ONLINE RESOURCES
--- Training Professionals Gateway
--- Telecentre Evaluation - A Global Perspective
--- Resources on the American Department of Education's Federal Resources
for Educational Excellence (FREE) Web site
--- Conference "Model-Based Reasoning in Scientific Discovery" MBR'98
Updated Proceedings Information
--- Math Goodies Newsletter

PRINTED AND OTHER RESOURCES
--- Video on Telecentre models around the world

ARTICLES
--- Losing ground bit by bit by BBC News Online's Jane Black

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

NEWS

Taken from the Training Zone Learning Wire Issue 70

BBC launches self-development channel

The BBC is promoting its new digital, interactive channel, BBC Knowledge,

"for people wanting to get ahead in life". Topics at present appear to be

more in the leisure field than skills or work- related, but the project

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

India Will Have 4.5M Net Users By End 2000

By Uday Lal Pai India Correspondent, asia.internet.com

[October 12, 1999] In July 2000, India will have 2.5 million regular users;

this will increase to 4.5 million in December 2000, says the first

comprehensive survey of Internet users in India.

The survey, which covers the country's demographics, geographical

distribution, and online behavior, is about to be released by the

Hyderabad-based MBL Research and Consultancy Group.

"Nearly 85 per cent of India's Internet user base is currently in eight

cities. Mumbai and New Delhi lead in absolute numbers. Mumbai had 259,000

regular users and Delhi 175,000 users. But as a percentage of overall SEC A,

B and C populations, Pune has the highest penetration with 4.6 per cent,

followed by Chennai with 4.3 per cent" pointed out Jenny Abraham, Director,

MBL Research. Forty two per cent of India's Internet users are between the

ages of 15 and 24; 31 per cent between 25 and 34; and the rest (27 per cent)

are above 35. As for gender, 72 per cent of users are male and 28 per cent

are female.

There is a lot of sharing of subscriber accounts by individual users. The

highest amount of sharing happens in places like Pune, Calcutta and

Bangalore where there is a high proportion of people accessing the Net from

educational institutes.

The survey covered statistics of Internet penetration in Indian cities,

general demographics of current and potential users, growth rates and

projections for year 2000, online user behavior, response to online ads and

e-commerce, and performance of technology and ISP platforms. The focus is on

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

RADIO BEMOANS NET LOSS Issue: Old vs New Media The radio industry is slow in

getting its material onto the Internet, say executives and analysts.

Arbitron Research shows that only a small percentage of people access radio

stations via the Web on a weekly basis. Greg Verdino, vice president/general

manager of Internet Information Services for Arbitron New media said, to get

users to return to the sites, stations should offer "rich, detailed local

community information" -- as 64% out of 4,500 people surveyed said that is

what they want. Sixty-three percent of those surveyed wanted concert

information, 58% wanted the artist and title of the songs, 53% wanted a

webcast of the station and 48% were looking for contests. A study in June of

1999 showed that out of 351 stations, only 20% were webcasting, while

contests were being overloaded. Verdino pointed out that 75% of the sites

have pictures of DJ's, which do not give web users a reason to return. At

the Radio Ink conference this year speakers brought up the many perks of

webcasting and giving people the materials they desire, there is ad revenue

to be made, CD shopping, concert tickets and the like, which could

ultimately make radio stations a lot of money. Verdino stated, "I firmly

believe that every station needs to be webcasting already. You can't wait to

see if it is going to work, because its going to work." [SOURCE:

Broadcasting &Cable, October 18, 1999 (p14.), AUTHOR: Elizabeth A. Rathbun]

Via / From / Thanks to:

(c)Benton Foundation, 1999. Redistribution of this email publication -- both

internally and externally -- is encouraged if it includes this message. This

service is available online at (www.benton.org/News/Extra).

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

ONLINE RESOURCES

-----------

Taken from the Training Zone Learning Wire Issue 70

---

Training Professionals Gateway

This site, maintained by Mike Collins, has recently been upgraded and

re-organised. Quite a lot of the material reflects Mike's own business

interests and resources; in addition to some of his material, there's a

wealth of interesting papers and ideas here grouped into four areas: setting

up the training function; training topics and audiences; the training

process; and the wider context of training. If you're new to the field, or

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

Now available on the IDRC Telecentre Research Web site

TELECENTRE EVALUATION - A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

Report of an International Meeting on Telecentre Evaluation

Editors: Ricardo Gómez & Patrik Hunt, IDRC

FAR HILLS INN, QUÉBEC, CANADA SEPTEMBER 28-30, 1999

Note: The Preface and Contents are included below. The full report (292

pages) is available in Adobe Acrobat format.

Also available is the IDRC Evaluation Unit's "Outcome Mapping: A Method for

Reporting on Results".

PREFACE

The contributions in this volume are the result of an international working

meeting on telecentre evaluation, held at Far Hills, Quebec from September

28-30, 1999. At IDRC, we have a strong interest in learning about the

introduction and use of information and communication technologies for

development. Among the various approaches to increase access to information

and communication technologies (ICTs), telecentre experiences are

mushrooming around the world. Despite important differences in location,

ownership, funding, operation, technology, and services, common telecentre

experiences and lessons are emerging. We do not attempt here to provide a

unique model for telecentres. Instead, the idea is to foster the creation

and dissemination of knowledge relevant to the design, operation and

evaluation of telecentres.

IDRC supports a variety of telecentre experiences in Asia, Africa and Latin

America; some represent collaborations with ITU, UNESCO, and other partners.

A number of commissioned studies and papers prepared, and efforts toward

systematic and useful evaluation frameworks and methodologies are currently

being developed in Africa and Latin America. This global working session on

telecentre evaluation has helped to create awareness about and strengthen

these local, national and regional initiatives, while providing our partners

in the South with an opportunity to exchange experiences and initial results

with each other.

The objectives of this meeting were the following:

o To explore in depth the challenges and opportunities of telecentre

evaluation in Latin America, Asia and Africa;

o To understand and compare emerging evaluation frameworks and

methodologies;

o To assess the needs and resources available for telecentre baseline

evaluation, monitoring, impact assessment, and to identify salient issues

affecting telecentre performance;

o To provide an opportunity for telecentre operators, project leaders, and

researchers to exchange experiences and lessons across regions.

These objectives may seem to be too simple for some. However, recognizing

the emergent nature of telecentre issues, we preferred to start with humble

expectations and work through a process of collective exploration and

dialogue.

One of the major results of this meeting has been the creation of a dynamic

network of committed telecentre practitioners and researchers. We have now

developed a common language and understanding of the key issues surrounding

the evaluation, as well as some practical tools. Our sincere thanks go out

to the meeting participants who have contributed their rich collection of

telecentre knowledge, as represented here.

Ricardo Gomez, IDRC

Ottawa, October 1999

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

Here are some resources the Department American of Education added to its

Federal Resources for Educational Excellence (FREE) Web site in September &

October 1999.

---

Mathematics

---

"CESAME Support Site for Investigations" is a comprehensive K-5 mathematics

curriculum project that supports teachers who are using investigations in

number, data & space in their classrooms. A discussion area is provided for

sharing ideas, games that involve mathematical concepts, & resources for

"MATHLINE" is a professional development program that includes

Internet-based learning communities facilitated by experienced classroom

teachers, a series of video lessons which allow teachers to make "virtual

visits" to classrooms where teachers & students are engaged in

standards-based instruction, & lesson guides (with suggested ideas for

---

Research in Education

---

"ERIC Digests" lets you search 2,000+ short syntheses of research on a range

of education topics. The syntheses were produced by the Educational

---

Safe, Disciplined, Drug-Free Schools

---

"Prevention Strategies That Work" describes practices that K-8

administrators have found to be effective in accelerating school

performance, increasing readiness for learning, & reducing problem

behaviors. This guide is based on the work of 6 research partnerships

"The Anti-Drug" tells how parents can help prevent drug use among children.

Topics include how parents can "connect" with children & talk honestly kids

"Growing Up Drug-Free: A Parent's Guide to Prevention" is a popular guide

book that suggests how to talk with children effectively, ways to teach them

"The SchoolZone, Freevibe Teacher's Guide" offers lesson plans, online

reference desks, & guides designed to help reduce drug use. Classroom

activities include those related to art, language, music, health, science, &

---

Science

---

"Biological Resources Division" details the activities of a group whose

mission is "to work with others to provide the scientific understanding &

technologies needed to support the sound management & conservation of our

nation's biological resources." The page links to 24 national activities of

"CESAME's IMPACT Project" aims to accelerate the implementation of

standards-based instructional materials throughout New England. It includes

curriculum analysis tools, exemplary curriculum lists, implementation

support for mathematics & science, & information on IMPACT Centers that

coordinate professional development among districts implementing the same

"The Earth Science Educator" provides 160 links to student projects, teacher

resources, software, data sets, & more, with appropriate grade levels

marked. The topics cover the deep earth, the ground, the atmosphere, &

"Education & Outreach -- U.S. Geological Survey" provides links to geologic

information for the public, educators, students, scientists, & businesses.

The principal areas are the environment, geologic hazards (such as

"Educational Resources for Cartography, Geography, & Related Disciplines"

offers fact sheets & booklets on various geological topics & links to the

Learning Web of the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Atlas of the U.S.,

"EnviroMapper" lets kids create their own maps, down to the square mile,

anywhere in America, choosing various features -- from water discharges to

hazardous waste to roads. The site includes reports & maps of EPA's

"Geologic Information" tells about activities of the Geologic Division of

the Department of the Interior. The Division's chief function is to carry

out geologic & mineral resource surveys & mapping for the Department of the

Interior. Topographic maps are only the best-known of its many products.

"NASA Kids" provides hundreds of web pages about space science, rockets &

airplanes, & pioneers & astronauts. Teachers can find puzzles, games, &

coloring pages, & (in the Teacher's Corner) can subscribe to a newsletter.

"National Mapping Information" points to educational resources for

geography, geology, & mapmaking, & describes various mapping services of the

U.S. Geological Survey. The TerraServer provides thousands of aerial

"The National Science Center" (NSC) provides a virtual tour of *Fort

Discovery* -- an interactive environment where you learn & experience the

technologies involved with communications, electronics, automation &

computers. Visitors can also explore NSC resources for higher education

"NIMA's SRTM Kids Page" previews the September 1999 satellite launch of the

Shuttle Radar Topography Mission. Data collected will be used to show the

earth's surface in 3-D. Scientists will then use the information to study

flooding, erosion, land-slide hazards, earthquakes, ecological zones,

"NOAA Education Resources" offers materials on weather, oceans & coasts,

satellites & space, & long-term climate change. The site also contains a

photo library, real time satellite imagery, & a radar mosaic of weather

"The Official U.S. Time" features an actual clock, accurate to 0.3 seconds

depending on your Internet connection, that will display on your screen.

There are 3 high-school level exhibits about time: "A Walk through Time,"

"USGS Water Resources Education Resources" is a collection of fun classroom

activities that teach student about various aspects of water. There is an

interactive center where students can give opinions & test their water

knowledge, "FrogWeb" which focuses on amphibian declines & deformities, free

"Water Resources of the United States" gives real-time & historical water

data from across the U.S., as well as technical information about water

quality & water research programs. Visitors have access to local websites &

up-to-date information on current flood conditions across the country. An

---

Social Studies

---

"Activities & Readings in the Geography of the U.S." (ARGUS) provides

materials for teaching geographic perspectives in various academic subjects.

Materials include print activities, 26 case studies that illustrate major

geographic concepts, transparency masters, a teacher's guide, & an

"American Environmental Photographs, 1891-1936" consists of 4,500

photographs of natural environments, ecologies, & plant communities in the

U.S. These photos (taken between 1891 & 1936) show a range of American

topography & its forestation, aridity, shifting coastal dune complexes, &

watercourses. Comparisons of early photographs with later views highlight

changes resulting from natural alterations of the landscape, disturbances

"American Landscape & Architectural Design, 1850-1920" has 2,800

photographs, plans, maps, & models of American buildings & landscapes built

during this period. The collection offers views of cities, buildings, parks,

estates & gardens, including a complete history of Boston's Park System.

Hundreds of private estates from across the U.S. are shown in contemporary

"Illinois Alive!" covers Illinois history for the century following

statehood in 1818. The site focuses on 6 areas -- including agriculture &

business, Illinois authors, & the Civil War -- & provides activities for

"Mapping the National Parks" consists of 200 maps, dating from the 17th

century to the present, which focus 4 on the areas that have become national

parks. It includes maps made of the same territory but at different times.

"Learning from London Town (Maryland)" presents an 18th century lost town

from the standpoints of archaeological finds, archival records, & material

culture. The site contains photographs, images of historical documents,

"Prosperity & Thrift: The Coolidge Era & the Consumer Economy, 1921-1929"

documents the widespread prosperity of the Coolidge years & the nation's

transition to a mass consumer economy. In addition to photographs, books,

drawings, & manuscripts, the collection has 5 short films & 7 speeches of

President Coolidge. The collection is particularly strong in advertising &

"Quilts & Quiltmaking in America, 1978-1996" features quilts & their makers

from two collections, one concentrating on quilters who survived the Great

Depression in the mountains of Virginia & North Carolina, & the other from a

nationwide contest of generally younger quilters sponsored by Land's End.

Essays, stories written quilters, & audio interviews are also available.

"Savings Bonds for Kids!" is a half-hour lesson in U.S. savings bonds. It

includes a poster contest for kids in Grades 4-6 (with winning posters from

past years), word puzzles for the kids, & a glossary of savings bond terms.

"SEC Mutual Fund Cost Calculator" enables investors to estimate & compare

the costs of owning mutual funds. You can use the Cost Calculator to answer

questions such as: Which is better, a no-load fund with yearly expenses of

1.75%, or a fund with a front-end sales charge of 3.5% with yearly expenses

"Southern Mosaic: The John & Ruby Lomax 1939 Southern States Recording Trip"

is a field collection of 700 sound recordings, field notes, dust jackets, &

other manuscripts documenting a 3-month, 6,502-mile trip through the

southern U.S. collecting folksongs. These recordings include ballads, blues,

children's songs, cowboy songs, fiddle tunes, field hollers, lullabies,

"Turning Points: Ideas From the National Archives for National History Day

2000 Project" links pertinent resources of 5 Regional Records Services

Facilities & 5 Presidential Libraries. This page also links to several sites

within the National Archives on topics from Air & Space to World Wars I &

"Test Your Money $marts Quiz" consists of 10 questions & answers about

investments. It is part of the Facts on Saving & Investing Campaign,

launched in 1998 by a partnership of government agencies, financial industry

---

Other

---

"NCES Classroom" features a college search, where students may find tuition,

degrees, programs, & other information on every college & university in the

U.S. Visitors can also locate schools on a map, find out how many teachers &

students there are, & discover other information. There are games,

---

Acronyms

---

Army -- Department of the Army

ED -- Department of Education

EPA -- Environmental Protection Agency

IMLS -- Institute of Museum & Library Services

LOC -- Library of Congress

NARA -- National Archives & Records Administration

NASA -- National Aeronautics & Space Administration

NEH -- National Endowment for the Humanities

NIST -- National Institute of Standards & Technology

NOAA -- National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration

NSF -- National Science Foundation

ONDCP -- Office of National Drug Control Policy

SEC -- U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission

TREAS -- Treasury Department

USGS -- U.S. Geological Survey

USNO -- U.S. Naval Observatory

---

Christine Dalziel

Instructional Telecommunications Council

202/293-3110 Fax 202/833-2467

cdalziel@aacc.nche.edu

www.itcnetwork.org

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

Conference "Model-Based Reasoning in Scientific Discovery" MBR'98 Updated

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

The Math Goodies Newsletter is sent by e-mail to more than 1,200 subscribers

around the world at the beginning of each month. Subscribe to our free

monthly newsletter to get the latest information about new lessons, site

updates, math news, articles, and events. For more information and to

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

PRINTED AND OTHER RESOURCES

-----------

The Development Bureau of the ITU is currently producing a half hour video

on Telecentre models around the world. This should be available early next

year.

Please contact Claude Garnier claude.garnier@itu.int if you would like

further information or if you have any footage of existing Telecentres that

we might include.

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

ARTICLES

-----------

Losing ground bit by bit

By BBC News Online's Jane Black

The hype for everything online obscures the reality about how technology is

changing life at the end of the 20th century.

From Manhattan and Madrid, the Internet has fundamentally changed work,

recreation - even love. But in Malawi and Mozambique, life remains very much

the same.

More than 80% of people in the world have never heard a dial tone, let alone

sent an email or downloaded information from the World Wide Web.

"Think how powerful the Internet is. Then remind yourself that fewer than 2%

of people are actually connected," said Larry Irving, former US assistant

secretary of commerce. The power of the Web increases exponentially with

every person who goes online. Imagine what we're missing."

Facts first

First the figures. The statistics on the basic building block of

connectedness - that is, phone lines - are stark.

According to the latest UN Human Development Report, industrialised

countries, with only 15% of the world's population, are home to 88% of all

Internet users. Less than 1% of people in South Asia are online even though

it is home to one-fifth of the world's population.

The situation is even worse in Africa. With 739 people, there are only 14

million phone lines. That's fewer than in Manhattan or Tokyo. Eighty percent

of those lines are in only six countries. There are only 1 million Internet

users on the entire continent compared with 10.5 million in the UK.

Even if telecommunications systems were in place, most of the world's poor

would still be excluded from the information revolution because of

illiteracy and a lack of basic computer skills.

In Benin, for example, more than 60% of the population is illiterate. The

other 40% are similarly out of luck. Four-fifths of Websites are in English,

a language understood by only one in 10 people on the planet.

Barriers

The lack of resources in poor communities can't explain the technology gap

alone. In the developing world, there is still resistance to the idea that

technology is a quick-fix.

Take the African Virtual University. The World Bank-sponsored programme has

broadcast over 2000 hours of instruction to over 9000 students in all

regions of sub-Saharan Africa. The initiative has allowed AVU students to

take courses given by professors from world-renowned educational

institutions in Africa, North America, and Europe.

That does not impress Ethiopian Meghistab Haile: "With that money just

imagine how many lecturers you could have. If the World Bank is really

wanting to help African universities then the first step would be to

encourage and support the Africans to return back. In the end it is only the

Africans who could solve their problems." Others complain that high-tech

education - available only to a select elite - is not worth it when so many

places on the continent are still without electricity and running water.

"Our priorities are hygiene, sanitation, safe drinking water," said Supatra

Koirala who works at a private nursing home in Kathmandu. "How is having

access to the Internet going to change that?"

How to close the gap

As the famous Alcoholics Anonymous saying goes: Admitting you have a problem

is the first step to recovery. International organisations, governments and

private institutions are just starting to do this. When I was first talking

about the Internet in the developing world in 1992, I was called a

'technofascist' and a 'cybercolonist'," said Larry Irving. "Now I don't get

those comments, just questions about how can we get this - and fast."

Magda Escobar, Executive Director of Plugged In, a non-profit working to

bring technology resources to poor communities in California, agrees. The

convergence of a lot of different interests has put this on the agenda," she

said. "The general public is interested in having access to the tech

revolution, businesses want to expand their markets, schools are interested

in trying to change the way kids are taught. Everyone's awareness is coming

together at the same time. Experts like Mr Irving estimate that the Internet

will be virtually global in five to seven years. But for that to happen

infrastructure must be put in place, which means a lot of money - and fast.

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

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

* To view an archive of previous updates visit:

www.saide.org.za/tad/archive.htm

* For resources on distance education and

technology use in Southern Africa visit:

www.saide.org.za/worldbank/Default.htm

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