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

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opportunities faced (Bamberger et al. 2006) was to operate in partnershipwith organisations already engaged with initiatives related to ICT foreducation in Africa.Whilst the choice to operate through engaged partnerships rather than as adetached observer was a straight-forward theoretical decision, it presentedadditional complexity regarding suitable field locations, partnerorganisations and potential analytical variables or focus points for theresearch. Having investigated numerous potential partners and researchlocations I decided to collaborate with EuroTalk in Malawi and Eduvision inEthiopia.There were four significant reasons why these two companies were selectedfor case study partnership. First, both the programmes were alreadyoperational and the proposed timeframe for their monitoring and evaluationexercises were compatible with the pre-existing research schedule of thisthesis. Second, the programmes were of interest and I considered that myinvolvement had potential to improve the programme outcomes with thepartners demonstrated their commitment to invest time and resources intothe monitoring and evaluation exercise. Third, the partners welcomedacademic expertise and rigour to inform their approach to both themethodology and implementation of each monitoring and evaluationexercise. Fourth, each partner was keen to be flexible and look beyondconventional approaches to monitoring and evaluation, engaging with theinnovative, process and value-based approach that I proposed.Despite the rigorous selection process for suitable partners there weresignificant complexities encountered in working with both EuroTalk andEduvision. These are addressed in detail in Chapter 6, focusing on theimplications for effective monitoring and evaluation.In addition to the case studies with EuroTalk and Eduvision there were threeother significant research partners with whom I collaborated. These were theICT4D DelPHE partnership, ICWE and InWEnt. An overview of all five78
organisations, explanation of the partnerships and a table of the methodsutilised with each is included below, preceded by a table explaining theprogression of the field research (Figure 3.1).79
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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
Page 27 and 28: progress towards the EFA goals has
Page 29 and 30: The critique posed to the market th
Page 31 and 32: etween these two extremes as a resu
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Page 35 and 36: appropriate application in recognit
Page 37 and 38: can instigate both harm and good, i
Page 39 and 40: Such an undertaking is central to t
Page 41 and 42: - Availability of computer networks
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Page 45 and 46: eing rooted in specific socio-cultu
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Page 49 and 50: Central within this is recognising
Page 51 and 52: 2.6.2 Maturing of the disciplineEar
Page 53 and 54: that conceptualises ICT for develop
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Page 57 and 58: attempt to impose overarching solut
Page 59 and 60: currently the lowest available „p
Page 61 and 62: Garcia-Montes et al. 2006). This is
Page 63 and 64: However, despite such claims and th
Page 65 and 66: into knowledge and applied in life
Page 67 and 68: dependent upon an increased emphasi
Page 69 and 70: that ICT is having on education in
Page 71 and 72: 3. Methodology3.1 IntroductionThe p
Page 73 and 74: 2004) and instead focused on utilis
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Page 77: ICT for development programmes (Hee
Page 81 and 82: 3.3.1 EuroTalk LtdEuroTalk (http://
Page 83 and 84: further two weeks in Ethiopia in De
Page 85 and 86: I was invited by InWEnt to particip
Page 87 and 88: planning and implementation they co
Page 89 and 90: the one on the adjacent line. This
Page 91 and 92: drawings was as a precursor to anci
Page 93 and 94: Photo 3.3: Students completing the
Page 95 and 96: prior to implementation of the prog
Page 97 and 98: provided regular opportunity for se
Page 99 and 100: for education in Africa from a list
Page 101 and 102: conversations with respondents, as
Page 103 and 104: partially based on the flawed notio
Page 105 and 106: in the research then all those unab
Page 107 and 108: motivational and aspirational techn
Page 109 and 110: In the light of the complex challen
Page 111 and 112: It cannot be guaranteed that resear
Page 113 and 114: Embrace the heterogeneity of commun
Page 115 and 116: The majority of the research encoun
Page 117 and 118: which each received 20 devices for
Page 119 and 120: Figure 4.1: ICT for development pol
Page 121 and 122: Photo 4.1: Students exploring the I
Page 123 and 124: and engaged with children, teachers
Page 125 and 126: the programme with all of them havi
Page 127 and 128: 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
Page 389 and 390:
evaluation in education. Studies in
Page 391 and 392:
DFID, 2008. Private sector developm
Page 393 and 394:
EFA, 2001. Dakar framework for acti
Page 395 and 396:
Fadel, C. and Lemke, L. 2006. Techn
Page 397 and 398:
G8, 2007. Growth and responsibility
Page 399 and 400:
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
Page 411 and 412:
Mansell, R., 2005. The fragility of
Page 413 and 414:
Mercer, C., 2006. Telecentres and t
Page 415 and 416:
Mutume. G., 2006. Harnessing the in
Page 417 and 418:
Olukoshi, A., 2006. African scholar
Page 419 and 420:
Paul, R. and Elder, L. 2005. The mi
Page 421 and 422:
Roy, S., 2005. Globalisation, ICT a
Page 423 and 424:
Shadish, W, Cook, T. and Campbell D
Page 425 and 426:
Sperling, G., 2008. A global educat
Page 427 and 428:
Thomas, J, 1996. Introduction: a de
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UNESCO, 2006a. Teachers and educati
Page 431 and 432:
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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