Lack of facilities and internet access are some of the greatest obstacles to building the online learning sector. Fortunately, Indonesia has begun to make waves in addressing this particular issue.
Telekomsel, Indonesia’s largest telecommunications company, recently provided Wi-Fi access to 100 educational institutions and 1,000 secondary high schools. Students can access a full day’s worth of internet for only IDR 1,000 (US 10 cents). The company also plans to install 100,000 more Wi-Fi hotspots at high schools by the end of the year.
So, what does this mean for education in Indonesia? Well, for one, it could allow greater opportunities for more online educational start-ups. Current e-learning sites, such as Rumah Belajar, Akademi Berbagi, and Indonesia Mengajar, will have room to improve their content and resource sharing networks.
Normally, teachers and students have to visit internet cafes or use home computers to access online learning materials. Bringing Wi-Fi access to the classroom may help facilitate a learning environment that encourages teachers to incorporate more online materials into their lesson plans.
Granted, these are some of the more optimistic ideas that could sprout from the recent boom in school-based Wi-Fi use. What do you think, could e-learning be the key to accelerating the development of Indonesia’s education sector?
Creative Commons Love: Asian Development Bank on Flickr
Written by Alice Formwalt