There has been a strong dependency on the use of so called standard license software like Microsoft Office even though there has been a large number of office tools available under open license. One of the example is Google office tools. In case of India the constrain lies in the awareness and adaptability of the new technology. Internet connectivity and a mix of online-offline course material are some of the challenges faced by low budget institutions. The flip side of this challenge is varied level of literacy both in terms of technology and education. The mobile communication area has managed to reach far and wide creating new avenues for learning.

• Rohit Bhatia

I have the same question as Puja Borker. As large developing country like India, China, etc. we have no enough teacher with high skill to use hardware and develop e-Learning resource. But if we can't afford some software they are familar like Microsoft Office, but afford some open lience software, we may find it hard to provide technical support and training. So how can we promote teachers using more?

• jinbao ZHANG

I think to be as effective as possible in something as complex as this, you need to assume certain things and then implement a solution based on those assumptions; the less idealistic the assumptions, the better.
One of those assumptions is that to imagine you don't have teahcers with which to implement technological solutions in education, this defines your budget immediately. I know, it's drastic... yet this eliminates dependance on a costly and not so guaranteed investment: training teachers. Again, this drastic method is for the planning only, teachers wil obviously form a part of the educational process, but we assume it not to be the case... so that the funds will be directed toward the student and only technologies which foment student-sustained education.
Finding ways to entice students to introduce themselves into technology and sustain their own ways is much more cost effective.

• Jose Gerardo Herrera

I think it's time to make use of all free tools and content in the Internet for educational purposes. Governments must give more support to Open Learning initiatives and teachers have to make an effort to explore what is available, adapt and share with students.
I hardly accept that we continue to pay licences for Office tools to Microsoft. There's an Open Office and lots of other free tools for writing, presenting, visualizing. There free platforms for learning and manage communities. So, if they are willing to pay to someone, pay these communites who have developed these free/open tools, they deserve better.
There are a good number of repositories:

http://cooltoolsforschools.wikispaces.com/

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

http://elearningindustry.com/321-free-tools-for-teachers-free-educational-technology

http://www.edudemic.com/the-100-best-and-free-online-learning-tools/

http://www.teachthought.com/trends/elearning/15-free-learning-tools-youve-probably-never-heard-of/

http://www.ck12.org/

http://lreforschools.eun.org/web/guest

http://www.merlot.org/merlot/index.htm

( a never ending list)

• Ida Brandão