Journal of Learning for Development - JL4D
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Learning Development’s Role in Supporting Academic Synergies through Co-evolution of Teaching Excellence and Practice
No full textThis report from the field discusses a new approach taken to the co-evolution of teaching excellence and evidence-based practice in the context of Learning Development in a Technological University in Ireland. It explores supporting faculty in their exploration of pedagogic inquiry and teaching excellence and how this can co-evolve to generate synergies in academic productivity (the core activity sets of the faculty). A key part of this Learning Development work is understanding how integrating inquiry and teaching can drive excellence and pedagogic innovation in practice.
 
Teachers’ Perceptions of Open Educational Resources: The Case of Open Resources for English Language Teaching (ORELT) in Kenya
No full textThe use of Open Educational Resources (OERs) in the teaching and learning of various subjects is a relatively new innovation in the Kenyan school system. With the advent and subsequent liberalization of ICT, material developers are subsequently shifting away from the traditional modes of material development in the form of textbooks and other “canonical” formats which require the teacher to use them as they are handed down without any input or modification. The Open Resources for English Language Teaching (ORELT) is one such educational innovation. This paper reports the findings of a baseline survey conducted in Kenya with a view to finding out the views and perceptions of Kenyan Junior Secondary School Teachers with regard to the adoption of open resources for the teaching of English language in Kenyan secondary schools. Sixty (60) JSS teachers of English from rural and urban schools and of mixed gender were invited for a four day ORELT in-service induction workshop at the Kenyatta University Conference Centre. The teachers were then given ORELT materials in form of CDs and textbooks for use in teaching English in their schools. They were also registered on the online ORELT platform and each given log in credentials to enable them access freely access the materials and freely interact with fellow teachers throughout the commonwealth. The study reports that whereas teachers are ready to embrace the use of open resources, they have varying perceptions on the suitability and potential efficacy of open resources in Kenyan classrooms. It also emerges that such differing perceptions are constrained by institutional, cultural, pedagogical and personal factors. Accordingly, the study recommends a more structured, inclusive bottoms up approach to any educational innovation as a means of ensuring success
Supporting Teachers Moving Online, Using a MOOC, During the COVID-19 Pandemic
No full textFollowing campus closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many Ministries of Education around the world requested teachers to move their teaching online. This case study reflects on how the Commonwealth of Learning responded to requests from two countries to provide support in pedagogical and curricular change for online learning in this process. A Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) platform was used to upskill 11,568 teachers in two regions of the Commonwealth. Analytics from within the course, together with pre-, mid- and end- course surveys of participants’ perceptions indicated that while there was, and is scope for improvement, the short course largely reached its objective of providing immediate support on an introductory level and that the approach adopted was largely appropriate for the purpose
Academic Silver Linings in a Philippine State University Amid the Early Stages of Pandemic Cases
No full textThe primary role of the academe is knowledge building, however, due to the prevailing digital divide, some institutions of higher learning were not able to offer even Emergency Online Teaching (EOT) for continuous formal education during the early stages of the pandemic. This article highlights diversified ways that a state university from a developing country (Philippines) responded to the crisis to offer assistance towards the social development of the stakeholders amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
Effects of Free Day Secondary Education Policy on Academic Performance of Rural Public Day Secondary Schools in Kilifi County, Kenya
No full textThe purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of Free Day Secondary Education (FDSE) policy on academic Performance of Rural Public Day Secondary Schools (RPDSS) in Kilifi County, Kenya. The study adopted descriptive survey research design and a sample of 375 subjects was considered sufficient. Structured questionnaires and interview schedules were used to collect data from principals, teachers, and education directors. Data on performance and enrolment were collected through document analysis. Reliability of the instruments was ascertained through test and retest method that yielded a correlation coefficient of 0.83, an indication of reliable instruments. The study found out that there was a decrease in school mean score between 2003-2007 and 2013-2017. There was a strong positive correlation (r = 0.93) between enrollment and poor performance. Further, learning resources and student finances were inadequate. The study recommends a reduction in class size, timely disbursement and increased students’ capitation
Rethinking Problem-Solving Teaching Strategies in the Primary Sector for both Face-to-Face and Online Delivery
No full textThis paper reports on a review of a series of video tutorials that were developed for offering at a distance to primary school students of Trinidad and Tobago during the pandemic. The materials selected for the review focused on the teaching of problem-solving skills based on topics drawn from the mathematics curriculum. The tutorials were developed and presented by primary school teachers with support from the Ministry of Education. The main purpose of this review was to assess the instructional strategies employed in the delivery of the video tutorials. An inductive-deductive approach was employed for this purpose. The review also sought to examine the effectiveness of video broadcast to support instructional delivery. The reviewer’s overall conclusion was that greater attention should be paid to formulating strategies specifically for the task of solving a given class of problems rather than simply relying on the procedures derived from the underpinning mathematical operations. The reviewer made some brief recommendations about the development of a technology-use policy intended to deploy educationally-appropriate modern technology to support the learning of primary school students
Revisiting Brainstorming within an Educational Context: A Meta-Thematic Analysis
No full textAn increase in research on teaching of creativity in learning environments is being witnessed as more studies continue to reveal its effects on learning outcomes and academic achievement. Thus, any investigative attempt to examine the relevant approaches to teaching of creative thinking skills is appreciated within the creativity literature. However, it is evident that the research on brainstorming as a creativity-promoting technique within educational context has been overlooked for a while. Therefore, this research sythesis tried to recombine and reinterpret the results of some qualitative studies on the impacts of brainstorming technique on learners’ achievement. To this end, 34 studies were reached and 7 of them were found to be conducive to the meta-thematic analysis. The results of the meta-thematic analysis suggest that the brainstorming technique has positive effects on learners’ cognitive skills and affect. It is believed that designing instruction with brainstorming could foster students’ creativity, by directing them to solving problems via critical thinking. The study further dwells on the reported drawbacks that are encountered during the implementation of this technique within classroom, and discusses some possible solutions as implications
Technology Enabled Delivery of Medical Programmes through ODL : A Case of Training Medical Doctors in Geriatric Medicine
No full textCOVID-19 provided an opportunity to experiment with alternative delivery mechanisms for a medical education programme offered through open and distance learning with face-to-face training as an essential component of the programme. Non-availability of hard copies of the course material (92%) and lack of communication from the university (32%) as well as training centres (42%) were some of the challenges faced by students of the Geriatric Medicine programme of the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) during the COVID pandemic. Around 90% were willing to attend online classes and 65% to 77% were willing to present cases online for discussion. A programme-specific web portal containing all resource material and information was visited by 85% of students. Most students attended the online classes and 68% attempted the formative assessments based on the online classes. Online classes were recorded and uploaded and were found useful by 90% of students. The experiment successfully demonstrated the feasibility and acceptance of delivering practical skills using online technological tools. Further integrating technology to complement some of the face-to-face component could be used as a permanent and effective delivery strategy, which could also reduce resource requirements
Scaling Smallholder Farmer Empowerment: Lessons from the Lifelong Learning Program in Uganda
No full textAn evaluation study of the Lifelong Learning for Farmers (L3F) program was undertaken in two sites; in the central and northern regions of Uganda. Propensity Score Matching (PSM) was used to measure the impact of the program on crop and household income, as well as the empowerment levels of its participants. The two sites had differences not only in geographical location but in historical background and implementation of the program, which may have influenced the livelihood outcomes. Despite these differences, the results of the study confirm the potential of the L3F approach to raise participants’ crop and household income relative to non-L3F counterparts, significantly so for women participants. There is also sufficient evidence to confirm that L3F positively contributes to farmer empowerment, and, subsequently, their livelihood. The paper draws lessons for scaling the empowerment process using the lifelong learning for farmers’ model in Uganda