Project information
| Status | Finalist |
| URL | Go to website |
| Category | Education Lifelong and informal learning |
| Country | Philippines |
| Operational areas | Urban, Rural |
| Target groups | Youth, Women, Men |
| Fixed connection | DSL |
| Wireless connection | GSM |
| Access points | Business, Home, School, Telecenter, Cafe |
| Interact | Landline Phone, Desktop Computer, Cellphone, Laptop, PDA, CD players |
| Software License Types | Open Source, Proprietary |
Project location
Random images Challenge 2008
Mobile Technology Initiatives for Non-Formal Education
- Brief description
- Project MIND (Mobile Technology Initiatives for Non-Formal Education) is an innovative research project that looks into the viability and effectiveness of using SMS as part of a blended learning experience for out-of-school youth and adult learners in the Philippines.
- Vision, Objectives and Goals
- The goal of this research project is to test the feasibility and acceptability of using SMS as an access model for delivering non-formal distance education modules to different socio-economic, cultural and gender groups, and to determine the motivation of users for DE purposes. So far, the project is in its final phases, and we have facilitated the development of educational content using a bottom-up, community-based participatory approach. This has resulted in the development of modules in English and Math for students of Non-formal education in the Philippines. These modules have been piloted on around 150 students in the city of Manila, and teachers have also been involved in the development and implementation process. Focus group discussions were done, and the effectiveness of the modules were tested by comparing the performance of the pilot students during the national Accreditation & Equivalency (A&E) exams with those students who were not part of the study. Results show a significant difference in terms of passing rates, performance in the English and Math components of the exam, and in the overall experience of students, most of which come from the urban poor sectors of Manila. Using SMS technologies for blended learning has also received positive feedback from users in Mongolia, who report that learning is enhanced by using SMS as part of self-evaluation and reporting, and has enabled more people to learn more while on the go.
- How does ICT contribute to the organisational objectives
- The impact of using ICT in achieving our objectives is in reaching more people at the same time, providing access using a ubiquitous technology such as mobile phones, which require a very low learning curve, and in ensuring equity to the disadvantaged. m-learning also provides an opportunity for people to bridge the information and educational divide. The use of SMS is integral to the research and implementation process of the study, and has enabled the oragnization and its partners to effectively use a ubiquitous technology to reach more students, thus providing a service to more people who would ordinarily not be reached by more traditional means of non-formal education. The SMS server has also acted as a data mining tool to generate usage of the modules by students, their log-in times, scores in quizzes and frequency of use. It has also helped our partner teachers to keep track of their students' progress and their level of participation.
- Transferability
The demonstration of the effective use of SMS technologies for blended learning and the use of ICTs for distance edcuation, and its documentation in the journal Distance Education (2007), means that this technolgy and the findings can be readily adapted for use by the public and private education sectors, especially in reaching more people through non-formal education. Private companies can also make used of SMS to provide distance-based training to its employees, especially for companies that have many branches or offices. The commercial potentials of this system can also be adopted by private or public telecommunications firms, both as a value-added service, as well as a way for them to practice corporate social responsibility, in providing education to the masses, now that mobile phones are accessible to more people than ever before.
- Project summary
- The use of ICTs, particularly mobile technology, is vital in this project. SMS is being used as a tool for blended learning, that is, the use of different media and technologies for education. In this project, we have designed, along with teachers, the community and other stakerholders, blended learning modules in English, Math and Medicine for various adult learners, physicians and out-of-school youth in the Philippines and Mongolia. These modules were developed, pre-tested, and implemented to our pilot participants. Prior to implementation, the participants were given pre-tests to get baseline data on their level of knowledge. At the same time, the MIND SMS Learner Management System was set up and operationalized, which handles the content, database and communications with the students' mobile phones. This formed part of the implementation phase, where students were given modules, SMS prepaid cards and around 1 week to complete the modules, and to interact with the system through texting. After this period, the results of the SMS-based quizzes were collected, and compared with the baseline figures. Focus group discussions were also conducted, and in the Philippines, the progress of the students were tracked, when they took the national accreditation & equivalency exams. Their performance was compared to those of the general population, to determine if the Project MIND Modules they took helped them in improving their knowledge and skills in English and Mathematics. The results showed that there was indeed a significant difference in test performance by students who took the SMS-based courses, as compared to other students of the same age range, educational attainment and socio-economic status, but did not use the technology. Satisfaction, learning improvements and ease of use of the technology were also documented in students in the Philippines and in Mongolia, and showed a general concensus that indeed, SMS has great potential to be part of a blended learning solution to people on the go, and those who did not have access to educational opportunities before.
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