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

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Photo 3.2: Completed Octagon on classroom wall3.4.4 StoriesDuring the group interviews with children, particular stories were frequentlyalluded to and these were explored further by conducting detailed individual,conversation-based follow-up. This involved talking with children through anaccompanying interpreter regarding a particular experience or perspectivethat they had expressed. Listening to individual stakeholders in the form ofunstructured conversation provided opportunity to learn from theirexperiences and reveal unanticipated programme impacts (Chambers 1994).Five stories from children were gathered in Malawi and a further 15 storiesfrom Ethiopia, an example story from Ethiopia is included in Appendix I.3.4.5 DrawingsIn Ethiopia eight children were asked to draw pictures and then explain whatthey had done, with the facilitator asking them to „please draw me whateveryou think of when I say the word “computer”‟. The primary use of the90
drawings was as a precursor to ancillary method to help the childrenovercome the intimidation they felt in the group interview environment(Valentine 1999). Drawing together helped them to relax and begin to talkopenly whilst also focussing their minds on the subsequent discussion (Punch2002).3.4.6 Teacher diariesTeacher diaries were used in Malawi and Ethiopia over a three month period.In each setting it was explained to the teachers what keeping a diary wouldinvolve and volunteers were requested. The first two pages of the diarycontained handwritten instructions in which it was explained how tocomplete it. It was clearly stated that there were no right or wrong answersand that the diary was simply there to provide them with an opportunity torecord their thoughts and feelings towards the programme alongsideparticular challenges encountered. Five diaries were distributed to teachersin Malawi and five in Ethiopia. The specific text written in the front of eachdiary can be viewed in Appendix J for Malawi and Appendix K for Ethiopia.3.4.7 Observation sessionsObservation involved both detached overt observation of classes and alsoengaged observation through participating in a variety of activities within theprogramme setting, such as training and feedback sessions (Creswell 2005).Detailed written notes were taken to provide a record of the observations,structured around key questions and focusing on a reflection of what wastaking place in order to understand and interpret broader findings (Shurmer-Smith 2002). This was time consuming but constituted a valuable method ingaining a more comprehensive understanding of the programme (Herbert2000). Teachers were asked to conduct the lesson as they normally would,without altering the arrangements. Observing usage of the technology in thenormal classroom environment provided an ideal foundation for thesubsequent methods, providing opportunity to discuss successes and suggestways to work around challenges with the children, teachers and head-91
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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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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
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Page 61 and 62: Garcia-Montes et al. 2006). This is
Page 63 and 64: However, despite such claims and th
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Page 71 and 72: 3. Methodology3.1 IntroductionThe p
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Page 79 and 80: organisations, explanation of the p
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
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Page 93 and 94: Photo 3.3: Students completing the
Page 95 and 96: prior to implementation of the prog
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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
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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
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Page 119 and 120: Figure 4.1: ICT for development pol
Page 121 and 122: Photo 4.1: Students exploring the I
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Page 127 and 128: widespread lack of textbooks and in
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Page 131 and 132: in order to reflect the involvement
Page 133 and 134: Photo 4.4: Students in Ethiopia exp
Page 135 and 136: on the donation of solar panels fro
Page 137 and 138: Photo 4.6: Teacher training in Rema
Page 139 and 140: 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
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
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Harrow, J., 2001. Capacity building
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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:
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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
Page 415 and 416:
Mutume. G., 2006. Harnessing the in
Page 417 and 418:
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
Page 423 and 424:
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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