Appropriate Technology for Education in Developing Countries

Abstract

In recent years, appropriate technology has become an important approach to development in third world nations. Proponents of appropriate technology maintain that developing nations must eschew complex, imported technology and rely on local initiative and production. In education, projects incorporating appropriate technology have included folk theatre and instructional radio in place of computers and television. But defining just what technology is appropriate is difficult. Popular enthusiasm, participation, and feedback often appear to be more important to appropriateness than technical descriptions or specifications. The question then becomes, ‘How can that enthusiasm and participation be generated, and how can it be channelled in ways that are consonant with other development plans?’ Several recommendations to planners of educational development projects follow from this question.