Peace Corps

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Idea Book

M0085

Information and

Communication

Technologies (ICT)

Integrating Digital Tools

Into Your Projects

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Information Collection

and Exchange

This publication was produced by the Peace Corps’ Center for Field

Assistance and Applied Research. It is distributed through the

Information Collection and Exchange (ICE). For further

information or additional copies, please contact ICE and refer to

the ICE catalog number that appears on the publication.

Peace Corps

Paul D. Coverdell Peace Corps Headquarters

Center for Field Assistance and Applied Research

Information Collection and Exchange

1111 20th Street, NW, First Floor

Washington, DC 20526

www.peacecorps.gov

Add your experience to the ICE Resource Center. Send your

materials to ICE or the Center for Field Assistance and Applied

Research so that we can share them with other Volunteers. Your

technical insights serve as the basis for the generation of Peace

Corps manuals, reprints, and training materials. They also ensure

that the Peace Corps is providing the most up-to-date, innovative

problem-solving techniques and information available to you and

your fellow development workers.

There is a special form at the end of this booklet for submitting

your activities for future Idea Books.
Integrating Digital Tools Into Your Projects

i

INFORMATION AND

COMMUNICATION

TECHNOLOGIES (ICT):

INTEGRATING

DIGITAL TOOLS INTO

YOUR PROJECTS

Peace Corps

2003

Information Collection and Exchange

Publication No. M0085
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

ii Peace Corps

The Idea Book Series

The ICT Idea Book is one of a series of booklets produced to share

specific activities you may be interested in replicating. Other titles in

the series are listed below, and new titles are produced regularly. All

of these ideas come from the work of Volunteers. Most of them were

submitted just as they are printed—there is not additional information. Some are extracted from larger reports. Where there are additional reference materials for an idea, notations tell you how to obtain

them. The reference section at the end of the booklet will direct you

to additional available resources. Please contact the appropriate person or group to follow up on the ideas.

You are encouraged to submit your successful activities to this series.

You will find a form on the final page of this booklet with instructions.

Titles in the Idea Book Series:

M0080: Beyond the Classroom: Empowering Girls

M0081: HIV/AIDS: Integrating Prevention and Care

Into Your Sector

M0082: Small Project Assistance Program (SPA):

Supporting Sustainable Community Development

M0083: In the Classroom: Empowering Girls

M0084: DPM: Integrating Disaster Preparedness

and Mitigation in Your Work
Integrating Digital Tools Into Your Projects

iii

Table of Contents

Introduction: A Look at ICT Activities Worldwide .......................... 1

What Is ICT? .............................................................................. 1

The Peace Corps’ ICT Initiative................................................. 4

Communication Technologies in Action .................................... 4

Technology Integration Trends................................................... 6

ICT-PCV Listserv....................................................................... 9

Online Resources ....................................................................... 9

ICT in Health Projects .................................................................... 10

ICT in Education Projects .............................................................. 16

ICT in Agriculture and Environment Projects ................................ 23

ICT in Small Enterprise Development and Business Projects ....... 28

Women and Girls Working With ICT ............................................. 36

Youth and ICT ................................................................................ 48

References and Resources .............................................................. 62

Volunteer-Developed Websites ................................................ 62

Needs Assessment Model ........................................................ 62

Skills Transfer Workshops: Session Plan Format ..................... 70

Sample ICT Troubleshooting Workshop Design...................... 72

ICT Training of Trainers .......................................................... 75

Resources Available Through ICE ........................................... 79

Have a Good Idea? ......................................................................... 85
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

iv Peace Corps

Acknowledgements

Numerous field and headquarters staff worked to complete the publication of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT):

Integrating Digital Tools into Your Projects. The Peace Corps appreciates the contributions of articles, ideas, and photographs by

Volunteers, counterparts and staff throughout the world, and the efforts

of all those who participated in this process.
1

Things to Consider as

You Read

Introduction: A Look at

ICT Activities Worldwide

In today’s technology-rich world, Peace Corps Volunteers are helping

to bridge the digital divide through the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in development projects. The application of ICT strengthens the results and reach of projects. It also helps

Volunteers find innovative solutions to problems, network with others

in their own host country and around the world, and enhance their

work with resources available on the Internet. In this idea book we

present a wide variety of ways in which Volunteers are using all forms

of ICT to achieve high-impact results across all Peace Corps sectors

and initiatives.

What Is ICT?

What do you think of when you hear “ICT”? If you are like most

people, you imagine a computer, and possibly the Internet, and how

these two technologies are used to access and produce all sorts of

interesting and relevant information. While this may be a commonly

held held definition, ICT, or Information and Communication Technology actually refers to a broad spectrum of technologies that allow

users to get, produce, and share ideas and resources. It is useful to

keep this concept in mind as we begin to strategize ways to use

technology as a tool for “leapfrogging” stages of development.

In 2002, more than 1,300 Peace Corps Volunteers worked with 750

host country organizations and more than 14,000 host country counterparts and partners on information technology-related activities. Because

of their computer, language, and cross-cultural skills, and the fact that

they work on capacity-building efforts at the grass-roots level, Peace

Introduction: A Look at ICT Activities Worldwide
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

2 Peace Corps

Corps Volunteers are uniquely positioned to help individuals, organizations, and communities explore the use of information and communication technology to improve their lives. Included in this book are

some ideas on ways in which Volunteers in all sectors can use ICTs to

increase the impact of their work.

The following are descriptions of some forms of ICT and how they

can be used to support Volunteers’ work:

· Radio: Radio is a fairly inexpensive

and pervasive technology, yet it is

often overlooked as a tool for development. In recent years, small community radio stations, which typically

have a limited reception range, have

increasingly been involved in broadcasting locally relevant development

messages in such areas as health, nutrition, and civic participation.

In several countries “interactive radio instruction” is used to provide educational programs in remote areas where teachers are

undertrained or unavailable. Examples of this type of instruction

include radio phone-in shows, road shows, and community radio.

The core attributes of community radio instruction include prior

research of relevant community issues on the part of the programmers and participation by community members in all facets of the

broadcast. In addition, satellites can now provide radio reception

to remote areas that were previously beyond reception range.

· Video: Television signals are increasingly accessible in countries

where Peace Corps Volunteers work, including areas beyond broadcast range with the use of satellite dishes. In addition, video has

become a fairly inexpensive and common technology. The price of

video cameras has dropped dramatically in recent years, and movies

or videos with development messages can be shown in the most

remote areas using a portable generator or car battery. Because of
3

the power of visual images, video—

whether used for interactive teacher training or communicating effective health and

nutrition practices—can be a very effective development tool.

· Computers: There are several levels of

computer technology. A basic level would

involve standard hardware, a computer, a monitor, and a printer,

with word processing, spreadsheet, and database software. Depending on the processing speed of the computer, software might also

be available on CD-ROM. Spreadsheet and database software alone

can improve efficiency in organizational record keeping. An additional level of computer technology is e-mail. Because e-mail

permits users to communicate across great distances quickly and

at a relatively low cost, the demand for access has expanded

exponentially. Another level of computer technology is Internet

connectivity, which allows access to the World Wide Web.

 The Web provides users with access to enormous amounts of

information (e.g., scientific literature and development best practices), which might otherwise be inaccessible. The Web also allows

interactive communication through the use of chat groups and bulletin boards. Currently, the most advanced form of computer

technology is virtual reality, which allows users to interact in a

computer-generated “virtual” world.

Some promising applications for this technology are being developed, such as training in surgical techniques and allowing

users to “ride” on atomic particles to demonstrate physics principles. However, this

technology is prohibitively expensive for

most development applications.

Introduction: A Look at ICT Activities Worldwide
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

4 Peace Corps

The Peace Corps’ ICT Initiative

The Peace Corps is continuing a on going effort to formally focus on

the use of technology to reach development goals. Volunteers are being

called on in increasing numbers to transfer their knowledge in using all forms of

technology to achieve those

goals. Therefore, a significant

development with regard to

the Peace Corps’ IT (information and technology) initiative

is its name change to the ICT

initiative. “ICT” stands for Information and Communication Technologies; the name

change reflects the more comprehensive definition of technology to include radio and

television as well as computers and the Internet. As of

2002, 75 ICT Volunteers were specifically recruited to work on ICT

projects in the Inter-America and Pacific (IAP) region, and 14 were

recruited in the Africa region.

Communication Technologies

in Action

Volunteers in all regions use TV, video, audiocassettes, print media

(magazines, newspapers, and brochures), film, and especially radio to

distribute their development messages to a broad audience. Volunteers have successfully used television and radio to spread health and

educational messages to large numbers of viewers and listeners. In the

IAP region, Volunteers established media committees on five islands

A PCV in Africa trains a young girl

in how to use a computer.
5

in the Pacific. Worldwide examples of Volunteers’ use of technology

include:

• organizing a live, interactive radio show to provide information on

the European Union;

• producing an ESL (English as a second language)soap opera for

television;

• producing a video about the importance of immunizations;

• developing radio call-in programs and TV segments about basic

HIV/AIDS information;

• promoting a sales video featuring a women’s weaving group;

• organizing a youth-led radio program to discuss issues centered on

youth;

• using radio to publicize Community Content-Based Instruction

accomplishments.

• using audiocassette recordings of health messages for broadcast

on local radio stations;

• producing a radio show of a debate focusing on increasing women’s

capacity;

• using radio for disseminating information, such as public service

announcements, and organizing on-air discussions, role plays, and

stories to make the broadcasts educational;

• offering children’s lessons via radio broadcasts; and

• hosting a radio show on American jazz.

Introduction: A Look at ICT Activities Worldwide
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

6 Peace Corps

Technology Integration Trends

Distance Learning

Volunteers are beginning to use a variety of media to support distance

learning efforts, thus increasing opportunities to access education in

the local communities. For distance learning to occur the instructor

and student must be in different locations but able to interact or communicate through the use of print media, computer-based training,

Internet-based training, interactive radio instruction, teleconferencing, and videoconferencing. The African Virtual University is an

ambitious example of distance learning that offers a diverse set of

courses via teleconferences to an underserved population.

Volunteers can exchange distance-learning ideas and resources with

other international development practitioners and their counterparts

by joining the DLDC (Distance Learning in Developing Countries)

online discussion list. More than 600 members from all over the world

participate in the list. To join, visit the DLDC website at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dldc/

Computer lab in Russia.
7

Promoting Computer Literacy

Volunteers worldwide work with a variety of audiences to transfer

needed computer literacy skills (word processing, creating spreadsheets, and producing electronic presentations). For example, in the

Dominican Republic, 17 education Volunteers became ICT teacher

trainers, placed at district and regional levels by the secretary of

education. Also, the new ICT Volunteers in the Dominican Republic

train teachers in computer skills, focusing on how computers can be

used to improve the quality of education in the classroom.

ICT Workshops

Volunteers throughout the world are conducting useful computer and

interactive media workshops with and for their host country national

counterparts and colleagues. For example, a Volunteer in Latvia

organized a weeklong workshop for local teachers to learn computer

and Internet skills. This Volunteer also recruited computer students

from a local college as volunteer assistants for the workshop, which

added to the event’s capacity building. An agenda for a workshop can

be found on page 16, taken from the Information and Communication

Technology Training of Trainers manual (ICE No. T0122). Another

type of workshop facilitated by Volunteers in The Gambia and Tonga

focused on troubleshooting skills. See the Resources section of this

Idea Book for an example of a troubleshooting workshop. Associate

Peace Corps directors (APCDs) may have insights into possible funding sources for ICT workshops.

Technology Teams, Working Groups, Clubs,

Support Groups, and Steering Committees

ICT Volunteers in several countries have created technology youth

groups and Volunteer technology working groups to share resources

and ideas and to provide support to one another. In Paraguay, Volunteers, who all use ICT in some form at their site, started a club as a

support and communication network. Small enterprise development

(SED) Volunteers in Senegal regularly produce a newsletter called

Introduction: A Look at ICT Activities Worldwide
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

8 Peace Corps

The Squeaky Wheel, which includes information on ICT activities and

projects.

The following example describes the activities of a successful

technology team established in Peace Corps/Ukraine.

Business Development Group 14 Creates

the PC/Ukraine Website and Listserv

Peace Corps/Ukraine’s Business Development Group 14 has created

a website and a listserv (www.pcukraine.org). The listserv allows

Volunteers to stay networked via the Internet or e-mail. It has helped

PC/Ukraine to take its first step toward integrating the use of ICT

with the work done by Volunteers in-country. The PC/Ukraine website

has increased the effectiveness of Volunteers by offering helpful

resources for use at their sites and has helped Volunteers in Ukraine

to both communicate about and illustrate the Peace Corps experience and Ukrainian life to friends, family, and World Wise School

partners in America.

The newly named, Volunteer-led technology team (formerly known

as the Web team) intends to use the momentum created by Group

14’s efforts to continue to expand the use of technology throughout

Ukraine.

The objectives of the PC/Ukraine technology team include:

1. Advance the effectiveness of current Volunteers in Ukraine by

maintaining and building the PC/Ukraine website’s library of

resources and operating relevant software.

2. Train Volunteers and their Counterparts in technology skills—

including but not limited to conducting research via the Internet;

developing websites for their organizations, schools, institutions,

universities, etc.; and utilizing IT equipment and resources to

draft grants, presentations, and promotional materials—at preservice training, regional conferences, and sector conferences.

3. Continue to help Volunteers in Ukraine to both communicate

about and illustrate the Peace Corps experience and Ukrainian

life to friends, family, World Wise Schools partners, and potential

Volunteers in America.
9

The ICT-PCVs Listserv

The ICT_PCVs Listserv provides a forum for Peace Corps Volunteers

and staff to share information that is relevant to their efforts to use

ICT in their countries. Any Volunteer or staff member can subscribe

to the listserv by going to the following URL:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ICT_PCVs/

Click on “Join This Group” and follow directions for signing up to

become a member of the group. You may also subscribe by sending a

subscription request to:

ICT_PCVs_subscribe@yahoo.com

Online Resources to Explore

• Guide to ICTs for Development

www.comminit.com/pdf/CKS_Guide_to_ICTs_for_Development.pdf

• Digital Opportunities for Development

http://learnlink.aed.org/Publications/Sourcebook/home.htm

Introduction: A Look at ICT Activities Worldwide
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

10 Peace Corps

ICT in Health Projects

Although Volunteers in health projects address a wide range of issues,

one of the most prevalent is HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. In

this section you will read about the outreach and education achieved

with radio communication, the possibilities for expanded educational

outreach offered by TV and video, and the application of computer

technology to project management and health education activities.

Health and Radio

Using Radio to Promote HIV/AIDS Education

and Prevention in Niger

Radio can be used to promote all types of Volunteer and community

activities and generate the involvement and participation of the

community. A Volunteer project in Niger used radio to promote an

HIV/AIDS education and prevention campaign. To increase local

interest and attendance and participation Volunteers asked a local

theater group to perform educational skits and recruited local youth to

participate in a basketball tournament for the event. Volunteers spoke

with local government officials several times prior to the event to get

their support.

Advertising the Event

Each week 14 announcements were broadcast, with two segments each

day. Each broadcast was roughly two to three minutes long and included information on the upcoming event (theater group performances

of HIV/AIDS educational skits), with the theater group performing

segments of the skits during the advertising broadcasts. The announcements and skits were prerecorded.
11

Performing the Broadcasts

A host country animator and the local theater group did the broadcasts.

Problems Encountered

Setting up meetings; getting local health officials to participate; late

arrivals or no-shows by top officials. In addition the theater group

was from the city so traveling to the bush was a challenge for them;

they were not accustomed to the “village” life. The basketball game

was a great way of gathering people but generated a very large crowd

that was difficult to manage. Working with the animatorwas challenging

at times, since he wasn’t used to working with a woman in a leadership

role.

Promising Practices

1. Working with remote villages

(theater group traveled to remote

sites and performed skits).

2. Engaging nomadic people in the

sensitizations.

3. Encouraging people to talk about sex even if shocking at times.

4. Question-and-answer (Q&A) sessions following the skits to eliminate myths and rumors concerning HIV/AIDS transmission.

5. Volunteers involved in this activity found that members of the

theater group also increased their knowledge and awareness as

they participated in the campaign.

6. Broadcasting the event at least two to three weeks prior to the

event to help hold public interest.

Lessons Learned

1. For the theater performances and Q&A sessions, try to keep the

crowd to a manageable size. Over 150 people during a Q&A

ICT in Health Projects
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

12 Peace Corps

session is too large to manage and not everyone will be able to

have their questions answered.

2. Encourage as many women as possible to participate in the

discussions.

3. Try to coordinate with other Volunteers. There is a lot of pre-event

footwork to be done.

4. Try reaching groups that typically get excluded: nomadic populations, women, and youth.

Plan more than one event, hitting different listening areas of the country.

This may make it easier for more Volunteers to participate and to assist

with the planning.

General Tips for Working

With Local Radio Stations

Visit the station to meet with station personnel

several times prior to the actual scheduled event.

Once or twice is not likely to be enough.

Many countries have established lines of protocol that must be followed when working with local

radio, especially those that broadcast to a wide

range of people and especially if the material to be broadcast is of a

sensitive nature (birth spacing, for example). Be sure to meet with all

of the necessary local officials who grant permission for such events.

For more information on developing and using recorded materials,

and producing and broadcasting local radio materials in community

development activities, see Promoting Powerful People (ICE No.

T0104).
13

Health and Television

or Video

Suggestions for Activities

1. Videotape theater group performances and skits for use during

HIV/AIDS educational activities or during activities focusing on

clean and healthy living practices (hand washing, boiling water,

etc.). If there is no available theater group in-country, enlist your

fellow Volunteers and counterparts to help perform the skits.

2. If working in an area where electricity is scarce or nonexistent,

ask local nongovernmental organizations (such as Global 2000)

to provide or rent a generator to power a TV and VCR.

3. Play the videotaped skits at schools using a TV and VCR, or in

community computer centers or Internet cafes using a CD and the

computer screen.

4. Share the video with local or government television stations. They

are usually happy to receive local educational programming

material.

If you are looking for ideas on the type of dialogue or subject matter

that might be included in a skit or educational drama, refer to the

HIV/AIDS Idea Book (ICE No. M00811) or the UNAIDS Radio Book

(ICE No. HE362; see listing in the Resources section).

ICT in Health Projects

A satellite dish at a community radio station in West Africa.
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

14 Peace Corps

Health and Computers

Health Volunteers in Jamaica are using computers in a wide variety of

ways to help reach their development goals, including creating tables,

graphs, and visual aids; and installing a wastewater database software

program in two Regional Health Authorities.

In Honduras, a Volunteer rebuilt 15 secondhand computers, which

were donated by a Rotary Club, and set up a computer laboratory. He

also wrote manuals for Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. The

Volunteer then trained a capable young man from the community as a

computer instructor. All vocational center students receive computer

classes free of charge. In addition, 90 community members paid to

attend these classes. The money raised from classes has paid the

instructor’s salary and the secretary of the center’s salary, purchased

one new computer and a color printer, and provided seed money for

the other workshops to buy start-up materials.

Volunteers in Nicaragua constructed a database to facilitate the flow

of information from an indigenous health center. Volunteers in the

Gambia trained divisional health team members to process data

generated at health centers and primary health care villages to enable

them to provide feedback and supervise health care activities.

Volunteers and their municipal counterparts learn ICT skills

in Latin America.
15

Health and the Internet

In Jamaica several Health Volunteers helped their counterparts with

the creation of the SERHA website: www.serha.gov.jm. This website

provides information regarding pools, tourism establishments, and

food-handling establishments that have passed health inspections; HIV

resources in southern and eastern Jamaica; and hospital locations and

contact information. The site also contains job listings and media

coverage of events in the region.

A Volunteer in Moldova helped construct a computer center for local

youth that included computers with Internet connectivity. The center

allowed young people to gain access to important health information

through the Internet.

Online Resources to Explore

• The Global Health Information Network

www.healthnet.org/index.php

• Digital Opportunity Initiative: ICT for Health

www.opt-init.org/framework/pages/2.2.1.html

ICT in Health Projects
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

16 Peace Corps

ICT in Education Projects

Volunteers working in education are using ICT in myriad ways. A

growing endeavor is the delivery of computer training programs and

the training of IT trainers. These initiatives build skills locally that can

be transferred without the Volunteer’s ongoing involvement. Volunteers

are also using radio and television for English language instruction.

Additionally, many resources exist on the Internet for Volunteer

teachers to use in creating lesson plans or with students in the

classroom.

Education and Radio

Two Mongolia education Volunteers produced a weekly English lesson

on a local radio station (103.6 FM “Gobi Wave”) for one year. This

work developed out of the Volunteers’ idea to do a music radio show

in English. Their counterparts and a local DJ from the station collaborated on the project. They recorded all lessons to produce a set of

cassettes that can be copied, distributed to schools and anyone

interested, or rebroadcast by the station.

Peace Corps Volunteers in other parts of the world also found audio

recordings helpful in facilitating English language acquisition. For

example, Volunteers in Georgia produced English language audiotapes

to augment new seventh form English language textbooks. Volunteers

in Russia recorded 18 audiotapes of native English speakers to improve

listening comprehension skills.

A Peace Corps Volunteer in Belize hosted a morning radio talk show

focusing on special education and disabilities.
17

Education Volunteers in Zambia collaborate with the Educational

Development Center (funded by USAID) and Zambia’s Ministry of

Education to provide basic education through interactive radio instruction to orphans and other school-age children who are unable to access

education through conventional means because of poverty, unavailability of schools, or a shortage of teachers.

Volunteers assigned to the “Taonga Market Learning Series” project:

• Assist with writing, producing, and recording programs.

• Edit program plans and scripts.

• Introduce life-skills ideas and lessons into programs.

• Generate follow-on activity ideas with scriptwriters at Zambia’s

Educational Broadcasting Services.

• Help communities set up, run, sustain, and expand interactive radio

instruction learning centers.

• Visit learning centers to monitor, evaluate, and encourage mentors

and children, and to collect data for tracking children and centers.

• Assist with testing at the end of each grade.

ICT in Education Projects

A Volunteer in Russia uses radio in her work.
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

18 Peace Corps

Education and Television

Television and video recordings offer Peace Corps Volunteers another

powerful medium for providing educational programs—oftentimes to

much broader audiences than could be achieved in a face-to-face

teaching environment.

A Volunteer in Armenia organized and conducted a Teaching English

as a Foreign Language (TEFL) course through the “Constellation of

Languages” television program. The program was regularly broadcast

all over Armenia.

TEFL and community economic development Volunteers in Bulgaria

developed an English language instruction television course, which

was broadcast on a local cable television channel.

In Moldova, a Volunteer assisted the president of a local television station in putting together a video about life in Foresti

to show to people in the United States

when he visited on a professional exchange program. Volunteers in Russia

developed video materials for their

English club, videotaped teaching activities for use in teacher training, helped establish a television studio, and developed

three video libraries with assistance from

the A&E television network.

Volunteers in Costa Rica helped set up a DirectTV system to facilitate

a distance-learning program, and Volunteers in Uganda worked with

the Discovery Channel Global Education Fund to establish video

learning centers around the country.

Girls using video in Africa.
19

Education and Computers

The Peace Corps’ Information and Communication Technology Training of Trainers (ICT TOT) manual (ICE No. T0122) can be used to

conduct adult computer literacy programs. It contains information on

possible sessions, lesson planning, timelines, and other resources. The

field-tested ICT TOT manual is designed to assist Volunteers and field

staff in transferring their technology skills through facilitated workshops in the field. The manual consists of two parts: the Facilitator

Guide with Reference Manual and the Participant Handbook. All of

the materials are on an accompanying CD so that posts can modify

both session plans and the participant workbook before printing it.

Below are a sample agenda and other useful information from a

workshop.

The objectives of the ICT TOT are to prepare participants to:

1. Conduct effective computer technology and Internet training to

help others better accomplish their development objectives.

2. Understand and apply participatory training methods that are

effective in experiential learning situations.

3. Learn how to tailor a training program to the needs of the audience.

The ICT TOT is designed to accommodate 10–16 participants who

are familiar with basic computer technology and the Internet. Although

participants may or may not have experience facilitating technology

training sessions, they anticipate engaging in projects requiring the

transfer of these skills. The ICT TOT consists of three parts:

1. The formal ICT TOT sessions

2. Lesson and activity preparation for the practicum

3. A practicum, in which participants train counterparts, students, or

community members in basic computer and Internet skills (one to

two days)

ICT in Education Projects
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

20 Peace Corps

ICT TOT Schedule: Four-Day Agenda

Day 1

Activity 1: ICT TOT 1 hour

Activity 2: Training Design and Preparation 30 minutes

Activity 3: Techniques and Methodologies

for Effective Training 1 hour

Activity 4: How to Structure the

Delivery of Training 40 minutes

Activity 5: Teaching Someone How to

Use a Computer 50 minutes

Activity 6: Training for Computer

and Internet Use 50 minutes

Closing and Review of the Day 15 minutes

Day 2

Activity 1: Welcome, Review, and Overview 15 minutes

Activity 2: Internet Overview Practicum 90 minutes

(1.5 hours)

Activity 3: Finding Relevant Resources on 90 minutes

the Internet (1.5 hours)

Activity 4: Country- Specific Computer and

Internet Infrastructure 1 hour

Closing and Review of the Day 15 minutes

Day 3

Activity 1: Welcome, Review, and Overview 15 minutes

Activity 2: Developing Training Modules 4 hour minimum

Closing and Review of the Day 15 minutes

Day 4

Activity 1: Brief Review and Questions 30 minutes

Activity 2: Technology Applied 2 hours

Activity 3: Preparation for the Training Practicum 4–6 hours

ICT TOT Closing 30 minutes
21

Recommendations

It is recommended that participants be given more time to search and

surf the Internet outside of the allotted TOT time in order to enhance

their skills and find resources that will assist them as trainers. It also

should be noted that a minimal number of activities designed to break

the ice are used in this manual, as participants are likely to know one

another from their pre-service training or in-service training activities.

Education and the Internet

Volunteers can organize and facilitate teacher training programs that

focus on using the Internet as a tool for finding lesson plans and ways

to introduce new teaching methods. Various websites exist that contain lesson plans in math, the environment, health, and so on. The

following are examples of websites that contain lesson plans. Please

note that these websites were current at the time this book was published and are only intended to offer examples of sites that offer lesson plans for many different disciplines and age groups. You are encouraged to use search engines to find current resources that best fit

your needs.

1. Lessons Plan Page:

www.lessonplanspage.com/ 

2. Teachers.Net:

http://teachers.net/lessons/

3. Discovery School:

http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/

4. Ask Eric Lesson Plans:

www.askeric.org/Virtual/Lessons/

ICT in Education Projects
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

22 Peace Corps

There are also many websites that contain lesson plans for teaching

computer skills. Computer course lesson plans are offered by Byte

Back:

www.byteback.org/Curricular/index.cfm

Internet and Web-page development lesson plans are offered by the

Leland Initiative:

www.usaid.gov/leland/manual.htm

and

www.usaid.gov/leland/tutorial/index.htm

iEARN describes itself as a nonprofit global network that enables

young people to use the Internet and other new technologies to engage in collaborative educational projects that both enhance learning

and make a difference in the world (www.iearn.org/).

Another valuable education resource available through ICE is Teaching With the Internet: Strategies and Models for K-12 Curricula, published by Neal-Schuman Inc. (ICE No. ED 212). Distributed to Peace

Corps in-country resource centers only.

Online Resource to Explore

• Making the Best of New Tools:

Standards for Integrating Technology

http://cela.albany.edu/swan.stds.pdf
23

ICT in Agriculture and

Environment Projects

A pig can be a sought-after prize, and radio communications can be

used to promote the competition that awards the prize. Whether on a

local level or on a broader scale, ICT plays an important role in agriculture and environment projects. Volunteers have used information

and communication technologies to:

• conduct a workshop on innovative technologies for NGO environment projects.

• conduct a workshop on ecotourism and information technology.

• conduct a workshop on mangrove inventory and management using

information technology.

• conduct Internet-based research to improve agricultural productivity

in Belize.

• increase the capacity of an agroforestry cooperative in Guatemala.

Agriculture and the

Environment and Radio

In Paraguay, a Volunteer was concerned that almost nobody in his

village was planting a garden so he organized a garden competition.

He used his weekly radio show to advertise the event and, occasionally, to encourage community members to join the competition. He

convinced a local NGO to contribute a pig as first prize, and he also

threatened participants with a toad as last prize. Twenty-eight families

entered the competition (in a community of 40 families). Entries were

judged on quality of garden, strength of fence, use of organic pesticides

ICT in Agriculture and Environment Projects
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

24 Peace Corps

rather than chemicals, and other important criteria. In the end, so many

of the families produced excellent gardens that the judges refused to

decide. Instead, participants received a lottery ticket for each of the

criteria that they had satisfied, and the pig (and toad) were raffled off

at a community potluck that had lots of vegetables on the menu.

Everyone received a watering can, but they realized that they had

already won by having a garden full of vegetables for their families.

Agriculture and the

Environment and Video

A Volunteer in southern Africa developed a regularly broadcast environment and science training program for technicians and teachers.

More than 50 primary and high school teachers were trained in environmental education methods and hands-on environmental activities.

To supplement the training the Volunteer produced an educational video

on biodiversity that highlights freshwater biodiversity and conservation.

This Volunteer and counterpart host a community education program in Niger.
25

A Volunteer in Ghana produced a video on tree identification, tree

protection, pest and diseases, nursery water source, vegetative zones

of Ghana, propagation, vegetable gardening, income generation,

extension, and tree nurseries. The video is being used as a tool for

forestry pre-service training.

One final example of a Volunteer using video comes from the Philippines. The local government wanted to establish a marine protected

area in two villages. A major step in establishing a marine sanctuary is

to conduct a marine assessment. The Volunteer developed a video with

coverage of the marine assessments, complete with interviews with

local officials. The video played a vital role in the establishment of the

marine sanctuary.

ICT in Agriculture and Environment Projects

Agriculture and the

Environment and Computers

In the Dominican Republic, an agroforestry Volunteer who works in a

small, rural community has established a computer laboratory powered

by renewable and environmentally friendly solar energy. As a direct

result of the establishment of this laboratory, he teaches computer

classes to rural children and youth (boys and girls); to date, he has

trained 100 children and youth in basic computer skills.
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

26 Peace Corps

In Honduras Volunteers and their counterparts at the Forest Service

and other organizations have access to computer systems, including

Landsat Imagery and GPS/GIS (Geographic Information System)

equipment, which was donated by the German government and is available at the National Forestry School. The systems are used to digitize

biophysical and socioeconomic information used to produce maps for

watersheds and protected areas (boundary, watershed delimitation;

potential and actual land uses; vegetation cover and forest types; soil

slopes and contour lines; infrastructure such as roads, trails, communities, and other facilities; assessment of damage by Hurricane Mitch;

and landslide maps). Maps are then taken to the field for ground

verification and fieldwork. Also, computers are used to design and

produce environmental educational materials such as manuals, booklets, posters, and leaflets.

Some ways to use computers to support sustainability of forestry

include analytical processes for planning purposes, resources assessment and data collection, and on-the-ground forest management.

A PCV in Guatemala offers computer training.
27

Agriculture and the

Environment and the Internet

A Volunteer in Honduras working on an environment project successfully used the Internet to market the local area as an ideal destination

for ecotourism. The Internet also proved to be a valuable tool for farmers and local NGOs working in the agricultural extension field. Access to the Internet has allowed members of the community to investigate alternative markets as well as new production strategies for their

agricultural goods.

The experience of a third-year Volunteer in Jamaica offers yet another

example of how the Internet can help agriculture and environment

Volunteers meet their goals. She and her supervisor obtained grants

from the Canadian Green Fund, the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica, and the UNDP to establish “The Cyber Center.” The profits

from the center will be used to support environmental projects.

Online Resources to Explore

• ICTs for Rural Development and Food Security

www.fao.org/sd/CDdirect/CDreØØ55b.html

• ICT in Agriculture

http://agrolink.moa.my

• Agriculture Info 21

www.undp.org/info21/sector/s-agri.html

• Agriculture and Environment Volunteers

Interested in Using Radio

www.fao.org/sd/2001/radio/index_en.htm

ICT in Agriculture and Environment Projects
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

28 Peace Corps

ICT in Small Enterprise

Development (SED)and

Business Projects

Major businesses around the world today can hardly function without

extensive use of ICT. In the communities where Volunteers are engaged,

however, there is often little access to, or use of, computer technology

or communications to strengthen small enterprise development (SED).

As a result, Volunteers form an important link between people whose

lives can be improved through the expanded use of technology and the

resources that can be applied to meet those needs. In nearly every

case, this work requires careful planning and collaboration with community leaders, financing sources, NGOs, or government agencies. In

this section you will read how Internet research broadcast on radio

programs helps farmers address marketing and other challenges, how

Volunteers manage the start-up of computer training classes and

cybercafes, and how Internet shopping helps quilt makers market their

products to a worldwide audience and helps trainees gain confidence

in surfing the Net.

In Lithuania, Volunteers collaborated

with their nongovernmental organization (NGO) counterparts to write

articles for national business newspapers promoting community awareness.

In Slovakia, Volunteers helped their

agencies prepare informational materials for TV, radio, and print media. In

Kazakhstan, Volunteers reach students and young professionals through

popular TV shows about business English.
29

SED and Radio

The following vignette comes from a Volunteer in Kenya:

Working with a local Sayare radio station, I assisted with the planning

of a radio-browsing project. The project attempts to address some of

the problems facing small farmers in the Eldoret area, such as inefficient cultivation techniques and hard-to-market crops, by providing

mediated access to the Internet’s wealth of farming and agricultural

information. The Ministry of Agriculture, the Kenya Agriculture Commodity Exchange (KACE), and Sayare Radio produce a weekly radio

show on farming issues using Internet research. Listeners submit

agricultural and farming-related questions (either by post or in person),

and members of the project’s production team retrieve answers/information from the Internet and configure it so that it is useful and

appropriate to the target audience. During the weekly program, the

presenter(s) broadcast the information in the local language (Kalenjin),

with some explanation of the retrieval process (to build awareness

and understanding of the Internet among the target audience. Topics

include alternative crops and livestock, methods to improve yield and

reduce input cost, and so forth. If time and programming permit, the

program may also broadcast current market price information.

The program is expected to air in a 30-minute weekly time slot, operating on an entirely donated or voluntary basis. The project is an outgrowth of rural farmer training seminars we have organized with the

location chief and agricultural officer. Sayare Radio has supplied the

radio time for the program, while the agricultural officer and the local

manager of KACE act as content advisors and presenters. All parties

are enthusiastic about the idea of rural Kenyans having access to the

Internet’s farming information in a way that overcomes some of the

barriers to rural Internet use. While the majority of small farmers may

never sit at a computer, virtually all Kenyan families own a small radio

and will be exposed to information that can improve their businesses.

ICT in Small Enterprise Development and Business Projects
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

30 Peace Corps

SED and Television

A SED Volunteer in Lesotho, who was assigned to the media department of the adult continuing education division of the university,

produced and hosted a weekly television talk show for Lesotho

television called “We Mean Business.”

The Volunteer and her counterpart developed the show concept and

presented it to Lesotho Television (which is owned and operated by

the Lesotho government) as a means of boosting local television programming and promoting local businesses. The television station

agreed to the concept and lent the camera equipment and use of its

studio and editing facilities (until the university acquired its own).

The Volunteer’s counterpart was the director and camera operator.

The team developed a list of topics for the season (13 episodes) at the

beginning of each year and then booked show guests (local entrepreneurs) accordingly. Topics ranged from “Women-Owned Businesses”

to “What’s a Bar-Code Scanner and How Can It Help Your Business?”

to “Promoting Goods and Services Outside of Lesotho.”

The Volunteer and her counterpart persuaded local clothing stores to

provide the host’s wardrobe and a local furniture store to provide seating

arrangements and other set furnishings in exchange for commercials

promoting their businesses.

Using video during Take Our Daughters to Work Day.
31

SED and Computers

The following was adapted from a Volunteer-written article, “Bridging

the Digital Divide: Tips, Traps, and Triumphs” that appeared in Peace

Corps/Senegal’s newsletter, The Squeaky Wheel. The article described

computer literacy training conducted by Volunteers.

What Volunteers Did

• Started a word-processing class at a reduced price.

• Organized two groups of participants that received four hours of

training per week and a one-hour self-directed workshop.

• To deal with capacity constraints, allowed only three or four people

per computer.

Problems Encountered

• Collecting payments in a timely fashion and outstanding payments.

Volunteers dealt with this by emphasizing a moral contract with

participants and their financial contract with other parties.

• Price enforcement. It was difficult, but essential, to remain firm on

the price because some students were friends of the Volunteers.

• Marketing. People were initially hesitant but started coming when

they saw lots of other people signing up.

• High turnover among clients. Volunteers worked to improve class

structure and better address the needs of the students.

Possibilities

• Summer school courses. In the summer the town swells with

students who live in larger towns during the school year.

• Night school. There are classes with 20 students for four hours per

week. Most students work during the day.

ICT in Small Enterprise Development and Business Projects
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

32 Peace Corps

• Professional courses. Office support courses can be offered to

students seeking competitive internships at local businesses and

organizations.

• Tutoring/immersion.

• Students. Over 30 students study two hours per week for a monthly

fee. Volunteers also tried to engage the support of schools to recruit

300 students in exchange for a computer and printer. They were

unsuccessful at meeting their objectives. The assumption was that

the first month’s tuition would be used to pay for the computer and

printer, and subsequent monthly payments would eventually cover

the costs.

Problems With Managing Cybercafes

(Internet Cafes)

• Exploitation by computer repair people. People may take financial

advantage when equipment needs to be repaired. It would be ideal

if one of the investors were trained in computer troubleshooting.

• Maintenance of computers. Computers malfunction and break down

all the time. To help reduce problems with breakdown, Volunteers

have restricted access to their hardware, allowing access only to

hired personnel.

Using computers for interactive learning.
33

Concluding Remarks

Local work partners should be responsible for researching the costs

and creating a business strategy appropriate to their environment.

Volunteers in Senegal have learned the following lessons:

• Investors in the computer project should be familiar with computers.

Lack of technical expertise made Volunteers vulnerable to exploitation.

• The threat of losing money breaks cultural habits and makes

rigorous management stick in practice, not just in words. Subsidies

may jeopardize this learning process.

• Volunteers who have knowledge of basic software programs can

work as “experts” in some rural areas. It is possible to learn about

other computer applications and technology issues (such as LANs)

through online tutorials and courses.

• People who understand town politics or are extensively involved in

community affairs have a rich command of marketing opportunities.

This skill is extremely useful when introducing new or foreign ideas.

• It takes a lot of persistence and perseverance to make a cybercenter

work in a small town. Make sure your partners are motivated and

have the necessary finances.

ICT in Small Enterprise Development and Business Projects
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

34 Peace Corps

SED and the Internet

Small business Volunteers in Suriname have worked with local women

artists to produce a website marketing handmade quilts. Not only does

the website provide an opportunity for the women to showcase the

beautiful materials they have created, but it also provides a means for

them to globally market these products.

Eliminating Fear of the Internet

For many host country colleagues, the

Internet is new and sometimes intimidating. Often people are interested in learning more, but they may be afraid to experiment for fear of “breaking” something.

When teaching a group how to use the

Internet, consider a strategy used by a Volunteer in the Ukraine. This Volunteer decided to help participants relax by beginning the lesson with nontechnical material—Internet shopping. Participants used shopping as an example of

how to find information on the Internet. They were shown the newest

catalogs from a few well-known stores. Participants were eager to see

what products were available in the United States and what fashions

were current. This short, but fun and interesting activity helped lessen

participants’ fear of using the Internet. After that, participants were

less apprehensive about using the Internet and felt more comfortable

searching for and visiting business-related sites.

Small business Volunteers in Kenya have worked with individual businesses in the information and business centers (cybercafes) to create

websites and teach the business community how to use the Internet to

increase their access to information and customers.
35

Online Resources to Explore

• PEOPLink – “A nonprofit marketplace benefiting grassroots

artisans and their communities around the world.”

www.peoplelink.org

• ICT for Poverty Reduction and Economic Growth

www.developmentgateway.org/node/133831/sdm/docview?

docid=492330

• ICTs and Small Enterprise in Africa

http://idpm.man.ac.uk/rsc/is/ictsme/ictsmeaf.shtml

• Information, Technology and Small Enterprise: A Handbook for

Enterprise Support Agencies in Developing Countries

http://idpm.man.ac.uk/esahndbk.html

ICT in Small Enterprise Development and Business Projects
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

36 Peace Corps

Women and Girls

Working With ICT

Much has been written about the ”the digital divide”—the gap between

those who have Internet and computer access and those who do not.

This divide is biggest in the nonindustrialized nations where Peace

Corps Volunteers live and work. Unfortunately, in developing countries

women tend to suffer the consequences of the divide more acutely

than men and are less likely or able to participate in today’s “information

age.”

In an era when fax machines have gone from new technology, to

common use, to virtual obsolescence in only about 10 years’ time—

and Internet cafes have become commonplace in capital cities and in

smaller towns in nearly every country where Peace Corps Volunteers

work—“women are still only 22 percent of all Internet users in Asia,

30 percent of those in Latin America and six percent of Middle Eastern

users. No regional figures by sex are available for Africa.”1

A Tongan girl learns how to type using computer-based typing software.
37

Why Are Women Less “Connected”

Than Men?

In many countries women tend to participate in the low-tech end of

adaptation (as data processors, for example) rather than contributing

to higher end applications such as Internet content development, programming, or web page design. However, women and women’s groups

do frequently use e-mail, an important tool for empowerment, to share

resources and to network.

Some of the reasons women tend to participate less frequently than

men in a technological society include:

Low Literacy Skills. “Basic literacy and numeracy are needed to

read and compose simple messages, navigate the Internet, and execute

commands in software applications. As women make up nearly twothirds of the world’s illiterate, and one out of every two women in

developing countries is illiterate, women are more likely than men to

lack the basic literacy and computer skills that would enable them to

take advantage of new global communication opportunities.”2

Cultural Biases. In some countries, it is not culturally appropriate

for women and girls to “hang out” in public places like cybercafes,

where Internet and computer access are available for those who cannot

afford a personal computer.

Traditional Gender Roles. Women and girls may lack the confidence to try something unfamiliar or new.

More Women Than Men Live in Rural Areas. In rural

areas, women constitute 60 percent of the population. The gender gap

in Internet access runs parallel to the rural/urban divide. Cybercafes

and cheap Internet access are more likely to be located in urban centers.

Women and Girls Working With ICT
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

38 Peace Corps

How Can You Encourage Women

and Girls to Participate in a

Technological Society?

• Provide cooperative, hands-on learning experiences. When classes

are cross-disciplinary (e.g., relating computer science to real-world

applications like health, politics, and art), more girls are likely to

sign up and stay with it.

• Hold a girls-only class. Girls are more likely to participate when

boys are not present.

• Introduce female role models in the technology field.

What follows are some initiatives encouraging girls to use technology.

Visit the following websites for additional ideas on how you can

encourage women and girls in your own community to make use of

technology:

• Techbridge: Encouraging Girls in Technology

www.chabotspace.org/visit/programs/techbridge.asp

• The IGNITE (Inspiring Girls Now in

Technology Evolution) Program

www.ignite-us.org/

• Center for Women and Information Technology

www.umbc.edu/cwit/index.html

• Peace Corps Resource Focusing on Women,

Girls, and Technology

Gender and the Information Revolution in Africa

(ICE No. WD143).
39

Women, Girls, and Radio

Approach your community radio station, or even the Ministry of Information, regarding producing a dramatic serial radio program about

the trials and tribulations of an enterprising female farmer, small business owner, teacher, etc.

In Niger, Volunteers used radio to publicize and expand the reach

of events such as a Women’s Day, a Men’s Day, and a campaign

to raise awareness of the need for girls’ education. Volunteers

also used rural radio to promote women’s agribusiness and

women’s career days, to discuss women’s issues, and to train

young women to use computers.

The following URL contains the article “Improving Access to Rural

Radio by ‘Hard-to-Reach’ Women Audiences”:

www.fao.org/docrep/003/x6721e/x6721e15.htm#P5_1

Women and Girls Working With ICT

Radio: Take Our Daughters to Work Day in Cameroon
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

40 Peace Corps

Women, Girls, and Television

Local TV and radio stations are often starved for locally produced

programming. In conjunction with your counterpart, community, or

local Women in Development/Gender and Development (WID/GAD)

group, propose the production of a weekly radio or TV talk show that

focuses on a different woman-owned small business each week. If it is

a television program, ask local female business owners to donate items

to furnish the set or to provide a wardrobe for the show “talent,” in

exchange for on-air credit at the end of the show.

Hold mock interview sessions to help increase women’s opportunities

for landing a new job. Videotape and then replay the interview so that

the interviewee can evaluate her performance. Seeing or hearing oneself can be a very enlightening experience. Training women how to

operate the video and audio equipment to record the interview sessions also provides the women the opportunity to gain a valuable new

skill. If your organization does not own a video or tape recorder, you

may be able to access one through a local university, NGO, or community radio station.
41

Women, Girls, and Computers

The following are examples of activities that can be used to help

facilitate the use of computers by women and girls:

• At your next WID/GAD meeting, distribute a list of Internet

resources for women and girls. Make arrangements with a local

Internet cafe or telecommunications center (often located at

teacher-training colleges) for a group discount and hold a “Web

surfing” day for a local women’s group. Make arrangements for

child care so that women can fully participate.

• Help women set up and run sustainable community or school

telecommunications centers. For ideas on how to go about this,

see the UNESCO publication, The Community Telecentre Cookbook for Africa: Recipes for Self-Sustainability (http://

unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001230/123004e.pdf).

• Encourage women to make use of free online typing tutors (typing

courses and tests) to increase their typing speeds and increase

job marketability. (Just type “free typing tutor” in your favorite

search engine.)

• Design an “e-commerce” website featuring goods produced by

women and girls. Use a free Web-hosting service (there are still a

few available).

• Add an IT component to your Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our

World) activities. Collaborate with a local Internet cafe to provide

access to the Internet. (Additional information on Camp GLOW

is available in the Camp Glow Handbook for Volunteers, ICE No.

M0056, and the idea book Beyond the Classroom: Empowering

Girls, ICE No. M0080.)

Women and Girls Working With ICT
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

42 Peace Corps

The following workshop is an example of how a Volunteer facilitated

access to computers for women and girls.

Ghanaians Gain Confidence

Through Computers

(Originally published in the Peace Corps’ WID/GAD Exchange newsletter,

September 2001, Volume 34)

Recently, a handful of Ghanaian girls participated in a weekend workshop designed to introduce them to basic computer skills, to build

their confidence in using computers, and to promote their interest in

information technology. The conference took place at Wenchi

Secondary School, and was facilitated by its computer lab’s director

and his two computer technicians.

The director started the workshop by introducing the girls to the lab

and explaining its rules and etiquette. The girls had a wide range of

computer experience, from never having seen a computer before to

being familiar with some software.

The participants learned about the parts of a computer, and its basic

operations. They learned how to use menus, and were each assigned

a user name and a password for the local network. They were taught

how to log in and look at the files in their directories. The girls also

practiced the correct way to position their hands on the keyboards,

which they abandoned for the hunt-and-peck method. The girls also

played simple computer games, which provided a great way to break

up the sessions and practice using the keyboard.

Another interesting session allowed the girls to send e-mail messages to someone in America. With the phone lines down, however,

they were not sent in time to receive replies before the end of the

workshop. The girls also took time to view the Wenchi Secondary

School website, after which they learned about html (hypertext –

markup language) code and designed their own Web pages. The lab

director took a photo of each girl to be added later to their personal

pages.

One of the most enjoyable activities was a competitive game of

Scrabble over the network. The students seemed to really enjoy the

weekend and all expressed interest in learning more about computers.
43

Specific examples of how Peace Corps Volunteers have used computers

to empower women include the following:

• Guaraní women artisans in Bolivia are using computers to open

new markets for their crafts.

• An English Resource Center has been established in Jordan where

user-friendly, English language software is available to female

teachers.

• A Volunteer in Estonia helped establish the Lääne-Virumaa (West

Viru County) Contemporary Information and Technology Center.

The center provides IT resources and training for students, teachers,

and community members. It is located in the Technical School and

managed by the school’s information technology teacher. The lack

of a formal computer center earlier had hindered students’ and

residents’ efforts to secure work, to create new opportunities for

employment, and to access information available through computer

technology. Following its official opening in 2001, the center has

become a popular resource for the entire community. Thirty IT

students (postsecondary school) currently study at the facility. In

addition, the center offers adult evening courses Monday through

Saturday, and is open for Lääne Virumaa students, teachers, and

residents on a daily basis.

Women and Girls Working With ICT

A Volunteer and counterpart work on their ICT

integration plan during a workshop.
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

44 Peace Corps

Women, Girls, and

the Internet

The Internet offers an incredibly powerful medium for the sharing of

information and communicating. The following describes an effort by

Peace Corps headquarters staff to expose girls from around the world

to one of many ways they can use the Internet.

Virtual Chat Forum for Girls

Peace Corps headquarters’ Girls Education Working Group hosted a

series of live, online text chat sessions in 2002 and 2003. The forums

were organized by language (e.g., an English chat and Spanish chat),

and the participants included girls in 15 Peace Corps countries. The

goals of this activity were:

• to expose girls to ICT and promote the use of technology;

• to encourage geographically dispersed girls, Volunteers, and Peace

Corps staff to discuss girls’ roles in the ICT field; and

• to initiate discussion among participants on the ways that ICT can

affect girls’ education.

Each post nominated one or two Volunteers to participate, and in turn,

those Volunteers selected up to two girls to participate in the event.

The private, low-graphics, password-protected chat room was provided

by the Academy for Educational Development.

Selection Criteria

Volunteers were asked to consider girls who:

• were motivated and interested in this activity

• were aware of and interested in information and communication

technologies.
45

• had written and conversational language skills in the selected

chat languages.

• possessed basic typing skills.

• were willing to participate in follow-up activities.

• were 12 to 18 years old.

Activity Overview

• Each live, one-hour chat was moderated by Peace Corps headquarters staff.

• Peace Corps headquarters invited female ICT professionals (from

outside the U.S.) to participate as guest “speakers.”

• Volunteers and girls were provided with funding to cover an

additional hour of connectivity for guided follow-up activities.

• Prior to the event, Volunteers participated in a dry run to correct

any technical problems that might arise.

• Prior to the event, Volunteers also assisted the girls in setting up

e-mail accounts and helped the girls prepare and post brief

biographical profiles in the chat room so that the girls could learn

a bit about each other.

• Volunteers acted as mentors to the participants during the event,

but the girls did all the “chatting.”

• For the first 20 minutes of the chat, the girls had the opportunity to

chat among themselves, sharing information about their schools,

families, culture, communities, sports, free-time activities, etc.

• For the second 30 minutes of the chat, the girls asked questions of

women who use ICTs in their professional work and in their personal lives. The girls mostly inquired about the women’s education

and career development, women’s access to computers, and the role

or impact of computers in society.

Women and Girls Working With ICT
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

46 Peace Corps

• Volunteers assisted in identifying resources and carrying out follow-up learning opportunities.

• Volunteers and girls participated in an evaluation of the activity to

better inform future online chats.

Online Chat Sample Agenda

TIME* ACTIVITY

10:00 a.m. EST Girls and Peace Corps/Washington are logged in to the

chat room

10:00–10:05 a.m. Peace Corps/Washington welcomes the participants

 (5 mins)

10:05–10:25 a.m. Girls’ Free Chat–during this time girls may ask each other

 (20 mins) questions about life in their respective countries. They may

also use this time to look at other profiles and explore the

icons and text color features.

10:25–10:27 a.m. Technology experts log in to the chat room

(2 mins)

10:27–10:30 a.m. Peace Corps/Washington welcomes the technology experts

(3 mins)

10:30–10:35 a.m. Girl(s) in Belize post their questions to the technology

(5 mins) experts and receive their response

10:35–10:40 a.m. Girl(s) in Bulgaria post their question to the technology

(5 mins) experts and receive their response

10:40–10:45 a.m. Girl(s) in Ghana post their question to the technology

(5 mins) experts and receive their response

10:45–10:50 a.m. Girl(s) in Romania post their question to the technology

(5 mins) experts and receive their response

10:50–10:55 a.m. Girl(s) in The Gambia post their question to the technology

(5 mins.) experts and receive their response

10:55–11:00 a.m. Girl(s) in Ukraine post their question to the technology

(5 mins) experts and receive their response

11:00–11:05 a.m. Closing remarks from Peace Corps/Washington

(5 mins)

11:05–11:10 a.m. Goodbye and log out of chat room. Begin follow-up online

(5 mins) activities.
47

Outcomes

For many of the girls, this was their first experience using the Internet,

participating in a live chat discussion, and communicating with

individuals outside of their own communities and countries. They came

away from the experience with the understanding that “technology

isn’t just for boys!” They felt empowered by the opportunity to use the

latest technology to “talk” with female professionals. Several of the

girls exchanged e-mail addresses following the chat so that they could

stay in touch with the new friends they made online. Many of the girls

made formal presentations to their schools and communities about

their Virtual Chat Forum experience.

Women and Girls Working With ICT

Video: Interviewing a young student during

Take Our Daughters to Work Day
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

48 Peace Corps

Youth and ICT

In many parts of the world today instantaneous communication is made

possible by satellite technology for radio and television and by the

Internet. Just a decade ago, the speed, breadth, and quality of these

technologies were of a lesser standard—many were not accessible

outside of military applications. Peace Corps Volunteers working in

communities around the world are bringing technological awareness

to young people whose natural curiosity seems to make the learning

process faster and less fearful than it is for adults. In this section you

will read about youth radio and video activities, computer classes and

camps, and ways that computer games can be used to teach skills and

have fun.

Youth and Radio or Audio

A Volunteer in Cameroon developed a series of radio broadcasts with

lessons for children and youth. The following are recommendations

when involving youth in radio projects:

• Summer vacation is a good time to get youth involved.

• Depending on where the facilitator is based and from where the

youth will be coming, it may be necessary to prerecord shows during

production blocks in the month before broadcast.

• Before taping, have the youth participants create a name for their

program and possibly a jingle.

• Have the station create or use prerecorded promotional spots starting a week or so before the first broadcast. This way the youth

participants can start to look forward to the series and can plan on

when they should be listening.
49

• Set reasonable limits; a three-hour segment in one day is a reasonable

goal.

• If there is going to be a particularly heavy production day, try to

have snacks and drinks for people who have to wait around.

• Check out the studio set-up beforehand so you can see how it works

and if there are pieces of equipment they lack.

• Make sure that there are two copies of each program made—

probably a reel-to-reel and a cassette if CD technology is not

available.

• Make sure a new tape is used. Also, make sure that you can acquire

tapes with necessary cassette length in your area; these may need

to be purchased in the capital or a bigger city or town that is known

to have a wider variety of items.

Inside the broadcast booth during a community-focused radio program.

Youth and ICT
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

50 Peace Corps

• Work with the radio station (programming director) on selecting

dates and times for the production blocks. This will ensure that

they are held on days and at times when the station has the capacity

to host them.

• Select days and times (depending on how intensive the campaign

will be) when the individual programs or shows will be broadcast.

This way, even if you are not based in the same town as the radio

station, you can organize discussion groups for listening to the shows

and thereby continue the debate.

• A school vacation series can be done once a week for 10 weeks or

twice a week for five weeks. It is likely that the station will replay

the series if you provide them with audiotapes.

• Have fellow Volunteers publicize the series day and time in their

villages and also hold discussion groups.

• Have a moderator (popular local personality, if possible) present

during all programs that make up the body of the series. The moderator can introduce the youth participants and the local authority,

facilitate or ask questions to/from the youth for the authority,

introduce music from the script, and so on.

• Each program might have five or six new youth participants and a

local authority. The moderator will help the youth interview the

weekly authority regarding the specified theme.

• The moderator may be asked to broach specific subtopics during

the program.

• The youth will be very excited to participate and will be willing to

share a room for the night in a lodging facility and receive a small

per diem plus transport. They will likely remind you several times

of their readiness to go and do the show. This may serve as a radio

production or journalism apprenticeship for them as it will likely

be their first time in a radio station.
51

• You probably will need to remind the local authority (doctor, nurse,

midwife, community organizer, rural development agent, NGO

representative, football player, teacher, government official, etc.)

several times of the dates and times of the event. You may even

have to pick them up and take them to the station when it is time

for their taping. Incentives for their participation could be a cap or

T-shirt and certificate for their time.

• Motivated youth participants can be selected from various volunteer

initiatives. Make sure to get a good mix from throughout the country

(or your region within the country) with both rural and urban (the

larger towns in the province if it is primarily rural) representation.

Make sure that they are not timid and that they understand the topic

well before taping. Work with the participants to prepare their

questions beforehand. Consider the value of involving all types of

interested participants to make the program reality-based—one

young man had a bad stuttering problem, but he wanted very much

to be on the program, and one young mother needed to hold her

baby during the programming. Both were successful.

• It is suggested that the structure of each week’s program be 30

percent music and 70 percent discussion.

• The introductory program can be prerecorded.

Youth and ICT

An entrepreneur in West Africa operates a record store,

repairs radios, and hosts an American music radio show.
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

52 Peace Corps

Youth and Television

Participatory Video: A Practical Guide to Using Video Creatively in

Group Development Work (Routledge, 1997, ICE No. CD059) is a

resource for anyone interested in using video. This book provides an

introduction to participatory video, examples of workshop activities

and video production exercises, and project design and implementation for participatory video. Posts may request a copy of this publication from their Information Resource Center.

Youth and Computers

A Volunteer in Tonga created a successful program of computer and

Internet courses for unemployed Tongan youth and also created efficient procedures for operating a computer center for youth. The project

website contains lessons plans and other information that Volunteers

may find helpful: www.geocities.com/wdyhcc/.

Establishing Ground Rules in

the Computer Training Room

What follows was adapted from the work of Volunteers and staff in El

Salvador.

Volunteers in El Salvador are actively engaged in transferring computer skills to persons in their communities and to their colleagues

where they work. Volunteers and staff found it helpful to establish a

set of ground rules for persons attending computer training sessions.

This can prove especially helpful when working with youth.It may

also be helpful to post a set of “rules” in large letters on the wall or

outside the door for youth to see before entering the room. An example follows:
53

Rules

1. Clean/wipe your shoes (clean/wipe your feet) before entering the training room.

2. Clean/wash dust from your hands before entering the training room.

3. Food, beverages, and chewing gum are prohibited in the training room.

4. Before the start of and after the ending of each training session, participants must clear trash or papers from the area

around the computer used during the session.

5. You may not miss more than three classes or training sessions. If you miss more than three classes, you will not receive a certificate/diploma at the completion of the training.

6. Each minute you are late is counted. If the total number of

minutes you are late add up to one hour (60 minutes), your

record is marked as if you missing one entire day of training. (This rule obviously may not be applicable in communities where no one or few people wear watches!)

7. Participants/students that receive a score of seven or higher

will receive a certificate or diploma.

8. Each student/participant will have the opportunity to raise

his or her grade/mark/score during the training. You may do

this by correcting and resubmitting any homework or assignments. The training instructor will review the corrected

assignment and reassign a higher score when appropriate.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Youth and ICT
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

54 Peace Corps

Please note that it is not necessary to use the exact wording provided

in this example. Adapt a list of rules that are most appropriately applied

in your community, based on your audience (Youth? Adults? Girls?),

and those best suited in meeting your training needs.

“Lessons Learned” in Starting

a Computer Class for Youth

—A Volunteer in Ghana

• You do not need a fully equipped computer lab to get started.

Even a few computers can support about 15 students if they

triple up. For larger numbers, you can teach the same lesson

to different groups, or you can use the classes as a reward for

good grades in school. (The best students may do the most

with an opportunity to increase their computer literacy.) It is

not ideal, but it at least gives them exposure to computers

and can minimize any intimidation they might have in working with technology.

• Your lessons can never be too easy. You might think that a

keyboard is simple once you explain what it does—you press

a key and the letter appears—but what about capital letters?

What does Tab mean? And why does the question mark key

produce a slash instead? Remember: Although it may be obvious to you, it may not be obvious to your students.

– Hold a girls-only class. Classes without boys can make

more of a difference than you might expect. When boys

are not around, the girls ask more questions, help each

other more often, and generally seem to enjoy themselves a bit more. They also have the opportunity to draw

pictures, sing songs, and do what they consider “girl

stuff” without fear of being mocked by the boys.

– Try to promote any activity that uses the computer as

more than just an electronic typewriter.

(continued on page 55)
55

– At the end of each lesson, quietly excuse yourself and

let the students use the computer on their own, without

any teacher looming over them watching for mistakes.

These days, computers are quite forgiving about mistakes; they can give a polite error message without crashing (usually). Students are free to make mistakes and

correct them independently; the computer is an ideal tool

for self-learning.

– Beware of cultural traditions that might confuse your

students. In Ghana, for instance, students often bring to

school a white board, which is a thin piece of wood about

the size of a piece of paper, with one side painted white

and given a clear varnish. The students write on it in

pencil, and erase it using a mixture of soap and water. It

saves them money because they do not need to buy

paper for scratch work and practice problems. Naturally,

these students carried this idea with them to computer

class. Before shutting down for the day, they would carefully erase anything they didn’t want to save by holding

down the backspace key. The instructor had to explain

that simply closing the document and not saving the text

would erase it instantly.

(continued from page 54)

Youth and ICT

Computer training in Moldova
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

56 Peace Corps

Youth and the Internet

The work of a Volunteer in Eastern Caribbean offers an example of

how the Internet can be used to enhance the lives of youth. After successfully installing two computers in the local youth center, the Volunteer made an arrangement with the local telecommunications company to provide free Internet connection. Access to the Internet helped

the center in three ways: (1) it enabled the organization to establish

links with other youth organizations globally, (2) it provided a tool for

seeking various types of assistance for its program, and (3) it allowed

for dissemination of information about the organization and its

activities.

Another way in which Volunteers use the Internet is to market products produced by youth. In Eastern Caribbean, a Volunteer is helping

youth make candles. These youth use the Internet to purchase raw

materials, perform market research on candles, and, most important,

sell their product to hundreds of new customers around the world.

Finally, a Peace Corps Volunteer in Georgia is using an America Online

Peace Pack to assist a local NGO in establishing a Youth Information

Resource Center. Future projects include basic computer classes, the

creation of a website that provides job and career opportunities in

Georgia, and production of a youth-directed newsletter. Another Volunteer in Georgia is helping a local NGO create a project called “Web

Page For Kids, By Kids.” Students will be trained to search for information and gather resources to create a website promoting their town.
57

Engaging Young People

in General

Volunteers in Guatemala shared some ideas about conducting computer classes for young people. As with many persons new to or unfamiliar with computer technology, the learners were initially apprehensive about using the computers. Volunteers decided to begin with the

basics, such as turning the computer on and off, moving the mouse,

writing letters and postcards, and playing computer games (math games

or Trivial Pursuit with the encyclopedia). Although the students began

slowly, with practice and in time they became more comfortable and

eager to learn more.

The following is a workshop report about a computer camp for youth

in Tonga.

Group work at an ICT integration workshop in El Salvador

Youth and ICT
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

58 Peace Corps

Tonga Youth Computer Camp

OVERVIEW

“Komipiuta oku ‘ofa lahi” (KOOL)—Computers love us a lot!

The KOOL camp is an opportunity for 15 Tongan youth between

the ages of 12 and 16 from various islands to experience the joys

of computing through hands-on entertainment rather than a purely

educational focus. The camp will get them excited about computers and inspire them to learn more.

OBJECTIVES

• Keep the youth entertained and excited about computers.

• Generate interest in future information communication technology learning.

• Make their computer experience at the camp nonthreatening.

• Develop materials that can be used in future computer camps.

PARTICIPANTS

The participants will be youth between the ages of 14 and 16 who

have limited computer experience, meaning they are not currently

or were not previously enrolled in computer classes. They will be

selected from islands where Volunteers are working and can accompany them. Outer island participants will fly to Tongatapu and

remain for four days before returning home.

The participants will be chosen by a Volunteer on their island in

consultation with camp coordinators using a basic application process. The Volunteer will identify and distribute an application to

the youth. Targeted youth will include those with an interest in

computers and those who have demonstrated an ability to be active, productive members of their school.

Facilitators would include Volunteers and Tongan counterparts.

SCHEDULE

The camp will be three days long. The facilitators also will attend a

one-day training session on the use of software packages, teaching methods, and objectives of the workshop. The guest lecturers

will be Tongan professionals from different islands and walks of

life who have received secondary education in Tonga.
59

Camp dates are scheduled to follow the end of school exams and

external exams in October.

Participants will stay at a church hall with Volunteers and a female

Tongan staff. Breakfast and dinner will be served at the church.

Activities are planned each evening. Arrival evening: Movie Aladdin

with discussion of how computers were used to make the movie.

Day One: Board game night.

Day Two: A second film with computerized special effects.

Day Three: Talent show.

KOOL CAMP

Time Activity Facilitator

DAY 1 – Games

8:30 a.m. – Arrival and Registration

9:00 a.m. Participants arrive, check in, and receive name

tags

9:00 a.m. – Introduction to the KOOL Camp

10:00 a.m. Prayer, an icebreaker, and an overview of

camp objectives

10:00 a.m. – Tea

10:15 a.m.

10:15 a.m. – Introduction to Games

12:00 p.m. Basic games included in Microsoft Windows,

such as Solitaire, Minesweeper, Pinball, to get

users acquainted with mouse and keyboard

12:00 p.m. – Lunch

1:00 p.m.

1:00 p.m. – DiscussionLarge group discussion about what

3:00 p.m. got them interested in computers and what they

most like about computers (includes basic

discussion on Microsoft Office)

3:00 p.m.– Tea

3:15 p.m.

3:15 p.m.– Advanced Games

5:00 p.m. First person shooters, Typing Master, and

puzzle games

Youth and ICT
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

60 Peace Corps

Time Activity Facilitator

DAY 2 – Multimedia

8:30 a.m. – Use of Multimedia Devices

10:00 a.m. Use of digital cameras and scanners, ending

with a slide show

10:00 a.m. – Tea

10:15 a.m.

10:15 a.m. – Introduction to Graphic Design Software

12:00 p.m. Basic Adobe Photoshop skills followed by

editing time and then another slide show. Youth

also will be asked to select pictures they would

like to have printed and laminated along with a

group picture

12:00 p.m. – Lunch

1:00 p.m.

1:00 p.m. – Guest Lecturer

3:00 p.m. Professionals involved in the graphic design

industry

3:00 p.m. – Tea

3:15 p.m.

3:15 p.m. – Shrek, the Movie (DVD)

5:00 p.m. This movie is a brilliant display of computergenerated graphics and should be fun for all

to watch

Computer lessons help finance other activities at

a youth center in the Pacific.
61

Time Activity Facilitator

DAY 3 Internet

8:30 a.m. – Introduction to the Internet

10:00 a.m. Basic history and general information on the I

nternet; visit websites about Tonga; how to use

an Internet browser

10:00 a.m. – Tea

10:15 a.m.

10:15 a.m. – Internet Scavenger Hunt

12:00 p.m. Pair up and seek information on the Internet

based on clues

12:00 p.m. – Lunch

1:00 p.m.

1:00 p.m. – Guest Lecturer

2:30 p.m. Professionals involved in the Web design

industry

2:30 p.m. – Tea

2:45 p.m.

2:45 p.m. – Surf’s Up

4:30 p.m. Set up Web-based e-mail accounts, chat online,

and browse the Internet

4:30 p.m. – Closing Ceremony Peace Corps

5:30 p.m. Presentation of certificates and laminated APCD

group collages

Youth and ICT
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

62 Peace Corps

References and

Resources

Website Projects for Host-Country

Organizations and Communities:

Suggestions & Considerations!

Volunteers in some countries have found that assisting their hostcountry organizations or communities to develop websites for both

primary and secondary projects is a wonderful and highly effective

way to showcase projects and accomplishments and to reach out to

the rest of the world. Generally for safety and security reasons, Volunteers should not include their personal information on sites designed

with or for host-country organizations. When working to develop

websites with host-country organizations, Volunteers must comply with

the guidelines established by the Baquet Memo from Peace Corps

headquarters. These guidelines can be found on the Peace Corps

Intranet at the following URL: http://inside.peacecorps.gov/content/

documents/news/021501_vol_computer.cfm.

Needs Assessment Model

When posts plan to host ICT integration workshops it is recommended

that a survey or needs assessment be conducted several weeks prior to

the proposed training dates. The goal of any survey and needs assessment

is to assist Peace Corps staff and workshop facilitators in determining

participant strengths and needs. Posts that have conducted ICT workshops for Volunteers and counterparts have discovered that implementing

a training strategy that best suits the needs of those persons actively

participating in the workshop can be challenging, but not impossible.

Requesting that participants complete a survey will help post staff

and Volunteers work together to provide a workshop that can help

support the work of Volunteers and counterparts. Encourage anyone

participating in a workshop to complete a survey as accurately as possible.
63

PARTICIPANT SURVEY AND NEEDS ASSESSMENT

Information and Communication Technology

(ICT)

Personal Learning Objectives

What do you expect to learn from this workshop? Please list at

least three items:

Work and Responsibilities

I am involved in collaborative work with my peers (please circle

only one answer):

Regularly Often Occasionally Rarely Never

I am involved in collaborative work with the community (please

circle only one answer):

Regularly Often Occasionally Rarely Never

Briefly describe your current duties and responsibilities:

Briefly describe one challenge you are having in implementing

your current duties and responsibilities:

References and Resources

Page 1 of 7
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

64 Peace Corps

How will what you learn at this workshop affect or change your

work and how you interact with your community?

Please describe at least one activity using computers and/or the

Internet that you plan on using with your constituents:

Evaluating Computer Skills and Experience

Please circle one word that best describes your current skills and

experience with using computers:

Never Beginner Intermediate Experienced Advanced

Please circle one word that best describes your current skills and

experience with using the Internet:

Never Beginner Intermediate Experienced Advanced

Please rate the following statements, circling the most appropriate

answer.

1. I have taught someone how to integrate the use of technology

into his or her work activities

Regularly Often Occasionally Rarely Never

2. I have taught someone how to use the Internet (find information, etc.)

Regularly Often Occasionally Rarely Never

Page 2 of 7
65

Page 3 of 7

References and Resources

Circle the response to the following statements that best represents

your beliefs.

1. Computers and the Internet are important tools for the professional development of the people with whom I work.

Disagree Agree Not sure

2. Computers and the Internet are important tools for my professional development.

Disagree Agree Not sure

3. Computers and the Internet can improve local organization,

management, and administration.

Disagree Agree Not Sure

4. After the workshop, I expect to start integrating the use of computers and the Internet into my work on a regular basis.

Disagree Agree Not sure

5. Right now, I have a very clear idea of how I will use computers

and the Internet in my work.

Disagree Agree Not sure

On a scale of 1-4, please provide a self-assessment of your skill

level in using the following programs and tools (1 = low/never use,

4 = high/use frequently with ease).

Microsoft Word 1 2 3 4

PowerPoint 1 2 3 4

Microsoft Excel 1 2 3 4

Internet search engines 1 2 3 4

E-mail 1 2 3 4

Web-page development software 1 2 3 4

Database systems or software 1 2 3 4

Accounting systems or software 1 2 3 4
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

66 Peace Corps

Page 4 of 7

Computer Hardware

Are you familiar with the different components Yes No

(parts) of a computer system? (monitor, mouse,

keyboard, CPU, printer, etc.)

Do you know how to set up and connect a Yes No

computer system?

Do you know how to turn on a computer? Yes No

Do you know what equipment or conditions Yes No

are needed for proper maintenance of a

computer system?

What specialized hardware do you know how to use? Please circle

all that apply.

Scanner Digitalcamera CD-ROM drive DVD Zip drive

Printers CD-RW Other

Computer Software

Are you familiar with the Microsoft DOS Yes No

operating system?

Do you know how to maneuver through the Yes No

Microsoft Windows operating system?

Do you know how to install computer Yes No

software programs?
67

What specialized software do you know how to use? Please circle

all that apply.

Spreadsheets Digital photography Desktop publishing

Databases PDF Other

E-Mail

Do you use e-mail? Yes No

How long have you used e-mail?

Less than 1 year

More than 1 year, but less than 5 years

5 years or more

How many e-mail accounts do you have?

one rwo three four five or more

What types of e-mail accounts are they? Please circle all that apply.

AOL MSN Earthlink Yahoo Hotmail

Other

Internet/Web Applications

Which Internet browser(s) have you used? Please circle all that

apply.

Netscape AOL Explorer Other? _________________

Which search engine(s) have you used?

Yahoo MSN Google Other? _________________

Which meta-search engines have you used?

MetaCrawler Northern Light No idea

Page 5 of 7

References and Resources

(please list)

(please list)
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

68 Peace Corps

Page 6 of 7

What do you do on the Internet and how do you do it?

Have you ever created a Web page? Yes No

Do you currently have a Web page? Yes No

Have you had a Web page in the past? Yes No

Was it for personal or professional use? Personal Professional

Which Web-page authoring development tool did you use?

Viruses and Security

What antivirus program do you use?

What security precaution(s) do you take online?

Computer Training Courses Taken

What courses have you taken in IT or ICT-related fields? Please

indicate “none” or list courses as appropriate.

Do you have any certificates and/or degrees in Yes No

IT- or ICT-related fields? If yes, please list them.
69

Page 7 of 7

Have you or your community worked with any organizations or

institutions concerning IT or ICT training or support? If yes, please

list each organization or institution, describe the your training and

how effective you think it was.

What strategies would you recommend for bringing computer and/

or Internet access to unserved areas?

What types of technology have you used (other than computers) in

development work? (Radio, television, audio, video, etc.)

Additional comments or suggestions?

**********************************************

References and Resources
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

70 Peace Corps

Skills Transfer Workshops:

Session Plan Format

Volunteers have conducted useful computer and media interactive

workshops, which often include their host country national counterparts and colleagues.

If you are planning to conduct a set of training sessions, it’s a good

idea to draft a training agenda that includes a list of the classes you

intend to teach. For each class, outline the purpose of each session

and activities that will take place. Developing session outlines not

only assists you in your planning and presentation of the training

session, but also helps other Volunteers to conduct the same session.

Session outlining helps prevent Volunteers from duplicating work and

saves time for future projects.

Session Title: As indicated in the training schedule (if it has been

developed or finalized).

Rationale: Provide an overview of the session and rationale.

Time: Indicate how long the entire session should take. Include variations in length due to size of group, entry-level abilities of group,

optional activities, etc., if appropriate. Include breaks where appropriate.

Date:

Trainers/Facilitators: Describe what kinds of personnel are

needed to lead or assist with the session and the trainer-to-participant

ratio, if appropriate.

Points of Integration With Other Sessions: In what other

sessions or activities are these concepts and skills introduced or

reinforced?
71

Session Objectives:List the objectives for the session in behavioral

terms of your participants: “By the end of this session participants

will be able to....” Also list any “key messages” that you hope will

come out of discussions or that you will present as a session summary.

Trainer Preparation: List documents that the trainer should read

prior to the session. List materials that should be developed or copied,

room or transport arrangements that need to be made, equipment

requirements, people to contact, etc.

Materials: List any documents that participants should read prior

to the session. List handouts that will be provided in class and attach a

copy of each to the session plan. List materials (pens, tape, paper,

equipment, etc.).

Description of Activities: Develop each activity fully, including

each step, timing, examples of processing questions, and options or

hints on how the same content could be handled in different situations. Use the 4MAT lesson plan quadrants (motivation, information,

participation/practice, application) to ensure that the trainer addresses

different learning styles and moves from the abstract to the practical.

(See Resources section for 4MAT listing.)

Include points at which the trainer/facilitator checks for understanding and/or skill development, including pre-assessment and postassessment tools.

Evaluation: It’s always good to give students or participants a training evaluation form to complete at the end of any type of workshop.

In a trainers’ evaluation, include any trainer notes and comments that

represent feedback from the participants. Make recommendations for

improving the session.

References and Resources
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

72 Peace Corps

SAMPLE ICT TROUBLESHOOTING

WORKSHOP DESIGN

Peace Corps/Tonga

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Day 1

Time Session Content Participants Facilitator

& Location

8:00 a.m.– Arrival and Participants arrive, check in, Volunteers

9:00 a.m. registration get name tags. and counterparts

in meeting room

9:00 a.m.– Welcome and Introduce workshop training Volunteers

10:00 a.m. review of the work- facilitators, introduce participants. and counterparts

shop schedule, parts

questions

10:00 a.m.– Break

10:15 a.m.

10:15 a.m.– Installing and Participants will practice Volunteers

12:00 p.m. uninstalling installing and uninstalling and counterparts

software various software packages,

such as Microsoft’s Word,

Excel, and Windows.

12:00 p.m.– Lunch

1:30 p.m.

1:30 p.m.– Maintaining Participants will discuss ways Volunteers

3:30 p.m. your computer to maintain their computers and counterparts

and keeping it and keep the system running

safe properly. “Scan disk” and

“defrag” will be discussed and

demonstrated; virus protection

software will be discussed.

3:30 p.m.– Free time for

4:00 p.m. participants to

check e-mail and

surf the Internet
73

Day 2

Time Session Content Participants Facilitator

& Location

8:00 a.m.– Review and over- Review the activities covered on Volunteers

8:30 a.m. view of Day 1 Day 1 and preview the agenda and counterparts

for Day 2. in large meeting

room

8:30 a.m.– Troubleshooting Discussion will cover most Volunteers

10:00 a.m. printer problems commonly encountered printer and counterparts

problems (paper jams, ink

cartridge, ribbon cartridge,

printer not recognized by

computer, etc.) and possible

solutions.

10:00 a.m.– Break

10:15 a.m.

10:15 a.m.– Teaching Discuss appropriate methods Volunteers

12:30 p.m. computer skills for transferring computer and counterparts

technology skills to persons

who have recently learned to

use computers or who have

never before used computers.

Participants will discuss ways

to adapt these skills to teaching

someone how to troubleshoot.

Participants will prepare 15-

minute mini-computer classes.

12:30 p.m.– Lunch

2:00 p.m.

2:00 p.m.– Mini-trouble- Presentation of mini-technology Volunteers

3:30 p.m. shooting classes training sessions in groups of and counterparts

4–5 persons, 15 minutes per

group. Participants will evaluate

each other and make suggestions

for improving training techniques.

3:30 p.m.– Break

3:45 p.m.

3:45 p.m.– Mini-trouble- Continuation of group Volunteers

5:00 p.m. shooting classes presentations. and counterparts

(continued)

References and Resources
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

74 Peace Corps

Day 3

Time Session Content Participants Facilitator

& Location

8:00 a.m.– Organizing work Participants will work on Volunteers

10:00 a.m. and file manage- effective file management and counterparts

ment techniques and discuss methods

for organizing their work.

10:00 a.m.– Break

10:15 a.m.

10:15 a.m.– Next steps Volunteers and counterparts Volunteers

11:45 a.m. will work together to devise and counterparts

a strategy for integrating

technology into their projects.

Participants will present their

“Next Step” plans to the group.

Participants will receive feedback

from post staff (APCD, etc.)

11:45 a.m.– Lunch

1:00 p.m.

1:00 p.m.– Top 5 trouble- The top troubleshooting Volunteers

2:00 p.m. shooting chal- challenges in Tonga will be and counterparts

lenges in Tonga discussed as well as possible

solutions. Participants will

discuss methods for obtaining

or refining skills that will help

them to work through these

challenges. Participants will

discuss how these competencies

could be incorporated into future

trouble-shooting workshops.

2:00 p.m.– Panel of guest Local computer technology Volunteers

3:00 p.m. speakers experts will speak to the group and counterparts

about their current work in

Tonga. Guest speakers will

discuss how their organizations

can possibly provide support or

participate in collaborative

projects with Volunteers and

counterparts (if applicable).

3:00 p.m.– Break

3:15 p.m.

3:15 p.m.– Evaluation and Review of workshop, questions, Volunteers

3:35 p.m. closure suggestions for future work- and counterparts

shops. Closing and presentation

of certificates.
75

ICT Training of Trainers

The Peace Corps’ Information and Communication Technology Training of Trainers (TOT) manual (ICE No. T0122) is designed to provide

the skills and resources needed for participants to train others in basic

computer and Internet use. It assumes that the participants know how

to use computers and the Internet but need or wish to improve their

skills in transferring computer technology skills to others. There are

sections in the ICT TOT manual that specifically address using the

Internet and resources that can be found on the Internet. Although

some participants may not have access to the Internet on a regular

basis at their sites, it is likely that the Internet will become more and

more relevant and available in many areas in the near future. The ICT

TOT manual has two parts—a Facilitator Guide and a Participant

Handbook—and a CD containing both parts so that these materials,

especially participant materials, can be modified to suit the specific

training before printing.

Training of trainers in Mauritania.

References and Resources
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

76 Peace Corps

ICT TOT Facilitator Guide and Reference Manual

This script is a detailed guide for trainers conducting the ICT training

of trainers for Peace Corps Volunteers during their pre-service training

(PST) or in-service training (IST). It outlines the time, sequence,

materials, objectives, and content of the TOT. While this TOT is

designed to prepare participants to conduct formal training sessions,

the skills and materials can be applied to one-on-one situations or

training that occurs over several weeks or months in shorter sessions.

The accompanying ICT TOT Participant Handbook is to be distributed

to all trainers and participants, and includes much of the content of

the ICT TOT. (See description below.)

The objectives of the ICT TOT are to prepare participants to:

1. Conduct effective computer and Internet training, so as to help

others better accomplish their development objectives.

2. Understand and apply participatory training methods that are

effective in experiential learning situations.

3. Learn how to tailor a training program to the needs of the audience.

Bridging the digital divide in Central America.
77

ICT TOT Participant Handbook

The Participant Handbook contains the content and resource material

for the ICT training of trainers (TOT) for Peace Corps Volunteers during their pre-service training (PST) or in-service training (IST). It is

divided into two parts:

Part One contains information to help trainers understand

how people learn, and to plan, conduct, and apply computer and Internet training.

Part Two consists of detailed scripts of training modules to

be used as training guides and support materials for each

module.

Creating Other ICT Manuals

Should you want to create a local ICT training manual, you can modify

parts of the ICT TOT manual described above. It is on a CD in each

manual. You may want to review what Volunteers worldwide have

already produced.

Volunteers in Kenya realized that so many of them were teaching

computer skills, regardless of their primary project, that they got

together and developed a manual for Volunteers working in ICT. They

addressed subjects including how to protect your computer from the

ever-present dust of village life, what to do when a nest of termites

takes up residence in your hard drive, accessing the Internet without a

phone line, and the best places to find replacement hardware in Kenya.

One of the biggest problems in Kenya is not the lack of computers but

the lack of basic maintenance and repair of computers that are in a

harsh and non-electronics-friendly environment.

2

1

References and Resources
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

78 Peace Corps

Acknowledging that many Volunteers are already familiar with the

basic operation of hardware and software, they have created a document to prepare Volunteers for the environment in which they will be

working and to help them avoid the pitfalls that others have already

encountered.

Website Disclaimer

If you attempt to access something and it doesn’t work, there are two

things to try. First, if the host still exists, poke around a bit—host

managers have a habit of rearranging things. Second, go to a search

engine and type in key words in the hopes of finding a new address.

If you don’t know the exact address for something on the Internet, you

can usually guess correctly by using standard names. For example, if

you hear about good material on the Web server at UNDP, you can

guess at the name http://www.undp.org and may succeed. The “http://”

tells you it is a web resource; “www” is a standard name for a Web

resource; and “undp.org” is the general network name for the United

Nations Development Programme.

Computer training in Mongolia
79

Resources Available Through

Peace Corps’ Information

Collection and Exchange (ICE)

The following resources are available for Volunteers and staff to order

by using the ICE reference numbers:

• From Workplace to Workspace: Using Email Lists to

Work Together. Maureen James and Liz Rykert (IDRC).

1998. 58 pp. (ICE No. ED210)

This guide provides practical and useful advice on how to set up

and launch an e-mail list, and how to keep it active and vibrant.

E-mail provides a quick, reliable, and cost-effective link to the world

at large, changing a traditional “workplace” into a “workspace”

that crosses even international boundaries. This publication is also

available free online in English, French, and Spanish through the

IDRC website at:

www.idrc.ca/acb/showdetl.cfm?&DID=

6&Product_ID=177&CATID=15

• Teaching With the Internet: Strategies and Models

for K-12 Curricula. Beverly E. Crane (Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc.). 2002. 381 pp. (ICE No. ED212) Distributed to

Peace Corps in-country resource centers only.

This resource provides lesson plans and practical tips for integrating the use of computers and the Internet for K-12 students. Useful

tables and charts supplement text throughout the book; there are

also forms for lesson and website evaluation, and sample searchplanning worksheets for students. A separate chapter is devoted to

using the Internet with English as a second language (ESL) students.

References and Resources
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

80 Peace Corps

• About Teaching: 4MAT in the Classroom. Bernice

McCarthy (About Learning). 2000. 210 pp. (ICE No. ED187)

This resource assists teachers in developing lessons that address

different learning styles.

• Essential Handbook—Radio and HIV/AIDS: Making

the Difference. Gordon Adam and Nicola Harford

(UNAIDS). 1999. 118 pp. (ICE No. HE362)

This is a practical guide to producing the kind of radio programs

that will make listeners stop and think about how they can reduce

their risk of HIV infection. NGO managers, policy makers, and

communication advisors in the field of HIV/AIDS prevention and

health education in general will find this handbook a useful resource

for using radio as a tool in social marketing and health-related

community awareness and mobilization campaigns. This publication

is difficult to get in stock in hard copy, but is available for no cost

by downloading directly from the UNAIDS website as 1.5 mb

Acrobat PDF files:

English:

www.unaids.org/publications/documents/care/general/JC429-

Radio-E.pdf

French:

www.unaids.org/publications/documents/care/general/JC429-

Radio-F.pdf

Spanish:

www.unaids.org/publications/documents/care/general/JC429-

Radio-S.pdf

• Essential Internet: Basics for International NGOs.

Carlos Parada, Gary Garriot, and Janet Green (InterAction).

1997. 160 pp. (ICE No. RE032)

This simple guide for NGOs about how to incorporate Internet technology into their daily operations explains what the Internet is, gives
81

information about Internet tools (Telnet, the World Wide Web, and

intranets), and provides information on Internet resources for NGOs.

• Internet Esencial: Conceptos Basicos para ONGs

Internacionales. Carlos Parada, Gary Garriot, and Janet

Green (InterAction). 1997. 194 pp. (ICE No. RE031)

Spanish version of RE032, Essential Internet: Basics for International NGOs.

• Information and Communication Technology Training of Trainers: Computer and Internet Use for Development. (Peace Corps). 2002. 274 pp. (ICE No. T0122)

This publication contains a Facilitator’s Guide and Reference

Manual for conducting training in basic computer use. A Participant Handbook is also included. The book includes an introduction to the Internet and sections on how to teach computer skills,

training techniques and activities, and other resource materials. This

Peace Corps-produced manual is a good “hands-on” computer training resource based on field-tested training. It is also available at no

cost through the Peace Corps’ online library at:

www.peacecorps.gov/library/community.cfm

• Gender and the Information Revolution in Africa.

(IDRC). 2000. 247 pp. (ICE No. WD143)

The essays in this book examine the current and potential impact

of the ICT explosion in Africa. They focus specifically on gender

issues and analyze the extent to which women’s needs and preferences are being served. The authors underscore the need for information to be made directly relevant to the needs of rural women,

whether in the areas of agriculture, health, microenterprise, or

education. This publication is also available for no cost in both

English and French through the IDRC website at:

http://www.idrc.ca/acb/showdetl.cfm?&DID

=6&Product_ID= 471&CATID=15#toc

References and Resources
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

82 Peace Corps

• Participatory Video: A Practical Guide to Using

Video Creatively in Group Development Work. Jackie

Shaw and Clive Robertson (Routledge). 1997. 304 pp. (ICE

No. CD059) Distributed to Peace Corps in-country resource

centers only.

This is a comprehensive guide to using video in group development work. Video can be a powerful tool, helping communities,

organizations, or other groups to examine the world around them,

gain awareness of their situation, and become more actively involved

in decisions that affect their lives. The book sets out a complete

program for workers in a range of social work, community, education, and health settings. It features more than 60 exercises,

explaining clearly the procedure to follow, the time needed, and

the value of each activity. It includes practical advice on workshop

planning, video equipment and how to use it, teaching technical

skills to group members, and running long-term projects.

• Promoting Powerful People. (Peace Corps). 2000. 288

pp. (ICE No. T0104)

This community development training manual, based on nutrition

but with suggestions for modifying content focus, has sections on

developing and using recorded materials and producing and broadcasting local radio materials.
83

Endnotes

1. From the executive summary of “Gender, Information Technology

and Developing Countries: An Analytic Study” by Nancy Hafkin

and Nancy Taggart, Academy for Educational Development

(AED), Washington, D.C.

2. P. Fraser-Abder and J. A. Mehta, “Literacy for All,” pp. 201–218,

in “Missing Links: Gender Equity in Science and Technology for

Development.” DRC/INIFEM/IT: 1995.

Endnotes
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

84 Peace Corps

Using ICTs in Mauritania,

Mongolia and Cape Verde
85

Have a Good Idea?

Send us your “idea” suggestions for the Idea Book series.

Name:

Address:

Telephone/Fax:

E-mail:

Here’s my idea(s) that might be useful in future idea books.

If necessary, attach additional sheets to complete your description.

Include any samples or photos that help illustrate your project ideas.

Send to:

Peace Corps

Information Collection and Exchange

1111 20th Street, NW

Washington, DC 20526

Telephone: 202.692.2640

Fax: 202.692.2641

Share Your Ideas

We encourage you to share your ICT ideas, project information, and

materials so that Volunteers worldwide might benefit from your experiences. Please send this information to ICT Specialist, Center for Field

Assistance and Applied Research, Peace Corps, 1111 20th Street, NW,

Washington, DC 20526.
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

86 Peace Corps