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Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) can be an extremely powerful enabler in efforts to bring positive and sustainable development to countries around the globe. Today, almost a full decade into the
21
st century, we live amidst an unprecedented revolution in the advancement of ICT. We are also, however, surrounded by widespread poverty, and social and economic inequalities are the norm. Considered as a powerful tool to promote social and economic development, education has become a primary focus of the recently forged Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICTD) community, especially in the Least Developed Countries. One way of ensuring equitable development targeted at the very poorest is through universal social protection, including education, health and income.
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This paper aims to explain the current state of how ICT is being used in education and how it can better benefit current and future users.
The United Nations’ Second and Third Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are achieving universal primary education and promoting gender equality, respectively. The MDGs in education are defined in terms of participation and completion of primary education by all children and the elimination of gender discrimination in education.
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ICT plays an important role in reaching these goals. Its ability to transcend time and space allows learning to take place 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This contributes immensely to the inclusion of traditionally excluded populations such as girls and women, ethnic minorities, and persons with disabilities - groups previously marginalized due to cultural, social and geographical circumstances. For the female population in particular, their increased access to education has a huge impact on the society. Research by the United Kingdom Department for International Development has shown that a woman’s income increases by 15% for each year that she receives
21
st century, we live amidst an unprecedented revolution in the advancement of ICT. We are also, however, surrounded by widespread poverty, and social and economic inequalities are the norm. Considered as a powerful tool to promote social and economic development, education has become a primary focus of the recently forged Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICTD) community, especially in the Least Developed Countries. One way of ensuring equitable development targeted at the very poorest is through universal social protection, including education, health and income.
1
This paper aims to explain the current state of how ICT is being used in education and how it can better benefit current and future users.
The United Nations’ Second and Third Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are achieving universal primary education and promoting gender equality, respectively. The MDGs in education are defined in terms of participation and completion of primary education by all children and the elimination of gender discrimination in education.
2
ICT plays an important role in reaching these goals. Its ability to transcend time and space allows learning to take place 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This contributes immensely to the inclusion of traditionally excluded populations such as girls and women, ethnic minorities, and persons with disabilities - groups previously marginalized due to cultural, social and geographical circumstances. For the female population in particular, their increased access to education has a huge impact on the society. Research by the United Kingdom Department for International Development has shown that a woman’s income increases by 15% for each year that she receives