This paper will focus on the importance of computer aided learning (CAL) as a modern tool that will facilitate faster learning in RMTC in Africa. It will also introduce basis of CAL development and the strategies that are being undertaken to achieve that goal.

Nowadays, many organizations all over the world are looking towards some form of educational technology to enhance their education and training programs. For example the COMET Program serves the USA's meteorological training needs and EuroMET serves the western European meteorological training needs. In Africa, Institute for Meteorological Training and Research (IMTR), Nairobi, Kenya and African school of Civil Aviation and Meteorology (EAMAC) Niamey, Niger are two WMO Regional Meteorological Training Centres (RMTCs) that focuses on CAL needs for a consortium of weather services throughout that region. Our education system will need a change so as to accommodate new innovations like CAL in the training curricula.

In this technology age a lot of information has been generated. This information needs a medium through which it can be synthesized and delivered in a ready to use format. Also any process or mechanism that would increase the learning capacity and speed is certainly a good choice to many. Thus CAL and other forms of educational technology are the potential education and training media.

Perhaps the role of the teacher/instructor needs to change from a presenter of information to a facilitator of learning. Research findings show that the current education system has reached asymptotic such that no improvements can be made without changing the whole education process performance (Branson, 1987)

The story of contemporary Africa is a story of struggles. Initially, there was the struggle for freedom but nowadays, there is the struggle to create new political institutions, administrative mechanisms, educational systems, economic emancipation, and information technology. The struggle for information and knowledge is a quiet one that rarely makes headlines in print or electronic media.

The adoption and acceptance of technological innovation in Africa's post-independence era frequently remains shallow. Yet world trade is now dominated by knowledge-intensive technologies which arise from the translation of results of high level scientific research and technological development work. Such translation can only be achieved by creating an enabling environment and programs for capacity building in the new innovation and by designing an appropriate acceptance and utilization plan.

Africa's famine of information and knowledge is due to poverty and to some extend suppression of information by some governments. Nevertheless, Africa needs to design and plant a new paradigm for its long-term educational technology that will enhance education systems and training programs in the region. Nowadays, many organizations all over the world are looking towards some form of educational technology to enhance their education and training programs. For example the Cooperative Program for Operational Meteorology, Education and Training (COMET) Program serves the USA's meteorological training needs and EuroMET serves the western European meteorological training needs.

In Africa, Institute for Meteorological Training and Research (IMTR), Nairobi, Kenya and African school of Civil Aviation and Meteorology (EAMAC), Niamey, Niger are two World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Regional Meteorological Training Centres (RMTCs) in Africa that focuses on CAL needs for a consortium of weather services throughout that region. The two Institutions benefited from the financial support from the Germany Government and EUMETSAT under the African Satellite Meteorology Education & Training (ASMET) project. Through this project, the two institutions were equipped with computer hardware/software and well trained faculty members in Computer Aided Learning (CAL) production.

Apart from urban centers, the current method of handling information in Africa is perhaps of great concern to all stakeholders. In fact the rural society is mostly computerless or even paperless. But in this technology age, a lot of information has been generated. This information needs a medium through which it can be synthesized and delivered in a ready to use format. Also any process or mechanism that would increase the learning capacity and speed is certainly a good choice to many. Thus CAL and other forms of educational technology are the potential education and training media.

Learning is a social process that integrates skills, experience and knowledge from individual(s) to individual(s) through a specified media. The African society is still clinging to traditional training/teaching methods that are no longer appropriate to the information economy. The traditional methods or teacher-centered methods have a lot of limitations. Such a system depends sorely on the individual's skills, knowledge and experience. Furthermore, a teacher/instructor has his/her limitation in knowledge and capacity to hold information at any particular time. In fact, the success of such a training process will mainly depend on the following salient factors:-

• Teacher/instructor, student and rapport between them
• Well defined aims and objectives
• Teaching strategy and methods
• Feedback - assessment
• Effective use of teaching aids

It's very important to identify the organizational training needs, individual training needs and the effective mode of delivering the information before embarking on the training process. There are many techniques of teaching/training that can be adopted to promote a particular goal or to solve a particular training problem. These are:-

• Lecture
• Lesson
• Talk
• Discussion
• Role play
• Case study
• Project
• Programmed instruction
• On-the-job training

Whatever method is adopted to solve a particular training problem, it has it's own advantages and disadvantages. The dangers of the teacher-centered methods are:-

• Teacher/instructor cannot attend to each trainee's needs
• The teacher/instructor is in control of the whole training environment
• The teacher/instructor move at his/her own pace not the student's pace
• The teacher/instructor needs more time for preparation
• Repetition of the class or lesson is limited

Currently, the paradigm for students teaching is shifting in focus from teacher-centered to student-centered learning, with an increased emphasis on new educational technologies. CAL is a complex, expensive instructional medium that offers many exciting opportunities for learners. It's the most recent development in programmed learning or instruction and is used for two main purposes namely, user education and faculty training or teaching. This technique is student-centered learning and it has many advantages over the teacher-centered learning. These are:-

• It enhances standardization of training materials
• It enhances distant-learning
• It enhances student-directed learning or self paced learning
• Provides a teaching aid for faculty
• It's interactive
• In the long-term, it drastically reduces the training costs once the

• Stimulates learning through the use of animations, graphics, video

• Reinforces the lectures through the conceptual models, graphics,

• Encourages the use of Internet resources.

Despite of the many advantages of using CAL technique in the training process, there are some disadvantages of this method. These are:-

• Time consuming to develop
• Initial cost of setting up the required equipment is very high
• Special skills and knowledge needed for production of the modules
• Rapid change of technology

Computers can be used to enhance the quality of education provided by a teaching staff. A computer based classroom is capable of providing a laboratory for student use, a teaching aid for lectures and courses, and a facility to enable faculty to create advanced multimedia based learning material for in-house use and distance learning.

A multimedia laboratory was set up with many inter-related components; computers, networking capability, meteorological data archive, the capacity to collect and produce data that can be used for CAL development and Internet access through the ASMET project. Specific components of a multimedia laboratory environment include:

• 8 PC’s capable of running multimedia Computer Aided Learning (CAL) material. Each computer is attached to a Local Area Network and is supported by a Microsoft NT fileserver.
• Internet connection to provide faculty and student access to the vast resources available on the Internet
• Networked environment to enable access to shared resources like disks, printers, data archives and the Internet
• Network file server to provide administrative control and shareable resources
• Beamer - computer projection equipment to allow computer output to be displayed to a larger audience
• Workstation for CAL development
• Scanner used for manipulation of graphics material
• A laptop
• Un-interruptible Power Supply (UPS) for the fileserver
• 3COM Ethernet hub

The main software packages necessary for the development of CAL materials are:

• Toolbook II Assistant for multimedia authoring
• Microsoft Office used for word-processing, spreadsheets and on-line presentation.
• Web server to provide Web pages for locally developed material
• Adobe PhotoShop used for the creation and manipulation of graphics
• Paint Shop Pro used for manipulation of graphics
• Lview Pro used for manipulation of graphics
• Autodesk Multimedia (Animator Studio) used for animations of graphics and to edit and manipulate digital video data
• Web browser
• Windows 95/98 for PC working environment or Operating System
• Web editors like Web weaver, Front page98, Claris home page, Pagemill and others used for publication of CAL materials on the Web-sites.

For a successful introduction of any new innovation into a system, the following critical factors must be considered. These are:-

• Involvement of ALL stakeholders in the planning and development process
• Consideration of the cultural values
• Standardization of the material so that it's compatible to the existing computer technology

All these factors were considered during the inception and implementation of the ASMET project. Through this project, four African Instructors/meteorologist, two from each center were trained in this specialized field for nine months at COMET, Boulder Colorado in USA.

3.3 Change Agents at RMTCs

Effective change is about encouraging people to change the way they do things and the way they think about their roles in the organization. The change agents can only achieve this through a planned change process.

Therefore, change agents play a critical role in helping to new get innovations adopted. The four African experts are the solution givers. They are responsible for selling the new innovation to their respective Institutions. The main stages involved in achieving this goal are:

• Creating awareness to the administrators, faculty and students through CAL demonstrations, workshops, seminars and lectures. At IMTR this process is going on.
• Providing training, technology access and encouragement to use the technology in their daily work. In fact we have introduced Computer Literacy classes for our faculty to enhance the use of computers and CAL modules at IMTR.
• The above goals have led to the creation of an interest to the faculty and students. Due to the great demand, we have set apart Wednesday and Thursday afternoons for CAL demonstrations or self-directed learning at IMTR.
• The faculty and students are now trying CAL modules on their own at IMTR. This means that ALL the stakeholders are now involved in the trial mode.
• Formed a steering committee that provides guidance in developing policies and procedures for the integration and development of CAL in the training curricula. The group represents the ‘centre of power’ for the innovation. The committee works on the different steps in the innovation-decision process.
• Involved change advocates. These are persons (or organisations) from outside the training institution, who can advocate for change. They play an important role in that they serve as consultants or outside experts who provide continuous encouragement and support. In this regard, EUMETSAT, COMET, METEO France and UK Met Office have continued to contribute towards the sustainability of CAL programs at the RMTCs.

Note that transformational change cannot be forced on academic environment as suggested by Dolence and Norris (1995). It has to be embraced.

5. CAL Development by the faculty at IMTR

The long-term plan is to involve other faculty in creating their own CAL or in participating in the production process. This approach is already being undertaken by IMTR through a steering committee.

The development process involves performing:

• Front end analysis

• Design

• Scripting

• Storyboarding

• Media production

• Authoring

• Testing and revision

• CD mastering and publication

• Implementation and acceptance plan

1. CAL has shown to be an effective medium of instruction.
2. The transformation process may take a little longer but the intention is to focus on the use of information technology.
3. Training at the RMTCs and related institutions in Africa will be more effective, accessible, and efficient through the incorporation of CAL modules into their training curricula.

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