KAWA Uganda Five Year Plan

KAWA Digital Strategy for Schools

2016-2021 ICT INTEGRATION FOR ENHANCED TEACHING AND LEARNING

www.kawauganda.com 1

KAWA Digital Strategy for Schools

2016 - 2021 ICT INTEGRATION FOR ENHANCED TEACHING AND LEARNING

www.kawauganda.com 2

Table of Contents 1.0

Introduction ............................................................................................................. 5

1.2

Vision ..................................................................................................................... 6

1.3

Mission .................................................................................................................. 6

1.4

Proponents ........................................................................................................... 6

2.0

The Challenge .......................................................................................................... 6

3.0

The Solution ............................................................................................................. 7

4.0

ICT Integration for Enhanced Teaching and Learning Programs .................... 8

4.1 The Continuous Professional development Courses: ......................................... 8 4.2

UNESCO ICT Competency Framework for Teachers...................................... 9

4.3

Working with Telecom Companies ................................................................. 11

4.4

Training of ICT Teachers and Computer lab managers................................11

4.5

Digital Content for Schools .............................................................................. 12

4.6

Career Guidance e-resources........................................................................... 12

4.7

The KAWA Virtual teacher Program................................................................13

4.8

Elearning Uganda ..............................................................................................13

4.9 ICT Workshops at District level............................................................................ 14 5.0

ICT Integration for Enhanced Teaching and Learning 2016-2021 ................. 14

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ACRONYMS MOU

Memorandum of Understanding

MoESTS

Ministry of Education, Science, technology and Sports

KAWA

Kisubi Associated Writers Agency

UNESCO

United Nations Scientific and Cultural Organization

CICT

Contextualized ICT Framework for teachers.

RCDF

Rural Communications Development Fund

UCC

Uganda Communications Communication

MUBS

Makerere University Business School

TTISSA

Teacher Training Initiative for Sub Saharan Africa

IICBA

International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa

EFA

Education for All

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1.0 Introduction The Government of Uganda through the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Sports (MoESTS) has been progressively expanding the education system so as to provide equitable access and quality education for all citizens. After having recorded significant expansion in access, Uganda is confronted with the big task of improving student learning with substantial investment in developing, managing and professionalizing the teaching force.

Following the signing the Memorandum of Understanding between MoESTS and KAWA to build the capacity of teachers to utilize ICT in the teaching and learning process, KAWA has embarked on a nationwide mobilization and ICT awareness campaign of the integration of ICT in Education and the introduction of the Contextualized UNESCO ICT Framework for teachers.

The KAWA five year plan of ICT integration for enhanced teaching and learning builds on the progress made by the Government of Uganda through the Rural Communications Development Fund and the Ministry of ICT, which provided computers to 1033 government secondary schools. This is a step in the right direction which will further embed technology and digital learning tools in primary and post-primary schools. Based on the MoU with MoESTS, our Agency is using those computer laboratories in supporting Primary and Secondary schools to integrate appropriate ICTs through six key digital programs that cover:  in-service teacher training in UNESCO ICT for competency Framework for teachers through CPD;  creation of local Digital Educational Content and development;  the National Virtual teacher Programme;  Online/offline career guidance Digital Resources.  Designing school websites to be linked on the www.education.go.ug website.  Training of ICT Teachers and Computer lab managers in technical support to be able to install and maintain hardware and software.

All Secondary schools computer labs will be used as IT Academies for training of Primary and Secondary School teachers for a period of three months through

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blended learning approach involving face to face, videos, mobile phones, offline digital content and online platforms.

1.1 Certification Successful candidates will be required to be certified locally and internationally.

Certification locally will be done by Makerere University Business School while internationally, Microsoft, ICDL or UNESCO will carry out the certification.

1.2

Vision

To make the greatest impact possible to the life chances of learners by working with educators across the country to ensure they are trained, empowered and supported to be the very best.

1.3

Mission

To contribute to skilling Uganda through the provision of: flexible and innovative programmes of teaching and learning; distance and part time programmes to support career upgrades and re-skilling; state-of-the-art ICT support services; continuous professional development; academic programmes that inculcate the entrepreneurial culture and; the opportunities for acquiring higher education by all persons without discrimination.

1.4 Proponents Ministry of Education and Sports: National mandate to provide for, support,

guide, coordinate, regulate and promote quality education throughout Uganda.

KAWA: Course material development, Training fellow teachers to adapt and or

adopt new teaching and learning opportunities that ICT presents.

Makerere University Business School: Training of Trainers, certification, course material development and quality assurance.

UNESCO: Through its “ICT Competency Standards for Teachers� as a standard-

setting agency, its mandate within the Education for All (EFA) Programme and, its mandate as the lead agency for action lines on capacity building.

2.0 The Challenge

Teachers in a large number of schools are still stuck in the 19th century theoretical approaches to teaching, with little or no digital literacy; their

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skills have been eroded after many years of teaching with limited exposure to modern methods of teaching through technology. This restricts them and their students from engaging in 21st century learning techniques and the professional development opportunities provided by ICT. MoESTS with support from UNESCO undertook its first comprehensive national diagnostic study of the teacher issues, known as TTISSA Diagnostic Study from 2010 to 2013. The evidence-based Study revealed there is shortage of qualified teachers and the need to invest in system strengthening to support and motivate the teaching force for quality teaching and learning.

There are more challenges to do with curriculum formulation approach – outdated, limited and obsolete; education focus on memorization not on building skills; teacher centric approach applied; parent engagement is limited; large demand, huge population and limited resources as well as high cost of schools establishment and management.

3.0 The Solution KAWA in collaboration with the education Ministry, government agencies and its partners will provide the necessary technological and pedagogical support to schools to facilitate the embedding of ICT in our education system and urge all schools, and their communities, to embrace the opportunities afforded by the use of digital technologies in the classroom.

Through this program, we shall be able to improve the quality of education by enhancing educational content development, supporting administrative processes in schools and increasing access to education for both teachers and pupils via blended learning and mobile phones. Mobile telecoms have offered opportunities for educators, students and young people, particularly those living in rural communities, to broaden their horizons and improve their employment prospects. Unfortunately they are not aware of such prospects.

Our Education system must enable individuals to perform better in developing the national economy through developing a high quality labour force with employable skills that are competitive in the global labour

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market and to improve Citizens Health and overall wellbeing. Therefore the education sector needs to respond to the increasingly complicated, rapid and even unpredictable developments beyond the sector itself.

We want to encourage all teachers to use ICT in the classroom to bring learning to life for students; to give learners the tools to collaborate and to examine engaging problems; to research and analyze information; and to use ICT resources to communicate their ideas and to share what they create with others beyond the walls of their classroom or school. We recognize that for this to happen KAWA must show leadership and provide the necessary support to schools and teachers.

4.0

ICT Integration for Enhanced Teaching and Learning Programs

4.1 The Continuous Professional development Courses: The project involves use of e-learning modules that are installed in computer labs while those who have smart phones and laptops use their devices anytime, anywhere to study. Training takes 3 months after which every participant sits for exams at MUBS to become a certified Educator.

This program has started in West Nile and Acholi regions.

By the end of the course, each participant will have covered the following:      

Module 1 – Basics of ICT and Using the Computer ; Module 2 – Word Processing; Module 3 – Spreadsheets; Module 4 – Presentation; Module 5 – Using Databases; Module 6 – Web Browsing and Communication

Through our hands on approach, five days are enough to train the headteachers and teachers in each centre. The rest of the period will be committed towards ICT Integration in the whole School process. The concept of ICT integration goes well beyond the introduction of ICT into schools and needs to be considered within the wider context of schoolimprovement with issues such as: education change; school leadership;

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professional development and support; evaluation systems; and sharing of professional practice with other teachers and schools. This requires serious follow up to ensure that teachers are using the above productivity tools appropriately.

4.2

UNESCO ICT Competency Framework for Teachers

The UNESCO ICT Competency Framework provides a lens for monitoring how ICT can support such transformation in schools. The framework identifies three complementary and overlapping approaches connecting education policy with economic and social development through the use of ICT. These approaches are defined as technology literacy, knowledge deepening and knowledge creation. The three approaches are described as follows: • Increasing the extent to which new technology is used by students, citizens and the workforce by incorporating technology skills into the school curriculum — the Technology Literacy approach.

• Increasing the ability of students, citizens, and the workforce to use knowledge to add value to society and the economy by applying it to solve complex, real-world problems — the Knowledge Deepening approach.

• Increasing the ability of students, citizens, and the workforce to innovate, produce new knowledge, and benefit from this new knowledge — the Knowledge Creation approach. (UNESCO, 2011; p.7).

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Figure 1: UNESCO ICT teacher Competency framework (UNESCO, 2014; p.13).

To localize the UNESCO ICT-CFT, the MoESTS selected KAWA to join the experts from IICBA who worked closely with tutors, instructors and lectures from Nakawa Vocational Training Institute (NVTI), Shimoni Core Primary Teachers College and Kyambogo University (KyU). The final draft is ready on www.unesco.org There is a need to ensure that ALL teachers are equipped with the knowledge, skills and confidence to integrate ICT into their practice. The use of ICT for teaching, learning and assessment has to be embedded at each stage of the continuum of teacher education, i.e. Initial Teacher Education, Induction and Continuous Professional Development. This will provide multiple opportunities for teachers, across the continuum of teacher education, to become more knowledgeable and confident in achieving ICT integration.

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4.3 Working with Telecom Companies The internet is playing an increasingly important part in all our lives and KAWA Strategy has identified recent trends regarding the role of cloud computing in education and students bringing their own devices to schools (BYOD). The Strategy will provide advice and support to schools in relation to these new trends, so that principals and teachers make better-informed local decisions. Schools have had challenges of managing mobile phones and other devices at school simply because there is no acceptable local content which teachers can direct learners to use. It also recognises that schools face challenges in acquiring appropriate technical support. All our digital content at www.kawauganda.com is being accessed through mobile devices.

4.4 Training of ICT Teachers and Computer lab managers in technical support In order to reduce the computer breakdowns and to technically sustain the computers in schools, KAWA will start organizing a basic technical course in computer maintenance & troubleshooting, Management and Leadership for Secondary School teachers and Computer Lab Managers. This came after realizing the misuse and quick break down of computer labs by untrained teachers who had no knowledge of hardware and software troubleshooting.

The two day non-residential Computer Maintenance, repair and troubleshooting hands workshops for secondary school computer lab managers and teachers will start from in February 2017.

Objectives:  To provide the ICT teachers and computer lab managers an opportunity to brainstorm about the challenges they face in maintaining, repairing and troubleshooting computers and share experiences for each one to learn from the other.  To help teachers and lab managers learn and practice assembling computers.  To learn and practice the installation of software including the Operating System, Utility Programs and applications on computers.

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 To share useful basic principles of computer lab care, management and leadership in implementing school ICT projects.  To introduce teachers to practical computer networking in creating a simple LAN for the school.

4.5 Digital Content for Schools KAWA has converted all the completed textbooks into e-content library of educational resources covers videos, simulations, quizzes,, images, web links, innovative virtual laboratories and fill/march exercises. These are to be installed in the school labs to be used offline. All resources for sciences and arts for UCE and UACE are ready for installation starting August 2016 and to be updated throughout the five year period Schools need to have access to a wide range of relevant, high-quality digital content, which serves to support learners at all stages of our education system.

Teachers especially in Arts subjects like geography struggle to explain topics like Problems of New York, the Prairies of Canada and the impressive features of the great barrier reefs in Mombasa, the places they have never been to yet using a video in class can provide a visually beautiful and immersive learning experience. Students these days would rather watch a video than study from text books.

There is now an opportunity for teachers, students and parents/guardians to reduce reliance on textbooks and move in a planned way towards alternative forms of content that may include teacher or student-generated resources.

4.6 Career Guidance e-resources

MoESTS through the Career Guidance department published two resourceful handbooks with the message of H.E President Yoweri Museveni to all educators, parents and learners. Wonderful but how could we make sure that every student; every parent; grandparent or guardian; every teacher; clergyman and all those engaged in offering careers advice – the

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people who really needed this guidance could have a copy? The heavy printing and distribution costs for such a necessarily large books made it impossible for all to be have a hard copy.

We believe uniquely in the World - the KAWA team and Learn with Grandma have taken a bold step into the future and sponsored this excellent e-book version. Not only can EVERYONE access this e-book - on any device; from a mobile phone to a large screen whiteboard; enabling it to be used in training courses – but also (unlike a printed book) it can be added to as new courses and training opportunities become available. We believe that this is the first digital careers guidance book to be offered in this digital format anywhere in the World.

4.7 The KAWA Virtual teacher Program

There is currently an acute shortage of quality science teachers in Uganda.

A total of 13,000 sciences teachers are needed. 105 Schools did not have any physics teacher (Monitor, February 2, 2013). Aero engineer Paul Charles Rukundo introduced a programme where few talented and excellent teachers in the most powerful and best performing schools can share lessons with the disadvantaged schools technology.

It may not be possible to recruit teachers adequately in the short run.

Sometimes teachers go on strike leaving students unattended to. This calls for initiatives to address the challenge. Through this ICT in education programme, very good but few teachers will be able to teach students in rural schools without adequate teachers.

Objectives of the Virtual Teacher Project      4.8

Provides immediate solution to teacher shortages in the country.

To enable students access few but good teachers.

To reduce students’ failure rate among the participating rural schools.

Reduce regional disparities in education quality.

Give government ample time to plan and recruit teachers.

Elearning Uganda

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Every year KAWA organizes an elearning Conference as a networking event for headteachers, principals and education Officers following the Annual elearning Africa Conference. We have already held two international post elearning Africa conferences since 2014 at Trinity College Nabbingo and Makerere University Business School with full support and actual attendance of the Permanent Secretary Dr. Rose Nasali Lukwago, the Commissioners, DEOs and Headteachers all over the country. KAWA members are facilitators at the major elearning Africa Conferences which have been held in Tanzania, Zambia, Kenya, Benin, Ghana, Nambia, Ethiopia, Cairo and Uganda with excellent results.

4.9 ICT Workshops at District level Sensitization workshops have been held at regional level meant to help teachers acquire skills of integrating ICT in teaching. All schools should be made aware that IT is a useful aid to learning where computers are available.

5.0

ICT Integration for Enhanced Teaching and Learning 2016-2021

Objective Action(s) Timeframe 1. ICT sensitization- Hold One seminar in each district 2016 –2017 Workshops at District level to ensure that schools can engage effectively in wholeschool planning and self-evaluation to support provision for ICT learning.

2. To embed digital learning objectives within future education policy and curriculum reform initiatives.

Lead Partner(s) KAWA, MUBS

to be attended by headteachers for planning resources and awareness of the ICT role in education. The training for ICT Teachers covered induction and installation of e-learning platforms

Include clear statements and objectives on the use of ICT, and the development of digital learning competencies, in future curriculum specifications and policy initiatives relating to learning and teaching.

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2016-2017

NCDC, KAWA, ESA, MoESTS

3. To adapt and contextualize the UNESCO ICT Competency Framework for Teachers for Uganda

4. To introduce the CPD and UNESCO ICT competency framework for integration of ICT into teaching, learning and assessment in schools.

5.To install offline ebooks, multimedia, elibrary and KAWA LMS in each Schools labs -

6.

Installation of Career Guidance eresources in Secondary School computer labs and training users.

Establish a design team to review and adapt the UNESCO ICT Competency Framework for Teachers.

Pilot the adapted framework, and revise as appropriate, to ensure that it facilitates teachers to reflect on their practice and identify professional learning needs.

Enable KAWA, MUBS and development partners to play a lead role in promoting and supporting the integration of ICT in teaching and learning in schools by training all primary and secondary teachers in ICT.

Update the offline and online ‘eLearning platforms with eresources for arts subjects.

Publish and disseminate the revised ‘e-Learning in Your School’ planning resource.

Update the offline and online ‘eLearning platforms with eresources for arts subjects.

Publish and disseminate the revised ‘e-Learning in Your School’ planning resource.

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2016-2017

UNESCO, NITA, KAWA

TIET,

-2016-2017 (West Nile & Acholi Region) -2017-2018 (Teso, Karamoja & Mbale regions -2018-2019 (Busoga & Central regions) -2019-2020 (Bunyoro -Kitara & Rwenzori regions) -2020-2021 (Masaka, Mid West & Kigezi Region)

KAWA, MUBS, TIET, MoESTS, Microsoft.

2016-2018

KAWA

2016-2018

KAWA

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