LSRI: Africa..., 'Development', Learning, Mobiles

In general the argument for using mobile phones or other mobile devices to address educational disadvantage is plausible, self-evident and straightforward: their ownership and acceptance are near-universal and cut across most notions of ‘digital divides’; their use is based around robust sustainable business models; they are, unlike other ICTs, found at the BOP (bottom of the pyramid) amongst the next billion subscribers; they deliver information, ideas and, increasingly, images. And there are no other options!

There is furthermore a rapidly increasing ownership of more powerful handsets in the developing world, decreasing real costs of this hardware and connectivity, increasing coverage of higher specification networks in these regions and renewed activity of donors and of corporates representing publishing, handsets, services and infrastructure looking for sustainable business models based on the educational use of mobile devices in developing regions.

These various communities, necessary actors in facilitating successful learning using mobile devices and technologies, each come with considerable potential but often inappropriate contributions, partial understandings and flawed assumptions. This seminar will explore the extent to which their optimism is misplaced.

This event will be live streamed via http://www.lsri.nottingham.ac.uk/live/

This talk will take place in Room 35a, Flexible Learning Room, LSRI, The Exchange, Jubilee Campus