(1306)ICT IN EDUCATION: SECONDARY TECHNICAL VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING INSTITUTE CENTERED DIFFUSION OF INNOVATION IN RURAL BANGLADESH

摘要

Bangladesh, a developing and third world country, recognized for its microcredit success, has a favourable political environment to achieve ‘Digital Bangladesh’ by 2021. Government projects, publicprivate partnership projects, corporate social responsibility (CSR)activities and private initiatives for Information Communication Technology (ICT)for education are integrating telecenter models in secondary educational institutes. The three-fold objectives of these development projects are computer literacy for teachers and students, telecenter for community and access to better learning content or better learning. Little or no significant study had been conducted on the qualitative achievements of such projects traceable from early 2002. A secondary technical vocational education and training (TVET)institute of about 450 students in a village of about 5500 inhabitants is selected for a qualitative study using theories and methodologies adapted from different disciplines. This paper presents the plan for this action research to be conducted during August 2011 to December 2012 as part of the research project during September 2010 to June 2013. As proponent of ICT for development, the author considers the problems of rural inhabitants (78%)living on agrarian livelihood, electricity insufficiency (47% from nation grid), socio-economic class gap and bias, lower education vs. employment association (as education for sustainability)and low access to ICTs. These might resist the intended objective of ICT for development projects. With decrease of technology obsolescence period if the technology ‘domestication’ is not proportionately increased, the digital divide will intensify. Bridging the digital divide (in terms of ‘adaption’)will become far reaching. Thus, firstly, this paper reviews different theoretical dimensions to converge towards a qualitative ‘diffusion study’ focusing socio-economic context. Secondly, the problems faced in implementing ICT in secondary institutions and telecenters of disadvantageous communities are reported to construct the problem boundary. Finally, the author proposes an intensive study using three different approaches to identify a preferable methodology for higher ‘diffusion’ or ‘domestication’. Participatory Rural Assessment (PRA)will be used for identifying the achievement. Three different methodologies for diffusion include, firstly, smart class rooms and after-class telecenter model as part of a national pilot project; secondly, ICTs in co-curricular activities including self-learning and community teaching, ICT based academic administration; and thirdly, life and livelihood centred programs as part of telecentre. In Bangladesh context, TVET institutes’ students come from lower middle class or below. The motivation for these students is early employment or entrepreneurship with low capital investment. Unfortunately, TVET institutes seem to be victim of invisible bias in ICT expansion projects. Bangladesh Millennium Development Goal (MDG)progress report of 2009 shows downward index for employment. IT supports services personnel are mostly from TVET institutes. The study is expected to positively contribute and give a direction to achieve the goal using school-based telecentres.