A Case Study on ICT use in TIVET Institutions in Kenya

A Case Study on ICT use in TIVET Institutions in Kenya: A Snapshot Overview (2010) Field Research Team: MoHEST: Mike Ocharo – DTE; Samuel Waweru, GeSCI: Esther Wachira, Mary Hooker, Lina Palmer

Institutional Snapshot: ICT Use in TIVET Objectives: – Examine the policy, pedagogical and technological issues in ICT integration process in TIVET program provision – How ICT is being integrated in programme provision to improve vocational & educational training for enhanced quality

Methodology… - Focus on system elements of training delivery: policy, curriculum, ICT infrastructure, organization & management, pedagogy, professional development - Targeted groups: urban and rural TIVET institutions – Management teams, ICT coordinators and lecturers - Tools: Questionnaires, face to face interviews with institutional heads, focus group interviews with staff and students - Analysis: Content analysis, Most Significant Change Technique - Limitations: Demanding schedule, paucity of time

Findings: Policy What is the institutional vision (mission, objectives) for TIVET training provision? Does the institution have a written policy on ICT? What are the most important factors which encourage you to use ICT in your instructional/course activities? • Although vision and policy for course provision aligned to TIVET overall education policy & quality assurance, institutional policies are at the emergent stage on ICT uses in administration, finance, examinations/assessment, record keeping, teaching and learning • Policy implementation is through use of ppp & smart boards in course delivery, existence of ICT Policy and Committee for ICT use in course delivery, use of ICT for training & for economic generation activities • ICT department as a stand-alone department and not providing a pivotal function for all other departments • ICT usage encouraged by cost cutting and effectiveness in teaching and market demands, pressure from students and lecturer peer pressure, time, ICT facilities availability and convenience of use and access, competencies 4

Policy Tensions: • • • • • • • •

Online course content and/or delivery not available Institutional ICT policies for ICT use in teaching and learning lacking ICT competency profile for hiring of ICT Specialist absent Traditional in-built methods of teaching & learning inhibiting new computerized options for training Lack of time due to work overload preventing lecturers from adopting new ways of working Teaching specialist applications outside the curriculum considered waste of time (as it is not aligned with what will be examined) Core curriculum mismatch with requirements for ICT Integration and technology infusion for driving socio-economic development & growth Unclear articulation of national policy in curriculum objectives resulting in student graduates lacking ICT Integration skills upon graduation and marked relevance in the workplace. 5

Findings: Infrastructure What are the non ICT/ ICT resources that you use in teaching and learning? What are the resource needs and priorities of the institution? • ICT laboratories, laptops, printers, Laptops, projectors, cameras, mobile phones. Resources needed …… • ICT laboratories for institutional and community needs • Upgraded hardware that would accommodate modern software which requires high specifications for TIVET courses • Outputs devices to help create materials more easily and accurately, for example plotters • Backup generators to curb power outages • Modern technical tools and equipment for the specific courses • Diagnostic tools that are close to the ‘real’ world 6 requirements

Infrastructure Tensions: • Need to encourage departments to change and adopt new methods of teaching • Lack of software / e-content for specialist areas and for flexible course delivery • Inadequate space for student population (surge in student enrollments) • ICT equipment inadequate in resource centers to cater for student and lecturer/instructor populations, high end equipment to accommodate software applications required in technical education • Inadequate budget for technology acquisition of ICT and non ICT tools • Need for ICT specialist instructors to support ICT dept and other depts. • Lack of capacity/ICT knowledge that limits the use of ICT in teaching and learning • Lecturers ‘shy’ to use ICT • Deployment models limit access to ICT resources by lecturers 7

Findings: Curriculum What are the objectives for ICT use in TIVET programmes? Do you use ICT for instructional purposes? How do you use it? • ICT offered as a core course by ICT department • To enhance and increase access to course manuals and reduce costs • To enable students complete their course requirements for example projects • National examination influence ICT usage and classroom coverage, for example City & Guild exams • To remain relevant and current in 21st century skills provision • To respond to market demands and pressure from students • Requirement for social networking and communication (email, facebook etc) 8

Curriculum Tensions: • Absence of dedicated quality assurance specific to ICT integration • Absence of defined ICT skills/ competencies in lecturer recruitment profiles • Student population expansion exponential placing pressure on space & resources (EFA) • Online course delivery in TIVET course provision not exploited and explored as a way of addressing explosive growth in student population and increased demand for TIVET education • ICT integration is not a curriculum requirement and as such not given high priority - problem in examination orientated culture. National examination requirement works against ICT integration • ICT use for administration more pronounced as opposed to instructional use – skills for ICT Integration not specified and not available • Non-responsive curriculum to the ever-changing labor market demands 9

Findings: Organization & Management Does the institution use ICT for administration/monitoring? What are the roles & responsibilities that different staff/departments have to support ICT use in programmes? How does the administration support ICT use for your teaching function/ your specialized area? • Heads of all Departments undergo ICT compliance training • The ICT Department is meant to have a general role, not only conducting ICT training but also supporting the ICT use of other departments. However this is not always the case as those in ICT department have technological skills as opposed to education/pedagogical skills or a combination of the two • ICT use more ‘easily’ adopted in administration • IT support for maintenance of equipment externally sourced depending on the supplier • Budget concentrated on ICT equipment acquisition and not on professional development of lecturers 10

Organization & Management

Tensions: • ICT department capacity/ resources inadequate to support ICT use across departments • Deployment models limit computer facilities to computer rooms which reduces access especially for lecturers during their free time. Classroom administration activities are also conducted from here and it is not always conducive for lecturers to explore and deepen their subject matter knowledge • Lacks of resources and capacity to use and support technology usage in the teaching practice by lecturers • ICT not always seen as a priority during release and allocation of funds, Management delays in release of funds 11

Findings: Pedagogy Do your lecturers use technology in their programmes on a regular basis? Which methods do you apply when using ICT in teaching and learning process? If you went into the classroom/ lecture hall of a good lecturer/ instructor/tutor using technology, what would you see? •

No, ..but administration encouraging laptop purchase schemes for lecturers

•

Good use of ICT requires focus on real world applications - simulations that illustrate and clarify concepts, “What you see - you don’t forget.” More time required for experimentation & use of ICT in course work

•

……Good Lecturer • No (chalk) dust. A projector. Very little paper. Simulations. • Enthusiasm and new forms of interaction between students. • On-line evaluations, shared expertise between institutions • Virtual teaching and learning, more interest from students and better performance • Students accessing self-managed tutorials and learning from each other • Competent instructor aware of what he/she is teaching and knows how to use technology to enhance subject matter delivery • Use of new technologies resulting in students with relevant skills to industry 12

Pedagogy

Tensions: • ICT integration a new process at institutional level (“new wine in old wineskins”)

• Articulation of national ICT Policy at institutional level still at emergent phase • Skills requirements for market place not articulated regularly for continued relevance in the curriculum • Institutions not experiencing so many difficulties since not so much ICT usage is prevalent in teaching and learning • Teachers do have not enough time to explore and use a computer due to workload and the computer lab deployment models which restricts access outside lecture time • Funding of ICT through a system-wide approach, training of lecturers, mindset, policies, are all barriers that should be overcome for technology compliant pedagogical 13 approaches

Findings: Professional Development Can you get access to ICT specific training support? Have you been on ICT courses for teachers? What further training do you feel you need to progress further? What kind of communication and collaboration is there among lecturers/ tutors/ instructors about the use of ICT in teaching and learning? • In-house tutoring for staff development has been an effective option • Incentive schemes in the form of study leave to encourage staff development • ICTs use in assessment has resulted in increased transparency during the giving of awards • All reporting is required in digitized format to encourage ICT use. Hard copies not allowed • • • •

Use of subject specific software requires training – for example software for engineering, survey, building and construction etc. Skills for ICT usage in instruction are lacking widely ICT culture should be created, sustained and driven by ICT department but not always the case resulting in limited collaboration in ICT usage Industrial attachments generate very good ideas from students when they resume college 14

Professional Development Tensions: • Curriculum requirements not appreciating ICT usage in T&L • Limited resources to encourage staff to access and apply technology • Fear of change and “senior citizen” staff inhibiting ICT up-take • High attrition rates after post professional development in ICT • Limited number of computers, digital content, manpower, subject specific software & dedicated budget for TPD • Not so much interest in ICT use from colleagues outside of the ICT department • Computers idle for much time as all stored in the same rooms. • No communication/policy regarding use of ICT between department 5 teachers out of 126 teachers actively use ICT when teaching.

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ASANTE!