**3. Community learning centres as a potential podia for ICT driven ubiquitous learning**

Discussion about potential use of technology to enhance learning cannot leave out an issue of partnership in learning. The government is responsible for public education in Botswana, for example, at the foundational level, free tuition and feeding is provided. A comprehensive and inclusive approach requires government to partner with other stakeholders and indeed Botswana a long history of wide stakeholder involvement in the education delivery and financing [1]. This tradition would be most useful in the proposed involvement of community members at the foundational education level. Community Learning Centres (CLCs) could be powerful platforms for both use by community members as well as serve as podia for technology enhanced learning. CLCs are structures located in the communities to be used for free by community members. Examples of CLCs are shown below.

The proposed idea in this chapter is to use the above structures in the communities (CLCs) as podia for ubiquitous learning to complement the first ten (10) years of schooling in Botswana. Structures in **Figure 2** above are found in respective communities and provide free and easy access to computers and internet. As of now, these structures are not meant to be podia for completing the formal education systems. Rather, they are centres where people can go to access technology (computers and internet) for wide-ranging purposes like social connection, business ideas and lifelong learning purposes. A brief description of each CLC is given below.

## **3.1 Kitsong Centres**

In 2009, Mascom Kitsong Center initiative was introduced in response to the global need of transforming small villages into knowledge based economies. The initiative is also meant to empower the youth and supports the current Vision 2036 pillar of Sustainable Economic Development by enabling digital literacy (The Patriot Newspaper) [7]. *Kitsong* Centres are operated through a privatepublic partnership Private Public Partnership (PPP) with the then Ministry of Communications, Science and Technology. As of 2018, there were about 110 villages

**Figure 2.** *Potential CLCs for ubiquitous learning.*

#### *Community Learning Centres as Podia for Technology Enhanced Ubiquitous Learning… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.94045*

across the country that is serviced through these centres. Services provided among others, include Internet, access to local content on important areas such as agriculture, entrepreneurship, financial and government support. Training, and business support and web hosting are part of the services. The services have made tremendous improvement in the lives of some Batswana.

A case to use to clarify the benefits of Kitsong centres is that of Sethamiso Derrick Lehutso who graduated Bachelor of Science (BSC) in Software Engineering and operate a Kitsong Centre in Kopong Village. He commends the centres as true liberating Information and Communications Technology (ICT) services for the residents of Kopong. He described the centres as playing a major role to inform, educate and create awareness on ICT among the different segments of the society. Village authorities like Dikgosi (Chiefs) have been taught how to use computers and Molefe Primary School teachers have been skilled in how best to use Microsoft word, Excel and PowerPoint and all these have been great success. As documented in The Patriot Newspaper [7], in all parts of the countries, the centres community members have received the following services


In addition to services listed above, Kitsong Centres have benefited entrepreneurs and farmers in different ways like cattle registration system commonly known as (BAITS) and mapping coordinates and locations of boreholes and farms in the area. Currently, Kitsong Centres are favourable to success and the country can take advantage of this positive reception to re-orient them to work ad podia for ubiquitous learning as suggested in this chapter.

#### **3.2 Public/community libraries**

Provision of computers with internet in the public libraries has known as Sesigo project in Botswana was sponsored through Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Global Libraries Initiative on the African continent. It was launched in 2009. Public libraries in about 78 of the 98 libraries of different types of public, branch and village reading rooms have made possible to free access and use of computers and the internet by everyone [8]. The Centres provide a computer communication system to enable public access to integrated e-mail and online information, especially for rural people. They disseminate locally generated, user-friendly, relevant information and knowledge resources [9]. In 2013, at the officially closing a global libraries initiative project the then Minister of Minister of Youth, Sport and Culture Mr. Shaw Kgathi applauded the public libraries for having transformed the lives of Batswana in diverse manner. The minister noted that the project has accelerated government efforts to roll-out e-services to the public. As well, access to computers

and internet is a great learning opportunity to communities in general. He noted positive contribution such as training on basic computers and accessing the internet to improve livelihood, like engaging in vegetable gardening [10]. Speaking at the same closing ceremony, Sebusang indicated that the project has begun to provide opportunities to pre-primary school going kids to acquire computer knowledge [10]. The foundation has thus been laid to create a friendly culture of parents using the libraries together with their children to promote skills that help improve performance in the first ten (10) years of schooling.

#### **3.3 OSEC community learning centres**

Lifelong Learning Centres are targeted at improving literacy levels and advancing general basic education to deserving citizens, particularly out of school children [11]. The OSEC Community Learning Centres are operated by the Ministry of Basic Education (MoBE), Department of Out-of-School Education and Training (OSET). Unlike the Kitsong and Libraries, these centres are not equipped with computers and internet for free use by the public. These centres provide specialist services to the out of school community, including those learning at OSEC Sites [11]. These centres provide learning and can be easily equipped with the needed network computers to provide technology enhance ubiquitous learning for parents and their children. They can be organized to promote communities with free and relaxed learning.
