TeleWeaver: an innovative telecommunication platform for marginalized communities in Africa
- Dalvit, Lorenzo, Gumbo, Sibukelo, Ntshinga, Lindikaya, Terzoli, Alfredo, Hansen, Susan
- Authors: Dalvit, Lorenzo , Gumbo, Sibukelo , Ntshinga, Lindikaya , Terzoli, Alfredo , Hansen, Susan
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/431317 , vital:72763 , https://www.academic-bookshop.com/ourshop/prod_2659103-ECEG-2013-13th-European-Conference-on-eGovernment-Como-Italy-PRINT-version.html
- Description: Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D) is becoming an increasingly important and multi‐faceted area of research and software development. Particularly through provision via mobile devices, e‐services can potentially reach and improve the lives of millions of people living in marginalised areas. The efforts of many governments in sub‐Saharan Africa are frustrated by poor tele-communication infrastructure, lack of skills and unsustainable models of intervention. In this paper we describe the holistic solution offered by the TeleWeaver platform. The novel approach to the development of the software, the strong sense of social responsibility of the developers and the collaborative spirit that shaped the ecosystem of which Tele-Weaver is part, warrants the adoption of an innovative approach to its marketing and implementation. On the one hand, the project needs to provide returns on investment and generate profit for the key stake-holders (ie government at the local and national level, academia, indus-try and socio‐-entrepreneurs in the target community). On the other, it must benefit all members of the marginalised communities it is intended to serve as well as the global community of software developers. Tele-Weaver was developed in close collaboration with the community of Dwesa, a rural area on the Wild Cost of the Transkei regions in eastern South Africa.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Dalvit, Lorenzo , Gumbo, Sibukelo , Ntshinga, Lindikaya , Terzoli, Alfredo , Hansen, Susan
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/431317 , vital:72763 , https://www.academic-bookshop.com/ourshop/prod_2659103-ECEG-2013-13th-European-Conference-on-eGovernment-Como-Italy-PRINT-version.html
- Description: Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D) is becoming an increasingly important and multi‐faceted area of research and software development. Particularly through provision via mobile devices, e‐services can potentially reach and improve the lives of millions of people living in marginalised areas. The efforts of many governments in sub‐Saharan Africa are frustrated by poor tele-communication infrastructure, lack of skills and unsustainable models of intervention. In this paper we describe the holistic solution offered by the TeleWeaver platform. The novel approach to the development of the software, the strong sense of social responsibility of the developers and the collaborative spirit that shaped the ecosystem of which Tele-Weaver is part, warrants the adoption of an innovative approach to its marketing and implementation. On the one hand, the project needs to provide returns on investment and generate profit for the key stake-holders (ie government at the local and national level, academia, indus-try and socio‐-entrepreneurs in the target community). On the other, it must benefit all members of the marginalised communities it is intended to serve as well as the global community of software developers. Tele-Weaver was developed in close collaboration with the community of Dwesa, a rural area on the Wild Cost of the Transkei regions in eastern South Africa.
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African Languages And ICT Education
- Dalvit, Lorenzo, Murray, Sarah, Terzoli, Alfredo
- Authors: Dalvit, Lorenzo , Murray, Sarah , Terzoli, Alfredo
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/431166 , vital:72750 , https://www.scitepress.org/Papers/2011/33507/33507.pdf
- Description: In South Africa, English plays a dominant role compared to African lan-guages in empowering domain. Better access to Education through the use of African languages is an object of heated debate. This paper shows that an intervention involving the use of an African language in the domain of ICT Education can change the attitudes of Black universi-ty students. The methodology used included a survey with preliminary and follow-up questionnaires and interviews and an intervention involv-ing the use of localised software and of an on-line glossary of computer terms translated, explained and exemplified in an African language (isiXhosa). This experience increased the support for the use of African languages as additional LoLT, even in the English-dominated field of study of Computer Science. This is an initial step towards promoting linguistic equality between English and African languages and social equality between their speakers.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Dalvit, Lorenzo , Murray, Sarah , Terzoli, Alfredo
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/431166 , vital:72750 , https://www.scitepress.org/Papers/2011/33507/33507.pdf
- Description: In South Africa, English plays a dominant role compared to African lan-guages in empowering domain. Better access to Education through the use of African languages is an object of heated debate. This paper shows that an intervention involving the use of an African language in the domain of ICT Education can change the attitudes of Black universi-ty students. The methodology used included a survey with preliminary and follow-up questionnaires and interviews and an intervention involv-ing the use of localised software and of an on-line glossary of computer terms translated, explained and exemplified in an African language (isiXhosa). This experience increased the support for the use of African languages as additional LoLT, even in the English-dominated field of study of Computer Science. This is an initial step towards promoting linguistic equality between English and African languages and social equality between their speakers.
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The role of the web in the promotion of African languages
- Maseko, Pamela, Nosilela, Bulelwa B, Sam, Msindisi S, Terzoli, Alfredo, Dalvit, Lorenzo
- Authors: Maseko, Pamela , Nosilela, Bulelwa B , Sam, Msindisi S , Terzoli, Alfredo , Dalvit, Lorenzo
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/431370 , vital:72768
- Description: In this article we explore the possible contribution of the Web in promot-ing the use and status of African languages. Participation in sharing and producing knowledge through the Web can play a key role in the eco-nomic, social and educational development of Africa. While physical ac-cess to information is hampered by lack of infrastructure and connectivi-ty, epistemological access is hampered by the use of English. Re-sources in African languages are available. Until the amount of Web content and the number of users reach critical mass, these resources play a symbolic rather than an instrumental role in promoting African lan-guages. The use of electronic resources available on the Web could contribute to cutting the printing and transport cost of paper material, es-pecially in multilingual settings where many languages would have to be represented. Another practical way in which the Web can promote the development of African languages is to promote communication among their speakers. This is already showing its potential by allowing experts from various disciplines to work collaboratively on the development of new indigenous terminology through mailing lists and chat rooms. On a larger scale, the Web can play a unifying function among speakers of different varieties of the same African language.
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- Authors: Maseko, Pamela , Nosilela, Bulelwa B , Sam, Msindisi S , Terzoli, Alfredo , Dalvit, Lorenzo
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/431370 , vital:72768
- Description: In this article we explore the possible contribution of the Web in promot-ing the use and status of African languages. Participation in sharing and producing knowledge through the Web can play a key role in the eco-nomic, social and educational development of Africa. While physical ac-cess to information is hampered by lack of infrastructure and connectivi-ty, epistemological access is hampered by the use of English. Re-sources in African languages are available. Until the amount of Web content and the number of users reach critical mass, these resources play a symbolic rather than an instrumental role in promoting African lan-guages. The use of electronic resources available on the Web could contribute to cutting the printing and transport cost of paper material, es-pecially in multilingual settings where many languages would have to be represented. Another practical way in which the Web can promote the development of African languages is to promote communication among their speakers. This is already showing its potential by allowing experts from various disciplines to work collaboratively on the development of new indigenous terminology through mailing lists and chat rooms. On a larger scale, the Web can play a unifying function among speakers of different varieties of the same African language.
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Deconstructing language myths: which languages of learning and teaching in South Africa
- Dalvit, Lorenzo, Murray, Sarah, Terzoli, Alfredo
- Authors: Dalvit, Lorenzo , Murray, Sarah , Terzoli, Alfredo
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/431260 , vital:72759 , https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/91537059/Deconstructing_language_myths_which_languages_of_learning_and_teaching_in_South_Africa.sflb-libre.pdf?1664136385=response-content-disposi-tion=inline%3B+filename%3DDeconstructing_language_myths_which_lang.pdfExpires=1714984902Signature=dj35y~SObsQq0TnqD-oDUj3CX7lgNnKJcMAchC7rarU74xqfrMlVfOwi-MZrNZvWvpxyzquBsmr1veH-ggRVXQP7TX4eKQq3tXV-gJZg3xyo7QJoGwrGPTjC4btF2kNrVJc6TQulzuPFEz47GtjQ6Nint4SmE7A30EMUMd8j25KgCUdtzqwx9kjBs-niKu~z-pk-Xon5YOolMTepbOwNr9wKGj8JafblTdnFs-H8CZ-Et4BD2mYV3GxnR0QLfgawFgDYkOSZnYhkl6wFsXG~Euwlhcvtp0EgUOfP4id~Ov9hhA-rSQxl81X2Dh1BdMuT3GSsK6VNmO7TikSC7NeGlQ__Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA
- Description: In this article we argue for the use of African languages as Languages of Learning and Teaching (LoLT) for native speakers of such language in South Africa. We believe that both public and academic debate is in-fluenced by a set of ‘language myths’: 1) only one language should be used; 2) the earlier one starts using English as LoLT, the better; 3) us-ing English as LoLT improves English proficiency. These myths be seen as a direct manifestation of Western hegemony, and English-functional arguments are often the terms of reference. We will try a dif-ferent approach by highlighting the advantages of using an African lan-guage (ie isiXhosa) as LoLT and, whenever possible, we will try to put English on the ‘defence stand’. The purpose of this paper is not to ad-vocate the substitution of English with an African language. We believe that bilingual education is the appropriate choice for South Africa, but in order to achieve full equality between English and the African lan-guages in education, arguments in support of the latter must be put forward proactively. With our paper, we hope to contribute to this new perspective.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Dalvit, Lorenzo , Murray, Sarah , Terzoli, Alfredo
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/431260 , vital:72759 , https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/91537059/Deconstructing_language_myths_which_languages_of_learning_and_teaching_in_South_Africa.sflb-libre.pdf?1664136385=response-content-disposi-tion=inline%3B+filename%3DDeconstructing_language_myths_which_lang.pdfExpires=1714984902Signature=dj35y~SObsQq0TnqD-oDUj3CX7lgNnKJcMAchC7rarU74xqfrMlVfOwi-MZrNZvWvpxyzquBsmr1veH-ggRVXQP7TX4eKQq3tXV-gJZg3xyo7QJoGwrGPTjC4btF2kNrVJc6TQulzuPFEz47GtjQ6Nint4SmE7A30EMUMd8j25KgCUdtzqwx9kjBs-niKu~z-pk-Xon5YOolMTepbOwNr9wKGj8JafblTdnFs-H8CZ-Et4BD2mYV3GxnR0QLfgawFgDYkOSZnYhkl6wFsXG~Euwlhcvtp0EgUOfP4id~Ov9hhA-rSQxl81X2Dh1BdMuT3GSsK6VNmO7TikSC7NeGlQ__Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA
- Description: In this article we argue for the use of African languages as Languages of Learning and Teaching (LoLT) for native speakers of such language in South Africa. We believe that both public and academic debate is in-fluenced by a set of ‘language myths’: 1) only one language should be used; 2) the earlier one starts using English as LoLT, the better; 3) us-ing English as LoLT improves English proficiency. These myths be seen as a direct manifestation of Western hegemony, and English-functional arguments are often the terms of reference. We will try a dif-ferent approach by highlighting the advantages of using an African lan-guage (ie isiXhosa) as LoLT and, whenever possible, we will try to put English on the ‘defence stand’. The purpose of this paper is not to ad-vocate the substitution of English with an African language. We believe that bilingual education is the appropriate choice for South Africa, but in order to achieve full equality between English and the African lan-guages in education, arguments in support of the latter must be put forward proactively. With our paper, we hope to contribute to this new perspective.
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Adoption of ICTs in a marginalised area of South Africa
- Mapi, Thandeka, Dalvit, Lorenzo, Terzoli, Alfredo
- Authors: Mapi, Thandeka , Dalvit, Lorenzo , Terzoli, Alfredo
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/431130 , vital:72747 , https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/4390301/5-thandeka-libre.pdf?1390837024=response-content-disposi-tion=inline%3B+filename%3DAdoption_of_ICTs_in_a_Marginalised_Area.pdfExpires=1714988863Signature=N683m3iYa8BDSsrNBb-fZpYmsy~pftZZQbiEdNz8ZFJaL2I-Wt32FIJcLEKFnrSjj0AfnYak4RVZjuZhuFVHQZOnkt7tIBBwccqexeEkwq94rCX6r1~aA~GdyL4Z3WzHRK~Xoug17mnu869TGq8VxuSNBf-LmbSr03uZeXlk2dpobbp3ROl06wauhLm02p1th1qBM5n-Bc0q8wYS-zkY-jA9fc7w6ZE~m6hlHE6Amt1xg~db99oRcu1EuXSdHyWDZDw3OsQ9zlMfX7AU6EBhfAtFbxXuVXOlNOEPuXHgiQ1UbFveqfVKGFRg0dmYXzw62MQM0EQQ2g4qXgk2Xc2z0cQ__Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA
- Description: This paper examines how a community in Dwesa, a marginalised area in the Transkei Region of the Eastern Cape, South Africa, adopts Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). This research is part of the Siyakhula project, which aims at promoting the potential of the area through ICTs. The project is situated in four different schools: Mpume, Nondobo, Mtokwane and Ngwane. Fostering ICT awareness and a sense of owner-ship by the community are seen as crucial factors, and computer literacy education is an integral part of the project. The study focuses on how di-verse groups of people adopt new technologies and approach ICT educa-tion. Qualitative research methods such as Participatory Action Research (PAR) and Participant Observation (PO) were adopted in the study.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Mapi, Thandeka , Dalvit, Lorenzo , Terzoli, Alfredo
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/431130 , vital:72747 , https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/4390301/5-thandeka-libre.pdf?1390837024=response-content-disposi-tion=inline%3B+filename%3DAdoption_of_ICTs_in_a_Marginalised_Area.pdfExpires=1714988863Signature=N683m3iYa8BDSsrNBb-fZpYmsy~pftZZQbiEdNz8ZFJaL2I-Wt32FIJcLEKFnrSjj0AfnYak4RVZjuZhuFVHQZOnkt7tIBBwccqexeEkwq94rCX6r1~aA~GdyL4Z3WzHRK~Xoug17mnu869TGq8VxuSNBf-LmbSr03uZeXlk2dpobbp3ROl06wauhLm02p1th1qBM5n-Bc0q8wYS-zkY-jA9fc7w6ZE~m6hlHE6Amt1xg~db99oRcu1EuXSdHyWDZDw3OsQ9zlMfX7AU6EBhfAtFbxXuVXOlNOEPuXHgiQ1UbFveqfVKGFRg0dmYXzw62MQM0EQQ2g4qXgk2Xc2z0cQ__Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA
- Description: This paper examines how a community in Dwesa, a marginalised area in the Transkei Region of the Eastern Cape, South Africa, adopts Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). This research is part of the Siyakhula project, which aims at promoting the potential of the area through ICTs. The project is situated in four different schools: Mpume, Nondobo, Mtokwane and Ngwane. Fostering ICT awareness and a sense of owner-ship by the community are seen as crucial factors, and computer literacy education is an integral part of the project. The study focuses on how di-verse groups of people adopt new technologies and approach ICT educa-tion. Qualitative research methods such as Participatory Action Research (PAR) and Participant Observation (PO) were adopted in the study.
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Opensource software and localisation in indigenous South African languages with Pootle
- Dalvit, Lorenzo, Terzoli, Alfredo, Wolff, F
- Authors: Dalvit, Lorenzo , Terzoli, Alfredo , Wolff, F
- Date: 2008
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/428496 , vital:72515 , https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1andtype=pdfanddoi=912f3d0d94f0268467e1d790fd7780f14d9c4e44
- Description: The majority of the South African population is not fully proficient in Eng-lish. Besides access to the necessary infrastructure, many Africans lack epistemological access to the ICT world simply because of linguistic reasons. Limited availability of resources and lack of interest for the promotion of African languages in the ICT domain among their speakers are often blamed for this. The opensource community has been particu-larly responsive to the needs of this portion of the population, and a vari-ety of software is already available in African languages. Translate. org. za, an NGO committed to the development of opensource software in all 11 South African languages, has been particularly active with respect to this. On the one hand, they have developed a Webbased application to support collaborative translation online. On the other, they have part-nered with various institutions to organise translation efforts, mainly rely-ing on volunteers. In this paper we describe an experience showing how these two models can be used to address issues of lack of resources and support for the use of African languages in the ICT domain.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Dalvit, Lorenzo , Terzoli, Alfredo , Wolff, F
- Date: 2008
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/428496 , vital:72515 , https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1andtype=pdfanddoi=912f3d0d94f0268467e1d790fd7780f14d9c4e44
- Description: The majority of the South African population is not fully proficient in Eng-lish. Besides access to the necessary infrastructure, many Africans lack epistemological access to the ICT world simply because of linguistic reasons. Limited availability of resources and lack of interest for the promotion of African languages in the ICT domain among their speakers are often blamed for this. The opensource community has been particu-larly responsive to the needs of this portion of the population, and a vari-ety of software is already available in African languages. Translate. org. za, an NGO committed to the development of opensource software in all 11 South African languages, has been particularly active with respect to this. On the one hand, they have developed a Webbased application to support collaborative translation online. On the other, they have part-nered with various institutions to organise translation efforts, mainly rely-ing on volunteers. In this paper we describe an experience showing how these two models can be used to address issues of lack of resources and support for the use of African languages in the ICT domain.
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The Internet in rural communities: unrestricted and contextualized
- Thinyane, Mamello, Dalvit, Lorenzo, Terzoli, Alfredo, Clayton, Peter G
- Authors: Thinyane, Mamello , Dalvit, Lorenzo , Terzoli, Alfredo , Clayton, Peter G
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/431344 , vital:72766 , https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alfredo-Ter-zoli/publication/262259378_The_Internet_in_rural_communities_unrestricted_and_contextualized/links/6597ec140bb2c7472b35fcac/The-Internet-in-rural-communities-unrestricted-and-contextualized.pdf
- Description: The benefits of the Internet are still not available to many marginalized communities because of lack of connectivity, costs of infrastructure and scarcity of skills. Many ICTforDevelopment (ICT4D) projects offer piecemeal interventions relying either on restricted (and often decontex-tualised) access to the Internet or on isolated Local Area Networks (LANs). In this paper we argue that marginalized rural communities should have unrestricted access to the Internet in order to exploit its full potential. We also believe that the Internet could be contextualized through an optional adaptation layer which would facilitate access. We discuss an ICT4D project which was shaped from the very beginning according to these principles. It involves the deployment of an eCom-merce platform (soon to be integrated with eHealth, eLearning and eGovernment capabilities) in a rural community in South Africa. We re-port on how the various components of this intervention fit into the model, and the benefits for the community.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Thinyane, Mamello , Dalvit, Lorenzo , Terzoli, Alfredo , Clayton, Peter G
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/431344 , vital:72766 , https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alfredo-Ter-zoli/publication/262259378_The_Internet_in_rural_communities_unrestricted_and_contextualized/links/6597ec140bb2c7472b35fcac/The-Internet-in-rural-communities-unrestricted-and-contextualized.pdf
- Description: The benefits of the Internet are still not available to many marginalized communities because of lack of connectivity, costs of infrastructure and scarcity of skills. Many ICTforDevelopment (ICT4D) projects offer piecemeal interventions relying either on restricted (and often decontex-tualised) access to the Internet or on isolated Local Area Networks (LANs). In this paper we argue that marginalized rural communities should have unrestricted access to the Internet in order to exploit its full potential. We also believe that the Internet could be contextualized through an optional adaptation layer which would facilitate access. We discuss an ICT4D project which was shaped from the very beginning according to these principles. It involves the deployment of an eCom-merce platform (soon to be integrated with eHealth, eLearning and eGovernment capabilities) in a rural community in South Africa. We re-port on how the various components of this intervention fit into the model, and the benefits for the community.
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The localisation into isiXhosa of the iLanga telephone system
- Dalvit, Lorenzo, Tsietsi, Mosiuoa, Terzoli, Alfredo, Maseko, Pamela, Sam, Msindisi S, Mapi, Thandeka
- Authors: Dalvit, Lorenzo , Tsietsi, Mosiuoa , Terzoli, Alfredo , Maseko, Pamela , Sam, Msindisi S , Mapi, Thandeka
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/431358 , vital:72767 , https://nru.uncst.go.ug/bitstream/handle/123456789/6552/Information Communica-tion Technologies page 410.pdf?sequence=1isAllowed=y#page=256
- Description: In this paper we describe the localisation of iLanga, a VoIP PBX sys-tem, into isiXhosa. In South Africa, for social and political reasons, mak-ing systems available in the African languages is becoming more and more important. On the one hand, it gives access to the use of technol-ogy to people who are not fluent in English. On the other hand, it has a strong symbolic value. Although a variety of software is already availa-ble in a number of African languages, localisation in such language is still in its early stage. The process presented interesting challenges both from the technical and the linguistic point of view.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Dalvit, Lorenzo , Tsietsi, Mosiuoa , Terzoli, Alfredo , Maseko, Pamela , Sam, Msindisi S , Mapi, Thandeka
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/431358 , vital:72767 , https://nru.uncst.go.ug/bitstream/handle/123456789/6552/Information Communica-tion Technologies page 410.pdf?sequence=1isAllowed=y#page=256
- Description: In this paper we describe the localisation of iLanga, a VoIP PBX sys-tem, into isiXhosa. In South Africa, for social and political reasons, mak-ing systems available in the African languages is becoming more and more important. On the one hand, it gives access to the use of technol-ogy to people who are not fluent in English. On the other hand, it has a strong symbolic value. Although a variety of software is already availa-ble in a number of African languages, localisation in such language is still in its early stage. The process presented interesting challenges both from the technical and the linguistic point of view.
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The role of indigenous knowledge in computer education in Africa
- Dalvit, Lorenzo, Murray, Sarah, Terzoli, Alfredo
- Authors: Dalvit, Lorenzo , Murray, Sarah , Terzoli, Alfredo
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/431033 , vital:72739 , https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-09729-9_43
- Description: The integration of indigenous knowledge/languages in formal education is a contentious issue in post-colonial Africa. For historical and econom-ic reasons, these are devalued in the formal education system. We ar-gue that appropriate use of indigenous knowledge/languages can em-power African students academically even in typically “Western” disci-plines, such as Computer Science. We discuss the potential role of in-digenous languages/knowledge in ICT education and then describe an intervention, supporting students from marginalised communities, at a South African University.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Dalvit, Lorenzo , Murray, Sarah , Terzoli, Alfredo
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/431033 , vital:72739 , https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-09729-9_43
- Description: The integration of indigenous knowledge/languages in formal education is a contentious issue in post-colonial Africa. For historical and econom-ic reasons, these are devalued in the formal education system. We ar-gue that appropriate use of indigenous knowledge/languages can em-power African students academically even in typically “Western” disci-plines, such as Computer Science. We discuss the potential role of in-digenous languages/knowledge in ICT education and then describe an intervention, supporting students from marginalised communities, at a South African University.
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An ontology-based, multi-modal platform for the inclusion of marginalized rural communities into the knowledge society
- Thinyane, Mamello, Dalvit, Lorenzo, Slay, Hannah, Mapi, Thandeka, Terzoli, Alfredo
- Authors: Thinyane, Mamello , Dalvit, Lorenzo , Slay, Hannah , Mapi, Thandeka , Terzoli, Alfredo
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/431218 , vital:72755 , https://doi.org/10.1145/1292491.1292508
- Description: With the information revolution that promises to shape the 21st century, knowledge has become the prime commodity, very much like land, means of production and capital have been at different times in the past. Access to information, made instantly available by the growth of the Internet, determines access to economic resources, social participa-tion and better quality of life. For this reason, the knowledge stored on the Web and the advantages offered by the spread of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) are equally important for rich socie-ties to prosper and for poor ones to develop. The only difference is that marginalised communities do not have access to the tools and have little control over the content found in the domain of ICTs. In this paper we describe an intervention to develop the potential of a typical rural community in South Africa through ICTs. This involves providing Inter-net connectivity and deploying a platform to support e-commerce, e-learning, e-government and e-health. The core of the platform is an on-tology-based model designed to integrate and respond to Indigenous Knowledge Systems. This has been achieved by combining a deep understanding of local knowledge and social networks with the use of authoring, communication and ontology-management tools. The prima-ry goal of this new approach is to find a way to make ICT solutions more sensitive to the local context, and therefore more effective. Sec-ondly, we hope to foster a sense of ownership of the project among the community, by capitalising on local knowledge and resources.
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- Authors: Thinyane, Mamello , Dalvit, Lorenzo , Slay, Hannah , Mapi, Thandeka , Terzoli, Alfredo
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/431218 , vital:72755 , https://doi.org/10.1145/1292491.1292508
- Description: With the information revolution that promises to shape the 21st century, knowledge has become the prime commodity, very much like land, means of production and capital have been at different times in the past. Access to information, made instantly available by the growth of the Internet, determines access to economic resources, social participa-tion and better quality of life. For this reason, the knowledge stored on the Web and the advantages offered by the spread of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) are equally important for rich socie-ties to prosper and for poor ones to develop. The only difference is that marginalised communities do not have access to the tools and have little control over the content found in the domain of ICTs. In this paper we describe an intervention to develop the potential of a typical rural community in South Africa through ICTs. This involves providing Inter-net connectivity and deploying a platform to support e-commerce, e-learning, e-government and e-health. The core of the platform is an on-tology-based model designed to integrate and respond to Indigenous Knowledge Systems. This has been achieved by combining a deep understanding of local knowledge and social networks with the use of authoring, communication and ontology-management tools. The prima-ry goal of this new approach is to find a way to make ICT solutions more sensitive to the local context, and therefore more effective. Sec-ondly, we hope to foster a sense of ownership of the project among the community, by capitalising on local knowledge and resources.
- Full Text:
The deployment of an e-commerce platform and related projects in a rural area in South Africa
- Dalvit, Lorenzo, Muyingi, H Hyppolite, Terzoli, Alfredo, Thinyane, Mamello
- Authors: Dalvit, Lorenzo , Muyingi, H Hyppolite , Terzoli, Alfredo , Thinyane, Mamello
- Date: 2007
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/428545 , vital:72519 , https://nru.uncst.go.ug/bitstream/handle/123456789/6552/Information%20Communica-tion%20Technologies%20%20page%20410.pdf?sequence=1andisAllowed=y#page=256
- Description: In our paper we describe the development and deployment of an ecommerce platform in Dwesa, a rural area in the former homeland of Transkei in South Africa. The system is designed to promote tourism and advertise local arts, crafts and music, and it entails a number of re-lated projects. Deployment of infrastructure, technical support, promo-tion of the initiative and teaching of computer literacy take place during monthly visits of approximately one week, and involve young research-ers from two universities (one previously disadvantaged; the other his-torically privileged). This ensures a synergy between technical exper-tise and understanding of the local context. Findings so far emphasise the importance of contextualising the intervention to suit local needs and adjust to the local context. The platform is currently being extended to include e-government, e-learning and e-health capabilities. If proven successful, this model can be exported to similar areas in South africa and in the rest of Africa. This could open up potential opportunities for the still unexplored market for ICT in rural Africa.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Dalvit, Lorenzo , Muyingi, H Hyppolite , Terzoli, Alfredo , Thinyane, Mamello
- Date: 2007
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/428545 , vital:72519 , https://nru.uncst.go.ug/bitstream/handle/123456789/6552/Information%20Communica-tion%20Technologies%20%20page%20410.pdf?sequence=1andisAllowed=y#page=256
- Description: In our paper we describe the development and deployment of an ecommerce platform in Dwesa, a rural area in the former homeland of Transkei in South Africa. The system is designed to promote tourism and advertise local arts, crafts and music, and it entails a number of re-lated projects. Deployment of infrastructure, technical support, promo-tion of the initiative and teaching of computer literacy take place during monthly visits of approximately one week, and involve young research-ers from two universities (one previously disadvantaged; the other his-torically privileged). This ensures a synergy between technical exper-tise and understanding of the local context. Findings so far emphasise the importance of contextualising the intervention to suit local needs and adjust to the local context. The platform is currently being extended to include e-government, e-learning and e-health capabilities. If proven successful, this model can be exported to similar areas in South africa and in the rest of Africa. This could open up potential opportunities for the still unexplored market for ICT in rural Africa.
- Full Text:
Computers and African languages in education: an ICT tool for the promotion of multilingualism at a South African university: conversations
- Dalvit, Lorenzo, Murray, Sarah, Mini, Buyiswa, Terzoli, Alfredo, Zhao, Xiaogeng
- Authors: Dalvit, Lorenzo , Murray, Sarah , Mini, Buyiswa , Terzoli, Alfredo , Zhao, Xiaogeng
- Date: 2005
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/428911 , vital:72545 , https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC87340
- Description: This article describes a web-based application designed to provide meaningful access to the study of Computer Science to speakers of an African language who have limited experience of using English for ac-ademic purposes. Our research is focused upon students of Computer Skills in the Extended Studies Programme at Rhodes University who have studied English as a second language for the matriculation exam-ination. The intervention involves the cooperative production and shar-ing of multilingual support material in both English and the students' home languages. The article illustrates how the use of computers has the potential to solve some of the problems traditionally associated with the use of African languages as additional media of instruction in ter-tiary education (i.e. lack of terminology and resources in the African languages, stigma attached to their use, etc.). We maintain that learning about computers partly in their stronger language (i.e. their home lan-guage) could give students increased and more meaningful access to an educationally and economically empowering field of study.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Dalvit, Lorenzo , Murray, Sarah , Mini, Buyiswa , Terzoli, Alfredo , Zhao, Xiaogeng
- Date: 2005
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/428911 , vital:72545 , https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC87340
- Description: This article describes a web-based application designed to provide meaningful access to the study of Computer Science to speakers of an African language who have limited experience of using English for ac-ademic purposes. Our research is focused upon students of Computer Skills in the Extended Studies Programme at Rhodes University who have studied English as a second language for the matriculation exam-ination. The intervention involves the cooperative production and shar-ing of multilingual support material in both English and the students' home languages. The article illustrates how the use of computers has the potential to solve some of the problems traditionally associated with the use of African languages as additional media of instruction in ter-tiary education (i.e. lack of terminology and resources in the African languages, stigma attached to their use, etc.). We maintain that learning about computers partly in their stronger language (i.e. their home lan-guage) could give students increased and more meaningful access to an educationally and economically empowering field of study.
- Full Text:
Producing and sharing ICT-based knowledge through English and African languages at a South African university
- Terzoli, Alfredo, Dalvit, Lorenzo, Murray, Sarah, Mini, Buyiswa, Zhao, Xiaogeng
- Authors: Terzoli, Alfredo , Dalvit, Lorenzo , Murray, Sarah , Mini, Buyiswa , Zhao, Xiaogeng
- Date: 2005
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/428531 , vital:72518 , https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC37193
- Description: This article describes an intervention aimed at providing increased ac-cess to the study of information and communication technology (ICT) and computer literacy in Higher Education in South Africa. Our focus group is speakers of an African language from a previously disadvan-taged background in the extended studies programme at Rhodes Uni-versity. Preliminary investigation suggests that such students have dif-ficulties becoming computer literate partly because of their lack of Eng-lish proficiency. This might prevent them from furthering their studies of Computer Science (CS) up to the postgraduate level. Shifting away from the dominant approach to academic support in extended studies programmes in South Africa, in our research we focus primarily on the lexical rather than the discourse level. With the help of a web-based application, students collaboratively produce and share additional mate-rial in both English and the African languages. This allows them to inte-grate new concepts and knowledge about computers into their existing knowledge structures. With our intervention, we hope to improve the students' participation in the production and sharing of knowledge in the field of ICT.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Terzoli, Alfredo , Dalvit, Lorenzo , Murray, Sarah , Mini, Buyiswa , Zhao, Xiaogeng
- Date: 2005
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/428531 , vital:72518 , https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC37193
- Description: This article describes an intervention aimed at providing increased ac-cess to the study of information and communication technology (ICT) and computer literacy in Higher Education in South Africa. Our focus group is speakers of an African language from a previously disadvan-taged background in the extended studies programme at Rhodes Uni-versity. Preliminary investigation suggests that such students have dif-ficulties becoming computer literate partly because of their lack of Eng-lish proficiency. This might prevent them from furthering their studies of Computer Science (CS) up to the postgraduate level. Shifting away from the dominant approach to academic support in extended studies programmes in South Africa, in our research we focus primarily on the lexical rather than the discourse level. With the help of a web-based application, students collaboratively produce and share additional mate-rial in both English and the African languages. This allows them to inte-grate new concepts and knowledge about computers into their existing knowledge structures. With our intervention, we hope to improve the students' participation in the production and sharing of knowledge in the field of ICT.
- Full Text:
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