E-book: If we don't have the textbooks we'll make them!

06/18/2008 - 17:18

In 2009, e-books may arrive to Italy. The government is currently about to approve a financial bill that will allow schools and universities to freely download texts from the Internet for free or if applicable after having paid the relevant rights. This will allow a significant reduction in the cost of text books and didactic documents. It is not certain yet whether teachers and professors will be required to immediately use books available in the two modes (printed and downloadable) or whether this will be postponed to the 2011-12 academic year.

 
In Burundi, the situation is different. The virtual text book, created through cooperation, often represents the only opportunity to continue studying. At the last edition of the International Global Junior Challenge competition, in the “up to 18 years old” category”, the "If we don’t have the textbooks … we’ll make them! Project made the final selections.
The lack of printed didactic materials (text books, photocopies, etc.) is endemic. The little material that is available is often obsolete. Cd-roms and other multimedia material have prohibitive costs. This is the situation in which the project for a “virtual text book” was conceived to provide the technical training of students. The material for the text books is found on the web via satellite. The use of a specific pedagogic platform (Moodle) allows the exchange of documents, experiences and exercises amongst Italian and Burundian professors. This allows the school in the Ngozi region to overcome its educational marginalisation.
 
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