Enhancement of In-Service Teachers Training Programme through Mobile

Phones in Tanzania

Dr. Jabiri Kuwe Bakari

Presentation Outline

• Introduction • Problem Area and Motivation • Project Objectives • Project Set-Up• Preliminary Findings • Conclusion and Outlook

Presentation Outline

• Introduction • Problem Area and Motivation Problem Area and Motivation • Project Objectives Project Objectives • Project Set-UpProject Set-Up• Preliminary Findings Preliminary Findings • Conclusion and OutlookConclusion and Outlook

Presentation Outline

• Introduction Introduction • Problem Area and Motivation • Project Objectives Project Objectives • Project Set-UpProject Set-Up• Preliminary Findings Preliminary Findings • Conclusion and OutlookConclusion and Outlook

Problem• The education programme started in January 2007 at

the Open University of Tanzania (OUT) by admitting 1500 students in five degree programmes as follows:– (i). B. A. Ed 666– (ii) B. Com. Ed. 47– (iii) B. Ed. 362– (iv) B. Sc. Ed 390– (v) B. B. A. Ed. 35

• Teaching when schools are on, and attend intensive face-to-face session in the nearby teachers college during holidays, administered by OUT

• By January 2008, only 825 have been registered into the second year programme – High dropout !

University of Dar es Salaam Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences Ardhi University Institute of Finance ManagementDar es Salaam Institute of TechnologyTumaini University Dar es Salaam College Hubert Karuki Memorial University Dar es Salaam University College of Education College of Business Education Agakhan UniversityDar es salaam Maritime InstituteNational Institute of TransportNyerere Memorial AcademyTanzania Institute of AccountancyInstitute of Social WorksInternational Medical and Technological University Gilliman Hotel and Tourism ManagementSt. Joseph Institute of Technology

KILIMANJARO

TANGA

ARUSHA

MWANZA

TABORA

SHINYANGA

SINGIDA

DODOMA

IRINGA

MBEYA

RUVUMA

LINDI

MTWARA

MOROGORO DAR ES SALAAM

KIGOMA

ZANZIBAR

Tumaini University Mkwawa University College of EducationRuaha University College Iringa University College

Mati Ilonga - MorogoroLiti - MorogoroMzumbe UniversitySokoine University of Agriculture Muslim University of Morogoro

Zanzibar University State University of ZanzibarCollege of Education ZanzibarKarume Technical Colledge

Makumira University CollegeUniversity of ArushaInstitute of Accountancy ArushaLiti Tengeru - ArushaCommunity Dev. Training Ins. TengeruMount Meru University

Moshi University College of Cooperation and Business StudiesStefano Moshi Memorial University College Kilimanjaro Christian Medical CollegeMweka Wildlife College

St. Augustine University of Tanzania Weill Bugando University College of Health Sciences

St. JohnUniversity of Dodoma Institute Of Rural Dev. Planning

Mbeya Institute of Science & TechnologyMati UyoleTeofilo Kasanji University

Sebastian Kolowa University College

MARA

MANYARA

PWANI

PEMBA

RUKWA

KAGERA

Higher Learning Institutions in TZ

Where is the Problem?

University of Dar es Salaam Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences Ardhi University Open University of TanzaniaInstitute of Finance ManagementDar es Salaam Institute of TechnologyTumaini University Dar es Salaam College Hubert Karuki Memorial University Dar es Salaam University College of Education College of Business Education Agakhan UniversityDar es salaam Maritime InstituteNational Institute of TransportNyerere Memorial AcademyTanzania Institute of AccountancyInstitute of Social WorksInternational Medical and Technological University Gilliman Hotel and Tourism ManagementSt. Joseph Institute of TechnologyIfakara health research centre-Dar TIRDO

KILIMANJARO

TANGA

MUSOMA

ARUSHA

MWANZA

TABORA

SHINYANGA

SINGIDA

DODOMA

IRINGA

MBEYA

RUVUMA

LINDI

MTWARA

MOROGORODAR ES SALAAM

KIGOMA

ZANZIBAR

Tumaini University Mkwawa University College of EducationRuaha University College Iringa University College OUT Regional centre

Mati Ilonga - MorogoroLiti - MorogoroMzumbe UniversitySokoine University of Agriculture Muslim University of MorogoroOUT Regional centerIfakara health research centre-Morogoro

Zanzibar University State University of ZanzibarCollege of Education ZanzibarKarume Technical ColledgeOUT Regional centre

Makumira University CollegeUniversity of ArushaInstitute of Accountancy ArushaLiti Tengeru - ArushaCommunity Dev. Training Ins. TengeruMount Meru UniversityOUT Regional centre

Moshi University College of Cooperation and Business StudiesStefano Moshi Memorial University College Kilimanjaro Christian Medical CollegeMweka Wildlife CollegeOUT Regional centre

St. Augustine University of Tanzania Weill Bugando University College of Health SciencesOUT Regional centre

St. JohnUniversity of Dodoma Institute Of Rural Dev. Planning OUT Regional centre

OUT Regional centreMbeya Institute of Science & TechnologyMati UyoleTeofilo Kasanji University

Sebastian Kolowa University College OUT Regional centre

MARAOUT Regional centre

OUT Regional centre

OUT Regional centre

OUT Regional centre

OUT Regional centre

OUT Regional centre

OUT Regional centreIfakara health research

centre-Kigoma

MANYARAOUT Regional centre

PWANIOUT Regional centreIfakara health research centre-BagamoyoIfakara health research centre-Rufiji

PEMBAOUT Regional centre

RUKWAOUT Regional centre

OUT Regional centre

KAGERA

OUT Regional centre

OUT Regional centre

OUT has its Headquarters in DSM and Regional Center in each of the Regional – Lead by Regional Director Most of the students are teaching at the Primary and secondary schools scattered in the remote area-no power, no internet !!!

343 students

1789 students

94 students

234 students

169 students

95 students

234 students

63 students

184 students

234 students

151 students

170 students

215 students

153 students

89 students

99 students

217 students

63 students

97 students

282 students

126 students

133 students

Problems

• Communication breakdown problem after face-to-face sessions between students and OUT lecturers – Probably one of the reasons of high dropout ( e.g. even getting assignments)

• Accessibility problems – Power problems– Band width / Internet infrastructure problems– Affordability problems

• Low availability of PC’s• Limited knowledge how to operate PC’s and computer

networks

Motivation • Example getting assignment, study materials and

various faculty announcements was one of the Major problems to remote students

• Random checking – realised that all students picked in the sample had mobile phone!!

• Some of these problems can be addressed by m-learning and usage of mobile phones– Mobile phone networks have high coverage in Tanzania– Cheaper equipment (Almost all teacher – OUT students,

have mobile phones )– Equipment that can operate without daily access to

electricity, can also be charged by car battery, solar– Equipment familiar to student and teachers

Why mobile learning (general) ?

• Less time and place constraints, “Learning on the move”: flexible technology.

• Introducing "authenticity“, learning on site.• Supports ”just-in-time” learning.• Collaboration can be enhanced, with other students,

teachers and tutors.

Presentation Outline

• Introduction Introduction • Problem Area and Motivation Problem Area and Motivation • Project Objectives • Project Set-upProject Set-up• Preliminary Findings Preliminary Findings • Conclusion and OutlookConclusion and Outlook

Project Objectives

• “The aim of the project for ICT-based in-service teacher education is to improve performance of secondary school teachers by providing training on pedagogy and subject specialized education.”

• Focusing on “short course trained teachers” / licensed teachers

Moodle Server

Internet

Mobile phone to Tower LinkMobile Operator base station to Internet link

Mobile phone to Tower Link

Mobile phone to Tower Link

Mobile Operator base station to Internet link

Mobile Operator b

ase st

ation to

Internet li

nk

Content Developer

Content Developer Content Developer

OUT Student

Ethernet

Ethernet

Ethernet

802.

11g

link

DSL Modem

The Open University of Tanzania

OUT Student

OUT student

•OUT decided long time ago to go for Moodle among other studied LMS …. Platforms (FirstClass, Blackboard, ATUTOR, Moodle

•

Implementation of E-learning

Software and Documentation Available for free – in the Internet

Implementation LMS

It is more than uploading Information (ppt, pdf)

Implementation of LMS

180 copies of course materials have been developed in soft copies. Of the 180 copies, 20 have already uploaded for online learning

Implementation of E-learning Management System

• Use of Moodle Text –Using Mobile Phones which are affordable to most of our Students - To serve the students who are in remote area

Presentation Outline

• Introduction Introduction • Problem Area and Motivation Problem Area and Motivation • Project Objectives Project Objectives • Project Set-up• Preliminary Findings Preliminary Findings • Conclusion and OutlookConclusion and Outlook

Project partners

• Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MoEVT) of Tanzania

• The Open University of Tanzania (OUT)• University of Dar es Salaam• Mid Sweden University

Sponsored by The Swedish Program for Information and Communication Technology in Developing Regions (SPIDER)

Some characteristics of the project

1. “Exploit the interactive potential of ICT in the provision of modern education theory and practice via distance education programmes.”

2. Use available infrastructure and media: “Develop models for communication and distribution of learning material for different technical environments (broadband, VSAT, mobile phones, CD/DVD, memory cards etc).”

3. Exploit other possibilities of the new global world of information and communication: “Support teachers to handle the challenges of using e-resources through knowledge sharing, networking and collaboration for improving teaching”. Use of “Open Courseware”.

Support of learning, access to learning material

• On the memory cards in the mobile phones: – overviews, slideshows for

each learning module – study guide in text – study guide interpreted as

voice

• Access to Internet (3G or GPRS) for additional learning material

Learning activities and communication with fellow students and teachers / tutors

• Students can report development of their assignments (in short form) via SMS

• Teachers can respond using mobile phones or PC’s sending SMS through the Moodle system

Technical solution

• Study guides in text (with Java based book reader)• Texts in study guides interpreted as voice • Narrated slideshows (overviews of learning modules,

produced with MS-PPT and Camtasia )• Auto corrected quizzes (Mobile Quiz from Mobilestudy.org,

results sent by SMS to teacher mobile phone or to Moodle using Moodletxt from Txttools)

• Movie clips with related material (Open Educational Recourses downloaded from the Internet, saved as mpeg4 on mobile phone memory cards)

Phone specifications

• 3G/GPRS• Java• SMS• QVGA display, 320*240

pixels, display not smaller than 2 inches

• Ability to play MP3 audio and MPEG4 / 3GP video

• Memory card option, card size e.g. 4 GB Micro SD

Introduction of pilot group, January 2009

The 18 OUT students (teachers of secondary schools) quickly learnt the operation of the phones, how to access the learning material and how to communicate using mobile phones.

Presentation Outline

• Introduction Introduction • Problem Area and Motivation Problem Area and Motivation • Project Objectives Project Objectives • Project Set-upProject Set-up• Preliminary Findings • Conclusion and OutlookConclusion and Outlook

Preliminary Findings• All of the 18 students thought that the Moodle system

and the mobile phones would increase their possibilities to be successful in their studies. Some of the reasons mentioned were: – Course material is now “close to me” available on time as

text, voice and media files.– Communication is improved, and updated course

information can be communicated. – The Internet access possibility in the mobile phones makes

it easier to find material.– Continuous assessment is made possible, and networking

with fellow students is improved

Challenges

• Getting Academic staff to participate in the process of Developing course contents in LMS (we had 1000 courses – 300 and only 23 course fully developed so far, many others in progress.

• Building a culture of continuous communication between the lecturer and students once the course is on.

• Bandwidth: More bandwidth you use, more money you have to pay. – We are working mobile phone operators to see can such traffic be treated/charged and be able to work low end mobile phones.

Presentation Outline

• Introduction Introduction • Problem Area and Motivation Problem Area and Motivation • Project Objectives Project Objectives • Project Set-upProject Set-up• Preliminary Findings Preliminary Findings • Conclusion and Outlook

Conclusion and Outlook

• During the second half of 2009, the pilot project will be evaluated and possible additional tests will be planned. If the pilot is successful, a suggestion for a nationwide programme and guidelines for mainstreaming the model will be prepared.

• As mentioned above, the main target group in the project is the “licensed teachers” in secondary schools in Tanzania, but the experiences from the project is been used in other teaching and learning contexts.