EcoSchool for digital education

ECONET Wireless Zimbabwe officially launched EcoSchool, a digital education platform that provides scholars and educators with on-the-go, affordable and reliable access to educational content. The launch of EcoSchool follows the inception of a pilot project at the University of Zimbabwe in February this year aimed at capacitating students in Zimbabwe by making books available and accessible at a cheaper price.

Speaking at the launch, the head of Econet Services International, Darlington Mandivenga, said the idea behind EcoSchool went beyond simply making books available at a cheaper price; it was part of a strategy to help students and their lecturers gain access to material and courses from across the globe. “Think of EcoSchool as education for the digital generation,” he said.

Technology is evolving rapidly and opening doors for a variety of sectors including education. In resource-poor settings and rural communities, new technological advances create opportunities where none previously existed. New developments in education are becoming vital in Zimbabwe and other developing countries where education systems are not meeting community and societal demands, or are becoming too expensive.

EcoSchool falls under Econet Education, whose aim is to research, deploy and launch overlay services designed to reach and impact learners through mobile and tablet based applications. EcoSchool is being provided at a cost of US$2 per month. In some places there is no real guarantee of a quality education and the efficiency and availability of primary, secondary and university level education are not assured. To combat these problems throughout developing countries, educationists are embracing information and communications technology (ICT) to increase access to the internet and expand educational curricula at all levels of schooling.

Head of EcoSchool, Teresa Mbagaya, said the new product would offer trusted and branded educational service in providing a quality education solution. “EcoSchool has substantial benefits and offers unique opportunities for people who might otherwise have limited access to education and training. It incorporates innovative and creative approaches to instruction,” she said.

Econet is targeting to register 70 percent of local university students on its digital education platform within 18 months. EcoSchool can become an asset not only to the students but to communities and teachers as well. It provides the means for gaining stronger work skills, allows for global partnerships to develop, and increases the quality of education programmes.

Education through e-learning is becoming vital in opening new doors, not only for children but also for adults. It is slowly allowing women to strengthen their positions in society through increased access to information and opportunities and is providing independence and ICT awareness.

The most common problem is still limited bandwidth reducing internet capability and stability. Broadband technologies offer the potential to overcome many unique challenges and traditional limitations that characterise the rural economy, particularly those associated with distance and access. Citizens of rural and remote areas have similar needs to those of urban areas, but are disadvantaged in a number of ways.

Additionally, other continuing problems with availability of technology include limitations in access in rural areas and the capacity of the technology owned by many people to support new learning techniques and consistent power cuts. Economic diversification is considered a key survival mechanism for many communities, and high-speed network access offers opportunities for tele-work, call-centre operations, and other distance-neutral applications and services.

Advantages of EcoSchool
-Class work can be scheduled around work and family
-Reduces travel time and travel costs for off-campus students
-Students may have the option to select learning materials that meets their level of knowledge and interest
-Students can study anywhere they have access to a computer and internet connection
-Self-paced learning modules allow students to work at their own pace
-Flexibility to join discussions in the bulletin board threaded discussion areas at any hour, or visit with classmates and instructors remotely in chat rooms
-Instructors and students both report eLearning fosters more interaction among students and instructors than in large lecture courses
-EcoSchool can accommodate different learning styles and facilitates learning through a variety of activities
-Develops knowledge of the internet and computers skills that will help learners throughout their lives and careers
-Successfully completing online or computer-based courses builds self-knowledge and self-confidence and encourages students to take responsibility for their learning
-Learners can test out of or skim over materials already mastered and concentrate efforts in mastering areas containing new information and/or skills

Disadvantages of EcoSchool
-Learners with low motivation or bad study habits may fall behind
-Without the routine structures of a traditional class, students may get lost or confused about course activities and deadlines
-Students may feel isolated from the instructor and classmates
-Instructor may not always be available when students are studying or need help
-Slow internet connections or older computers may make accessing course materials frustrating
-Managing computer files and online learning software can sometimes seem complex for students with beginner-level computer skills
-Hands-on or lab work is difficult to simulate in a virtual classroom

newsdesk@fingaz.co.zw