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Digital learning in techno-utopia? Do-it-yourself education in Kibera, Nairobi
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 January 2024
Abstract
This article argues that, despite techno-utopian narratives of digital self-directed learning (through content freely available on the internet) and its proposed opportunities for upward social mobility, digital learning is and remains a highly contextual practice, rooted in local realities and aspirational trajectories. Through learning with a community-based organization (CBO) that offers tech training to youth from low-income neighbourhoods in Kibera, Nairobi, I argue that digital learning does not replace formal education but rather is strategically incorporated into already existing learning practices. Although Nairobi has been extensively studied as a frontrunner in technology uptake and development in Africa, it is crucial to also look at technology practices and uptake away from elite design and use, to extend and deepen our knowledge of how the digital realm plays out in the lives of the majority of urban residents.
Résumé
Cet article soutient qu’en dépit des discours techno-utopiques d’apprentissage autodirigé facilité par le numérique (avec un contenu disponible gratuitement sur Internet) et des opportunités d’ascension sociale qu’il propose, l’apprentissage numérique est et reste une pratique hautement contextuelle ancrée dans les réalités locales et les trajectoires aspirationnelles. En apprenant avec un organisme communautaire qui offre des formations techniques aux jeunes des quartiers défavorisés de Kibera, à Nairobi, l’auteur soutient que l’apprentissage numérique ne remplace pas l’éducation formelle, mais plutôt qu’il s’intègre de manière stratégique dans des pratiques d’apprentissage déjà existantes. Nairobi a été largement étudiée comme ville championne de l’utilisation et du développement de la technologie en Afrique, mais il est crucial d’examiner également les pratiques technologiques et l’utilisation de la technologie au-delà de sa pertinence et utilisation par les élites, pour mieux comprendre comment la sphère numérique s’inscrit dans la vie de la majorité des résidents urbains.
Resumo
Este artigo argumenta que, apesar das narrativas tecno-utópicas da aprendizagem digital autodirigida (através de conteúdos disponíveis gratuitamente na Internet) e das oportunidades propostas para uma mobilidade social ascendente, a aprendizagem digital é e continua a ser uma prática altamente contextual, enraizada nas realidades locais e em trajectórias aspiracionais. Através da aprendizagem com uma organização de base comunitária (OBC) que oferece formação tecnológica a jovens de bairros de baixo rendimento em Kibera, Nairobi, defendo que a aprendizagem digital não substitui a educação formal, mas é antes estrategicamente incorporada em práticas de aprendizagem já existentes. Embora Nairobi tenha sido amplamente estudada como pioneira na adoção e desenvolvimento de tecnologias em África, é crucial analisar também as práticas e a adoção de tecnologias fora do âmbito da conceção e utilização de elite, para alargar e aprofundar o nosso conhecimento sobre a forma como o domínio digital se desenrola na vida da maioria dos residentes urbanos.
- Type
- Digital learning in Kibera, Nairobi
- Information
- Copyright
- © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the International African Institute
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