Regards

Neil Butcher

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

MINUTES OF THE TADC MEETING HELD AT MICROSOFT OFFICES ON 14/10/1998

AGENDA

2. Microsoft Education in South Africa (Leanne Steer)

4. The Mamelodi Adopt-A-Network Project and its Possible Extension PLUS

Report Back on the 1998 International Student Project (Ron Beyers)

1. BUILDING THE INFORMATION COMMUNITY IN AFRICA (BICA)

Paula Middleton

----What is BICA?

Paula Middleton’s presentation started by defining BICA as a conference for

bringing together the experience of telecentre practitioners and to assist

in the development of telecentres through sustainable partnerships in

Africa. The British Council supports BICA through dedicating time,

intellectual and funding resources. BICA is mooted as a regional feeder

event for Global Knowledge II.

----The following sectors are the key stakeholders for BICA

* Civil Society

* Private Sector

* Public Sector

* Communications sector

Small medium & micro enterprises

---- The following participants have been involved in BICA:

* CICT * DBSA * HSRC * UDRC * FNB * PRODDER* ISPA

* ITU * NITF * PICTA * TADC * TELKOM * UNISA * COSATU * DoE * DoC * WORLD

BANK* Health Centres * Libraries * Educational Institutions * Local &

National Government * Telecentre Practitioners

BICA has a large network of subscribers and participants in Africa. The

World Bank is interested in what BICA is doing in Africa. There is an

upcoming conference in Malaysia on this. BICA has been downsized to a

hundred people for this event with a focus on small groups and active

participation designed for larger impact. The BICA conference plans have

been downscaled from 400 delegates to about 100 participants. The aim is to

focus on telecentre practitioners and to have lots of discussion and break

away groups.

----BICA THEMES

Access: The ways of developing sustainable, community run multipurpose

telecentres and rolling them out in remote rural and deprived urban areas.

There is an emphasis on appropriate technology and viable revenue streams.

Appropriate national and regional development policies and strategies to

privatised telecommunications environment.

facilitate local content creation for various applications including

cultural conservation purposes and small business development. What is

needed at the user end is for micro businesses to generate knowledge-based

products, promotional materials and eventually, electronic commerce.

designing, implementing and managing systems and networks to help local

practitioners gain access to the best practice and other information

resources held by development agencies.

Human Resource Development: This will examine ways of developing ICT

skills and creativity, effectively and sustainably among users in the

community, focussing on shared practice between practitioners and the local

communications industry.

Partnership: The core theme running through all other themes will be

partnership as a means of achieving sustainable development. Attention will

specifically be paid to business-driven models and sound investment

Information sharing: The main vehicle for information across sectors is

BICA and the Virtual Forum.

----A Virtual Forum

BICA has been busy talking to stakeholders about its conference and is

Please note that the BICA will be on the 15-18 February 1999. Relevant

information will be posted on the web site.

Q: It looks very difficult to engage with BICA with the restrictions on

numbers.

We are concentrating at people who want to support telecentres. We are

looking at high people level impact rather than representivity. Of all the

people participating in BICA, 1/3 should be telecentre practitioners.

Q: Why is there such a limit? Is it because of the venue?

A: It is because of costs. If more people want to come and pay their own

way, the British Council will consider planning around this and probably

increasing the conference participation numbers, maybe up to 150, and

further looking at levying a small fee.

Comments: Participants commented that they were concerned that conferences

for distance learning should be extended to a larger population. They

emphasised that there is a serious demand for information, technology and

support mechanisms for distance education and restrictions do not serve the

purpose of increasing access to distance education.

Q: Will companies exhibit at BICA?

A: We will be using the CSIR conference facilities. We are targeting

telecentres. Companies can exhibit fully knowing who the target audience

is. We would like to encourage the use of the Web site though.

Comments: In November, there’ll be a conference in Alexander to bring Multi

Purpose Community Centre managers together. That grouping alone will be

about 150 people.

The presenter closed by encouraging participants to connect through the web

site, to demonstrate their interest, and to explain what work they do in

potential to make contributions that could expand the impact of BICA.

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

2. MICROSOFT AND EDUCATION IN SOUTH AFRICA

Leanne Steer

Leanne Steer’s presentation gave a brief overview of Microsoft in

----Microsoft in Education.

Microsoft is finding a dire lack of skills in the IT field in South Africa.

Though this is a worldwide phenomenon the skills gap in South Africa is

particularly acute. With people hold an average of 7 jobs a year. This

places a greater challenge on training and technical skills acquisition.

----Marketing

Microsoft South Africa is a marketing arm of the parent company. It has no

core educational functions. Its marketing is focused on customer needs,

education and social responsibility with an educational bias.

----Social Responsibility

Microsoft South Africa has a bigger budget for social responsibility than

first World countries. Key focus areas for Microsoft at present are:

Digital Villages:

-access centres offering training for new jobs or better jobs

-teacher training from basic PC skills to use of IT in the classroom

Academic Programmes:

-Education support from pre-school to Higher Education and Adult Education

in two areas, namely IT infrastructure and academic use of IT (from basic

- Microsoft and the Channel-an organogram was presented detailing the

Microsoft Corporate structure.

- Microsoft products-Microsoft products range in price from Internet

Explorer which can be downloaded free of charge from the Internet, to

relatively affordable games to expensive programming packages. Microsoft

press produces all of the Microsoft programme manuals and user guides and

booklets. Many of the Microsoft products can be obtained at discount

prices.

The following discount options are available to the education community:

1. Academic Discounts; every product has an academic discounts ranging from

10-90% off the retail price including:

-Packages and Open Licenses

-Student Licenses-Students and teachers can send the relevant information

2. Campus Agreements-in addition to Academic Discounts, there is a one year

agreement that is on offer incorporating Office software Windows. This

standard software package is offered to an entire campus at a set rate

(calculated according to the number of administrative staff at the

institution). A blanket license is then given to the institution, avoiding

the tedious task of counting and tracking exactly how many machines have

which software.

3. Connected Learning Community- schools, students, teachers, parents, can

access this service. A disc is available on how to build a Connected

Learning Community.

4. Teacher Assistance and sponsorship including:- a Teacher CD titled

Classroom Training Tools. This is a K-12 (United States CD-ROM designed to

assist teachers in the sue of Microsoft applications software and includes

use of technologies in schools. CD-ROMs are distributed free of charge and

are available on request.

----South African Educational Initiatives

These initiatives include information sharing and participation in selected

projects.

Those who are interested in these services should visit the Microsoft Web

site.

Microsoft is looking forward to feedback and collaboration from consortium

members and their colleagues. Microsoft South Africa can be contacted at

Phone: 011-445 0000

e-mail: saed@microsoft.com

Website: www.microsoft.com/southafrica

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

3. USING THE INTERNET AND SATELLITE TO TEACH TEACHERS AT SHOMA: THANDI

CHAANE

Shoma, which means work, stems from a Multi-Choice initiative in distance

education, which is 9 months old. The project is based on Scottish and US

models backed up with research on educational needs in the country. Shoma

seeks to address the challenge arising between policy and practice, by

meeting the outcomes of Outcomes Based Education through the provision of

resources.

The major partner of the project is the Department of Education (DoE),

the research. The Gauteng DoE gave the project a college, at the Soshanguve

Centre. Shoma has developed the three-tier model based on three rooms:

1. The broadcast room

2. the internet room

3. the collaboration centre for sharing experience and information.

The Kwa-Zulu Natal Department of Education gave Shoma a high school in the

remote Nquthu District. There is also the Cornflower Centre in the Free

State, which is based at a school. The project is based on co-ordinating

existing efforts at educational institutions.

One of the weak points in the project, thus far, is the face-to-face

facilitation that presents problems of skills, and an understanding of

Outcomes Based Education. Shoma is committed to bringing a practical

understanding of the basic principles of OBE to teachers in the field by

focusing on the critical outcomes. To back this up, Shoma does not provide

any model lesson plans as they believe teachers need the skills and ability

to present viable lessons without generalising and being stuck to one

model.

Shoma believes that teachers can deliver facts confidently, but have

difficulties when questioned on the content. Shoma is aware of that

disparities in resource allocation and access present contextual

difficulties to educational content. An examples given was the situation in

St Stithians where grade one students send e-mail overseas, while their

counterparts in Nquthu have no concept of e-mail.

The plans are that 10 sites should be connected in 1998, and a 100 in 1999.

Shoma has been asked to develop 3 sites in Mozambique!

----Technology as a tool

Shoma believes that technology is just a tool, which has to be supplemented

with the face-to-face human element, which is key and in that combination,

it is felt that technology has the potential to deliver; equity, access,

Q: Are you merging satellite, video and Internet without any difficulty

A: We are sensitive to the policy provisions governing a convergence of the

three. We are addressing the current limitations.

are coming together, this is new and presents new possibilities and

challenges.

A: We have gone into GSM cellular technology as there are no Telkom cables

in Nquthu. Nquthu is 60 kilometres from the nearest big town.

Q: Are people aware that if they experience any problems with telephone

lines they can go to SATRA (South African Telecommunications Regulatory

Authority)? This applies when they do not get a date about when they are

getting the line either from Telkom, or GSM.

Q: Do you ensure access on leaving your area of delivery? (Does the

equipment remain at the site after Shoma has completed its work?)

A: We supply the infrastructure, e.g. Computer System, LAN, GSM telephony,

and whatever technology is necessary to ensure viability.

Q: Are all these at Shoma cost?

A: Yes.

Q: We need to revisit the regulatory question - is it legal to transmit

voice data via the Internet If not are you not breaching the regulatory

arrangements in place?

A: We are not transmitting voice over the lines, but we are not sure were

not tripping over any toes. Video clips with pre-recorded audio are

embedded in the web site, which is downloaded via satellite.

Q: Who bears the cost of maintenance?

A: We are committed to Nquthu for the long term. We are working with

Computer Companies and a local stockfel committed to using the sight for

ABET after school. We ensure local input for sustaining our work. We are

budgeting R100 000 p.a. for long term sustainability. We are securing

reduced rates from MTN for transmitting data and Orbicom provides the

Altrasat bandwidth at no cost.

Q: Are you working with students in teaching colleges to close the gap

between preset and inset?

A: When the current policy debates and negotiations between government and

SADTU are over, we will go into preset. We have informed colleges about our

services.

Q: What are your 10-year goals?

A: Those are in line with Curriculum 2005 goals. This year its grade 1 and

grade two we plan to expand as per the DoE plan. We are negotiating with

the DoE to go into the Foundation Phase in an integrated fashion. We may

then work phase by phase rather than grade by grade.

Q: Please clarify your cost factors in relation to your plans.

A: We are focusing on one site per province at the moment.

Q: What monitoring and evaluation tools are you using?

A: In Soshanguve, the facilitators conducted a random evaluation by

collecting teacher responses, this has come up with varied responses.

there are officials whose ongoing work is to do evaluation. We work with

them. There are Ph.D. students who are interested in our work and we plan

to use them to do further research. We are committed to doing an impact

assessment.

C: The SAIDE evaluation report on the Soshanguve site will be available

shortly on www.saide.org.za. It also has all the preliminary information on

conceptual framework for the Shoma Foundation initiative.

Q: Because of digitisation, you can transmit data via satellite - but

regulatory problems are still with us. Have you been able to allow Internet

access through satellite broadcast?

A: A legal team is working on this problem. There are negotiations with

regard to licensing. The Minister has committed himself to doing everything

in his power to remove any regulatory obstacles to our educational work.

Further, the DoE and the DoC are thinking about and working on establishing

a dedicated Education Broadcasting service.

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

4. THE MAMELODI ADOPT-A-NETWORK PROJECT AND ITS POSSIBLE EXTENSION &

REPORT-BACK ON THE 1998 INTERNATIONAL STUDENT PROJECT: Ron Beyers

Ron Beyer’s talk centred around what has happened at the Mamelodi Teacher’s

Centre. He explained that SAFREN had offered containers to be used in

computer training and this provided the initial kick-start to establish the

Adopt-a-network project.

----What is Adopt-A-Network?

The Adopt-a-Network operates through the Mamelodi Teacher’s Centre, the

a handout, or a parachute development initiative. It is based on sound

knowledge of what is happening on the ground in Mamelodi. It was set up

with the facilitation and assistance of the Mamelodi Development Forum.

Adopt-a-network is a working model and not a concept. Existing

infrastructure is ready to absorb further extensions and the community is

receptive to technology. There are 36 computers in the Teacher’s Centre, 30

----Aims of Adopt-a-Network

The main aim is to provide teacher training from computer literacy up to

employing IT skills in the classroom. Simultaneously, there are intentions

to extend the network from the Centre to the surrounding schools. There are

up to 13 High Schools and about 28 primary schools that have in total

----Needs

*There is a need for content and the ability to access text

* Adopt-a-Network needs to adopt business models integrated to education

*More resources

*Warm ware as opposed to hard ware and software - the human element is

crucial *Involvement of the DoE

*Extension of infrastructure to channel resources to school level.

* Lights and water.

Ron Beyers concluded his talk by raising the following very important

issues: Protection of Turf -Sustainability-Replicability-Partnerships-&

Co-ordination. He felt that TADC needs to consider the idea of paying for

co-ordination on a full time basis. Nothing major has happened through the

consortium. He suggested that consortium members commit funds, find a

project and make it happen together.

His e-mail address is:- beyers@school.za

Q: Are you involved with a satellite-based technology like Multichoices?

A: Ours is entirely Internet based. Learners pay R20 a course, but we need

to get the business plan right.

Q: What happens to the centre during the evenings?

A: The centre is staffed for Internet browsing from 07h00 to 22h00.

Q: Who is involved?

A: St Albans, CSIR and Reach and Teach. We are raising funds to expand the

network.

Q: How have you dealt with the question of security?

A: The community is the key, they must take ownership.

Q: What is the extent of the course fees, do they cover web browsing?

A Course fees cover payment for the trainer. We are not sure of the

figures.

We try and integrate not only the technical side but also a green project

for community generation of funds.

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

REPORT BACK ON THE 1998 INTERNATIONAL STUDENT PROJECT.

An Australasian Conference on Gifted Students Education happened last year

involving St Albans and the Victoria Education Department.

---Aims of the conference

To demonstrate the depth to which gifted students can explore a topic.

To benefit students from different countries.

To explore the use of e-mail is used as a common resource.

----The project is highly structured:-

Hypothetical and futuristic problems are explored. Examples of topics given

are; crime and punishment, sport, racism-alienation-reconciliation,

genetics, alternative communities, limited resources.

----Achievements

*Problem solving through collaboration, e-mail and Internet, project

planning, research, lateral thinking, and global citizenship.

*Teacher exposure through e-mail as above

----Criteria for participation

-outstanding academic achievement

-commitment and shared goals and objectives among participating teachers

The next conference will be in Melbourne, Australia in 1999 and there are

plans for Cyprus in the year 2000. A call for participation was issued to

consortium members. The requirements for participation are e-mail and

Internet connection as well as a commitment and willingness to go through a

selection process.

The "International Student Project’s" details are on St Alban’s home page.

Ron Beyers can be contacted through: beyers@stalban.pta.school.za. The

telephone number is 012 348 1221

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

5. VIDEO CONFERENCING: HENTIE WILSON

Video conferencing used at UNISA uses a PC or a room-based conference

system. UNISA has discussed collaboration amongst institutions around the

use of video conferencing as an alternative technology to the Internet.

Advantages of video conferencing are thought to be that it is more

immediate, more personal, uses real time, more interactive and a more

graphical representation. She said that video conferencing sites are

mushrooming in the country and it would be a good thing if participants

collaborated.

Q: Is there anyone using video conferencing? Is it 2-way video only?

Since 1994 UNISA has been using both systems, the broadcast and the video

communication, and awareness of what is available. The problem is that 1/5

UNISA students travel 1000 km to come to a discussion group. UNISA sites

Commercial sites are available at a fee. VISTA University is following

suit. UNISA is in discussion with the government departments about doing

the same.

Q: Are tertiary institutions coming to formal agreements on these?

A: There is an agreement between UNISA and Pretoria, but more informal

between the others. The reason for success is awareness of benefits. They

find audio is more popular because of cost.

Central coordination is necessary. Facility costs should be built into

costs. Organizational applications are more important than technology.

UNISA

recommends that video conferencing should be in conjunction with the

teleconferencing. This reduces stress levels even though there are cuts.

Doing video conferencing bookings is a problem as there is no provider

focusing on this business. Managing 40 sites and bookings is a problem.

Hentie was asked to provide the details of what sites are available to

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

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. One of the key objectives of TAD is networking. On this note Al Karaki

informed the meeting that they are having a big Conference on November 23

and 24 at Alex at the Kopano Multi-Purpose Community Centre. The objective

is to connect Community Learning Centres by promoting networking between

2. Netday is an NGO working in assisting schools with IT infrastructure.

Visit www.netday.org.za, or telephone Rashida Khan at 011 880 6621. Please

register by submitting responses to a questionnaire. Once registered, a

guide will be provided for schools.

3. Al Karaki presented the meeting with copies of a Multi Purpose Community

Centre Report (MPCCs) containing information about MPCCs, 2/3 completed,

Peter Benjamin peter@wn.apc.org

Al Karaki: al_karaki@bridges.co.za

4. There will be a TIE Conference in Durban in January 1999. Patsy Clarke,

at University of Natal Durban, in co-operation with the Department of

Biological Science is the conference organizer.

5. The University of Pretoria’s Education department will be hosting a

coming to South African to participate in the conference. Those who are

interested should contact Johannes Cronje at the University of Pretoria’s

Department of Didactics. jcronje@cbt.up.ac.za

6. Thinkquest 1998 competition. South Africa has over 6 teams in the

semi-final. Participants are urged to go to the SA Thinkquest Web site to

7. Following requests from several TADC members for networking and

partnership opportunities with other members, it was agreed that TADC

members would submit their contact details and a brief description of their

line of work and interests to SAIDE, in order for this to be made available

to all of the TADC.

ALL THE CONTACT DETAILS IN BRIEF

-BICA web site: www.bica99.org

-Microsoft CD-ROM: "Classroom Training Tools"

Phone: 011-445 0000

e-mail: saed@microsoft.com

Website: www.microsoft.com/southafrica

-Shoma web site:

Ron Beyers: beyers@stalban.pta.school.za. The telephone number is 012 348 1221.

-Netday: Netday is a NGO working in assisting schools with IT

infrastructure. Visit www.netday.org.za, or telephone Rashida Khan at 011

880 6621

-Multi Purpose Community Centre research report:

Peter Benjamin peter@wn.apc.org

Al Karaki: al_karaki@bridges.co.za

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

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