A Framework for Virtual Seminar in Cameroon

This report presents a framework for the realization of virtual seminars involving remote experts from the African Diaspora, “students“ and a local supervisor/facilitator located at the university campus in Cameroon. The approach is qualified as a blended learning seminar and introduces the paradigm of “Diaspora-based computer supported collaborative Learning”. The proposed framework addresses the lack of infrastructure and human resources in institutions of higher education in Cameroon, and aims to simplify the construction of virtual seminars that help to reduce the negative effect of “brain drain” . The solution developed consists of a socio-technical system, in which didactical models and methods for the realization of the blended learning seminar are described, the possible organizational forms, the involved actors and their roles, and the processes and instructional sequences of the blended learning seminar are specified. Furthermore, the system architecture for the execution of the proposed model of seminar is specified. The proposed solution fits to the characteristics and problems of the societal context in less developed sub Saharan countries. A prototypical implementation of the conceptual solution and an evaluation are presented in the report, too.