Using Soft Systems Methodology to Understand how to Exploit

Learning Technologies in Developing Countries

C. Sanga, & I.M. Venter, Computer Science Department

6th ANNUAL EDUCATION STUDENTS’ REGIONAL RESEARCH CONFERENCE, UWC 2006

Introduction• ICT has changed the face of teaching and

learning

• A literature survey was done to determine the extent to which technology can meet the requirements of learning communities in developing countries

• Open University of Tanzania (OUT) is used as a case study and

• Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) will be used as a research approach.

Sketching the Background

• Shortage of schools and higher learning institutions after independence(1961).

• The role of programmes like Universal Primary Education (1974)

• Cost sharing introduced in 80’s (SAP)

Background (cont)• Construction of schools, colleges

and universities in the 90’s with introduction of Primary and Secondary Education Development Plan

• Changes to Education system meant large number of students will wish to enter higher learning institutions

• Can ICT based Open and Distance Learning solve the problem?

Research Methodology

• SSM will be implemented as research methodology

• SSM is suited to solve unstructured, poorly defined and complex problems.

Research Methodology

“SSM is a methodology that aims to bring about improvement in areas of social concern by activating in the people involved in the situation a

learning cycle which is ideally never-ending”

(Checkland & Scholes., 1990, p.30)

Yields choices of

Relevant systems ofpurposeful activity

A real-world situationof concern

Comparisons of models withperceived real situation

Action needed to improvethe situation

BASIC SHAPE OF SSM

The problem situation or

“Real world situation of concern”

• lack of enough instructors, • inadequate teaching and learning

materials and • lack of infrastructure

The problem situation (cont)

These problems have led to:

(i) delay of delivery of learning materials (ii) difficult communication between instructors and students (iii) as well as between students and central administration

OUT

ICT TeamGovernment

Staff & administrators

Student

Employers’ Local community Donor agency

Rich Picture of Problem Situation

Choice of “ Relevant systems”

ICT in stead of traditional distance learning methods

Why ICT?

• It can solve the problem of the shortage of skilled lecturers and

• alleviate the problem of inadequate learning and teaching materials, however

• it does not address the problem of infrastructure

BUT

• There is wide coverage and usage of mobile phones (compared to technologies such as the Internet) in Tanzania

None, 86%

Computers, 14%

Internet (0.03%), 0%

Computers in TanzaniaComputers in Tanzania

None, 48%

Rural, 8%Urban, 44%

Mobile phones in TanzaniaMobile phones in Tanzania

Thus

• Mobile technology is thus an obvious choice

• It seems as if this growth in mobile usage might bridge Africa’s digital divide

Choice of “Relevant systems” (cont)

• Would it be practical to implement m-learning?

• Or should e-learning be included?

• Or a combination of m- and e-learning?

Purposeful action of a relevant system

• an integration of e-learning and m-learning will be implemented in the first cycle of the study

Yields choices of

Relevant systems of purposeful activity

A real-world situation of concern

Comparisons of models with perceived real situation

Action needed to improve the situation

m-learning & e-learning

KEWL introduced at OUT

DATA collection & analysis

SSM (revisited)

Sortage of lecturers & learning material

Implementation

In the first case study one module at OUT will be identified to test the effect of the “relevant systems of purposeful activity “ namely an integrated e-and m-learning model.

Implementation (cont)

• The technical needs - to execute the first case study - need to be determined. That is:– The selection of technology– The selection of mobile devices

• Initially PDAs will be used for testing and implementation of the first prototype.

Comparisons

• Data will be collected using questionnaires and interviews

• Qualitative and quantitative analysis will be done to “compare model with perceived real situation”

Discussion and Conclusion• It seems as if SSM is suitable as a

methodology to tackle the problem situation from WHAT to HOW

• The next step will be the creation of a suitable m-learning module to integrate with the e-learning system (KEWL)

• More work will need to be done on the technical environment that will need to be established before testing can be done.