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. Session 2460

Information Technology Education For Developing Countries And Beginners Using Web-Based Distance Learning

Salahuddin Qazi , Naseem Ishaq School of Information Systems and Engineering Technology State University of New York Institute of Technology Utica, New York 13504.

Abstract

One of the most crucial technological challenges facing developing countries in the new millennium is the lack of suitably qualified personnel in the area of Information and Communication Technologies. Such technologies are not only important in the performance and growth of a nation’s economy, but are also the effective tools in the advancement of human development. Education of a large number of personnel in Information Technology requires an infrastructure of modern educational institutions for the younger generation to help improve the nation’s economy and provide suitable employment for them. In the absence of such an infrastructure, developing countries can educate their students by making use of new methods of web-based distance learning employed by various educational institutions in USA. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the ways in which web-based distance learning can be implemented in the developing countries and educational institutions wishing to start such facilities by using some of the resources available on the world wide web. The use of web-based and virtual labs for distance education in engineering and information technology will also be discussed.

I. Introduction

In the current information age, a nation’s economy is determined by the number of suitably trained people in information technology. A relatively inexpensive, yet accessible way of educating large number of students in information technology in the developing countries is to use distance education 1. Many universities and colleges in USA are currently using some mode of distance education to teach or supplement the courses. The 1998 Peterson’s Guide to Distance Learning Programs 2 listed the courses and programs of more than 800 accredited institutions in the United States and Canada and the number of institutions entering the distance education is expanding rapidly. Traditional methods of distance learning by mailing videotapes takes longer and suffers from the problems associated with different video standards used in different countries. The use of Internet for distance learning in comparison allows for very rapid distribution of course material to remote students. Its use also makes the course material more enriched by including graphics, hyperlinks to other materials and scrolling marquis. According to a recent estimate 3, between 1995 and 1998, the number of higher education institutions

“Proceeding of the 2001 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2001, American Society for Engineering Education”

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Ishaq, N., & Qazi, S. (2001, June), Information Technology Education For Developing Countries And Beginners Using Web Based Distance Learning Paper presented at 2001 Annual Conference, Albuquerque, New Mexico. 10.18260/1-2--9385