The Importance of Implementation in ICT

With the various drives for information technology in the developing world, one necessary lesson remains true: there is no way to leapfrog the necessity for a well-trained teacher; and without a well-trained teacher implementing the ICT program and integrating it into the curriculum, the ICT revolution, despite fantastic claims of "self-learning revolutions" by some, will remain a myth. Thus, with the proliferation of efforts occuring around the world, I am apt to focus on success with the key ingredient: a focus on curriculum development, curriculum integration, and teacher training.

The good folks at the Poverty Action Lab cited this issue with a recent study of a massive, nationwide program in Colombia. Distinctive in this effort, the drive was indigenous, with the Colombian Ministry of Education working to recycle donated machines to school locations around the nation; however laudible an indigenous ICT program might be, if the program does not give the intended outputs, it is still just as big of a waste of resources as an externally-funded and driven ICT project. And again, the key issue here was not scale or breadth; it was the lack of focus on the key determining factors mentioned. Because of a lack of curriculum development and integration, the machines were only used to teach technology skills and not in other core learning areas; there were no significant increases in test scores in any core subject areas despite the availability of machines.

To unlock both the potential of technology and the potential of students to utilize this technology, key tasks must be focused on, or this push risks being another blind drive to obscurity.


Details of the report:

http://www.povertyactionlab.org/evaluation/use-and-misuse-computers-education-evidence-randomized-controlled-trial-language-arts-pro

MIT Poverty Action Lab/Education Technology

A great bit of research courtesy of the MIT Poverty Action lab on the effectiveness of technology training on primary school students in India. Students were tested with both after school, additional computing classes, a pull-out model of during-school classes, and no extra computer classes at all; the results were quite interesting....Niranjan Rajadhyaksha reported on the findings in the Wall Street Journal: 


Computers or classrooms?
The role of the teacher is restricted to switching on the computers and allocating them to different batches of children
Cafe Economics | Niranjan Rajadhyaksha

Ever since fears erupted about a decade ago that the world could be divided into digital haves and have-nots, policymakers and do-gooders have assumed quite correctly that this digital divide needs to be bridged. The most obvious first step was to give children from poor families access to computers, in school and at home. From that followed ambitious programmes as One Laptop Per Child (OLPC), which is funded by some of the world’s best firms such as Google. Some visionaries even dream of an education system where the teacher is replaced by a computer programme.

Does this plug-and-study idea really work in poor neighbourhoods? Not necessarily, it seems.

True, the initial findings were encouraging. Many studies showed that poor kids improved their exam scores when they had access to computers. But more recent studies cast some doubts on the assumption that the academic performance of children from poor families improves with access to computers. In other words, plonking a computer in front of a kid does not necessarily do the trick.

In one recent study in Gujarat, Leigh Linden, an economist with Columbia University, and the MIT Jameel Poverty Action Lab evaluated how academic performance changed when computers were introduced in classrooms. The data was collected from schools in the slums of Ahmedabad and some other towns and villages in Gujarat that are run by Gyan Shala, an NGO. Children in these schools get one hour of computer time each day. The role of the teacher is restricted to switching on the computers and allocating them to different batches of children.

Linden found that a lot depends on how the computers are used — as complements or substitutes for the teacher and the regular curriculum. The programme of computerized learning does not work too well when it is used to substitute the teacher in the normal school day. Math scores actually dropped in schools that took this path. The “out-of-school” alternative — when students sat at the computers either before or after school — showed better, though modest, improvements in academic performance. Here, the learning software is a complement rather than a substitute for the usual curriculum. Further, Linden says the worst students benefited the most in this case.

The Gujarat study shows that merely providing computers in schools is not much of an answer. A lot depends on how they are used, when they are used, and who uses them.

Another study from across the world has an even more sobering lesson. Economists Ofer Malamud and Cristian Pop-Eleches turned their eyes on what happens when poor children in Romania get computers at home. As part of a programme, called Euro 200, some poor Romanian families were given euro 200 to buy computers for their children. Other families with similar income levels did not get this subsidy because of budget constraints. The two economists compared what happened in the two groups of families which were alike in almost every other respect.

There is much to be learnt: Kids with computers saw less television, but they also had less time for their homework. Grades dropped. “The lesson from Romania’s voucher experiment is not that computers aren’t useful learning tools, but that their usefulness relies on parents being around to assure they don’t simply become a very tempting distraction from the unpleasantness of trigonometry homework. But this is a crucial insight for those tasked with designing policies to bridge the digital divide,” writes Ray Fisman, in a June article for online magazine Slate, where Malamud and Pop-Eleches’ research was cited.

Does this mean that computers have no role in classrooms? Does this mean that the age-old talk and chalk teaching routine is irreplaceable? There is no need to draw such dark conclusions. (And these are dark conclusions, since schools do need reform. Peter Drucker​ once pointed out that our schools are the only social institutions around us that have not changed at all since the Industrial Revolution​. Everything else — from governments to workplaces to families — has been radically transformed.)

The more limited point is that it’s not just an issue of lavish funding and putting computers in classrooms. The OLPC mission statement reflects this belief: “To eliminate poverty and create world peace by providing education to the poorest and most remote children on the planet by making them more active in their own learning, through collaborative and creative activities, connected to the Internet, with their own laptop, as a human right and cost free to them.”

In the Gujarat study, Linden draws attention to several more cost-effective ways to improve the academic performance of children from poor families — cash incentives for teachers, scholarships for girls and access to textbooks. And good libraries, too. Computers are part of the answer — but perhaps not the most important part.

BridgeIT Tanzania

I have been extremely interested in the BridgeIT program since learning about it last year in Nepal, and trying to get funding to start a pilot program in one of the Magic Yeti's library locations in Khumjung, Nepal. The funding ultimately did not come through, but my interest in the program remained. I had the opportunity to meet with Mr. Joseph Morrorgoro, who is spearheading the effort, at his organization's office in Dar Es Salaam, to speak about the program. First, a quick video about BridgeIT and some background information taken from the organization's website:

From the BridgeIT information profile:

“In September 2007, the International Youth Foundation and the Tanzania Ministry of Education and Vocational Training launched BridgeIT Tanzania, in close partnership with the Forum for African Women Educationalists, Nokia, Nokia Siemens Networks, and the Pearson Foundation. BridgeIT's goal is to significantly increase the quality of teacher instruction and achievement among primary school boys and girls in math, science, and life skills through the innovative use of cell phones and digital technology. The BridgeIT project in Tanzania is a replication of a successful project in the Phillipines known as text2teach,. Locally, BridgeIT Tanzania is known as Elimu kwa Teknolija, or ET, which means “Education Through Technology.” This two year program is supported through a grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).


How it works:
Teachers order video content through their cellular phone, which is downloaded directly to the classroom, where students and teachers view the videos. The project allows remote schools and communities to access a vast range of educational video content to enhance the learning content that children receive through textbooks and classroom resources.”

Can you please give me a quick background of the program, the needs you are trying to meet, and the program's inception, to begin with?

BridgeIT is a program which uses mobile phone technology to support teachers and students in math and science. What we do is two parts-the first part is the content production of the education videos, which are produced in line with the Tanzania national curriculum. After they are produced, they need to be delivered to the teachers, which is where the technology is used. There is a main server where the videos are uploaded, and then the teachers can access the videos through using the Nokia N95 phone. When the videos are downloaded onto the phone, it is then connected by AV cable to the screen in the classroom. The teacher will use the science and math videos as a teaching aid. They are video clips. They do not cover the whole lesson (45 minutes) but are only 3-7 minutes depending on the topic and the content. The teacher will obviously need to teach using other materials as well as the screens. At a particular stage in the lesson, the teacher can access the videos. There are three kinds of videos-adopted videos from the US, which were translated from English to Swahili-these were produced by the Pearson Foundation; there are also locally made videos, which are both real time and animation-these are produced on site here in the office for the students. This is an NGO under the supervision of the Ministry of Education.

How was the need for a program like this initially discovered? What is the need you are trying to fill?

Professor Penina (a professor at the University of Dar Es Salaam) is the who is the one who came up with the idea, who presented the idea and started the proposal. She was trying to fill the need of better teacher training in the rural areas, and the lack of quality resources, especially in the rural areas of the country which have been historically under served.

Who are some of the key partners working on the project with you here in Tanzania?

USAID is the main funder, and has provided money for video production, teacher training, teacher guides, materials, and teacher manuals.
Vodacom: has provided free mobile networks to the teachers-the downloads are done free of charge on their mobile network
Nokia: they provide the N95 phones and the software, which is the Nokia Education Delivery Software, developed by Nokia to run the phone and the educational software
Ministry of Education: apart from being the key stakeholder in the project, their staff are fully engaged in the video production process both from the ministry and the TIE-Institute of Education workers who are also helping with the video production.
Specialized people in curriculum development guide the project-they are from within the Ministry of Education.


Where is the central server for the program located?


The server is located at Vodacom's headquarters here in Dar, due to the need for technical training and supervising. The plan is to shift it from here to the Ministry of Education in the near future, to provide more ownership over the program, once more Ministry of Education technical workers can be trained in the maintenance of the machinery.

How big has the roll-out been to this point? How is the program distributed throughout the country?

There are currently about 150 schools in 17 districts, covering about 1% of all public primary schools. The program has been spread evenly around the country, from the east side, the south, central, and also the north side, in both urban and rural areas, but most of the schools in the rural areas, because the problem of quality education is more severe in the rural areas.


How do you deal with the unstable power situation in the rural areas?

Solar power and generators are being used. A lot of the schools are on the grid, however. Power supply is not provided by BridgeIT to run the local programs. The community needs to be engaged to support the program, and if power is lacking, they are responsible for finding a way to overcome this gap before the program can be introduced. Some of the schools installed solar, and some communities came together and bought small generators for the school.


You mentioned Math and Science, which I have heard a lot about being critically lacking areas, especially for females in the country. What about the other subjects, such as English or Social Studies, that could also benefit from the technology?

There is a desire to grow the program. Teachers and students have been asking as to why the videos are not in all the areas. Everything must start with a point, but the plan is to extend the program to other subjects and other schools. The focus now is on the primary level. There is also new program called TZ21st. BridgeIT is in 5 and 6 grades; this other program is working with grades 1-4, however, the model is different in TZ21st they are using laptops and projectors instead.



How are the videos integrated into the lesson plans and the curriculum of the local teachers?

The curriculum is designed with certain “breaks” in the lessons where the videos are integrated into the lesson plans.


How are the local teachers trained in using the technology?

Teachers, in the pre-production stage, have to come down and first come up with a list of the topics as to what they think the videos should be produced. The topics are what are lacking in the current schools. The teachers look and propose what needs to be covered in the topics, as the experts. They know how the topics should be taught. The teachers present their ideas and suggest what materials are needed in the lesson plans to give a clear understanding. The ideas are given to the video producers and math them to the production. The N95 has options such as forwarding, pausing, rewinding, so the videos can be manipulated and described in the class.


What is the biggest risk or challenge in deploying the technology? The biggest benefit?

The biggest challenge is the cost of the program. The video production cost is very high. Also, another challenge is the skills of video production that are lacking in the country. We need professionals in this area, and there are not many in the country. Also, technology is always changing, it is dynamic by nature; for instance, we have been using the N95, which is no longer in the market, which means that now we will need to change the phones, which creates a big cost problem. There have also been a few cases where some of the materials have been stolen, but the school management committee, including the head teacher and the students all have a part to play in making sure this does not become a problem. During the introduction of the program, we had to work hard to manage the expectations. We had to educate the communities, the school management, that the equipment is there to support the kids for their learning, to create a sense of ownership over the materials for the community. All stakeholders, from the national level to the local level, has been engaged in the project, which has helped tremendously in the implementation of the project.

Where do you see the project in 5/10 years?

There has been an action plan introduced at the school and district level. At the latter, the district leader has the duty to expand the project to new schools. The main office has asked them to come up with a written plan under which they are responsible. The district education officers are thus challenged with the expansion at the district level. At the local level, there was a discussion with the school committees who have to come up with action plans to show how the project would be sustainable, where they would take care of the equipment, and where possible, contribute to the program in the school. The community should expand the program from one to two or three classrooms.



Do you think the program could be replicated in other countries in the region?

Absolutely. Yes, Nigeria and Kenya have also started the program. People from Nigeria were here, and they were observing the project and were very excited with the project. Also, Kenya has been planning the project. During the E-Africa learning conference, BridgeIT was presented, and there was a lot of buzz in the program.

Tanzania Beyond Tomorrow

Literacy/Education Development Interview -Tanzania Beyond Tomorrow Program, Ministry of Education, Tanzania

The Schools Project

In my quest to look for innovation in both international educational delivery and its international educational technology, my gaze soon fell upon Tanzania; while in Cape Town, I heard through the grapevine at UCT that there was a big educational technology conference taking place in Dar Es Salaam in June, and though I knew I would not make it here in time, I knew that some of the residual effects would still be lingering by the time I finally did make it back to Tanzania. In conducting my background research, my interest fell upon two projects, both spearheaded by a joint government-private partnership that has taken effect in most multilateral dealings. These two are the BridgeIT Project, a collaboration with the Nokia Educational Delivery System, and the Tanzania Beyond Tomorrow Platform, which sets out the strategic goals for the nation's educational system moving into the 21^st and beyond. I was able to spend a couple of hours at the Ministry of Education in Dar Es Salaam with Mr. Muxweila Kalinga, who has been tasked with spearheading the Ministry of Education's educational technology drive to both modernize teaching approaches and classroom facilities, and thus, close the digital divide for this fast-growing East African nation, which aims to be a middle income country through its Vision 2025 Project, a large focus of which lies on the education sector. We were able to talk both about ICT initiatives in the schools, and the vast challenge that lies in their coordination and implementation at the national level.

Could you please give me a quick background of the program, ie: the needs it is trying to meet, and how it was started, and its relevant technological focuses?

The Tanzania Beyond Tomorrow Project was started as a project for secondary education with the main aim of using ICT (Information Technology) to alleviate the problem of the shortage of teachers in science, math, and, to a lesser degree, English. Over the years it has been shown that the performance in these areas is very low compared with the arts and humanities. The problem was compounded by the mushrooming population of the secondary schools when universal access was granted for all in Tanzania. The country went from 1800 schools in 2006 to doubling to 3600 schools all of the sudden. It is easy to construct buildings and equip them with materials, but in training teachers, this is much more difficult. Neither do you find already trained teachers to staff the schools when you quickly double the national enrollment. The existing shortage was tremendously amplified by the upsurge in schools. ICT appeared to be one of the viable solutions to this huge problem, especially when taking into account the modern technology available that works with distance teaching and bringing learning even to remote areas with no electricity using other means. So, the project was prompted by the shortage of teachers, but also not without forgetting the central role of the Ministry to get the Tanzanian society to close the digital divide. The teacher shortage was just a temporary challenge, but the digital divide need is there regardless.

And the actual platform that has been created under the name Tanzania Beyond Tomorrow. What does this actually encompass and set out to do in closing this digital divide?

So now, there are many secondary schools with many partners in developing ICT programs, so in different schools and colleges there are different initiatives scattered all over. This has created a big problem and discrepancies in the scattered, uncoordinated initiatives that have taken hold. These ICT initiatives all need to be recognized and connected through the Ministry of Education. Some people, for instance, would come and offer support for a specific school, without a specific solution in mind. Now, under this platform that coordinates the activities on a national level, the Ministry is able to offer a specific solution. This solution will follow three steps: First, to take stock of what we have. Two, to create a level ground where different partners and prospective donors could find a way to assist in the best possible way, and third, to create conducive solutions for developers to operate in partnership with the government and other institutions.

Where do the teachers fit into this plan?

Teachers here are trained at teacher colleges and universities. They must have the capacity to coordinate and facilitate ICT for the learners. Pre-primary, primary, secondary, teacher education, and adult and non-formal education all have to be addressed with the solutions here. The focus should be on all levels of education, starting with the basic education.

Can you touch on some of the specific programs and initiatives falling under the TBT platform?

The program is embracing many different projects that already exist, and is working to streamline them under the umbrella of TBT. Some of the programs are:

Ncomputing-(yet to engage)-in this new project, a central computer in the classroom will be used to run more than 5 computer moniters that are deployed for the students; this cuts the cost of technology and computer deployment and creates more ease with streamlining the lessons.

NoPC Project-currently being piloted in the secondary schools, with the private partner beingAirtel. This is a London based program that has recently expanded from 10 to 50 schools. And has been working with teacher colleges which will be attached to secondary schools so both levels of training can be addressed at the same time. The focus is to try the technology of noPC, which is using one PC to operate like a server to run multiple moniters in a classroom. So, in a class of 25 students, instead of needing 25 computers, you only need 5 computers instead. The basic structure is 5 moniters to one PC.

BridgeIT-working with Nokia, Pearson, and the International Youth Foundation to deliver educational videos via Nokia handsets and the Vodacom mobile phone network to both urban and rural school classrooms. (I will be speaking with the IYF this week on the rollout of this specific program).

YesICan- Mp3 Programs for adult rural education and special needs education, in its pilot phase.

These are just the programs being coordinated within the ministry. There are also other private initiatives taking place as well, such as

Powering Potential (NY Based)- which is developing 17watt computing systems here in Tanzania, which being low-power computing initiatives, can use solar equipment to run the computing systems

off the grid in the rural areas of the nation.

Tell me about how you are helping to manage all of these different initiatives.

So, this TBT is a coordinating initiative that can match international donors and school, as well as the ICT solutions with the issues that exist. Once the donors become familiar with a specific program, their offers for collaboration will be much more effective. There has been a small laboratory established by the Ministry to look at 4 scenarios that shape the situation in the country:

1-no power grid, no internet

2-power, no internet

3-both provided, internet and power

4-full access to technology

In situation 4, with full access to technology, how has the content been developed to meet the needs? We can compare the situation to some of the OLPC initiatives and the Sugar Software approaches being launched in countries such as Rwanda to really match the software being developed with the needs of the school systems at the national and more local levels.

E-content development here has been very difficult. The funding has been too limited to start building the capacity of the curriculum developers to collaborate effectively with the solution developers. Both are critical to be effective. The IT experts need to work with the curriculum teams to create a package to use for the roll out; however, this is just about to begin. Cisco, Intel, and others are interested in this, however, the funds are lacking, which has been difficult for the roll out. Other companies such as EduComp from India and Accenture from the states are partners as well, but the funding right now is the issue in the actual launch. In this facet, BridgeIT is the most promising now, as the content has already been developed and the solution is turnkey. Using a mobile phone and linking to a TV monitor is an excellent idea. In the bush, there are people watching television with generators and a lot of them have mobile phones. So, there is a lot of familiarity with the technology, and thus, a lot of potential with this program. People share a comfort with the technology, so its implementation can be much smoother. The is a strategic advantage.

Where do you see these programs in 5 years? 10 Years?

In 10 years, TBT Project will have to change, when you consider the technology is always changing. Teacher training and competence will hopefully be solved. The focus will have to shift to in-service training to keep the teachers as updated as possible and to keep pace with what is changing. The training center and data centers will be crucial to this. In the first 5 years these two centers will need to be established to train support staff like the technicians needed to oversee the ICT networks, and the teachers who can be specialized in developing e-Content. At least every teacher will have a laptop, or some access to connectivity. The Digital Divide needs to be narrowed. The knowledge and skills need to be in place to implement the new technologies that are being developed-this platform will be used to adapt new technology. The fear is a big problem as well, a big challenge. Technology has created a phobia as well. Training the new generation to be comfortable with the new technologies will be critical. The challenge is creating comfort with technology for both teachers, students, and members of the government to see the advantages og using technology to progress. The solution developers are out there working on the solutions-if they feel comfortable coming in, seeing the government as a tool for collaboration, it will create a much more efficient network for the nation to progress. Solution developers can then target the most needy populations with their designs. When Intel or Cisco comes in, the doors need to be opened to work with them. They can then design appropriate technologies or adapt current technologies to meet the needs. There is a lot of opportunities that should be in the place of challenges. Challenges should excite us so that they can be met with solutions.

The wheel does not need to be reinvented!

What resources are currently most needed to close the digital divide here in Tanzania?

Financial resources are the most needed; with funds, everything can be procured. There are currently 34 government teacher training colleges that are all connected through a shared Intra/Internet. The hub is in Morogoro currently; the private sector is also involved with this. Teacher training is focused on using ICT in their teaching. As far as teacher training is concerned, if the teacher is not familiar with technology, they cannot be involved with all of the initiatives being proposed. If a teacher is not trained in technology, they will never be a partner. The teachers are being given basic training to run things such as NoPC, but it is still a big need that requires a systematic plan to actually have the confidence to participate in research and development with these programs as well. The teachers should be a big partner in this.

Ihla-SEMAN

Literacy/Education Development Interview - SEMAN- Ilha de Mozambique

The Schools Project

I had an opportunity to sit with Vasco, who has implemented and run all of Project SEMAN's projects here in Mozambique. SEMAN aims to enchance computer skills and computer literacy for teachers and the general population of the island, as well as running preschool programs for island natives and citizens. It was great to hear about the challenges of implementing a computer training and pre-school literacy program on the ground in rural Mozambique.

Could you give me a quick background of your organization. Its founding/conception, what need you are trying to fill, and why the need has gone unmet up until this point?

In 2008, SEMAN was started on the island by an Italian, where the organization has its roots. It was founded to support financially a local project that included preschool education and a womens project producing small enterprise skills to sell items in Europe. This project is still in its infancy and hasn't seen much success.

The goal of the SEMAN project now is to provide infomatics and internet courses for teachers and students on the island in the center's computer lab (about 20 machines with internet access)However, due to the ending of Italian funding due to the European economic crisis, the project funding is in serious doubt at this point.

SEMAN is aiming to train all the teachers of the island in informatics, which is basic computing. SEMAN also has one internet class for the people who have already completed the informatics classes. The internet class is teaching the basics as well. SEMAN contacts the schools to get the teachers enrolled-(there are currently 64 teachers enrolled; the classes are free for all to attend). The hope is that the teachers will be able to search online to research for their classes, and use the informatics classes to build upon computer literacy.

How can this project be implemented in other areas of Mozambique? What will it take for others to bring this concept to other, remote areas?

SEMAN is trying to get grants to bring the services to more people on the mainland, but are waiting on the funding. They are looking for more money to duplicate the projects elsewhere, preferably in the south of the country. The idea is to teach people from all provinces here on the island and for them to bring those skills back to their provinces after they have completed the courses, and to provide skills transfer in this way.

Teachers play an absolutely crucial role in this area. How are teachers retained, paid, trained, and motivated to progress in their work? What are the incentives for doing a good job in the classroom?

In the schools, it is very tough to implement oversight with in terms of the teachers using what they have gained in SEMAN's projects. This has proved impossible. At this point, SEMAN needs to focus on providing the resource for the teachers, but it cannot control what happens at the school level.

Where do you see your programs in 5 years? 10 Years?

The future is very uncertain at this point; if there is no more financing given from donors, especially from SEMAN Italy, which is running low on funds due to the crisis, the future is unknown. The space is leased for 3 years at this point; the computers have all come from Italy as well, but the budget is very small. SEMAN is also selling internet access in-house through their wireless systems to raise funds on the island and to help make the project more sustainable.

What resources are currently most needed by both your organization and by the schools system in Mozambique overall?

Financial resources are most needed!

What role could technology play, ideally, in the classrooms of the island? Would this be feasible in Ilhe and in Mozambique in general, in your view?

In the last month, I had a firsthand experience with the reality on the island. Students coming in from the secondary school not being able to read or to write, and are now being put in front of the computer; the problem is coming from the school level. Here, most of the people are simply not concerned with using technology in their lives, realisitically. They are fisherman, craftsmen, who have no interest. If the project can begin at the preschool level, with training at that age, then you get results; otherwise, this is very hard, as the school system is simply failing most of the students. The official language here is Portuguese, but the local kids do not speak Portuguese with their families; then they go to the classroom with 40-50 kids, and there is a teacher speaking a language they don't know. It is very common that you meet kids with 6-7 years of school who do not know how to read or speak in Portuguese. If the youngest kids can be exposed to a quality education and are given a strong base, using technology and computing would be feasible. However, we are wondering whether it is realistic to have these informativcs courses, as they kids do not have the basics to support them. Additionally, it seems like the teachers don't have resources or interest to translate these computer skills to their students. They are interested in learning about things such as Powerpoint, but they know that they will never have a projector to use these tools in the classroom.

It will take a long time and be a long process. The majority of teachers have one year of teacher training at the most. They are just not well informed about proper teaching and implementation of technology and proper literacy approaches in the classroom. Some of the teachers do not even know how to read and write in Portuguese! This is the biggest systemic challenge facing the schools, the lack of teacher training and the perpetuation of poor teachers and students as a result.

What other exposure have you had to the school systems and teachers on the island?

We have also tried with the primary schools on the island to create a project of reading for the youngest children in Portuguese, to give them exposure to good children's books from Portugal and to develop cognitive skills such as anticipation, predictions, etc. SEMAN proposed a program for the schools with 300 kids, one hour per week, but out of the three schools they partnered with, one school never showed up, and the two others came one time and never came back. Ultimately, the program did not work. They wanted to have the program here at the office and not at the school, but the kids and the teachers had to come to the space, which turned out to be too hard.

OER UCT -The Idea of Openness

“The Idea of Openness”

The Open Educational Resources Project at the University of Cape Town

I had the opportunity while in Cape Town, South Africa, to get over to the campus of the University of Cape Town, a very esteemed institution on the continent, and talking to Michael Paskkevicius, a graduate student working in the Center for Educational Technology, with a focus on the Open Educational Resources (OER) Project. The purpose of this project, a pioneering effort amongst higher education institutions on the African continent, is to make freely and openly accessible the educational resources on offer by the university. Michael's desire is to see, “Educational resources used freely across the globe,” which has been the mantra of many new-age educational technologists, ranging from the OLPC/Sugar platform to the OLE Platform to the Wikipedia Translations arenas that are exploding around the world. In addition to the OER Project, Michael was able to steer me to some interesting paths in the work of some of his colleagues in the region, specifically pioneering using both mobile-phone and computer-based resources to close the digital divide in the developing world. After the signing of the Cape Town Open Declaration, in which global partners pledged their support in open education and knowledge using technology, the program was established.

The OER program was originally funded by the Shuttleworth Foundation of South Africa, with a vision of seeing open access to universities knowledge and resources benefit the greater society, and educational advancement as a whole. Michael asks, “How can we redistribute the resources of the University to the greater society?” Through the open-sourcing of professorial materials, including Wikipedia-based translation services which are helping to bring the previously inaccessible resources to the township and secondary-school level, OER is pioneering the way in the region. The program has worked in partnership with other open programs such as those from MIT, Johns Hopkins, and The Open University in England, to name a few, to create an easily accessible platform for social and educational change. The biggest challenges being faced include professorial buy-in, convincing academics that their work has a valued place being freely accessible to all, and the question of how useful a lot of the materials being digitized and offered will be to the general populace.

I was able to discuss some of my main ideas and concerns with Michael....the following in a reasonably-accurate transcription of what followed:

What other changemakers in the Educational Technology arena have inspired your work on this project?

The floodgates have opened, the templates and content are out there now, the question is getting the right content to the students. There is an interesting project in Mexico, where academics create entries to things that they find useful to them, which helps to share practices and tools that are found online. The teachers  are sharing the techniques of learning as opposed to just providing content. Academics are experts in understanding, but to capture how they learn is very powerful. The contextual situation of the students must be taken into place, however, this is vital to consider. Bringing the everyday into the classroom. 

            (Interesting!!)

Another project of interest is the content of Massive Online Open Courses being produced by George Siemens; -this organization is creating a huge number of courses online at the moment. This is an interesting model, and provides a new model of academic material acquisition. Rather than subscribing to academic publishers, which are becoming more and more expensive in their distribution models. Peer to Peer University is another great example of online meetings and learning, utilizing such collaboration tools as blogs, twitter, etc, to provide an online educational exchange.

How can this platform be used to spur local innovation in the region, and to act as both an incubator for local technology driven educational projects, as well as larger cross border initiatives?

The biggest idea that can be spread from this platform to the region is the idea of openness. Most educators are weary of the internet as a source of knowledge. If we can look at platforms such as this, with content only from academics, it is a start. There is a pride of authorship from the academics involved which ensures the materials are of high standard. We do not edit the materials that we receive from our partner professors. What needs to be done to further spread this word of openness needs to be done through workshops, conferences, and the such, so people are aware of what is going on. The platform is completely open sourced that can be replicated. Links need to be created.  For example,

Brazil has adopted an open sourced platform for everything that comes out of their national government, which sets an example at the national level for everything in the economy, in the social and business sectors, from the top down. The idea of openness, the platform of openness is the best way to start. Open standards, open code.

            Creating a strong model of leadership, such as with Paul Kagame and his push for the OLPC             platform in Rwandan schools, is the way to set the trend for the 21^st century of educational      technology. The directives need to be taken at the top levels, and filtered down to the masses.           Social change at the grassroots is great, but it is much more effective, widespread, and            tangible the other way around. Preferably, the best solution will include both! 

            You are currently networked with universities such as MIT and Hopkins with their open          course projects, but what about other higher learning institutions in Africa, or even     implementing into Secondary Schools on the continent?

The Open Courseware Consortium is in place with these universities. A result of this right now is that at UCT the students dont have to pay for access to our partner university's sites. The University of Ghana is also on board with the project and has been very involved with creating their own platform for open learning.  E-Learning is, however,  more the focus in Ghana, and they are more involved with educational translating and bringing the energy of the project down to the primary and secondary levels of instruction. This extended to an organization called OER Africa which works all over the continent, where they partner with any institution that wants to create technical resources.

The content involved with the project needs to be truly representative of Africa in terms of learning resources. Openness requires open standards-the dominance of the English language is a factor, but the other diverse languages of the region and the continent need to be taken into account. The Wikipedia project is creating a lot of possibilities in this arena (of language translations using the open-sourced platform), but the issue of inclusion certainly needs to be further addressed.

           

The materials, to be most effectively utilized, will need to be both openly posted at the first level, and crucially, at the second level, made accessible. If accessibility, through local language translation and technical contact, is not included in the basic tenents of the project, we are simply perpetuating the resources to the same privledged few who would probably already be able to access quality learning materials. The idea of openness is inclusive; it promotes local language and secondary language growth; it perpetuates local traditions and values; it relates directly to the hopes, goals, and aspirations of both teachers and their students in closing both the digital and literacy gaps that have traveled the path of development for much too long. The ideas from Mexico, on addressing best practices, not just directing to specific content, and from Brazil, of a government leading the way in openness, are stark reminders that the innovators in this area will not necessarily be the innovators of the past; the solution must be home-grown, but it also must not try to reinvent the wheel-it needs to be open and to be built upon the shoulders of success that have already shone throughout the developing world. And the basic tenents that will be reflected? Here they are:

·        Local Language Development with simultaneous Second Language acquisition, using pioneering, locally produced materials such as Room to Read Nepal and Literacy For All South Africa

·         A focus on the Primary and Secondary Levels of schooling; however utilizing post-secondary models and resources whenever they can be transferred both understandably and within reason

·        Using technical translators and open sourced programs, such as Wikipedia, to bring foreign-language resources, via the web, to new audiences of learners

·        Technology-based, or at least, technology-driven, with a crucial goal of both literacy, curriculum supplementation and augmentation, and closing the digital divide.

·        Utilizing effective local partners, community leaders, proactive headmasters, and parents to ensure the effectiveness and utilization of programs on the ground; this also involves greater community access, and an inclusivity in the process of progress

·        E-Library development, bringing resources in a much more easily accessible manner to remote areas utilizing technology

·        Teacher training; this is CRUCIAL! If teachers are uncomfortable with new technology or new resources, they will simply not be used; the materials have to be seen in a non-competitive light, in a light that shows the teachers will not be obsolete; the tools cannot be used on their own, they are there to support the learning process, which is still based on an effective, engaged leader in the classroom

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Open-Sourced Technology Hubs

"There are at least a billion children in the world who are not getting at least a basic education."
-Richard Rowe, OLE Founder

The Vision:  Using The Magic Yeti Library locations in rural Nepal, in partnership with OLE Nepal's fantastic educational software and translated reading materials, OLE International's pioneering educational vision, and laptop donations from the developed world, to create small technology and education hubs for these villages, based on the broader OLE international model of educational development. The software, preloaded on the donated laptops, will both supplement and compliment the national teaching curriculum and provide an invaluable learning tool to both bridge the digital divide and bridge the literacy gap that is still so prevalent in the nation of Nepal. A key, focused on by OLE, is the adaptation of local language learning materials; once materials are developed on a regional basis, the transference of these materials can be quickly and affordable accomplished; henceforth, the building upon the foundations of innovation, open sourced, to meet the literacy and development needs for the next generation in the Global South...

Radical Educational Technology, Courtesy of Nokia

"An education program, using technology, to get things done."

Using the existing mobile phone network to deliver high quality educational programming to rural classrooms, Nokia has been working to shift the educational paradigm in the Global South.
During my time in Nepal, I was working to motivate the sole local private wireless network to sponsor a similar plan for our library and school locations in the rural mountains. However, the option that I stumbled upon, OLE Nepal, was a far better fit for our needs. In Tanzania, however, another homegrown solution to closing the digital divide, for using technology to create interest and passion in the classroom for both students and teachers alike. A strong innovation, capturing the attention of both the private and public sectors, a local, organic solution. Radical technological innovation for the classrooms of East Africa. I look forward to spending some time visiting these locations this summer on my East Africa Educational Tour 2011!

From the BridgeIT site:

The program develops videos in the subjects of math, science, and life skills, and provides schools with the technology necessary to use the videos in their classroom - everything from the mobile phones that receive the videos to the televisions that play them. Teacher training and lesson plans that promote the integration of the educational videos into regular classroom activities are also provided. The short educational videos are transmitted to teachers in 150 schools in seven regions of Tanzania (Lindi, Mtwara, Pwani, Dar es Salaam, Tanga, Dodoma and Kilimanjaro). In a country in which classrooms are often overcrowded (the program originally aimed to reach 10,000 students; due to crowded classrooms and teachers teaching multiple classes through the day, BridgeIT lesson plans have so far been taught to more than 40,000 students) and the demand for books greatly exceeds the supply, lessons via video are an effective way to reach a large number of students.

Open Learning Exchange Nepal

I had the great pleasure to sit and talk Educational Technology with one of the pioneers in the field here in Nepal (and worldwide), Mr. Rabi Karmacharya. Rabi founded the Open Learning Exchange in Nepal about four years ago, and has piloted revolutionaries projects in the field ever since. While my primary concerns were in the bringing of new technolology resources to the Magic Yeti Libraries, the NGO that I am currently working with here in Nepal, I was also fascinated by this truly radical approach to technological implementation in the developing world. OLE was the first organization to introduce the One Laptop Per Child program's low-cost laptop technology into the region, but this was just the beginning for Karmacharya. His team has worked to introduce high quality, locally produced content, working with the Ministry of Education and the nationwide primary curriculum to introduce technological aids and resources that truly work to close to digital divide, as well as get students interested in their own learning processes. His team has also brought together local Nepali writers to produce additional young adult literature that can then be digitized and spread throughout the OLE network. Incorporating the new technology into classrooms in advanced trial periods, the team has also worked in training teachers to become comfortable with using technology as an aid in the classroom (and not as a substitution, which is what many educators fear-their own redundancy at the hands of the digital revolution). All materials are developed on the Open Source Linux platform, making free access to all educators and students as easy as possible.

I sat with Rabi for a few hours at his office in Patan and talked Educational Technology....

What is the link between the project and the spread of the Internet in rural Nepal?

Mr. Karmacharya responded, “OLE does not want to depend on the internet. The model is now more of using a low power school server for each school and employing as many local materials as possible. The low power server is made in Taiwan, and is loaded with the OLE digital library, which includes all types of materials-dictionaries, encyclopedias, and digital books both in English and Nepali. We are also now using Nepali writers to start writing reading materials for young adults, which there is a significant lack of nowadays. The kids can connect to these local school servers through either laptops or desktop computers. This all avoids having to rely on the internet, which is very unreliable and unavailable in many areas. Then, new versions of the electronic resources are sent every three months to the schools on a flash drive with all the updated materials. These are sent and uploaded very simply by the local staff, who only have to plug in the flash drive, wait a minute, and disconnect; very little room for error. Even in locations that do have internet available, the connection is only used to download new materials and do updates to the servers, which can be done at off peak hours and when the connection is working; it does not have to be relied upon, and all materials can be easily delivered using the alternate system.

An amazing, innovative approach to reaching traditionally out-of-reach locations. Have you done any experimentation with mobile-based technologies, such as the Nokia Educational Delivery System?

We are developing our technologies to work on any platform. The technology is not tied to any hardware. Right now, low cost laptops are the cheapest way to implement the program-in many cases laptops are now cheaper than mobile phones!

What has been the greatest success of the program?

The greatest success has been in the overall increase in the interest in learning from the children-this is heard over and over by parents and teachers-the kids are actually excited about learning! Some of the teachers have done a fantastic job at the integration of the technology into the classrooms, and we are very happy with that aspect.

What has been the biggest challenge for the program?

The technical support side. This needs a sustainable business model. Now, OLE is doing all the fixing and tech support for the hardware and the software involved; as the program expands, there needs to be local skills employed in areas such as technical training. The problem is creating a business model, as the poor rural communities cannot afford to pay for the spare parts and upgrades for the machines. How can this be locally sustainable? How can the locals make money from the program? Another challenge we face is with teacher motivation. The teachers often feel threatened by the technology; teachers feel more comfortable with the traditional chalk and talk approach. We have given the teachers training, but how do we keep them motivated and trained? Leadership in the schools is also needed at the local level with a strong vision and plan for the future. A good leader and community must be in place to ensure the computers are being used to their full potential.

How can the learned skills stay in the communities where the project is based, and not simply contribute to the rural-urban brain drain?

The goal of the project is to get children interested in learning, not necessarily to provide technology training to the kids. Currently, the school system is not inspiring the children, and is not getting them interested in learning. Technology can give a platform and provide access. Building a strong foundation with the younger children to develop the skills such as looking for knowledge and the challenge and to question ideas. The shifting from a teacher-transferred model to a student-transferred model of education is our goal; the technology works to make the classes child centric. This is one of the best changes for the schools. We are simply trying to facilitate this shift, and work on the question on how to get kids excited about learning again? The teachers are still in control of the classes and the learning goals; however, the kids can play a much larger role in their own education. Additionally, the program works to identify the areas that the government textbooks and materials have missed, and target these areas with supplemental materials on their servers.

A fascinating approach-the basic goal of student motivation is an issue seldom looked at in educational development. It is to often assumed that once given technology, the kids will know what to do with it; this is often a wrong assumption. The real integration of the technology into lessons, into the curriculum, and the supplement of content areas that have been overlooked is a great approach.

What resources are most needed now by the program in moving forward?

The biggest need now is the proactive government policies needed for a larger roll out. Many donors want to contribute to the program, but they want to work directly with the government; thus, we want the government to take over more ownership of the program and help to increase the community participation to really push a larger roll out. We want the government to implement a large scale roll out for nationwide classrooms.

Where do you see the program in 5 years?

We are now in 7 pilot districts now, that were initially identified by the government. We needed to see the challenges of implementing in all the different areas of the country-the mountains, the terai, the urban areas. Now the focus is on working with the Ministry in moving forward. In 5 years, what we sees is out of 24000 government schools in the country, if we can get 2000 schools-10% of the schools, that would be the target. To build a model, to strengthen the model; to replicate the model with support of the government in as many schools as possible. The model can then be used by outside organizations who want to work in the area to make a larger impact. If someone wants to come and donate 20 computers, they can use this model and be much more effective. Thats why we have implemented the pilot in many different areas. Everyone knows that computers and technology are needed in the schools, they just don't know how to go about doing it. This model can be the most effective test case on how to do so.

The creation of a model to be used in Nepal, and even internationally-a home grown, sustainable solution to closing the digital divide amongst some of the most marginalized communities in the world; truly a radical technological platform. Thank you so much, and I look forward to seeing the project out in the field soon!

Nokia Educational Delivery

Radical Educational Technology-Nokia Educational Delivery System

Here in Nepal, the need for high quality educational resources (which are very often technology based in our modern-age) often butts up against the reality of logistics and lack of infrastructure for most of the rural regions of the country. Nepal suffers from a notoriously weak infrastructure; roads are often in disrepair, and more often simply not present in most locations outside of the central region. Even the main highways are often crumbling due to erosion and the mountainous physical setting of the country. Yet one of the biggest success stories in the country in the last number of years has been the wireless mobile network-Nepal has opened its telecom sector, and as a result of the new competition, mobile phones are now seen spreading across the country, with towers in increasingly remote regions (recently a tower was put up at Everest Base Camp, boasting the highest wireless coverage in the world).

Thus, it seems, Nepal would make a perfect pilot for Nokia's Educational Delivery; the system uses the existing wireless networks to transmit high quality educational videos to a teacher or administrator's handset, which is then plugged into a television or computer and used to aid educators in their content delivery with high quality educational materials. Nokia has partnered with educational content providers throughout the world to develop these videos; the program has been rolled out across Latin America in partnership with Telefonica and Educared, and also in the Phillipines and Tanzania, with the collaboration of the local telecom and education officials. The results have been unanimously positive. Utilizing wireless networks to deliver educational content in regions where the internet is not accessible or prohibitively expensive and that would otherwise be completely cut off, expounding the educationally-fatal Digital Divide.

I have been working to bring this technology to the Khumbu Region of Nepal as part of the Magic Yeti Library Project, and have approached all of the major players (local telecom provider Ncell, UNESCO, which has sponsored these technological initiatives in the past, and Nokia itself) with the hope of bringing a pilot program to the students of the Khumbu. This new technology could very well play a very important and vibrant role in the educational development of the area.

The Open Learning Exchange Nepal

http://www.olpcnews.com/countries/nepal/ole_nepal_video.html

“One often thinks of Nepal as Mt. Everest and mountain climbers and it sounds like a wonderful, exotic place to visit, which it is. But, beneath all of that, you have to realize that half of the five year old and unders in Nepal are undernourished to the point where they need food aid in order to simply survive.”

-Richard Rowe, Founder, OLE

The Open Learning Exchange of Nepal (OLE) has been working tirelessly, using technology and innovation as game-changers in a traditionally regimented, feudal society, to change the prospects for some of these historically neglected children. OLE has partnered with the One Laptop Per Child Initiative to bring low cost technology to the schools of both rural and urban Nepal. But this is only part of the story with OLE. A team of local designers and developers has also created the local software and a fantastic educational database that can be preloaded onto the machines, or accessed through the inter/intranet, which provides the children with a full range of educational materials and activities. The site is a precious resource; it can be accessed by teachers and students alike, providing educational tools and electronic versions of local texts that would otherwise simply not be available to the concerned parties. This is an example of technology being used in its finest manner to support radical educational transformation, to close the digital divide, and to give some of the most disadvantaged children in the world a first-rate education that can be used as a platform for a brighter future. Using open source content, using technology, creating platforms for knowledge. Simply radical.

“We're particularly interested in making sure that the young girls get training. If you enable a young girl, then they tend to stay in the village, and improve the quality of life for the whole village.”

I look forward to sitting with, and learning more from, the great folks at The Open Learning Exchange Nepal.

Radical Educational Transformation, Take One

Charles Leadbeater: Education Innovation in the Slums-Ted Talks 2010




I had the pleasure of stumbling across a brilliant Ted Talk on educational innovation, from researcher Charles Leadbeater who has spent the last year studying the future of education and educational innovation around the world, from the top tier of Finland, to the booming slums of Kenya and India. He begins his monologue stating that innovation often comes "...from places where you have huge need, unmet latent demand, and not enough resources for traditional solutions to work." Innovation is the catchphrase for what has become necessity for the youth of this world. Leadbeater's main focal demographic is the growing mega cities of the developing world; places that were backwaters a few short decades ago, but now are where virtually all the worldwide population growth in the next decades will occur; places such as Nairobi, Kenya, a city that I was fortunate enough to wander around a few short months ago, and places such as Pune, India, the fastest growing city in Asia.
Leadbeater questions: How do we engage these youths, with traditional educational systems that have not been designed for them or even targeted towards them? How can we innovate and enhance the opportunities in education for this crucial demographic? How can we target youths whose challenges are, "...to stay alive, the earn a living,and not to catch HIV/AIDS?" After extensive research into the challenges in this particular arena, Leadbeater's educational solutions looked, interestingly enough, "nothing like school." He relates the approach to a "pull, not push" model. In a traditonal educational model, knowledge and the regulated approaches of delivering this knowledge are "pushed" at the students; they often have little say in their activities, and curriculums are set on massive scales based on traditional models of learning; this "push" approach, vastly prevalant in the Western world is simply not geared for attractiing youths into compulsory forms of education, and as a result, all too many at-risk and disadvantages children simply drop out. He delivers the revolutionary line that, "the idea of a curriculum is completely irrelelvant in a setting like this...our education systems are based on the approach that there is a payoff, but you have to wait quite a long time...thats too long if you're poor...waiting 10 years for the payoff from education is too long when you need to meet daily needs, when you have siblings to look after, or a business to help with...(thus) education needs to be relevant and intrinsically motivating....imagine an educational system that started from the premise...that you had to engage students before you could teach them?" Engagement! Radical! In my personal experience with at risk youth in one of New York City's dangerous neighborhoods, I often questioned the approaches that were being taken with students in a comparatively advantaged situation, one with unlimited textual resources, technology, development, counseling, etc. Too often, all the resources in the world will simply be for naught if there is not the stirring of intrinsic motivation, and if there is not a valid short-term payoff in the educational process for these students. To then transplant these similar questions onto children in areas where there are serious deficiencies in educational services, one must be extremely creative in their approaches to begin to meet the needs of the impacted youth. Leadbeater says, "learning has to be productive to make sense." In the developing world, there is often no choice to make for children living in slum factories or growing up on thje building sites that litter the megacities of the future. In one case cited by Leadbeater, in Pune, India, education is brought to these particular children on a bus; in other cases, it simply means the massive scaling seen with the NGO Prathan in India, which has turned into the largest educational NGO in the world by running preschool playgroups for over 20 million Indian children. He finishes with the guise that "mass education started with social entrepeneurship in the 19th century, and thats desperately what we need again on a global scale." How can we incorporate the innovation and boldness of todays social entrepreneurs into a system whose very nature is heirarchical, regimentally bureaucratic, and systemically resistent to change? How do we hit the forwards targets with our at-risk youth, not just in the developed world, but in the entire world? What questions are so fundamental in the field of education that they transcend the demographic lines that so divide us? What innovation is critical to move our critical age demographics forwars instead of stagnating, as so much in the educational approach has in the 20th and 21st centuries? Is the opportunity to learn enough, or must the students, even in the most difficult of curcumstances, be given the opportunity to be drawn into their learning through interest and intrinsci investment? We know some of the answers; yet incorporating these answers, especially in the developing world, where the resources are stretched to the breaking point and do not cover the basics, is difficult at best, impossible in most situations. This requires radical new approaches, from the ground up; the opportunity to work in regions where there has been little or no history of institutional schooling can be looked at as an advantage in this singular light. Often, the learning in these new approaches, as well as in the revanped "traditional" educaitonal models must be project-based, must tackle critical thinking, and must incorporate technology, a serious deficiency that I have seen in the schools that I have visited in the developing world. In not one school that I visited was there adequacy in technology for the students. Where there have been computers, they are often covered and in dark rooms, kept from the students out of fear that the machines will be "compromised;" in other cases, the computers are available, but there is no internet connectivity and not enough aggressive teacher training to make the machines live up to their radical potential for the students. In "transformational" arenas, such as in the rejuvinated Central African country of Rwanda, under the radical One Child Per Laptop initiative, these questions have begun to be tackled; however, technology is too often not enough, on its own, to tackle deeply ingrained inequalities; imaginations must be stirred, payoffs must be immediate, and critical thinking must be encouraged in societies where this behavior is simply not acceptable. In short, a revolution is in the making, but the path is fragile and long, and there is much to lose...