Computer Lab Manager Training Course

Module 3: Instruction, Facilitating IT Use and IT in

Education
Summary
This module covers a diverse range of topics that all relate to how a computer lab
manager shares knowledge and encourages others to use IT to help improve their
lives. The online instruction in this course focuses helping the manager gain
familiarity with IT curricula, course design, and how IT can be useful in educational
or community pursuits. A special emphasis is placed on computers as a learning
tool. The workshop session involves practice sessions in IT instruction (including
design, delivery and evaluation of lessons prepared by participants) and
educational use of IT. It also includes discussions of the leadership roles that the
computer manager can play to encourage IT use in his or her community.

Module 3 Table of Contents

1. Introduction
1.1.
Introduction to the Computer Lab Manager Training Course
1.2.
Introduction to Module 3
2. Basic IT Teaching Skills and Teaching Methodology
2.1.
Choosing or Developing an Appropriate Curriculum
2.2.
Different Styles of Instruction
2.3.
Planning, Organizing and Preparing for a Lesson
2.4.
Facilitation of Hands on Learning
2.5.
Designing and Using Learning Assessments
2.6.
Keeping Abreast of Changing Technology
2.7.
Teaching Touch Typing
2.8.
Assignments/Activities
3. Working with Learners
3.1.
Challenging Learners
3.2.
Organizing and Leading Special Training Sessions
3.3.
Receiving and Using Feedback From Learners
3.4.
Assignments/Activities
4. Computers as a Learning Tool
4.1.
The Computer Manager as an IT Champion
4.2.
Using ICT to Help Facilitate Instruction and Learning
4.3.
Using the Internet as a Learning Resource
4.4.
Introduction to Web 2.0
4.5.
Assignments/Activities
5. Facilitating IT Use in the Community
5.1.
Importance of Community Involvement
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5.2.
Making the Computers Beneficial for the Local Community
5.3.
Assignments/Activities
6. Overall Assignments/Activities
7. List of Web Resources
8. Bibliography

Module 3 Text
1. Introduction
1.1.

Introduction to the Computer Lab Manager Training Course

The Computer Lab Manager Training Course was developed by Zambia
Pacific Trust in collaboration with a variety of organizations working on IT
related development projects in Zambia. While these projects are in several
different sectors (health, education, agriculture and community), all of the
organizations recognized the need to increase the number of people who
have training in computers past the standard level of a computer user. A
particular need that was identified was for individuals who could maintain
dynamic and well functioning computer labs and other centers for IT use
within a particular project. Therefore, a multi-faceted training course was
developed to meet these needs including both the hard skills of computer
maintenance, repair, and networking and the soft skills of management,
leadership, communication and instruction. Readers may find more
emphasis shown on educational projects, since that is the area of Zambia
Pacific Trusts experience. However, most topics discussed apply equally well
in the other sectors where IT is used.
The resource books for these modules are designed to be used as a
part of an instructor-led four module course, with each course including both
a distance (online) instruction component and a one week face-to-face
workshop. This resource book is written to accompany the third of the four
modules listed below.
Module
Module
Module
Module

1:
2:
3:
4:

Computer Maintenance, Troubleshooting and Repair

Management and Leadership
Instruction, Facilitating IT Use and IT in Education
Networking, Communication and Web 2.0

The target audience for this training course is adult learners who
already have intermediate computer user skills and significant experience
using computers. Ideally, participants are already employed as computer lab
managers, computer project coordinators or Internet caf managers. While
the course is tailored to those working in educational or community
organizations, the course is still valuable for those working in a similar
capacity in the private sector.
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These learning materials are also valuable for people who are not
involved in a formal course, but instead are studying independently to
become computer lab managers or improve their skills as computer lab
managers. Learners who are using these materials for self study are
encouraged to make the training as hands-on as possible, performing as
many of the assignments and activities as they can practically achieve.
In addition all learners, whether using these materials for self-study or
as a part of a formal course, would benefit from continuing to develop their
own skills in three important areas that are not included in this course:
Touch Typing, English Reading and Writing, and Computer User Skills.
Suggested resources for self study in these areas are presented in section
1.3 of the Module 1 resource book.
Table of Contents
1.2.

Introduction to Module 3
Whether or not a computer lab manager is running a lab that is a part
of an educational project, the computer lab manager is likely to find that he
or she becomes involved in the education of computer lab users. In many
developing countries the presence of computers is gradually increasing, but
many people have not had long experience with computer use. When these
individuals come to a computer lab, they are likely to need assistance both in
learning how to use a computer and in learning how to make the computer a
useful tool for their education or work. The educational assistance that a
computer lab manager can offer falls into three main categories, described
below:
IT Instruction. This is the most obvious of the three categories, and
is covered first in this module. All computer lab users need to be taught
basic computer skill (as discussed in section 2.1.3) in order to help them
have fruitful experiences in the computer lab. The computer lab manager
will then need to decide what additional computer skills to offer, depending
on local needs and opportunities.
Facilitating IT Use. Once computer lab users have attained the most
basic skill level, it is helpful if the computer lab manager assists the users in
figuring out what they can do with their new skills. A computer is a practical
tool with many applications, and the computer lab manager can help the lab
users see what some of these applications are and help them get started in
their use.
IT in Education. Computer lab managers are likely to encounter lab
users who are studying various subjects at either vocational or academic
institutions. Computers are a powerful educational tool for all learners from
the primary school to university levels. A valuable role for a computer lab
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manager to play, whether or not their lab is a part of an educational

institution, is to help the learners and instructors that pass through their lab
learn how to make the computer a valuable and appropriate tool for their
education efforts.
Table of Contents

2. Basic IT Teaching Skills and Teaching Methodology

Most computer lab managers have come into their positions because
they have had training or shown interest in computer use. These lab
managers may not have had any training in teaching IT skills, but yet they
are likely to be put into a position to teach IT skills at some point. This
instruction could occur through organized classes or informally providing
training as it is needed by lab users. Most of the advice below is directed
towards those who are planning and delivering formal IT instruction, but that
does not mean this information is not useful for those (such as Internet caf
managers) who would only be providing informal instruction. The guiding
principles in particular are relevant for all methods of IT instruction.
2.1.
Choosing or Developing an Appropriate Curriculum
2.1.1.
Dont Reinvent the Wheel!

Imagine that a lab

Tips for Finding Curriculum Resources:
manager has just been
asked to start an IT training
1. Learn from similar projects in your area.
program at a community
Network with other lab managers you
project. One of the earlier
know and ask them to share their
steps in this process will be
resources
for the lab manger to
2. Check with relevant government agencies
determine what curriculum
(Vocational training agencies or ministries
and learning materials to
of education or communication). Have
use. This could be quite a
they developed any relevant curricula?
challenge for the lab
manager who learned his or 3. Investigate the International Computers
Driving License (ICDL). This qualification
her IT skills informally, or
is too advanced for new learners, but is a
through a part of a much
good ultimate target for many computer
larger training program that
users. The ICDL curriculum will provide
is not appropriate as a
some good examples of skills to include in
basic introductory course.
a training course. See the website:
The lab manager might be
www.ecdl.com
tempted to write his or her
4. Look for basic IT user skills training
own curriculum from
information and curricula online. Internet
scratch, or develop a
searches will result in many options.
curriculum gradually while
Good search terms for this are: IT, ICT,
delivering instruction.
computer, user, basic, training,
While it is valuable to
curriculum and skills. Remember to try
customize a curriculum for
different word combinations if you arent
local needs, a lab manager
successful at first.
shouldnt need to start from
the beginning and reinvent 5. If your bandwidth is sufficient, investigate
free online IT training courses such as
the wheel. There are
those available from Alison
plenty of other people
(www.alison.com) and the Goodwill
offering basic IT instruction
Community Foundation
around the world who can
(and do) share their ideas. There are good resources available on the
Internet as a starting point for any training program. See the tip box here
for more advice.
2.1.2.
Guiding Principles
As a computer lab manager is developing or adapting a curriculum to
fit local needs, there are some guiding principles below that he or she would
benefit from using. These are valuable regardless of the age of the learners
or the type of training situation.
Guiding Principle #1: Skills over Knowledge. A computer user
does not need to be an expert in the internal workings of a computer in order
to be a successful computer user. In fact, unless the students are preparing
to study computer science at the college or university level, they need to
5

know very little about how a computer works in order to make it a useful tool
for learning or career improvement. Any curriculum that has a large amount
of theory included (particularly at the beginning of the course before any
hand-on practice occurs) should be revised to put greater emphasis on what
is practical and useful for the target audience.
Guiding Principle #2: Hands on Learning. Many computer tasks
are learned more easily and thoroughly through actual experience. Using a
computer is a process that involves both thought and action, so it makes
sense that learning to use a computer works best when both thought and
action are involved. Most computer users have probably had the experience
of being told how to perform a certain task only to forget the steps quickly,
or not understand them in the first place. When the users have a chance to
perform the steps themselves, and (even better) have a chance to practice
the steps multiple times, they are more likely to remember the actions
needed. With sufficient practice, some computer tasks, such as touch typing
(see more in section 2.7), will become automatic actions that do not require
any conscious thought process. Therefore, the computer lab manager should
make sure to include many opportunities for hands on learning and practice
in their curriculum. Some computer skill topics do not even need to begin
with a lecture, but can begin with students trying out the steps to perform a
certain action.
Guiding Principle #3: Immediate and Upcoming Benefit. The
computer is an amazing tool for helping improve productivity in the business,
development and educational worlds. If possible, learners should become
aware of this by making use of the computers to improve their own lives.
Therefore the computer lab manager should consider teaching skills and
using practice examples that are relevant for the learners either immediately
or in the near future. Topics that are not going to be of much value to the
learners should be avoided or given a lower priority. Below are some
examples of computer skills that benefit a specific target audience.
A group of primary pupils are learning how to write in complete
sentences. They therefore have touch typing lessons that include how
to use capital letters and periods (full stops). When they are practicing
with word processor, they type in their practice sentences and are
taught how to use the spell and grammar checkers.
A group of community learners is preparing for careers as small scale
entrepreneurs. When they are learning how to search the Internet,
their example searches focus on micro finance and cottage industries.
When learning spreadsheets, they practice with relevant budget,
income and expenditures for a small business.
A group of high school pupils is learning about graphing in their
mathematics class. Therefore in their computer lessons they are also

taught how to make different types of graphs using a spreadsheet

program.
A rural community computer center serves many agricultural workers.
They are taught how to research on the Internet about recommended
maize varieties for their area.
Students at a teacher training college have been learning about the
importance of visual aids in learning. In their computer skills classes,
they are taught how to use presentation software to make visual aids
for lessons in their subject.

Readers will notice that three of the examples above show IT

instruction being connected to the topics that pupils or students are learning
in their academic subjects. In some educational institutions where
computers are readily available and the teachers and lecturers are well
trained in computer use, the entire IT education program for the institution is
set up so that computer skills are learned through academic subjects and
not as a separate course. This integrative approach does a great job of
helping learners, even from an early age, to incorporate computers as a
useful tool for their educational and vocational pursuits. The Intel
Corporation is one organization that is putting significant effort into
developing school programs that follow this model. To learn more about their
efforts see the website: http://www.intel.com/education/teach/. In addition,
section 4 of this module covers a variety of ways that computers can be used
as a tool for education. Incorporating some of these methods and resources
into the academic curriculum is a good way for an institution to start down
the path towards a fully integrated IT program.
2.1.3.
What are the Basics?
While it is certainly hoped that a computer lab manager wont
reinvent the wheel (as discussed in section 2.1.1) and will let local needs
guide curriculum development (as discussed in section 2.1.2), there may still
be some lab managers who would like guidance on what basic topics to
cover in their curriculum. Therefore, there is a list below of the topics and
skills that this author considers to be the most fundamental.

A brief overview of what a computer is and how it can be helpful for

the users being trained
o Note that this introductory theory should be kept to a minimum.
The learners will understand the computer more as they have
practice using one.
How to properly turn a computer on and off
Mouse/touch pad operation and clicking
Navigating around a computer, using an operating system, finding and
navigating through files and folders
Common types of files and what programs create these files
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Basic word processing including:

o Creating a new document
o Adding text
o Selecting text
o Introduction to editing and formatting
Saving files including:
o Understanding the Save and Save As commands and how they
are different
o Knowing how to determine (and change) the name of a file and the
location a file is being saved to
o How to save to an external device (such as a flash drive or CDROM)
Basic Internet use including navigation and simple searches
Basic email use
Security issues including malware and Internet risks/fraud

Consider this list to be a good starting point for any introduction to

brand new users, but not the ending point in their computer training. Once
the learners have been introduced to these basic skills and topics, the
instructor can then customize the next steps in their training to meet local
needs.
Table of Contents
2.2.
Different Styles of Instruction
2.2.1.
Managing a Diverse Group of Learners
One of the biggest challenges an instructor will face is managing a
group of learners with diverse skills and needs. Imagine the instructor who is
giving a group lesson to 20 learners. Of these 20: four have learned the
current topic before, two are particularly fast learners, three need extra time
to learn new topics, one is visually impaired and cannot read the projector
screen well, and two are powerful and busy members of the community and
keep being called out of the training session to attend to other business. The
remaining 8 learners are being served well by the current pace and
instruction style, but are frustrated by the disruptions caused by others. The
goal of the computer lab manager in this situation needs to be to do his or
her best to meet the diverse needs of the group, without being pulled away
from the pace and topics that are suited to the majority of the learners.
Some specific tips for doing this are discussed in the tip box here.

2.2.2.
Different Instructional Delivery Methods
The Traditional Group Lesson. The standard method of group
instruction is to deliver a lesson to an entire group and help everyone in the
class to follow along at the same pace. This can work well for computer
instruction in many circumstances if the instructor makes sure to do the
following:
Keep the room quiet enough for everyone to hear instructions, and
make sure that the focus of the learners remains on the specific group
task at hand.
Begin a new topic only when everyone has finished a previous task,
and introduce the topic clearly in a way that everyone understands.
Use assistants to work the room and quietly help individuals who do
not understand the instructions given.
Self Paced Instruction. Another option, which is particularly useful
when learners have very different needs or paces, is to offer self paced
instruction. Instead of keeping the entire group together, an instructor
begins a lesson by distributing instructional handouts that the learners can
follow individually. The learners then follow the steps on their own, or
perhaps with one similarly paced partner, and request help as needed. This
method works well if the instructor makes sure to do the following:

Introduce topics (either to the whole group or as a part of the handout)

so that the learners
Tips for Creating Good Instructional
know what they are
Handouts
doing and why it is
useful.
Follow the steps below when creating
Make sure that the
handouts to help learners master a specific
handouts are
computer task.
detailed and correct.
1. Attempt the task on your own first. Think
It is wise to have a
about all of the steps involved (even
volunteer attempt to
those that you know instinctively) and the
follow the
skill level of the learners. Then outline
instructions first
the process on paper before beginning to
before using them
type the handout.
with the entire class.
2. Make sure that the handout gives
For suggestions for
numbered steps and that each step does
creating good
not cover too much ground.
handouts, see the
3. Include images from your computer
tip box here.
(called screen shots) for steps that are
Make sure that the
particularly difficult to explain. To learn
learners receive the
how to copy images from your screen,
help they need. The
search for Print Screen in your operating
instructor should
systems Help and Support feature.
move through the
4. If relevant, provide examples of properly
room checking on
done work at appropriate points in the
learners and offering
handout. For example, if the lesson is
help as needed, but
about formatting text, the handout can
there will probably
state your document should now look
also be a need for
like and then show the correct result.
assistants to help in
5. Be consistent about how you instruct your
this work. Students
learners to move through menus. For
can also be paired to
example, to get to the print dialog box in
help each other, or
MS Word 2003 you can say select File
students who finish
Print, or choose File from the Print
quickly can be asked
menu or click on the File menu then
to help others.
click on Print from the drop down menu.
Make sure that the
Choose one of these methods and stick
learners have
with it.
completed an
6. When finished, attempt to follow the
assignment
instructions exactly as written. Keep an
successfully and
correctly before moving ahead. The learners could self-assess this by
having an appropriately finished assignment displayed or passed
around the room, or the instructor and assistants could individually
check the work of the learners as they finish the assignment.

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A strategy to use when there are plenty of computers but paper and ink are
in short supply is to pair students so that one student has the instructions up
on his or her computer screen (instead of having a paper handout) while the
other student performs the steps on a second computer. This approach can
also help develop team work skills if the two learners are encouraged to work
together to address any difficulties encountered.
Combination Lesson. The two methods described above both have
their benefits and drawbacks, and even within an individual class there may
be times when one method works well and times when the other method
works well. Therefore, a combination of both delivery methods could be
considered. For example, when a new topic is introduced, the instructor
might choose to keep the whole group together for an introduction and the
first practice examples. Then for additional practice and the addition of a
few related concepts, the group could work on a self-paced assignment.
2.2.3.
Managing Different Learning Styles
Not everyone learns in the same way. As an instructor its important to
be aware of the different learning styles that your students have so that you
can make an effort to accommodate these different learning styles. There
are many different ways of classifying learning styles (see the article
Learning Styles on www.wikipedia.org for a discussion), but one common
classification system is shown here:

Auditory Learners. These individuals learn best by listening. They

will perform well in class discussions and will appreciate the use of
storytelling as a part of learning. Mnemonics will also be helpful for
these learners. A mnemonic is a rhyme, verse or other spoken tool to
aid in memory. An example of a mnemonic was used in Module 2,
section 8.2 where it was stated that project objectives should be
SMART (Specific, Measurable, Appropriate, Realistic and Time-bound).
Visual Learners. These individuals learn best by seeing. They will
perform well with the use of paper handouts, posters and projectors.
Particular emphasis should be placed on visual aids with relevant
images including pictures, maps, graphs and tables.
Tactile/Kinesthetic Learners. These individuals learn best through
touch and action. They will perform well with lessons that include
sharing relevant objects, opportunities to participate in
demonstrations, and actual hands-on or practical learning. These
learners will appreciate computer lessons that allow them to perform
the tasks themselves on the computer. See more about facilitation
hands-on learning in section 2.4 of this module.

While there is academic disagreement on the best ways to classify

learning styles and identify the styles of individual learners, it is safe for an
11

instructor to assume that any class will contain individuals who are described
well by all of the learning styles mentioned above. Therefore a well prepared
lesson will include tools and techniques that are beneficial for all of the styles
shown above. For example, when giving a lesson on how to save a file to a
DVD, the instructor can begin by discussing why someone might want to
save to a DVD (auditory), pass around an external DVD drive (tactile), list the
steps for saving on the projector screen (visual) and give groups of learners a
chance to try to save to a DVD on their own (kinesthetic).
Table of Contents
2.3.
Planning, Organizing and Preparing for a Lesson
2.3.1.
Why Plan and Prepare?
If a computer lab manager has found and is using an existing
curriculum, he or she may think that no lesson planning or preparation is
necessary. Hasnt all of the work already been done? Despite the fact that
the lesson has already been written, however, there are some compelling
reasons that an instructor should still review the materials and organize a
lesson. First, a learner can
Tips for Preparing for a Lesson
certainly tell the difference
between an instructor who
1. Read through all of the learning materials
has prepared well and one
you plan on using for a lesson. Perform
who is just reading a
all demonstrations and do all practice
lesson for the first time (or
exercises in these materials. Make a note
after a long time). The
of any errors and make changes as
instructor who has
needed.
prepared is much more
2. Envision the mindsets and skill sets of
confident in delivering the
your learners. What areas are they likely
material, and
to have problems with? What topics would
demonstrates to the
benefit from further explanations,
learners that he or she is
examples or practice exercises?
engaged, skilled, and
3. Consider the available time and make an
taking the course seriously.
estimate of how much material you will
Second, reviewing a lesson
cover while allowing plenty of time for the
in advance can help the
learners to do hands-on learning and
instructor pick out difficult
practice.
spots in the material or
4. Consider the different learning styles
errors in the written
discussed in section 2.2.3 and think about
instructions. Then during
ways that your lesson can be appropriate
the lesson the instructor will be able to provide additional guidance or
redirect the group as needed. Tips for instructor preparation are shown in
the tip box here.
2.3.2.
Lesson Organization
A well organized lesson is much easier for a learner to follow. In a well
organized lesson, the topics flow well from one to another and the overall
picture of a lesson is easier for a learner to see. It is important to avoid
12

situations where a learner asks (or thinks) why are we doing this task? or
how does this relate to what we were just learning? A well organized
lesson also gives learners opportunities for review. It is often said when a
teacher has organized a good lesson they tell the students what they are
going to learn in the introduction, tell the students what they are learning
in the body of the lesson and tell the students what they did learn in the
conclusion. This repetition is an important part of helping learners cement
their new knowledge. Below is a further description of these three parts of a
well organized lesson:
Introduction. In this part of a lesson the instructor explains what is
coming up. This includes an overview of why the topic is relevant and
useful. It may also include a presentation of the key points to be
presented and an outline of the lesson.
Lesson Body. This is the main bulk of a lesson. It includes sub-topics
that all relate to an overall topic, and are organized in a sensible
manner. It should include opportunities for learners to interact with
the instructor by asking and answering questions, and also practice
with the skills learned.
Conclusion. This is when the instructor wraps up the lesson
covered. It should include at least some review of the topics
presented, and opportunities for the learners to practice or share the
skill they have gained. It could include a group question and answer
session or an opportunity for the learners to perform an exercise that
combines all of the skills learned in the lesson.
Below is an example outline for a lesson that is well organized and
incorporates all of the parts shown above. The topic chosen is an
introduction to animations in MS PowerPoint. The target audience would be a
group of learners that has already learned how to make basic presentations
using MS PowerPoint. The word brainstorm is used to describe a process
where the instructor poses a question to the group and receives ideas and
answers freely from the learners. It is important that the instructor show
appreciation for all ideas and answers, and keeps correction, criticism and
debate to a minimum in order to encourage participation and keep the class
moving forward. Answers that are totally wrong can be corrected, but in a
gentle and encouraging way.
A. Introduction
a. What are animations? The group brainstorms this question
and then the instructor show examples.
b. When are animations useful? The group brainstorms this
question.
c. When are animations not useful or annoying? The group
brainstorms this question.

13

d. Quick outline of steps used to make an animation. Instructor

lists in a location where they can be visible for the rest of the
lesson.
B. Lesson Body
a. Steps to making an animation. These are demonstrated by
the instructor using a projector so everyone can see.
b. Group practice. Students individually (or in pairs) attempt the
steps demonstrated by the instructor above. The instructor
keeps the group together. Assistants help with students that
need extra guidance.
c. Individual practice. Students are given an assignment to
attempt that allows them to practice and extend their new
skills. Instructions are provided on handouts or the projector
screen. Students who work quickly are given chances to
extend their knowledge.
C. Conclusion
a. Individual application. If time allows, students are given an
opportunity to independently apply their new knowledge to
ongoing presentation projects by adding animations to these
projects.
b. Sharing and discussion. The instructor chooses some
animated presentations created by the group to share with
everyone. The instructor uses this as an opportunity to point
out particular techniques that worked well and celebrate
everyones efforts.
c. Check for understanding. While sharing projects, the
instructor asks the learners if any steps were particularly
difficult for them or if further help is needed.
d. Review. The instructor reviews the steps to making an
animation with the audience. If possible this is done at least
once as an informal quiz, with the list of steps no longer
visible.
Table of Contents
2.4.

Facilitation of Hands on Learning

The importance of hands on learning has already been previously
mentioned, but cannot be overstated. Computer use is a practical or
vocational skill, and thus should be learned as much as possible by doing. If
a lesson is about presentation skills, the learners should be preparing their
own presentations. If the lesson is about appropriate search techniques, the
learners should practice finding information on a specific topic of interest to
them. In addition, learners are much more likely to retain their newly
acquired skills if they have sufficient practice using these skills.
In order to make sure hands on learning occurs, an instructor and all
assistants should remember one very important rule: DONT TOUCH THAT
14

MOUSE OR THAT KEYBOARD!!! While it can be tempting to demonstrate a

task that a learner is struggling with, particularly if they are moving very
slowly, the user is much less likely to remember how to do a task if they
have not yet performed the actions involved. The instructor should feel free
to point to icons on the screen and tell a learner where to click (or what to
type), but the instructor act as a guide only.
What should a computer lab manager do when he or she does not have
sufficient computers to allow everyone to work on their own? Sharing
computers between two (or even three) learners can work, as long as those
learners are instructed to share the mouse evenly. Otherwise, the learner
with more skill or a stronger personality will dominate during the practical
sessions. If possible time can be allotted for more than one learner to try the
same task.
What should a computer lab manager do if he or she feels that she
does not have enough time to allow for hands on learning? The manager will
have to use his or her best judgment here, but in most cases it will be wise
for the manager to reduce the number of topics covered in order to allow for
hands on practice. It is better to learn three topics well than to learn six
topics in a way that means all six topics will be forgotten quickly. The
skipped topics could just be introduced briefly in a way so that the instructor
encourages interested learners towards self study or further courses that
include those topics.
Table of Contents
2.5.
Designing and Using Learning Assessments
2.5.1.
When and Why to Assess
Assessments, such as assignments, quizzes and exams, are a valuable
way find out how well a group of learners have learned the material covered.
They also are an important tool for indicating whether or not a learner has
earned a certificate or the chance to participate in a higher level course, and
they can result in a group of learners taking a course more seriously or
participating more fully. However, assessments are not suitable in all
courses. Some computer appreciation courses are designed to encourage
new users to get involved in using IT, and having assessments could
discourage fearful learners from participating in a course. Assessments also
need to be evaluated or marked, and instructors with a large number of
students might feel that it is impossible for them to manage to do this.
When designing a course, an instructor (and anyone else involved in the
planning process) should consider the advantages and disadvantages of
assessing learners and decide how to proceed. For those choosing to assess,
the sections below include some additional information and advice.
2.5.2.

Types of Assessments
15

Assignments. Assignments are a very useful way of both providing

additional practice for learners and assessing their ability to complete multistep tasks on a computer. Since computer use is a practical skill, these are
also the most representative of whether or not the learners will be able to
put their new knowledge to good use. Below are some examples of
assignments that can be assessed:
Students who have been learning a spreadsheet application (such as
MS Excel) are asked to prepare a spreadsheet that includes the budget
for a community event.
Pupils who have been learning how to use presentation software are
asked to prepare a presentation that includes topics from their science
class.
Students who are preparing for secretarial work are asked to edit and
properly format a formal letter.
Students who are preparing for work as electricians are asked to find
specific information on the Internet about a particular electrical device.
Quizzes. Small quizzes are an easy way for an instructor to assess the
knowledge gained by learners during a course. These can be administered
orally to a group to informally find out what knowledge has been retained, or
written answers can be requested when the instructor wants to make sure
that each learner is challenged or assessed individually. The instructor
should make sure that all written instructions are clear and lead to specific
expected answers. Some questions might be appropriate for multiple choice
answers, while others should require the learners to answer freely.
Exams. Exams are often used at the end of a course to indicate
whether or not a learner has achieved the minimum required knowledge to
move on to the next level. If exams are used, it is very important that the
instructor clearly (and well in advance) list the topics that will be covered on
the exam and provide opportunities for review and practice. Exams can
include practical (hands on) assessments, such as those used in
assignments, but the instructor will need to include assessments that can be
completed quickly and in ways that are not prone to cheating. For example,
if the instructor wants the learners to demonstrate that they know how to
format a document, they should provide a properly formatted but brief
example (such as a bulleted list, a table, or a set of headings and
subheadings using different styles) on the exam paper and ask the learners
to prepare an identical document on a computer and raise his or her hand
when finished. The instructor makes a quick check of the key features of the
document, and then deletes it. If there are more learners than there are
computers, the instructor will need to ask some students to start with the
practical portion of the exam while others begin with written work.
2.5.3.

Managing the Marking

16

Using assessments results in exams, quizzes and assignments that

need to be marked or graded. This can be unfortunate for the lab manager
who feels overly busy, but can also be a great opportunity to evaluate the
effectiveness of the learning methods used. The instructor can then adjust
or improve the course before delivering it again. The challenge for an
instructor is always to find a balance between assessments that are easy to
mark and assessments that can demonstrate deep knowledge and practical
skills in the learner. Some multiple choice questions can be used due to their
ease in marking, but this should not be the only method of assessment, since
they do not require the learners to demonstrate their ability to process more
complex concepts or solve multi-step problems. Below are two tools that can
help as the marking becomes more challenging:
Rubrics. A grading rubric is a handy tool for an instructor to use to
put value quickly to different parts of a practical assignment. The rubric,
which the instructor prepares before marking any of the assignments, is a
table that gives value to the different key features of the assignment. Below
is an example of a grading rubric to assess and assignment in which the
learners were asked to prepare a properly formatted table.

Table Assignment Grading Rubric

Description
Were the appropriate numbers of columns and rows
included?
Were the borders and shading applied as in the
example?
Was the table heading bold, centered, and in 14 point
font? Were the cells in the heading row merged?
Were the column widths adjusted to fit the content?
Total Score

Points
Possi
ble
2

Points
Earne
d

2
4
2
10

Keys. Before beginning marking an exam, an instructor can prepare a

key to make the marking move more quickly, or even share the marking with
a coworker. To prepare a key, the instructor takes a blank copy of the exam
and clearly writes in all of the correct answers. If there are multiple possible
answers to a problem, the instructor should make sure to list all of these on
the key. If there are questions that require multi-part answers, the instructor
should indicate how many points are earned for each part of the answer.
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2.6.

Keeping Abreast of Changing Technology

It is important that an IT curriculum include training in the technology
that the learners are most likely to encounter. Therefore, it is important that
17

lab managers and other instructors keeps themselves well informed about
popular technological changes and adjust their curriculum as needed to
incorporate these needs. Older technologies that are no longer common can
also be omitted from the curriculum. One area of frequent change, for
example, is in tools for document storage. A curriculum that was prepared in
the year 2000 would have emphasized floppy drives, zip drives and CD-ROM
disks. To adapt this curriculum for 2010, zip drives could be omitted entirely
and floppy drives mentioned briefly, but the learners would still need to be
trained in the use of CD-ROMs. Additional storage devices to add would be
DVD disks, USB flash drives and external hard drives. The instructor might
also introduce online document storage.
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2.7.

Teaching Touch Typing

Most IT instructors have had the frustrating experience of asking
learners to prepare a document for editing or formatting practice, only to
discover that most of the lesson time gets consumed by the learners slowly
typing in the practice text. Having good touch typing skills can significantly
improve the pace of IT instruction. It is also a wonderfully valuable
vocational skill for most learners whether they are secretaries (typing
memos), students (writing papers), teachers (preparing lesson plans and
exams), health workers (entering data and writing reports) or anyone who
wants to communicate via email. Being a good typist also opens up
opportunities for learners to earn extra income by typing documents for a
fee.
Although touch typing is a very valuable skill, many instructors and
learners avoid it due to the time consuming nature of the skill. Unfortunately,
there is no magic pill to make people good typists. Anyone can learn to
type, but significant practice and self discipline are involved. Given this
situation, it is important for a computer lab manager to introduce touch
typing early in a training program, and be consistently encouraging to the
learners as they practice. If available, performance incentives (such as small
prizes for reaching certain typing speeds) can be quite effective. Some tips
for effective touch typing instruction are included in the tip box here.
Computer lab managers also should continue to practice touch typing and
demonstrate their own developing skill to lab users. Some self study
resources for touch typing are presented in Module 1, section 1.5.

18

Tips for Teaching Touch Typing

1. Begin by demonstrating proper typing posture (neck and back straight,
shoulders relaxed, elbows at right angles, wrists straight) and chair
height (high enough to allow forearms to be parallel to the floor and
reach the keyboard with straight wrists), and then remind users often of
proper posture in order to avoid repetitive strain injuries. One good
image of proper poster is found at: http://typemaster.goglider.com.
2. Teach learners the location of the home keys, and emphasize the
importance of returning their fingers to the home keys after every key
stroke.
3. Do not let the learners look at the keys, even if they make mistakes
when not looking. If learners develop the bad habit of constantly
looking at the keyboard, this will slow them down in the long run.
4. Do not let the learners fix mistakes made during group instruction. It is
better that they keep moving in order to get used to the pattern of
pressing the keys. They instead can make a mental note of common
mistakes for further practice later.
5. Emphasize the importance of repetition and frequent practice, but in
short sessions of 15 to 30 minutes each.
6. Teach learners how to type the alphabet from memory. This begins with
the instructor calling out the letters and what finger is used for each
letter (for example: left pinky finger home for A, left pointer down
and over for B). The instructor will start with small sections of the
alphabet and gradually work up to the entire alphabet.
7. Teach learners how to use the space bar, capital letters and common
punctuation symbols, then incorporate these skills into their alphabet
(and other) practice sessions.
8. Work with the learners on common combinations of letters that are
used in writing (for example: in, is, on, er, to). These should be
repeated until they become natural movements that the learner can
perform without thinking. The instructor can then move on to common
Table of Contents
2.8.
Assignments/Activities
2.8.1.Assess your projects (or a local community projects) current
curriculum. Does it provide a good introduction to computer user skills?
Is it hands on? Does it include primarily skills that are useful to the
learners now or in their near futures? Summarize your findings.
2.8.2.What instruction style works best for your institution? Review the
different instructional delivery methods described in section 2.2.2 and
consider how each one meets the needs of your learners and the
available equipment. Summarize your answer.
2.8.3.Teach a one-on-one lesson to a volunteer student in your community.
Choose a topic that meets his or her current interest and needs, and
prepare your lesson in advance. During the lesson, take note of the
19

areas of difficulty for the learner. Briefly describe the lesson you taught
and what you learned in the process.
2.8.4.Observe a skilled IT instructor in your community while he or she gives
an IT lesson. Take notes during the lesson, focusing on any teaching
techniques that you found particularly helpful. After the lesson, write a
summary of the experience including a brief description of the lesson,
and what you thought went well and poorly.
2.8.5.Survey a group of 20 computer users from your computer project (or a
local project/Internet caf). Ask them what brings them to the computer
lab, what computer skills they would most like to learn, and what role
they see computer use playing in their future career and educational
plans. Summarize your findings. Then recommend specific topics that
be taught in an IT course at that project.
2.8.6.Keeping Abreast of Changing Technology:
2.8.6.1. The word processors used in computer projects are gradually
changing, so keeping abreast of changing technology includes
knowing your way around different word processing software. Using
different computers at your project, or at a local Internet caf, try to
perform the same task in 3 different word processors. Some
possible tasks are: magnifying/zooming in on a document, inserting
a table, formatting a bulleted list, and cutting and pasting text.
Three examples of different word processors you might find are MS
Word 2003, MS Word 2007 and the OpenOffice.org Writer. Describe
the tasks you performed and how the steps were different in each of
the different word processors.
2.8.6.2. Experiment with a different kind of computer or operating system
than the one you are most familiar with. For example, if you are
most familiar with Windows XP, try using a computer running the
open source software Ubuntu. Or if you are used to using a desktop
computer, try using a small netbook computer. Try a few tasks that
you commonly perform such as searching for files, opening
documents, or connecting to a wireless network. Summarize your
findings, emphasizing any notable differences between the
machines/operating systems.
2.8.7.What is proper posture for computer use? Research this question on
the Internet as needed and then describe your findings. Does the
furniture in your (or another local) computer project allow the users to sit
with the proper posture? Why or why not? Can the furniture be easily
modified to allow for proper posture?
2.8.8.What is your touch typing speed? Find a free online tool or download a
program (for example, the Typing Master Typing Test, which can be found
at www.download.com) to assess this. Test your typing speed again one
week later (after doing the assignment below). Have you improved?
2.8.9.Practice your touch typing. One good program for this is the Rapid
Typing Tutor, which can be downloaded from www.download.com, but
other online tools are also available. Make sure that you practice at least
20

twice a day (15 to 30 minutes each time) for a week. Your instructor will
ask you to report on your progress.
2.8.10.
Lesson Planning and Delivery
2.8.10.1.
Plan a 30 minute computer skills lesson that you can
deliver to the group during your training workshop for this module.
You can choose any topic that you think is going to be useful in your
community. Be sure to organize the lesson well and include
opportunities for hands on learning. Practice delivering your lesson
to willing volunteers. During the course workshop you will have an
opportunity to deliver your lesson to the class.
2.8.10.2.
Design a relevant practice activity for learners to complete
after the lesson you prepared above. This should be a hands-on
activity that includes the majority of the skills presented in your
lesson. If time allows, you will deliver this activity to fellow students
at your training workshop.
2.8.10.3.
Design an assessment for the lesson that you prepared
above. Consider what type of assessment (from section 2.5.2) is
going to do the best job of showing you what knowledge and skills
have been retained by your learners. If time allows, you will deliver
this assessment to fellow students at your training workshop.
2.8.10.4.
Workshop Activity: deliver a lesson to your classmates.
During the workshop for this course, you will deliver the lesson that
you prepared above. If time allows, you will also deliver the practice
activity and the assessment. Your fellow students will play the roles
of the learners during the lesson.
2.8.10.5.
Workshop Activity: evaluate student lessons. Participate in
a group evaluation processes for your lesson and the lessons
delivered by other students in your workshop. This process should
include both an anonymous survey (written evaluation) and a group
discussion. During the group discussion, make sure that you provide
your fellow students with both positive comments and suggestions
for improvement.
2.8.11.
Workshop Activity: touch typing teaching and learning. During
the course of the workshop, participate in guided touch typing practice.
The first sessions will be delivered by an instructor, but later in the week
the instructors will assign students to lead the practice sessions.
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3. Working with Learners

All IT instruction programs should be focused on meeting the
educational needs of their learners. While the curriculum should be designed
to meet the needs of the learners, however, a class will never be comprised
of a set of identical learners with identical needs. The learners will have a
variety of needs and will present a variety of challenges to the instructor. In
21

this section of the module, some of the challenges that a lab manager may
encounter with learners are discussed. In addition, some methods are
presented for receiving feedback from users in order to improve a course.
3.1.

Challenging Learners
All instructors have learners who are difficult for them. Perhaps they
are very slow learners, perhaps they are disrespectful, or perhaps they dont
show sufficient interest. Not all problems with challenging learners are easy
to address. It can take experience, gradually gained over time, for an
instructor to learn what the root cause is of some difficult behaviors, and
figure out the best strategies for addressing these behaviors. Below are
some good tips, however, for how to start off well with certain categories of
challenging learners.
3.1.1.
Adult Learners
Many adults who did not grow up using computers are challenging to
teach. Computers are likely to seem very strange and mysterious to them,
and they may not know how to start learning about them. They may also be
ashamed of their lack of knowledge and hesitant to expose their ignorance.
When working with these learners, it is very important to be encouraging and
reassuring. Let them know that they are not alone, that others have faced
the same challenges that they now face, and that they will not be ridiculed
for their lack of knowledge. Training for very new adult learners should start
at a very basic level, and include many opportunities for practice. This will
build the confidence of the learners as they master some basic skills. It is
also particularly important to teach skills that connect with the interests and
needs of the learners. The adult learners will be more motivated if they
know that the computer will be useful for them.
In school computer projects, some of the most challenging learners are
head teachers and other administrators. In addition to the issues described
in the previous paragraph, head teachers may also find it difficult to attend
training sessions due to their busy schedules or a perception that they
should not expose their ignorance to others in the school community. These
administrators should be encouraged to participate in all training programs,
but they may also benefit from one on one instruction in the privacy of their
office. A computer lab manager might assign an intern to deliver this
instruction so that the computer lab manager does not need to be absent
from the computer lab.
3.1.2.
Fearful Learners
Some new learners, particularly the adults mentioned above, are
fearful that they will break a computer if they push an incorrect button. It is
important to let these learners know that it is (almost) impossible that they
will damage a computer by making a mistake. Encourage them to take risks
and experiment freely when they arent sure what to do. The computer lab
22

manager then needs to reinforce this by taking a very positive attitude with
learners who have clicked the wrong button and gotten off track. The lab
manager should help them get back on track without criticism. It is even
useful for the instructor to demonstrate (through his or her actions) that he
or she doesnt know how to do everything on the computer. The instructor
might say lets see if we can figure out how to., and then either try
various techniques until getting it right, or demonstrate the use of a help file.
3.1.3.
Deaf and Visually Impaired Learners
While fully meeting the needs of deaf and visually impaired learners is
best done by a specially trained individual, it is good for a computer lab
manager to be as inclusive as possible in assisting these groups of learners.
For deaf learners, sign language interpretation of lessons would be ideal, but
if that is not available the instructor can make an effort to make lessons as
visual as possible. This could include using a projector to post written
instructions and to demonstrate the steps taken for a specific computer task.
The instructor may also choose to assign an intern or volunteer to work
individually with a deaf learner during a lesson. This person could write
instructions, point to the deaf learners screen and provide other guidance as
needed. Deaf learners can also be taught to customize a computer to avoid
the sounds that are a part of computer operation. For example, Windows
Vista includes options for replacing sounds with visual cues.
Partially sighted learners will benefit from increasing the screen
magnification or increasing the screen contrast, which also are options
available with Windows Vista. These learners may also need volunteers to
help them find some items on a screen or keyboard, so that they can follow
along with a lesson and participate fully. Fully blind learners will most benefit
from text reading and screen reading software. Some text-to-speech
software is available for free download on the Internet, but most of these
software choices will require the blind learner to ask for assistance to set up
a document to be read. The commercially available JAWS software is the
most popular screen reader option that makes a computer fully accessible for
a blind user to independently operate it. This software is expensive, but
there may be options for organization in developing countries to obtain
licensed copies at lower prices. Sight Savers International
(www.sightsavers.org) is working on issues related to accessible technology
and accessible education in many countries around the world.
3.1.4.
Learners with Attendance Problems
Computer lab managers will at some point encounter learners who sign
up or agree to participate in computer lessons but then attend poorly. There
are various reasons for poor attendance, and the lab manager shouldnt just
assume that it is because the learner isnt taking the course seriously
(although that always is a possibility). The manager should try to find out
the reasons for the poor attendance and see if there is anything that can be
23

done to assist with the problem. Do the learners have schedule conflicts that
prevent attendance? If so perhaps a schedule change can be made that still
works for the other learners in the class. Has the learner or a family member
been ill? If so perhaps the lab manager can offer to hold a catch-up session
for this learner (or ask an intern/volunteer to hold this session).
It is important, however, that an instructor avoid holding an entire
group back because of the attendance problems of some learners. Those
who have been attending well will end up feeling as though they have
wasted their time. Their effort and commitment needs to be honored. In
addition, if some of the learners with attendance problems see that the
group will take extra time to review material for them, they will have less
incentive to try to attend well.
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3.2.

Organizing and Leading Special Training Sessions

It is good for a computer lab manager to keep an eye out for training
opportunities and needs in his or her community. Perhaps there is a growing
interest in using email, or perhaps there is a group of users who would like to
improve their touch typing skill. Setting up special training sessions is a
great way to meet these needs. These sessions could be onetime events,
week-long workshops, or even longer courses. They also can be great
opportunities to get eager volunteer instructors (even international
volunteers) involved in the computer project. Please refer to Module 2 for
more information about planning these sorts of sessions. Some examples of
special trainings that have occurred in school computer projects in Lusaka,
Zambia are listed here:
Academic use of computers
Internet search techniques
Internet resources for history (and other subjects) teachers
Microsoft Excel for school bursars and secretaries
Touch typing
IT teaching skills (a train the trainers course)
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3.3.
Receiving and Using Feedback from Learners
3.3.1.
Why Solicit Feedback
Many instructors are intimidated by the idea of receiving feedback
(input, ideas and course evaluations) from learners. It can be disheartening
for an instructor to receive feedback that implies that the instructor did not
perform well or was not liked. In a good feedback system, however, the
instructor should find that the commentary is more informative and less
personal than he or she fears it will be. Feedback can be a valuable tool for
refining and improving a course before offering it again. It can also be a way

24

for an instructor to receive encouraging positive feedback and information

about which parts of a course were most useful and valuable.
3.3.2.
Feedback Methods
There are many ways for collecting feedback from course participants.
When choosing a method, the instructor should consider which methods are
going to allow for the most honest and open communication, and which
methods are likely to result in the most useful idea sharing. This may require
the use of more than one feedback method. Below are some methods to
consider.
Informal Checks with Learners. During a course, there may be
times when an instructor is not sure how much of the information that he or
she is presenting is sinking in. When this occurs, it is useful to briefly
check in with learners and see how they think they are doing. This could be
in the form of a quick quiz on the topics being covered (for example, asking
the learners: Who remembers how to save a file with a different name?), or
it could be asking some direct questions to the learners about the pace of
the course or their understanding level. It is best to avoid asking questions
that only require a yes or no answer (such as Did that make sense?) since
some learners will answer yes in order to be agreeable. A useful tool for
asking about understanding is to ask the learners to rate their learning from
1 -10, with 10 meaning they feel that they have fully understood all concepts
and can perform all of the skills being taught. When conducting these sorts
of informal checks, the instructor should make sure that the feedback they
receive is representative of the entire class, and not just the opinions of the
more vocal participants. To do this, the instructor may want to ask a few
individuals directly for their opinions, as opposed to just relying on those
volunteering.

25

Formal Group
Evaluation. At the end of
a course, it is useful to
allot time for a group
evaluation session. This is
a chance not only for the
learners to give their
opinions about their
current course, but also for
new ideas to be shared for
either this course or other
training programs.
Hearing the opinions of
others can result in these
opinions being used to
formulate new ideas for
course improvement or
extension. It is important,
however, to make sure
that ideas are shared
primarily in a brainstorm
fashion, where ideas are
thrown out to the group
without being debated
extensively. All ideas
should be welcomed and
encouraged, and any
disagreements addressed
only briefly and
respectfully. See the tip
box here for further advice
on running a group
evaluation process.

Tips for Running Group Evaluation

Sessions
1. Come prepared with questions to ask the
group that will result in specific and useful
answers. For example What topics
would you have liked to learn more
about? and In what areas of the course
did you feel that more practice was
needed?. This is particularly useful if
you find the group hesitant to answer
more general questions.
2. When soliciting general feedback, make
sure that both positive and negative
opinions are encouraged. One way to do
this is by drawing a big table with
columns for Positives (or What Went
Well), Negatives (or What Went Poorly)
and Ideas for the Future.
3. Make sure that notes are taken during the
evaluation session. This is best done in a
public way (such as on a large flip chart
or on a computer with an LCD projector)
so that the participants will have a
chance to see that their comments have
been transcribed correctly. The
instructors and the planning committee
should commit to reviewing and
summarizing the comments at a later
date.
4. Make sure that all participants are
encouraged to give their opinions. This
might require calling on some of the
quieter members of the group to answer
specific questions.
5. Thank all participants for their

Written Individual
Evaluations. There may
be some individuals who
do not feel comfortable expressing their opinions in a group setting. There
may also be some learners who have negative feedback to give that they
would prefer to share anonymously. For these reasons, it is valuable to
provide written evaluation forms (written surveys) for participants to
complete at the end of a course, as well as time for the individuals to
complete the forms. When preparing evaluation forms, it is good to include
some questions that can be answered quickly and compared easily when the
evaluation forms are being reviewed later. For example, some multiple
choice questions can be used (such as Which answer best describes your
26

opinion about the pace of this course?) or questions that ask users to rate
different aspects of the course on a scale from one to ten (for example How
useful do you think the skills you obtained in this course will be in your daily
work? A rating of 10 means that you think the skills will be extremely useful,
and a rating of 1 means that they will not be useful at all). When preparing
these questions, the instructors should make sure to avoid bias and instead
ask questions that are equally likely to produce positive or negative answers.
It is also good to include some questions that allow the learners to answer
freely and provide opinions that they may not have had an opportunity to
express otherwise. For example a useful question might be Do you have any
other opinions or suggestions about the delivery methods used in this
course? An instructor could consider using an online survey generator to
prepare and deliver these evaluation surveys. Online survey generators are
discussed in Module 4, section 4.4.3.
3.3.3.
Using Feedback
Once the feedback has been received, its important that it be used as
a learning tool for an instructor and anyone else involved in planning and
implementing a training program. An instructor should make a summary of
the feedback received, and present it at the next meeting of the planning
team for the training program. If it is an ongoing project, the team can then
discuss how to use the feedback to improve the training in the future.
While an instructor might be tempted to take negative feedback about
his or her instructional methods as a personal affront, it is important for the
instructor to remember that he or she asked for the advice and it was
provided as a tool for improvement. There may be some feedback that the
instructor can dismiss as inappropriate or irrelevant (such as I did not like
his green suit), but most of it should be considered carefully, even if it
demonstrates a very different perception about what happened during a
course. If, for example, a learner reports that her questions were not
addressed, but the instructor cannot recall ever ignoring a raised hand, this
may teach the instructor that he needs to pause occasionally to ask
specifically are there any other questions? or scan the room thoroughly for
raised hands.
Table of Contents
3.4.
Assignments/Activities
3.4.1. If you are already teaching computer skills, have a private discussion
with a reluctant learner. This could be someone who is enrolled in a
course but not showing signs of interest, or a community member who
has refused invitations to participate in a course. See if you can find out
why he or she is not interested or if there are other reasons (such as fear
or scheduling conflicts) that are preventing involvement. Summarize
your findings.
27

3.4.2.What sort of special IT training would benefit the learners in your

community? Consider job and entrepreneurial opportunities, as well as
how computers could be used as an information source. Draft a course
description for this special training.
3.4.3.Prepare a written evaluation form for learners in a computer education
course at your project or another project in your community. Consider
what sort of information would be the most useful in determining the
success of the course and how it could be improved for the future. Bring
your draft survey with you to the training workshop for further
discussion.
3.4.4.Learn about accessibility options (tools for people with hearing, visual
or other impairments) for the Microsoft operating system that is most
common in your community project. This information can be found at
http://www.microsoft.com/enable/. Summarize your findings.
3.4.5.Try out a screen reader (also called a text-to-speech utility). If you are
using a Windows operating system, you can try Windows Narrator. It can
be launched by clicking the Windows logo key on your keyboard and the
U key at the same time. Experiment with how the utility works with a
variety of common programs (such as your Internet browser, and word
processor). Summarize your findings.
3.4.6.Workshop Activity: Participate in a role play on helping an ashamed
learner who is reluctant to participate in an IT skills course.
3.4.7.Workshop Activity: Participate in a role play on teaching IT skills to a
deaf learner.
3.4.8.Workshop Activity: Review and summarize the feedback you received
from the written evaluation forms (anonymous surveys) for the
demonstration lesson that you delivered in the previous section of this
module. Based on this feedback, how will this lesson be different next
time you deliver it?
Table of Contents

4. Computers as a Learning Tool

4.1.

The Computer Manager as an IT Champion

Computers are a great tool for secretarial and other office tasks, but
they are useful in so many other ways that new computer users might not be
aware of. Some of the most significant additional uses of computers are as
tools for communication and as sources of information on a variety of topics.
A computer lab manager can play a key role in raising local awareness about
all the ways that computers can be helpful to users in their community. They
can broaden the horizons of learners and act as champion or cheerleader for
IT use.
One of the best ways for a computer lab manager to raise enthusiasm
for computer use is by demonstrating and sharing information and skills that
28

he or she is passionate about. The lab manager should feel free to follow
these passions in a visible and encouraging way. True enthusiasm is
infectious, and should start significant interest in the learners. For example,
if a computer lab manager loves digital photography, he or she could take
photos of the computer lab users and display them on computer desktops or
make a presentation to share at the beginning of a class. Soon the learners
would want to try and add their own images. If a lab manager has a keen
interest in local politics, he or she could begin each day by sharing a
selection of headlines from a local online newspaper. As a result lab users
may be encouraged to go online and read more for themselves.
One of the main reasons for students to learn how to use a computer is
that it is an extremely valuable learning tool for them, whether they are
studying academic or vocational subjects. Computer lab managers should
emphasize this point and facilitate the educational use of computers
whenever possible. The rest of this section is a description of some of the
key educational uses of computers for both students and
teachers/instructors.
Table of Contents
4.2.

Using ICT to Help Facilitate Instruction and Learning

29

There are myriad IT tools that a teacher or lecturer can use to facilitate
and improve instruction and learning. Some of the more common, affordable
and available tools
Tips for Creating and Delivering a Good
and techniques are
Presentation
described here. The
computer lab
1. Dont try to make one presentation to cover
manager can
everything in your curriculum. Choose a small
demonstrate these
topic, such as what you would cover in a single
ICT tools by using
lesson.
them in his or her
2. Use the different slides in the presentation to
courses, or partner
organize your lesson. For example, after the
with teachers to
title slide, your next slide should be an outline
help them use these
of the presentation, followed by another slide
tools to add content
introducing the topic. The next few slides
to their academic
should each cover a different subtopic. Then
and vocational
the presentation should end with at least one
courses.
review, summary or conclusion slide.
3. Do not pack slides with too much content.
4.2.1.
Think of each slide as covering only one main
Presentation
point
Software
4.
Do not pack slides with too many words.
Presentation
Otherwise your learners will spend all of their
software such as
time reading the slides instead of focusing on
Microsoft PowerPoint
you. A good target maximum is 20 words per
or OpenOffice.org
slide.
Impress are great
5. Add helpful visuals and animations. An
ways to create
example of a helpful visual would be including a
visually interesting
photo of an eroded hillside when discussing soil
and well organized
losses in agriculture. An example of a helpful
lessons and tutorials
animation would be to have some text appear
for learners.
only after a mouse click. This is useful when
Teachers can easily
quizzing learners before revealing an answer.
master the basic
6.
Avoid distracting animations. While initially
techniques of using
entertaining, spinning and dancing text and
presentation
pictures will soon distract from the educational
software and then
content of a presentation.
create customized
7.
When delivering a presentation, use the slides
lessons for their
as reminders or cues for information you wish
students. If the
to deliver orally.
computer project or
8. When delivering a presentation, face your
educational
audience as much as possible. Refer to the
institution is
slides as needed to emphasize your points and
fortunate enough to
to point out helpful images, but remember that
have an LCD
projector, then the instructor can use the presentations as a part of their
lessons. Many instructors around the world now teach regularly with
30

presentations used to help them organize and add visuals for their lessons.
The tip box here includes some tips for creating helpful presentations.
If an institution does not have a projector, it is still valuable for
teachers to create presentations for their pupils. If these presentations are
made available on the computers in the computer lab, individual learners
can come in and view the presentations on their own for review. In
communities where text books are in short supply, these presentations are a
valuable source of information for learners.
4.2.2.
Educational Software/Applications for Education
There are a variety of software tools (applications) that teachers and
students can use to assist instruction. One large collection of applications
and other ICT tools for educators is found at this collaborative website:
http://indispensabletools.pbworks.com/. A few examples that are likely to be
useful in developing countries are described below. All of these are tools that
can be downloaded (free of charge) and then used offline. There are many
more online tools and resources available, some of which will be discussed
below or in Module 4.
Content Generator. This company offers several downloadable tools
for creating learning games/quizzes. Learn more at the website:
http://www.contentgenerator.net/.
CourseLab. This is a powerful but easy-to-use tool for creating
interactive e-learning lessons in any subject. It is available for
download from the website: www.courselab.com. Examples of elearning lessons created using CourseLab are available on the website
showcase. Completed e-learning lessons could be distributed via CDROM disks or made available on computer lab computers.
CueCard. This is a downloadable application for creating electronic
flash cards. An instructor can create a set of flash cards for studying
any subject, and then share them on the computers in a computer lab
for the learners to study. For more information see the website:
http://wadeb.com/cuecard/
FreeMind. This mind-mapping software can be used by teachers and
learners to visually represent, organize and reorganize ideas, words or
tasks. It is a useful tool for organizing a project, writing a report or
solving a problem. It is available for download from the website:
http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki.
PhotoStory. This downloadable program for Windows XP users turns
digital photos into a story by adding special effects, captions, music
and voice narration. A teacher can use this tool to easily create and
share photo based lessons. It is available from the website:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/PhotoSt
ory/default.mspx

31

The Sage. This combined dictionary and thesaurus can be installed

on computer lab computers and used by students to look up words
they find while reading documents or searching the Internet. It is
available for download from the website:
http://www.sequencepublishing.com/thesage.html.
Stus Quiz Boxes. This downloadable application allows users to
create electronic quizzes in the style of TV game shows. The website
also has a small library of quizzes that have been created by other
users. Learn more at the website: http://quizboxes.com/.

4.2.3.
Multimedia
Multimedia presentations are those that make use of multiple types of
media such as text, images, videos and sounds. These presentations can
add quite a bit of excitement to any lesson. Making multimedia
presentations takes a bit of time and patience, but there are some tools
available now (such as PhotoStory, described above) and Windows Movie
Maker, that make that task quite reasonable. Students can also learn how to
make multimedia presentations as a part of school projects.
One emerging use of multimedia is for digital storytelling. In digital
storytelling, people use digital (multimedia) tools to tell real-life stories. The
usual outcome is a short video that can then be shared on the Internet. For
more information about digital storytelling and how it can be used in
education and community development, see the Wikipedia Article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_storytelling.
Table of Contents
4.3.

Using the Internet as a Learning Resource

In many developing countries, text books and literature are in short
supply. One great value of the Internet is that it contains a huge number of
educational resources that can supplement or replace printed resources. The
biggest challenge is finding the resources that are the most valuable for a
specific curriculum. A computer lab manager can be of great assistance to
teachers and lecturers in helping them to find the right resources for their
particular courses. The lab managers, acting as IT Champions may also
need to raise awareness in their local community about what sorts of
relevant resources are available on the Internet. Below are some useful tools
and techniques for finding educational resources.
4.3.1.
Using Existing Lists of Resources
The Internet is full of individual attempts to organize and index
websites for certain educational purposes. For example, a biology teacher
can find several websites that include another teachers (or an
organizations) list of their favorite biology resources available on the
Internet. There are also organizations that have provided lists or indexes of
educational resources in a variety of subjects. Listed below are some of the
32

more comprehensive websites listing educational resources. It is important

to note that these websites often do not provide the content themselves.
Instead they may just link the users to other good websites.

AfriConnect iSchool Website. AfriConnect, an Internet provider in

Zambia, has been working with schools and colleges for several years
to help these institutions use the Internet as a part of their educational
programs. They developed the iSchool website to organize educational
information that is available on the Internet around the Zambian
curriculum. Teachers and learners can click on their grade level and
subject, and find what resources are available on individual topics. The
website address is www.ischool.zm.
Aluka. Aluka is a growing digital library of scholarly resources from
and about Africa. These resources, which will be most useful for postsecondary study, currently focus on three areas: African Plans, African
Cultural Heritage, and African Struggles for Freedom. The website
address is www.aluka.org.
BBC Schools Website. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in
the UK hosts a Schools website that organizes an extensive collection
of educational resources for teachers and pupils of all ages. Many of
these resources are created by the BBC and thus relate most strongly
to the British curriculum. The website address is
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/.
Education Index. This website organizes academic information from
the Internet by different subjects. Websites are suggested and
reviewed by users. The website address is
www.educationindex.com/education_resources.html.
S-cool. This British website provides free review (revision) materials
for high school and A-level learners in a variety of subjects. The
website address is www.s-cool.co.uk.
Skoool. This educational project, sponsored by the Intel Corporation,
has supported the formation of e-learning websites and resources for
pupils around the world. From the skoool.com website a learner can
link to skoool e-learning websites in a variety of countries both in
Europe and the global South. These websites focus on resources for
mathematics and science education. The website is www.skoool.com.
Think Quest. This educational project, sponsored by the Oracle
Foundation, encourages pupils from around the world to create their
own educational websites. The competition, which has been run every
year since 1996, has resulted in a library of more than 7000 pupil
created websites on a variety of topics and for a variety of ages. The
website is www.thinkquest.org.

4.3.2.

Effective Internet Search Techniques

33

A computer lab manager is likely to be approached at some point by

lab users who are looking for some specific information on the Internet and
having trouble finding it. In these instances, a computer lab manager who
has practiced searching the Internet can be of valuable assistance. The lab
manager should begin by asking the user to explain very specifically what
information he or she is looking for. Searching too broadly is a common
problem among new computer users. The tip box shown here gives some
good suggestions for how to effectively search the Internet.
Tips for Effective Internet Searches
1. Be as specific and narrow as possible in your search terms. For
example, instead of using the search term Biology use your
specific topic such as Human Respiratory System or Amino Acid
Chemical Formulas
2. Dont be afraid to try again using different search terms. If you
dont find helpful web sites within the first 20 or so search results,
you are better off trying a new search.
3. If you arent successful, try synonyms or similar words in a new
search. For example, network hardware, Internet hardware and
connectivity devices could all be useful search terms for the same
general topic.
4. Try an advanced search to further narrow your results. You can
exclude certain words (for example, searching for Internet
hardware but not router), you can search only within certain
domain types (such as .edu or .gov only) or you can search only for
certain types of documents (such as PDF files or PowerPoint
presentations).
ch (go to www.google.com then click on Images). This can help a
user find helpful images (but be aware of copyright issues and be
sure to cite your sources when using them see section 4.3.4 for
4.3.3.
Evaluating Reliability
Another challenge for new Internet users is to evaluate the reliability of
the information found on a website. These users may think that all of the
information on the Internet is equally reliable, which is certainly untrue. One
of the wonderful facts about the Internet is that it has made it dramatically
easier for people around the world to share their knowledge. Much of this
knowledge, however, has not been reviewed or edited by other experts in
the same field. People will also use the Internet as a forum to share their
personal beliefs, no matter how unusual or obscure. Therefore, one of the
jobs of the computer lab manager is to help users develop a critical eye
when viewing websites. The manager can show users how to find the author
of a website, and how to investigate that authors qualifications. Lab
managers can also raise awareness among lab users about potential biases
in the information found in web pages. The tip box here gives suggestions

34

for lab managers to use (and share with others) for evaluating website
reliability and bias.
Tips for Evaluating Website Reliability and Bias
1. Look at the end of the domain name for a website to learn more about
the organization that provides the web page: .gov is for government
agencies, .edu is used by educational institutions, .org usually
refers to nonprofit organizations and NGOs, and .co and .com refer
to commercial organizations.
2. To learn more about a websites purpose or hosting organization, click
on the About Us link present on most websites. Also search for
information about partner organizations or sponsors.
3. Think about the biases that might be caused by the organization that
has written or sponsored the website. For example, if a website
providing information about environmental issues is sponsored by an
oil company, it is likely that the oil company has asked the author to
avoid environmental topics that might show the oil company in a
negative light. In another example, if a website on nutrition topics is
owned by a company selling weight loss drugs, the information on the
website could be biased in a way that encouraged readers to purchase
their weight loss drugs.
4. Consider the reliability or expertise of the authors of individual articles
found on the web. In some cases the authors background and
qualifications will be stated on the web page and in other cases a web
search for the authors name can find helpful information such as
degrees, employers or critics. It is important for web users to know
4.3.4.
Academic Papers and Citing Sources
Computer users who are studying in high school, college or university
courses may use the Internet to find sources of information for research
papers that they have been assigned. While this is certainly a good use of
the Internet, students need to make sure that they are using sources that are
acceptable for the paper they are writing. For example, many instructors will
not permit students to use encyclopedias as sources, and will only accept
websites that contain articles describing original research. Some instructors
may also only permit information that comes from educational websites (with
the .edu extension on their URL), in order to avoid the biases that might
come with commercial websites (with the .co or .com extensions).
Once a student has found acceptable websites for a research paper, he
or she also needs to know the appropriate methods for incorporating these
sources into the research paper and recognizing all authors for their work.
For example, it is never appropriate to copy word for word from a source
(whether a web resource or a book) without putting the copied text inside
quotations and providing a footnote that indicates the source of the material.
Information which has been paraphrased (modified slightly) but is taken from
35

a single source also needs to have a footnote. In addition, all sources used in
a research paper in any way should be cited in a bibliography, as has been
done with this module. If a student or other researcher does not include
quotations, footnotes and citations, as described here, he or she is guilty of
plagiarism. Plagiarism is unethical because it involves taking credit for the
intellectual work of others. In most academic institutions it is also cause for
significant disciplinary action possibly including loss of course credit,
suspension or expulsion from the institution.
If a computer lab manager is assisting lab users with research papers,
he or she should educate the lab users on the importance of using
appropriate sources and citing these sources properly in their research
papers. There are several different citation styles used for professional
quality research papers, and if possible a student should find out which style
is recommended (or required) by the students instructor or institution. Two
commonly used citation styles are MLA (www.mla.org/style) and APA
(www.apastyle.org). The websites for these organizations provide
introductions to their styles and guidelines for users. The bibliography for
this document was written using the APA style, with guidance provided by
the referencing tools built in to Microsoft Office 2007.
4.3.5.
Organizing and Sharing Web Resources
Most computer users have had the experience of finding a useful web
page, copying the web address (URL) down for later use and then
discovering that they made a mistake when copying the URL and cannot find
the website anymore. When these experiences have happened frequently
enough, computer users have moved towards developing systems to save
web addresses. Some users save the web addresses to the Favorites folder
(in Internet Explorer) or the Bookmarks tab (in Mozilla Firefox). These tools
make it very convenient for a user to save and organize websites, but they
are unfortunately not easily accessible to users when they switch computers,
and shared computers will include the favorites or bookmarks for all of the
users. Another method is for a user to copy URLs and paste them into a
document or spreadsheet, adding text as needed to describe the website.
This method can also be used for an individual to keep track of their
usernames for websites that they have had to join or subscribe to.
A third method (known as social bookmarking) is to use an online
service to store and organize websites of interest to a user. The Delicious
website allows a user to save and organize bookmarks (including web
addresses and key words) for websites of interest on any topic. The user
then can access these bookmarks from any computer connected to the
Internet. A teacher or instructor can also use Delicious to share bookmarks
on a specific topic with students. It is available for free use online at:
http://delicious.com.
36

4.3.6.
Group Research Projects
A computer lab manager in an educational project might choose to
help a teacher set up a group Internet research project for his or her pupils.
These sorts of research projects are valuable in that they allow the group to
collectively find out more information than one individual could learn alone,
and they also help develop teamwork skills amongst the learners. One
example of a collaborative research project would be an English teacher that
would like a group of pupils to research about the lives of various
contemporary African writers. She could divide the class into groups and
assign each group a list of names to research. She could also ask the groups
to find some additional writers from African countries that interest them. She
would specify the type of information that she would want them to find about
each author. Each group would need to divide up the research among
different members of the team, and then meet back together to share what
was learned and prepare a presentation or report for the class.
An increasingly popular tool to help teachers use the Internet as a part
of group projects is called a Webquest. This is an assignment or activity,
usually for a group of learners, which teaches academic concepts through
real life scenarios. Addressing the questions or problems posed in the
assignment usually involves Internet research. The webquest model is now
used by teachers around the world to create inquiry-based lessons and to
make productive use of the information available on the Internet. A teacher
can create his or her own webquest, or use the numerous existing webquests
that can be found on the Internet. For more information about finding and
creating webquests, see the following websites: www.webquest.org and
http://questgarden.com.
Table of Contents
4.4.

Introduction to Web 2.0

Web 2.0 is the term used to describe all of the recent innovative uses
of the Internet that have changed the Internet from being primarily a source
of information into being a tool for sharing ideas, collaborating and
networking with people around the world. It has significant potential for
helping Internet users in developing countries to bring their ideas to a global
audience, and also for these users to participate in collaborative learning
experiences that are not hampered due to costs or time zone differences.
Web 2.0 will be covered further in Module 4 of this course, but below are
brief descriptions of two types of web 2.0 applications that are worthy of
particular mention due to their potential significant benefit for education.
Wikis. A wiki is a website that is collaboratively created and edited by
users. Wikis allow for the flexible addition of text as users have the time and
expertise available to make the additions. This allows for significantly
greater content than if the website was left in the hands of a few designated
experts. It also results in a more dynamic experience, with content that can
37

be changed as the knowledge base changes (for example as a software

application changes, a wiki users guide could also change). One drawback
is that if a wiki is available for the general public to edit, there is a chance
that the content will not be entirely correct or reliable. As a result, some
wikis require users to obtain special permission (from the website owners or
assigned experts) before edits can be made. Other wikis have experts that
oversee changes that have been made. Four wikis that are particularly
valuable in education are listed here:
Qedoc. This wiki is a collection of e-learning resources for learners of
all ages. Over 1200 e-learning modules have now been submitted by
educators from around the world (in 11 different languages). Most of
these modules are in the form of interactive quizzes. The web address
is www.qedoc.org.
Wikibooks. This wiki is a large and growing collection of free
educational textbooks that have been created by volunteers and can
be edited by users. The topics include a variety of academic subjects
and the texts are written for a variety of age levels. There is a special
Wikijunior section for nonfiction books written for children age 12 and
under. The web address is www.wikibooks.org.
Wikieducator. This wiki was designed to help educators develop and
share educational content. It houses educational content in a variety
of topics that has been developed by users and can be browsed and
edited by registered users. It also hosts educational projects that are
underway and that users can contribute to. These projects are in a
variety of academic subjects but also include projects to improve
education and education access overall. The web address is
www.wikieducator.org.
Wikipedia. This web encyclopedia has a large and ever-growing
collection of articles in over 260 languages. There are over 3 million
articles in the English language. It is particularly valuable for its
content related to developing countries, which are underrepresented in
most encyclopedias. The web address is www.wikipedia.org.
Learning Management Software. Learning management software
(also known as course management software) is a tool that instructors can
use to manage communication with their learners over the Internet. It is
used in both face-to-face courses and as a part of online e-learning courses.
Some of the tasks that instructors can do over the Internet using Learning
Management Software are the following:
Provide a syllabus and learning materials to students
Suggest Internet learning materials for students
Give assignments and collect assignments (electronic documents)
Take polls of students, and give online quizzes
Keep track of the progress and performance of students
Inform students of their progress and performance
38

Send and receive messages with students

If both the instructors and the students are reasonably comfortable

using computers and have frequent access to the Internet, learning
management software can be a great tool for improving communication
between an instructor and a student. Instructors can have opportunities to
check in with learners regularly to assess their knowledge, rather than
waiting to see how they perform on a big exam further on in the course. It
also can be very useful for students who have missed a class to find out what
they need to do to catch up with the group.
While using learning management software is fairly simple, setting up
a website and a server to host the software is a more involved process. A lab
manager or technician with significant server and web experience could
perform these steps, but many small institutions will be better off if they
contract with an outside organization to set up and host the website for their
learning management system.
One common learning management software program that is freely
available and open-source (meaning that it can be adapted to meet local
needs) is called Moodle. It is available for free download from the Internet at
www.moodle.org. Their web page includes basic information and tutorials on
how to use Moodle, and also includes links to commercial organizations that
can host Moodle websites for a reasonable fee.
Table of Contents
4.5.
Assignments/Activities
4.5.1.What are your IT passions? Consider this question and then write a
description of the IT tools, applications or uses that you find the most
interesting and inspiring. Then think about how you can share these
passions. Which of the people you work with would be the most
interested in learning about your IT passions? What forum do you have
for sharing this information?
4.5.2.If your organization has an LCD projector, help someone deliver a
presentation using the projector. As you proceed, make notes about
what sort of help and information was most needed. You can use this
information (later) to develop a training course or guide for projector
users.
4.5.3.Create your own presentation on an academic or vocational subject.
Choose any topic that inspires you, but be sure to follow the suggestions
in the tip box found in section 4.2.1. Practice delivering your
presentation to volunteers so that you are prepared if there is an
opportunity to deliver your presentation to the group during the
workshop for this module.
4.5.4.Interview one or more teachers at a local school about their curriculum.
In particular, ask them about the parts of their curriculum that they feel
39

they need more resources for. Then use the web pages described in this
section as a starting point for you to find some resources that target the
needs of this teacher. Write up a list of the websites and the information
you found there to share with the teacher.
4.5.5.Practice your own Internet search techniques. Find a very specific
subject that you would like to find information on, and search until you
find the information you are seeking. Write up a description of the
information you were looking for and then list the keywords that in the
end were the most useful for you.
4.5.6.Start your own account on Delicious and begin saving and organizing
web pages of interest to you. Share your username with your instructor
(for this course) so that he or she can see what you have saved.
4.5.7.Search for information on a vocational subject that is relevant in your
community. It could be a topic related to agriculture, entrepreneurship,
or any sort of small scale production/manufacturing. Summarize the
topic you were looking for and the sort of information that you found.
4.5.8.Choose a specific topic that you are very familiar with, and search until
you have found three websites that discuss the same topic. Then
compare the three websites, evaluating their reliability and bias. Look
for clues based on who wrote or sponsored the websites as well as your
own knowledge base in the field. List your overall topic, the three web
addresses and then summarize your thoughts on each website.
4.5.9.Using either the MLA or the APA style, prepare a properly formatted
bibliography for the websites you used in the previous assignment. For
tutorials and guidelines on these styles, see the web addresses in
section 4.3.4.
4.5.10.
In computer projects with limited access to the Internet, it can be
useful for a computer lab manager or an instructor to save a website for
offline use by learners. Experiment with your Internet browser to figure
out how to save a web page and a web site. What is the difference
between saving a web page and saving a web site? What steps are
involved for these tasks? Are the saved web sites just as useful as the
live online versions? Summarize your findings.
4.5.11.
Research webquests for your institution (or a local school). Using
the web pages described in section 4.3.6 as a starting point, find out
what sort of webquests are available that would be useful locally. Write
up a summary that you can share with the teachers or lecturers.
4.5.12.
Partner with a teacher to help them use an existing webquest
(found on the Internet) with one of their classes. Write up a summary of
how the webquest was used. Include a brief analysis of the ways you
thought the project was successful and not successful.
4.5.13.
Evaluate a Wikipedia entry on a topic that you are familiar with.
Does the information there seem to be both correct and thorough? If you
were going to edit the web page for that topic, what changes would you
make?
40

4.5.14.
Experiment with editing a Wikipedia entry. Learn about the
process, and then see if you can make a small (and appropriate) change
to a Wikipedia page. Summarize the process.
4.5.15.
Workshop Activity: Share the presentation you created in
assignment 4.5.3 with the group. Then participate in an evaluation
session so that you can refine your presentation for future use.
4.5.16.
Workshop Activity: Participate in a role play explaining to an
administrator (at an educational, vocational or community project) that
IT is more than just learning about office skills. Focus on ways that IT
can be useful in helping their organization meet their goals.
4.5.17.
Workshop Activity: Participate in a search competition with your
classmates using one of the methods:
4.5.17.1.
Your instructor will assign a specific question and you will
see who can find the answer to the question the most quickly.
4.5.17.2.
See how narrow a search you can perform. Your instructor
will assign a specific topic, and then see who can find the most
relevant answer. In general you will find that the fewer search
results you obtain, the more success you are having in finding
results that are relevant and focused on the assigned topic. As you
narrow your search, try to add terms that eliminate the results that
are not useful.
4.5.18.
Workshop Activity: Demonstrating a webquest. Find a webquest
online that is relevant for a population that you are likely to work with in
the future. Study the webquest and consider how you would
use/implement it for a group of learners. Then participate in a role play
where you are introducing and demonstrating the webquest. Your fellow
students will play the role of the learners in your class.
4.5.19.
Workshop Activity: As a part of team, build a webquest for any
academic subject or class that your team chooses. See the website:
http://www.webquest.org/index-create.php for guidance on creating a
webquest.
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5. Facilitating IT Use in the Community

5.1.

Importance of Community Involvement

The sole purpose of some computer projects will be to benefit a lowincome or underserved community. Other projects will be a part of an
institution (such as a school or clinic) and will be focused on meeting the IT
needs of that institution. Even for these projects, however, it is beneficial to
involve the local community, for reasons described in the paragraphs below.
Unusual Opportunity. For members of an underserved community,
computers may seem very far out of reach. These people probably did not
attend a school with computers, and may never have had a chance to use
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one before. Consider how beneficial it would be to provide these community

members with this unique learning opportunity. It could end up helping them
find information on the Internet that is useful for their careers, or provide
new income generating opportunities for emerging entrepreneurs. These
ideas are expanded upon in the next section.
Source of Income. Having community members pay a reasonable
fee for computer access or computer skills courses can be a significant
income generating opportunity for a computer project that provides services
free of charge to a specific target audience or institution. A computer project
can also consider offering office/secretarial services such as touch typing and
photocopying for community members. The main challenge for projects that
intend to offer fee-based services is to figure out how to do this in a way that
does not interfere with the project meeting its mission and goals. The
planning and management skills discussed in Module 2 will be helpful here.
Build Community Support. If the community surrounding a
computer project is invited to participate in the project, they will increasingly
see the benefit that this project brings for them and will then support the
overall efforts of the project. As the reputation of the computer project
improves in the eyes of the community, the computer lab manager may find
that there are fewer conflicts that arise with the community and also fewer
thefts from the computer lab.
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5.2.

Making the Computers Beneficial for the Local Community

A computer lab manager can help members of the local community to
use the computers in a variety of beneficial ways. Some of these are
described in the tip box here. The best strategies and uses will vary
depending on the local needs and starting educational levels. Therefore, the
manager should frequently check in with community members to see if their
needs and interests are being met by the computer projects offerings.

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Tips for Using a Computer Project to Benefit the Local Community

1. Help the community members find information on the Internet that is
relevant for their lives. For example, they might benefit from learning
more about conservation agriculture, or from finding plans online for
carpentry projects. The Trainings Commons Modules (see bibliography)
includes a module called Info-mediary Skills that discusses how to
find and share information that is relevant for community members.
2. Help the community members learn skills that will help them gain
employment. Perhaps there is a shortage of individuals in your area
who can do computer data entry, or perhaps the community members
themselves have found that learning basic computer operation will help
them be competitive for certain jobs.
3. Help the community members learn entrepreneurial skills. This could
be something as simple as teaching someone to touch type so that
they can earn money typing papers, or it could be a part of a
comprehensive program that teaches computer skills alongside basic
business skills and helps the learners develop an initial business plan.
The Trainings Commons Modules (see bibliography) includes a module
called Entrepreneurship that focuses on how a manager can run a
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5.3.
Assignments/Activities
5.3.1.Interview someone from your local community. Find out what his or her
hopes for the future are. How do you think IT can help this person?
Summarize the interview and your ideas.
5.3.2.Dream up a training course for members of your local community. What
topics would be covered? Who would be your target audience? How long
would the course last? Summarize your thoughts.
5.3.3.Take some time to learn about opportunities for e-businesses or
microloans (you choose) through the Internet. Then pick a member of
your community to share your knowledge with. Did you find resources
that they will be able to take advantage of? Describe your interactions
with the community member and whether or not you think you
succeeded in finding something useful for them.
5.3.4.Find some agriculture information on the Internet that is relevant for
your community. Describe what you found and how you think it will be
useful.
5.3.5.Workshop Activity: Participate in a role play convincing a community
member to participate in a new training course. Make sure that genuine
local concerns (such as timing, cost and usefulness) are addressed.
5.3.6.Workshop Activity: Participate in a discussion about how community
computer use/lessons can fit into the daily schedule of a computer lab.
This is particularly challenging (and useful) if the computer project is a
part of an educational institution. How can the computer use and
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lessons for community members be scheduled in such a way that they

dont interfere with student and teacher use and lessons?
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6. Overall Assignments/Activities
6.1.
Evaluate your own knowledge and skill. What do you still want to learn
to improve your abilities in instruction and facilitation of learning? Develop a
plan to gain these skills, and discuss this plan with your supervisor.
6.2.
Have a discussion with your steering committee or supervisor about
instruction and learning in your computer project.
6.2.1.Option 1(For people involved in educational projects) Help them gain
an understanding of the importance of IT as a learning tool (as opposed
to just learning IT skills). Use relevant examples and demonstrations
where possible. Summarize the discussion and any important outcomes.
6.2.2.Option 2 (For any type of computer project) Address the following
questions about your computer project: Do the learning opportunities
provided meet the organizations goals? Does the schedule match the
needs of your target audience? Are there special populations of learners
that are not being served? Summarize the answers to the questions.
6.3.
Workshop Activity: Obtain a copy of the UNESCO Bangkok ICT in
Education Teacher Training Series disk titled Free Software for Educators
from your instructor. Browse through the disk and then participate in a
follow up group discussion about what useful resources were found.
6.4.
Workshop Activity: As a group, discuss topics that you think the local
community could use more information on. These topics could be anything
that is locally relevant such as a specific agriculture topic, malaria
prevention, or even automotive repair. Then agree on one topic for
everyone to research in teams of two. After researching, report back to the
group on the best resources your team found. Also discuss ways that these
resources could be effectively shared with members of the community.
6.5.
Workshop Activity: Participate in a workshop evaluation process.
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7. List of Internet Resources

The table below provides a list of the Internet resources previously
mentioned in this document. The resources are listed in the order they
appeared in this module.
Title
ICDL (International Computer Driving
License)

Web Address (URL)

www.ecdl.com

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Alison (online training courses)

Goodwill Community Foundation
iTrain Online
Telecentre.org Academy
Download.com
Microsoft Accessibility Options
Indispensable ICT Tools for Educators
Content Generator (learning
games/quizzes)
CourseLab (for creating e-learning
lessons)
CueCard (electronic flash cards)
FreeMind (mind mapping software)
PhotoStory (creating a story from
digital photos)
The Sage (dictionary and thesaurus)
Stus Quiz Boxes
AfriConnect iSchool Website
Aluka (scholarly resources about
Africa)
BBC Schools Website
Education Index
S-cool (review/revision materials)
Skoool (science/math education
resources)
Think Quest (student created
resources)
MLA (citation style)
APA (citation style)
Delicious (shared bookmarking)
Webquest.org
Quest Garden
Qedoc
Wikibooks
Wikieducator
Wikipedia
Moodle (learning management
software)

www.alison.com
www.gcflearnfree.org
www.itrainonline.org
www.telecentreacademy.org
www.download.com
www.microsoft.com/enable
http://indispensabletools.pbworks.com/
http://www.contentgenerator.net/
www.courselab.com
http://wadeb.com/cuecard/
http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using
/digitalphotography/PhotoStory/default.msp
x
http://www.sequencepublishing.com/thesag
e.html
http://quizboxes.com/
www.ischool.zm
www.aluka.org
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/
www.educationindex.com/education_resour
ces.html
www.s-cool.co.uk/
www.skoool.com
www.thinkquest.org
www.mla.org/style
www.apastyle.org
http://delicious.com
www.webquest.org
http://questgarden.com
www.qedoc.org
www.wikibooks.org
www.wikieducator.org
www.wikipedia.org
www.moodle.org
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8. Bibliography
American Psychological Association. (2010). The Basics of APA Style. Retrieved
March 17, 2010, from http://www.apastyle.org/learn/tutorials/basics-tutorial.aspx
Buddie, D. (2009). Indispensable ICT Tools for Teachers. Retrieved November 5,
2009, from http://indispensabletools.pbworks.com/
Learning Styles. (2010). In Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved March 19,
2010, from: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?
title=Learning_styles&oldid=350795388
Modern Language Association. (2009). What is MLA Style? Retrieved March 17,
2010, from http://www.mla.org/style
National Centre for Technology in Education (Ireland). (2009). Special Needs and
ICT. Retrieved November 25, 2009, from: http://www.ncte.ie/SpecialNeedsICT/
Telecentre.org. (2008). Trainings Commons Modules. Telecentre Academy. March
17, 2010 from http://www.telecentreacademy.org/browse/Detailed/2684.html
UNESCO. (2009). ICT in Education Teacher Training Series: Free Software for
Educators (CD-ROM). For more information see:
http://www.unescobkk.org/education/apeid/
UNESCO. (2009). ICT in Education Teacher Training Series: Web Tools for Educators
(CD-ROM). For more information see: http://www.unescobkk.org/education/apeid/

About Zambia Pacific Trust

There are many challenges for schools and community organizations in Zambia to
consider when starting or maintaining computer projects. Sourcing good quality
computers is just the beginning. The organizations also need to consider
infrastructure issues, staff training, computer education curricula, and internet
connectivity. Zambia Pacific Trust (ZPT) helps institutions address these challenges
through advice, training, and a cost-sharing grant process. ZPT currently works
with five schools in the Lusaka area, but has plans to add other organizations in the
future. For more information please contact info@zptrust.org.
About Heidi Neff
Heidi Neff is a former high school science teacher with 15 years of experience in
the classroom. While teaching in Seattle, Washington, she used computers
extensively as a part of her curriculum. She also assisted with computer training in
46

Zambian schools as a part of the Seattle Academy Zambia Program. Ms. Neff
starting working with ZPT in 2006, assisting their efforts to support school
computer projects in Zambia. She is currently a consultant specializing in IT in
Education. For more information please contact her at heidi.h.heff@gmail.com.

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