Narrowing the gap between the information rich and the information poor :
New technologies and the future of the school

Development of Technology-based Community Learning Centres

Zambia

The Commonwealth literacy project is a pilot project undertaken in selected commonwealth countries which would explore ways in which literacy programmes might be enhanced through the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). It aims to :
- enhance knowledge of what constitutes appropriate and sustainable use of ICT in literacy education
- hold a body of tutors who are knowledgeable in terms of using ICT in literacy education and are aware of media-based instructional resources on a global basis
- significantly improve knowledge and skills in reading, numeracy and the use of ICT tools for learners participating in the project
- create a set of materials for training literacy workers and a set of literacy materials.
In Zambia, following the national literacy campagn, the project focuses on the development of literacy materials but also has a major focus on the training of community development workers.

The key goal is to demonstrate and evaluate the appropriateness and effectiveness of technology-based Community Learning Centres through which literacy workers can provide training programmes that develop learner competencies in reading, numeracy and in the use of information and communication tools. TCLCs have been establisshed in three localities. There were physical facilities in place at each centre location. Since the beginning of the project in Zambia, two hundred Community Development Assistants have been trained and 200, 000 people are expected to be involved in the literacy programmes provided. Three centres have been selected for running this project.

The project is run to increase literacy levels. Developing their capacity building in literacy education remains the primordial educational challenge facing developing countries as Zambia.

Dr Glen Farrel
Project Manager
Commonwealth of learning
Glenf@col.org

Dr Elizabeth C.Mumba
Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Zambia

Professor Richard Siaciwena, Directorate of Distance Education
University of Zambia

Institutional Partners
University of Zambia Directorate of Distance Education
Ministry of Community Development
Financial Partners
British Department for International Development ( DFID )

1998

External evaluation

Commonwealth of learning « Model for Success » in 2000