Online Learning in Developing and Rural Areas

Jennifer contributed the following links regarding learning in developing/rural areas. She comments,

"Having lived in the developing world as well as in rural areas of the United States where there are deficits in educational opportunities, I am excited by the potential of online learning to fill in the gaps and provide equitable access to education. There are issues around the infrastructure and tools needed for online learning, such as power, connectivity, and access to a computer or other device. As the world's population becomes increasingly more connected through mobile devices, m-learning is a potential solution to issues of opportunity for learning. 

-Steve Vosloo is doing work around a literacy project involving mobile devices and his blog has many great links related to this topic. Link here.

-Inveneo focuses on connecting rural communities and using tablets to help train teachers in rural areas; they have projects throughout Haiti and in other parts of the world. Link here.

-Libraries Without Borders is working with the cultural center FOKAL in Haiti to provide Khan Academy and Code Academy in French for students to learn a variety of topics. Link here. (Links to an external site.)

-They have also created the Ideas Box which is a mobile digital library that is used in refugee camps in vulnerable populations (illustration to the left, link here. 

-Another group working in Haiti is A Connected Planet, link here. Their work began with teacher training using tablets but they have begun developing apps in Kreyol (the primary language spoken in Haiti). They are also working with university students in Port au Prince and teaching them how to develop apps."