Improvising Learning Technologies to Increase Women Access and Success in Higher Education and Manage Family Roles for Development
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My paper explains a double achievement accomplished by Tanzanian women through improvising “learning technologies” to combat women learning difficulties. // Mhehe (2002) research, “Women’s Enrolment and Participation Issues at the Open University of Tanzania (OUT)” indicate women education barriers to originate from communities’ social cultural factors: poor educational and social background, cultural expectations for girls and women, women only issues, lack of support for girls education, lack of role models for girls in society, and control of women lives. // In my research achieving OUT Women Focus Group comprehend that only women can tell strategies for enabling women effective learning. This standpoint was reached when the Group noted that despite Tanzania’s declaration to develop Tanzanians through education the Participation ratio of women was much less that of men. // The Group knowing that education is “key” to people’s livelihood, and that President Mkapa (1995) inaugurating extra OUT offices at TIRDO premises urged women to invest their intellects in ODL for it is their only hope for attaining higher education, they dedicated efforts to liberate underachieving women through better education access and success for their development. They formed a women students’ NGO with a Community Education Support Service Center Circle in Dar-Es-Salaam to help coordinate and resocialize by mentoring educationally, socially and economically underachieving women and girls countrywide towards this realization. // Burge and Haughey (2001) explained use of “learning technologies” to encompass not only use of tools such as audio, print, video, and computer applications, but also their wider concept involving their creative and informed applications and social effects. This links well with the Women Focus Group idea of creating the Women Community Education Support Service Center Circle as “Learning Technology” to enable women to manage better their education access and success and their family roles.