Solomon Islands. Transforming classroom learning with the aid of computer technology.
Last Thursday the Noro cable landing station was officially commissioned.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Australian High Commissioner, H.E. Roderick Brazier, was reported to have said, quote:
“The cable is designed to provide a level of internet capacity more than 6,000 times greater than current internet usage in Solomon Islands, it added.
“This will significantly increase internet usage and augment the way Solomon Islanders work, learn, do business and access services.”
Following –up on the theme of learning it came to mind how computers might be used in the future in the Solomon Islands in furthering education in the classroom and thereby revolutionizing traditional education.
I cannot say what the position is in the neighbouring Pacific countries like Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa, but out of the region computers now have a prominent role in society and the use of computers in education has increased steadily over the years.
One noted educationalist with an interest in classroom teaching, Kristina Barroso, writing in the publication, ‘The Classroom,’ had this to say on the subject of computers in the classroom, quote:
“Computers are one of the most valuable resources in a classroom because they serve so many useful functions. With computers and the internet students today have a wealth of information at their fingertips that can help them develop their communication skills and prepare them for future work in the employment field that is increasingly reliant on computer technology.
“One of the most common applications of computers in education today involves the ongoing use of educational software and programs that facilitate personalized online instruction for students at all levels.”
Before schools in the Solomon Islands can take advantage of computers in the classroom there must, of course, be electricity, whether carried on the grid or generated through solar power of generators.
The time will come, however, when infrastructural developments, perhaps hastened by energy finance through the World Bank, the Asia Development Bank, and major donor partners, including the newest diplomatic partner, China (PRC) will see electrical power available throughout the country.
When referring to China, online education is at the core of its education system.
A report from the China Institute for Educational Finance Research says that computer-based teaching, in fact, is not new in China, particularly in cities where each classroom has been facilitated with at least one computer and students today are used to learning by means of electronic devices.
With computer assisted interactive courses students gain a sense of achievement and are more willing to take on new challenges, rather than becoming overburdened by stacks of exercise books. Chinese computer course are often designed to include elements of calligraphy, writing and reading comprehension, and expose students to real-life scenarios through cartoons.
Teachers assign students customized tasks so that they can share and exchange their learning. In this way, students gain initiative and are internally motivated.
In China, more parents today are starting to accept the approach of online education platforms.
Source: China.org.cn.
As one of the MOU’s recently signed in Beijing by Prime Minister Sogavare referred to Chinese development assistance in education, is it too much to be asking whether or not China will see to the transformation of education at home with the advancement of information technology approaches and the use of classroom computers for every school?
From a personal perspective, I would one day like to see such education reform and assistance for all students in the Solomon Islands.
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
