CEDICT: Communication, Education and Development using ICT

2015-06-10

How Pinterest’s Buy Buttons Can Change e-Commerce

Will buyable pins turn Pinterest into the web’s new shopping mecca? That’s the question marketing and e-commerce professionals need to answer now that Pinterest has announced it will soon offer “Buy” buttons to let users buy products directly within its app. And while there are plenty of reasons to think that buyable pins could turn the platform into an e-commerce powerhouse, it stands a greater chance of succeeding if it adopts key features offered by other online retailers and search engines, such as Amazon, and adapts them to the unique habits of the Pinterest community.

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Which African country gets the most venture capital investment?

Omar Mohammed looks at which African countries are attracting investors.

As the venture capital sector expands and matures across the continent more jobs are being created more frequently, says a new venture capital study. In particular the two largest economies, Nigeria and South Africa are attracting more investment that helps drive interest beyond their own borders.

But where is the money going? South Africa leads the continent in terms of investments its entrepreneurs are receiving. Meanwhile, Nigeria gets the highest number of VC investments while Kenya boasts the most foreign based investments, according to data by Venture Capital for Africa, a platform that profiles ventures in the continent.

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2015-06-09

Sesame Street helps poor kids learn faster

The Kermits and Cookie Monsters embed moral and mathematical lessons in the show, helping kids keep up as well as Head Start does.

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WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITH MY KIDS THIS SUMMER? - @TechChef4U

I often ask myself this same question. While I do work most of June, July and much of August is spent with my two boys, age 6 and 8. If you have boys, then you know that you have to keep them busy and many times plan activities and games in advance. So thinking forward to this summer… I have started curating and preparing a few resources to support those of you that are home with your little darlings too…

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Launch of the first Solar Academy in Africa

Senegalese-American pop singer Akon, founder of Akon Lighting Africa, which aims to bring electricity to Africans who currently lack it, announced the launch of a new “Solar Academy” to develop skills and expertise in this field in Africa. This professional training center of excellence is a first on the continent and targets future African entrepreneurs, engineers and technicians.

2015-06-07

How do we prepare the students of today to be tomorrow’s digital leaders?

"To understand the extent to which the skills taught in education systems around the world are changing, and whether they meet the needs of employers and society more widely, Google commissioned research from The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). The EIU surveyed senior business executives, teachers and students."

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ICT to raise quality of teaching and learning - About Education Degrees

This paper aims to help higher education teachers know, and be able to deploy, certain information and communication technologies (ICTs) towards shifting from teacher-centred pedagogy to learner-centred instruction for increased quality of teaching and learning. Theories and many practices have emerged that have faulted teacher-centred classrooms common in educational institutions, especially in developing countries. The argument is that teacher-centred approach to delivering subject contents does not produce the calibre of school leavers and graduates the twenty-first century society needs. This argument has necessitated a longstanding call for a shift to student-centred teaching and collaborative learning.

2015-06-04

Commonwealth of Learning - Large-Scale, Government-Supported Educational Tablet Initiatives

A growing number of countries are embarking on large-scale, government-supported initiatives to distribute tablet devices to students in the K–12 schooling sector. Unfortunately, there is a misconception that by simply putting this technology in the hands of students, educational access issues will be resolved and educational transformation will occur. In this research project, a systematic review of current government-supported tablet initiatives around the world was conducted to understand their origins, underlying principles, financial and organisational models, and expected outcomes. An extensive literature search and data extracted from identified documents showed that 11 countries have launched government-led tablet initiatives. The review concluded that the majority of these initiatives have been driven by the tablet hype rather than by educational frameworks or research-based evidence. Download the COL Report at: http://ift.tt/1Fy001D

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2015-06-03

ICT implementation in Saudi secondary schools - About Education Degrees

The role of Information Communication and Technology (ICT) in education is undisputed globally. However, although Saudi Arabia government has invested heavily in the ICT sector in education, the progression has often been disappointing. The barriers hindering the successful implementation of ICT in Saudi Arabia remain serious questions for decision-makers and educators alike. The purpose of this study is to determine the barriers and examine factors affecting the successful implementation of ICT in Saudi secondary schools.

2015-06-02

Free Education Technology Resources eBook - About Education Degrees

This post links to a book review of "EmergingEdTech’s 2013 Free Education Technology Resources eBook".

This eBook provides an overview and access links to many free and non-free applications and resources on the internet for teachers and students to use inside and outside the classroom for teaching, management and productivity purposes.