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By Josefina S. Patron, Ed.D., Special To The
Manila Times
Editor’s note: The first part reported that
six countries use satellite-based learning technologies and started
with describing Mexico’s Telesecundaria.
Second of three parts
Indonesia: Jardiknas
Telkom’s Speedy Community SchoolNet Limited
and Speedy Community SchoolNet Unlimited differ on the size of data
that can be downloaded and on the monthly charges.
Speedy Community SchoolNet is suitable for use
in school communities due to its tariff scheme, which is much lower
than other regular Speedy. Telkom also waives the registration fee
for one-year subscriptions.
Through Speedy Community SchoolNet, TelKom
expects to push Speed penetration. In the first quarter of 2007,
Speedy has been used by 115,979 subscribers. In 2007, TelKom
projected a 35-percent increase or a total of 385,000 subscribers.
Besides high speed Internet, Speedy is also used
for video conferencing, online games, distance learning and home
shopping.
Jardiknas hopes to build information and
communication technology (ICT) access to more than 300,000 schools
in Indonesia.
The handicaps of ICT development in education in
Indonesia are the need for national ICT-user planning, the limited
number of human resources in ICT, the uneven distribution throughout
the country of ICT facilities, and the lack of political will to
increase investment in ICT and its development.
Jardiknas expects to go into programs such as
computer network between school, Internet-based communication in
every school, distance learning education (e-learning), educational
information system, communication between school, and online
registration.
Thailand: Wang Klaikangwon School Project
The Distance Learning Foundation of Thailand
launched the first live satellite transmission of the full secondary
curriculum, grade 7 to grade 12. The project is a realization of
King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s lifelong goal that every Thai child,
especially those in the remote parts of the kingdom, should be given
an opportunity to learn.
The tele-education project aims to address the
lack of teachers at the primary and secondary levels and the lack of
qualification and specialization in science, chemistry, physics,
mathematics and foreign languages. It also aims to addresses the
major stumbling blocks in Thailand’s education system—the huge
gap between the number of secondary schools and primary schools.
With the help of the Royal Thai Army,
distance-learning equipment was installed at all the Ministry of
Education’s around 3,000 secondary schools. By 2006, out of 30,000
primary schools, 10,000 had been equipped with distance learning
devices.
The hub of the project is Wang Klaikangwon
School (WKS), the King’s private school located in Hua Hin,
Prachuab Kirikhan Province, 200 kilometers south of Bangkok.
Together with Wang Klaikangwon Industrial and Community Education
College and Ratanakosin Rajamangala University of Technology in
Bangkok, the Wang Klaikangwon campus provides a one-stop service for
“full-cycle education” from kindergarten, primary, secondary,
vocational to university level.
From the Wang Klaikangwon School, lessons are
broadcast to the distant schools throughout the kingdom by means of
live satellite broadcast via Ku band and DTH (direct to home)
system.
Some 12,221 primary schools, including 400
Muslim schools in the southern provinces of Pattani, Yala,
Narathiwat, Satun and Songkla are joined to the Wang Klaikangwon
School’s distance-learning program.
For the past 10 years, the foundation has
absorbed the cost of renting half the transponder and the uplink by
Shin Satellite. Ku band has proved to be a cost-effective and
efficient technology option.
The project has been a great leap toward
overcoming the structural problems of teacher shortage. The remote
tele-education by satellite broadcast is claimed to open up “a new
paradigm of learning.”
In 10 years, the prime objective to telecast
live the whole range of basic education grade 1 to grade 12 from
Wang Klaikangwon School to the students in every area of the country
has been achieved.
Schools in the north, northeast and the south
including the Muslim schools, and in the poorest parts of Thailand
that have incorporated distance education from Wang Klaikangwon
School have made remarkable academic achievements.
Seventy five percent of the students in the
grade 12 class could enter university. The so-called white elephant
university graduates with first-class and second-class honors have
increased from academic year 2001 to 2005. There were 21 first-class
honors and six second-class honors from all over the country in
2005.
When, in 2004, it saw the concrete outcome of
the live secondary broadcast via satellite to around 3,000 secondary
schools under its jurisdiction, the Ministry of Education requested
the Distance Learning Foundation to combine the live satellite
broadcast of full primary and secondary curricula, grade 1 to grade
12 on 12 channels.
The DLF instructional TV operation under the
“One Class, One Channel” modality is said to be the only one of
its kind in the entire world.
South Africa: Mindset Network
The Mindset Network is a nonprofit organization
that provides educational content on a mass scale to schools,
colleges, training institutions, workplaces, hospitals and clinics,
using a unique technological platform. Launched in 2002, its aim is
“to tackle South Africa’s key educational and healthcare
challenges . . . to provide content that changes lives, to reach as
many people as possible, as quickly as possible.
It envisions to have programs running in 30
percent of all South African schools in the next three years; to
have programs running in 50 percent of South African hospitals and
clinics; and to be in all community centers and other learning
centers (approximately 1000 sites).
Mindset is currently involved in the Nepad (New
Partnership for Africa’s Development) e-school pilot program which
in 2007 has come to expand into 15 African countries.
The Liberty and Standard Bank Foundations, lead
partners in the initiative, committed 74 million South Africa rands
(about $10.76 million) to kickstart Mindset. Founding partners
include the Mandela Foundation, Sunday Times, PanAmSat, Sentech, and
Multiple Choice Africa, while the Society of British Aerospace
Companies (SBAC) is a support partner. Mindset has been put in place
in a year, including partnerships valued at 225 million rands (about
$32.74 million), along with support from the government departments
of education, communications and health.
The first channel of the Mindset Network,
Activate, is currently broadcasting on channel 82 of DStv, targeting
grades 10, 11 and 12 learners and educators and focusing on math,
science and English.
Programs are curriculum-based and developed and
sourced to address local needs. A time-tabled curriculum is
broadcast in the mornings and late afternoons to allow for school
and home viewing, and in the early afternoons for educators.
Broadcast runs from 8:30a.m. to 5:30p.m. on weekdays.
Programs are also supported with printed
materials and web-based information to assist the learner. Activate
encompasses the innovative use of satellite broadcast television,
print supplements in the largest national weekly newspaper, the
Sunday Times, and comprehensive support material on the Internet.
The Network does not just “jump” content
into schools but provides the equipment, training and support for
people to be able to access the content and use it properly. Special
equipment must be installed to access Mindset Network. These kits
include a television, satellite dish, decoder and video recorder,
and even generators as a power source for rural schools.
The content is provided free of charge. Hardware
and teacher training is also provided for free to
economically-disadvantaged schools. The aim is not to replace the
teacher and replicate a lesson, but to enrich and entrench the
learning process by contextualizing concepts and ideas from the
lessons. Programming is being developed to support and supplement
the teacher in providing an inspiring and interactive learning
experience for children.
Mindset uses a unique and innovative technology
solution to reach even the remotest communities through an offline
on-demand satellite-based technology platform that distributes high
quality multimedia educational content. Training on the use of the
technology is also an integral part of the project.
Mindset Network and the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID), signed an agreement to develop a
new TV channel to improve access and quality of education for
primary school learners and educators.
USAID will provide funding for three years so
Mindset can design technology and content based on the needs of
young learners between ages 5 and 13.
Mindset will research and source material geared
for children from Grade R through Grade 3. New content will be
produced for Grade 4 to Grade 7 learners and educators in the phase
referred to as “intermediate.” A total of 90 hours of new video
material will be produced—60 hours aimed at Grade 4 learners and
30 hours for teachers of intermediate age primary school-age
learners.
Support from USAID’s Global Development
Alliance will strengthen the public-private sectors partnership’s
ability to sustain the common development goal.
To be concluded
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