Bridges to the Future

 

Description of the Initiative

Three components of the BFI activities are envisioned for each participating country: (1) Development of Community Learning and Technology Centers for lifelong learning, basic and ICT skill acquisition and high-impact information resources; (2) Development of ICT-based tools to improve teacher training and (3) Development of innovative ICT applications for human development and sustainability. Throughout these components, the BFI will utilize ICTs as "enablers" both to deliver resources and also to monitor progress and effectiveness of the results.

Principles of the BFI

To ensure success, the BFI will adhere to a number of basic principles that will guide its activities by:

  • Maintaining focus on the digital divide and opportunities for the poor and disadvantagedAchieving direct and sustainable benefits to recipientsLeveraging diverse resources (fiscal, human, infrastructure)Providing improved motivation for learners, and incentives to communities that succeed through a consumer-oriented and context-sensitive approachTaking appropriate advantage of private sector ICT advances
  • Monitoring of progress and impact through applied research and evaluation

Operational Description: Five-year plan

Component 1: Development of Community Learning and Technology Centers for lifelong learning, basic and ICT skill acquisition and high-impact information resources

Assumptions: Previous efforts to introduce new technology access in marginalized areas have often failed or have had little impact on human development because there was no relevant information content available for the low literate adult learners; the technology centers were not adequately staffed; or literacy was not a priority.

Objectives: BFI will focus on the support of community learning and technology centers (CLTCs), each of which will contain ICT-enabled distance learning (use of Internet and web-based tools- and/or CD-ROM based tools - for providing information, knowledge and resources) to foster continuing and 'second chance' education as well as knowledge-based income generation activities. In various countries, BFI will collaborate with operational partners such as World Links, SchoolNet India, and SchoolNet South Africa.

Component 2: Development of ICT-based tools to improve teacher training

Assumptions: The quality and quantity of literacy and basic education efforts are directly related to the skills of the training force. Presently there is liittle or no in-service training in many poor countries for literacy and basic education teachers; thus, learners very often do not receive an adequate educational experience capable of imparting required basic skills.Objectives: A key BFI objective is to create tools for teachers of literacy and basic education that combine the Internet with educational and multimedia components that enable the development and exchange of educational materials. The BFI would utilize various existing resources developed by the ILI and NCAL, as well as those by some sponsoring agencies. For example, by building on the ILI's previously developed multimedia distance education tools such as the International Literacy Explorer, available via the CD-ROM and the Internet, the BFI will create context-appropriate teacher training-tools for different countries or regions of countries. Multimedia teacher education tools would be produced in one or more languages. The BFI also would provide tools to allow teachers to both create and exchange teaching materials and collaborate within web-based communities. See also NCAL's Professional Development Kit: Multimedia Resources for Adult Educators (PDK), a teacher-centered system that provides systematic and sustainable professional development opportunities to adult educators.

Component 3: Development of innovative ICT applications for human development and sustainability

Assumptions: Since technological innovations are fast paced, most technology centers hereto established were quickly outdated and the digital divide persisted even in those areas where significant investments were made. Relevant content in a changing world also requires frequent updating by those that are best able to provide it, specialists in sub fields.

Objectives: As users improve their fundamental ability to comprehend, they will be able to improve their lives by learning about basic health information (HIV/Family Planning). They will thus become more technologically literate thus gaining access to better jobs (learning to use applications such as word processing/data entry, etc.).

Monitoring progress

Applied research, formative and summative evaluation will play an integral part in the BFI. In the past, it was too often the case that ICT hardware and software was provided on a donation basis to "programs in need," with little quality control or impact analysis. The BFI will engage experienced researchers and evaluators – both local and international – to assess, from the beginning, the progress and impact of the initiative. Funding for some aspects of this work has been provided by the Spencer Foundation.

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