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

2. Theoretical context2.1 OverviewSustained investment in the use of ICT in education is „fuelled by the rhetoricthat almost every government in the world believes that technology andeducation are the keys to competitive advantage‟ (Selinger 2009 p.8) (seealso Temple 2001, World Bank 2007, Aghion 2009, OECD 2010). This leadsto the implicit dominant assumption that adoption of ICTs within educationis an inherently positive trend and a causal factor in promoting growth,primarily defined through economic criteria.This thesis focuses on the monitoring and evaluation of ICT for education inAfrica and utilises the topic as a lens through which to assess underlyingissues of methodology, partnership, pedagogy and aspiration. In order to dothis I begin with a theoretical context that engages with the three foundationsof this thesis. The first of these examines the role of education withindevelopment, the second the philosophy of technology, and the third thepriorities and constraints surrounding monitoring and evaluation. I thendraw together and build upon these by considering the nature of ICT fordevelopment, providing an overview of its progression and utilising aspects ofdevelopment theory to emphasise the benefit of critical approaches.Following this I highlight the need to engage with the complex and disputedconsequences of using ICT in education, exemplified through consideringplural and participatory technologies. This chapter closes by returning to ICTfor education in Africa, demonstrating the need for rigorous monitoring,evaluation and impact assessment that engages with education, developmentand technology.24