Technology Implementation

in Developing Countries:
Recurring Issues
Clayton R. Wright
crwr77@gmail.com

Clayton R. Wright, PhD

2009 No. 1
Education can be the difference between a
life of grinding poverty and the potential for a
full and secure one; between a child dying
from preventable disease, and families
raised in healthy environments; between
orphans growing up in isolation, and the
community having the means to protect
them; between countries ripped apart by
poverty and conflict, and access to secure
and sustainable development.
Nelson Mandela and Graca Machel
The Globe and Mail, May 1, 2002, p.
A15

Clayton R. Wright, PhD

2009 No. 2
 Getting on the bandwagon

• Others are doing it, so why not us?

• It will save money and human resources.

Shouldn’t it be about access, equity, and

the distribution of quality educational
products to a wide audience?

Is distance education the best use of

scarce resources?

Clayton R. Wright, PhD

2009 No. 3
 Following the money

Developing countries have adopted

technologies and software associated
with external funding agencies.

Clayton R. Wright, PhD

2009 No. 4
 Selecting technology that is
effective
for its intended use and the audience.

There is a tendency to use the

most sophisticated technology
when simple, non-Web-based
technology may be best.

Clayton R. Wright, PhD

2009 No. 5
 Technology is only part of the
transformation.

One must also:

• be committed to its implementation, provide resources,
and ensure that accessibility and equity are addressed;
• adjust the curriculum;
• train the instructors;
• maintain and support the technology;
• provide feasible and continuous assessments;
• adjust organizational policies;
• provide leadership that is flexible, open to new ideas, and
willing to make decisions.

Clayton R. Wright, PhD

2009 No. 6
 Lack of sustainable & accessible
infrastructure

Leading to:
• alternative power sources such as solar and wind
• technological devices that use minimal power
or have built-in electrical generating devices
• the establishment of wireless networks
Clayton R. Wright, PhD
2009 No. 7
Cost of bandwidth

The cost of bandwidth can

be 20 to 40 times the cost
in the developed world.

A fixed Internet line in Rwanda costs

$90 US per month and wireless Internet
$63 per month. However, the average
Rwandan makes $220 US a year.
Clayton R. Wright, PhD
2009 No. 8
 Imperialism of courseware

Western courses
introduce western values.

Some suffer from the “not-invented-here” syndrome and

feel that courses from western societies are being forced
down their throats when, in fact, they have a choice.

Clayton R. Wright, PhD

2009 No. 9
Linguistic and cultural diversity

Some countries have more than 20 languages.

Some cultural groups have an oral tradition.
Some groups object to the introduction of critical thinking.

The implementation of
technology does not mean
that cultural and social
differences disappear.
Sometimes, the differences
are magnified.

Clayton R. Wright, PhD

2009 No. 10
Low respect given to distance
education

Face-to-face instruction is still

considered the standard by
which all other forms of
educational delivery is judged.

Clayton R. Wright, PhD

2009 No. 11
 Quality Assurance

Quality assurance systems should continually measure:

• the congruency of organizational goals
with actual achievement,
• instructor training,
• course development,
• instructor-learning interactions,
• student support,
• assessment, and
• paths of student success upon graduation.
Quality assurance systems should receive a higher priority than they currently have.

Clayton R. Wright, PhD

2009 No. 12
e-Learning does not mean…

The creation of electronic page turners.

Effective e-learning courses are interactive

and engage the learner. They require
learners to search, compile, analyze,
interpret, and apply data from the world
around them.

Clayton R. Wright, PhD

2009 No. 13
 Cost of equipment

Educational institutions and governments must assess

the true cost of the technology:
• initial purchase cost,
• software,
• training, and
• maintenance.

Hardware costs may comprise only a quarter to

one-third the cost of the actual cost of ownership.
Clayton R. Wright, PhD
2009 No. 14
 One Laptop Per Child Project

Is competition always healthy or

can it be detrimental?

Intel offers the Classmate for $300 US. Lenovo (IBM Thinkpad) offers a
$199 US computer to 800 million rural Chinese who earned an average of
$560 US in 2006. Their wages are increasing at a rate of 10% per year.
Clayton R. Wright, PhD
2009 No. 15
 Limited resources

External funding may not always be

available – now and in the future.
Thus, people need to collaborate,
especially when developing and
delivering courses.
• WikiEducator
• African Virtual University
• Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth

Clayton R. Wright, PhD

2009 No. 16
Recognition of those who will likely succeed

Successful online students are likely to:

• be highly-motivated,
• be well-organized,
• be good time managers,
• have supportive family and colleagues,
• be able to tolerate ambiguity,
• be flexible,
• goal-oriented, and
• interested in using technology.

Clayton R. Wright, PhD

2009 No. 17
Recognition of those who will likely succeed
(cont’d)

Adult learners are often motivated if they obtain

accreditation, a salary increase, and/or promotion.

Distance education seems to be ideal for those who have full-

time jobs and family responsibilities, are house-bound, are
geographically dispersed, and are far away from home.
Clayton R. Wright, PhD
2009 No. 18
 Student barriers

• As humans tend to be social beings, tutors,

study groups, and the involvement of family and
peers must be built into the program.
• Students need and want feedback that is timely,
effective, and nurturing.
• Students may need access to financial support,
technologies, technological support, learning
resources, and academic advisers.

Clayton R. Wright, PhD

2009 No. 19
 Faculty barriers

• Faculty may not support a learning system that is

different from the one they are used to.
• Institutions may value research and publications rather
than the time and effort required for distance education.
• Copyright: Who owns the material that faculty produce?
• Faculty need training on the effective
use of technology and how to
troubleshoot problems.
ems

Clayton R. Wright, PhD

2009 No. 20
Lack of up-to-date educational resources

Faculty can re-brand, localize,

or contextualize open-source
materials.

They can also obtain the

eGranary Digital Library
or “Internet in a Box”.

Clayton R. Wright, PhD

2009 No. 21
Implementing mobile learning

Mobile devices are more affordable than

computers, are easy to use, and are everywhere.

How can mobile devices be used successfully in

the developing world?

Clayton R. Wright, PhD

2009 No. 22
 Connect African Summit:
Bridging the Digital Divide, Nov. 2007

• Interconnect all African capitals and major cities

with broadband connections by 2012
• Connect villages to broadband by 2015
• Adopt key regulatory measures that promote
affordable, widespread access to ICT services
• Support the development of a critical mass of ICT
skills
• Adopt a national e-strategy and one flagship e-
government, e-commerce, and e-health services
in each country by 2012 and the latest 2015.
Note: US$55 billion was pledged by various
agencies to support this initiative.

Clayton R. Wright, PhD

2009 No. 23
“There are many reasons for the growth (of
distance education) but none is as compelling as
the hunger for learning felt by those who
have been denied it for generations.”

Dr. Raj Dhanarajan, CEO of Wawasan Open University, Malaysia, and

Past President of the Commonwealth of Learning
Open Learning, 2001, 16(1), 61.

Clayton R. Wright, PhD

2009 No. 24
Examples of successful distance education
institutions in the developing & emerging
world

• China’s Central Radio and Television University (CCRTVU),

• India’s Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)
• Indonesia’s Universitas Terbuka (UT)
• Thailand’s Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University (STOU)
• University of South Africa (UNISA)

Clayton R. Wright, PhD

2009 No. 25
“Distance education ventures seem to have
proved that many individuals in our societies,
regardless of the extent of prior learning, are
perfectly capable of self-directed learning at
tertiary levels, if only instruction is designed
sensitively and sensibly, respecting the learner
and supporting him or her in learning.”

Dr. Raj Dhanarajan

CEO of Wawasan Open University, Malaysia, and
Past President of the Commonwealth of Learning
Open Learning, 2001, 16(1), 62-63.

Clayton R. Wright, PhD

2009 No. 26
Recurring Issues and Potential
Solutions
• Getting on the bandwagon
• Following the money
• Selecting technology that is effective for its intended use and the audience
• Technology is only one part of educational transformation
• Lack of infrastructure
• Cost of bandwidth
• Imperialism of courseware
• Linguistic and cultural diversity
• Low respect given to distance education
• Quality assurance
• Cost of equipment
• One Laptop Per Child Project
• Limited resources
• Recognition of those who will likely to succeed
• Student barriers
• Faculty barriers
• Lack of up-to-date educational resources
• Implementing mobile learning

Clayton R. Wright, PhD

2009 No. 27
 Discussion

• Do these issues sound familiar?

• How are they being addressed?
• Are there other issues?

Clayton R. Wright, PhD

2009 No. 28
There is a world

in which distance education

is a promise for a better
life and not just an
alternative to existing
educational offerings.

E-Learning is the way forward.

crwr77@gmail.com
Clayton R. Wright, PhD
2009 No. 29
Terima Kasih! Asante! Merci! Thank you!
Clayton R. Wright
crwr77@gmail.com

Clayton R. Wright, PhD

2009 No. 30