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ALO: Association Liaison
Office
Building Digital Technical Capacity at Nigerian
Universities: Institutional Partnerships Program
Section I: Quantitative Reporting on USAID Indicators
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Section II: Qualitative Reporting Project Goals § Train 80 technicians in critical information technology skills § Demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of "on-seat" training § Demonstrate and experiment with computer-based distance learning § Encourage trainees to continue training at their home institutions § Build true academic interchanges over this IT "bridge" § Attract participants from multiple universities while focusing on UNIJOS and Ibadan § Achieve a gender balance in participants
Projects § Provide network and Internet IT training to technicians via annual 10-12 week computer-based training course for 40 individuals § Conduct on-line (email) tutoring for trainees § Test and certify trainees § Provide one week annual in-country hands-on intensive training for 40 to 60 participants (in Abuja) § Conduct two-day national conference at Jos, drawing on the expertise of trainees and other university-based IT professionals § Provide participants with ongoing technical and industry updates via email list § Select group of trainer apprentices from first year's trainees to assist with second year's training Activities and Results: Description of the major partnership activities
Technician Training
The technician training program was the core of our program. 79 participants finished the three days of didactic and hands-on training. Each trainee was given a WiderNet Project Technician Training CD, with over 15,000 documents on computers and networking. Then each of their universities were given a 8-CD set up computer-based training materials which the trainees would use to prepare for the industry standard A+ technician certification. We then created a TechTraining email list -- a list service for technicians in the training program to exchange ideas, ask questions, and collaborate.
The first technician training session was held in Abuja, Nigeria from November 7-9, 2001 at the National Universities Commission headquarters. Thirty-eight trainees from 13 institutions were introduced to CBT software and heard over a dozen lectures on computer and network technology. They participated in hands-on training in computer assembly, made network cables, and set up local area networks (LAN).
The WiderNet Project held its second WiderNet Project Technician Training at the University of Ibadan from November 3-6, 2002. The focus of the training was on the creation of campus networks, computer assembly to satellite links, and hands-on training in building computers. There were 41 participants from six universities.
Participants came from a wide variety of Nigerian universities:
§ Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University § Ahmadu Bello University § Bayero University, Kano § Federal University of Technology, Akure § National Institute for Nigerian Languages § National Universities Commission § Nnamdi Azikiwe University § Obafemi Awolowo University § University of Abuja § University of Benin § University of Ibadan § University of Jos § University of Maiduguri § University of Nigeria (Nsukka) § Usmanu DanFodio University
In September 2003, we held an additional (but slightly truncated) two-day Technician Training at Bayero University in Kano. 58 people attended and 35 completed the course, which included each person dismantling and reassembling a computer as well as cutting and crimping network wires.
Consulting and Additional Training at Partner Institutions
While we had originally hoped to do more centralized training, we found that many universities had difficulty sending junior technical staff to conferences and trainings. Hence we needed to modify our plan and deliver smaller, customized courses at the partner universities. This also provided us the opportunity to do on-site consulting.
Following the technician training in November 2001, we provided five days of consulting and training at the University of Ibadan, meeting with administrators and the computer committee to discuss campus strategic plans for ICT and review their grant application for the MacArthur Foundation. We gave a presentation entitled “African University Digitization” to the vice chancellor and university council which concluded with a discussion of issues of ICT in higher education.
To encourage the use of databases, we presented “Demystifying Databases” to 20 highly-ranked administrators and discussed off-the-shelf enterprise-scale management software. We then ran a training session for 23 programmers from various departments around campus on developing databases and designing databases for the Web. We then introduced 10 technical trainees to the CBT software, demonstrated its use, and then answered their questions about the training program and all matters of ICT.
Two days (November 14-15) were spent assisting NUC staff in reviewing applicants for several positions for a World Bank-sponsored Internet and networks project. We then conducted three days of training with 12 NUC staff (November 16-18), giving the presentations, "Digitizing Materials for the World Wide Web," "Digital Libraries", “Demystifying Databases”, "Database Design with Microsoft Access," and "Designing Databases for the World Wide Web."
In Jos, the director consulted with UNIJOS staff at the Computer Centre to plan future trainings and set up the WorldSpace radio (November 2001). During the same trip, we met individually with representatives from the University of Jos, Ahmadu Bello University (Zaria), and Bayero University, Kano to discuss their ICT plans and hear about their progress.
Pre-conference events for the February 2002 ICT conference included our trainer spending two days with the UNIJOS Computer Centre staff covering the topics, “Introduction to the Internet,” “Big Birds, Bent Pipes,” "Introduction to Web Design,” “Demystifying Databases,” “Academic Information and Communication Technologies,” “Interactive Database Design with Microsoft Access,” and “Easy Database Design with Microsoft FrontPage.” We then offered a two-day training, attended by 30 conference participants, on “Digitizing Materials for the World Wide Web.”
In conjunction with our technician training at the University of Ibadan (November 3-6, 2002), we held two one-day workshops on Wireless Networking (41 participants from 7 universities) and Web design (35 participants from 6 universities).
Throughout a subsequent month-long trip in January 2003, Director Cliff Missen and programmer Mike Schmitz consulted with computer technicians at the University of Ibadan, Ahmadu Bello University, University of Jos, and University of Port Harcourt.
Pre-conference events for the December 2003 included:
§ Cliff Missen presenting a two-day workshop, “Introduction to Databases,” reviewing database tables, data controls, relationships, queries, forms, and reports with 18 participants. He provided hands-on exercises to the group and ended the training session with a demonstration of Web database design.
§ WiderNet Project volunteer Mike Goo reviewed the basics of PC repair and maintenance in hands-on demonstrations with 22 trainees in a 4-day workshop. The students completely disassembled and reassembled a PC and then learned techniques for troubleshooting common hardware related programs. They also learned to prepare a new computer followed by installing the operating system.
§ A wireless networking hands-on two-day workshop led by Niran Oluwaranti from Obafemi Awolowo University. The session featured presentations and practical simulations on local area networking and wide area (building-to-building) networking using donated equipment from 3Com.
Trainee Certification
While we had originally hoped to have our trainees take their certification exams from official CompTIA exam centers, we found that the exams were too costly for most universities and that the few exam centers in Nigeria were unreliable. (At one point, we could not locate nor contact three of the four designated centers.)
We set up a WiderNet Project certification program with project partner Dr. Aminu Ibrahim at the NUC. Using testing software from LearnKey, we test the trainees on their A+ and Network+ knowledge, as well as their ability to disassemble and reassemble a computer as well as crimp and test a 10-baseT network cable. Testing takes place at the NUC in Abuja, during training workshops, and the WiderNet Project staff administer exams when traveling to universities for consulting or training.
Seventeen participants of the WiderNet technician training passed the WiderNet Project’s Technician Training Exam. They have mastered a wealth of material on building, repairing, and deploying computers through the completion of more than 24 hours of computer-based training CDs. Two technicians have achieved the higher level Network+ certification.
We continue to certify trainees and expect another dozen to complete their exams in the next year.
Annual National ICT Conference
The annual ICT conference is a chance for ICT staff and planners from around Nigeria to gather and compare notes. This “best practices” event plays a large role in developing a culture of mutual assistance and support. The first annual ICT conference was held in 2000 as a part of a WiderNet Project co-director’s Fulbright fellowship at the University of Jos.
The Second National Conference on ICT in Higher Education was held at the University of Jos on February 13-15, 2002. The conference featured papers on best practices/lessons learned that were submitted by the public. Nine were selected for presentation. There were 49 attendees from 12 organizations. (7 universities, 5 local organizations.)
The Third National Conference on ICT in Higher Education was held at the University of Jos December 11-12, 2003. Ten papers were presented to an audience of over 50 representatives from 11 universities.
Sample Presentations: § “Strategic Planning for ICT at the University of Jos” § “Practical Experiences from Obafemi Awolowo University's Five Years of Wireless Networking” § “Setting Up and Managing an ICT Lab in a Nigerian Library School” § “Successes and Pitfalls of an In-House Information Systems Development”
On-Line Consulting
Technical consulting was provided on an ongoing basis: we helped the University of Jos establish a Cisco academy; tested numerous pieces of software; and provided research services for such issues as power backup, top-level domain hosting, virus protection, and wireless networking.
Ongoing technical support via email has proved to be helpful for our Nigerian partners. For example, the University of Jos recently developed problems with their proxy server and requested assistance from the WiderNet Project. A WiderNet Project technician searched the Internet for possible solutions, collected a number of documents from various websites, and then emailed the research to technicians in Jos. By starting an email dialogue that lasted 3 days, WiderNet project staff was able to determine the problem and came up with a solution. The Jos technician tried it and the problem was solved.
Project assistant Peter Yohe sends out weekly information on security updates for MS and Linux systems with over 100 technicians on the WiderNetTech listserv and has received highly enthusiastic responses.
Project staff compiled the “Satellite CD” which contains information (web sites, articles, reports) on purchasing options, technical set-up, and operation of digital satellite systems. This plan demonstrates how satellite Internet connectivity can be used throughout Nigeria and prepares Nigerian technicians for a future that looks increasingly to be satellite based.
(See the on-line reports at http://www.widernet.org/projects )
Development of On-Line and Off-Line Digital Training Materials
The WiderNet Project employed several students (including several Nigerian graduate students) and interns to work on the technician training project over the three year period. Students and interns worked as technicians at the Iowa City office, provided technical support for information technologists in Nigeria, and researched and collected training materials for the “Tech Training CD.” The CD has over 15,000 documents on technical support issues and was created from a collection of Web materials gathered after securing permission from authors.
Continuing efforts have been made by WiderNet Project staff to update content on the Tech Training CD, as well as to create other CD-based resources like the “Web Developers CD” and the “Online Resource Center for Technician Trainees”, which are all distributed during training sessions.
Visitors to the WiderNet Project in Iowa
Dr. Aminu Ibrahim, the National Universities Commission partner to the WiderNet Project, visited the University of Iowa February 5-9, 2001 to meet with project personnel and to introduce the WiderNet Project to several University of Iowa administrators. During his stay, he toured technology classrooms and laboratories at the University of Iowa and Kirkwood Community College to exchange ideas for developing higher education infrastructure in Nigeria.
Donations and/or significant discounts: The WiderNet Project garnered significant donations from companies and private individuals. Donations of new software and computer-based training modules add up to over $174,000. As well, an entirely volunteer effort grew out of this program that involves collecting used computers for our partner universities in Nigeria.
Donations of Software and Hardware from Vendors
WiderNet Project staff secured generous discounts on LearnKey’s A+ software, a highly ranked computer-based training (CBT) software used to train computer technicians on computer construction, repair, software installation, and configuring a computer on a local area network. LearnKey also donated the higher level Network+ CBT package for the technician trainees. Total value of donation $9,125. LearnKey also extended to the WiderNet Project a deep discount on other titles, saving us another $3,000- $4,000 in three years.
The Microsoft Corporation has donated Microsoft NT Server for each university involved with technician training. Microsoft Corporation donated operating systems and software for the WiderNet Project office to set up demonstration servers and host WiderNet Project applications and Web sites. The donations include: Windows 2000 Server, SharePoint Portal Server, and SQL Server 2000; FrontPage software; and books bringing the value of the total donation to $131,000.
RedHat donated 28 copies of Linux, one for each university involved with technician training. Value = $5,038.
3Com Corporation donated wireless networking equipment for our training programs as well as a network switch and a network router to the WiderNet office for use in local and wide area networking. (The wireless equipment is donated to the host university after the training is over.) Additionally, 3Com has donated 200 network interface cards to complement the donated computers for Nigerian universities. Total value of 3Com donations: over $23,000.
EZ-Ref Customized Courseware donated a complete computer training courseware library for the purpose of training Nigerian University staff. The total value of the donation is $5900.
Used Computers for African Universities
To date, our computer donations project has collected over 650 Pentium-class computers and WiderNet Project volunteers have tested and upgraded these machines with donated RAM from Texas Instruments and new network cards from 3Com. Along with the computers we have collected hundreds of network hubs, printers, scanners, and other ICT miscellanea.
The recipient universities pay for the shipping (about $7,000 for a 40’ container.)
Our greatest challenge in this project has been securing permission to import the items duty free into Nigeria. The first shipment of 300 computers languished in the port for 10 months while the universities sorted out the customs issues. In the end they wound up paying over $25,000 in demurrage and taxes. We are now working with several government agencies, with help from the U.S. Embassy in Abuja, to expedite the next shipment. Estimated value of the first shipment of 300 computers: $ 200,000
Development outcomes (project’s impact on development in the host country as well as its impact on the U.S. and overseas institutions and their communities): The easiest measurement to make is that of the number of trainees – 587 – that have attended our lecture-style or hands-on training sessions. Another measurement is those – 19 – who successfully completed our certificate training programs. Another measurement would be the results of the participant evaluations, which averaged 8.4 on a ten-point scale.
TRAINED Full 3-day Technician Training program........................................ 79 National Conference on ICT in Higher Education........................ 101 One- and two-day training programs........................................... 175 One-and two-day hands-on workshops...................................... 232
CERTIFIED A+ Certification.............................................................................. 17 Network+ Certification..................................................................... 2
The more difficult, but probably more important, measurement is attitude. Our training program emphasizes empowerment and human capacity development. Our overarching goal is to create a context wherein the trainees can feel encouraged to explore a complex and intimidating new field. As one of the trainees at the 2003 Technician training explained, “I’ve been a computer support person for two years and this is the first time I’ve actually opened a computer.” There’s a great deal of uncertainty for those who are implementing their campuses first computer networks and much of what we do is to give our trainees a license to play and explore. Changing attitudes towards hiring and training ICT staff is another important component of our program. At every event we’d invite the institution to include students in the training. This suggestion wasn’t always greeted warmly, but many students came and many of these students now have role to play in their campuses ICT development. Our motto has been, “see one, do one, teach one.” If a participant identified themselves as having experience in an area we were teaching, they were asked to play a leadership role. Those who were trained one year were invited back to provide training the next. Two of the persons receiving our certificate were trained by someone else who had attended our workshops. Finally, we believe that our annual conference has made a significant impact on attitudes towards inter-institutional cooperation. By inviting ICT staff to gather and share their experiences, we’ve created a context whereby best practices can be shared and participants can learn from each other’s successes and failures. While there are many such linkages that have been made through the conference, here’s one that will have significant impact for years to come:
Benefits accrued to the University of Iowa include employment and internships for seven UI students (including three Nigerian graduate students) who had the opportunity to learn about technology and development at the same time. One student, Mike Schmitz, traveled to Nigeria and Ghana and participated in training African staff and student interns, while a volunteer, Mike Goo, spent three weeks in Nigeria training technicians. Two Nigerian geography professors, Prof. Godwin Ikwuyatum and Prof. Reuben K. Udo, visiting the University of Iowa for advanced professional training, spent considerable time at the WiderNet Project learning about digital technologies before returning to teach at their home institutions. Finally, one formal academic linkage, between the UI Department of Mathematics and the University of Jos’ Natural Sciences, has been established under this program.
Serendipities and unexpected outcomes: As described above, our Computer Donation Project has delivered 300 computers and a great deal of networking equipment and software to partner universities in Nigeria. The program continues to grow and we currently have another 350+ computers awaiting shipment. As an outgrowth of the incredible need for information resources at Nigerian universities with little or no Internet connection, the WiderNet Project has developed the eGranary Digital Library. This is a collection of millions of digital documents that are delivered to universities via a large hard disk and made available on campus intranets. This project started as a volunteer program under the aegis of this ALO grant and has grown into a much larger project supported by several other grants. The WiderNet Project has provided training and resources to three visiting Nigerian scholars from the University of Ibadan and the University of Jos and has extended invitations to four more to investigate the use and development of multimedia materials in contemporary U.S. university classrooms.
Ms. Saweda Liverpool, one of our Nigerian trainees, installed a copy of eGranary Digital Library and provided training for students at The School of Public Health of The Gambia College in June 2002. She learned about setting up servers and networks at the WiderNet Project and, using five workstations and a server donated by The WiderNet Project, set up the eGranary and a local area network while doing her summer field research in public health.
Challenges and lessons learned (related to the partnership process and to substantive matters of international development): All of our programs were significantly delayed by on-going strikes in the higher education sector and political turmoil in Nigeria. Yet, betwixt delays, we managed to deliver a large number of training programs and develop strong linkages with our counterpart institutions. Attempts to create linkages with Kirkwood Community College and Iowa State University were only marginally successful. Due to funding cutbacks at the state level, ISU’s International Institute of Theoretical and Applied Physics (IITAP) program closed in 2000 and the relevant staff was assigned to other departments (leaving them unable to commit to extracurricular projects.) Kirkwood’s ICT staff, while interested, simply could not participate. With such high demand for their ICT courses, they are offering classes late into the night and turning away students. While they have been wonderful about hosting visitors at their campus, their staff has not been able to participate in our training programs.
All the trainees had limited access to technology at their institutions. In fact, there are some universities where the “Ogas” (the leaders) simply took the CBT training CDs and stored them “for safekeeping.” We had originally expected that we could conduct on-line training in advance of our on-site training, but it turned out that email and Web access at participating institutions were so unreliable that it was impossible to conduct planning or training over the Internet. Hence we need to change the format to real-time group training and then follow up with asynchronous CBT and email training. Despite ever-shifting email addresses and technology failures, this model has worked very well. Our attempts at creating gender equity have fallen short. Where we have been able to attract more women to our other programs dealing with planning and policy, there remains a real imbalance in the technical areas. Since there a far fewer women than men already employed in technical jobs at our partner universities, the pool of potential trainees is much smaller. It is significant that when students were invited to informal and open training sessions, a greater ratio of female students attended. Despite the establishment of a WiderNet Tech Training e-mail listserve, it has been difficult to get technicians to ask for help via email. It wasn’t really until near the end of our program that email questions started taking off. Evaluations reflected that overall, the participants were satisfied with the information that they received. However their comments indicate consensus that more time needs to be spent on training.
Future plans (vision for the partnership after ALO funding): At this point we are continuing some of the technician training activities with the four Macarthur universities under a grant from the Macarthur Foundation. We have funding from USAID’s Leland Initiative to develop a satellite radio system for updating the eGranary Digital Library.
Because of major budget cuts that our state university has been experiencing, it remains unlikely that the University of Iowa will be spending much money on these sorts of linkages for the foreseeable future. That being said, we still enjoy significant support from the UI administration and are looking for other sources of funding to continue our work.
Our Nigerian partners continue to look for ways to support on-going linkages, but so far have not had much luck.
Description of media coverage of partnership activities (full citations and/or URLs of any published articles in the campus, local, national, or international media; video features; radio spots; etc.): Michael McNulty, co-director of the WiderNet Project gave presentations at the 2002 Annual Meeting of the Association of American Geographers, “Africa, Regional Development and the Geography of the Internet”, and "Digitizing the African University: A Search for Appropriate Strategies," on Monday, Nov. 11, 2003 as part of the University of Iowa International Programs' International Mondays lecture series that is open to the public.
Co-directors Michael McNulty and Cliff Missen appeared on the hour-long talk radio show “Iowa Talks” to discuss issues of digitizing African universities and respond to callers’ questions. The Nigerian National Television Authority did a special show on the WiderNet Project’s work at several Nigerian universities and the University of Iowa featured the WiderNet Project in its fall 2002 publication, International Highlights.
The project has been highlighted in several magazines and newspapers. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2003-07-07-digital-library-africa_x.htm http://www.dailyiowan.com/main.cfm?include=detail&storyid=445676 http://www.nitda.org/naii/newsletters/pdf/news052003.pdf http://www.naya-ng.org/organizations.html http://www.africaonline.com/site/Articles/1,3,47336.jsp http://www.iowalum.com/atiowa/may02.html
Last updated 11/2/03 by Kim Francis |
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