Two years and countless cups of chai ago, we were faced with a dilemma. The first eINDIA conference cum exhibition had left us with a veritable barrage of pubic opinion. Almost each of our 500 participants had something important to say, regarding the state of affairs in ICT, the obstacles and challenges, as well as accounts of what had worked for them in the past.
Faced with such an array of information on almost all aspects of ICT for development, we felt the need for a medium through which all the knowledge shared could be compiled and presented, in order for us to fulfil our twin agenda of sharing knowledge and strategic networking. Thus, was born, digital Learning, the very magazine you hold in your hands right now. From our first issue, which was incidentally, only 38-pages thick, to our current 150-page Second Anniversary Issue, we have grown over the years, much in the same way as the entire field of ICT & Education has.
Digital Learning has been with you from the earliest appearance of the potential of ICT on the horizon, to the current inroads made by this technology in revolutionising educational content and delivery. And one can see today, from from the highest levels of policy and decision makers, right down to the practitioners, the teachers, and the end consumer, the learner, all are excited by the presence of ICT in education. And along with excitement, innovation and research followed quickly and further progress has been made in terms of understanding the application and available resources to enhance learning.
Not all of it has been smooth sailing. Many issues have cropped up in terms of the kind of infrastructure required (school environment) to the kind of software and hardware to be used (open source or branded products) or interventions that actually work in the field, and even the standards and quality that should be ensured, to ease the use of ICT in education. We have all felt the existence of the digital divide and the need for transparent and open standards. We have also seen the attraction technology holds for the young in our own homes and families. Needless to say, a child that grows up in the midst of technology will grow up unafraid of technology and very much in command of the same technology.
The past two years have seen digital Learning grow in terms of size, team, logistics, coverage, knowledge, etc. However, the most important facet of our growth, and makes all of us proud is the fact that we have been able to constantly reinvent ourselves and reach new heights. By virtue of this, we are convinced that there is much that can be done and needs to be done in the future to come. We hope all our readers and contributors will continue to support us in this journey.
We have pulled out all (full) stops in our effort to compile this issue with a complete sectorial view and hope you find value in it.
Hope you enjoy this Second Anniversary Issue!
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