The computer delusion

By Wachira Kigotho

There is clamour to introduce computers in selected public secondary and primary schools as one way of closing academic gaps between public and private schools

The Ministry of Education has developed a comprehensive national information and communication technology (ICT) strategy for education and training whose focus is to integrate computers and other modern technologies in schools.

The underlying factor is that creative and innovative applications of computers are seen as potential tools for increasing access to education and improving quality of learning. But despite their great promise, computers in schools in Kenya as elsewhere in Sub-Saharan Africa are being associated with widening academic gaps between rich and poor.

Already, students in some high-cost schools have the luxury of downloading their homework assignments to their teachers using personal computers and laptops. But this situation is absent in many schools where students share tattered core textbooks sitting on rickety benches in open-air and leaky classrooms.

Problems

But even in ideal situations, there is no evidence that computers make a difference simply by being used. According to Vladimir Kinelev, Director of Unesco Institute for Information Technologies in Education (IITE), nowhere in the world have computers have eliminated the most pressing problems that education systems face. "The problem is that attempts to improve education through the use of ICT suffer from absence of sound education models that could support genuine renewal," says Kinelev.

Quite critical is that after two decades of large investment in ICT to benefit education in Western Europe, Japan and the United States, debate has emerged as to what extent computers can increase effectiveness of teaching and improve pupils’ learning. But the problem is much worse in developing countries, where computers are often introduced, not necessarily to improve pupil’s learning but programmes focus on technology itself.

According to a World Bank position paper on use of computers in schools, programmes initiated to close global digital divide have failed to link ICT to educational objectives.

"Broadly, ICT are yet to transform education, despite the hopes of many reformers," says Michael Tucano, the World Bank Senior ICT and Education Policy Specialist.

Magic

In a comprehensive study, Worst Practice in ICT Use in Education, Tucano argues the general situation seems to be: "Dump hardware in schools and hope for the magic to happen." This scenario is too common in most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean where government education officials copy ICT education platforms designed for developed countries and try to implement them at home. But unless credible steps are taken before the ICT in education policy is implemented, Kenya will join other 75 countries in developing countries where investment in ICT in schools has failed to improve learning and teaching. So far, there is clamour for introducing computers in selected public secondary and primary schools as one way of closing academic gaps between public and private schools.

Now access rate is about one computer to 150 students.

However, according to the education officials, plans are underway to establish a national personal computers assembly centre to build computers specifically earmarked for schools.

Even then such a project entails massive investment where schools lack tools such as core textbooks, chalk, desks, adequate classrooms, drinking water and school libraries. Teachers are also in short supply, all putting in question whether heavy investment in computers and other new technologies is a priority.

Quality teachers

According to Unesco, the key towards improvement of education lies in availability and training of high quality teachers. "Computers cannot replace teachers and for any revolution to occur in learning, it should be built around teachers," says Kinelev.

The crux of the matter is that even as the Ministry of Education tinkers with the idea of having computers in selected public schools, no linkage has been established as to how computers will be used to improve learning in the classroom, reform the curriculum, student assessment and teacher training.

Elsewhere, a drive towards greater use of technology is aimed at modernising schools and equipping pupils with skills that will enable them use such technology in workplace as they leave school. Other goals have been to reduce teacher workload by making planning and resources over the Internet. In schools, computers have also been used to reduce bureaucracy by providing and exchanging information in electronic form.

Weak association

Basically, in countries where ICT technology is used extensively in schools, there is no evidence to suggest that use of computers in the classroom enhance pupils’ performance in reading and mathematics in lower classes. "There has been very weak association between ICT resources and pupils’ performance in upper primary classes," says Steve Higgins an education lecturer at Newcastle University in Britain.

Computers have not proved to be effective everywhere they have been introduced. "There is little or no evidence that ICTs have fulfilled their early promise of better and cheaper education for more children," says Kurt Larsen an ICT specialist at Paris-based Centre for Education Research and Development.

No matter how parents and teachers view availability of computers in schools, the key point is that computers are aids and their versatility rests on how teachers use them. Only a small segment of teachers are computer literate and very little have been done to expand teachers’ competence.