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uesday, March 18, 2014
Tablet replaces dusty chalk in class
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Embakasi Garrison Primary School pupils demonstrate how to use tablets for learning during the launch of the 'Power of mLearning in Kenya' pilot project that aims to demonstrate the Power of 3G technology in propelling eLearning in primary schools in Kenya. The partners donated 250 tablets to Standard 7 and 8 pupils and an additional 35 devices to teachers at the school. The tablets come with preloaded with the Kenyan educational content for this level. Photo/NATION MEDIA GROUP
In Summary
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By Lilian Ochieng'
More by this Author Septi Deborah, a Class Seven pupil at Embakasi Garrison Primary School, uses a solar-powered 3G-enabled tablet fitted with a smart application, eLimu, to learn.
She is one of the pupils at the school who have benefited from a private sector initiative on the viability of using 3G-enabled tablets to boost academic performance in primary schools.
About 10,157 schools are connected to electricity. The remaining, about 10,210 schools, are far from a power line and will need solar energy to power their tablets and access e-learning
"We are targeting to widen the reach of this project to cover the 10,210 schools countrywide," said Mr Billy Owino, the Qualcomm director for business development.
The project is spearheaded by Qualcomm and Bboxx Kenya, a solar power provider. Other private partners in the project include eLimu, an e-learning company, iHub research lab, Safaricom, and Motorola in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.
Private sector players are coming out aggressively to complement the government's drive to provide laptops to pupils in primary schools.
Intel, Wananchi Group, and Airtel are some of the companies that have lately ventured into the provision of incentives to primary and secondary schools to use e-learning.
Intel, through its "Intel explore and learn" software, hosts the publishers of a variety of contents approved by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development.
The Wananchi Group has also initiated a project to connect more than 2,000 schools to Zuku internet by the end of this year. Last year, Airtel set out to connect 18 secondary schools with high-speed internet.
Technology analyst Jacob Sihulo notes that unlike the other projects supporting e-learning, the Qualcomm project stands a chance to be the most effective because it is all-inclusive and involves different private sector players who provide internet, solar, and learning tools.
'Power of m-learning in Kenya'
The project, dubbed "power of m-learning in Kenya", has been piloted in Nairobi's Embakasi Garrison Primary School and will soon spread its wings to other schools countrywide.
The aim of the initiative is to address the challenges that contribute to low quality education. As most schools are not yet connected to the national electricity grid, the companies are relying on solar energy to power the tablets.
Ministry of Education statistics indicate that four out of 10 pupils subjected to low education standards miss school daily, while 10 per cent of the pupils aged 13 and 14 cannot solve arithmetic problems designed for grade eight and seven.
The number of pupils enrolled in schools following the introduction of free primary education has strained teachers, with one tutor handling 56 pupils.
Ms Nivi Mukerjee, the founder of eLimu, the application on the solar-powered tablets, said the project would stimulate the pupils' desire to learn.
The application was launched in 2012 and has since transformed the lives of pupils, winning awards for its education initiatives. The eLimu application engages primary school pupils in the learning process.
More interactive
The application's content is spiced with animations, videos, songs, music, games, and quizzes to make the learning process more interactive, interesting, fun, and engaging for students.
"Because of the use of eLimu, the project provides sustainable answers to chronic teacher shortages, high levels of absenteeism among both students and teachers, and lack of education materials," said Ms Mukerjee.
So far eLimu has connected more than 250 pupils in Standard Seven and Eight as well as 35 teachers to e-learning.
They receive direct access to the eLimu application through individual solar-powered tablets.
"The animations capture their attention and fascinate the learning process. As teachers we no longer cough because of chalk dust and we can also use the tablets to come up with schemes of work and lesson plans," noted Marha Mayenga, a maths and science teacher at Embakasi Garrison Primary School.
Tablet replaces dusty chalk in class
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In Summary
- Intel, through its "Intel explore and learn" software, hosts the publishers of a variety of contents approved by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development.
- The Wananchi Group has also initiated a project to connect more than 2,000 schools to Zuku internet by the end of this year. Last year, Airtel set out to connect 18 secondary schools with high-speed internet.
- Technology analyst Jacob Sihulo notes that unlike the other projects supporting e-learning, the Qualcomm project stands a chance to be the most effective because it is all-inclusive and involves different private sector players who provide internet, solar, and learning tools.
advertisement
By Lilian Ochieng'
More by this Author Septi Deborah, a Class Seven pupil at Embakasi Garrison Primary School, uses a solar-powered 3G-enabled tablet fitted with a smart application, eLimu, to learn.
She is one of the pupils at the school who have benefited from a private sector initiative on the viability of using 3G-enabled tablets to boost academic performance in primary schools.
About 10,157 schools are connected to electricity. The remaining, about 10,210 schools, are far from a power line and will need solar energy to power their tablets and access e-learning
"We are targeting to widen the reach of this project to cover the 10,210 schools countrywide," said Mr Billy Owino, the Qualcomm director for business development.
The project is spearheaded by Qualcomm and Bboxx Kenya, a solar power provider. Other private partners in the project include eLimu, an e-learning company, iHub research lab, Safaricom, and Motorola in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.
Private sector players are coming out aggressively to complement the government's drive to provide laptops to pupils in primary schools.
Intel, Wananchi Group, and Airtel are some of the companies that have lately ventured into the provision of incentives to primary and secondary schools to use e-learning.
Intel, through its "Intel explore and learn" software, hosts the publishers of a variety of contents approved by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development.
The Wananchi Group has also initiated a project to connect more than 2,000 schools to Zuku internet by the end of this year. Last year, Airtel set out to connect 18 secondary schools with high-speed internet.
Technology analyst Jacob Sihulo notes that unlike the other projects supporting e-learning, the Qualcomm project stands a chance to be the most effective because it is all-inclusive and involves different private sector players who provide internet, solar, and learning tools.
'Power of m-learning in Kenya'
The project, dubbed "power of m-learning in Kenya", has been piloted in Nairobi's Embakasi Garrison Primary School and will soon spread its wings to other schools countrywide.
The aim of the initiative is to address the challenges that contribute to low quality education. As most schools are not yet connected to the national electricity grid, the companies are relying on solar energy to power the tablets.
Ministry of Education statistics indicate that four out of 10 pupils subjected to low education standards miss school daily, while 10 per cent of the pupils aged 13 and 14 cannot solve arithmetic problems designed for grade eight and seven.
The number of pupils enrolled in schools following the introduction of free primary education has strained teachers, with one tutor handling 56 pupils.
Ms Nivi Mukerjee, the founder of eLimu, the application on the solar-powered tablets, said the project would stimulate the pupils' desire to learn.
The application was launched in 2012 and has since transformed the lives of pupils, winning awards for its education initiatives. The eLimu application engages primary school pupils in the learning process.
More interactive
The application's content is spiced with animations, videos, songs, music, games, and quizzes to make the learning process more interactive, interesting, fun, and engaging for students.
"Because of the use of eLimu, the project provides sustainable answers to chronic teacher shortages, high levels of absenteeism among both students and teachers, and lack of education materials," said Ms Mukerjee.
So far eLimu has connected more than 250 pupils in Standard Seven and Eight as well as 35 teachers to e-learning.
They receive direct access to the eLimu application through individual solar-powered tablets.
"The animations capture their attention and fascinate the learning process. As teachers we no longer cough because of chalk dust and we can also use the tablets to come up with schemes of work and lesson plans," noted Marha Mayenga, a maths and science teacher at Embakasi Garrison Primary School.
