“Voice is still the killer app in many developing countries”
– Carl-Henric Svanberg, CEO of Ericsson
BBC news has an interesting story about a UN program to provide cell phones and cellular access to some of the poorest areas of the world. The goal is to take a holistic approach to providing health care, infrastructure, and education to some of the poorest of the poor in the world.
“We also see this as crucial for education where the kids will not only learn IT skills but will also have access to a world of information,” said Dr Jeffery Sachs, Special Advisor to the United Nations Secretary-General.
These networks will have 2G and 3G data access where allowed by regulations. It makes you wonder – will this some how link up (eventually) with the $100 laptop program? Could be an interesting connection.
Ericsson is the company providing the infrastructure, as well as solar chargers for the phones, for this project free of charge.
And yet, cell phones are still not seen as an educational tool in most universities in America. Amazing.
Matt is currently an Instructional Designer II at Orbis Education and a Part-Time Instructor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Previously he worked as a Learning Innovation Researcher with the UT Arlington LINK Research Lab. His work focuses on learning theory, Heutagogy, and learner agency. Matt holds a Ph.D. in Learning Technologies from the University of North Texas, a Master of Education in Educational Technology from UT Brownsville, and a Bachelors of Science in Education from Baylor University. His research interests include instructional design, learning pathways, sociocultural theory, heutagogy, virtual reality, and open networked learning. He has a background in instructional design and teaching at both the secondary and university levels and has been an active blogger and conference presenter. He also enjoys networking and collaborative efforts involving faculty, students, administration, and anyone involved in the education process.