3.2.2 Content

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The term content covers the educational materials developed for use on computers and other LCCDs. That will have to be developed that is specific to the educational system of each country. Development costs vary depending on:

  • The complexity of the content that needs to be created;
  •  Whether content already exists that can be modified for the LCCD that is being distributed; 
  • Whether content from other sources can be utilized; 
  • Whether the languages used in the country are specific to that country, or whether developers can draw on content developed in countries where the same language is spoken; and 
  • How much of the content development is done "in-house" and how much is contracted to third parties.
One of the consequences of conducting technology trials, or starting pilot projects, is that content development will initially consume a larger portion of up-front costs. In Haiti, for example, the development of Creole language content accounts for 2.6 per cent of total pilot project costs. But this content can continue to be used if the pilot is scaled-up to a full program, so the total cost will be lower over time.
 
The availability of free content can help to alleviate these costs. The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) effort works with "Wikieducator," a site for open sharing of curricular materials. In the Solomon Islands OLPC pilot, primary schools are using free biology lessons downloaded from the Wikieducator site.40 The pilot project was also able to draw on content developed for an earlier distance-learning project covering teacher training in local languages, as well as agricultural content on beekeeping, turtle conservation and chicken farming.

 

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