What is the initiative and where is it implemented (city or country, for example)?
The Connect4Change Education Ghana Alliance (C4C-EGA) was developed to improve the quality of education delivery in Ghana as a collaborative initiative of civil society organisations, the Ghana Education Service and other stakeholders. The study, commissioned by the Alliance, researched and identified ICT skills and equipment available to schools in selected regions of Ghana. In addition, the study measured the extent to which available equipment is used to ensure the acceptable quality of education. The programme started with five schools in 2012 and was extended to include five additional schools in 2014. The programme was scaled further to include 13 schools across Tamale, Savelugu and Ho (IICD, 2015).
How was the initiative established? How was it implemented?
Five Dutch development organizations (Akvo, Cordaid, Edukans, Interkerkelijke Organisatie voor Ontwikkelingssamenwerking (ICCO) and the International Institute for Communication and Development) cooperated to create the Connect4Change programme in 2011 to promote the use of ICT in education. The objectives of the Ghana-based initiative were to build teacher capacity: this required human resources, ICT training provision for teachers and headteachers, school vacation camps to provide ICT trainings to girls, supervisor ICT training and distribution of computers and video cameras to some schools. Around 100 teachers from 4 selected schools were trained on the use of ICT.
Darul Hardis, Yilonayili, Yong Dakpemyili, Yoo Roman Catholic, and Pong-Tamale Experimental were the initial five core schools involved in the programme and supported by Savana Signatures. Each school participating in the programme was provided with a computer lab comprising 11 computers, a printer, a camera, two projectors, a laptop and a desktop computer used by the headteacher for data collection and management. Additionally, participants received capacity development training on basic ICT, ICT pedagogy and basic hardware maintenance. With support from programme coordinators, participating schools received various additional workshops, hardware, offline educational software, mentorship throughout the programme and knowledge-sharing events (IICD, 2015).
Which stakeholders are involved in the design and/or implementation of the initiative? Which sectors do they represent?
Stakeholders included various Ghanaian and international organizations, among them the original five Dutch development organizations (Akvo, Cordaid, Edukans, Interkerkelijke Organisatie voor Ontwikkelingssamenwerking (ICCO) and the International Institute for Communication and Development), as well as the Ghana Education Service and civil society organisations. The Ghana Alliance comprises Savana Signatures, Ibis in Ghana, the Producer Enterprises Promotion Centre, Women and Development Projects, the Presbyterian Education Unit and the Ghana Information Network for Knowledge Sharing (IICD, 2015).
What are the impacts of the initiative in terms of facilitating lifelong learning? Who does it benefit and how?
Interviews with teachers and headteachers in the five schools supported by IICD and Edukans provided evidence that the ICT inputs and training contributed to improvement in school management, increased teacher confidence and enhanced capacity. The study highlighted an improvement in learning outcomes over the course of the programme. According to the teacher interviews, students had difficulties in classes held before the programme began due to underequipped schools and a lack of direct access to ICTs. Although ICT is a compulsory subject on the curriculum, many schools did not have ICT facilities, leaving teachers with no choice but to teach the subject in theory through writing and posters. Moreover, access to ICT devices increased learners’ motivation and promoted further learning. Student enrolment and attendance increased due to the ICT facilities. The presence of ICT and the widened opportunities attracted parents’ attention to the schools that participated in the programme.
Teacher confidence increased due to the trainings provided by the programme. Using ICT to record attendance and grades reduced the time allocated to paperwork and allowed the teachers to dedicate more time to planning and implementing classroom activities. The positive outcomes achieved by the teachers are likely to be enhanced further by active involvement in additional trainings. To improve teacher confidence competence and induce changes in practical teaching, not only in ICT but in other spheres as well, it is essential to provide more long-term trainings to teachers, ensure further technical support and distribute more resources such as projectors, and, most importantly, a stable internet connection (IICD, 2015).
References
IICD (International Institute for Communication and Development). 2015. Impact case study: Savana Signatures. s.l., Edukans.