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High costs hamper e-degree roll-out

By Leigh-Ann Francis
Johannesburg, 07 Apr 2010

High costs hamper e-degree roll-out

Lack of skills and the high cost of acquiring and maintaining necessary technologies are hindering universities from rolling out local electronic-based degree programmes, experts say, according to Business Daily Africa.

Online learning cost less than on-campus degrees, but it has not taken root in Kenya, dashing hopes of cheaper access to higher education.

A spot check revealed some universities teach courses online, but none offers full online degrees.

Kenya intros e-learning curriculum

Kenya's first digital e-learning curriculum for schools has been unveiled with keen emphasis on learning institutions to embrace innovations in IT, states CoastWeek.

The syllabus was unveiled during the first ever regional e-learning conference, which officially kicked off in Kenya last week.

The three-day conference organised by the country's Ministry of Education, Microsoft, Kenya ICT Trust Fund, the UN Education, Science and Culture Organisation and ICWE Africa attracted over 1 500 participants from eastern and central Africa.

Health IT education gets $144m

Multiple community colleges and four-year universities have received a total of $144 million in stimulus funding to support programmes aimed at achieving widespread adoption and meaningful use of health IT, writes HealthDataManagement.

Five community regional consortia representing 70 community colleges have received a total of $36 million to develop non-degree health IT training programmes that can be completed within six months.

An additional $34 million is available in second-year funds pending a successful mid-project evaluation.

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