Symposium Journals - 5 views
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stu lewis on 29 Feb 12E-Learning and Digital MediaISSN 2042-7530 The Rural Wings Project: bridging the digital divide with satellite-provided Internet. Hansson, H. , Mihailidis,P. , Larsson,K. ,Sotiriou, S. ,Sotiriou, S. ,Uzunoglu, N. &Gargalakos, M. (2007) The Rural Wings Project: bridging the digital divide with satellite-provided Internet. Phase I: Identifying and analysing the learning needs of 31 communities in 10 countries. E-Learning 4 (2), 107-115 The Rural Wings Project is a multi-year EU-funded assessment and analysis of numerous rural communities in ten different European nations, with the primary goal of assessing their needs and providing solutions to these needs by use of satellite-provided internet. During the analysis, numerous common problems and issues are revealed, all of which can be taken care of by making more reliable and frequent internet connections available to rural communities in Europe. The most commonly addressed solutions included educational and language opportunities. Rural Wings makes the assessment, implementation and oversight of educational media technologies in non-urban communities a focal point of the initiative. Both surveys were given to and Interviews were conducted of national and regional coordinators. The national coordinators were also given the task of processing and analysing the information as it relates to their individual nation, as each country in the study is an independent part of the overall Rural Wings needs analysis survey. Each country was given a focus of "formal" or "informal" learning based on the experience with technology that the users have. A formal learning focus would necessitate personal and face to face teacher training, training of farmers and doctors, as well as basic IT training. An informal learning focus would allow for more communication and learning via email, video and IP phone, as well as independent Internet use. Regardless of the primary focus of the individual country, (Cont. in comments)
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stu lewis on 29 Feb 12Regardless of the primary focus of the individual country, the study emphatically showed that more common and reliable satellite-provided internet connections would definitely be useful in all countries in a plethora of ways including: shrinking the digital divide, improving e-learning and administration, improving life conditions, and expanding communities, culture and economy. Rural Wings, Phase one of which is presented here primarily by Henrik Hansson and Ken Larsson of the University of Stockholm and Paul Mihailidis of the University of Maryland, is an informative study which serves to both diversify horizons and find similarities between areas. The basic premise behind the study is to show how satellite based internet is useful and indeed, necessary to many different communities in a wide variety of countries, both large and small, island and mainland and from various economic levels. Some of those included are Cyprus, England, Poland, Israel and Spain. In addition to national boundaries and differences, the communities surveyed and interviewed ranged from simple temperate farming communities to science stations in arctic areas. Although the findings were many, the project did a good job of categorizing the needs of the communities into 4 main groups: education, communication, involvement and business. It includes diagrams to show the effects of an ICT infrastructure and satellite internet connections on the digital divide in rural communities, and explains the benefits of this found in each of the countries involved, thus attempting to prove a common ground for so many distinctly different communities. Although the study was informative and interesting, it had obvious drawbacks. These include the fact that although the sample was broad and diverse, it was obviously too broad, as far too many social, economic and cultural factors affect the findings, and make it very difficult to draw definite and rational conclusions from the data gathered. Also, (cont. i
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stu lewis on 29 Feb 12Also, due to the contrasting nature of the sample pools, making accurate qualifications of the findings extremely difficult. After all, who can rationally argue that a scientific base in the northern area of Sweden and a vegetable farm in Cyprus are 2 samples which can be measured on a "level playing field"? Overall, although the study was useful in proving the obvious point the having fast, reliable internet connections is useful in many to ways to people in many nations and in many situations, I feel that it further emphasizes other facts. First of all, it makes it even clearer that what may be good for the goose is not good for the gander. The diversity of the samples used shows that each specific situation, group, and individual needs to be looked at specifically when analysing specific needs and potential uses for technology in accessing these needs. In addition, the fact that 10 separate national coordinators were allowed to administer the surveys and interviews as they saw fit, and that the lack of coordination between the study in separate countries was detrimental to the reputability of the study as a whole is easily comparable to our own situation in Canada. Without a definite effort which emphasizes teamwork and has some organized and more methodical plan than the one used with the Rural Wings project, or the similar situation of e-learning in Canada these days, which allows Provinces free reign over the methods they see fit to use, there certainly will continue to be unnecessary negative drawbacks and an overall lack of effectiveness in projects both short and long term. It definitely leads us to wonder how can be accommodate so many varied and different cultures, needs and learning styles while we provide technology and allow those using it the access which is so obviously needed? How can we do this most efficiently while still respecting individuality and uniqueness of each situation? Is one coordinated effort really the answer, (cont. in comments)
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stu lewis on 29 Feb 12Is one coordinated effort really the answer, or can studies such as this, and e-learning in general be better suited by breaking down the responsibility to best suit each situation? These questions and others continue to need more analysis to come up with solutions which will satisfy everyone involved. Henrik Hansson is a senior lecturer at Stockholm University, Sweden Paul Mihailidis is Director of Media Literacy Initiatives at the International Center for Media and the Public Agenda at the University of Maryland, College Park, USA Ken Larsson is a lecturer in User Centered Iterative Design at the Department of Computer and Systems Sciences, Stockholm University, Sweden. More information on the Rural Wings Project can be found at www.ruralwings-project.net/RW/Project/Description.aspx
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Inna Bolechowsky on 05 Mar 12Hi Stu, Thanks for another detailed critical review of the article by Hansson, Mihailidis, Larsson, Sotiriou, Sotiriou,Uzunoglu & Gargalakos, (2007). I like how you related the theme of the article to what we have been discussing in this course in regards to the issues in the broad adoption of e-Learning in Canada. I totally agree with you that without coordinated organized measures and teamwork there will always be some lack of effectiveness in any short-term or long-term projects. In my opinion, the given research project serves as a good example on how to identify the varied learning needs of the communities in regards to technology use, as in the given scenario in different European countries. As this study indicates, the different needs of communities for formal and informal learning can be met based on the provision of ICT access and satellite broadcast Internet connection. However, I would agree that more research needs to be done in order to identify how the varied learning needs of the diverse communities can be met with the introduction of ICT or e-learning. Reference: Hansson, H. , Mihailidis,P. , Larsson,K. ,Sotiriou, S. ,Sotiriou, S. ,Uzunoglu, N. &Gargalakos, M. (2007) The Rural Wings Project: bridging the digital divide with satellite-provided Internet. Phase I: Identifying and analysing the learning needs of 31 communities in 10 countries. E-Learning 4 (2), 107-115
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Sean Green on 08 Mar 12There is no doubt in my mind that access to the Internet can be beneficial to anyone, and initiatives like the Rural Wings project are needed to, as you say, level the playing field between those who have access to the Internet and those who do not. You argue that the study is too broad to be of any real use, but I wonder if the point of the article is to show that the Internet is useful in diverse cultural and geographic contexts, thus, promoting the goals of the Rural Wings project and securing the funds needed to run it. After reading your review of the article, I also wonder if bias is not something to consider as a criticism for the article. Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe Henrik Hanson is one of the organizers of the Rural Wings project, so what he has to say about it's usefulness has to be taken with a grain of salt. Your discussion of the problem of creating standardized methodologies is both interesting and controversial. On the one hand, standardized methodologies and practices will allow us to evaluate the effectiveness of of learning across time and situations, reduce redundancy, and improve efficiency, but the very act of standardization dampens what I believe is elearning's most powerful features, its flexibility. Honestly, I have yet to see or hear about any one elearning strategy that has been shown to be significantly better than others, and I think the the area is far too young for anyone to say that they have the best solution to the elearning problem. Until the right solutions show itself to us, I am quite content to let provinces, countries and even small communities determine how to best use ITC to improve their quality of life.