Barriers to e-learning in developing countries

Re: Barriers to e-learning in developing countries

by Nalin Abeysekera -
Number of replies: 2

….In sri lanka Open University with the help of donators try to establish centers throughout the country…Because there are more than 20,0000 students working with OUSL. So we can assume them as potential e-Learners….Other universities are also doing well with their undergraduate. More importantly DLC (Distance Learning Center) in Sri Lanka conducted series of seminars on on-line learning focusing school heads as well as teachers..It was a successful project….because our future will be the young people whch those teachers taught…..there I think the inspirational motivation of the people…(champions) at DLC  with mission and vision for the future…Now they are doing this for the private institutes too...And Distance education modernization project(DEMP) too helping private as well as other institutes to build-up some e-learning courses…I think every organizations will have their success stories…

In reply to Nalin Abeysekera

Re: Barriers to e-learning in developing countries

by Dr. Nellie Deutsch -
Nalin,
Now that's a success story! smile
In reply to Dr. Nellie Deutsch

Re: Barriers to e-learning in developing countries

by Carlos Ortiz -

Hi there everybody!

I've been following with great interest de development of this forum, trying to learn from you all as much as I can.

I live in Colombia and I can tell you that although there many people pushing hard the use of Technologies in education and our Ministery of education is giving support to many e-learning programs, the truth is that in a lot of places (specially away from the big cities), most people just don't have the culture towards e-learning and virtual education.

For long time people has been taught with a teacher centered methodology where the teacher is suppossed to manage to put his knowledge into the student`s heads. Not many people have develpoed autonomus learning skills and all of this e-learning thing is seen as something new and complex. Many people don't really have faith in it.

We are changing, but very slowly. New generations are more familiar with computers and hopefully things will get better, but at the moment, the basic problem is to change the people's mind about e-learning: The teachers' , the students' and the school administratives' minds.

Infrastructure is also very important, and the help from big companies as Emma says, is  "strange"  ( hopefully one day every schoold child will have not only a hotmail account but a pc too). That's what we need in Colombia, but then there's the bandwitdht too, because if it's got to do with paying then we would be in trouble.

I completely agree with Colby when she talks about the political, social and economical reasons which are a barrier for e-learning development. It's not easy at all.

Even so, things are being done. There are brave people working on e-learning quality and development, and many universities like mine, are opening up their minds and have already started trying to find a way, but it will take a few years before we really get into the exercise of e-learning for the benefit of the people.

One thing's for sure, everything we can learn from more advances countries and communities is welcome because that will prevent us from making same mistakes as others have done before and will surely help us move ahead faster.

Thanks

Carlos H. Ortiz

University of Ibague

Colombia