Jump to first page An Education Network The Kenya Education Network Experience ( Opportunities, Challenges & Lessons Learned ) Victor Kyalo Dept. of Electrical

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An Education NetworkThe Kenya Education Network Experience (Opportunities, Challenges & Lessons Learned)

Victor KyaloDept. of Electrical Engineering, University of NairobiKENET Coordinator

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Agenda

Background

Overview

Opportunities

Challenges

Partnerships

Conclusions –Lessons learned

Jump to first pagevk-05/2005

The KENET initiative emanated from the Leyland initiative -1999

Local model made up of public & private institutions

Trust formed in 2001 to oversee and steer the initiative’s operations:

Members include: VC, UoN VC, Moi University VC, JKUAT VC, Daystar VC, USIU MD, Telkom Kenya DG, CCK

Background


Goal Establish sustainable communication and

networking among educational institutions in Kenya that will facilitate wide use of ICTs in teaching, learning, research and sharing of other information resources to the general populace at affordable cost.


Objectives To establish a high –speed national IP-

based network interconnecting all learning and educational institutions.

To provide sustainable and permanent Internet access to all institutions

Create at least one learning center in each institution to support e-learning

To develop a comprehensive national education portal with an appropriate e-learning platform

To train faculty and ICT support staff


Digressing –NRENs elsewhere!!! JANET –pioneer Research and Educational Network (NREN),

currently operated on ‘private business’ status CERNET –largest NREN at the moment very active in research and

learning material production. Funded by the central government, cost recovery model and operated by a consortium of universities

TENET –South African tertiary institutions network. Government funded

Korea, Belgium, Texas Universities, Egypt, Rwanda, Ukrain, etc., Mixture of govt and cost recovery models in existence.


Infrastructure Content Policy Capacity

development

Areas of operation

Head

InfrastructureHead

ContentHead

R&DActivities

Admin//Finance

Systems/Network/Telecom Engineers

Interns


Coverage/member institutions

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ICTs have impacted all economic sectors immensely:

Work environments Culture & social interactions Etc

Overview

? Can ICTs influence development & Education Competition of scarce resources Integration of ICTs into the education system

–teaching & learning processes Best fit models & benchmarking

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Opportunities

May be deployed to allow wider access to high quality learning resources

ICTs offers the opportunity to harnesses the scattered resources into a single well organized and easily accessible point

An enabler of sharing the scarce teaching resources to a wider population

Improving teaching delivery efficiency –by deploying technology to improve education and not as an end by itself

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In the quest for empowering learners independence, a people comfortable with ICTs develop an information culture that generates critical thinking and awareness about knowledge production.

Offers opportunities for collaboration and peer support

Well articulated and formed communication channels can be used for other purposes for the benefit of the communities at large.

Technological advancements

Opportunities cont.

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Challenges

Infrastructure: including Hardware Software Power Supply Connectivity value etc.

Initial and ongoing training: untrained staff tend to be weary of

deploying new technology in their work

Running costs and maintenance: besides the initial setup, continuity

and sustainability of the system is paramount


Replacement costs: Obsoleteness of systems (equipment

and technologies) is a reality which planners have to live with in the ICTs arena.

Relevant Content

Institutions commitment

Regulatory & Taxation Regimes

Challenges cont.


Interventions Partnerships & Resources mobilization

(systems & human capital): Different players –government, private &

public sector Sharing resources –institutional

alliances, community involvement Policy & Strategies:

An all inclusive approach Integrated into the core teaching and

learning approaches e-rates Open Source encouragement Legal implications –IP, Copyright, Ethical considerations


The framework allow for the establishment of a highly

decentralized environment that takes cognizance of various stakeholders roles.

produce policies that coalesce fragmented interests in the role of ICTs into a healthy community of interests and actions.

Conclusion & Lessons Learned


Why Connectivity

ICTs offers the opportunity to harnesses the scattered resources into a single well organized and easily accessible point

Three levels of connectivity International Connectivity National or Local Inter-institutions

Connectivity Intra-institutional Connectivity


Tier1

Tier2

Tier3

KENET Educationx-change node

members

Connectivity Tiers


International Connectivity

ISP1

ISP2

ISP3

xchange1 xchange2

ISP3ISP2

ISP1

Internet backbone

Other users ISP1

ISP2

BackboneProvider

kixp

kenet


Satellite dish

Satellite dish

others

Maseno

All Major Institutionswith Downlinks and E1Backhaul to KENETAggregation point

E1 Links

E1 Links

nXE1

KENSTREAM

64k, 128k, 256k, 512k, 1mLinks to KENET institutions

Downlinks

Downlink

Future Uplink

Central DownlinkRemote or Locally LocatedKENET Sat Hub.

Initially to be used for Downlink only

GILAT, KENSAT,etc

KDN

OtherDATA

Networks

Access/Bandwidth Mngr

National or Local Inter-institutions Connectivity

mainly in Nairobi


InternationalGateway

NationalConnectivity

InstitutionsNetworks

Internet connectivity thro’ JamboNet, Jamii, KDN, Own Gateway, etc

PoPs in all regions to ensure easy distribution, connection to KIXP for ‘National Internet’

Computer Labs & Networks in all institutions

Connectivity Levels

Connectivity Levels

Users collectively, alliances with others like AVU, PAREN, etc

Contributions polled together

ResponsibilityDomain

ResponsibilityDomain

InvestmentInvestment

KENET in partnership with local loop operators, building of wireless links, etc

Members through contributions & support

-institutions-KENET-partners, etc

By all stakeholders

Imp

lem

enta

tion

Ap

pro

ach

Connectivity Approach

DescriptionDescription


InstitutionalLevel Networks

NationalLevel

Others (outside networks access)

Aim at institutions accumulating 40% of their content requirements internally

Develop shared content nationally by hosting (available content), harnessing new content –aim/fill 60% requirements

Be able to get what one needs

Content Availability

Content Availability

DescriptionDescription

Developing and eplatform with a CMS, elearning support, MIS module, etc

Collaborations, focused platforms cutting across board, e.g ITDawn, Content Mall, etc

How?How? RequiredRequired

Extend the pool of partnerships eg KARI, AJOL, ICIPE, TTCs, MOEST Agencies, etc

1. Structured content developing & hosting

2. Tying up of the content availability

All collectively Negotiate with others (NRENS), mirror servers, etc

Imp

lemen

tation A

pp

roach

Content strategy


LabsMIS

Content

Intranet

Institutional Networks

Institutional Readiness

Elearning

Librarysystems

Hot spots

FIS

Studentenrollment


Indicator Stage Indicator

Network Access

1. Information Infrastructure 11. Locally Relevant Content

2. Internet Availability 12. ICTs in Everyday Life

3. Internet Affordability 13. ICTs in the Workplace

4. Network Speed and Quality Networked Economy

5. Hardware and Software 14. ICT Employment Opportunities

6. Service and Support 15. B2C Electronic Commerce

Networked Learning

16. B2B Electronic Commerce

7. Schools’ Access to ICTs 17. E-Government

8. Enhancing Education with ICTs Network Policy

9. Developing ICT Workforce 18. Telecommunication Regulation

Networked Society

19. ICT Trade Policy

10. People and Organizations Online

2.0

2.0

2.02.0

3.0

2.5

2.0

2.0

2.5

2.0

2.0

2.02.5

2.0

1.5

1.5

1.5

2.5

1.5

Stage

eReadiness Indication –Kenya 2002


Connectivity -getting there, though still constrained by the local loops availability and capacities

Content issues –generation of usable content beginning to appear, positive collaborations emerging

Policy –has improved tremendously from hostile to very supportive

Future –can only be better

Score Card


Thank you


Head

InfrastructureHead

ContentHead

R&DActivities

Admin//Finance

Systems/Network/Telecom Engineers

Interns

Documents

Jump to first page An Education Network The Kenya Education Network Experience ( Opportunities, Challenges & Lessons Learned ) Victor Kyalo Dept. of Electrical