SMARTPHONE SCHOOLS:Contextualizing Mobile Learning

for Syrian Refugee GirlsAliim.org

of Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon between the ages of15-18 years attend formal secondary school

61 Million Children Around the World are Out-of-School

Education Cannot Wait

50%

30%of Refugee Girls areEnrolled inSecondary School

of the out-of-school

children worldwide live

in areas of conflict

secondary school enrollment is 1/3 lower inconflict-affected countries compared with other

developing countries

5%

1

2

3

4

5

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If Students Can't Come to School,We Must Take School to Them

Reach Girls

Educate Youth

Despite Conflict

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Framework Purpose

Connect education and mobile learning theory toconflict-affected context

Needs Impacts Tools

DesignforContext

Three Steps

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STEP 1: NEEDS

Research by the Women's Refugee Commission finds that education interventionsfor adolescent girls affected by conflict should include:

Needs of Girls Affected by Conflict

Informal Learning OpportunitiesProvide informal learningopportunities for out-of-schooladolescent girls

Flexible StructureConsider daily routines, care takingresponsibilities and time issue

Address BarriersAddress barriers that keepadolescent girls from participatingin schooling

Include the VulnerableBe aware of the needs ofvulnerable girls, including girlsunaccompanied, out-of-school,married, young mothers, anddisabled

1

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Hundreds of Thousands Not in School

70,000 refugee children in Jordanremain outside any type of

schooling.

29% of girls in Jordan &Lebanon leave home only

once or less during theweek, preventing manyfrom attending school.

300kOut-of-School

No morethan 3years

29%of girls

70KOut-of-School

Nearly 4 years after the beginning of the Syrian conflict we still need a way to scale up accessto quality education for refugees:

In Jordan, if youth are out ofschool more than 3 yearsthey are ineligible to enrollin formal school again.

1

300,000 Syrian refugees inLebanon were out-of-school during the 2013-2014 school year.2

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Barriers toEducation

Examples Negative Impacts Smartphone Schools:Mobile Learning Solutions

Lack of EducationalInfrastructure

No space in schools; insufficienttransportation; limited number oftrained teachers; Lack of certifiededucation programs.

Decreases access to education:Many Syrian refugee students areexcluded from education includingthe most vulnerable.

Develop a non-formaleducational infrastructure bycreating both local and virtualcollaborative environments,utilizing technology, mentors,and certification options.

High Cost of SchoolAttendance

Fees; transportation; clothing;supplies; wash facilities; missedincome for families; parents needhelp at home.

Decreased Enrollment Rates: Thesefactors discourage parents fromenrolling students in school.

Eliminate the need fortransportation, fees, schoolclothes and supplies. Make theprogram flexible for students toparticipate in their free time.

Safety Concerns Parents feel school is unsafe for girls;harassment and discrimination inschools; tensions with host-community; deteriorating security.

Low Attendance Rates and Levels ofMeaningful Learning: These factorsdisrupt learning in school anddiscourage students fromconsistently attending.

Allow students and parents thefreedom to choose locationsthey feel are safe learningenvironments.

Lack of Support toAddress Refugees’Special Needs

Students struggle with adapting tonew curriculum; students can'tunderstand language of instruction(English and French); studentsstruggle coping with trauma anddistress; students fall behind peersfrom the host-country.

Low Levels of Meaningful Learning:These factors inhibit students fromsucceeding in school, which leads toincreased drop-out-rates, greaterfrustration, and loss of hope andmotivation.

Reach vulnerable students.Provide psychosocial support,language learningopportunities, catch-up classes,local supervisors, virtualmentors and community andparent support.

Barriers to Accessing Quality Education Amongst Syrian School-AgedRefugees in Lebanon and Jordan According to UNHCR’s 3RP for 2015-2016

1,2

2,3

4

5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12

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Smartphone SchoolsPreliminary Needs Assessment in Sida, Lebanon

Surveyed parents and youth, both attending / not-attending school

Survey in SyrianSchool

Small Focus Groups ina Shelter

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What we learned from our Survey Results

13 out of 19 parents said they didnot currently live close to a school.

Key Barriers to Formal Schooling

While school costs about $50USD/month, most parents can only pay

$25 USD/month for 1 child to go toschool.

CAN'T AFFORD COST

SCHOOL IS TOO FAR

Openness to Non-Formal Education

Students indicated they want to learnEnglish, Business, and Finance to help

them get good jobs.

NEEDED SKILLS

Half of the students said theycontribute to their family income.

WORK TO EARN MONEY

SAFE LOCATIONS

PARENTS COMMITTED

MENTORS HELP

Total Respondent Number: 19 students and 19 parentsAverage age of respondent/adolescent: 13-14 years old

Location: Sidon, Lebanon

CERTIFICATION

Feel mosques, and their home aresafest places for learning outside offormal school, but also open to community center.

Though formal schooling is preferred,the majority of parents said they atleast want their kids to go to school,even if it is not accredited.

If given tools, most parents wouldspend at least 1 hour/day to help theirchild learn at home.

84% of students feel it's extremelyimportant to have a mentor’s help,10% said it was important, and 6%not important.

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Survey Results: Student Use of Technology and Internet

74% of students knowhow to use a computer

68% have at least onesmart phone in theirfamily

53% say they use theinternet once or more

per day

16% use it at least onceper week

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STEP 2: IMPACT

Mobile Learning Impacts

Work Backwards: What socialimpact do you want your mobilelearning program to have onparticipants and their communities?

Tip 1

Learning Objectives

Tip 2Fit for Purpose: Clarify objectivesto be achieved throughtechnology and through socialcomponents1

2

• Cognitive - What do I want my graduates to know?• Affective - What do you want your graduates to think or care about• Behavioral - What do you want your graduates to be able to do?

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Smartphone Schools Program Impact

Amongst Out-of-School Syrian Refugeesand Marginalized Youth

Ages 12-16 in Lebanon and Jordan

By Delivering Non-Formal Educational Toolsthat Empower Students to:

be resilient in their current situation

Increase Access to Quality and Relevant Education

contribute positively to their new communities

actively build a good future for themselves

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Learning Objectives

Cognitive

Affective

Behavioral

English Certification - Students will be prepared to successfully take and pass the TOEFLiBT/Junior TOEFL

Social Cohesion - Students will feel a sense of belonging to both virtual andphysical learning communities by interacting, teaching, and serving those intheir communities.

Peace Building - Students will feel a sense of purpose,think for themselves, practice tolerance, value humanrights, and deal with the traumas of war productively

Literacy and Numeracy Skills - Students will learn

7th and 8th grade literacy and numeracy skills in boththeir mother language (Arabic) and in English

Life Skills - Student will learn about how to dealwith new environments and different cultures,personal finance basics, goal setting, basicentrepreneurial computer skills

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Empowerment Projects: Solidify Learning by Doing

At the End of Each Curriculum Unit, Students Must Complete a Project Using Critical Thinking Skills

1, 9

Individual to CommunityCollaboration

Contextual Application:Learner Driven / Meta Learning

Perceptive Writing:Active Learning

Research-BasedInquiry and Reasoning:Collaborative Learning

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4

Virtual Journals Community ProjectGroup Presentation

Problem Solve Individually

Sets Own Goals

Strategize Approach withmentor

Self-Evaluate Progress

Problem Solve as a Group

Formulate Questions andIdentify Resources

Opportunities to Lead

Solidify Learning by TeachingOthers

Apply Lessons to Surroundings

Utilize various modes ofcommunication

Self-Reflection: Relationship toNew Environment

Feedback from Mentor and Peers

5

11

10

6

7

8

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STEP 3: TOOLS

Enabling Technology to Achieve Learning Objectives

Asynchronous and Synchronous Technology

Use Effective Learning Principles(Watkins, Carnell, and Lodge, 2007)

1. Produce work based on feedback (Active learning)

2. Collaborate with others (Collaborative learning)

3. Make choices about their learning (Learner-driven)

4. Monitor and review how they learn (Meta-learning)

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Student Motivation and Incentives

Leverage GamingPrinciples and

Social Networks

AB Test UserInterface for Girls

vs Boys

Opportunities toEarn Incremental

Rewards

Build Support atHome and in the

Community

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Transactional Distance Theoryby Moore (2007)

InstructorLearner

How Do We Develop the Program to ProvideQuality Education in a Conflict Context?

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High Transactional Distance (H)

Individualized Activity (I) Socialized Activity (S)

Low Transactional Distance (L)

Park’s Pedagogical Framework for Mobile Learning (2011)

HSHI

LSHL

1

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Core ProgramComponents

Your Capacity in GivenContext

Low TransactionalDistance,

IndividualizedActivity

High TransactionalDistance,

IndividualizedActivity

Low TransactionalDistance,

Socialized Activity

High TransactionalDistance,

Socialized Activity

Internet connectionspeed

3G - 4G X - X -

2G - X - X

Mobile Device TypeSmartphone/

TabletX - X -

Basic Mobile - X - -

Access to In-person Teachers/Mentors

Generally Accessible X - X -

Limited - X - X

Access to Electricity Reliable X - X -

Unreliable - X - X

Type of Program Formal Curriculum - X - X

Non-FormalCurriculum

X - X -

Mapping Exercise: Identifying Transactional Distance in Conflict Context

Strive for more circles in the “Low Transactional” columns and an equal number of “Individual” and “Social” Activities Aliim.org

Smartphone Schools Example:Technology Enabling Feedback

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# Refugee GirlsMatter

# Education Can’t Wait

# Education DESPITE War

Other Conflict-Affected Contexts

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Thanks!

janae.bushman@aliim.org

Special thanks to my colleagues and advisors:Bassel Akar, Evaline Schot, Dominic Mentor,

Andrea Varadi

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Education Cannot Wait1. UNESCO, INEE, International Institute for Educational Planning. High Level Symposium on Conflict-sensitive Education –

Why and How?, 8 April 2013.2. UNESCO, INEE, International Institute for Educational Planning. High Level Symposium on Conflict-sensitive Education –

Why and How?, 8 April 2013.3. UNESCO, INEE, International Institute for Educational Planning. High Level Symposium on Conflict-sensitive Education –

Why and How?, 8 April 2013.4. INEE. Education Cannot Wait: Protecting Children and Youth’s Right to a Quality Education in Humanitarian Emergencies

and Conflict Situations, 2013.5. Chatty, Dawn, et al. Ensuring quality education for young refugees from Syria (12-25 years): a mapping exercise, Oxford:

Refugee Studies Center, 2014.

References: Aliim SMARTPHONE SCHOOLS: Contextualizing MobileLearning for Syrian Refugee Girls

1. Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation. Jordan Response Plan for the Syria Crisis, 2015.2. Lebanon UNHCR. 3RP Regional Refugee Resilience Plan 2015-2016, 2014.3. Refugee Studies Centre. Ensuring quality education for young refugees from Syria (12-25) years: A mapping exercise, 20144. Mercy Corps. Advancing Adolescence, getting Syrian refugee and host-community adolescents back on track Mercy Corps

Lebanon & Jordan”, 2014.

Hundreds of Thousands Not in School

1. INEE Minimum Standards. Access and Learning Environment: Standard 1: Equal Access, 2010.2. Women’s Refugee Commission. "Provide informal learning opportunities for out-of-school adolescent girls is a

guiding principle“, I’m Here: Adolescent Girls in Emergencies, 2014.3. Women’s Refugee Commission. "Consider Daily Routines, caretaking responsibilities and time is a guiding

principle”, I’m Here: Adolescent Girls in Emergencies, 2014.4. INEE Minimum Standards. "Learning Environments are secure and safe, and promote the protection and the

psychosocial well-being of learners, teachers and other education personnel“, Access and Learning Environment:Standard 2: Protection and Well-being, 2010.

Barriers to Accessing Quality Education Amongst Syrian School-Aged Refugees in Lebanon and Jordan

Needs of Girls Affected by Conflict

1. Women’s Refugee Commission. I’m Here: Adolescent Girls in Emergencies, 2014.

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Barriers to Accessing Quality Education Amongst Syrian School-Aged Refugees in Lebanon andJordan (Continued)

5. INEE Minimum Standards. “Education facilities promote the safety and well-being of learners, teachers and othereducation personnel and are linked to health, nutrition, psychosocial and protection services“, Access andLearning Environment: Standard 3: Facilities and Services, 2010.

6. Women’s Refugee Commission, I’m Here: Adolescent Girls in Emergencies, 2014.7. Women’s Refugee Commission "Address barriers that keep adolescent girls from participating in formal schooling

is a guiding principle“, I’m Here: Adolescent Girls in Emergencies, 2014.8. UNICEF. "Conduct a gender analysis is a guiding principle“, Integrating Information and Communication

Technologies into Communication for Development Strategies to Support and Empower Marginalized AdolescentGirls, 2013.

9. INEE Minimum Standards. Teaching and Learning Standard 1: Curricula, 2010.10. USAID. “Ensure contextually-appropriate educational content is a guiding principle“, Using Technology to Deliver

Educational Services to Children and Youth in Environments Affected by Crisis and/or Conflict, 2013.11. UNICEF. "Ensure programs are community-driven is a guiding principle“, Integrating Information and

Communication Technologies into Communication for Development Strategies to Support and EmpowerMarginalized Adolescent Girls, 2013.

12. UNICEF. "Use an ecological framework to asses circles of influence and program effectiveness is a guidingprinciple“, Integrating Information and Communication Technologies into Communication for DevelopmentStrategies to Support and Empower Marginalized Adolescent Girls, 2013.

References: Aliim SMARTPHONE SCHOOLS: Contextualizing MobileLearning for Syrian Refugee Girls

1. UNICEF. “Clarify Objectives to be achieved through technology”, Fit for Purpose, Integrating in Information andCommunication Technologies into Communication for Development Strategies to Support and Empower MarginalizedAdolescent Girls, 2013.

2. University of Connecticut. How to Write Objectives Outcomes accessed January 25, 2015 fromhttp://assessment.uconn.edu/docs/HowToWriteObjectivesOutcomes.pdf

Mobile Learning Impacts

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Transactional Distance Theory

1. A Pedagogical Framework for Mobile Learning: Categorizing Educational Applications ofMobile Technologies into Four Types (Park, 2011), International Review of Research in Openand Distance Learning. Vol. 12.2 February 2011. Virginia Tech, USA.

References: Aliim SMARTPHONE SCHOOLS: Contextualizing MobileLearning for Syrian Refugee Girls

10. UNICEF. “Use real-time feedback from girls/peers is a guiding principle“, Integrating Information and CommunicationTechnologies into Communication for Development Strategies to Support and Empower Marginalized AdolescentGirls, 2013.

11. Watkins, Carnell, and Lodge. “Constructivism, where individuals construct knowledge through interactions with theirenvironment is a part of Active Learning“, Effective Learning in the Classroom, 2007.

Empowerment Projects: Solidify Learning by Doing (Continued)

1. Blumenfeld, P., et al. “Educational Psychologist", 26 (3&4) 369-398, Motivating Project-Based Learning: Sustainingthe Doing, Supporting the Learning, 1991.

2. Watkins, Carnell, and Lodge. “Produce work based on feedback“, Effective Learning in the Classroom, 2007.3. Watkins, Carnell, and Lodge. “Collaborate with others", Effective Learning in the Classroom, 2007.4. Watkins, Carnell, and Lodge, “Make choices about their learning along with monitor and review how they learn“,

Effective Learning in the Classroom, 2007.5. Ambros, S., et al. “Apply what is learned“, How Learning Works: Seven Research-Based Principles for Smart

Teaching, 2010.6. UNICEF. “Provide girls with inspiring mentors and opportunities to lead is a guiding principle“, Integrating

Information and Communication Technologies into Communication for Development Strategies to Support andEmpower Marginalized Adolescent Girls, 2013.

7. Ambros, S., et al. “Students set own goals and receives feedback: Goal-directed practice, coupled with targetedfeedback, is critical to learning“, How Learning Works: Seven Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching, 2010.

8. USAID. “Prioritize the Human-Ware over the hardware and software is a guiding principle“, Using Technology toDeliver Educational Services to Children and Youth in Environments Affected by Crisis and or Conflict, 2013.

9. INEE Minimum Standards. “Instruction and Learning Processes are learner-centered, participatory, and inclusive“,Teaching and Learning Standard 3: Instruction and Learning Processes, 2010.

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