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Bridging the digital divide

4 June 2008

Dr Larry Stillman is working with the Meraka Institute to measure the effectiveness of the Digital Doorway project.

Finding out what happens in a community when technology is introduced was the goal of Dr Larry Stillman's recent trip to South Africa.

Dr Stillman, from the Faculty of Information Technology's Centre for Community Networking Research, visited the Digital Doorway project, an initiative funded by South Africa’s national Department of Science and Technology and implemented by the Meraka Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

The Digital Doorway project aims to promote computer and information literacy in South African communities that lack ready access to computers.

The project makes robust computer terminals accessible to people in areas they visit frequently rather than the formal setting of a classroom, encouraging experimentation.

Content, focussing mainly on mathematics, science and technology, and health, is uploaded remotely onto the computers that are monitored by local ‘champions.’

In some areas, groups or clusters of Digital Doorways are connected via wireless networks. A self-contained version of the system has been developed and is ready for pilot testing.

"These robust public terminals, available 24 hours a day, where possible, could have an enormous impact on communication in a range of different settings, whether in the bush or as a walk-up multifunction 21st century multimedia terminal in the city," Dr Stillman said.

Dr Stillman has long-standing experience in the evaluation of the impact of technology in communities and is working with the Meraka Institute to measure the effectiveness of the project.

Digital Doorways make computer terminals accessible to people in areas they visit frequently. Photo courtesy Meraka Institute (CSIR)

Dr Stillman said he was inspired by his first visit to South Africa and hopes that Monash can collaborate on this and other information technology projects that directly address social inequity.

"Something happens in communities when technology is introduced," Dr Stillman said.

"We want to know whether this current approach is effective in encouraging people to use new technology and whether there are other applications for this type of technology."

Dean of the Faculty of Information Technology Professor Ron Weber said the lessons learnt from the project in South Africa could have great relevance to Australia.

Dr Stillman said the visit yielded results that will be of great interest to the South African government as well as researchers and practitioners internationally. He will return to South Africa later this month to further his research.

"The outcomes so far have encouraged us to take the next step and seek funding for an Australian trial."

Monash South Africa's School of Information Technology head Dr Jacques Steyn has been instrumental in developing the relationship between Monash and the Meraka Institute.

"This is a tremendous opportunity for skills and knowledge to be exchanged between the two continents," Dr Steyn said.