Enhancing education delivery in Guyana at the general secondary school level: Opportunities for the use of computer‐assisted instruction
| Published date | 01 April 2011 |
| Date | 01 April 2011 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/20425945201100004 |
| Pages | 55-67 |
| Author | Louis Dodson,Dianna A. DaSilva |
| Subject Matter | Public policy & environmental management |
Copyright © 2011 WASD 55
*Corresponding author: University of Guyana, Guyana; e-mail: louisdodson@yahoo.com
Enhancing Education dElivEry in
guyana at thE gEnEral SEcondary
School lEvEl: opportunitiES for
thE uSE of computEr-aSSiStEd
inStruction
World Journal of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development, Vol. 8, No. 1, 2011
Louis Dodson* and Dianna A. DaSilva
University of Guyana, Guyana
Abstract: The main thesis of this paper is that Information and Communication Tech-
nologies (ICTs) hold tremendous opportunities for enhancing the quality and coverage of
public goods in developing countries. Within this context, the paper examines, through
a SWOT analysis, the opportunity for using Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI) to en-
hance the quality and coverage of education delivery in Guy ana at the General Second-
ary School (GSS) level. Its main conclusion in this regard, is that through the use of CAI,
the negative effects which the shortages of trained teachers have on the quality of educa-
tion delivery at the GSS level, can be reduced if not eliminated. Noteworthy, CAI can be
used to support Conventional Teacher-Centered Instruction (CTCI). In addition, it can
serve to reduce urban-rural inequal ity in terms of access to quality secondary education.
The paper considers, however, that these opportunities must be predicated on an under-
standing of the character istic weaknesses of the education system and the related possible
threats to effective application of ICT to education delivery. Of import are the informal
dynamics that inter-play in the use of certain ICT in schools, namely computers; the risk
of erosion of local educational materials and tools for learning given current indig enous
capacity weaknesses and the increased marketability of trained teachers for the foreign
market where the application of ICT to learning occurs on a high er level. However, this
paper suggests that with prudent policy approaches, the weaknesses can be overcome, the
threats can be minimised and therefore the opportunities can be accomplished. In this
regard, this paper concludes with policy recommendations.
Keywords: Universal Primary Education; Universal Secondary Education; Information Com-
munication Technologies (ICTs); General Secondary Schools; Computer-Assisted Instruction; con-
ventional teacher-centered mode teacher-centered; student-centered.
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