Cloud computing, internet access transforms education in Ghanaian schools
Mobile broadband and cloud computing are revolutionizing education in classrooms in Ghana – for pupils and teachers alike. Internet access not only provides a wealth of educational information for tutors and students attending schools under the Connect To Learn initiative, a public-private partnership of which Ericsson is a founding member, but also allows them to reach out to each other, and to the world.
Sara Kwarteng and Emmanuel Oppong are ICT teachers at the Mansoman Senior High School and Adubia Senior High School respectively – the first two schools in Africa to benefit from PC as a Service. The cloud-computing solution manages all the software and anti-virus updates remotely.
The two senior high schools are part of the Connect To Learn program that aims to bring 3G connectivity to remote villages in Africa through the Millennium Villages initiative. Many of the students attend the schools through Connect To Learn scholarships.
Sara says the new ICT labs are a huge draw for teachers and pupils alike.
“During breaks and after school they rush to the ICT labs to get some practicals. They are always keen to learn something new,” she says.
Paul Landers, Ericsson’s Connect To Learn Program Manager, says teachers in both schools have few educational resources beyond basic items, such as chalk and blackboards.
“The biggest obstacle for these teachers is the lack of textbooks to share among students,” he says. “This becomes quite a challenge when engaging up to 60 pupils at a time, which is the normal class size in these schools.”
Basic ICT tuition enables teachers to get access to the latest educational content, as well as helping them to connect with other schools through a school-to-school program, in Ghana and beyond.
Landers, a former teacher himself, says: “This has a profound effect on the teachers and students alike because, all of a sudden, they have a connection to the outside world. They learn about each other and exchange expectations.”
The teachers also use PC as a Service, which is essentially a computer with a SIM card, to carry out administrative tasks and distribute work-related information among staff.
“The service has a simple but powerful impact on the lives of teachers,” Landers says. “When I was last there in March, one of the schools had to submit enrollment figures to the national authorities. These are normally sent by post, but thanks to the computer they could e-mail the figures at a later date, which also allowed them to submit more up-to-date information as more students had enrolled by then.”
Landers says operators are keen to learn more about PC as a Service and the broader Connect To Learn initiative.
“When we talk about the goals of Connect To Learn, which is about connecting schools through mobile broadband, they are immediately interested because it shows the practical benefits of the technology,” he says. “They also see it as a chance to develop social and corporate responsibility goals, engage employees and strengthen their brand.”
Landers says there are solid commercial reasons for operators to engage with Connect To Learn, but adds that this is not the only reason why Ericsson is involved.
“Through initiatives like Connect To Learn, we illustrate how technology can be a force for good and show the positive impact that mobile broadband has on people, society and business,” he says.
A short film on the Ghana initiative can be viewed on our Connect To Learn page.
Sara Kwarteng and Emmanuel Oppong are ICT teachers at the Mansoman Senior High School and Adubia Senior High School respectively – the first two schools in Africa to benefit from PC as a Service. The cloud-computing solution manages all the software and anti-virus updates remotely.
The two senior high schools are part of the Connect To Learn program that aims to bring 3G connectivity to remote villages in Africa through the Millennium Villages initiative. Many of the students attend the schools through Connect To Learn scholarships.
Sara says the new ICT labs are a huge draw for teachers and pupils alike.
“During breaks and after school they rush to the ICT labs to get some practicals. They are always keen to learn something new,” she says.
Paul Landers, Ericsson’s Connect To Learn Program Manager, says teachers in both schools have few educational resources beyond basic items, such as chalk and blackboards.
“The biggest obstacle for these teachers is the lack of textbooks to share among students,” he says. “This becomes quite a challenge when engaging up to 60 pupils at a time, which is the normal class size in these schools.”
Basic ICT tuition enables teachers to get access to the latest educational content, as well as helping them to connect with other schools through a school-to-school program, in Ghana and beyond.
Landers, a former teacher himself, says: “This has a profound effect on the teachers and students alike because, all of a sudden, they have a connection to the outside world. They learn about each other and exchange expectations.”
The teachers also use PC as a Service, which is essentially a computer with a SIM card, to carry out administrative tasks and distribute work-related information among staff.
“The service has a simple but powerful impact on the lives of teachers,” Landers says. “When I was last there in March, one of the schools had to submit enrollment figures to the national authorities. These are normally sent by post, but thanks to the computer they could e-mail the figures at a later date, which also allowed them to submit more up-to-date information as more students had enrolled by then.”
Landers says operators are keen to learn more about PC as a Service and the broader Connect To Learn initiative.
“When we talk about the goals of Connect To Learn, which is about connecting schools through mobile broadband, they are immediately interested because it shows the practical benefits of the technology,” he says. “They also see it as a chance to develop social and corporate responsibility goals, engage employees and strengthen their brand.”
Landers says there are solid commercial reasons for operators to engage with Connect To Learn, but adds that this is not the only reason why Ericsson is involved.
“Through initiatives like Connect To Learn, we illustrate how technology can be a force for good and show the positive impact that mobile broadband has on people, society and business,” he says.
A short film on the Ghana initiative can be viewed on our Connect To Learn page.
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