka. 5 BUSINESS CASE Sunflower seeds are still difficult to buy in Zambia, they are not always readily available at markets. In Choma they are mostly absent, and when present they cost a hefty ZMK 90.000 per 5 kg. Most of the seeds have been bought in Lusaka, where going price is ZMK 25.000 per 5 kg. For the 2005-2006 season Fred Mweetwa invested the following: 1. Hiring of winter ploughing (Fred did not own a plough, and did not rely on animals of parents): ZMK 130.000; 2. Buying seeds: ZMK 250.000; 3. Money spend on labour: ZMK 180.000; 4. Rent of the oil press: ZMK 130.000. Transport costs to purchase seeds was combined with transport for other duties in towns. The yield was transported on a sleigh cart using animals from the family. Apart from the barter trade, actual money gained through purchase of oil and sunflower cake was ZMK 2.500.000. With this money Fred Mweetwa bought a plough costing ZMK 500.000 (which includes cost of transport from Choma), yoke and chain for ZMK 150.000, and seeds for 20062007 season for ZMK 400.000. Fred now contemplates buying his own Yenga Press, costing ZMK 2.000.000 in Lusaka. Also he has started to clear land from bush for deployment for farming for the next season, 2007-2008.

Page 21

6 CONCLUSION The results that farmer Fred Mweetwa achieved using the internet as a source of information for farming innovation were amazing to the rural community of Macha. Fred Mweetwa was enthused by the good yield and relative easiness in the production (no need for fertilizer or lots of labour). During the growth season of 2006-2007, the amount of sunflower production has grown ten-fold over the first season 2005-2006.

Page 22