May 2010: Now in its fifth year, the International Conference on ICT for Development, Education and Training (eLearning Africa) has established itself as the most important annual forum of its kind in Africa. The conference is this year being hosted in Zambia (26th-28th May), and promises another exciting event, filled with rigorous debate, discussion, networking and knowledge-sharing among practitioners and policymakers from all over the world.
Although eLearning Africa is the forum in which to share knowledge and best practices on all matters relating to ICT in Development, Education and Training, the specific themes treated in the speakers’ sessions of this year’s conference will fall under four main headings. These are: Conceptual Frameworks, Sectoral (i.e, developments in the sectors of: education, health, agriculture etc), Policy Planning & Design, Solutions & Technical Innovations.
In addition to these lectures, there will also be wide variety of special events, workshops, and panel discussions taking place before the main Conference (which is on 27th May). These will provide an excellent opportunity for all attendees to engage interactively on topics and areas that of are particular interest to them.
ICDL Africa has been operating in Africa since 1999, and recognises that the eLearning Africa Conference is an ideal venue for all stakeholders to come together, share knowledge and experiences, and develop policy for the promotion of ICT for Development, Education, and Training across the entire continent. Given the scope and breadth of ICDL’s involvement in the promotion of digital literacy globally, it is well placed to share the lessons learned in its involvement in a huge variety of projects – across all sectors – in the receptive environment of this eLearning Conference.
Additionally, ICDL programmes have been developed specifically to promote e-inclusion globally, and ICDL Africa has been at forefront of progressive measures throughout the African continent to improve the ICT skills of African educators (and as a result, those of their students) through a large number of government-sponsored, and private/partnership initiatives. As such, the eLearning conference presents an excellent framework in which to participate in the live issues relating to ICT for Development, Education and Training, such as the use of open source coursework in higher education, and Continuous Teacher Professional Development (CTPD).
ICDL Africa’s presence at this conference will provide stakeholders in this sector with the opportunity to discuss the merits of a not-for-profit, vendor-independent, end-user certification as a successful tool for the promotion of ICT in African education, and in development.
