Panafrican Research Agendaon the Pedagogical Integration of Information and Communication

Technologies

(PanAf)

Educational Research Network for West and Central Africa

Université de Montréal, Canada

• South Africa: School of Education, University of the Witwatersrand

• Côte-d’Ivoire: Ecole Normale Supérieure, Abidjan

• Congo: École Normale Supérieure, Brazzaville

• Kenya: School of Continuing and Distance Education, University of Nairobi

• Cameroun: Département de Sciences de l'Education, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Université de Yaoundé

• Mali: Département des Sciences de l'Éducation, Institut Supérieur de Formation et de Recherche Appliquée (ISFRA), Bamako

• Mozambique: Department of Evaluation & Research, National Institute for Education Development (INDE)

• Uganda: School of Adult Education & Communication Studies, Makerere University, Kampala

• République Centrafricaine: École Normale Supérieure, Bangui

• Sénégal: Faculté des Sciences et Technologies de l'Éducation et de la Formation (FASTEF), Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar

Partners

Pedagogical integration of ICT a definition

• Pedagogical integration means an appropriate, habitual and sufficiently use of ICT that produces beneficial change in educational practices and improves student learning

• ICT is not only introduced as a new curriculum subject and instructing students in its operation but is rather used habitually and regularly by students and teachers in real-life learning contexts in order to support and improve the teaching and learning experience and make them more meaningful

Importance of conducting research in this area

• More useful study that promotes the effective use of ICTs to enhance learning and develop education

• Conduct research that describes how ICT are used in order to facilitate the application of best educational practices

• Research will shed light on pedagogical uses in different African learning settings and areas

• ICT usage in Africa has been inadequately documented compared to other regions in the world

Objective:

“…to better understand how the pedagogical integration of ICT can

enhance the quality of teaching and learning in Africa…”

Challenge:• Limited existing research on the pedagogical

integration of ICTs in Africa. • Results of past and current studies lack a harmonized

communication facility. • Researchers would benefit from methodological and

dissemination capacity-building.

A two phase approach

• Collect new user-scale data, using mixed (quantitative/qualitative) methodologies in order to create a dynamic online space in which to analyze and share these data.

• Identify common issues of interest for further research on how to better integrate ICTs in a meaningful pedagogical way in the African context

Observatory on ICTs in education:PanAf Phase 1 focused on the development of an open online Observatory at:

www.observatoiretic.org

A dynamic database - 3 innovations:A dynamic database - 3 innovations:

• User-scale dataUser-scale data• Mixed quantitative/qualitative methodsMixed quantitative/qualitative methods• Open accessOpen access

A dynamic database - 3 search functions:A dynamic database - 3 search functions:

• Simple Search – for indicators from a single Simple Search – for indicators from a single institution or country.institution or country.

• Advanced Search – for tables of indicators from Advanced Search – for tables of indicators from multiple institutions or countries.multiple institutions or countries.

• Summary Search – an easy way to use map of ICT Summary Search – an easy way to use map of ICT integration in institutions and countries across the integration in institutions and countries across the continentcontinent

Data:• 12 research themes (including ICT policy, teacher-

training, access, use, impact and gender).• 160+ indicators for 100+ schools in 10 African

countries.• Hundreds of downloadable raw data files including

policy documents, recorded interviews and examples of ICT in teaching in learning.

• All data updated in real-time “wiki” style by African researchers in the field.

““Simple SearchSimple Search” ” - Ecole Normale - Ecole Normale d'instituteurs de Brazzaville:d'instituteurs de Brazzaville:

““Advanced Search” - Principals’ computer Advanced Search” - Principals’ computer skills in South Africa:skills in South Africa:

““Summary Search” - Google Maps interfaceSummary Search” - Google Maps interface:

Factors to highlight in project implementation• Built on a strong research collaboration between ROCARE and UofMontreal

• High quality data on the pedagogical integration of ICTs in Africa – an unique and open resource for African graduate students, academics, development practitioners, and policy makers in the area of ICTs in education.

• Global leadership opportunity for African researchers.

• Network of African researchers and partnerships with other projects and initiatives such as Nepad eSchools, Schoolnet Africa, GeSCI, InfoDev

• Putting African institutions “on the map” • Policy impact - Ministry officials implementing ICT policy reform in Mozambique

report that the Observatory is informing their decision-making.

Factors to highlight in project implementation

• Publication - African researchers have access to an unprecedent dataset and are publishing on ICTs in Education

• Continuous communication : website portal, websites, newsletter, presence at major national and international events such as eLearning Africa (3400 hits at the Observatory in a day)

• Bilinguism (English and French)

• Sufficiently attractive to raise interest from countries willing to join the network (Algeria, the Gambia, Ghana etc…)

Factors to highlight in project implementation

• Absence of North Africa– Withdrawal of Morocco– University of Ain Shams, the Egyptian Partner, is not

active• Alternative solutions are under exploration with

Schoolnet Egypt• Algeria, a potential new partner

Thank you