eLearning Africa 2010 eLearning Africa is a highlight in my conference year. The conference brings together people with innovative ideas that make a difference in Africa, but also in the global eLearning world. Each year I am baffled for most of the eLearning which is developed in Africa is interlinked with human needs or social priorities. There are of course North/South initiatives, but a lot of the initiatives are South/South eLearning projects that are build and implemented in Africa.
It is also a moment to meet friends and researchers I admire, people that inspire my heart and tell me to go for critical research, to not take anything for granted.
During the conference I will be co-moderating (with Françoise Lequarré) the pre-conference workshop "Envisioning Our Global Learning Future" . The workshop will allow the participants to get to teh core of the education versus technology dilemma. The participants can exchange their knowledge and ideas with three top educationalists: Steve Vosloo (Shuttleworth Foundation, South Africa ), Jacqueline Batchelor (University Pretoria, South Africa) and John Traxler (Learning Lab, United Kingdom).
If you have concerns, questions, ideas on how we can improve global learning, and whether technology should push education, or education should push technology, come and join us on 26 May 2010 in the morning (= 9.30 - 13.00). Let us hear your voice!
A few of my colleagues and I will also be speaking during the parallel sessions:
Friday 28 May from 10.45 - 12.45 Carlos Kiyan and Luis Fucay on "mLearning for Continuing Medical Education in Resource-Limited Settings .
Friday 28 May from 13.45 - 15.15 Carlos Kiyan and myself on "Ubiquitous Learning: Moodle Adaptation to enable iPhone and iPod touch access" .
Some of the foci of the conference:
OPEN SOURCE
The Open Source movement is again a major theme at eLA 2010, with experts from Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria and South Africa discussing their experiences with open tools and content and how these can be successfully adapted to suit a sustainable and open African learning environment. In a Special Focus Session on Open Source, experts will debate the best strategies to implement the use of open/free source ware in higher education institutions. Several large international organisations are showcasing their experiences with open source repositories and a parallel session illustrates the use of various open source learning management systems.
HEALTH
Renowned institutions from Zambia, Zimbabwe and Ghana, and the World Health Organization in Gambia will illustrate how health awareness and health education can be improved in resource-poor and remote communities.
MOBILITY
Mobile Learning is gaining momentum and speakers from the Shuttleworth Foundation, AMREF and the Stellenbosch University will explain how they battle illiteracy and support teachers and health workers. Another session will feature smart and low-cost solutions that have been implemented to improve mobile learning environments.
All through the conference I will take notes and depending on the Internet connection I will post what I pick up during the conference.