We just had a lively presentation and discussion of the findings of a recent whitepaper from Vital Wave Consulting, “Affordable Computing for Schools in Developing Countries: A Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Model for Education Officials”, and the accompanying case study of ICT in education initiatives in India.
Learn more and watch recorded webcast. Share your thoughts here!
from Edmund Gaible:
Regrettably I will be unable to listen in on the TCO presentation this
morning. However I do have a couple of questions that _could_ be asked if there are opportunities.
—
TCO models typically, and rightly, highlight the high costs of teacher
training as a factor in the cost of ownership of ICT. However in many
successful programs (e.g., World Links), technology-supported teacher
development integrates training teachers in the use of ICT with the
introduction of new pedagogical strategies and techniques, such as
collaborative learning and authentic assessment.
How can or should TCO calculations be adjusted to reflect broader
educational missions such as change in teaching and learning supported by
ICT?
—
Similarly, the introduction of ICT in schools has the potential to establish
ICT “infrastructure” that enhances management and accountability, teacher
development, access to learning resources, and other key functions of
education systems. These and related factors have been shown to positively
affect teacher retention, student motivation and attendance, and other
benchmarks for developing-country school systems.
How should cost be understood in relation to a broader array of benefits
provided by fully integrated program of ICT in schools?
—
As we heard in the discussion of cheap devices earlier this week, ICT
interventions in education systems should also be seen in relation to
“opportunity costs.” How can or should a education planners address the
issue of opportunity costs in relation to TCO-based analysis of ICT?
Question from Peter Hellmonds,N okia Siemens Networks, Germany: “It’s good to know the cost and TCO, but do we also have new models of generating revenue or income to help support computer use in schools in a sustainable way?” – for the speaker from Vitalwave and to person speaking of GeSCI work
Another question from Peter Hellmonds, Nokia Siemens Networks: The TCO model seems to refer to costs for teachers and support staff, but it is not clear whether the different income per capita levels of developed or developing countries have been evaluated. For example, if I measure TCO in the US or in Europe, the TCO would have to be higher as salaries for teachers and computer engineers are much higher. However, in developing countries, where salaries are much lower, actual hardware and software purchase costs are much higher, both total (due to import taxes, duties etc) and relatively (compared to average monthly salaries/income levels). How does the TCO model take this into account?
from Ignacio Obejero Paz,Dev-t Finance International,US: “How do the costs integrate other forms of learning technology equipment,for example interactive white boards?”
* Is there industry low-cost or even no-cost technology that can be taught in the schools (K-12 and University Level)?
* What good is the software if there is no curriculum from both the technology provider and other universities?
* Are the concepts based on open standards?
* Are there more offerings beyond just software packages?
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What about languages and localization? I noted in one version of the whitepaper at http://tinyurl.com/573n58 (p. 10) that content in diverse languages is not included in the TCO model. Yet this might be both a critical factor for success and a significant additional cost.
We know that in some multilingual countries over the years, the cost of developing and updating materials in diverse languages has been a rationale for not doing anything educationally in those languages. Are we still on that same page despite the potential of ICT?
Understandably, the Vital Wave could not account for all possible scenarios in its model. But has any thought been given to leveraging various technologies for production of content (and indeed interfaces) in diverse languages, and to getting rough cost estimates to guide policymakers?
For instance, there exists a significant industry for localization of content, serving primarily businesses and translating into major world languages. Could the computer tools it uses be adapted for educational content in languages of developing countries, and what might be the cost frameworks involved?
Also, there exist various open-source approaches to localizing software and producing content in diverse languages. Could these be enlisted in cost-effective ways to enriching the content available to multilingual students in developing countries?
Response to question from Peter Hellmonds, Nokia Siemens Networks, Germany: “It’s good to know the cost and TCO, but do we also have new models of generating revenue or income to help support computer use in schools in a sustainable way?” – for the speaker from Vitalwave and to person speaking of GeSCI work
One approach to generating revenue to defray the costs of the computer lab is to open the lab up after school hours for the general community as a cyber cafe. This approach was commonly mentioned by experts in South Africa and has been employed in several parts of the world. In addition to providing a revenue stream, it also enables the entire community the ability to benefit from the computer technology. There would be additional costs associated with this approach – staff to work at the cyber cafe after hours, wear and tear on the machines, etc. – that would need to be factored into the overall cost equation.
Answer to question from Edmund Gaible:
How can or should TCO calculations be adjusted to reflect broader
educational missions such as change in teaching and learning supported by ICT?
The TCO model we created included planning costs – these were primarily assumed to be technology planning (what platform, operating system, how/where to install the technology). These could be expanded to include the costs of transforming learning methods and approaches to leverage the strenghts of ICT. These costs would likely be spread out over time and across institutions (public sector, academia), but could be estimated and allocated over a group of schools in a TCO model.
Answer to question from Ignacio Obejero Paz,Dev-t Finance International,US: “How do the costs integrate other forms of learning technology equipment,for example interactive white boards.”
Although the TCO model created by Vital Wave Consulting did not include white boards and other forms of learning technology, it could be used to understand the major cost categories (some 60 cost categories were included in the model) and then apply those to the new technology. The main objective of the TCO model was to highlight the fact that all costs, over the lifespan of the technology, must be included in order to accurately calculate the total investment required for successful deployment/usage. The existing model could be adjusted to include the 5-10% of unique costs associated with the whiteboard or other technology and capture the TCO for those as well.
Computer education is extremely important because that is how information is transferred, found, accessed and used. Almost every organization today is computerized and computers in schools prepare students for working environments when they get employment. When classroom curriculum and projects are relevant, students are motivated and involved and thus, achievement improves.
The emergence of new technologies is changing society, changing the way we live, the way we communicate and do business—and also the way we learn. Our educational systems are facing significant pressure to change in order to adequately prepare students to live, learn, and work in a global, digital age. As a result of this pressure, computers are being introduced in many schools around the world to enhance teaching and learning and prepare students for the new world in which they live.
‘Computer literacy’ has become a key phrase in defining the goal of schools and teachers. As computers have become more important in professions and the workplace, many Americans have assumed they should become equally important in the classroom. However, educators and parents are now finding disturbing data which, at the very least, cast doubt on the assumption that computers play a valuable role in early primary grades. Computer technology can be used in the classroom in three ways: as tools, integrated learning systems, simulations and games to motivate students.
Often, educators considered computer use in the classrooms as hopeless and obtrusive to teaching and learning. This was the conversation in academic circles because earlier models of the vendors’ curricula and the method of delivery used the computer as a tool. In the past, the attention around the computer use focused on action (tool) — keyboarding, games, and programming — rather than an agent (medium) for thinking, collaborating and communicating. Now, many vendors’ curricula redefine the role of computers in education by providing the information for educators, students, and content in the classroom setting.
Hence, whatever it would be the cost for providing computers to schools, there shold not be any second thought. I feel it is the responsibility of the Government, NGOs and people for immmediate action.
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