Description:

Abstract:

Scientific Animations Without Borders or SAWBO is program based at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign focused on exploring strategies to work with global experts, on any given topic, to create educational content appropriate for low literate learners in developing nation countries. SAWBO works with such experts through online interactions and the resultant "products" are 2D, 2.5D and 3D animations that are then voice overlaid into a diversity of languages through a global network of volunteers. All animations are freely available for outside groups to use for educational purposes only. In turn, SAWBO has a research component focused on each aspect of development and deployment of content as well as impact on end users. Although SAWBO was initially focused on West Africa, much of SAWBO's content has been adapted and used across other areas of Africa as well as across other continents.

Bios: 

Dr. Barry Pittendrigh is the C.W. Kearns, C.L. Metcalf and W.P. Flint Endowed Chair in the School of Integrative Biology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has worked in West Africa for the past 15 years on pest management problems associated with cowpea. As part of the challenge of meeting educational needs of this program, he and Dr. Julia Bello-Bravo co-founded and have subsequently co-directed Scientific Animations Without Borders or SAWBO since 2011.

Dr. Julia Bello-Bravo is the Assistant Director for the Center for African Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is also the co-founder and co-director of Scientific Animations Without Borders or SAWBO. Her research efforts over the past decade have focused on educational strategies for low literate learners in Africa.