Evaluating ICT for Education in Africa - Royal Holloway, University of ...

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teaching capabilities and educational outcomes is a declining performance innational examinations with a failure rate approaching 50% in Standard 8(LEG 2007). A comprehensive reform of the curriculum began in 1999 inrecognition of the need to ensure good quality education alongside improvedaccess. The relevance of topics such as democracy, human rights, gender andHIV/AIDS was increasingly recognised and these have been systematicallyincorporated into the new primary school curriculum in the form of life skillseducation.4.2.3 ICT for education in MalawiThe Malawi national ICT for Development Policy (Government of Malawi2006) was adopted in December 2005 following input from the UnitedNations Economic Commission (Isaacs 2007). There are four objectiveswithin the policy that are of specific relation to education (Government ofMalawi 2006) (Figure 4.1). Within these objectives the policy states the aimof mainstreaming ICT throughout the education system, providing access toreliable computers, promoting ICT training in schools and teacher traininginstitutions, using ICT to improve education management and establishcomputer-based libraries (Government of Malawi 2006).Objective 1:To facilitate the deployment, utilisation and exploitation of ICT within theeducational system in order to improve access, quality, relevance anddelivery at all levels (p.11).Objective 2:To achieve universal basic ICT literacy and improve the level of ICTliteracy in the country (p.11).Objective 3:To transform Malawi into an information and knowledge-driven ICTliterate Nation (p.12).Objective 4:To improve the management of education systems through the utilisationof ICT (p.12).118
Figure 4.1: ICT for development policy objectives (Govt of Malawi2006)Despite this comprehensive policy documenting the Government‟s intent,Malawi faces significant challenges in developing its ICT sector in regard toboth human and financial resources, with limited exposure to digital ICTsespecially in rural regions (Geldof 2008). Isaacs (2007 p.4) notes that keychallenges „include underdeveloped ICT infrastructure, high cost oftelecommunications, and unstable and unreliable power‟. The policy alsohighlights the need actively to address the lack of capacity within the ICTsector that constrains the use of ICT in education. This is exacerbated by the„brain drain‟ that occurs due to poor remuneration, pushing skilled workerswithin Malawi from the public to private sector and also leading to outmigrationof skills into surrounding countries (Government of Malawi 2006).Malawi has 2.2 internet users per 100 population. This places it 27 th withinAfrica and well below the average of 4.2 users per 100 population across thecontinent (ITU 2009). In 2009, Malawi had 8 mobile phone subscribers per100 inhabitants. This is the 5 th lowest subscription rate across Africa, wellbeneath the regional average of 33 per 100 (ITU 2009).There are various initiatives related to ICT for education taking place acrossMalawi, many of which are supported by funding from international donors(Isaacs 2007). Computers for African Schools Malawi is a programme thatcollects, refurbishes and sends computers to primary and secondary schoolsacross the country (http://www.cfas.org.uk/malawi.asp accessed 16/02/10).It has so far distributed over 4000 computers to 150 schools and alsoconducts training for teachers and local IT technicians to build capacity andsustainability.Until recently, SchoolNet Malawi was operating across the country as part ofthe pan-Africa SchoolNet Africa (http://www.schoolnetafrica.org accessed12/02/10). In 2007 it was reported that 50 schools were participating in theprogramme, working alongside the Ministry of Education (MoE) policy to119
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the research findings to emphasise
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3.4.5 Drawings ....................
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5.4.1 Plurality of methods ........
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8.3 Implications of aspiration ....
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List of figuresFigure 2.1: MDGs (UN
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List of appendicesAppendix A: Resul
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NOLNet Namibian Open Learning Netwo
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I began this PhD two weeks after mo
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number of ICT for education program
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innovative alternatives, and the ce
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2.2 Substance, rationale and approa
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progress towards the EFA goals has
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The critique posed to the market th
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etween these two extremes as a resu
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promoted to become „the character
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appropriate application in recognit
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can instigate both harm and good, i
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Such an undertaking is central to t
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- Availability of computer networks
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assisting towards this end. The imp
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eing rooted in specific socio-cultu
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evaluation: „An evaluation carrie
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Central within this is recognising
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2.6.2 Maturing of the disciplineEar
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that conceptualises ICT for develop
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2006). This also requires the adopt
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attempt to impose overarching solut
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currently the lowest available „p
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Garcia-Montes et al. 2006). This is
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However, despite such claims and th
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into knowledge and applied in life
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Page 137 and 138: Photo 4.6: Teacher training in Rema
Page 139 and 140: 4.3.10 Programme futureThe XO 5000
Page 141 and 142: 4.4.3 The importance of ICT for edu
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Page 159 and 160: Descriptionof methodFocus groupsLoc
Page 161 and 162: Classroomobservations24 in Malawi a
Page 163 and 164: 5.3.1 Baseline testingDiscussion at
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Choose the correct answer and write
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eflection upon the format suitabili
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you can follow that. It gives you g
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Following the final iteration of gr
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the method within its appropriate c
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more innovative approach to catalys
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to identify significant themes that
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„Everything that the teachers wro
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(Shurmer-Smith 2002, Herbert 2000).
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5.4 Lessons for effective operation
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and be provided with research assis
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problematic problem but it is the o
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elieving that methods that are base
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teachers maintaining many external
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weekend then they will be there and
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coffee and dancing together in a ro
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emphases can serve to reinforce eac
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eferring back to previous experienc
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Tilahun reflected on the reasons be
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The limited emphasis on quantifying
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5.5 Implications for capacity devel
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improve and build capacity. Similar
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These issues allude to the bigger p
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esponses to questions regarding par
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Month Activity Challenges Strengths
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communicate alternative withappropr
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EuroTalk are keen for thefindings t
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6.2 Why partnership?The contributor
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(Unwin 2005b). The notion of tri-se
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assess the efficacy of the partners
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6.3.1 Contrasting bottom linesPartn
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to engage with the development pote
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that could be distributed specifica
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sector was the most significant cha
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My suggestion that I might speak wi
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approach is found in assessing the
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the fieldwork. The effect of the ob
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(13/04/08). Although prevented from
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„We should have worked more close
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since the language being used faile
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demonstrated in an interview with E
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discussions and various unsuccessfu
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of partnership (Marriot and Goyder
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„‟When we think of monitoring s
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the impact on ECBP from spending ti
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„It has to do with the history of
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6.7.2 Potential to redefine practic
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monitoring and evaluation can provi
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Photo 7.2: Desks and benches in cla
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quantifying educational outputs. It
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of technology within education in A
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pedagogies, and new approaches to t
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eLearning in Africa. Training was h
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Second, alongside the enthusiasm ma
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in Ethiopia meant that the monitori
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„Akili has big potential - becaus
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„The main problem we are facing i
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colonial approach‟ (09/12/08) to
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The aim of providing free and unive
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Photo 7.4: Lessons in Malawi conduc
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Photo 7.5: Girls in Rema herding go
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teachers working in primary schools
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Teachers in Rema (22/04/08) gave a
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disaster. The contrasting potential
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2006). This is demonstrated by the
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Indeed, between these two extremes
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„I use the laptop a lot at home f
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Critical thinking constitutes a sig
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misconception regarding the nature
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Bloom’s Original Taxonomy(1956)An
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associated negative consequences to
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adherence to a flawed promotion of
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„We are not interested with the t
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failing to complete primary educati
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has received some attention (Naraya
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The traditional dominant narrative
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Children reported that they felt mo
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from Golgota eagerly affirmed this,
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and 2 compared to Standard 3 and 4.
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two case studies from Ethiopia. It
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as a good way to communicate with p
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increasingly apparent that Rema was
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evaluation and sustained an overly
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symbol of something good that Malaw
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aspiration could be viewed as poten
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journalist whose article was publis
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and powerful if we have OLPC here i
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If every child in Ethiopia who is e
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population live on less than $2 per
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However, as is now explored, the ve
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the right to profit from sale of al
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8.5.2 Private sector needs creation
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merely another context within which
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Commodity fetishism through aspirat
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The absurdity of the situation was
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„As we are a part of globalizatio
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of aspiration. Engaging effectively
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(Ellul 1964) does delegitimize uncr
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motivations for partnership. The im
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educational challenges and opportun
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choice of theoretical foundation, w
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It is therefore my hope that the me
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9.2.5 Ongoing potential for transfo
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undoubtedly become more so in the f
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esearch undertaken for this thesis.
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9.5 Education: a final wordThe thes
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BibliographyAAG, 2009. Statement of
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Batchelor, S., Evangelista, S., Hea
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Development Department Education Gr
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learning: a sourcebook for evaluato
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evaluation in education. Studies in
Page 391 and 392:
DFID, 2008. Private sector developm
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EFA, 2001. Dakar framework for acti
Page 395 and 396:
Fadel, C. and Lemke, L. 2006. Techn
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G8, 2007. Growth and responsibility
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Greene, J., 2005. Mixed methods. In
Page 401 and 402:
Harrow, J., 2001. Capacity building
Page 403 and 404:
Hine, C., 2005. Virtual methods and
Page 405 and 406:
Illich, I., 1969. Celebration of aw
Page 407 and 408:
Oliver, G., (ed) 2005. Maitland+20:
Page 409 and 410:
Lasonen, J., Kemppainen, R., and Ra
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Mansell, R., 2005. The fragility of
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Mercer, C., 2006. Telecentres and t
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Mutume. G., 2006. Harnessing the in
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Olukoshi, A., 2006. African scholar
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Paul, R. and Elder, L. 2005. The mi
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Roy, S., 2005. Globalisation, ICT a
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Shadish, W, Cook, T. and Campbell D
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Sperling, G., 2008. A global educat
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Thomas, J, 1996. Introduction: a de
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UNESCO, 2006a. Teachers and educati
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Unwin, T., 2009a. Conclusions. In U
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Walker, J, 2005. Self-determination
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Winch, C., 2005. Autonomy as an edu
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Appendices437
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439
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441
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Interviewee Company Details of Resp
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UK LtdJohn Connell Cisco Brief resp
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Appendix C: Sample of Malawi indivi
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Tell me, when you see a school like
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Appendix D: Sample of Ethiopia stud
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classes‟.For final question promp
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Children InformationInformation fro
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Appendix F: Sample of Malawi focus
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Appendix G: Sample of Ethiopia teac
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esponsibility of being apilot schoo
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laptop make to the livesof the chil
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How have you found thisdiscussion?O
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demonstrate, the eight questions an
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the technology solution and initiat
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made that rule. At the weekend I pl
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When you are writing the diary plea
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Do you think the laptops and Akili
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done?..............................
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...................................
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Appendix M: Baseline test in Malawi
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HIV?a. Yesb. No5. Are there medicin
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It is important that the test is co
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Teachers can teach students how to
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Maths1. What is the LCM of 5, 10 an
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HealthPlease explain how you can co
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- Please explain why you think thes
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495
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In wanting to do the best evaluatio
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Baselines (inc. retrospective const
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Appendix Q: Report from eLA worksho
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Incorporating more qualitative meth
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Breakout workshop 3 - DonorsProblem
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It is difficult to ensure the objec
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appease donors and secure future fu
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to demonstrate thatsomething works
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Insights regarding effective evalua
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Appendix S: Data table from Malawi
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A 10% increase in correct answers r
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with headgain overall perspective o
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