August 25, 2015
As part of the Advancing MOOCs for Development Initiative (AMDI), we are conducting a short survey to understand how young people (ages 18-35) around the world participate in massive open online courses (MOOCs). Some MOOC providers include Coursera, edX, Udacity, MiriadX, UP Online Program, and TESDA, that work in partnership with universities and other institutions.
June 15, 2015
Until mid-2011, Myanmar was very much closed off from the rest of the world. As the government continues to liberalize media and open up telecommunications markets, mobile phone use is skyrocketing across many parts of Myanmar. The country is on pace to make a giant leap in the digital divide, with mobile penetration rates expected to jump from about 4% in 2014 to 80% by the end of this year. For many in Myanmar, using a mobile phone marks their first experience with the internet and digital technology, not to mention having a wealth of information at their fingertips, which is a far cry from the once heavily censored and government-controlled media environment.
May 27, 2015
A component of the Global Impact Study was the The Amy Mahan Research Fellowship Program, led by Universitat Pompeu Fabra, which aimed to deepen the capacity of emerging scholars with the goal of increasing the quality and quantity of research on public access to ICT produced in developing countries. The findings from this work have been compiled into a new book publication, Public access ICT across cultures: Diversifying participation in the network society. The book, edited by Francisco Proenza, is co-published by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and MIT Press and is available online in PDF freely through a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC-BY 4.0) license.
On Tuesday, June 9th, 2015, GlobalWA will host a panel of social entrepreneurs in a discussion about new products, tools, and ideas for global development. The conversation will challenge participants to think about the role of technology in creating a more equitable, healthy, and prosperous world. TASCHA Director Chris Coward will moderate the panel, which includes Ali Arjomand (Director of Global Good), Beth Kolko (CEO of Shift Labs), and Laura McLaughlin (Director of Global Health at Mountain Safety Research). A reception will follow the panel discussion. More about the event on GlobalWA’s website.
May 7, 2015
During winter quarter 2015, TASCHA held a research seminar open to University of Washington students. The research seminar was originally designed to get students involved with our Information Strategies for Societies in Transition project. So many students registered for the seminar, though, that we expanded the seminar to include other TASCHA projects, like the current evaluation of library-like resource centers in Namibia and our recently launched MOOCs for development project.
April 29, 2015
ICTD 2015 is almost here! In Singapore this year, ICTD 2015 will take place May 15-18, 2015. As is usually the case, University of Washington will have a strong presence at the conference this year. Here’s how TASCHA and our colleagues at the Information School will be participating:
April 10, 2015
Incredible temples range across Myanmar; from the magisterial Shwe Dagon in Yangon to Bagan’s sprawling complexes they show the country’s rich Buddhist art, culture and heritage. The monks often built them high up, as in Mandalay Hill, above. Sitting closer to God and above the everyday,as in many other religions, was a beneficial position for…
March 10, 2015
Online courses have the potential to expand quality education and career training worldwide, but few people in developing countries access them. Now, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and CourseTalk.com, the largest source of reviews of online courses, are launching a two-year, $1.55 million project to investigate and address this unmet potential. The initiative, called Advancing MOOCs for Development, will be driven by research on online course enrollment in Colombia, the Philippines, and South Africa. TASCHA will lead this research, with support from IREX.
August 13, 2014
This summer TASCHA, along with the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies, is pleased to be hosting 25 of Myanmar’s leaders from government, civil society, political parties, ethnic communities, libraries, and the media. The fellows are taking part in a 5-week professional development program about information strategies for societies in transition. Please join us for a panel discussion and reception with the fellows of the UW-Myanmar Leadership Program to learn about Myanmar on Thursday, August 21st, 5-8pm, at the UW Club.
July 31, 2014
We’ve developed numerous resources to help answer the overarching question, “Why do public access ICTs matter for development? The goal of the resources listed below is to help make the study’s findings and data more accessible and relevant to the international development, public library, and public access communities. It is our hope that you’ll find these materials useful in understanding the study’s key findings and recommendations, as well as for use in your own work
