***************************

NEWS

-----------

Taken from the Drum Beat No. 22 (edited by Warren Feek)

"The Internet is increasingly used for broadcasting radio programmes."

The Kothmale Internet Community radio project in Sri Lanka demonstrates this

approach in rural areas. "This pilot project... aims at assessing the

potential benefits of new communication technologies to remote areas. The

project uses community radio as an interface between the Internet and rural

communities." There are 3 main features: 1) Radio programme to "Radio

Browse" the Internet - a daily 2 hour programme, in which community

broadcasters interpret information from selective Internet sites; 2) a mini

Internet Service Provider to the community with free Internet access; and,

3) a computer database deriving information, which is often requested by

community members, from the Internet. Source: Internet Radio in Sri Lanka,

----------------------------------------

Cyclone victims get relief through Internet

RUBINA JABBAR KARACHI (June 19) : Relief goods raised through the donations

of Pakistani medical students studying abroad were distributed among the

cyclone victims earlier this week. The Pakistani medics fraternity known as

Pakistan Public Health Forum in the USA were accessed through their web site

greenmonkeys.net on the Internet, said Dr Mubina Agboatwalla of Health

Oriented Preventive Education (Hope), who supervised the relief goods

distribution operation in the four villages of Taluka Kharo Chan in Thatta

District.

Green Monkeys is a forum where public health professionals working on

health-related issues in Pakistan voice concerns and share ideas and

successes. The forum has a panel of experts on diarrhoeal diseases,

hepatitis viruses, primary health care systems, reproductive health,

vaccine-preventable diseases, viral haemorrhagic fever, etc. Green Monkeys

'honour all those who have contributed to and nurtured the development of

public health in Pakistan.'

Dr Mubina Agboatwalla said when she accessed the forum via Internet and

sought their contributions for the cyclone affectees, they made a pledge of

500 dollars. Before the relief goods distribution operation a team of Hope

volunteers had surveyed the area and found out that due to an uneasy,

arduous access on account of kucha tracks little relief aid reached to the

people of this cyclone-hit area and decided to extend help to the families

of this area. About 100 families in four villages of Kharo Chan including

the two on the delta island lying across Kharo Chan river on a distance of

some 20 minutes boat ride were given the relief goods. Relief items included

food, utensils, clothes, bedsheets, footwear, etc.

----------------------------------------

ALCATEL WINS AFRICAN UNDERSEA DEAL

Alcatel has been chosen as the sole supplier for a US$265 million undersea

cable project to bring high quality international connectivity to many

countries in Africa. The new network in the Atlantic, called SAT-3/WASC,

will extend nearly 14,000 km and will comprise an express route between

South Africa, Ghana, the Ivory Coast, Senegal and Portugal as well as a

number of spurs, or branches, giving high speed access to Benin, Nigeria,

Cameroon, Gabon and Angola.

The contract for the project was awarded by the ten landing parties and a

number of other operators including BT, Cable and Wireless, Teleglobe (USA)

and AT&T, and the network is scheduled for completion in early 2001.

----------------------------------------

Y2K Trade Problems Loom For Poor Countries - UNCTAD

GENEVA (Reuters) - A ``significant number'' of developing countries face

severe trade disruption and a collapse of customs operations at year's end

because they are not ready to cope with the year 2000 problem, a U.N. agency

has warned. Jean Gurunlian, a senior official of the U.N. Conference on

Trade and Development (UNCTAD), said trade could be interrupted for these

countries for weeks or ``maybe months.''

The text of his remarks, delivered Thursday to the World Customs

Organization, were released by the agency in Geneva Friday. Gurunlian is

director of UNCTAD's division for services infrastructure for development

and trade efficiency.

Of the 75 countries using ASYCUDA, UNCTAD's Automated System for Customs

Data and Management set up in the 1980s, some 35 to 40 are considered as

having a high-risk of being affected by the Y2K problem, due to

non-compliant software, according to UNCTAD officials. Another 20 countries

are deemed to have other, more minor problems.

UNCTAD had been trying to help countries to comply for two years, Gurunlian

compliant.' This means that countries using them will be unable to operate

their systems beyond 31 December, 1999,'' Gurunlian told the Brussels

meeting.

"Even in some countries which are using millennium compliant versions of

ASYCUDA, problems with non-compliant proprietary software and hardware can

also result in a collapse of customs operations at the end of the year.

"The consequences of inaction in this regard cannot be exaggerated. There is

a very serious risk that international trade in a significant number of

developing countries will be severely disrupted for an unpredictable number

of weeks, maybe months,'' he added.

Gurunlian said that a "relatively modest amount'' of money would be needed

to solve the most pressing problems. He urged the World Customs Organization

to set up a task force, adding that UNCTAD was ready to provide technical

advice.

----------------------------------------

MULTIMEDIA FOR VILLAGERS

Under the aegis of Project Vidya, Intel India, in association with the

National Science Centre, today launched the first mobile computer awareness

programme, 'Computers for you', for rural India. Under this programme, a van

equipped with multimedia computers, software and a trainer will cover 60

villages in the next 12 months, reaching out to over 4,000 children per

village. Bhimtal, Uttar Pradesh, will be the first halt for the van. Intel

has already set up 'Cyberskools' at the National Science Centres in Bombay

and New Delhi. Over 50,000 children and 5,000 teachers are given exposure to

computers annually through the Cyberskools. The Cyberskool also organises a

weekend parent training programme where children teach their parents how to

***************************

ONLINE RESOURCES

-----------

The final Strategy Paper from Conectandonos al Futuro de El Salvador,

"Building a Learning Society in El Salvador", is now on the Web in English

hope you find it useful and will pass this on to others who may be

interested. It contains, among other things, a series of development

projects which can substantially leverage information and knowledge use in

the areas of education, migration, local development, rural development,

micro & small enterprise, and large organizations. Steps will now be taken

to secure funding and implement the projects as part of a coherent national

program.

Regards,

Christina Courtright

Coordinator

----------------------------------------

Newspapers of Kenya follow:

----------------------------------------

Taken from the Training Zone LearningWIRE – Issue 56

Learning to Succeed: A new framework for post-16 learning

This report contains the British government's blueprint proposals for all

post-16 education and training with the single exception of Higher

Education. It was published on 30 June and the complete text is available to

Amongst the many proposals are the following:

* To establish a new Learning and Skills Council to assume responsibility

for all post-16 education, training and learning (except HE) from April 2001

* To establish around 50 local Learning and Skills partnership to implement

proposals locally, with majority control being given t local business

representatives.

* To transfer to the Learning and Skills Council responsibility for, amongst

other things, national learning targets, modern apprenticeships, several TEC

functions, local partnerships for adult and community learning, advice and

guidance functions, Learning Direct, etc.

* To develop a new Connexions Strategy for the education and training of

young people (to follow shortly) * To establish Learning Gateways for 16/17

year olds including the provision of individual personal advisors offering

additional support and guidance

* New initiatives to support adult learners including close collaboration

with the new University for Industry (UfI) and a complete integration of

Learning Direct services into the new structures

* Integration of the Further Education Funding mechanisms into the new

structures

* Additional encouragement to promote 'learning busineses' with a focus on

small and medium businesses.

* New arrangements to ensure quality standards in the provision of further

education and training

----------------------------------------

THE DEVELOPMENT OF VIRTUAL EDUCATION: A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

A study of current trends in the virtual delivery of education, conducted

with funding provided by the Department for International Development,

London, U.K. Dr. Glen Farrell, Study Team Leader and Editor

© The Commonwealth of Learning, 1999

ISBN: 1-895369-74-6

The term "virtual education" is something that is heard with increasing

frequency now as the use of information and communication technologies

(ICTs) becomes ever more present in the conduct of open and distance

education. To examine the degree to which the "virtual institution" has

really arrived, The Commonwealth of Learning, with funding from the British

Department for International Development, commissioned an international

group of experts to look at this phenomenon and provide a snapshot report.

While it is clear that the application of ICTs to the practice of open and

distance learning is growing rapidly, the study team determined that the

concept of truly virtual education is still more rhetorical than real.

The report provides a detailed look at the differences in this development

around the world through a series of regionally-based papers and concludes

with a number of suggestions for policy makers and education leaders

regarding the development of models for virtual learning.

The entire study is available on-line on COL's web site in Acrobat (.PDF)

Next steps include creating a facility for ongoing discussion and updating

of subject matter through COL's web site.

----------------------------------------

Here are a few references that I used in a mini thesis to compile a table of

how web-based learning might meet certain adult learning needs :

--- Ference, P.R. and Vockell, E.L. (1994) Adult Learning characteristics

and Effective Software Instruction. Educational Technology. 24(7), 25-31.

--- Harasim, L., Hiltz, R., Teles, and L., Turoff, M. (1995). Learning

networks. A field guide to learning on-line. Cambridge, MA: M.I.T.

--- Kearsley, G. (1997) Explorations in Learning and Instruction. The Theory

[1997, January 20].

--- Peterson, L. (1988). 13 Powerful Principles for Training Success.

Performance and Instruction, February, 49.

--- Rogers, J. (1989). Adult Learning. (3rd ed.). Milton Keynes: Open

University.

The one-page table itself is readable on-line in Acrobat Reader (.pdf)

format. The table is on page 10 of chapter 2 of the thesis and can be

Regards

Patsy Clarke

***************************

ANNOUNCEMENTS/REQUESTS

-----------

Developing Curriculum Frameworks: Questions and Issues Workshop should

enable you to approach the design of any education and training course and

programme in a different way and there lots of insights you will gain form

the learning. On 3 -4 August 1999. For more info: Monge Tlaka at Tel (+27)

011 403 2813 fax: (+27) 011 403 2814, monget@saide.org.za

----------------------------------------

Dear All,

This is to introduce a new not-for profit Research Unit, based on the

invited to browse the site, and to join the Unit.

From the site's home page:

"The Unit for Internet Studies is dedicated to the (theoretical) analysis of

the Internet and its implications for international relations. This site is

designed with the principal aim of collating research and researchers in

this domain, to generate debate and to provide a lively platform for the

mutual exchange of ideas."

In the first instance, the Unit intends to look at National Governments and

the issue of control on the Internet; the Domain Name dispute; and

Electronic Commerce.

We at the UIS hope to see you there soon!

Sincerely,

Marc Holitscher and Jamal Shahin

Unit for Internet Studies.

----------------------------------------

The University of South Australia in conjunction with the International

Council for Distance Education (ICDE), the Asian Association of Open

Universities (AAOU), the Open and Distance Learning Association of Australia

(ODLAA), and the National Universities Telecommunications Network (NUTN), is

holding an international conference on open and distance learning in

Adelaide from 11-13 September 2000. This is the week before the Olympic

games will be held in Sydney. The Call for Papers was released at the ICDE

conference in Vienna 20 -24 June. The deadline for abstracts is 30 June

***************************

CONTACTS

-----------

Taken from the Drum Beat No. 22 (edited by Warren Feek)

BUSH Radio - South Africa - helped launch the growth of community radio in

South Africa. Founder of the National Community Radio Forum (NCRF), in

addition to broadcasting in the Western Cape, BUSH Radio works with

community organisations to promote exchange of ideas and information, trains

community members to produce radio, and takes part in debates and campaigns

around South African broadcast policies. Contact Zaine Ibrahim

bush@gem.co.za

----------------------------------------

Taken from the Drum Beat No. 22 (edited by Warren Feek)

Zimbabwe Alive - Zimbabwe - is a series of thirty 15 minute episodes of a

soccer drama which M & M Consultants' production company Artvark began

airing May 1999. Aimed at youth, the series provides entertaining

programming with positive role models and messages to encourage more

responsible sexual behaviour amongst young people. Contact Michael Auret Jnr

mikhail@icon.co.zw

***************************

ARTICLES

-----------

Telemedicine is a reality, already

Madanmohan Rao

The certified elimination of smallpox from the face of the earth in 1986 was

the greatest public health success story in the world. The second - but less

well known - success story was the use of IT and telecommunications in the

control of river blindness in West Africa earlier this decade.

"Today, new forms of communications and information technology like the

Internet are becoming an important part of the national infrastructure for

health care around the world," according to Dr Salah Mandil, health

informatics director at the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Participants from around the world gathered recently in Buenos Aires,

Argentina, for the International Telecommunica-tions Union's Second World

Telemedicine Symposium for Developing Countries. Around the world, costs of

health care are going up - but IT and telecom costs are dropping.

Governments are also coming under increasing pressure to cut costs, make

their services more economically affordable, and privatise sectors like

telecommunications and health care.

"The challenge in telemedicine systems is to harness new technologies and

operating models while also improving equity in access to high-quality

health care," said Mandil.

Telemedicine systems harness information and communications technologies in

several ways: for administration and management of health care systems,

transferring and storing of clinical data, surveillance during epidemics,

publication and search of medical literature, and education and training for

healthcare workers, students and individual citizens.

Theoretically, telemedicine can provide crucial benefits and savings by

reducing the time to travel for doctors, providing faster access to medical

expertise (especially during emergencies), using health care resources more

effectively, and upgrading skills and knowledge for medical professionals.

For instance, satellite links between hospitals in Mexico City and ten rural

hospitals in the Mexican province of Chiapas reportedly reduced unnecessary

referrals by 60 per cent. Cancerology resources in France were tapped from

Tunisia via satellite connections. E-mail is used heavily by health care

researchers at the University of Lusaka in Zambia.

A conference on Alzheimer's disease in Argentina greatly benefited from

participation via the Internet. Many cases have been documented on the use

of the Net to save lives of patients in countries ranging from China to

Turkey.

Though the Web is not yet well suited for the kind of broadband realtime

communications that video-conferencing for remote diagnosis sometimes calls

for, it is superbly geared towards the publishing and search of health care

literature as well as transmission and archival of image data.

"The function of information sharing, now expanding in developing countries

via Internet access, may be the most valuable of all telemedicine

applications," said Heather Hudson, author of Global Connections:

International Telecommunications Infrastruc-ture and Policy and a

coordinator at the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of

Canada.

In early 1998 the Caduceus Project was launched in Peru for establishing a

biomedical information system in Spanish on the Internet. Computer networks

are now used to coordinate health monitoring of 700,000 victims of the

Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine. Web-based telemedicine projects have been

which provides access to online medical information in three languages:

Ukrainian, Russian and English. There are also gateways to online medical resources of Europe such as

EuroTransplant, to coordinate services for organ, tissue and cell

transplants. Medical universities and research institutes are linked via a

three-tier network called UkrMedNet.

"The Net has helped accelerate the integration of our medical system into

the world informational space," said Dr. Oleg Mayorov, chief medical

informatics advisor at the Ukrainian ministry of health care. Online

academic literature and tele-education systems are becoming an important

component of the medical education system. The growing muscle of the Net can

also be evinced from the vast array of resources available from sites like

the Telemedicine Information

***************************

Telematics for African Development Consortium

P.O. Box 31822

Braamfontein

2017

Johannesburg

South Africa

Tel: +27 +11 403-2813

Fax: +27 +11 403-2814

neilshel@icon.co.za

www.saide.org.za

***************************

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