Developing countries often lack the appropriate infrastructure and trained
personnel to enable lifelong learning or continuing education. Although
broadband Internet is on the rise, it still requires a big funds investment.
Currently the mobile infrastructure is the main access point for Internet
communication in remote areas. That is why researchers from Peru and Belgium
have developed an open source learning solution. This code enables health care
workers to connect to the free learning platform Moodle with their iPhone, iPod,
and some other last generation mobile devices. This is a first application of
its kind for both Moodle and the iPhone.
institutions to give students access to courses, exams, and assignments. There
are many learning platforms available (Blackboard, Sakai, Dokeos…) but not all
of them are for free or accessible by mobile devices. Free and open source
programs are of great importance to developing countries as it immediately
affects positively the institutions’ tight budget. Therefore Moodle was chosen
as a free and open source learning platform.
In the last stages of finalizing the code everyone is invited to sign-in and
try-out the last version of the web-application. The try-out and project site is
available for all, starting March 19th , 2010. In the final stages of
building this web-based application an international team of Moodle experts
joined our team.
Both research institutes will offer the source code for free under a Creative
Commons GNU license. Institutions, NGOs, small organizations, and companies can
use the code to develop their own mobile learning environment, which allows a
great number of people in remote areas to get access to lifelong learning. This
is in line with UNESCO’s philosophy of ‘Education for All’.
This mobile learning project, made available through a Tibotec REACH grant,
already served health care workers engaged in twenty clinics throughout Peru,
involving them in a three-month program. Those health care workers treat 70% of
all Peruvian HIV/AIDS patients in need. This pilot mobile learning program used
multimedia, 3D-animations, group discussions, policy documents, and peer
reviewed literature. A big added value is that participants in remote areas are
no longer in need to leave their clinics (temporary brain drain) or move to
another location to follow trainings.
Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100319211011.htm
Facebook has become an excellent platform to develop computer