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

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within the ICT for education arena. I then outline what the survey resultsdemonstrate regarding the place of monitoring, evaluation and impactassessment and give related recommendations for effective progress.The majority of survey responses come from four sectors: Universities (36%),NGOs (22%), Government (13%) and the private sector (12%). Of the 34countries represented, responses were concentrated from Kenya (18%), SouthAfrica (14%) and Nigeria (12%). Ethiopia (6%), Uganda (5%), Zambia,Senegal (each 4%), Ghana, DRC and Tanzania (each 3%) were additionalcountries with relatively high response rates.The survey was designed in order to collect data from current ICT foreducation practitioners within Africa and as such was not intended to be inany way representative of the wider education community in Africa. Theintention was to gain a broad array of perspectives rather than a samplerepresentative to fit pre-existing criteria. The survey was available in Englishand French to ensure accessibility to both Anglophone and FrancophoneAfrica. Of the responses received, 125 were given in English and 22 in French.The survey content, structure and design had contributions from a variety ofICT for education practitioners.4.4.2 Objective of the surveyThe objective of the survey was to gain background information regarding theICT for education context that would enable me better to understand thereasons for current dominant approaches to monitoring and evaluation. Inorder to do this I focused my questions on asking why respondentsconsidered ICT for education to be important, what they considered to be thepriorities for action, and what the role of donors may be within the sector.The follow summary and analysis draws together the survey responses usingdirect, anonymous quotations.140
4.4.3 The importance of ICT for educationFour dominant themes emerged when respondents were asked why theyconsidered investing in ICT for education to be important for thedevelopment of their country. The first of these related to a generic notionthat eLearning is good for development, expressed with responses such as „itprovides avenues for human development‟, „it bridges the digital divide‟,enabling participants „to fit in the global economy‟ and in order „to be up todate with the advanced countries‟. The second theme related morespecifically to the increased educational opportunities available from ICT ineducation, with respondents noting „access to quality open educationalresources‟ and „allowing equitable access to information‟, which helps to„foster information exchange and sharing‟ and leads to the „promotion of 21 stcentury skills‟. The third focused on changing approaches to teaching andlearning, with respondents commenting that ICT in education meant„professors are able to invest in more innovative teaching‟, „students areactive in their own learning‟ and that it „bridges the gap between learner andfacilitator‟, helping to „improve the teaching methods‟ and „reducing pressureon resources‟. The fourth theme identified increased connections, access andflexibility and was demonstrated through responses highlighting the„flexibility of hours‟, the opportunity to „study whilst working‟ and the factthat „learning can take place anywhere‟. Alongside this was acknowledgementthat using ICT in education can serve to „widen (the) reach of learningopportunities‟, acting as a bridge for the educational „gap between the ruraland urban areas‟.The most significant positive change occurring since the introduction of ICTin education was identified by 24% of respondents as improved studentmotivation. The second most popular answer was the improvement instudent attainment with 15% of responses. Third, with 11%, was that the localcommunity had increased the value it placed on education as a result ofintroducing eLearning. In answering the converse question, 37% stated thatthe most significant negative change from ICT in education was the highercosts. Another dominant complaint regarding ICT in education was the fact141
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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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evaluation of ICT and development p
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ICT for development programmes (Hee
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organisations, explanation of the p
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3.3.1 EuroTalk LtdEuroTalk (http://
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further two weeks in Ethiopia in De
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I was invited by InWEnt to particip
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planning and implementation they co
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Page 139: 4.3.10 Programme futureThe XO 5000
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Page 159 and 160: Descriptionof methodFocus groupsLoc
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Page 163 and 164: 5.3.1 Baseline testingDiscussion at
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Page 187 and 188: 5.4 Lessons for effective operation
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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
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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
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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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