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

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Gathering information from a community without involving gatekeepers can prove problematic as they may seek to thwart the effortsof the researcher.Those from whom data is being collected may be unwilling toparticipate without some form of incentive. (An example was citedwhere one of the people being sampled asked the interviewer if hewas paid to do the baseline - when the interviewer answered in theaffirmative he asked why he should not then be paid for providinginformation.)It is difficult to check the validity of the responses given. (Cases werementioned where people provided wrong information for their ownpurposes. The answers they gave were contrary to the realities onground.)The baseline data collection can be limited by the structure of theproject evaluation framework.The monitoring and evaluation plan is often not put in place at thebeginning of the project but is added as an afterthought – potentiallyin order to justify the project and satisfy donors.Baselines can be manipulated to suit different agendas – especiallywhere the pressure to maintain funding affects the objectivity of theimplementers. There is an overemphasis on quantitative methods whenconstructing baselines – this leads to a one-sided perspective onreality.Possible solutionsProjects should be based on a concrete baseline. If the design of aproject is founded on baseline outputs then it is more likely to besuccessful.A baseline is to monitoring and evaluation what a foundation is to ahouse. A strong foundation will determine strength and durabilityand it should therefore be accepted policy to have the baseline welldefined before funding is received.502
Incorporating more qualitative methods into data gathering forbaseline would provide a richer picture of the situation.Researchers should employ innovative approaches when gatheringdata – establishing ways to gather information from respondentswithout pre-empting their answers.Significant background research should be conducted beforecarrying out a baseline. Establishing the background of thecommunity, previous research conducted and available literature allcombine to provide a stronger base for the survey.Increased consideration should be given to the ethical dimensions ofconducting a baseline survey.All stakeholders should be informed of the purpose for the baselineand should give informed consent for this.The findings of the baseline should always be disclosed to thestakeholders.Gate keepers/ respected individuals within the target community area useful source for gathering information for the baseline.Validity is increased through ensuring that the sample for thebaseline is truly representative of the target audience for a project.The widely accepted „bottom-up‟ approach to a programme shouldalso be adopted when considering and constructing the baseline.Sustained cooperation of the respondents in gathering baseline datamay require motivation or appropriate incentives.Breakout workshop 2 – Impact on learningProblems and challenges identifiedThere is considerable frustration in measuring the direct impact of ICTof learning – much impact will be seen only after the intervention inthe future. With education you invest today and harvest in 15 years.Teachers themselves are confused as to the impact on learning fromICT and so are unlikely to make maximum use of the benefit.503
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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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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
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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
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
Page 451 and 452: Appendix D: Sample of Ethiopia stud
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Page 455 and 456: Children InformationInformation fro
Page 457 and 458: Appendix F: Sample of Malawi focus
Page 459 and 460: Appendix G: Sample of Ethiopia teac
Page 461 and 462: esponsibility of being apilot schoo
Page 463 and 464: laptop make to the livesof the chil
Page 465 and 466: How have you found thisdiscussion?O
Page 467 and 468: demonstrate, the eight questions an
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Page 471 and 472: made that rule. At the weekend I pl
Page 473 and 474: When you are writing the diary plea
Page 475 and 476: Do you think the laptops and Akili
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Page 481 and 482: Appendix M: Baseline test in Malawi
Page 483 and 484: HIV?a. Yesb. No5. Are there medicin
Page 485 and 486: It is important that the test is co
Page 487 and 488: Teachers can teach students how to
Page 489 and 490: Maths1. What is the LCM of 5, 10 an
Page 491 and 492: HealthPlease explain how you can co
Page 493 and 494: - Please explain why you think thes
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Page 497 and 498: In wanting to do the best evaluatio
Page 499 and 500: Baselines (inc. retrospective const
Page 501: Appendix Q: Report from eLA worksho
Page 505 and 506: Breakout workshop 3 - DonorsProblem
Page 507 and 508: It is difficult to ensure the objec
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Page 511 and 512: to demonstrate thatsomething works
Page 513 and 514: Insights regarding effective evalua
Page 515 and 516: Appendix S: Data table from Malawi
Page 517 and 518: A 10% increase in correct answers r
Page 519: with headgain overall perspective o
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