Rev. 3 January 2003
UNISA and the International Literacy Institute (University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia) invited about two dozen specialists from a wide range of SA Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to participate in the first meeting of the UTLP-SA project, funded by the Ford Foundation and our respective institutions.
UTLP-SA is designed as a collaborative HEI partnership program in South Africa, initially involving 8-10 HEI representatives and several NGOs, and others with similar interest. The intention is to benefit multiple South African universities (and, when possible, other Southern African universities) in their efforts to play a more active role in assisting the poorest sectors of African society. A fuller description of UTLP-SA is attached as an Annex I, and was provided prior to the meeting on 6 December.
The UTLP-SA derives from a previous meeting held at OECD-Paris in September 2001, where representatives from more than 20 countries discussed how HEIs can play a more significant role in national development by applying their expertise, particularly in ICTs (in hardware, software and ‘brainware’). A report of the Paris meeting was provided, and it can also be accessed on ILI’s website at (www.literacy.org).
The main goals of the UTLP may be summarized as follows:
The day-long Workshop was facilitated at Unisa by Dr Bob Day (UNISA) and Prof Dan Wagner (ILI), and further details are provided in the Agenda (see Annex II). Following self-introductions, the Workshop participants (full list + contact details in Annex III) spent much of the morning discussing the basic concepts inherent in the UTLP-SA, defining and refining concepts, and debating fundamental issues such as the role of the university, the nature of individual vs. institutional involvement, the ‘mission’ of differing universities, and so forth. This was stimulated in part by a powerpoint overview that has already been provided to all participants.
The next activity was the development of breakaway discussion groups. After a spirited discussion which contributed as many as 8-9 possible topics for small group discussion, a consensus was finally reached that these topics could most reasonably be collapsed into 3 main categories for break-out discussion, namely:
The present summary is not designed to fully represent the detailed discussion in each of these breakaway groups, but it was possible to glean from each group, an approach to a possible UTLP-supported research project, along the lines of each of the core breakaway topics. Bob and Dan ‘floated’ among the various breakaway groups, and the summaries below provide the what, why, who, when/where, and how 0f the projects.
What: Physical ACCESS to a facility
Why
1. Access is currently lacking; Need to increase and enhance access to ICTs
and connectivity in poor communities
2. Can provide up-to-date information and life-skills
3. Support economic empowerment
4. Facilitate better health
Who: The target group is the poorest of the poor, disadvantaged, both children
and adults
When and where: To identify communities in townships, villages, informal settlements,
and within them such facilities as schools, libraries, telecentres, MPCCs, homes
of safety (street kids).
How: communication tools include telephone, radio, video, interactive TV, PCs
+ internet links. Linkages needed with HEIs, CBOs, NGOs, Chiefs, Youth Clubs,
other literacy projects.
Concrete suggestions: Providing a permanent communications link between a selected
community and an HEI for literacy and basic education, and adopt that community
centre.
What: What kinds of content could HEIs facilitate the development
of for poor people?
Why
--national language issues; little ICT material is available in regional languages
1. Effective materials needed for HIV prevention, and for those HIV positive
2. Need for open content design (inclusive model)
Who: The target group is the low literate and non-English speakers; Also for
health educators if HIV-AIDS is focus
When and where: 1000 schools with current IT labs (Western Cape + elsewhere)
How:
--Ethnographic video (cultural info, local/indigenous knowledge, multilingual
dimensions)
--Possible use of interactive games (if useful) for education
--Build on existing research interests of faculty.
Concrete suggestions: Develop prototype content for HIV-AIDS education prevention
for roll out on pilot basis in Western Cape.
What: In what ways can HEIs take more seriously and concretely
their mission statements to work on community development issues?
Why
--Generally little or no institutional incentive for faculty and students to
engage in helping the poor
1. HEIs often have considerable (under-utilized) capabilities (human and physical)
in assisting in development projects
Who: Need to engage multiple HEIs in this project
When and where: Possibly up to a dozen HEIs who are willing to participate
How:
--Index HEI intention vs. performance in working on community development (a
survey study)
--Possible use of interactive games (if useful) for education
--Research on: (a) does community service exist in plans?; and (b) does it happen?
--Info to be presented to VCs through SAUVCA, CTP, and NRF and others
-- "Service learning" needs to be part of the agenda, providing both
faculty and students with credit for doing work with the poor.
Concrete suggestions: Engage in pilot project, followed by larger study
Participants reached consensus that the above topics should be considered as preliminary project topics. Participants are encouraged to continue to work collaboratively within their task groups to try to flesh out a short proposal which would receive ‘seed funding’ from UNISA under the UTLP-SA project. It was agreed that the deadline for receipt of each of these three proposals should be no later than 31 January 2003 in order for funding decisions to be made within 4 weeks of submission. Projects would then have 6 months (approximately) to complete the pilot study and report to UTLP-SA. A format for the design of each pilot study is provided in Annex IV (attached). The emphasis of this pilot work of UTLP is to establish the rationale for work like the UTLP, as well as to build a basis for the solicitation of further resources.
The meeting adjourned with a general agreement that much had been accomplished, but that we had before us a very ambitious piece of work requiring considerable motivation beyond the actual fiscal resources that can be provided. All agreed that this was a worthwhile goal, and the meeting was adjourned on time at the end of the afternoon. Finally, words of appreciation were provided to UNISA for their kind and generous support in facilitating the workshop.
Today’s world is flooded with a daunting variety of ‘buzz words’ (eg globalisation, knowledge society, convergence, information society, knowledge management, etc) which tends to create more confusion than clarity, since these terms are often used out of context to represent significantly different concepts for a variety of reasons. Lurking behind them all is the impact which Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) are having across almost all sectors of society, both in the developed and developing worlds. The disappointing reality, however, is that ICTs have yet to be utilized effectively in literacy and basic education among the world’s most disadvantaged peoples. Significant barriers, such as high infrastructure costs, tightly constrained budgets, and sensitive issues of access and equity have impeded this process and created a substantial and widening ‘digital divide’ between the haves and the have-nots of the developing world.
While the Education For All (EFA) Conference (Dakar, April 2000) declared a renewed emphasis on literacy and basic education, and a mandate to employ ICT, there has been little effort to date to follow through on that mandate. The response to the call at the UNESCO World Conference on Higher Education (Paris, 1998) for the increased involvement of universities in development work in poor countries has been far from sustained.
In Africa, the benefits of university-based ICT and distance education efforts are well suited to the obstacles for improving basic education and literacy. As pointed out in reviews on Africa for the World Bank and ADEA (Saint, 1999; Roberts, 1998), distance education methodologies (using ICT and other methods) are seen as a future necessity of tertiary education, especially given limited funding and increased enrollments. However, such reviews have been focused almost entirely on improving tertiary education itself, rather than on education for the disadvantaged. Nonetheless, ICTs have the potential to be a major catalyst for efforts to effectively and appropriately harness the benefits of the new information age for educational development of those with basic learning needs in an increasingly knowledge-based world.
With initial funding from the Ford Foundation (New York) to the ILI, the UTLP was created to bring these various strands together, and to determine the role that universities might play in achieving EFA by employing the most effective ICT-based solutions. At an international Expert’s Roundtable held in Paris in September 2001 to discuss UTLP (where South Africa was represented), a key recommendation was to catalyze national and regional efforts with HEIs in developing countries for the advancement of literacy and basic education.
In light of the above, the UTLP-SA is being established in the following local context:
o The Minister of Education has established a National Literacy Initiative
(SANLI) in 1998, highlighting the raising of literacy levels in South Africa
as one of his top priorities aimed at providing youth and adult learners in
poor communities with basic literacy and numeracy skills.
o In November 2001, the Ministry of Education launched a new Information and
Communications Technology Education Strategy in order to advance all sectors
of education, including literacy and adult education.
o In order to implement this joint strategy, the National Department of Education
is building a comprehensive delivery model, including relationships with a broad
range of organisations in South Africa.
o Currently, a number of higher education institutions (HEIs) in South Africa
(and Southern Africa) are trying to reorient themselves so that they, their
faculty and their students, are more relevant to the development mission of
the national government.
Several of the recommendations of the Paris UTLP Roundtable are the focus of
the present proposal, including the following:
o Assist HEIs in developing their efforts to play a more substantive role in
educational development in their own national contexts.
o Help HEIs redefine their missions, so that university faculty, staff and students
can be ‘rewarded’ for efforts made in improving human development
in their respective countries (this is sometimes called, for students especially,
a ‘service learning’ approach).
o Create a UTLP partnership of public and private stakeholders in higher education,
education, and technology agencies in selected developing countries.
In line with the above, UNISA (in partnership with ILI) is assisting in the
creation of a group of universities and other interested agencies in South Africa
(and possibly several adjacent countries in Southern Africa) with an interest
in proving the education of the disadvantaged through ICTs. To achieve this
goal, UTLP-SA will engage in the following steps:
o Connect with South African universities, and other interested agencies, to
ascertain potential interest in UTLP-SA.
o Take stock of national (and regional) feedback of potential UTLP interest,
via a series of working meetings or workshops.
o Provide modest funding for selected universities to leverage other resources
for pilot project activities that support education for the poor.
o Prepare a national seminar where plans for a larger program of action would
be discussed.
o Utilise findings in South Africa as an example for other parts of Africa and
around the world in conjunction with international efforts of UTLP.
UTLP-SA will hopefully include about 8-10 South African (and Southern African)
HEIs which show a strong interest in the goals of UTLP.
It is intended to launch UTLP-SA in December 2002 as a pilot project with a
12 month time line. A rough sketch of this year-long initiative is as follows
over each quarter (Q 1 - Q 4):
Q 1: Contacts established with interested SA (and regional) HEIs; 1st meeting
of UTLP-SA working group; maintenance of connection with global UTLP efforts.
Q 2: HEI-based plans developed for UTLP-SA participation; pilot projects developed.
Q 3: Pilot project(s) funded and undertaken. Examples of potential projects:
- Seed grant awards for young faculty (e.g., to develop new ideas or support
dissertation proposals for ‘service learning projects’ focussed on
development and poverty alleviation).
- Rethinking of University Missions (eg utilisation of Foresight processes).
Friday, 6 December 2002, UNISA (Pretoria, SA)
Start at 10h00 for 10h30: Tea / Coffee & Light Snacks
10H30: Welcome & operational issues, plus round of 'self introduction'
11h00: Introductory overview talk (international dimension/Paris mtg 9/01)
11h30: UTLP-SA: goals of the Project/Meeting
12h00: General discussion of the above.
12h30: Light Lunch
13h15: Introduction to project scenarios
13h30: Breakaway groups to discuss possible projects.
14h30: Each group reports back to plenary session on proposed projects
15h00: Plenary discusses prioritisation/appropriateness/feasibility of each
project - consensus gained on final list.
15h30: Choose most promising projects and form project plans - who, where, when,
cost, outputs, etc...
TEA available.
16h30: WRAP UP SESSION: Review of outputs, discussion of way forward, others
to be involved...
17h00: Final remarks and closure.
Name Occupation & Institution Contact Number Email Address
Dr Tom Brown Deputy Director: Telematic Learning and Education Innovation, University of Pretoria (012) 420 3884 tbrown@postino.up.ac.za
Ms Yvette Canham University of Zululand (03590) 26802 ycanham@pan.uzulu.ac.za
Prof Geoff Erwin Dean: Faculty of Business Informatics, Cape Technikon, Cape Town (021) 460 3232 erwing@ctech.ac.za
Mr Duncan Greaves Director: IT Division, University of Natal, Durban (031) 260-2464 greaves@nu.ac.za
Mr Rod Grewan SchoolNet South Africa, Johannesburg (011) 645 6400 rod@schoolnet.co.za
Prof Derek Keats Information and Communication Services, University of the Western Cape (021) 959 3245 dkeates@uwc.ac.za
Prof Stanley Mneney School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Natal, Durban (031) 260 2732 mneneys@nu.ac.za
Miss Kutu Mphahlele Department of Information Studies, University of the North (Turfloop Campus) 082 200 5998 kutum@unorth.ac.za
Prof Eugene du Preez Dean: Faculty of Computer Studies, Port Elizabeth Technikon (041) 504 3279 eugene@petech.ac.za
Prof Dan Wagner Director: International Literacy Institute, University of Pennsylvania, USA. (09) 1215 898 9803 wagner@literacy.upenn.edu
Ms Marion Walton Multimedia Education Group, University of Cape Town (021) 650 3885 mwalton@ched.uct.ac.za
Ms Merridy Wilson LINK Centre, University of the Witwatersrand (011) 717 3914 Wilson.m@pdm.wits.ac.za
Ms Irene Chadibe Unisa (012) 429 3300 chadiie@unisa.ac.za
Ms Rita Kizito Unisa (012) 429 6094 kizitm@unisa.ac.za
Mr Paul Nkuna Unisa (012) 429 8531 nkunaph@unisa.ac.za
Ms Joan Schoeman Unisa (012) 429 6831 schoejm@unisa.ac.za
Dr Bob Day Unisa (012) 429 6022 bday@unisa.ac.za
Note: It is helpful to follow the format below, but you should feel free to
adjust this format if there is a need to do so, such as if important categories
are missing, etc. Please assume a starting date of approximately March 1, 2003.
A. Title of Project
B. Name of team leader(s), as well as other participants
C. Short Abstract of Project (25-50 words only)
D. Duration of project (maximum 6-8 months, with 6 as target).
E. Key products or deliverables (e.g. survey paper, analysis study, pilot software)
F. 250-500 words (max) description of project, including milestones to be achieved.
G. Conclusions that can be anticipated from your project
H. Project budget: It is assumed that all staff costs will be ‘contributed’
by your host institution. Thus, project costs covered by UTLP may include (but
are not necessarily limited to the following): local travel, supplies, communications,
etc. UNISA will require original receipts for reimbursement of all such expenses.
Upper limit of funding will typically not exceed 30,000 Rands for the pilot
project. Exceptions will be considered on a case by case basis. All funds must
be expended no later than October 30, 2003, unless otherwise agreed.
I. Total length of project should not exceed 5 pages all inclusive. Initial
draft proposals should be submitted to Bob Day and Dan Wagner via electronic
text. After agreement is reached, a signed letter will need to be received by
Bob Day confirmed the project and budget arrangements.
Copyright © 2006 Literacy Research Centers: National Center on Adult Literacy (NCAL) and International Literacy Institute (ILI),
at University of Pennsylvania/Graduate School of Education, LITERACY.org. All rights reserved. www.literacy.org
(Questions about this site? Please contact boyle@literacy.upenn.edu.)
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