BRICTSoftware

Technology and International Training

Technology is an increasingly influential factor in education. Computers and smart devices (phones, PDAs etc) are being widely used in developed countries both to complement established education practices and develop new ways of learning such as online education.  This gives students the opportunity to choose what they are interested in learning. The proliferation of computers also means the increase of programming skills. Robotics, game creation and multimedia development offers powerful learning tools that demand new understandings of students. Our training provides new ways to engage students.  The use of these technologies help to capture the attention of students in the classroom. Technology is also being used in the assessment of students.

Developing Countries

The use of computers, software development and the Internet is still in its infancy in developing countries.  Due to limited infrastructure and the attendant high costs of access, various technologies are used in combination rather than as the sole delivery mechanism.

It has been argued that high rates of education are essential for countries to be able to achieve high levels of economic growth. In theory poor countries should grow faster than rich countries because they can adopt cutting edge technologies already tried and tested by rich countries.  If the gap in education between a rich and a poor nation is too large between the poorest and the richest nations in the world, the transfer of these technologies that drive economic growth becomes difficult.

Education in developing countries

In some developing countries, the number and seriousness of the problems faced are naturally greater. People in more remote or agrarian areas are sometimes unaware of the importance of education. However, many countries have an active Ministry of Education, and in many subjects, such as technology, the degree of education is actually much higher than in industrialized countries. 

There is also economic pressure from those parents who prefer their children making money in the short term over any long-term benefits of education. Recent studies on child labor and poverty have suggested that when poor families reach a certain economic threshold where families are able to provide for their basic needs, parents return their children to school. This has been found to be true, once the threshold has been breached, even if the potential economic value of the children's work has increased since their return to school. Teachers are often paid less than other similar professions.

A lack of good universities, and a low acceptance rate for good universities, is evident in countries with a relatively high population density. In some countries, there are uniform, over structured, inflexible centralized programs from a central agency that regulates all aspects of education.

India is now developing technologies that will skip land based phone and internet lines. Instead, India launched EDUSAT, an education satellite that can reach more of the country at a greatly reduced cost. There is also an initiative started by a group out of MIT and supported by several major corporations to develop a $100 laptop. The laptops, sold at cost, enable developing countries to give their children a digital education, and to close the digital divide across the world.

In Africa, NEPAD has launched an "e-school programme" to provide all 600,000 primary and high schools with computer equipment, learning materials and internet access within 10 years. Private groups, like The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, are working to give more individuals opportunities to receive education in developing countries through such programs as the Perpetual Education Fund. An International Development Agency project called nabuur.com, started with the support of American President Bill Clinton, uses the Internet to allow co-operation by individuals on issues of social development.

International Education

Education is becoming increasingly international. Not only are the materials becoming more influenced by the rich international environment, but exchanges among students at all levels are also playing an increasingly important role. In Europe, for example, the Socrates-Erasmus Programme stimulates exchanges across European universities. Also, the Soros Foundation provides many opportunities for students from central Asia and eastern Europe. Some scholars argue that, regardless of whether one system is considered better or worse than another, experiencing a different way of education can often be considered to be the most important, enriching element of an international learning experience.