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This report is entirely our own work and to the best of our knowledge it contains no material previously published or written by other people, except where acknowledged within the text itself. We are solely responsible for any errors or omissions and the recommendations offered are from our perspective as researchers. Paola Masperi and David Hollow. May 2008
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Boxes, Charts and Tables
Annexes
Abbreviations
Acknowledgements
Executive summary
1. Introduction
2. The role of portable technology in development and education provision
2.1 Drawing from experiences in the developed world
2.2 The importance of content
2.3 Features and challenges of mobile learning
2.4 Quality education and the importance of research
3. Portable technology for the provision of basic education in Malawi
3.1 Background to the education system in Malawi
3.2 Challenges of providing quality free primary education in Malawi
3.3 Malawi education strategy
4. The Interactive Learning Pilot Project
4.1 Project rationale and background
4.2 Interactive Learning Pilot Phase 1
4.3 Interactive Learning Pilot Phase 2
4.4 The portable interactive learning machine
4.5 Learning methodology
4.6 The solar charging solution
5. Monitoring and impact evaluation
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Methodology
5.3 Findings and Challenges
5.4 Personal stories
5.5 Programme recommendations
5.6 Conclusions
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BOXES & CHARTS Box 1. MDG Goals 2 & 3 Box 2. The view of a Std 3 teacher Box 3. The view of a head teacher Box 4. The view of a MoEST Official Chart 1 - Harnessing the potential of mobile technology for the provision of quality Education For All Chart 2 - Country Basic Information – Malawi Chart 3 - Malawi Millennium Development Goals Indicators – MDG 2 Chart 4 - Malawi Millennium Development Goals Indicators – MDG 3 Chart 5 - Test schools’ Feedback Matrix on discussion through Interactive Learning Octagon ANNEXES Annex 1 - Malawi Key MDG Indicators Annex 2 - Progress towards Sector Objectives and EFA Goals, Malawi MOEST Annex 3 - Phase 2 Project Overview Annex 4 - The learning machine: Introduction Annex 5 - The learning machine: Lessons Management Annex 6 - List of Lessons Annex 7 - The learning machine: Using the lessons Annex 8 - Standard Installation Annex 9 - Installation with computer Annex 10 - Children Interview Format Annex 11 - Teachers Focus Group Format Annex 12 - Evaluation Form Annex 13 - Equipment Feedback Form Annex 14 - Interactive Learning Octagon Annex 15 - Teachers diary Guidelines Annex 16 - Baseline Survey Questions Annex 17 - Costing of Equipment Annex 18 – Breakdown of Costs of Equipment Donated by EuroTalk for Phase 2
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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 3GSM Global System for Mobile CGAP Consultative Group to Assist the Poor DFID Department for International Development (UK) EFA Education for All FDI Foreign Direct Investment GDP Gross Domestic Product GER Gross Enrolment Ratio NER Net Enrolment Ratio GB Gigabyte GNI Gross National Income GPRS General Packet Radio Service GSMA Global System for Mobile Association GSP Growth Strategy Paper ICT Information and Communication Technology IMF International Monetary Fund IP Internet Protocol LDC Least Developed Countries LEG Link for Education Governance MDG Millennium Development Goals M&E Monitoring and Evaluation MIE Malawi Institute of Education MOE Ministry of Education MOEST Ministry of Education, Science and Technology MSC Most Significant Change NESP National Education Sector Plan ODL Open and Distance Learning PEA Primary Education Advisor PCAR Primary Education Curriculum and Assessment Framework PDA Personal Digital Assistant PIF Policy Investment Framework PRSP Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper PTA Parents-Teachers Association SMS Short Messaging Service TDC Teacher Development Centre UMTS Universal Mobile Telecommunications System UNCTAD United Nations Conference on Trade and Development UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund UPE Universal Primary Education USB Universal Serial Bus VOIP Voice Over Internet Protocol
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ACKNOWLEDEGMENTS
The completion of this report was dependent upon the great assistance of many
individuals too numerous to acknowledge all by name. However, the authors would like to
pay particular tribute to the contribution of the following people.
Matilda Gladson Kabuye, Director of EMAS, MoEST.
Mayamiko Chiwaya, Mike Chithonje and Ostar Chagamba, MoEST.
Anthony Livuza and MJ Chitimbe, Permanent Secretaries, MoEST.
Hon Olive Masanza MP, Deputy Minister for Education, Science and Technology.
President Bingu wa Mutharika.
Richard Wildash, British High Commissioner.
Aaron Jere, Eric Banda, Ryan Connolly and Oszkar Nagy.
Professor Tim Unwin and the ICT4D Collective, Royal Holloway, University of London.
Finally, our most heartfelt thanks go to each of the MoEST officials, teachers, students,
parents and community members who generously gave of their time to talk to us about the
Interactive Learning programme – the research would not have been possible without you.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Education for All (EFA) and the Millennium Development Goals (2 and 3) aim to achieve
universal, gender-equal primary education by 2015. There is widespread agreement
regarding the vital place of education within poverty reduction, capacity building and
growth strategies of developing countries. Such consensus has led to the incorporation of
EFA goals into the policies of many developing nations, resulting in unprecedented
increases in enrolment and attendance rates, which in turn has put huge pressure on
budgetary, planning and effective teaching capabilities – often leading to poor educational
outcomes and declining levels of attainment. Such a complex problem clearly has no
immediate or simple solutions. However, there are potential strategies for effective
maximisation of available resources which can help to spread the benefit and improve the
quality of universal primary education more quickly and widely. The appropriate
application of technology in education can be one such strategy.
It is important to recognise at the outset that not all technological solutions which have
contributed to advancements in the developed world can simply be transferred to a
developing world context as the necessary underlying infrastructures and systems are
often not in place. Therefore, a significant priority is to identify what forms of technology
can be of most potential benefit in addressing development and, in particular, educational
requirements. The potential of technology to enable leapfrogging of conventional
development stages has been clearly demonstrated in recent years through the use of
mobile/portable technology. This is recognized to have positively affected the lives of
many individuals in developing countries in various ways including; improved personal
and business communication, better access to trading information, faster cash transfers,
cheaper collection of healthcare data and wider dissemination of information on
HIV/AIDS awareness. In light of these experiences it is important to consider whether
there is a suitable application of mobile technology to support the provision of basic
education in the developing world. A variety of experiences would suggest that it is
possible, although the answer is neither brief nor simple and a wide range of variables still
need to be explored.
Following this theoretical and contextual overview, the report documents a pilot project
concerning the introduction of Interactive Learning technology into primary schools in
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Malawi. The programme rationale, implementation approach, findings, limitations and
recommendations are each considered in turn, with specific focus on the monitoring and
evaluation exercise which was undertaken throughout the pilot. The experience
demonstrates how appropriate technology, combined with quality curriculum-based
content, has the potential to have a positive educational impact on learners, teachers and
the wider community. The report finds that the intrinsic value which both children and
parents place on technology constituted a strong incentive for increased school attendance
and enthusiasm across the 50 test schools. Absenteeism and drop-out rates, two of the
biggest current challenges to primary education across the country, were both significantly
reduced. In addition, the enthusiasm of the teachers was often increased and this led to a
more engaging and rewarding learning environment for the children. The focus on audio
and video material and interactive learning techniques offered pedagogical advantages in
combining learner-centred and outcome-based activities with continuous assessment. It
was reported that this helped the children to memorise what they were learning more
effectively and to achieve higher marks in the relevant tests. It was also noted that the
flexible learning allowed for better class management and small group work, supporting
the development of social, leadership and interaction skills in the learners. Teachers
reported that shy and slower learners were positively affected by the direct interaction
with technology and were more willing to engage in learning activities.
Alongside these findings there were several key challenges identified in ensuring
successful implementation and sustainability. Significant amongst these were; the need for
rigorous teacher training and provision for associated costs, improvement of equipment
suitability, maintenance training, appropriate mode of deployment, appropriate content
development and capacity building at all levels.
In light of the findings of the monitoring and evaluation exercise it was recommended that
the programme be expanded by 50 schools each year. However, in order for the
educational potential to be fully realised it is vital that each of the concerns identified is
adequately addressed by the programme implementers. If this happens then there is real
potential for the initiative to form an innovative and sustainable addition to the primary
education of Malawi.
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BOX 1.
Source: UN (2000). Millennium Development Goals
MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOAL 2
To achieve universal primary education
To ensure all boys and girls complete primary school
MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOAL 3
To promote gender equality and empower women
To eliminate gender disparities in primary and secondary education preferably by
2005 and at all levels by 2015.
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Table 1. Harnessing the potential of mobile technology for the provision of Quality Education For All
Principles of Quality EFA Challenge Policy response Direct or indirect impact of use of mobile technologies
Healthy learners supported by families and the community.
How to encourage parents and the community to place higher value on education.
General improvement of level and quality of education in order to sensitise and unlock better long-term perspectives and return of investment for learners and families.
� Although they may not have firsthand experience, many parents and communities recognise the value of technology.
� If technology is available in the school environment then parents support and actively encourage children to go to school as they perceive added educational and opportunity value.
Safe, adequate and gender sensitive environments.
How to make schools safer and more gender sensitive.
Funding for infrastructural interventions, gender sensitisation, community involvement in school management and accountability and reporting mechanisms.
� Technology can encourage a sense of ownership and belonging, resulting in greater community involvement and ultimately a safer environment especially for girls.
� Access to technology is gender neutral.
Relevant content and materials especially for literacy, numeracy and life skills.
How to provide adequate, quality teaching and learning materials especially for core subjects.
Increased supply of books, notebooks, pencils and other traditional locally sourced teaching and learning materials.
� Mobile technology can facilitate delivery of tailor-made content from a wide variety of sources that can target specific learning areas at specific times.
� Activities can be repeated and learners scores can be recorded, allowing for better monitoring. In addition, real life simulations can be integrated in the learning experiences.
� Low power consumption makes portable technology suitable to rural environments through solar solutions.
Child–centred teaching, participatory methodologies, well managed classrooms.
How to place learners in an active role at the centre of the learning experience so they are able to transfer knowledge gained to other areas of their life.
Curriculum review or reform for relevant up-to-date quality content, emphasis on group learning and continuous assessment through outcome-based methodologies.
� Technology enables learners to take a central role in the learning process. � Interactive learning lends itself to outcome-based approaches and continuous assessment, encouraging
group work, dialogue, participation and leadership skills. � Classrooms with high number of learners can be managed more effectively with teachers able to focus
on smaller groups while other learners are engaged with portable technology in a separate environment.
Knowledge, skills and attitudes linked to national goals and participation in society.
How to ensure that school prepares learners to be active members of their communities and societies at large.
Introduction of subjects such as social studies, democracy and life skills.
� Technology supports the teaching of culturally sensitive subjects or topics by representing an intermediary stage between teacher and learner.
� Mobile internet opens up possibilities to gather information and develop well-researched opinions on society and current events.
� There is stronger emphasis on being part of a global village and connecting with the wider-world. Lifelong learning opportunities.
How to enable out-of-school youth, women, illiterate or semi-literate adults to have access to ODL.
Attempts to promote distance learning, flexible learning solutions that mix academic and vocational skills, study and work experience.
� ‘Anywhere anytime’ learning is suited to the flexibility requirements of ODL. � Audio-visual content supports learners with low levels of literacy. � Video materials support the lack of practical experience available on equipment for effective skills
training. Building quality teaching capacity.
How to ensure that both trainee and qualified teachers receive adequate and regular training with respect to logistical considerations.
Conduct frequent distance teacher training sessions for trainees and qualified teachers.
� Technology can assist with distance learning through computers, mobile phones or portable devices allowing real time distribution of data and feedback.
� If teachers are comfortable with technology then fear can be removed allowing more effective knowledge transfer.
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1. INTRODUCTION
This report is structured in four main sections. The first outlines the role of portable
technology within development as a whole and within education specifically. The second
addresses the specifics of education within Malawi and how portable technology may
assist with current challenges. The third and forth sections are the primary foci of the
report, focusing on the Interactive Learning programme. In the third section the project is
explained, including an outline of the different aspects and the nature of the pilot. The
forth section records the monitoring and evaluation undertaken throughout the pilot
programme and details the findings, recommendations and overall conclusions. Each of
these sections builds upon the previous one and together provides a detailed perspective
on the suitability and potential sustainability of the use of portable technology within
primary education in Malawi.
2. THE ROLE OF PORTABLE TECHNOLOGY IN DEVELOPMENT AND
EDUCATION PROVISION
In 2002, the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID, 2002, p 4-5)
concluded that when ‘properly deployed, ICTs have enormous potential as tools to
increase information flows and empower poor people’. It recommended that governments
should ‘mainstream attention to the information and communication aspects of poverty
and appropriate uses of ICTs in the development process’ in a process based on rigorous
‘research and experience about what works and what does not’ (p 5).
2.1 Drawing from experiences in the developed world
The information and communications tools recognised by DFID as having developmental
potential are becoming increasingly portable, flexible and powerful1. Numerous studies
point to the potential of handheld technologies as learning tools2. Many studies have
1 Sharples, M. (2000) ‘Disruptive Devices: personal technologies and education’ (Educational Technology Research Paper Series 11), Birmingham, The University of Birmingham 2 Fung, Hennessey and O’Shea, 1998; Hennessey, 2000; Soloway et al., 2001)
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investigated the use of handheld computers in classroom settings in the western world3
with key benefits seen to be increased time using technology, increased motivation and
increased collaboration and communication4. This marks a significant transition beyond
static e-learning through computer laboratories, creating ‘anytime, anywhere computing’5
that becomes mobile learning or m-learning6 and leads to opportunity for making
potentially major changes in educational settings7, 8.
Soloway et al 9 and Roschelle and Pea10, have all proposed ways in which handheld
wireless internet learning devices in particular can offer physical benefits that are vastly
different from school computer labs or classrooms with five students per computer. They
argue that such benefits11 may lead to learning activities that differ significantly from
conventional images of school learning. In recent years, numerous efforts have been made
in the direction of using handheld devices for educational purposes such as the m-learning
project12 or the MOBIlearn project13. M-learning, is a personal, unobtrusive, spontaneous
way to learn and to access educational tools and material that enlarges educational
capacity. It reinforces learners' sense of ownership of the learning experience, offering
them flexibility in how, when and where they learn.14 In addition, the speedy diffusion of
new market-driven technologies enables their adoption in education, making mobile
learning an increasingly cost-effective component of traditional as well as blended open
and distance learning (ODL).
2.2 The importance of content
3 Fung et al.1998; Sestokas-Filho and Bonafini 2002; Yarnell 2003 4 Vahey and Crawford, (2002) Palm Education Pioneers Final Report, SRI international 5 Sharples Op cit n. 26. 6 Lehner, F. and Nšsekabel, H. (2002). The Role of Mobile Devices In E-Learning -First Experiences With A Wireless E-Learning Environment. WMTE 2002: 103-106 7 Soloway, E (2002) ‘Palm-Sized Devices are the Personal Computers of Choice’, Colloquium series, MIT Media Lab; November 12, 2002 8 Pea, R. D. (1993). Practices of distributed intelligence and designs for education. 9 Marx, R. W., Blumenfeld, P C., Krajcik, J. S. and Soloway, E. (1998) ‘New technologies for teachers’ professional development’. Teaching and Teacher Education, Volume 14 Issue 1, pp 33 -52. 10 Roschelle, J., Patton C., and Pea, R. D. (2002). To Unlock the Learning Value of Wireless Mobile Devices, Understand Coupling. WMTE2002: 2-6 11 Gibson, J.J. (1979) The Ecological Approach to Visual Perception. Boston, MA: Houghton-Mifflin. 12 http://www.m-learning.org/ 13 http://www.mobilearn.org/ 14 Report details - http://www.col.org/colweb/site/cache/offonce/pid/4591
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In order for the potential of ICTs to be realized in extending access to education for those
conventionally most marginalized from society it is vital that they be applied with great
sensitivity and local knowledge15. As Pontefract16 cautions, their usage must be tied to the
specific needs of the country and community in question, bringing active challenge to the
‘one size fits all’ approach frequently exhibited in the approach of many programmes.
In 2005 researchers at Wolverhampton University and The Open University17 published a
guide to appropriate m-learning interventions in developing countries. Technological
advancements mean that many of the hardware and connectivity concerns raised in the
2005 guide have been addressed and solutions become available. However, the guide
remains a useful benchmarking tool when analysing the feasibility of m-learning
interventions. The study specific to Malawi which is presented in the second half of this
report covers in turn each of the applicable points identified by through the guide.18
The considerable market influence on mobile technology causes rapid advancements in
hardware capabilities meaning that new possibilities are regularly emerging. In light of
this the primary focus for considering long-term suitable educational use should be placed
upon the provision of content that could provide child-centred learning, outcome-based
continuous assessment and promotion of participatory learning methods.
It is vital that order to assess the true educational impact of m-learning solutions attention
should be focused upon this provision of suitable and relevant content, in the form of
pedagogically robust software. Without this appropriate software a perfectly functioning
piece of hardware is almost meaningless and simply constitutes an empty vessel. An m-
learning priority should therefore be the development of user-friendly authoring tools,
which can be deployed by medium-tech teachers and educationalists to compile accurate,
relevant and suitable educational content. Indeed, quality assurance mechanisms need to
develop validating procedures for all forms of technology-supported learning in the same
way as is common with other categories of teaching and learning materials. This process
15 Dhanarajan, R. (2001) Learning Technologies, where is the challenge? In Education, Communication, Information, Vol. 1, Issue 1 Spring 2002 16 Pontefract, C (2003) Learning to Share, Insights Education 1 Missing the Connection -using ICTs in Education, February 2003, www.id21.org 17 Commonwealth of Learning: http://www.col.org/colweb/site/cache/offonce/pid/4591 18 Kukulska-Hulme, A. and Traxler, J. 2005. M-learning: A Handbook for Educators and Trainers. F. Lockwood, ed. London: Taylor and Francis.
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will be less problematic if m-learning is integrated into the whole learning experience
rather than being looked at in isolation or as a replacement solution.
2.3 Features and challenges of mobile learning
By way of description, the main physical characteristics of handhelds and mobile
phones can be summarized as follows:
- Approximately the size and weight of a small personal stereo, although the current
trend is for slightly larger and higher definition screens.
- Usually have a screen or interfaces and directional buttons or a keypad.
- Connecting sockets around the edges for power supply, data transfer and audio
output.
- Either a monolithic tablet or a clamshell hinged design.
- Often have protective covers or cases.
According to Traxler and Kukulksa-Hulme19 it is important that mobile devices
should be designed in a usable and satisfying manner that improves learning
effectiveness. They should also be efficient and accessible, meeting the needs of users
with specific learning difficulties or disabilities that may be visual, hearing, speech,
mobility or manual dexterity impairment. Usable, accessible devices are key to
creating an inclusive m-learning environment.
Some of the current issues posed by handheld devices in terms of usability can be
summarized as follows:
- Small screens, buttons, controls and keyboards.
- Context-dependent use and difficulty of viewing screen contents in bright sunlight.
- The proliferation of different platforms and challenges of software compatibility.
- Dependence on batteries and recharging in regions lacking electricity.
19 Kukulska-Hulme, A. and Traxler, J. 2005. M-learning: A Handbook for Educators and Trainers. F. Lockwood, ed. London: Taylor and Francis.
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- Development of suitable curriculum-based content according to national/local
requirements.
- Language incompatibility and limited vernacular content.
- Slow connection and information transfer and limited or non-existent wireless
communications infrastructure.
-Technical faults and lack of technical assistance.
Each of these identified challenges was encountered in some form during the Malawi
pilot. The ways in which each was overcome will be outlined within the latter section of
the report which deals with the specific dimensions of the project.
2.4 Quality Education - the importance of research
Although mobile technologies are fairly well established for certain functions, their
application in the educational field particularly in developing countries is still in its
infancy and it is therefore very important to undertake investigative short-term pilot
projects with multiple stakeholder participation. In addition to providing benefit for the
specific project, such activities also contribute to the global body of relevant knowledge
on the topic and so assist in the efforts of others to effectively utilize mobile technology
for learning. For these reasons MoEST decided to prioritise the place of such a monitoring
and evaluation study and make it an integral dimension throughout the pilot phase. It was
therefore possible to gain constant feedback from all multiple stakeholders, providing
opportunity to improve both the educational suitability and logistical efficiency of the
programme throughout the process. This in turn has the natural consequence of
maximizing the long-term sustainability of the initiative.
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3. PORTABLE TECHNOLOGY FOR THE PROVISION OF BASIC
EDUCATION IN MALAWI
3.1 Background to the educational system in Malawi
Malawi is a landlocked country situated in southern Africa with a population of over 13
million, growing at a rate of 2.38% per annum (2006 estimate). 83% of the Malawian
population lives in rural areas and 43% are aged between 0-14. Life expectancy at birth is
41 years20 and 63% of people live on under $2 a day21. Malawi is categorized as a Least
Developed Country (LCD): occupying position 207 out of 208 in the World Bank key
indicators ranking and with a GNI per capita of 160USD or 650USD PPP (purchasing
power parity, international dollars) in 2005. A breakdown of key statistics relating to
Malawi can be viewed in Chart 2 while results for the key MDG indicators are in Annex
1.
The education system in Malawi follows an 8-4-4 pattern comprising primary, secondary
and tertiary levels. Primary education consists of eight years in school, divided into three
sections: infant (Std 1 and 2), junior (Std 3 and 4) and senior (Std 5, 6, 7 and 8). In Std 8
pupils take the Primary School Leaving Certificate Examinations in order to gain access to
secondary school. Secondary education lasts for four years and is split into two sections
each of two years. At the end of Form 2, learners take the Junior Certificate Examinations
which is used for selection into senior secondary education. In Form 4, in order to
complete secondary and progress to tertiary education, learners need to obtain the School
Certificate of Education. The duration of tertiary education varies between two and four
years depending on the specifics of the chosen course.
20 https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/mi.html World Bank indicators http://www.ibe.unesco.org/countries/WDE/2006/index.html 21 http://siteresources.worldbank.org/DATASTATISTICS/Resources/GNIPC.pdf
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CHART 2. Country Basic Information - Malawi. GENERAL INFORMATION Region Sub-Saharan Africa Area (km2) 118484 Population (2006) 13 570 713 Annual Population Growth Rate* (2005) 2.2 Life expectancy at birth (years)* (2005) 41 Infant mortality rate (0/00)* (2005) 79 Population 0-14 years (%) 43 Rural population %* (2005) 83 Total Fertility Rate* (2005) 5.8 HIV rate % in adults (15-49)* (2005) 14.1 Poverty (% of pop on less than $2 a day)* (2004) 63 Type of economy (2006) Low income GDP per Capita (2004) USD 149 Poverty (% of pop on less than $2 a day)* (2004) 63 GDP growth rate (%)* (2005) 2.6 Total Debt service as % of GNI* (2005) 4.7 HDI (2004) 0.4 HDI rank out of 177 countries 166 EDUCATION INDICATORS Duration of compulsory school 8 years Percentage of repeaters 21 Survival rate to Grade 5 (%) (2005) 44 Gross intake rate to last grade of primary (%) 55 Public expenditure on education: as % of GDP (2003) 5.8 as % of total government expenditure (1999) 24.6 Distribution of public expenditure primary (2003) 63 EFA Development Index (EDI) (2004) 0.719 EDI rank out of 125 countries (2004) 107 *World Bank World Development Indicators Source: http://www.ibe.unesco.org/countries/WDE/2006/index.html
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3.2 Challenges of providing quality free primary education in Malawi
Free Primary Education (FPE) was introduced in Malawi in 1994 as a result of the
commitment made by the country at the World Conference on Education for All in
Jomtien, Thailand (March 1990)22 in signing the World Declaration on Education for All.
The central objectives were identified as follows23:
- Increasing access to primary education
- Eliminating inequalities in enrolment
- Building a strong socio-economic base within society and enhancing civic
education on the social and economic benefits of education at the community level.
Since the introduction of FPE, numerous policy, budgetary and multilevel commitments
have contributed to significant progress in education. However there are still immense
challenges in attempting to provide universal free basic schooling. In the 2007 Malawi
Education Sector Performance Report (LEG, 2007)24, Link for Education Governance
(LEG) highlights the successes and failures of the Ministry of Education’s policies based
on the EMIS 2006-2007 reports and on statistical data published by the MOEST
Monitoring and Evaluation Section25. Among the successes achieved in basic education it
recognizes the construction of 1,000 new classrooms, the roll out of new curriculum to
5,500 schools (p 10) and school feeding programs. Since 1994 enrolment figures have
risen from 1.9 million to 3.2 million, an increase of 68%. However, this rapid increase has
led to significant pressure upon class sizes and there are an extra 8,000 teachers required
to meet the desired Ministry of Education pupil/teacher ratio of 1:6026. Of the current total
of 45,075 primary school teachers only 23,429 have qualifications from official teacher
training colleges, leaving approximately 21,000 (42% of the total number of teachers)
unqualified and poorly trained. Furthermore, the distribution of untrained teachers is of
significant disadvantage to rural schools, with often only a minority of teachers in these
schools being fully qualified (Kunje and Stuart 1996)27. Malawi has five teacher-training
colleges and these educate approximately 2500 teachers per annum. However, government 22 http://www.unesco.org/education/efa/ed_for_all/background/world_conference_jomtien.shtml 23 Goals stated in MOE paper at Mid-decade Review of Education for All, 1996 in MOESC, 1998, p11 24 Link for Education Governance (LEG). (2007). 2007 Education Sector Performance Analysis. Lilongwe, Malawi (p 10, 12) 25 MOEST (2007). Malawi Education Statistics for 2006 & 2007, Lilongwe, Malawi 26 http://www.malawi.gov.mw/Education/Home%20%20Education.htm 27 Kunje and Stuart (1996) An Evaluation Programme in Malawi, University of Malawi, Centre for Educational research and Training
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statistics suggest a concerning teacher attrition rate of 6%, which is being worsened by the
impact of HIV/AIDS28.
There are over 5,500 primary schools in Malawi and this number is increasing rapidly in
order to keep pace with the rising national enrolment rates. There are an average of 620
pupils per school but this figure hides much variety between schools with many in urban
or peri-urban environments having in excess of 1,000 pupils in contrast to many rural
schools which are much smaller and operate with little resources or infrastructure.
Provision of infrastructure and teaching materials are widespread and significant
challenges, as is ensuring access to electricity, currently only available to 3% of primary
schools across the country. In addition, the UNESCO Institute for Statistics indicate that
despite a 2006 Primary Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of 117% (NER 88%) for boys and
119% (NER 94%) for girls, the drop out rates are worryingly high with a survival rate to
Std 5 of only 44%29. Despite the magnitude of these challenges, Malawi has demonstrated
considerable commitment towards the achievement of MDG 2 & 3 and the EFA initiative.
A breakdown of specific progress that has been made can be observed in Charts 3 & 4.
28 http://www.malawi.gov.mw/Education/Home%20BED.htm 29UNESCO Institute for Statistics, country data 2008. www.uis.unesco.org
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CHART 3. Malawi - Millennium Development Goals Indicators, MDG 2 1991 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2.1 Net enrolment ratio in primary education
Total net enrolment ratio in primary education, both sexes 48.6* 98.7 96.1 95.2
Total net enrolment ratio in primary education, boys 50.5* 100 93.8 93
Total net enrolment ratio in primary education, girls 46.8* 97.5 98.4 97.4 2.2 Proportion of pupils starting grade 1 who reach last grade of primary Percentage of pupils starting grade 1 who reach last grade of primary, both sexes 53.3 36.6 39.5 32.8 33.6 Percentage of pupils starting grade 1 who reach last grade of primary, boys 59.1 39 34.6 35.2 Percentage of pupils starting grade 1 who reach last grade of primary, girls 47.3 34.1 30.9 32.1
Primary completion rate, both sexes 28.5 68.8 67.2 67.3 69.3 58.5 57.4
Primary completion rate, boys 35.5 73.4 71.1 69.1 72.3 59.8 58.2
Primary completion rate, girls 21.3 64.2 63.3 65.5 66.3 57.2 56.7
2.3 Literacy rate of 15-24 year-olds, women and men **
Literacy rates of 15-24 years old, both sexes, percentage 76
Literacy rates of 15-24 years old, men, percentage 82.1
Literacy rates of 15-24 years old, women, percentage 70.7
Women to men parity index, as ratio of literacy rates, 15-24 years old 0.86 *Estimated ** Data from Census Important note: Some of the MDG data presented in this website have been adjusted by the responsible specialized agencies to ensure international comparability, in compliance with their shared mandate to assess progress towards the MDGs at the regional and global levels. Source: http://mdgs.un.org/unsd/mdg/ - last update July 2007
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CHART 4. Malawi - Millennium Development Goals Indicators, MDG 3 1990 1991 1995 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 3.1 Ratio of girls to boys in primary, secondary and tertiary education Gender Parity Index in primary level enrolment 0.84 0.95 0.96 0.96 0.97 1.02 1.02 Gender Parity Index in secondary level enrolment 0.46* 0.7 0.74 0.77 0.77* 0.81 0.81 Gender Parity Index in tertiary level enrolment 0.34 0.38 0.41 0.54 3.2 Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector 10.5 10.4 11.3 3.3 Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament Seats held by women in national parliament, percentage 9.8 5.6 5.6 5.6 8.3 9.3 9.3 9.3 9.3 14 13.6 13.6 Total number of seats in national parliament 112 177 177 177 193 193 193 193 193 193 191 191 Seats held by men in national parliament 101 167 167 167 177 175 175 175 175 166 191 165 Seats held by women in national parliament 11 10 10 10 16 18 18 18 18 27 26 26
* Estimated Important note: Some of the MDG data presented in this website have been adjusted by the responsible specialized agencies to ensure international comparability, in compliance with their shared mandate to assess progress towards the MDGs at the regional and global levels. Source: http://mdgs.un.org/unsd/mdg/ - last update July 2007
22
In recognition of the fact that increase in enrolment rates alone is not sufficient in judging
the efficacy of an education system, the Malawi government issued a policy on increased
community involvement in education aiming to improve quality and maintain attendance
following the introduction of FPE. All schools were classified as community schools,
effectively creating a partnership between the community and the government (MOEST,
2000)30. School committees and PTAs (Parents-Teachers Associations) were seen to play
a great role in ensuring the smooth running of the school and increasing community
ownership and participation. Despite these attempts, as previously noted, repetition, drop-
out rates and low achievement remain a major problem. This is compounded by increasing
number of orphans and vulnerable children. The FPE policy attracted donor support for
infrastructure, teaching and learning materials and the training of teachers. These
initiatives could have contributed to improving the quality of primary education. However,
despite the impressive achievements and increased budget allocation to primary education,
the government was and remains concerned with the quality of education because of the
acute scarcity of human and material resources. The Ministry of Education EMIS statistics
(2000)31 revealed that 40% of primary learners enrolled in Std 1 dropped out before Std 5
without attaining basic literacy and numeracy skills, and less than 30% of those enrolled in
Std 1 reached Std 8. An additional clear sign of failure in the area of equity and quality is
the declining performance in national examinations with a failure rate of over 40% (LEG
Op cit. p 20). This in turn draws attention to policy challenges relating to potential teacher
incentives and the place of continuous assessment.
3.3 Malawi education strategy
The Long Term Development Perspective for Malawi Vision 202032, the Policy
Investment Framework (PIF)33, the Growth Strategy Paper (GSP) within the Poverty
Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP)34 and the most recent National Education Sector Plan
(NESP)35 all indicate that there are clear links between quality education and poverty
reduction and that the quality of formal education is enhanced through regular reviews of 30 MOEST (2000). Education Sector Policy and Investment Framework (PIF) – June 2000. 31 MOEST (2000). EMIS Statistics 32 National Economic Council (2003).Vision 2020, The National long term development Perspective for Malawi, Lilongwe, Malawi 33 MOEST (2001). Education Sector Policy and Investment Framework (PIF) 34 Ministry of Economic Planning and Development (2006). Malawi Growth and Development Strategy, Lilongwe, Malawi. 35 MOEST (2008) National Education Sector Plan 2008 – 2017 (NESP). Lilongwe, Malawi
23
the curriculum. The process of maintaining a relevant, quality curriculum should be an
ongoing process with rigorous monitoring and evaluation and regular internal and external
reviews. The last major primary curriculum review in Malawi took place in 1991. In 1999
it was noted that a reform, rather than a review of the curriculum was needed, due to the
significant social, political and economic development that had taken place since 1994
(MOEST 2008)36. The relevance of topics such as democracy, human rights, gender,
HIV/AIDS and others was increasingly recognised and were thus systematically
incorporated into the primary school curriculum.
Following the recommendations (Sept 1999) to reform the primary school curriculum, the
Ministry of Education and the Malawi Institute of Education (MIE) began to work
collaboratively in 2001 in order to begin the reform process in line with the guidelines
from the PIF with the following mission:
‘MOEST shall, through the MIE, be responsible for the development, implementation and
monitoring of a basic national primary curriculum that addresses both the academic and
non-academic needs of pupils including strategies for preventing and coping with
HIV/AIDS.
The emphasis shall be on developing the knowledge base, skills and values of school goers
so that they can more effectively participate in the social, economic and political
development of the country.
At all levels of the system, the teaching of basic literacy and numeracy skills as well as
critical thinking and analytical skills will be incorporated in the curriculum which will
also be more gender sensitive’. (PIF)37
This data stresses the importance for government to address policy, capacity and
efficiency issues to enhance equity and quality of education. Recognition of policies’
shortcomings and multi-stakeholders attempts to design policy solutions and their
implementation converge in the 10-year 2008-2017 Education Sector Plan (NESP, 2008 p
1)38, with focus on the following 3 objectives:
i. Expanding equitable access to education to enable all to benefit
36 MOEST (2008) Primary Curriculum and Assessment Reform (PCAR). Implementation Plan 2007-2010, Lilongwe, Malawi, p 6 37 PIF (2001) Op cit. 1.5.6 p 6; 3.4.1 p 12; 4.1.4 p 17 38 NESP (2008) Op Cit. p 1
24
ii. Improving quality and relevance, to reduce dropout and repetition and promote
effective learning
iii. Improving governance and management of the system to enable more effective and
efficient delivery of services.
NESP is the most recent policy document that spells out jointly with the Malawi Growth
Development Strategy39 that the vision for the education sector is that it should be a
catalyst for socio-economic development, industrial growth an instrument for empowering
the poor, the weak and the voiceless (MDGs 2006 p 50, NESP p 1). Although references
to the use of technology such as computers and internet connectivity to support quality of
education are mostly found in higher education (p 22, 23) and technical and vocational
training (p 20), technology could be usefully applied to support strategic responses to the
calling for EFA and to the Fast Track initiative as indicated in the NESP (p 4) for
improvements in Early Childhood Development, non-formal-education (such as out-of-
school youth and adult literacy) and formal basic education. Portable technology could
also be relevant in supporting the following priorities identified in NESP: Open and
Distance Learning (ODL) for learners in formal education at all levels or out of school,
supply of basic education to illiterate adults and Distance Education Teacher Trainees and
Teacher Development Programs (p 17).
In accordance with the Primary Education Curriculum and Assessment Framework
(PCAR)40, the focus of any intervention should be on the outcome based achievement of
each learner. This means that the process of learning is integral to the final outcomes, i.e.
what learners are expected to achieve in terms of knowledge, skills, values and attitudes.
This is vital as the value of achievements made at school are only fully realised when
transferred into life beyond school as part of a life long process that enhances family,
work and constructive position within society.
39 MDGS (2006) Op Cit p 50 40 MOEST (2002) Primary Curriculum and Assessment Reform (PCAR). Literature Review of Primary Education in Malawi, Lilongwe, Malawi
25
4. THE INTERACTIVE LEARING PILOT PROGRAMME
4.1 Project Rationale and Background
This report has so far briefly demonstrated the theoretical potential for technological
solutions in enhancing the learning experience and alongside this has reviewed the current
significant challenges facing education in Malawi. These two issues now come together
through focusing on a specific two-stage pilot project conducted by the MoEST and its
partners which tested a variety of technology-related education solutions as teaching and
learning aids within the context of primary schools in Malawi. The overall objective of the
project was to address the potential for technology supported education in Malawi. The
primary avenue for this was a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation exercise which
explored the impact of the project at different levels and within various spheres and
considered the impact on empowerment and the potential for scalability and sustainability.
As is demonstrated in the extracts below, the Interactive Learning pilot programme both
contributes to Malawi’s long term development plan and also has the full support of senior
public figures.
Malawi Vision 2020 statement41
By the year 2020, Malawi as a God-fearing nation will be secure, democratically mature,
environmentally sustainable, self reliant with equal opportunities for and active
participation by all, having social services, vibrant cultural and religious values and
being a technologically driven middle-income economy. (Chapter 8)
The Long-term development perspective for Malawi states that
Malawians aspire to have a science and technology-driven economy… introducing and
promoting computer studies…strengthening the teaching of technical
subjects…formalising science curriculum in primary schools…. (Chapter 8.1)
A developing country such as Malawi needs information technology to achieve
development in all spheres of human endeavour. (Chapter 8.2,6.1)
…introducing computers at early stages of education (Chapter 8.2.6.2)
41 The Government of Malawi (2003). Malawi Vision 2020 statement, chapter 8 & 8.1
26
Technology is important in education because we are in a global village – the
children will not be able to catch up in life if they do not know how to use computers. It is
important that children should be educated and nowadays you cannot talk of being
educated without use of the computer – without it you will never be able to communicate
with anyone.
Hon Olive Masanza MP, Deputy Minister for Education, Science and Technology
These extracts and quotation demonstrate the clear place of technology within the future
and development towards which Malawi aspires. It is recognised that there is potential for
technology to contribute to addressing many challenges to learning including: inadequate
infrastructure, lack of teachers, limited learning resources, lack of material in the local
language, high absenteeism and drop out rates. As is the case across the market, the price
of educational technology is constantly decreasing and this makes such solutions
increasingly scalable and cost efficient. In addition, considerable advancements are being
made in product design making more power efficient machines for which solar power is a
viable option.
As is known, appropriate technology has the potential to empower children, teachers and
the community, bringing confidence, new opportunities, an increased sense of ownership
and belonging, and increasing the perceived value of education. It also allows for the
application of interactive cognitive methodologies, which engage learners at a variety of
levels. Interactive learning is outcome-based and involves learners actively with video and
audio material and user participation. The reward system of scoring points and achieving
awards motivates and encourages learners to repeat the lessons until the desired outcome
has been achieved, thus increasing retention and attainment.
User-friendly authoring tools have made it possible to quickly create and localize lessons
in English and Chichewa, vitally important as educational experts agree on the need for
content in the vernacular language to maximise learning potential. Chichewa is the official
medium of instruction in Malawi from Std 1 to 4. Std 5 to 8 are taught in English. Tailor-
made content in digital format for interactive learning, linking in with the curriculum used
in Malawi actively supports and complements the government’s Primary Curriculum
Assessment Reform (PCAR).
27
Before focussing on the experience of Phase 2 and the monitoring and evaluation exercise
which was conducted, it is important to briefly introduce Phase 1 of the pilot and present a
summary of its findings. The rationale for this is not to enable detailed analysis but
because the positive encouragement derived from this experience led MoEST to explore
further technology solutions and assess their impact and scalability, building a foundation
for Phase 2 of the pilot programme.
4.2 Interactive Learning Pilot Phase 1 – July 2006
An experimental pilot project on Interactive Learning using technology solutions was
carried out by the Ministry of Education and its partners beginning in July 2006. The
project supplemented basic education via portable DVD players and a prototype handheld
video player in ten schools, six in urban/peri-urban and four in rural areas. The majority of
the schools had access to electricity and where the supply was not reliable a foot pump
generator which connected to a battery was provided. In each school the headmaster was
asked to appoint a teacher responsible for the project. Between five and ten DVD players
were installed in each school depending on size, and training given to teachers,
headmasters and technicians. Multiple copies of 20 educational interactive modules in
Chichewa and English were distributed on DVD video format. MOEST identified Std 3
and 4 learners as target group for the initiative because of the correspondence between the
national curriculum and the content of the educational material supplied. The modules
produced were curriculum based and covered a variety of subjects in line with the regular
Std 3 and 4 syllabus. In additional, the roll out of PCAR to these two classes is planned for
2009 and 2010 which means that the interventions will avoid overlap. The project ran for
three months before any research was carried out on the educational outcomes and
equipment survival. MoEST began internal monitoring and evaluation activities in
October 2006 (there was no external independent monitoring and evaluation carried out on
this occasion).
The information supplied below was presented by MoEST officials at the e-Learning
Africa Conference in Nairobi, Kenya in May 200742. Of the 1,565 Std 3 and 1,341 Std 4
42 http://www.elearning-africa.com - Past Conferences
28
learners who had access to the technology solutions, ten were interviewed in each school,
five in Std 3 and five in Std 4. Additionally, 15 learners in each school as well as all Std 3
and 4 teachers were administered a questionnaire. The key questions are outlined below:
- Specific questions on lessons content: for Std 3 a Science lesson on Taking Care of Our
Teeth and for Std 4 a General Studies lesson on the Geography of Malawi
- Perception of the lessons
- Lessons enjoyment in terms of content and delivery
- Access to technology and ease of use
- Score record & rewards for full marks
According to the data presented by the MoEST, 90% of Std 3 learners and 87% of Std 4
learners were able to answer questions on lesson content correctly. All learners enjoyed
using the lessons and they were considered to be as entertaining as TV programmes (only
3.7 % of Malawian households have televisions43). All learners had shared the initiative
and content of the lessons with someone at home or in the community e.g. a parent, friend,
sibling or care-giver. Each one of the students did have the opportunity to access the
technology but their chances to operate the machines were limited due to the large group
sizes.
Learners could follow the structure of the lessons easily because all modules had been
localized in Chichewa and assessed for level and suitability of the content by the MoEST.
The project helped learners to retain knowledge for educational attainment because they
were able to supplement and reinforce what they learnt during normal classes with the
audio-visual material presented through the use of technology. A further positive outcome
was represented by the improvement in school attendance of learners since the
introduction of the project. Learners and teachers showed significant interest and
enthusiasm confirmed by the fact that most lessons using the DVDs were scheduled after
the normal class. The use of technology and interactive learning had helped to improve
leadership skills and cooperation of learners; learners participation generally improved
too, with introverts actively taking part in the interactive lessons.
In addition to these findings, the interviews with teachers revealed the aspirational quality
of technology with students in other classes admiring Std 3 and 4 learners and wishing that 43 National Statistical Office (2005) Malawi Integrated Household Survey, Zomba, Malawi. http://www.nso.malawi.net/
29
they too could be included in the trial. Similarly, other teachers arranged after-school rotas
to ensure student access to the equipment, particularly focussing on English lessons for
senior classes and taking initiative in constructing work schemes from the MoEST
guidelines. From a technical perspective, all equipment, with the exception of one
damaged DVD player and the prototype handheld, was fully functioning at the time of the
three month assessment.
4.3 Interactive Learning Pilot Phase 2 – September 2007 to March 2008
After the encouraging results of Phase 1, MoEST approached its partners in early 2007 to
begin Phase 2 by scaling up the project to cover 50 schools. The primary objective of
Phase 2 was to carry out comprehensive evaluation with a view of exploring potential for
a gradual nationwide roll-out. A significant challenge was to effectively reach schools
without access to electricity, which represent approximately 97% of primary schools in
Malawi. Phase 2 began in September 2007 and was completed in March 2008 with 50
schools selected for participation by MoEST from the North (Karonga District) through to
the southernmost districts of Mulanje and Phalombe. A chart providing full details of all
schools can be found in Annex 3. The first task of Phase 2 was to visit and sensitise each
school, install the technology and conduct training for learners, teachers, school
management and PEAs.
4.4 The portable interactive learning machine
In Phase 2, a custom-made handheld interactive device, or learning machine, was
commissioned and a total of 520 were distributed to the 50 participating schools – ten
learning machines for each school, except for two test schools which received 20
machines for the purposes of targeted monitoring and evaluation.
The handheld devices are similar to mobile phones in many ways: they are of a similar
size, they are able to play video or audio through a loudspeaker or through the headphones
supplied and they have a built in lithium battery which needs recharging (lasting about
four hours if playing video through the loudspeakers or six hours if playing through the
headphones). They are also comparable in regard to durability and generally what would
damage a mobile phone is likely also to damage the learning machine. A schematic
30
representation of the learning machine can be seen in Annex 4. An installation and
troubleshooting guide was compiled and distributed to all schools during the training
session. The learning machines were installed with 25 lessons in Chichewa and 40 in
English and stored on two gigabytes of internal Flash memory. This number of lessons
does not fill the internal memory of the learning machine to capacity. However, were the
full capacity to be reached then the memory can be expanded with virtually no limitation
through a memory card inserted in the slot. This also allows for lessons to be managed,
deleted or added without having to replace the machines. These procedures are
represented in Annex 5.
Each additional gigabyte of memory can store between 40-50 lessons depending on the
length of the lesson. In the future it may be suitable to categorise lessons by class e.g. a
memory card for Std 1, Std 2, Std 3 etc, or by subject, e.g. General Studies for Std 1 to 3,
Agriculture for Std 5 to 8 and so on. There is a wide range of lessons currently pre-
installed on the equipment across a variety of curriculum subjects such as:
- General Studies
- Social Studies
- Science
- Mathematics
- Geography
- Life Skills
- English
A full list of lessons pre-installed on the learning machine can be found in Annex 6.
4.5 Learning methodology
The lessons on the learning machines are designed to be highly user-friendly, as the
content is presented in audio-visual format and is therefore accessible to illiterate or semi-
literate users. This means that the potential usage of such technologies is expanded to out-
of-school contexts for both youths and adults. Instructions spoken by lip-synchronized
cartoon characters explain the functions of the various buttons on the machine and
repetition is always possible. Once a lesson title has been selected the lesson methodology
is fully interactive, learner-centred and outcome-based. Learners listen to brief teaching
31
points and are immediately tested on their understanding of the information supplied. This
is done through posing multiple-choice questions that learners need to answer using the
buttons on the machine. If the correct answer is selected learners are able to progress to
the next teaching unit of the lesson through the same combined approach of watching,
listening and interacting until they reach the end of the lesson. Should the incorrect answer
be selected, learners are offered the same teaching point again until they are able to locate
the correct answer. Identical lessons can be practiced in Chichewa and in English to
support the often difficult transition away from the vernacular language in Std 5. At the
end of the lesson learners are given opportunity to test what they have learnt through
undertaking a quiz. The objective is to score full marks (ten out of ten correct answers)
and if that target is met learners are rewarded with a gold star and fireworks appearing on
screen. This simple reward mechanism actively supports knowledge retention and
attainment as a small yet powerful incentive for learners to attempt the lessons repeatedly
until they have achieved full marks. As may be anticipated, this method is particularly
useful for targeted revision sessions prior to tests or examinations. The functionality of the
learning machine is illustrated in Annex 7. Additional materials such as posters and
sticking stars have been supplied as aids to reinforce what is learnt and to offer teachers
complementary ways of introducing and assessing lessons with the entire class prior to or
following small group work. The supplied headphones provide opportunity for learners to
work individually or in pairs on the machine. This may be particularly beneficial when
teachers want to address particular weaknesses in certain students and need to focus on a
specific content to do this.
The overall recommended approach to usage of the learning machines is in small groups
of between four and five students as this constitutes a conducive learning environment
with the technology. The screen of the learning machine is relatively small and the volume
relatively quiet, this is an intentional aspect of the design as it encourages learners to listen
and remain attentive. When the learning machines are used by groups of four or five
children they can encourage team work, group participation, learner centred approaches,
leadership skills and involvement of shy or slow learners or those with special educational
needs.
32
4.6 The solar charging solution
In recognition of the lack of electricity, each school was equipped with a solar charging
system to in order to recharge the learning machines. Annex 8 shows the schematic
installation of the solar solution. The solar solution consists of a small 20-Watt solar panel
connected to a deep-cycle sealed battery able to generate enough energy to power 20
learning machines (double the number installed in each school in Phase 2, leaving
potential for expansion). The solar panel was installed on the roof of a secure lockable
building, typically the office of the headmaster, the library or the Teacher Development
Centre (TDC) when available. The battery and the charging unit were installed and safely
stored within the same building and teachers were given training on appropriate usage.
Teachers were encouraged to collect all devices and recharge them in the afternoon before
going home, and to leave them charging overnight once every two or three days (assuming
usage of between one and two hours each day) in order to collect them in the morning
fully charged and ready to be used. The system generates sufficient energy to also power a
12 volt computer for a short period of time (for a maximum of between two and three
hours per week). Nearly half of the schools in Phase 2 received a solar powered computer
(for details refer to Annex 3), featuring the same content as the learning machines plus
additional educational software. A schematic of the computer installation can be seen in
Annex 9.
33
5. MONITORING AND IMPACT EVALUATION
5.1 Introduction and approach
The Ministry of Education sought to engage stakeholders at all levels of implementation
of the project in particular with regard to monitoring and impact evaluation. The objective
of the project is to support children in the learning experience and outcomes, and to
support teachers in their vital job of providing education. Consequently, teachers, learners
and all stakeholders were encouraged to take ownership of the project, suggest ways and
strategies to use the equipment and have an active role in the monitoring and evaluation
phases. This section begins by outlining the background to the evaluation of the project
and stating its aim and objectives. Following this is an explanation of the approach
adopted and a summary of each method utilised. The focus then turns to the detailed
findings of the evaluation which are organised into eight themes of analysis. The report
closes with conclusions and recommendations for the future.
The evaluation of Phase 2 of the Malawi Interactive Learning Programme was undertaken
by a team comprising Ministry of Education officials, partner’s staff and a University
researcher. This formed an effective partnership that combined local expertise, product
knowledge and an independent perspective. The study was initiated at the request of the
Ministry of Education and began in September 2007 with an initial baseline and feasibility
study, followed by a mid-stage evaluation in November 2007 and a final summative
evaluation of Phase 2 conducted in March 2008.
The aim of Phase 2 was:
To conduct a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation exercise of the Interactive
Learning Programme
The five key objectives of the monitoring and evaluation exercise were to:
� Assess the impact of the programme on primary education
� Assess the feasibility of the programme in each school
� Identify any programme weaknesses for future refinement
� Develop both teacher and organisational capacity
� Provide feedback to partners regarding suitability of scale-up and sustainability
34
A common theme from many ICT-enhanced education programmes is the marginalised
place of monitoring and evaluation. The project team were determined to avoid this and
demonstrate an alternative approach in which a rigorous structure of monitoring and
evaluation was built in throughout the programme. The purpose was both to provide
substantial evidence for a final assessment of the programme and provide opportunity for
capacity building and refinement throughout the implementation cycle. In light of this, all
partners agreed that the monitoring and evaluation should be conducted in a participatory
manner that engaged with multiple stakeholders and utilised a multiplicity of both
qualitative and quantitative methods.
5.2 Methodology
The Ministry of Education decided to focus on five test schools considered to provide a
suitably representative sample of the 50 participating. The five schools were (for details
refer to Appendix 4):
� Chin’gombe
� Mwatibu
� Mthentera
� Mbinzi
� Dzenza
One day was spent in each of these schools at each of the three stages of the monitoring
and evaluation exercise, totalling 15 days spent in the test schools. In addition to these five
schools, the evaluation team also engaged with teachers and students from numerous other
schools in which the project was being implemented. Their opinions and experiences
made a vital contribution and were also incorporated into the findings. The primary
methods employed in reaching the objectives of the evaluation are listed below with a
brief accompanying explanation. Unless it is stated otherwise, each of the activities was
conducted at each of the five test schools and at every stage of the evaluation exercise.
35
Individual Interviews
Numerous interviews were conducted with a variety of stakeholders involved with the
programme in different capacities. Those interviewed included MoEST officials and head-
teachers in each test school. The interviews provided opportunity to obtain expert input
regarding the programme feasibility, impact and future direction.
Group interviews with students
The group interviews provided opportunity to hear from the children and understand their
view of the programme and what difference it had made to their lives. The children were
asked questions about what they enjoyed the most, what they did not like, and what
improvements they would like to see made to the programme. The interviews were
undertaken in an informal manner, facilitated by a teacher and conducted in Chichewa.
The average group size for the interviews was ten children. The children were selected at
random from Std 3 and 4 and there was an equal gender representation. A sample group
interview format for Visit 1 and for Visit 2 & 3 can be viewed in Annex 10.
Focus Groups with teachers
The focus groups provided an opportunity to gain detailed feedback from the teachers
regarding their view of the programme and what difference it had made to their lives.
Teachers were asked to give their opinion regarding the impact of the programme on their
school, explain some of the positive and negative changes and offer improvements for the
future. Each focus group consisted of an average of eight teachers and the majority were
from Std 3 and 4, including trainee teachers and section heads. A sample focus group
format can be viewed in Annex11.
Evaluation Questionnaires
An evaluation questionnaire was distributed to each of the 50 participating schools in
order to gain a broader understanding of the impact of the programme. The questionnaires
provided opportunity to gain feedback on a number of key issues relating to patterns of
usage and challenges encountered in implementation. The five test schools also each
completed three questionnaires that were used as basis for discussion within the focus
groups. A sample questionnaire can be viewed in Annex 12.
36
Equipment Feedback
A set of feedback forms were distributed to each test school at the first stage of the
monitoring and evaluation exercise in order to monitor their patterns of usage and
document any technical problems encountered with the gadgets. These forms were
collected at the third stage and the contents discussed with the head teacher of each
school. The form distributed can be viewed in Annex 13.
Lesson Observations
The research team observed a total of 15 lessons in which the gadgets were being used
across the three visits from September 2007 to March 2008. Teachers were asked to
conduct the lesson as they normally would, without altering the arrangements. Observing
usage of the technology in the natural environment provided opportunities at all stages to
discuss successes and suggest ways to work around challenges. During the second and
third visit it was possible to track improvements and identify patterns. Also comparing
different strategies in different schools offered interesting points for reflection and
inspiration.
‘The Interactive Learning Octagon’
The learning octagon was a research tool developed specifically for this programme in
order to facilitate and stimulate discussion between teachers in the context of the focus
groups. It helped them visually to assess the strengths and weaknesses of eight different
dimensions to the programme and also encouraged group discussion and consensus
building. An image of the Octagon poster as used for discussion with the teachers can be
viewed in Annex 14.
The aim of the approach was to provide a visual platform for a focus group discussion
with teachers who have been using the learning machines in their lessons. Using a
combination of the Octagon tool (Sida 2002)44 and Most Significant Change (MSC)
approach (Sigsgaard 200245, Dart & Davies forthcoming46), it allows a pictorial
representation of the effects of the devices and their impact on all aspects of education.
44 Sida (2002). The Octagon. A tool for the assessment of strengths and weaknesses in NGOs 45 Sigsgaard, P (2002) Monitoring without indicators: an ongoing testing of the MSC approach. Evaluation Journal of Australasia, New series, Vol. 2, No. 1, August 2002. 46 Dart, J. J. & Davies R.J. (forthcoming) A dialogical story-based evaluation tool: the most significant change technique, American Journal of Evaluation.
37
The MSC approach was chosen as a way of collecting information through dynamic
values inquiry, especially concerning unexpected outcomes, which often takes the form of
story-telling.
In practice, a group of between six and eight teachers were asked to decide upon an agreed
score for each of eight categories of potential change. Scores will be between -3 and +3,
with -3 signifying a strongly negative change, 0 no change, and +3 a strongly positive
change. There was no strict questionnaire-style responses for each score, instead the
participants together (with the assistance of the facilitator) came to consensus regarding
what an appropriate score would be, using a mixture of quantitative data and qualitative
(often story-telling based) considerations. In order to demonstrate, the eight questions and
potential responses for two sample change categories are included below in detail with
each of the questions.
1. Student Attendance/Absenteeism
What effect has the introduction of the gadgets had on the
attendance/absenteeism of the students?
Score Meaning of score
-3 The attendance has dropped very significantly
-2 The attendance has dropped significantly
-1 The attendance has dropped slightly
0 There has been no change in attendance
1 The attendance has increased slightly
2 The attendance has increased significantly
3 The attendance has increased very significantly
2. Student Enthusiasm/Motivation
What effect has the introduction of the gadgets had on the enthusiasm/motivation
of the students?
3. Student Attainment – Curriculum
What effect has the introduction of the gadgets had on the curriculum-based
understanding and attainment of the students?
4. Student Attainment – Life Skills
38
What effect has the introduction of the gadgets had on the life-skills-based
understanding and attainment of the students?
5. Teacher Workload
What effect has the introduction of the gadgets has on the work load of the
teachers?
6. Teacher Enjoyment/Enthusiasm
What effect has the introduction of the gadgets had on the enthusiasm and
enjoyment of the teachers?
7. Technological Effectiveness - Gadgets
How effective have the gadgets been?
Score Meaning of score
-3 They have been completely ineffective – we cannot use the
gadgets at all
-2 They have been almost completely ineffective – we can only use
very few of the gadgets
-1 They have been relatively ineffective – we can use some of the
gadgets but a good number are not working
0 An equal number are broken and still working
1 They have been relatively effective – we can still use most of the
gadgets but some are not working
2 They have been almost completely effective – we can still use
almost all of the gadgets
3 They have been completely effective – we can still use all of the
gadgets
8. Technological Effectiveness – Solar Panels
How effective have the solar panels been?
Each of the eight potential change categories constituted a line of an octagon, extending
from a central point and with the numbers -3 to 3 positioned equidistantly along the line,
with -3 at the centre and 3 at the edge. The responses were marked by circling a number
on each line and then each circled number was connected to the one on the adjacent line.
39
Thus an irregular octagon was formed which demonstrated the areas of most pronounced
change, both positive and negative, as a result of the initiative.
The primary objectives of this method was to create an environment in which the
participants could reflect and dialogue together regarding the impacts of the technology
solution and initiative as a whole. The process of coming to consensus regarding an
appropriate score also highlighted the different experiences of the teachers within the
group. Providing a pictorial representation of the thoughts of the participants was also
found to facilitate a more responsive and interactive atmosphere for considering the
subsequent ‘why-based’ questions of the focus group. This process catalyses a more
detailed approach to the questions than would otherwise have been possible. For example,
if the teachers decided upon a score of 2 regarding the effect on their workload, the
facilitator would ask them to explain further why they chose this number and why it had
been the case and would make a record of their reasons.
Teacher diaries
One teacher from each school was selected to complete a diary documenting their
experiences of using the Interactive Learning Programme in their lessons. The diaries
were semi-structured and designed to monitor the programme and provide a continuous
record of particular strengths, weaknesses and challenges encountered. The guiding text
included with each diary can be viewed in Annex 15. Here too, the MSC approach was
relevant to the value analysis.
Baseline
A baseline test was conducted at the first stage of the exercise and then completed at the
final stage. The objective of the test was to provide a quantitative assessment of the impact
of the programme on the attainment of the children regarding both curriculum and life-
skills. In each test school there were 12 children randomly selected from Std 3 and 4,
providing a total of 60 children – 30 boys and 30 girls. Five additional schools were
selected to act as a control group with an additional 60 children tested. A copy of both
tests can be viewed in Annex 16.
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5.3 Findings and Challenges There were eight specific categories of impact which were assessed in the monitoring and
evaluation exercise:
- Student attendance
- Student attainment in Curriculum subjects
- Student attainment in Life Skills subjects
- Student enthusiasm
- Teacher enthusiasm
- Teacher workload
- Effectiveness of gadgets
- Effectiveness of solar panel.
The findings are based on the monitoring and evaluation methodological techniques
described in the previous paragraphs and consider each of the categories in turn. Wherever
applicable, each category is introduced by testimonials, followed by key findings and
challenges. Some overlapping is inevitable as the categories and their effects are often
closely interrelated. A summarized overview of the findings in the test schools can be
viewed in Chart 5. A full list of testimonials and transcripts of the interviews are available
on request.
Student attendance
They [PARENTS] said to me that you have to work hard and make sure you do not run away from lessons when you are using the computer. I used to run away from class but now I have changed my behaviour due to the introduction of the computer and gadgets. I have changed because I am attracted to the computer and the gadgets and if I miss the chance to use it, it will never come again. Before the gadgets more pupils were absenting themselves from classes but now we encourage our fellow pupils to come to school and tell them, today if you absent yourself, you will miss using the gadgets. I used to absent myself 50% of the time before the gadgets came because I was lazy and also was assisting parents with domestic chores – but now they have let me stop assisting in the chores and now I come to school everyday.
Std 4 learner
One of the most powerful effects recorded across all schools with no exceptions is
represented by the increase in school attendance. All teachers reported a significant
difference in class sizes and an almost full daily register in Std 3 and 4. As demonstrated
in the quotation above, the motivation of the children to attend school is boosted by the
41
introduction of new technologies and this is perceived as valuable by both parents and the
community, who actively encouraged children not to absent themselves. This is a
significant achievement, as the system suffers from very high drop-out rates and
absenteeism. For any educational intervention to succeed it is vital that learners are
attending school on a regular basis and the motivating influence of appropriate technology
is undoubtedly a key contributing factor in achieving this desired end.
Although the positive effect on attendance is confirmed by unanimous comments from the
teachers, there are methodological challenges such as the fact that few schools maintain
daily records of attendance for longer than a term. This makes it very difficult to track
exact attendance patterns over a longer period of time. Some teachers informed the
learners in advance regarding when they would be using the gadgets, possibly influencing
their decision to attend school on that specific day, while other teachers came to the
conclusion that by not letting learners know in advance, their motivation to use the
technology is such that they will consistently attend school for fear of missing out on the
opportunity.
It is encouraging to note that six months after implementation the novelty of the
intervention has not worn out and the impact on improved attendance is sustained. It will
be essential to continue monitoring this pattern over longer periods of time. This also
stresses the importance of continuing to develop new quality content that will retain
learners’ motivation to come to school.
Student attainment in Curriculum subjects
Counting – now I know how to add and subtract – I could see the pictures and I was able to subtract. This makes a foundation for me to be able to work in a bank – this is what I want to do in the future
Std 5 learner
We had the mid-term tests last week for Std 4 and 5 – more pupils did well than before – when I asked them why they said it was because of the gadgets – ‘we just remember what we have learnt on them’ The % increase in attainment has gone up by about 30% on average from what they normally achieve.
Std 4 teacher The use of audio and video, as well as the continuous assessment through the interactivity
present on the portable devices, appear to increase retention and positively affect
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attainment. The interactive outcome-based methodology offers a useful way of revising
before tests and the reward system of scoring points and achieving awards offers learners
a significant incentive to repeat the lessons until reaching full marks. Student attainment
on curriculum subjects is very hard to measure, especially given the short period of time
since the beginning of the intervention. Despite the positive feedback received throughout,
attempting to assess quantitative improvements posed serious challenges. However, the
baseline test demonstrated that certain questions had considerably more correct answers
after using the gadgets. These included:
� An 18% increase in correct answers regarding the question ‘What does your heart
do?’
It is the part of the body that thinks
It is the part of the body that pumps blood
� A 10% increase in correct answers regarding the question ‘Which is biggest – the
sun or the earth?’
� A 10% increase in correct answers regarding the question ‘How many people live
in Malawi – 12 thousand or 12 million?’
� An 8.5% increase in correct answers regarding complex mathematics.
However, due to the low number of gadgets and the usage of only 15% of available
lessons, the overall improvement in test school curriculum attainment was limited to 1.5%.
Because of the low number of learning machines supplied any randomly selected sample
of students would include learners who did not have access to specific lessons on the
technology. High highlights a further challenge reported in every school: the insufficient
number of handhelds compared to the number of learners. Most of the schools visited had
between 100 and 200 learners enrolled in each grade, so the ratio of one machine to four-
five learners is a long way from being realised.
Student attainment in Life Skills subjects
[my favourite lesson was…] Preventing malaria – because it affects many children in the village. I learnt that we must sleep under treated bed nets and must not play with stagnant water. I did not know this before the gadgets.
Std 4 learner
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There will be an improvement in certain areas as part of the education, such as life skills. Because for some it is difficult in our culture for the mother or father to explain HIV/AIDS to young children. In our culture I cannot say the world ‘sex’ to my young children – because of our culture. In the past regime (education structure) they say you should not talk about these things – we are fighting against our culture. Sometimes when we teach about life skills we have to tell the children not to tell their parents what they are learning or we, as teachers, might get into trouble. But things are changing now – we are gradually changing.
Std 4 teacher
Many similar testimonials were collected during the monitoring and evaluation activities.
The learners who were interviewed were able to recall accurate information on the Life
Skills lesson they had used and expressed genuine gladness to have learnt skills useful to
their daily lives. Children were also able to talk about culturally sensitive subjects such as
HIV/AIDS and explain what they had learnt. There was a sense of pride in being able to
share new useful information with friends and family. Some learners explained how they
had put into practice what they had learnt in the lessons, indicating that a behavioural
change had taken place. Teachers stressed the value of Life Skills lessons in a cultural
context in which it is not always easy to talk about issues considered taboo.
Much like with curriculum based subjects, an improvement in Life Skills subjects is hard
to quantify and this also applies for traditional learning methods. Indeed, teachers reported
a frustration at their inability to assess results as this would require a behavioural analysis
which appears to be very hard to implement in the average school context. However,
certain baseline questions demonstrated an increase in understanding in the test schools
and once again this impact was concentrated on the content for the lessons which the
teachers had chosen to use most often. These included:
� A 10% increase in correct answers regarding the question ‘Is it possible to see
germs on your hands?’
� A 12% increase in correct answers regarding the question ‘Can clear water contain
harmful germs?’
� A 10% increase in correct answers regarding the question ‘Can using glue and
drugs kill you?’
For similar reasons to those outlined above, the overall impact on test schools life skills
attainment was limited to an improvement of 3%.
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Student enthusiasm
They are able to explain things now – and the gadgets really help them with listening skills – if they do not listen then they miss what has been said and they cannot answer the question – and it makes them be fully attentive. What they learn from the gadgets they also tell their parents and so they will benefit as well – it can help with the resolution of community conflict.
Std 4 teacher
I enjoy school more now – before there were lots of absentees but now they want to learn. Before I absented myself. I used to absent myself and stay at home but now I cannot because I want to learn. We used to do household work but our parents are now happy we are coming to school. Std 3 learner
I prefer it now – learning a wide variety of topics – I have learnt life skills more.
Std 4 learner
Large numbers of children in the group interviews reported that they were very
enthusiastic about coming to school now that they were using the learning machines. They
also reported having shared the experience with family and community members who
actively encouraged them not to miss out on this opportunity. The fact that the handheld
devices are perceived as a mixture between mobile phones, games devices and video
players makes them very attractive to children, who familiarize with the machines
extremely quickly and enjoy the process of answering questions correctly and being
rewarded for it. Learners appear to enjoy the group work dynamics and were observed
exchanging opinions and discussing possible answers before taking turns in pressing the
button on the gadget.
Teacher enthusiasm
We love it – before the gadgets it was just talk and write for some subjects – but now the kids can see the pictures. Some of the children can be sitting doing one thing while others are doing the gadgets.
Std 4 teacher
…because if the learners are enthusiastic then it makes us enthusiastic. If the gadgets help the students to learn then the teacher have to be happy that the students are doing well.
Std 3 teacher
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The majority of the teachers were enthusiastic about the introduction of the programme
into their school and several commented that they felt honoured to have been selected as a
school for the pilot. They were very pleased that Ministry officials were visiting their
school and showing an interest in their work. They also reported being keen on learning
about technology, as they could see the positive effects on themselves and the learners.
Teachers enjoyed using the learning machines and learning new concepts from some of
the lessons. One teacher told how he had been approached by teachers from a
neighbouring school in order to teach them how to use the learning machines.
Young trainee teachers seemed to particularly enjoy using technology and engaged with it
without fear and this obviously also affected the manner in which the children approached
it. Unfortunately, trainee teachers are often moved to different schools at the end of the
year, posing the broader question of planning suitable handover of training and skills from
one year to the next. This is vital to ensure that the intervention continues with new
teachers coming into the schools. This issue was observed in all schools and some of them
dealt with it more effectively than others.
The widespread enthusiasm was not felt by all teachers. Some older teachers showed less
interest and were more fearful of using technology and letting children use it in their own
hands. In one of the test schools there were only three teachers using the gadgets after the
six month period because the other teachers had become uninterested in the programme.
These teachers had considered the additional workload to be too much of a burden. This
will be explored further in the next category.
Teacher workload
Gadgets have simplified the work for the teachers – when the child sees something he remembers – when he just hears he forgets. When they see it, it stays in their mind.
Std 4 teacher
There are two things, lesson preparation - for this it might take more effort - and lesson delivery - for this it might take less time. It has made us do more work – we have to guide the students. And there are not enough gadgets – so if we had enough gadgets then it would be ok and then it would not increase our workload.
Std 4 teacher
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The teachers reported very different experiences regarding the impact of the programme
on their workload and it was dependent upon the manner in which the programme was
implemented in each school. The overall feeling was that the introduction of the gadgets
had increased the workload in certain areas and decreased it in others. Since the
intervention was at pilot stage the majority of schools used the gadgets after the school
day had finished so as to not interfere with the daily timetable and so the teachers had to
stay in school for an extra hour every day to facilitate the lessons. Most of them were
happy to be doing this because they recognised it was a pilot project, however some were
reluctant because of pre-existing after-school commitments. They also noted the extra
time they had to put in to preparing the lessons because they had to first learn how to use
the gadgets themselves. In the schools where the teachers had chosen to incorporate the
gadgets into the school day then some of them reported a decrease in workload because
the gadgets helped them with effective facilitation, the management of large classes and
support in preparing teaching and learning materials for the lessons. Others noted that the
gadgets had caused so many extra children to return to school that the class sizes had
expanded a great deal, resulting in lots more work trying to manage the children. A
common comment from teachers was that the workload would decrease if there was a
lower pupil/gadget ratio and if the lessons on the gadgets were incorporated into the
curriculum and fully in line with the syllabus.
Effectiveness of gadgets
Because of the pictures and because it is in the vernacular language. The children really like the interaction.
Std 3 teacher
The children remember more because they see and hear – the pictures mean that they cannot forget.
Std 4 teacher The majority of children observed were able to operate the devices independently, with
some guidance from the teachers when choosing the lesson. Teaching in Chichewa meant
that the machines were approachable as children could fully understand the instructions
given and react accordingly. The lessons in English were used by senior classes and were
perceived as supporting the transition to teaching in English in Std 5, whilst the level of
English was too high to be accessible for Std 3 and 4 learners.
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Leading children seemed to emerge in most learning groups and it was stressed that the
dominant learner should be in charge of making sure that every other child in the group
had the opportunity to answer a question and press a button. Some learners appeared to be
more confident than others but exchange of information and opinions could be seen to be
regularly taking place within the small groups.
The scarcity of learning machines compared to the number of learners, and perhaps the
lack of careful planning on the part of some teachers, meant that some groups were
heavily oversized (between eight and ten learners). This is not conducive to learning as the
screen is too small and the audio too quiet for such big groups. Also the dominant children
were observed bringing the machine to their ear in order to hear the lesson and questions,
while the children further out were unable to hear or see and were easily distracted. In
such instances, suitable training of teachers could be extremely beneficial in effectively
addressing planning issues.
It was anticipated that there would be significant problems with the gadgets as this was a
pilot phase. The durability of the gadgets was relatively good – with 7-8% developing
problems after six months of usage. The majority of these were software issues which are
easily resolvable through formatting the devices. However, this requires suitably trained
teachers or school staff which is a fundamental consideration when scaling up due to cost
and capacity implications. Two of the gadgets had stopped working due to the on/off
switch breaking – this was repaired on the spot and the learning machine was left fully
functioning. One of the main concerns was that teachers often assumed that they had
broken the handhelds when all they needed was to be fully charged.
Effectiveness of solar panel All five test schools reported that the solar panels were operating very effectively and they
all had adequate power to charge the gadgets as often as they needed to. In other project
schools visited for monitoring purposes some minor problems were reported with the solar
panels:
- One battery not charging properly from the solar panel. This was quickly
fixed by tightening a connection which had become loose.
- One battery with fluid leaking from it. This battery was replaced.
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- One school had experienced a slight lack of charge during a two week
period when there had been a lot of cloud cover.
In addition one school was visited where they disconnected the battery from the panel and
removed it for safe keeping during the night and this was preventing the battery from
charging as much as it would have done otherwise. Security had indeed been a concern in
most schools but community participation meant that in many cases burglar bars or locks
were fitted and extra staff was appointed to monitor the premises at night.
Chart 5. Test Schools’ Feedback Matrix on Discussion through Interactive Learning Octagon, Monitoring Visit 2 & Visit 3 SCHOOL 1 Mbinzi – 20 2 Mbinzi 1 Mwatibu 2 Mwatibu 1 Mthentera 2 Mthentera 1 Dzenza 2 Dzenza
1 Chingombe - 20 2 Chingombe
Student Attendance
Great – from 70% to over 90% not only on gadgets days, but in general
Children interested, still great appeal for gadgets
Big improvement
Positive+45 kids. Could be bigger with more gadgets
Big improvement
Big improvement
Absenteeism reduced. 66 out of 79 in std 3 now come Vs 30 before
Std4C from 40 to 63/65. Std4B from 41 to 58/61. Std4A no data
Community pushing kids to school as some good is happening
V good but most teachers are new – hard to estimate
Student Enthusiasm
Kids think gadgets fantastic. Learn by doing, want to stay longer. Used as reward
Children motivated, parents visited school
Great but would prefer not to stay longer (hunger)
Video attractive. Gadgets, computers & gold stars exciting Great
Kids like pictures, images, pressing buttons & portability
V excited. Mix of toy/cell phone. St5 kids want to go back!
Fantastically motivated. Also use computer independently
Great but critical of low number of gadgets
Love it – kinds enjoy seeing+ hearing. Enjoy video with real life situations
Attainment Curriculum
Yes on curriculum matching subjects. Kids don’t forget what they learn
Better results, video helps memorize espec geography
Request lessons matching curriculum
Kids who use lessons score higher in tests. Revision Memory
Small improvement, more significant long term (late in school year)
Better test results. Improves listening, kids more attentive, score better
Ok but not many lessons link with std 3&4 curriculum. Need more
Better exam results but need more syllabus-based lessons
Too few gadgets, but excellent interactive method
Yes because of synergy with curriculum – want more curriculum based lessons
Attainment Life Skills
Higher self esteem, feel valued, behavior change, washing hands
better results life skills exams (AIDS/malaria), no embarrassment
Request lessons matching curriculum
Good to learn early, better communicatio HIV/AIDS Good
Children discuss & practice at home what they learnt.
Children tell each other to wash hands!
Yes. Also interaction skills among kids.
Great as gadgets teach better than teachers, no embarrassment
Yes, espec HIV/AIDS – very hard for teachers to talk about.
Teacher workload
+work to train new kids&long hours, gadget does marking, less talking
More work to train new kids&long hours, less work as less talking
+work cause of staying longer, - when integrated
More pressure –used after class over more classes
+work cause of staying longer, - when integrated=less talking. Useful for revising
-work, mainly supervising. Kids independent. + work, longer hours
Less work espec when a teacher has 2 classes. Kids independent
Not all lessons are in syllabus. Teachers spread on more classes
Good – less talking, kids independent, helps revising
Big discussion. + for new teachers to learn, but gets better with time
Teacher enjoyment
Slow learners catch up, teachers proud! Interesting content
Interesting, new tech attractive, kids work independent
Great appeal of technology, teachers happy
Teachers from other classes & schools have come to learn Good
Great – if learners are enthusiastic, teachers are too
‘Who cannot enjoy this?’ Better communication with kids
Teaching + interesting. St4A teacher lazy, so others take over.
Technology attractive. Lessons useful for teacher knowledge & to teach better Very high
Technical Effectiveness Gadgets
1 gadget software prob, replaced. Need computer training
Gadgets working well, need more computer training
Gadgets working well, need computer training
1 gadget replaced. Not enough gadgets Good
2 gadgets replaced. Most teachers new, need training
2 faulty software, replaced. 1 switch broke, mended
All OK, gadgets + pc. Used 3 times a week, PC by 10 kids.
V easy to use, kids train others but volume low & kids tamper
1 software fault, replaced. Want higher volume & bigger screen
Effectiveness Solar All good
All well but battery removed daily for security All well
Bad weather – battery didn’t charge Good All good All good
All OK. Charge once a week
Great. Classes on pm too, yet all good
All OK, recharged once a week
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5.5. Programme Recommendations
Both the potential of the project and challenges encountered have been outlined in the
previous eight categories. These have highlighted important issues that need to be taken
into account and are briefly summarized below:
Capacity building and training are key priorities in ensuring the sustainability of the
programme. The ability of teachers to manage the technology and adapt it flexibly to
their needs will be a determining factor in the success of the initiative. The role of the
Ministry of Education is fundamental in supporting teachers and school committee
members through effective communication channels to build this capacity.
Regular training sessions for the teachers are important in maintaining the momentum
of the programme. All participating schools should be provided with teacher training
sessions once per year in order to refresh the established teachers and train the teachers
who are newly arrived at the school. In order to complement this training, two
comprehensive programme manuals should be developed. The first should be a
pedagogical guide regarding the effective integration of the learning machines into the
classroom. The second should be a technical guide regarding how to use them and
maintain the solar panel. In addition, it is vital that extensive training is provided
regarding how to use the computers that have been placed in the school.
Continual monitoring in the schools is also an important consideration. Establishing a
small team of support staff from the Ministry who can visit the schools on a regular
basis will ensure that the teachers remain motivated in using the gadgets and will
provide them with opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback. It is also
important to ensure that there are effective communication channels in place so that
any technical problems can be quickly reported to the Ministry.
Developing additional quality content in line with the new curriculum reform is vital
in order to fully support teachers and learners. With suitable training, user-friendly
authoring tools would allow teachers to make an effective contribution to the
development of the lessons. During the monitoring and evaluation activities learners
and teachers expressed demand for more lessons particularly in the following areas:
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- Agriculture
- Mathematics
- English
- Religion
- Science and Technology
- Physical Education
- Music
In addition to this, it is important to begin to develop content with is suitable for use from
older students at Std 6 and above.
Assistance should be provided to teachers when integrating use of the portable learning
machines into classroom activities so the programme can transition from being
supplementary to the timetable to an established part of the learning pattern of the
children. Teachers should also be encouraged to utilise the full range of lessons that are
available on the gadgets rather than simply using a few lessons repeatedly. In order to
achieve this a schedule would need to be developed for teachers so that they can use the
gadgets during school time rather than just after classes – giving clear guidelines for usage
and explanation of how it can best complement the curriculum. In addition, teachers
should be given guidance regarding the development of weekly rotas to ensure that
children all have opportunity for fair access.
During the monitoring and evaluation activities, observations and suggestions were made
by teachers and learners on how to improve the handheld learning machine to be more
attuned to the needs of the learners. Minor changes such as increasing the volume,
reinforcing the on/off switch, changing the position of the loudspeaker from the back of
the handheld to the front could each make a significant difference to the user experience
and educational suitability of the technology.
In addition to these thematic issues, the monitoring and evaluation team also recommends
the follow specific steps to be taken when applicable.
� Expand the programme by 50 schools per year – ensuring that these schools are
from a variety of districts and include rural schools without electricity supply.
54
� Increase the allocation to 20 gadgets per school when the resources become
available. This will facilitate a more concentrated impact and will allow the
classes to operate closer to the desired four children per gadget ratio.
5.6 Conclusions
Following these specific recommendations, the report now closes with some conclusions
regarding the specifics of the programme and overall comments on the place of portable
technology in education.
Resources available in Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the Pilot Project have not been able to
provide the desired ‘one per child’ solutions. However, the equipment installed achieves
the vital objective for learners within a school to practice all lessons in Chichewa by
taking turns to use the equipment. It also affects positively school attendance and
enthusiasm on the part of all stakeholders. The previous chapter has highlighted strengths
and potential of this specific initiative, as well as its challenges.
As noted before the cost of technology is constantly decreasing making it now virtually
comparable with traditional resources such as books (refer to Annex 17 for breakdown of
costs). For example, a portable device is USD63 at October 2007 market prices. Each
device can store about 70-100 lessons (with 2 GB of built in flash memory). As explained
previously, further content for other grades can be added simply by replacing the memory
card in the portable devices. The cost of memory is about USD10 for each gigabyte per
device. Each device can be shared by between four and six children - although in reality
many more children will take turns to use the handhelds to practice all lessons - bringing
the cost per child well below the USD10 mark. By reaching economies of scale these costs
can be lowered further. According to manufacturer’s quotations, at the time of writing
(April 2008) each device dropped by US10 when 1000 units are purchased. The extra
margin could be invested in two possible ways: by increasing the number of units
distributed, or by improving the performances of the learning machines. The current
solution using local data storage represents a sustainable option while internet connectivity
for data transfer is still a challenge.
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The case study analysed in the previous chapters showcases the opportunities offered and
the challenges posed by a specific technology applied against a specific setting within a
specific context. The question to consider is if it is possible to draw macro-conclusions
that would apply to the broader development discourse for the use of technology in the
provision of basic education.
There is clear need for further data to support an affirmative statement, and pilots using
different types of portable technology as the industry evolves are vital. Equally vital is
strengthening aspects such as infrastructural developments, good governance, training and
capacity building to create a climate conducive to the search for innovative solution to
support the provision of quality Education for All and Open and Distance Learning.
This research has clearly demonstrated how the application of technologies in difficult
environments can catalyse positive impacts not only on educational achievements but also
on personal and community empowerment and capacity building well beyond anticipated
levels. In considering the future, most mobile phones and handheld devices will soon be
able to send and receive data in standard formats (for example Macromedia Flash, xml,
mp3 or mp4), allowing for a far greater degree of user interaction. New generation phones
and handhelds also have the ability to access the Internet with its wealth of information
and to use Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIPs) applications – Skype47 an example for all
- which will allow learners to speak to and see teachers and fellow learners near and far
and exchange invaluable learning experiences. Currently, it is already possible to send
small data packages such as SMSs through the mobile network, but size would constitute a
constraint as far as graphic and video material is concerned. However in due course, with
these technological advancements reaching significant market penetration and once
infrastructural constraints have been reduced then mobile technologies will truly represent
a fully fledged, sustainable solution to a variety of learning and development needs.
47 http://www.skype.com
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ANNEX 1 – MALAWI KEY MDG INDICATORS, JULY 2007
Malawi- key MDG indicators, last updated 2007
1990 1995 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2004 2005 2006 2007
1.1 Proportion of population below $1 (PPP) per day
Population below $1 (PPP) per day, percentage 20.80
Population below national poverty line, total, percentage 65.30
Population below national poverty line, urban, percentage 54.90
Population below national poverty line, rural, percentage 66.50
Purchasing power parities (PPP) conversion factor, local currency unit to international dollar 1.31 4.18 8.79 12.10 15.46 18.97 21.70 25.47 28.54 31.58
1.2 Poverty gap ratio
Poverty gap ratio at $1 a day (PPP), percentage 4.70
1.3 Share of poorest quintile in national consumption
Poorest quintile's share in national income or consumption, percentage 7.00
1.5 Employment-to-population ratio
Employment-to-population ratio, both sexes, percentage
Employment-to-population ratio, men, percentage
Employment-to-population ratio, women, percentage
1.8 Prevalence of underweight children under-five years of age
Children under 5 moderately or severely underweight, percentage 25.40 21.90 22.00
Children under 5 severely underweight, percentage 5.90 4.50
1.9 Proportion of population below minimum level of dietary energy consumption
Population undernourished, percentage 34.00
Population undernourished, number of people 4,000,000.00
2.1 Net enrolment ratio in primary education
Total net enrolment ratio in primary education, both sexes 98.70 96.10 95.20
Total net enrolment ratio in primary education, boys 100.00 93.80 93.00
Total net enrolment ratio in primary education, girls 97.50 98.40 97.40
2.2 Proportion of pupils starting grade 1 who reach last grade of primary
Percentage of pupils starting grade 1 who reach last grade of primary, both sexes 36.60 39.50 32.80 33.60
Percentage of pupils starting grade 1 who reach last grade of primary, boys 39.00 34.60 35.20
Percentage of pupils starting grade 1 who reach last grade of primary, girls 34.10 30.90 32.10
Primary completion rate, both sexes 68.80 67.20 67.30 69.30 58.50 57.40
Primary completion rate, boys 73.40 71.10 69.10 72.30 59.80 58.20
Primary completion rate, girls 64.20 63.30 65.50 66.30 57.20 56.70
2.3 Literacy rate of 15-24 year-olds, women and men
Literacy rates of 15-24 years old, both sexes, percentage 76.00
Literacy rates of 15-24 years old, men, percentage 82.10
Literacy rates of 15-24 years old, women, percentage 70.70
Women to men parity index, as ratio of literacy rates, 15-24 years old 0.86
3.1 Ratio of girls to boys in primary, secondary and tertiary education
Gender Parity Index in primary level enrolment 0.95 0.96 0.96 0.97 1.02 1.02
Gender Parity Index in secondary level enrolment 0.70 0.74 0.77 0.77 0.81 0.81
Gender Parity Index in tertiary level enrolment 0.38 0.54
3.2 Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector
Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector 10.50 11.30
3.3 Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament
Seats held by women in national parliament, percentage 9.80 5.60 5.60 8.30 9.30 9.30 9.30 14.00 13.60 13.60
Total number of seats in national parliament 112.00 177.00 177.00 193.00 193.00 193.00 193.00 193.00 191.00 191.00
Seats held by men in national parliament 101.00 167.00 167.00 177.00 175.00 175.00 175.00 166.00 191.00 165.00
Seats held by women in national parliament 11.00 10.00 10.00 16.00 18.00 18.00 18.00 27.00 26.00 26.00
Malawi- key MDG indicators, last updated 2007
1990 1995 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2004 2005 2006 2007
4.1 Under-five mortality rate
Children under five mortality rate per 1,000 live births
4.2 Infant mortality rate
Infant mortality rate (0-1 year) per 1,000 live births
4.3 Proportion of 1 year-old children immunized against measles
Children 1 year old immunized against measles, percentage
5.1 Maternal mortality ratio
Maternal mortality ratio per 100,000 live births
5.2 Proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel
Births attended by skilled health personnel, percentage
5.3 Contraceptive prevalence rate
Contraceptive use among currently married women 15-49 years old, any method, percentage
Contraceptive use among currently married women 15-49 years old, modern methods, percentage 30.60 32.50
Contraceptive use among currently married women 15-49 years old, condom, percentage 26.10 28.10
6.1 HIV prevalence among population aged 15-24 years 1.60 1.80
People living with HIV, 15-49 years old, percentage
HIV prevalence rate, women 15-49 years old, in national based surveys 14.10
HIV prevalence rate, men 15-49 years old, in national based surveys 13.30
HIV prevalence rate among pregnant women,15-24 years old, attending antenatal care in clinics in capital cities 10.20
AIDS deaths 15.00
6.2 Condom use at the last high-risk sex
Condom use during last higher-risk sex, 15-24 years old, women, percentage
Condom use during last higher-risk sex, 15-24 years old, men, percentage 32.00 35.00 39.60
Condom use to overall contraceptive use among currently married women 15-49 years old, percentage 38.00 47.00
6.3 Proportion of population aged 15-24 years with comprehensive correct knowledge of HIV/AIDS
Men 15-24 years old with comprehensive correct knowledge of HIV/AIDS, percentage
Women 15-24 years old with comprehensive correct knowledge of HIV/AIDS, percentage 41.00 36.30
6.4 Ratio of school attendance of orphans to school attendance of non-orphans aged 10-14 years 34.00 24.00 42.10
Ratio of school attendance rate of orphans to school attendance rate of non orphans
AIDS orphans (one or both parents) 0.93 0.96
6.7 Proportion of children under 5 sleeping under insecticide-treated bednets 390,000.00 550,000.00
Children under 5 sleeping under insecticide-treated bed nets, percentage
6.8 Proportion of children under 5 with fever who are treated with appropriate anti-malarial drugs
Children under 5 with fever being treated with anti-malarial drugs, percentage
6.9 Incidence, prevalence and death rates associated with tuberculosis
Tuberculosis incidence per 100,000 population
Tuberculosis prevalence rate per 100,000 population
Tuberculosis death rate per 100,000 population 427.00 494.00 507.00 511.00 539.00 510.00 533.00 510.00 518.00
6.10 Proportion of tuberculosis cases detected and cured under directly observed treatment short course 62.50 92.60 97.90 98.10 103.80 96.80 101.60 96.00 98.30
Tuberculosis detection rate under DOTS, percentage
Tuberculosis treatment success rate under DOTS, percentage 38.50 47.10 41.80 40.50 40.60 36.50 39.60 38.60
7.1 Proportion of land area covered by forest 70.60 68.90 71.40 72.60 70.10 72.30 71.00
Land area covered by forest, percentage
7.2 Carbon dioxide emissions, total, per capita and per $1 GDP (PPP) 41.40 37.90 36.20
Carbon dioxide emissions (CO2), thousand metric tons of CO2 (CDIAC)
Carbon dioxide emissions (CO2), thousand metric tons of CO2 (UNFCCC) 601.27 711.26 777.25 1,081.55 1,011.89 1,008.23 1,015.56 1,044.89
Carbon dioxide emissions (CO2), metric tons of CO2 per capita (CDIAC)
Carbon dioxide emissions (CO2), metric tons of CO2 per capita (UNFCCC) 0.06 0.07 0.07 0.10 0.09 0.08 0.08 0.08
Energy use (Kg oil equivalent) per $1,000 (PPP) GDP
Malawi- key MDG indicators, last updated 2007
1990 1995 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2004 2005 2006 2007
7.3 Consumption of ozone-depleting substances
Consumption of all Ozone-Depleting Substances in ODP metric tons
Consumption of ozone-depleting CFCs in ODP metric tons 160.10 184.30 180.50 101.70 88.00 75.40 12.10 7.00
Protected area to total surface area, percentage 61.50 56.90 50.40 21.50 19.00 19.00 11.40 5.60
Protected areas, sq. km. 16.40 16.40 16.40 16.40 16.40 16.40 16.40 16.40 16.40
7.7 Proportion of species threatened with extinction 19,405.00 19,405.00 19,405.00 19,405.00 19,405.00 19,405.00 19,405.00 19,405.00 19,405.00
Proportion of species threatened with extinction
7.8 Proportion of population using an improved drinking water source
Proportion of the population using improved drinking water sources, total
Proportion of the population using improved drinking water sources, urban 40.00 73.00
Proportion of the population using improved drinking water sources, rural 90.00 98.00
7.9 Proportion of population using an improved sanitation facility 33.00 68.00
Proportion of the population using improved sanitation facilities, total
Proportion of the population using improved sanitation facilities, urban 47.00 61.00
Proportion of the population using improved sanitation facilities, rural 64.00 62.00
7.10 Proportion of urban population living in slums 45.00 61.00
Slum population as percentage of urban, percentage
Slum population in urban areas 94.60 91.10
8.12 Debt service as a percentage of exports of goods and services 1,033,032.00 1,589,909.00
Debt service as percentage of exports of goods and services and net income from abroad
8.13 Proportion of population with access to affordable essential drugs on a sustainable basis 28.00 24.40 15.60 13.00 22.80 15.10 11.80 13.50 12.20
Population with access to essential drugs, percentage
8.14 Telephone lines per 100 population
Telephone lines per 100 population
Telephone lines and cellular subscribers per 100 population 0.31 0.37 0.48 0.63 0.92 1.06 1.52 2.55 4.13
Telephone lines and cellular subscribers 0.31 0.37 0.48 0.63 0.92 1.06 1.52 2.55
8.15 Cellular subscribers per 100 population 26,640.00 34,720.00 47,871.00 64,062.00 95,444.00 110,337.00 159,147.00 315,135.00
Cellular subscribers per 100 population
8.16 Internet users per 100 population 0.11 0.22 0.47 0.54 0.82 1.80 3.33
Internet users per 100 population
Internet users 0.02 0.10 0.15 0.19 0.26 0.37 0.41 0.45
Personal computers per 100 population 0.00 2,000.00 10,000.00 15,000.00 20,000.00 27,000.00 46,140.00
Personal computers 0.08 0.10 0.12 0.13 0.13 0.16
8.4 ODA received in landlocked developing countries as a proportion of their gross national incomes 8,000.00 10,000.00 12,000.00 13,000.00 14,000.00 19,710.00
ODA received in landlocked developing countries as percentage of their GNI
ODA received in landlocked developing countries, million US$ 27.23 32.16 25.43 25.76 26.14 23.98 19.91 26.98 28.37
500.36 434.14 434.62 446.75 446.18 403.73 376.31 501.40 575.34
ANNEX 2 – PROGRESS TOWARDS SECTOR OBJECTIVES AND EFA GOALS MALAWI MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Source: MOEST MALAWI, LEG 2007 EDUCATION SECTOR PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OUTCOME INDICATOR 2006 2007 SCORE REMARK TT M F TT M F Increased Access EFA Goal 1, 2, 3 & 4
Enrolment Primary 3,280,714 1,638,884 1,641,830 3,306,926 1,653,894 1,653,032 100 Increased by 26212
Enrolment Secondary 218,310 122,312 95,998 210,235 119,273 91,025 0 Reduced by 7985
Enrolment University 6,346 4,489 1,857 6,458 4,287 2,171 0 Incresed by 112
Enrolment Special Needs Primary 43,532 22,892 20,640 69,943 36,708 33,235 100
Increased by 26411
Total 3/4=75% Distinction Increased Equity EFA Goal 5 DISPARITY DISPARITY Gender Disparity Primary 2,946 1,638,884 1,641,830 862 1,653,032 1,653,032 1 Reduced Gender Disparity Secondary 26,314 122,312 95,998 28,248 119,273 91,025 0 Increased Gender Disparity University 3,012 4,489 1,857 2,116 4,287 2,171 1 Reduced Gender Disparity SPN Primary 2,252 22,892 20,640 3,473 36,708 33,235 0 Increased Sub Total 2/4=50% Average Improved Quality EFA Goal 6 Increase Teachers Primary 43,197 42,330 0 Decreased Increased Teachers Secondary 10,368 10,258 0 Decreased Improve QTPR Primary 84 88 0 Worsened Improve QTPR Secondary 69 62 1 Improved
Increased Primary Schools 5231 5,307 1 Increased Increased Secondary Schools 1106 1049 0 Reduced Increased Classrooms Second 5,508 5,249 0 Reduced Increased Classrooms Primary 38,208 38,566 1 Increased Improved CPR Primary 107 104 1 Improved Increase Survival Rate Std 5 53 53.3 52.9 51.8 53.6 50.7 0 Reduced Increase Survival Rate Std 8 29.6 31.9 27.2 30.2 34.9 25.1 1 Increased Reduce Repetition Rate Std 8 15.51 16.31 14.48 16.37 17.22 15.29 0 Increased Reduce Drop Out Rate Std 8 14.81 8.61 22.76 14.22 8.24 21.79 1 Reduced MANEB examinations results 2006 2007 Increase Pass Rate PSLCE 74.3 78.52 68.8 93 1 Increased Increase Pass Rate JCE 56 74.12 55.39 56 0 Stable Increase Pass Rate MSCE 38.85 47.37 37.92 0 Reduced SubTotal 6/16=37.5%
Overall 11/24=45.8% Below Average
Glossary: SNE - Special Needs Education QTPR - Qualified Teacher Pupil Ratio CPR - Classroom Pupil Ratio PSLCE - Primary School Leaving Certificate of Education JCE - Junior Certificate of Education MSCE - Malawi School Certificate of Education
MALAWI PILOT PROJECT PHASE 2 - September 2007 - March 2008
OVERVIEW 27/03/2008
N. Schools visited 49, 1 left to set up, as building not ready
N. schools installed 49, 1 to set up,
N. control schools 5 in Zomba area
N. test schools 5 in Lilongwe area
N. computers installed 20
N. schools with electricity 4, 1 in Zomba, 2 in Lilongwe & 1 in Mzuzu
*2 test schools received an additional 10 handhelds for the purposes of the baseline survey within the M&E activities
SCHOOL NAME DISTRICT SETTING TYPE DATE SOLAR PANEL BATTERY HANDHELDS COMPUTER TRAINING
Nyezelera Phalombe Rural Full set up 11/3/04 Yes Yes 10 Yes Yes
Migowi Phalombe Rural Full set up 11/3/04 Yes Yes 10 No Yes
Naminjiwa Phalombe Rural Full set up 11/3/04 Yes Yes 10 No Yes
Phalombe Phalombe Rural Full set up 12/3/04 Yes Yes 10 Yes Yes
Gambula Mulanje Rural Full set up 26/9/03 Yes Yes 10 No Yes
Mulanje Model Mulanje Rural Full set up 26/9/03 Yes Yes 10 No Yes
Bango Mulanje Rural Full set up 26/9/03 Yes Yes 10 Yes Yes
Mendulo Mulanje Rural Full set up 27/9/03 Yes Yes 10 Yes Yes
Misanjo Mulanje Rural Full set up 27/9/03 Yes Yes 10 No Yes
Satema Zomba Urban Urban Full set up 28/2/04 Yes Yes 10 No Yes
Chikamveka Zomba Urban Urban Control School 26/2/04 Yes Yes 10 Yes - Special needs class Yes
Golgota Zomba Rural Rural Control School 25/9/03 Yes Yes 10 Yes Yes
Mtonda Zomba Rural Rural Control School 25/9/03 Yes Yes 10 Yes Yes
Thondwe Zomba Rural Rural Control School 26/2/04 Yes Yes 10 Yes Yes
Chikala Zomba Urban Urban Control School 27/2/04 Ye Yes 10 Yes Yes
Chikowi Zomba Urban Urban Full set up 24/9/03 Yes Yes 10 No Yes
Mponda Zomba Urban Urban Full set up 23/9/03 No No 10 Yes Yes
Zomba CCAP Zomba Urban Urban Full set up 24/9/03 Yes Yes 10 No Yes
St Anthony Boys Zomba Rural Rural Full set up 25/9/03 Yes Yes 10 No Yes
Balaka L.E.A Balaka Rural Full set up 20/9/03 Yes Yes 10 No Yes
Mponda Balaka Rural Full set up 21/9/03 Yes Yes 10 No Yes
Sosola Balaka Rural Full set up 21/9/03 Yes Yes 10 Yes Yes
Mthandiza Dedza Rural Full set up 3/10/03 Yes Yes 10 Yes Yes
Muonekera Dedza Rural Full set up 4/10/03 Yes Yes 10 Yes - In Hall with electricity Yes
Dedza L.E.A Dedza Rural Full set up 4/10/03 Yes Yes 10 No Yes
Nthulu Dedza Rural Full set up 3/10/03 Yes Yes 10 No Yes
SCHOOL NAME DISTRICT SETTING TYPE DATE SOLAR PANEL BATTERY HANDHELDS COMPUTER TRAINING
Ching'ombe Lilongwe Rural East Rural Test school - full set up 1/10/07 Yes Yes 10 + 10* No Yes
Mtenthera Lilongwe Rural East Rural Test school - full set up 1/10/07 Yes Yes 10 No Yes
Mwatibu Lilongwe Rural East Rural Test school - full set up 2/10/07 Yes Yes 10 Yes Yes
Dzenza Lilongwe Rural West Rural Test school - full set up 2/10/07 Yes Yes 10 Yes - In TDC with electricity Yes
Mbinzi Lilongwe Urban Urban Test school - full set up 3/10/07 Yes Yes 10 + 10* No Yes
Chitedze Lilongwe Rural West Rural Full set up 19/9/07 Yes Yes 10 Yes Yes
Maiingunde Lilongwe Rural West Rural Full set up 19/9/07 Yes Yes 10 No Yes
Chatuwa Lilongwe Rural West Rural Full set up 10/10/07 No No 10 No Yes
Mphungu Lilongwe Urban Urban Full set up 20/9/07 Yes Yes 10 No Yes
Kaufulu Lilongwe Urban Urban Full set up 14/9/07 Yes Yes 10 Yes - In TDC with elctricity Yes
Lilongwe Girls Lilongwe Urban Urban Full set up 13/9/07 Yes Yes 10 No Yes
Lilongwe Boys Lilongwe Urban Urban Full set up 13/9/07 Yes Yes 10 No Yes
Chiwoko Lilongwe Urban Urban Full set up Not Done No No 10 No No
Chilanga Kasungu Semi-Urban Full set up 17/9/07 Yes Yes 10 No Yes
Chankhanga Kasungu Semi-Urban Full set up 17/9/07 Yes Yes 10 Yes - Special needs class Yes
Chitiba Kasungu Semi-Urban Full set up 18/9/07 Yes Yes 10 No Yes
Boma Kasungu Semi-Urban Full set up 18/9/07 Yes Yes 10 Yes Yes
Suza Kasungu Semi-Urban Full set up 18/9/07 Yes Yes 10 No Yes
Mpalo Ntchisi Rural Full set up 20/3/08 Yes Yes 10 No Yes
Nyungwe Karonga Rural Full set up 18/3/08 Yes Yes 10 Yes Yes
Majaliro Karonga Rural Full set up 18/3/08 Yes Yes 10 No Yes
Masasa Mzuzu Urban Full set up 19/11/07 No No 10 No Yes
Mganthira Mzuzu Urban Full set up 19/11/07 Yes Yes 10 No Yes
Zolozolo Mzuzu Urban Full set up 19/11/07 Yes Yes 10 Yes Yes
ANNEX 6 LIST OF PRE-INSTALLED LESSONS ENGLISH CHICHEWA Addition of numbers 1-5 YES Animals YES Avoiding Malaria YES YES Basic Hygiene YES Bed nets can save lives YES Caring for someone with AIDS YES Cholera YES Counting Groups of Objects 1-9 YES YES Countries of the world - India YES Coutries of the world - China YES Dangers of alcohol YES Dangers of smoking YES Diarrhoea YES Florence Nightingale YES Ghandi a man of peace YES YES Having an HIV test YES Healthy eating YES Helping someone with HIV/AIDS YES High blood pressure YES HIV/AIDS YES Immunization YES Introducing Numbers 1-4 YES Living with HIV YES Looking after your teeth YES YES Magnetism YES Making compost YES YES Nelson Mandela YES Numbers 1-10 YES Opposites YES YES Planting trees is good YES YES Safe injections YES Safe Water YES Say no to glue and drugs YES TB can be cured YES YES The geography of Malawi YES YES The hare and the tortoise YES The Human body YES YES The Lion and the Mouse YES YES The Ngorongoro Crater YES The pyramids YES The water cycle YES YES Where we live - The Earth YES YES Who is Shakespeare? YES Your bycicle - mending a puncture YES
ANNEX 10 - Group interviews with children, Visit 1 Introduction At the introduction of the group interviews the facilitator explained to all the children that they could be completely honest and say good things and bad things about the programme. It was made clear to them that there were no right or wrong answers and that they would not get in trouble because of their answers. The purpose of the group interviews was to find out the opinions of the children and how they felt about the introduction of the programme. Because the interviews were conducted in Chichewa through a translator it was decided that the structure of an interview format would help the children to understand clearly what we wanted to find out. The questions listed below are samples of the kind of questions which were asked in each school. Group interview questions - following initial exploratory session What are your first impressions of the gadgets?
- What do you like? Why? - What do you not like? Why?
Do you find it easy or difficult to use?
- What do you find easy? - What do you find difficult?
What difference do you think the gadgets will it make to school?
- What do you think will be the best thing that will happen? - What do you think will be the worst thing that will happen? - Do you think you will attend school more or less now? - Do you think you will be able to learn more or less now?
What difference do you think using the gadgets will make to your life in general? Do the gadgets scare you? - If they scare you, why is this? What name would you give to the gadget?
- Why would you call it this?
Do you think you will tell your family and friends about the programme? - What will you tell them? Is there anything else you would like to tell us about?
Group interview with children – following six weeks of usage (Visit 2) and again at close of pilot phase (Visit 3) How many times have you used the gadgets? What is your favourite lesson?
- Why is this your favourite lesson?
What was your worst lesson? - Why is this your worst lesson? What additional lessons would you like to have included on the gadgets?
- Why would you like these extra lessons?
Do you find it easy or difficult to use the gadgets? - What do you find most difficult? - Are there any changes you would make to the gadgets?
- Why would you make these changes? What is the biggest change that has happened to you because of the gadgets?
- Now that you are using the gadgets do you enjoy school more or less? - Now that you are using the gadgets do you attend school more or less?
Have you talked to your family and friends about the programme? - What do they think of the gadgets? Have you been using the computer? Is there anything else you would like to tell us about?
ANNEX 11 – Teachers’ Focus group format Introduction At the introduction of the focus groups the facilitator explained to all the participants that there were no right or wrong answers and that they could be honest in their responses. The purpose of the conversation was to understand the perspective of the teachers regarding the programme and learn about both the positive and negative impacts that it was having. Because it was a focus group the questions listed below only provided an outline for the discussion. The aim was to have an informal conversation that was structured around the key questions but was also free to cover other topics that the participants considered to be important. The outlines below are samples of the kind of questions which were asked in each school. Focus group questions - following initial teacher training Please tell us about your overall perspective on the introduction of these gadgets to your school.
- What were your first impressions of the gadgets? Do you think it will be easy or difficult to start using the gadgets in your lessons?
- What do you think will be difficult? Why? - What do you think will be easy? Why? - How do you think you will incorporate using the gadgets into your lesson plans? - What changes and improvements do you think should be made to the gadgets?
Do you think that the introduction of the gadgets will make any difference to student learning in the school? Please explain what you think the change will be and the reason for it. Do you think that the introduction of the gadgets will make any difference to teaching in the school? Please explain what you think the change will be and the reason for it. What challenges do you foresee for the programme?
- How do you think these challenges can be best overcome? - Do you think the gadgets might be a distraction for the children?
What do you think will be the impact on the school? - What do you think will be the best change because of the gadgets? - What do you think will be the worst change because of the gadgets? Can you think of any important lessons that we should add to the gadgets?
- Why is it these lessons that you want more information about? Do you have any other comments you would like to add or things you would like to tell us about?
Focus group questions – following six weeks of usage and again at close of pilot phase Please tell us about your overall perspective on the introduction of these gadgets to your school.
- What were your first impressions of the gadgets? - How often do you use the gadgets? Why? - How long do you use them for? - How many lesson have you used? - Which lessons do you use the most? Why?
Have you found it easy or difficult to use the gadgets in your lessons? - What has been difficult? Why? - What has been easy? Why? - Have you managed to incorporate using the gadgets into your lesson plans? - Can you explain to us how you choose what lesson you are going to use? - What changes and improvements do you think should be made to the gadgets?
Has the introduction of the gadgets made any difference to student learning in the school? Please explain what the change has been and the reasons for it. Has the introduction of the gadgets made any difference to teaching in the school? Please explain what the change has been and the reasons for it. What has the impact on the school been? - What has been the best change because of the gadgets? - What has been the worst change because of the gadgets? What challenges do you foresee for the programme?
- How do you think these challenges can be best overcome? - Have the gadgets been a distraction for the children? - Have many of the gadgets broken? - What are the other problems with the gadgets?
Can you think of any important lessons that we should add to the gadgets? - Why is it these lessons that you want more information about?
How do you think we can improve the programme in the future?
How has the programme been for the new teachers who have arrived at the school after the training? Are all the teachers using the gadgets or have some of them stopped? Why? Is the community involved in the project in any way?
- What do they think of the programme? Do you have any other comments you would like to add or things you would like to tell us about?
EVALUATION OF THE LEARN ABOUT LESSONS: Malawi
Dear Head Teacher
Thank you for taking the time to complete this questionnaire. This trial will help us ensure the best lessons and equipment are provided in the future for schools in Malawi.Please use the back of this paper for any further comments
Name of teacher…………………………………………………………...........................................................
School……………………………………………………………………….........................................................
Period.........................From……………September 07 To:……………December 07.
How many children are there in your school in total?..................................................................................
How many children are enrolled in Standard 3?..........................................................................................
How many boys?............................... How many girls?...............................
How many children are enrolled in Standard 4?..........................................................................................
How many boys?............................... How many girls?...............................
How many children have used the lessons in English?...............................................................................
How many children have used the lessons in Chichewa?..........................................................................
Approximately how many lessons has each child done?............................................................................
Approximately how many of the children have achieved a gold star?........................................................(10 out of 10 in the quiz)
What kind of problems have there been?
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What is good about the equipment and what needs improving?
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What successes and positive outcomes (even unexpected ones) have there been?
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To be completed 3 months after the start of the project (December 2007)
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What suggestions do you have for the future?
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What new lessons would you like for the future?
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Did you notice an improvement in school attendance since the project started?
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Did you notice an improvement in student attainment since the project started?
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Has the project improved education?
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Would the children learn more if they had one device each?
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Did children discuss the project with their families and in their communities, and if so was it well received?
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Did all Standard 3 and 4 children get the chance to use the lessons?
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Did teachers find the lessons useful?
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Equipment:
EQUIPMENT FEEDBACK FORM :Please tick the box for each week of smooth functioning of the equipment, or note the type of failure (e.g. buttons broken, lessons not playing etc)
Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Week 10
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Handheld/phone 1
Handheld/phone 2
Handheld/phone 3
Handheld/phone 4
Handheld/phone 5
Handheld/phone 6
Handheld/phone 7
Handheld/phone 8
Handheld/phone 9
Handheld/phone 10
Solar Panel 1
Solar Panel 2
Solar Panel 3
Solar Panel 4
Solar Panel 5
Solar Panel 6
Solar Panel 7
Solar Panel 8
Solar Panel 9
Solar Panel 10
Computer
ANNEX 15 – Teacher’s Diary Guidelines Introduction A diary was completed by one teacher in each of the five test schools. The text below
was included on the first page of the diary in order to remind the teachers the kind of
things we wanted them to write about and to emphasise that they should feel free to
include any information that they chose to.
Dear Teacher, Thank you for agreeing to complete this teacher diary. We would be very grateful if you could write your thoughts on the following pages of the diary at least once per week (or more if you want to) between now and the end of the term. At the end of the term we will come back to your school to talk with you some more and collect the diary. We really want to know what you think of the gadgets and what impact they are having on both your teaching and the learning of the children. Because this is a diary there are no specific questions for you to answer each week. We would just like you to write whatever you choose about the new gadgets and life in your school. If you would like to, you can use these ideas to help you as you begin to write.
- Have you used the gadgets within the classroom this week? - Are there any particular problems you have experienced with the gadgets this
week? - Are there any aspects which have worked particularly well with the gadgets
this week? - Have the gadgets helped you to teach more effectively this week? If yes,
why? If not, why? - Have the gadgets helped your students to learn more effectively this week? If
yes, why? If not, why? When you are writing the diary please feel free to be completely honest and write about both positive and negative experiences. There are no right or wrong things to write – we just want to find out what you think about the gadgets and the difference they can make to education in your school. We are in the pilot stage of the initiative, so we hope to be able to use what you write in the diary to improve things for the future. Please write the date at the beginning every time you write. If you would prefer to write in Chichewa, then please do so. Thank you again for your assistance. The Interactive Learning Program Team on behalf of the MOEST
CURRICULUM BASED QUESTIONNAIRE1. Kodi likulu la dziko la Malawi ndi liti?
Lilongwe
Blantyre
2. Kodi chomwe chimatenga mbali yaikulu ya dziko lapansi ndi chiyani ?
Madzi
Nthaka
3. Kodi nambala yaikulu mwa nambala izi ndi iti ?
34
43
4. Kodi mtima wanu umatani ?
umathandiza munthu kuti adziganiza
umapopa magazi mthupi
5.Kodi muli ndi zala zingati za ku miyendo ?
10
20
6.Kodi dziko lapansi limatenga nthawi yaitali bwanji kuti lizungulire kamodzi ?
Tsiku limodzi
Chaka chathunthu
7.Kodi chachikulu nchiti pakati pa izi ?
dzuwa
dziko lapansi
x
8. Kodi Nelson Mandela amachokera dziko liti ?
England
Africa
9.Kodi mawu omwe amatsutsana ndi oti kutalika ndi ati ?
kufupika
wamng’ono
10.Kodi tikaphatikiza 4 ndi 3 ansala ndi chiyani ?
8
7
11.Kodi ndi nyama iti yomwe ili yaitali pa nyama izi ?
nyamalikiti/ kadyansonga
mkango
12. Kodi ndi anthu angati omwe amakhala m’Malawi ?
12 thousand
12 million
www.learnaboutonline.com
School Name: ...............................................................Date:..............................
Score:
Child Name: ..................................................................... Age: ................ M / F
LIFE SKILLS BASED QUESTIONNAIRE1. Kodi nkotheka kuona majelemusi m’manja mwanu ?
Inde
Ayi
2. Kodi madzi owoneka oyera angakhale ndi majelemusi owopsya ?
Inde
Ayi
3. Kodi kumwa mowa wambiri kungachepetse moyo wa munthu ?
Inde
Ayi
4. Kodi mungatenge kachirombo koyambitsa Edzi pokhudzana ndi munthu amene ali ndi kachiromboka ?
Inde
Ayi
5. Kodi pali mankhwala amene angathandize munthu amene ali ndi ka chirombo koyambitsa Edzi ?
Inde
Ayi
6. Kodi nchifukwa chiyani kuli kofunika kugona m’masikito ?
chifukwa amateteza ku udzudzu
chifukwa amatenthera
7. Kodi chimene chimayambitsa kutsegula m’mimba nchiyani?
udzudzu
majelemusi omwe tameza
8. Kodi kugwiritsa ntchito mankhwala ozunguza bongo kungaphe munthu?
Inde
Ayi
9. Kodi ndi chiti mwa zakudya izi chomwe chimapatsa thanzi?
Chipatso
Cocacola
10.Kodi mano mumayenera kutsuka kangati?
pokhapokha akada
tsiku liri lonse
11.Kodi pamene anthu ali kugonana agwiritse ntchito kondomu?
Inde
Ayi
12.Kodi nkofunikira kuvundikira zida zosungiramo madzi nthawi zonse?
Inde
Ayi
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School Name: ...............................................................Date:..............................
Score:
Child Name: ..................................................................... Age: ................ M / F
ANNEX 17 – BREAKDOWN OF COSTINGS FOR PHASE 2 Breakdown of cost at current market prices to October 2007. (Note downward trend in costs of technology in general, and in particular of Flash memory). Costs are per unit expressed in USD and do not take economies of scale into account.
- Handheld video player with 2 GB of flash memory, sufficient to install 70-100 lessons. Supplied with electric charger, instruction manual and pre-loaded with curriculum-based content in Chichewa and English. Unit price: USD63
- Extra external memory – 1 GB is sufficient to install 35-50 lessons.
Unit price per 1GB: USD10
- 12 volt computer – custom made machine with the pre-loaded with curriculum-based content in Chichewa and English as well as the EuroTalk language learning library and Windows operating system. Includes 12 volt LCD screen with speakers, computer box, keyboard and mouse. Unit Price: USD500
- Solar Solution per school. This includes a 20 watts solar panel, 105 AH
sealed deep-cycle battery, charge regulator, charging unit & cables. The equipment is able to power up to 20 handheld video players and a 12 volt computer for limited amount of time Unit Price: USD 400
- Stationery kit. Includes posters to support the lesson content, star stickers, score cards, pens & notebooks, storing unit for video players. Unit price: USD 30
