2023:Program/Education/LGKW9S-Using Kiwix as a tool to enhance equitable access to educational resources in Africa

The following is a mirror of what are publicly available details of submission made at the call for proposal platform, Pretalx. Any changes here may be overwritten by a bot while syncing updates from Pretalx (LGKW9S). Changes are monitored and may be updated into Pretalx if they do not change the context of the submission (i.e. correcting typographical errors).

Title: Using Kiwix as a tool to enhance equitable access to educational resources in Africa

Speakers:

Ruby D-Brown

Ruby Damenshie-Brown is a passionate open knowledge enthusiast, Wikipedian, and women’s and climate advocate with a wealth of experience in project and program management. Since 2019, she has been an active editor on Wikipedia and has contributed to numerous articles on various topics. As an experienced project and programs manager, Ruby has a talent for conducting evaluations that lead to impactful projects and community building. Under her leadership at Open Foundation West Africa, she launched the Kiwix4schools project in 2020, drawing inspiration from other experienced volunteers who were implementing Kiwix in schools at the time. Under her leadership, the Kiwix4schools project has grown from a local event to a continental-wide program, building skills and creating impact across Africa. In addition to her work with Wikipedia and Open Foundation West Africa, Ruby was a member of the UCOC Enforcement guidelines and volunteers as the Eduwiki Sub-Sahara Africa Regional Coordinator. She is passionate about building lasting and fruitful connections and creating positive change with every opportunity given. Ruby’s hobby is cooking and learning new things.

Pretalx link

Etherpad link

Room: Room 325

Start time: Wed, 16 Aug 2023 15:45:00 +0800

End time: Wed, 16 Aug 2023 16:15:00 +0800

Type: No (pretalx) session type id specified

Track: Education

Submission state: confirmed

Duration: 30 minutes

Do not record: false

Presentation language: en

Abstract & description

Abstract

In this workshop, individuals and organizations will learn how to solve or mitigate barriers to information and educational content in deprived areas of the world. We will share learnings from how this has been implemented in the past and also build skills of participants on using the Kiwix tool.

Description

Access to online educational resources remains a challenge for most parts of the world. Even though more than 58.8% of the world is connected to the internet today, the majority stems from the West. One of the main causes of this problem, among other factors, is the high cost of maintaining internet infrastructure and poor internet connectivity in the Global South.

The Kiwix4Schools project is an initiative to adapt teaching during times of crisis and to augment learning for anyone who requires educational resources without the barriers of connecting to the internet.

Further details

Qn. How does your session relate to the event themes: Diversity, Collaboration Future?

The session on Using Kiwix as a tool to enhance equitable access to educational resources in Africa is relevant to all three event themes: Diversity, Collaboration, and Future of the Wikimedia Movement.

Firstly, the session relates to the Diversity theme because it is focused on improving access to educational resources for underserved communities in Africa. Kiwix is a software program that allows users to access educational content offline, without the need for an internet connection. This is particularly important in areas where internet access is limited or expensive, and can help to bridge the digital divide by providing access to information and educational materials to people who might otherwise not have it. By improving access to educational resources, Kiwix can help to promote diversity by enabling people from diverse backgrounds and communities to learn and access information.

Secondly, the session also relates to the Collaboration theme. The Kiwix project is an open-source project, and it relies on collaboration from a range of contributors, including developers, content creators, and users. The session will discuss how the Kiwix project has collaborated with a range of stakeholders, including educators, NGOs, and governments, to expand access to educational resources in Africa. By sharing their experiences and best practices, the session will provide insights into how collaboration can help to promote access to education.

Finally, the session also relates to the Future of the Wikimedia Movement theme. The Wikimedia Movement is committed to promoting free and open access to knowledge, and the Kiwix project is aligned with this goal. The session will explore how the Kiwix project is contributing to the Wikimedia Movement by providing offline access to Wikipedia and other Wikimedia content. The session will also discuss how the Kiwix project can be expanded in the future to provide greater access to educational resources for people in Africa and around the world.

Qn. What is the experience level needed for the audience for your session?

Everyone can participate in this session

Qn. What is the most appropriate format for this session?

• Onsite in Singapore
• Remote online participation, livestreamed
• Remote from a satellite event
• Hybrid with some participants in Singapore and others dialing in remotely
• Pre-recorded and available on demand