The Third Annual Symposium of Learning International Network Consortium The Massachusetts Institute

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The Third Annual Symposium of Learning
International Network Consortium The
Massachusetts Institute of Technology 27th-28th
October 2005Cambridge, Massachusetts, USAThe
e-learning initiatives to reduce poverty and
support socio-economic development in Lao PDR
By Ms. Sisavanh BOUPHA

Deputy Director General,

Department of Science and Technology

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Contents

• Introduction
• Education and ICT
• E-learning definition
• Case study
• Challenges
• Links with economy issues
• Future Plan

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Lao Peoples Democratic Republic (Lao PDR)

• Capital Vientiane
• Area 236.800 Sq Km
• Population 5.549.000
• Mountainous 70
• Language Lao, Thai, French and English
• GDP per capita US 331/an
• Economy Agriculture based

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Introduction

• LaoNet the first public e-mail centre at the
  National
• Polytechnic Institute in Lao PDR in December
  1994.
• There is a National Growth and Poverty
  Eradication Strategy (NGPES). ICT becomes a
  priority factor for socio-economic development
  particularly in support of all governance
  activities at
• the central and local levels.
• Distance learning in Agence Universitaire de
  la Francophonie (AUF) in Vientiane, Lao PDR
  (2002).
• Project of ASEAN Virtual Institute of Science
  and Technology
• (AVIST) at STEA (2005).
• The e-learning education has been recognized
  its importance and
• experimented among some of the students and
  professionals to
• upgrade their studies and knowledge.

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Education Academic Community

• Universities
• National University of Laos, NUOL (Vientiane
  Capital)
• Souphanouvong University (North)
• Champassak University (South)
• Colleges (10-20)
• Goverment and Public 5 -10
• Private 5-10
• Research Institutes (5-10)
• NAFRI National Agriculture and Forestry Institute
  (4 Research Centers)
• Research Institutes in the Ministries

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NUOL Students
(Excluded of Special/Night time course )
Number of Student
Years
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Schools and access to ICT

• The San Francisco Jhai Foundation together with
  Schools Online and local partners is setting up
  the first Internet Learning Center in the rural
  high school of Phon Song.
• MoE plans to provide two secondary schools in
  each province with a computer and internet access
  by the
• year 2005.
• Not yet public primary or secondary school have
  access to the Internet.

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Human Resource devoted to RD (FTE)
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RD Personnel by Sector of Performance 2002
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National RD Survey Domestic Expenditure
Average Exchange Rate in 2002 (1 US 10,000
kip) GDP of LAO PDR in 2002 is 1,805 Mil. US
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RD Expenditure by Source of Fund
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Internet Situation in Lao PDR

• 3 registered ISPs GlobeCom, Laotel and STEA.
• 9.000 internet users in September 2001 (a ratio
  of 1.63 Internet users for every 1000
  inhabitants of Laos).
• Internet Access Fee US 0,76-1,51 per hour in
  November 2001 (Internet Cafes).
• Hi-speed Internet Leased Line available from 64
  Kbps to 1024 Kbps.
• LANIC (Lao National Internet Committee) operating
  international gateway for public administration
  since 2002.

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(No Transcript)
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Internet and ISP Networking in Lao PDR
STEA
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E-Learning Definition
E-learning means an approach to facilitate and
enhance learning through the use of devices based
on computer and communications technology. Such
devices would include personal computers,
CD-ROMs, Digital Television and Mobile Phones.
Communications technology enables the use of the
Internet, e-mail, discussion forums, and
collaborative software.
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E-Learning

• E-learning is expected to be an effective
  learning
• system for enterprise, government staff,
  pupils and
• self-learners.
• Education
• 1- Primary/Secondary
• 2- Higher education and University
• 3- Adult education, staff education
• 4- Lifelong education

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Case study
ASEAN Virtual Institute of Science and Technology
(AVIST)

• AVIST is an e-learning network for continuing
  professional development and advanced studies in
  science and technology with opportunities for
  real practice experience at participating
  institutes.
• Three e-learning courses
• Bioinformatics.
• Introduction to Technology and Innovation
  Management.
• Eco-tourism
• Learners at AVIST e-learning courses can learn at
  their own pace, anywhere and anytime. The course
  contents and communication means are in English.
• The web site is http//www.avist.org

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ASEAN Virtual Institute of Science and Technology
(AVIST)

• Three types of registration

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AVIST Infrastructure
Temporary face-to-face training room at partner
institutions
Satellite
Permanent Learning Resources Centers at local
universities/institutes
Content Flow
AVIST Content Center
LAN
Primary Content Dissemination Center
Internet Cafes
Secondary Content Dissemination Center
Dial-up from homes / offices
Secondary Content Dissemination Center
Tertiary Content Dissemination Center
Tertiary Content Dissemination Center
Tertiary Content Dissemination Center
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Agence Universitaire de France (AUF)

• The distance learning is taken place in the
  Agence Universitaire
• de la Francophonie (AUF) in Lao PDR since
  2002. AUF will offer
• the scholarships for the selected excellent
  candidates on the
• distance learning.
• There are many disciplines economy and rights,
  ICT and
• engineering science, electronic and
  communication, life and
• earth science, medical science and fundamental
  science
• (chemistry, mathematics).
• The Number of students registered in the year
  2004-2005 are 86
• including 12 students from Laos.
• The web site called http//foad.refer.org

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Lessons learned

• These courses are significant for the students
  and teachers at the university to upgrade their
  knowledge and skills, to keep aware of ICT
  technology for education and to share information
  with others. These do not mean that we succeeded
  at making significant economic change.
• The number of Lao students is very small. They
  are not much interested in the topic. In
  addition, the course is done in English and
  French language.
• The context might affect to the future priorities
  for poverty reduction. We have to examine and
  consider the aid projects in this sector for the
  linkages to the wider economy.

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Challenges

• Lack of financial resources to education.
• Lack of telecommunications and public
  infrastructure.
• A demographic and geography characteristic
  necessitate
• an understanding of the main income sources.
• Poor quality of education, shortage of teachers
  and learning
• materials and curriculum inappropriate to the
  needs of development.
• Cost fee of internet is high. High long
  distance call charges lead to
• high costs for national access.
• Lack of standards in both public and private
  sector related to Lao
• script, software and hardware for LAN, WAN,
  and Intranet.
• Lack of RD on ICT.
• Lack of coordination leading to duplication and
  inefficiencies of the
• activities.

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Poverty reduction

• The National Growth and Poverty Eradication
  Strategy is a comprehensive framework for
  sustainable growth and poverty eradication focus
  on the improvement of the poverty situation in
  the poorest districts. ICT has been prioritized
  as an important tool to enhance productivity and
  will help to create conditions
• for support economic development.
• Create a supportive environment for intraregional
  trade,
• promote a cooperation mechanism for an
  knowledge based society/economy, develop HRD and
  enhance institutional capacity building.
• Encourage the cooperation with private sector and
  international community.

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Links with economic issues

• Key issues Rural and urban development
• Provide industrial structure,
  telecommunication services, increase
• level of compulsory education, improve
  quality of education,
• promote population distribution in balance
  between urban and rural
• areas for revenue distribution, develop IT
  and technologies for food
• production and distribution, medical
  technologies for health care and
• create employment.
• Development of agriculture, industry, trade
  and commercial services
• Develop grass-root economy in key areas such
  as agriculture, rural
• industry combine with IT by providing
  specialized technical
• education and strengthening SME enterprises
  to enhance self-
• sufficiency and viability of domestic
  economy.
• Develop curriculum and learning materials for
  exploiting indigenous
• knowledge to be marketed and competitive
  with others.
• Promote trade policies and international
  trade.

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Links with economic issues (Cont.1)

• Labour and skills
• Provide education and research in new
  technology areas
• (biotechnology, genetic engineering, new
  materials,).
• Improve e-learning technologies and multimedia
  technologies.
• Balance between local and global aspects
• Provide contents with balance between local
  and global aspects,
• technology transfer and self-reliance.

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E-learning for long-term sustainable economic
growth

• Productivity
• Increase markets

• Create jobs
• Revenue growth

• Improve living standard
• Increase human and information capital

Market opportunity Labour, Products and Services
Markets
Price
Quality
Service
Certification Accreditation
Operations Management
RD and innovation
Regulatory and Anti-poverty Policy
Learners Analysis

• Satisfaction
• Low-Cost
• Social needs

• Production Course wares
• Broadcasting Distribution

• Create new products and services
• Develop research aligned with
• targeted growth areas

• Invest in infrastructure
• ICT policy
• Economic growth
• Promote FDI and trade
• Education and HRD
• Incentive framework
• Promote public-private
• collaboration
• IPR
• Standard and security

Human Capital
Skills
Values
Knowledge
Information Capital
(Systems, Databases, Networks, Curriculum
development and Technology)
Organizations
(Linkages, Culture of creativity and innovation
and Competitiveness)
Learning Institutes
Enterprises
NUOL
STEA
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Future Plan

• Infrastructure
• Policy
• Regulation frameworks
• Research and development
• Investment

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Lao National Research Education Network
Internet
China-Vietnam
Thailand-Singapore-Malaysia
(TEIN)
NUOL
STEA
NAFRI
(A-ISP)
Other Gov. Uni.
Private Colleges
Research Institutes
Research Centers

• Proposed basic topology
• Research and Education Community in Lao PDR
• Case of NUOL acting as an Academic ISP

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Members of Lao NREN (Estimation)
Phase I NUOL (Main Campus), NAFRI, STEA
Phase II MOE, Other Faculties, Library of NUOL,
National Library Vientiane College, Lao-American
College
Phase III Other Universities (Souphanouvong,
Champassak University) Other Research
Institutes or Centers (attached to the Ministry)
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ETL Fiber backbone The proposed Academic
backbone to TEIN
Province District Phase 1 (2001) Phase
2 Phase 3 Phase 4 (Dec. 2004) CSC (Link to
TEIN2) CSC ports to Inter. Other possibility
ports
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Connection to TEIN2

• 1. CSC cable x2.4Gbps SDH
• ... - Shanghai Hanoi Vientiane Bangkok -
• Kuala Lumpur Singapore - ...
• 2. Satellite (not preferred)
• Interconnect to ThaiSARN in Thailand
• and/or STEnet in Vietnam
• Demand for bandwidth is high
• Sustainable solution depends on cost

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Trans-Eurasia Information Network (TEIN)
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Comparison of methods
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POLICY

• Link the National Growth and Poverty Eradication
  Strategy to
• the National Socio-Economic Development Plan.
• Establish an Information Superhighway Network
  with high
• speed data transmission over fiber optic cables
  and regional
• telecommunications connections to facilitate
  training, capacity
• building on human resource development and
  establish a
• National Internet Exchange Network for ISP for
  making the cost
• affordable to the users.
• Promote and support the wide utilization of
  distance learning and
• e-learning as well as facilitate universal
  access through networking in
• order to ensure the enhancement of capacities
  and increase
• employability.
• Develop RD on ICT to promote distance and
  e-learning.
• Promote digital interchange in Lao language.

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POLICY

• Promote FDI, trade, incentive frameworks, ICT
  policy and develop
• local ICT enterprise on multimedia content and
  electronics
• services.
• Linking learning institutes between the public
  sector, private
• sector and enterprises for wide utilization of
  information.
• Develop closer cooperation with international
  organizations in
• priority areas infrastructure, IT, HRD and
  economic development.
• Promote certification and accreditation of
  e-learning network at
• national and regional level to improve
  competence of human
• resources.
• Raise an awareness of the public on the
  importance, benefits
• and advantages of e-learning for poverty
  reduction and support
• socio-economic development.
• Prepare the young generation towards the
  universe of new
• technology.

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Regulation frameworks

• Cyberlaws
• Cybercrime
• Cybersecurity
• E-commerce
• Information, IPR and Consumer protection
• Digital Content Management
• Privacy

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Research Development

• Promote joint Research and Development in areas
  having
• potentials for commercial applications with
  the involvement of
• public and private sector.
• Establish a Technology Transfer Network to
  facilitate the
• pooling of information on the availability of
  technologies
• and experts with the enterprises/RD
  organizations.

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Investment

• Telecommunications and Public Infrastructure
• Human Capital
• Information Capital

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Conclusion

• Not a fast moving in implementing e-learning
  system due to
• limited financial resources and human
  capacity.
• Get government support and encourage the
  involvement of
• private sector and local community.
• Promote the cooperation with international
  organizations in
• priorities areas through various training
  courses, e-learning,
• seminars, workshops and exchange of visits
  among experts.
• Focus on the solid content in service to the
  teaching and learning
• for poverty reduction and support economic
  development not
• only the enormous investment of networks and
  technologies.

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Thank you very much!