The Rush for Mobile Education

Let’s talk about user Data

London 16 `May 2014Stephen Haggard

Consultant in Educational Technology

Reflections based on case studies for UNESCO and Web Foundation• SMS and USSD app for

pupil quizzing • SMS Professional

learning app for farmers

CDRs - proven role for mobile data in Development

Society: traffic management

Health: epidemic tracking

Adoption improvement – proven role for data mining

What about data in mobile learning ?

“If you think technology can solve your education problems, then you don't understand the problems and you don't understand the technology. The solution lies in process and systems -- and people”

Mike Trucano

Data mining is most helpful to disadvantaged learners

Impact of data-driven content recommendation on students in 4 US community colleges and state universities, 2013

Mobile Education appreaching 200,000 pupils

Data ConsumersLearners guidance on:Focus areas, targets

Parents supervisePupil performanceSchool performance

Education Ministry monitoring results by:School, region & teacher

Price KS30/mValue KS3bn/m

Price FREE

Case

Study 1

100,000 users of rural smallholder SMS education service

Benefits to sponsoring organisation• Controls value chain, has satellite

surveys of all plots, owns user data• (mis)perceived to be a source of

loans or subsidies Benefits to farmers• SMS guide reduces costs (<80%)• Training centres, literacy,

numeracy etc. 40% participation • Yield increases <25%

Data captured : farm size, yield, name, age, picture, phone number, enquiries, sales, e-commerce Case

Study 2

Good for everyone ?

Issues

• Consent & ownership of data• How can we spread benefts • Incentivisations based on data-driven insights:

WHOM should they support– Company revenue– Best-progressing learners– Most needy learners

Open Data CommonsTh

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