SPIDER is an independent centre focusing on the digitalisation of international development. It brings together actors in development to promote human centered technology for the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By combining practical work and applied research, SPIDER contributes to empirical knowledge on ICT for Development (ICT4D).
Since November 2017, Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) with funding from Spider has been implementing an e-learning project that incorporates use of information and communication technology (ICT) into the teaching and learning of mathematics and basic health education in Nakivale refugee camp.
Both teachers and students perceived the platform to be useful in terms of improving performance by enabling access to learning materials they wouldn’t otherwise have access to, especially multimedia tutorials in video and audio formats.
Currently the e-learning platform is in use after introductory teacher trainings. The challenges that remain untackled include the lack of pedagogy skills for teachers, limited access to internet, modern library and sufficient computer resources, the overwhelming number of learners in classrooms, and students’ negative attitudes about mathematics and science. The project support and efforts towards overcoming the highlighted challenges is ongoing. An evaluation study will present the findings of the project interventions.
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The Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), Amref Health Africa and the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) have agreed to collaborate in an effort to explore ways that technological innovations can contribute to government strategies for making progress towards universal health coverage (UHC). This means substantially increasing access by those whose basic health care needs are not being met. This report presents the outcome of a meeting held in Bengaluru, India. At this meeting, people with direct experience of different aspects of the development, piloting and taking to scale of technological innovations in India and a number of African countries explored the factors that influence this process.
The Humanitarian Innovation Guide is a growing online resource to help individuals and organisations define humanitarian problems and successfully develop innovative solutions.
Communicating with communities is not an option. Listening and talking to communities is a fundamental part of humanitarian response, including UNHCR and its partners’ work. It is essential in ensuring our accountability to our constituents – the communities affected by crisis, alongside operational effectiveness, security and stability. It is important for emergency responders to understand different groups and individuals’ information needs, their preferred channels and trusted sources. It is equally important that communities’ voices inform humanitarian decision making thus, emergency responders should demonstrate they’ve listened and proactively explain the changes they’ve made and why certain actions cannot be taken.
Using digital technologies—such as mobile phones, computers, or tablets—to convey information and messages as part of an evidence-based multichannel social and behavior change (SBC) strategy may contribute to promoting, adopting, and maintaining healthy sexual and reproductive behavior. This brief summarizes the current state of evidence in this rapidly changing field. (A companion brief reviews digital applications aimed at supporting providers and health systems.)