ICT and e-learning provide great opportunities in the development and economic growth of African countries in the future. Online access to knowledge anywhere and anytime has become the new educational paradigm of modern societies. ICT and specifically ICT4Ag technologies will have significant impact on developments in agriculture in Africa, dissemination of knowledge and exchange of information, and they will shape the ways farmers access information and use this knowledge. New communication technologies play a key role in this development. Education and lifelong learning through means of ICT at higher education institutions and the formal and informal education sector are considered to be instrumental in reaching development goals and in reducing rural poverty and food and nutrition insecurity. To keep knowledge in the public domain and freely available, the public educational sector will play a significant role in providing services to involved stakeholder groups.
APPEAR in practice invites project partners to reflect on and discuss their experiences referring to a specific topic in the project implementation process of their partnerships. In this event lessons learnt from the APPEAR project Strengthening Capacities for Agricultural Education, Research and Adoption in Kenya (SCARA) will be discussed by Raphael Gacheiya, Egerton University and Dominik Ruffeis, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU). Andreas Zitek will present some findings of his work at the Centre for E-Learning und Didactics (BOKU) and the joint implementation of an online teaching course at Egerton University. Helvi Ileka will share the experience with e-learning at the Namibia University of Science and Technology.
Panellists:
Raphael Gacheiya works as Kiswahili lecturer and examination officer at the Department of Literature, Languages and Linguistics at Egerton University. In addition he is the co-principal investigator of the SCARA Project at the Division of Research & Extension at Egerton University. Raphael has interests in Communication and Language use; specifically language use in a dynamic society, its influence on adoption of ICT and awareness creation, sustainable sanitation, promotion of health and hygiene.
Helvi Ileka is the Head of the Namibia Energy Institute, Namibia University of Science and Technology. Since 2015 Helvi is also a member of the APPEAR Advisory Board. Helvi initiates and conducts research in renewable energy and energy efficiency, advises government on clean energy policy, generates income from other sources than government, creates local and international research networks and partnerships. She holds a Master of Energy and Environmental Management from the University of Twente.
Dominik Ruffeis works as a senior scientist at the Institute of Hydraulics and Rural Water Management at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU). He has experience in climate change adaptation, water resource management and agriculture of small holder farming communities in Africa, Asia and the equatorial Pacific region. His academic interest also evolves towards the direct effect of learning and knowledge management (ICT) on transformation and change processes in a socio-cultural context.
Andreas Zitek works as e-Learning Innovator and Administrator at the Division E-learning and Didactics at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU). He has been involved in the development and evaluation of innovative teaching and learning approaches projects. He also works as lecturer at BOKU, developing, applying and evaluating innovative blended learning activities and course modules, especially related to scientific writing and qualitative modelling.
Facilitator: Stella Asiimwe, journalist
When: Wednesday, 28th of November, 6pm; discussion followed by drinks and Kenyan food.
Where: OeAD, Ebendorferstraße 7, 1010 Vienna
Please register by writing an email to: appear@oead.at
To get a better impression of the SCARA-project, please visit their project website.
You missed APPEAR in practice_10 on inclusive education? A short recap and photo gallery can be found here.