International Online Learning Delivery: Can Digital Dividend Replace Digital Divide?

Abstract

International Online Learning Delivery: Can digital dividend replace digital divide? 28 June 2005, Calgary, Alberta, Canada By: Sir John Daniel, Paul West (Commonwealth of Learning), Susan D'Antoni (UNESCO-IIEP) and Stamenka Uvalić-Trumbić (UNESCO) // The theme of this conference is connecting technology with teaching and learning and its purpose is to identify and discuss policy issues and challenges as they relate to post-secondary eLearning. Our first aim is to flag the greatest of these challenges, which is to give billions of poor people access to post-secondary education. Can we connect technology to teaching and learning for their benefit? We shall explore eLearning in a global context through a wide-angle international lens, interpreting 'international' to mean the whole world; not only the rich countries of the OECD. // Second, we shall set the stage for the afternoon session by commenting on its four discussion topics. These are: 1) government interest in eLearning; 2) barriers to eLearning that require a coordinated response; 3) recommendations for coordination between partners; and, 4) our role, as educational leaders, in making this happen. // The larger question appears in our title. Can digital dividend replace digital divide in the developing world - at least in post-secondary education? How can we work in partnership to make eLearning a bridge across the digital divide?