Enabling and constraining ICT practice in secondary schools: case studies in South Africa
- Hodgkinson-Williams, Cheryl, Siebörger, Ingrid, Terzoli, Alfredo
- Authors: Hodgkinson-Williams, Cheryl , Siebörger, Ingrid , Terzoli, Alfredo
- Date: 2007
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/428923 , vital:72546 , https://www.inderscienceonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1504/IJKL.2007.015551
- Description: The use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in education is being seen as a way of widening access to education, particularly in developing countries. This paper addresses the issue of ICT implemen-tation in secondary schools and focuses specifically on the practices that enable or constrain the successful implementation of ICT for teach-ing and learning activities. It reflects upon the lessons learned from a collective case study undertaken in 12 of the 13 secondary schools in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape in South Africa. School principals and designated IT teachers were interviewed and on-site infrastructure audits conducted. This paper identifies a number of key enabling and constraining factors surrounding practical issues, including sufficient hardware, appropriate software and affordable connectivity, sufficient technical support and training, policy-related issues such as the role of national, provincial and school policy, the vital contribution of principal leadership and champion teachers as well as ongoing teacher profes-sional development coupled with a willingness to change.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
- Authors: Hodgkinson-Williams, Cheryl , Siebörger, Ingrid , Terzoli, Alfredo
- Date: 2007
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/428923 , vital:72546 , https://www.inderscienceonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1504/IJKL.2007.015551
- Description: The use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in education is being seen as a way of widening access to education, particularly in developing countries. This paper addresses the issue of ICT implemen-tation in secondary schools and focuses specifically on the practices that enable or constrain the successful implementation of ICT for teach-ing and learning activities. It reflects upon the lessons learned from a collective case study undertaken in 12 of the 13 secondary schools in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape in South Africa. School principals and designated IT teachers were interviewed and on-site infrastructure audits conducted. This paper identifies a number of key enabling and constraining factors surrounding practical issues, including sufficient hardware, appropriate software and affordable connectivity, sufficient technical support and training, policy-related issues such as the role of national, provincial and school policy, the vital contribution of principal leadership and champion teachers as well as ongoing teacher profes-sional development coupled with a willingness to change.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
Wi-Fi as a last mile access technology and The Tragedy of the Commons
- Brandt, Ingrid, Terzoli, Alfredo, Hodgkinson-Williams, Cheryl
- Authors: Brandt, Ingrid , Terzoli, Alfredo , Hodgkinson-Williams, Cheryl
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/431106 , vital:72744 , https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6266-7_33
- Description: With an alarmingly low teledensity in South Africa, just 12%, and not much hope of further wired infrastructure at the local loop level, as the costs incurred are high compared to potential revenue, wireless con-nectivity could be a great asset and service in South Africa. However, the use of unlicensed spectrum in building wireless networks can be comparable to “The Tragedy of the Commons”, the result of selfish be-haviour towards common and limited resources. This paper evaluates the use of 802.11 wireless technologies in building a broadband wire-less network and the effects of high amounts of interference on such a network. The paper concludes that for urban areas 802.11 technologies using unlicensed spectrum is not advisable, unless used in point-to-point links, while its use in rapid rural development (where there is less interference) is very promising.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
- Authors: Brandt, Ingrid , Terzoli, Alfredo , Hodgkinson-Williams, Cheryl
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/431106 , vital:72744 , https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6266-7_33
- Description: With an alarmingly low teledensity in South Africa, just 12%, and not much hope of further wired infrastructure at the local loop level, as the costs incurred are high compared to potential revenue, wireless con-nectivity could be a great asset and service in South Africa. However, the use of unlicensed spectrum in building wireless networks can be comparable to “The Tragedy of the Commons”, the result of selfish be-haviour towards common and limited resources. This paper evaluates the use of 802.11 wireless technologies in building a broadband wire-less network and the effects of high amounts of interference on such a network. The paper concludes that for urban areas 802.11 technologies using unlicensed spectrum is not advisable, unless used in point-to-point links, while its use in rapid rural development (where there is less interference) is very promising.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
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