Uptake of ICT a Boon for Remote Schools
Children from marginalized communities have limited access to quality education as a result of a variety of factors, including an insufficient workforce, insecurity, and poor infrastructure.
However, information and communications technology (ICT) tools, among other things, have helped bridge the gap by promoting access to diverse sources of information and enabling remote learning.
Teachers from outlying areas praised how ICT has improved content delivery and engagement for them and their students.
“I have learnt to effectively integrate ICT skills in my lessons to improve learning experience and achieve the desired outcomes,” says Anne Kibara, a teacher at Ngundu Primary School, Njiru Sub County, Nairobi County.
Through her smartphone, she is able to download content – such as videos, songs, and slides – that are relevant to a particular lesson and project them during class.
Her students are usually captivated which improves their concentration, participation, and retention.
Even when the power goes out, she finds smartphones to be accessible and dependable.
“The main challenge is that I have to go around the classroom so that they can all view the content. I use PowerPoint slides, catchy phrases, and tunes to make lessons interesting.” She says.
At Mpeketoni Boys’ High School in Lamu, Joseph Kiarie Wanjiru uses ICT to teach mathematics and business studies, which has piqued the interest of the students.
For abstract topics in mathematics – such as locus, three dimensions, longitude and latitude, and linear programming – he prepares relevant, colorful slides that grab students’ attention.Â
Unlike Anne Kibara, he usually projects the lessons so that the students can interact with the content.Â
“They can now see the elements that were previously difficult to interpret.” Says Kibara.
The majority of students did not understand how to apply classroom knowledge to real-life situations.
He says things changed after he decided to use ICT materials.
“For instance, when teaching about floating and sinking, I provide a short video of a ship or ferry docking.
"These short videos help learners to understand the application of floating and sinking without necessarily having to travel to the sites.”
Kasyoka Muthengi a teacher at Itivanzou Primary School, Kyuso Sub County, Kitui County had to buy tools such as a digital camera to cash in on the benefits of technology.
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“The adoption of ICT has enabled us to resolve some of the challenges we grapple with on a daily basis such as absenteeism, poor network and unreliable power supply in our school.”
To reap the benefits of technology, I had to purchase tools such as a digital camera.
She says so far, it has produced the desired results. She uses the available laptop and projector, courtesy of the government’s Digital Literacy Programme, to display images captured with her camera.
“For example, teaching about plants can be problematic because some of them are seasonal due to the harsh conditions of our area.”
Uptake of ICT a Boon for Remote Schools
