Technology-mediated open and distance education (Tech-MODE) for agricultural education and improved livelihood is expanding in sub-Saharan Africa through diverse initiatives. Capabilities have not been formally assessed.Therefore the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) conducted a few country case studies to identify opportunities for a complementary and catalytic role. In each country, knowledgeable national collaborators from universities, research and training institutions collected and summarized the information.
The Learning for Livelihoods Sector of the Commonwealth of Learning addresses the major challenges related to learning and skills development that are the key for living and for improvement of livelihoods. Developing conceptual frameworks, influencing policy, enabling technology-mediated learning, and strengthening networks and partnerships are the strategies that COL uses for promoting learning and skills for agricultural development, poverty alleviation, and environmental protection.
To meet this challenge, COL aims at building individual and institutional capacity in the use of information and communication technologies combined with open and distance learning in the way of technology-mediated open and distance education (Tech-MODE).
COL supports learning activities from grassroots to policy levels through partnerships with public, private and community-based national, regional, and international institutions and organisations involved in agricultural education, extension, research and development. In sub-Saharan Africa, the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), and international agricultural research centres of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) are the key international partners.
Anticipating that Tech-MODE will increasingly become an essential tool in the delivery of information, knowledge and education in sub-Saharan Africa, COL undertook eight country case studies with the help of national collaborators from Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. The practitioners and observers of Tech-MODE for agriculture who provided the case studies share their views on the factors that determine the success or failure of such approaches. COL expects that these studies will be encouraging and useful to, and taken up by partners in the area of agricultural research and development.
Tech-MODE IS SHARING ITS EXPERIENCE ON A WIKIEDUCATOR PLATFORM.
For the Country Study on:
Cameroon see Tech-MODE in Cameroon
Ghana see Tech-MODE in Ghana
Kenya see Tech-MODE in Kenya
Nigeria see Tech-MODE in Nigeria (with a contribution from Dr. Adewale Adekunle - FARA)
Sierra Leone see Tech-MODE in Sierra Leone
Tanzania see Tech-MODE in Tanzania
Uganda see Tech-MODE in Uganda
Zambia see Tech-MODE in Zambia
