Open Courseware as a Tool for Teaching and Learning in Africa

Open Source Software (OSS) shows great promise for future technological innovation and application especially in the area of teaching and learning in Africa. It provides readily available software such as learning management systems (LMS) and learning content management systems (LCMs). Higher Learning Institutions (HLI) in developing countries can benefit from these OSS initiatives. This paper, based on two case studies (The University of the Western Cape (UWC) in South Africa and the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) in Tanzania), discusses the application of OSS in teaching and learning and reflects on why the adoption of Open Courseware (OC) by HLI in Africa is very slow. The UWC Free Software Innovation Unit was visited and information was collected from the websites of both UWC and UDSM. It is anticipated that the findings of the study will be of interest to all stakeholders in the education sector in Africa. It will be useful when planning cost-effective and efficient technology implementation at district level and at national level specifically in Tanzania.