WINDHOEK, May 29 -Ministers and representatives from across Africa gathered here Wednesday at the start of a three-day eLearning Africa conference to exchange knowledge gained over the last 20 years.
The eLearning Africa’s 8th International Conference on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is held under the theme ‘Policy and Innovation in Education in Africa’, Namibian Press Agency (NAMPA) reported.
The conference has three goals: to review the African experience of transformative ICT in education policy development; to discuss emerging trends for African learners under increasing influence of innovative technologies; and develop ideas for policy responses to the influence of rapid technological changes on Africa’s learning landlscape.
African educators, still challenged with the mammoth task of providing basic education, will use the opportunity to share progress reports and policies.
Conference organiser Rebecca Stromeyer from the International Conferences, Workshops and Exhibitions (ICWE) GmbH said government representatives and ICT experts will hear progress reports from ministers at the conference.
Speeches will also be delivered by Sugata Mitra, Professor of Educational Technology from Newcastle University, England; Harry de Backer, minister counsellor of the European Union (EU) delegation to the African Union; and Luís Silveira Pinto of JP.
“In today’s volatile world, where new technologies have dramatic implications for policy development, such pan-African communication is vital in ensuring geographically distant countries facing similar problems can compare experiences,” said Stromeyer.
Stromeyer said governments will get more involved in ICT growth in future as shown by Kenya’s National Master Plan, Namibia’s Vision 2030 and the rise of African hubs.
The conference ends on Friday.
-BERNAMA
