Kenya has inched closer to the new dawn of e-learning thanks to the fast revolution in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry. Smoothtel and Data Solutions Ltd, an ICT solutions provider has joined forces with stakeholders in the education sector to deliver e-learning content for schools in Kenya and the larger East African region.
This is in practical tandem with the e-Government policy that shall deliver the Vision 2030. Owing to the lack of enough resources to populate the Kenya’s education system with teachers and the need for every student to have access to a computer, the integrated e-Learning solution (christened e-School Africa) is intended to supplement traditional face-to-face classroom activities as well as to address the teacher-pupil ratio disparity that compromises quality and pedagogy.
With Smoothtel’s multi-user computing (NComputing) and Video Conference solutions, more students will have access to computers and attend virtual lessons from their remote schools. As a result, several students will be taught at the least cost possible. A virtual classroom encompasses a collaborative video conferencing solution that enables one to communicate synchronously using video and audio.
The NComputing solution allows up to 11 users to connect to 1 computer. This drastically reduces computing costs; allowing massive savings on electricity, hardware acquisition and maintenance costs. This high-end solution is set to improve education standards in Kenya.
The initial project will see over 500 schools interconnected using a wide area network (WAN), 330 of which will be inherited largely from Computer Literacy Initiative of Kenya’s universe and MP’s CDF’s installations. This shall undoubtedly enable students from all these schools to be in the same class at the same time by connecting to the classroom via video. The students can listen and learn via video, watch the teacher from the remote site (classroom) as well as having a question/answer session.
Currently, the Schools in Kenya have limited access to computers. With the NComputing solution, more students will not only have the access to computers but also download e-Learning content more easily. The KIE curriculum will be channeled through to all high end users and downloaded to one local computer which is in turn accessible to many concurrent users.
An institution adopting this system will save 70 per cent of the initial costs as the need for many facilities is eliminated.
The video conferencing solutions by Smoothtel will open room for Virtual education in Kenya. Many institutions will eventually be able to give instructions in a learning environment where teachers and students are separated by time and/or space. Teachers will provide course content through management applications and multimedia resources.
Smoothtel together with the technical partners, donors, sponsors and investors in conjunction with the Office of the PM, Republic of Kenya shall launch the first practical model on the 10th – 11th August 2010, KICC, Nairobi, Kenya. We at Smoothtel welcome you to be part of the real players that will truly enable the bridging of the digital divide.
Secretariat, e-Schools Africa
Smoothtel & Data Solution Ltd.
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Great stuff
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