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

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The future success of the programme is dependent upon the MoESTdeveloping and sustaining a system of training and support for each of theschools. The limited budget of the Ministry means that such an endeavourmay prove impossible without continued external donor assistance. Theprogramme would also benefit from the development and distribution of apedagogical guide for teachers regarding the effective integration of thedevices into the lesson schedule, utilising the full range of content available.4.3 Case study of research in Ethiopia4.3.1. IntroductionMy research in Ethiopia assessed the introduction of 5000 XO laptops intofour primary schools. The initiative was a multi-stakeholder partnershipbetween Eduvision, ECBP, GTZ, Apposit and OLPC. The primary focus hereis on the educational content on the laptops that was provided throughEduvision and their Akili interactive textbook reader. For a comprehensivereport documenting the role of the other partners within the XO 5000implementation refer to Kocsev et al. (2009).4.3.2 Contextual reviewEthiopia is faced with significant educational challenges from primarythrough to tertiary. Despite efforts to provide free universal access to primaryeducation (UN 2000, EFA 2000), national figures demonstrate that only 71%of children are enrolled (EFA 2010), with an average of 72 primary schoolpupils for every teacher (EFA 2008). As with other countries across theregion, increasing class sizes in Ethiopia are leading to significant difficultiesin maintaining levels of attainment (Fredriksson 2004, Naidoo 2003).Regional disparities are also an ongoing challenge, exemplified through themarginalised Somali region where only 16% of children have ever attendedschool (EFA DME 2010). Improving educational quality, whilst ensuringequity, therefore constitutes a major challenge and is dependent uponeffective teaching, which in turn requires good teacher training. The126
widespread lack of textbooks and inadequate access to extra-curricularlearning materials also constitute significant educational challenges.The dominant mode of school-based education in Ethiopia can best beunderstood within a long-established teaching model that is influenced byboth cultural and religious traditions (Lasonen et al. 2005). Studentobedience and subservience are prioritised and emphasis is placed uponteacher authority. This model plays a significant formative role for theeducated population as most current teachers and related professionalsreceived their schooling within such a context and thus often perpetuate thetop-down, rote-based approach (Smith and Ngoma-Maema 2003, Negash2006).4.3.3 ICT for education in EthiopiaThere has been considerable advancement in ICT infrastructure acrossEthiopia in the past decade (Hare 2007). The country has a comprehensiveimplementation strategy for ICT in Education that forms part of the ICT forDevelopment 2010 Plan. The stated intention in this is that the strategyfacilitates „the deployment of ICTs and other educational technologies andsystems to aid the process of the enhancement of efficiency and theenrichment of the education and learning process within the Ethiopianeducational system‟ (Dzidonu 2006 p.183). As Hare (2007 p.2) notes, thechallenge is therefore „for the government to effectively co-ordinate theimplementation of the strategy‟.Despite this, Ethiopia has only 0.4 internet users per 100 population, makingit the country with the second lowest proportion of internet users acrossAfrica, higher only than Sierra Leone (ITU 2009) and considerably lowerthan the continent average of 4.2 users per 100 population (ITU 2009).Ethiopia was the country that expanded most rapidly in Africa between 2003and 2008 regarding the use of mobile phones. However, despite this it stillremains well below the regional average, with 4 mobile subscriptions per 100inhabitants compared to an average of 33 per 100 (ITU 2009).127
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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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dependent upon an increased emphasi
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that ICT is having on education in
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3. Methodology3.1 IntroductionThe p
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2004) and instead focused on utilis
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Page 81 and 82: 3.3.1 EuroTalk LtdEuroTalk (http://
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Page 133 and 134: Photo 4.4: Students in Ethiopia exp
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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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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
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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
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Hine, C., 2005. Virtual methods and
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Illich, I., 1969. Celebration of aw
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Oliver, G., (ed) 2005. Maitland+20:
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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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