Towards an internet-based education model for Caribbean countries

Abstract

Advances in the development of the internet infrastructure can be used within developing countries to enhance the delivery of high quality education to the citizens. The mechanisms used to deliver educational material over the internet range from the very sophisticated Virtual Classrooms (VCs) in which students in cyberspace interact in their real-time with instructors at remote sites, to the basic non real-time delivery of lecture contents. In Caribbean countries where the concentration of high-quality teachers and teaching facilities are in and around urban areas, VCs can be used to enhance the access of students in remote areas to the materials, experiences, and facilities provided at the urban centres. The article presents a model for virtual classrooms, which is specifically geared towards Caribbean countries. This model leverages the usage of alternative low-cost technology to offer VC environment to teaching institutions in remote rural districts via the internet.