The 'new' new technology: exploiting the potential of mobile communications and open educational resources
Tom Power · Open Research Online (The Open University) · 2013
Education is increasingly seen as ‘the’ core component of international development (UNICEF 2005); indeed Gordon Brown identified education as ‘the key to the ultimate development goal: the empowerment of the poor, and of the world’s poorest countries’ (Brown Benn 2006). But there are multiple and complex challenges in providing free, high quality education to all the world’s children; in most developing nations, there are issues of grade repetition, low leaving age, teacher absenteeism, teacher shortages, building shortages, double shifts and large class sizes (Glewe Kramer, 2005), as well as a predominance of under-trained or un-trained teachers (UNESCO 2005).