ICTs and Educational Benefits in Regional Development

Abstract

ICTs can play an important role in improving public education in rural regions. The effects of ICT use in schools can, in turn, bring unexpected economic benefits to the region. ICT developers interested in building economies can use education as a sustainable, grassroots building block for future growth. While many development programs tend to focus on private models for ICT dissemination in remote regions (such as telecenters), public education embodies a spirit of universal accessibility that can bring global technologies into the daily lives of all world citizens. When ICTs are recognized as pedagogical tools, they serve both the long-term economic and cultural needs of communities.