Exchanging information and ideas across the global classroom (Page 1)

A case study of the Global Teenager Project in Zimbabwe

Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6

INTRODUCTION

The Global Teenager Project (GTP) is an international-classroom exchange of ideas and information that was first introduced in Zimbabwe in 1999 in a school in Marondera, about 70km east of Harare. GTP was initiated by the International Institute for Communications and Development (IICD) and World Links Zimbwabwe is the local partner.

The GPT enables teenagers from different countries to collaborate electronically in a structured way, thereby opening up the world to them through the use of ICTs.

About World Links:

World Links is an international, non-profit trust that plans, supports and coordinates the use of ICTs in education as a way of improving students’ knowledge acquisition and learning achievements, as well as enhancing teachers’ effectiveness and performance in the classroom.

In Zimbabwe, World Links believes that:

• Every Zimbabwean youth has a right to meaningful education, knowledge and information through affordable and accessible ICTs;
• Local electronic education content, including local languages, should be prioritised;
• ICTs should be gender relevant and should engage as many stakeholders as possible for the benefit of the education sector;
• Internet connectivity enhances pedagogical and administrative purposes;
• Capacity-building for educators and managers, together with the establishment of professional networks, can help to share knowledge and resources; and
• Advocacy can improve the meaningful use of ICTs among policy-makers, educators and learners.

The Marondera school was a World Links telecentre initiative and was providing basic computer literacy training, and internet and email facilities. One of the teachers took the initiative to find new ICT in education projects around the world and came across the GTP concept in an internet search. World Links Zimbabwe approached IICD in the Netherlands and received funding to include Zimbabwean schools in the GTP.

The GTP was initiated by the International Institute for Communications and Development (IICD). The IICD assists developing countries to realise locally-owned sustainable development by harnessing the potential of information and communication technologies (ICTs). IICD works with partner organisations in selected countries, helping local stakeholders to assess the potential uses of ICTs in development.

The GTP initiative seeks to:

• Improve the quality of education by introducing young learners, especially girls, to relevant ICT applications in their day-to-day education;
• Promote intercultural awareness and sensitivity by opening up regular, lively classroom debates in a safe, structured environment, comprising learners from all over the world; and
• Equip educators with basic ICT skills that will help them to transmit and share knowledge with learners, as well as measuring the reception of this knowledge.

The concept underpinning GTP is constructed around the principles of Virtual Collaborative Learning (VCL). VCL is a learning tool that contrasts the traditional face-to-face delivery of teaching by recognising that much of early schooling requires students to acquire knowledge alone, with limited opportunities for inquiry, interpretation, design and critique. VCL allows for efficient transfer of knowledge anywhere and anytime, regardless of subject matter. It opens up a world of learning unavailable in most corners of the world, while at the same time empowering students with the information technology awareness and skills crucial to succeed in today’s global knowledge economy.

By transmitting knowledge and information electronically, students in the most remote locations are able to access the internet, research ideas and disseminate their own perspectives on the world. In fact, developing countries are empowered to produce education and training content and make it available worldwide, thereby reflecting a diversity of experiences and viewpoints in the virtual classroom.

page 2