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

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2010, 2007), leading to unhealthy dependency, competition and unrealisticexpectations (Hansen and Tarp 2000).In contrast, Abrahamsen (2004) argues that the partnership discourse doesconstitute a potential way of improving upon previous models ofdevelopment because it emphasises the decision-making role of beneficiaries.Whilst this potential may exist, such acclaimed transitions towardsempowering beneficiaries on an institutional level contain within them thedanger of emphasising agency at the expense of structural concerns. Indeed,the partnership model can serve to preserve the power of the elite, as the newmantra shaping development discourse and maintaining the institutionalframework required for economic liberalisation (Martens 2004, 2007, Loftus2008). The risk of partnerships in development can therefore be usefullyconceptualised as potentially operating as a „terminological Trojan horse‟(Fowler 2000 p.7), facilitating the imposition of power and growth agendasthrough the rhetoric of inclusion and empowerment.The considerable contestation and ambiguity regarding the substantive valueof partnerships in development is due, at least in part, to lack of clarityconcerning definitions. Indeed, the ubiquity of partnership terminology hasled directly to a spread of „multiple interpretations‟ (Crawford 2003 p.142).The fact that different actors may utilise partnership terminology for a varietyof meanings and to describe a range of activities serves to somewhatdelegitimise any overarching endorsement or universal critique. Crawford(2003 p.140) himself succumbs to this, attempting a universalpronouncement regarding „whether the notion of partnership introduces anew phase in aid relations characterised by mutual respect and sharedobjectives, or, alternatively, whether power relations persist.‟ Suchessentialising verdicts on the value of partnerships, be they emancipatory orotherwise, serve to polemicise debate and ignore the multiple interpretationsand practices encapsulated within the terminology.Attempts to progress beyond this have been encountered in the rigorouscritique of public-private partnerships both within and beyond development224
(Unwin 2005b). The notion of tri-sector partnerships has been suggested as amore useful conception, incorporating government, civil society and privatesector parties. Warner and Sullivan (2004 p.17) assert that tri-sectorpartnerships constitute a new form of strategic alliance where the „approachcan be defined as a voluntary collaboration to promote sustainabledevelopment based on the most efficient allocation of complementaryresources across corporate business, civil society and government‟. However,their suggestion that this new categorisation necessarily facilitates aprogression towards voluntary cooperation is a somewhat idealisticoversimplification. More appropriate is the increasingly widespreadrecognition that delivery of applicable and sustainable developmentinitiatives is dependent upon a variety of different forms of partnership(Unwin 2005b).6.2.1 My choice of approachThe notion of partnership has thus been utilised to describe a diverse range ofpractices and approaches (Bratman 1992). There are also various ways inwhich ICT for education partnerships can be conceptualised, defined andundertaken (Unwin 2005b) The approach adopted in this thesis did notreplicate any pre-existing model, being removed from popular cyclical modelsof partnership (Marriot and Goyder 2009), and operating somewhat outsidethe boundaries of international and bi-lateral arrangements that frame themajority of partnership related literature (Abrahamsen 2004). The researchwas not concerned primarily with an evaluation of partnerships but rather anevaluation of doing research in partnerships and the impact of specific formsof partnership, particularly in the context of monitoring and evaluation ofICT for education.The analysis is situated within an understanding that certain expressions ofpartnership do, when used with credibility, have potential to redefinerelationships and interactions within development (Fowler 2000). Within thevarious expressions of partnership the central essence remains that of225
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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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the one on the adjacent line. This
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drawings was as a precursor to anci
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Photo 3.3: Students completing the
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prior to implementation of the prog
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provided regular opportunity for se
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for education in Africa from a list
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conversations with respondents, as
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partially based on the flawed notio
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in the research then all those unab
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motivational and aspirational techn
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In the light of the complex challen
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It cannot be guaranteed that resear
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Embrace the heterogeneity of commun
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The majority of the research encoun
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which each received 20 devices for
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Figure 4.1: ICT for development pol
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Photo 4.1: Students exploring the I
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and engaged with children, teachers
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the programme with all of them havi
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widespread lack of textbooks and in
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esources but also that it serves to
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in order to reflect the involvement
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Photo 4.4: Students in Ethiopia exp
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on the donation of solar panels fro
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Photo 4.6: Teacher training in Rema
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4.3.10 Programme futureThe XO 5000
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4.4.3 The importance of ICT for edu
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theme focussed on the lack of budge
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esponses, three dominant themes eme
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The experience of interacting with
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„In the institutions we have work
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Access to a wide variety of resourc
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assessment that emphasised the tran
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have been mitigated had the project
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and the need for sustained probing.
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Descriptionof methodFocus groupsLoc
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Classroomobservations24 in Malawi a
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5.3.1 Baseline testingDiscussion at
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indicated that although apparently
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The lack of evidence from the basel
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Choose the correct answer and write
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eflection upon the format suitabili
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Page 187 and 188: 5.4 Lessons for effective operation
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Page 209 and 210: 5.5 Implications for capacity devel
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Page 261 and 262: 6.7.2 Potential to redefine practic
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Page 265 and 266: Photo 7.2: Desks and benches in cla
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Page 269 and 270: of technology within education in A
Page 271 and 272: pedagogies, and new approaches to t
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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
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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