Policy Report on UNHCR’s Community Technology Access Program: Best Practices and Lessons Learned - Anderson, Jessica (Refuge: Canada's Journal on Refugees, 2013)
This report gives an overview of UNHCR’s Community Technology Access (CTA) program, which aims to improve education and livelihood opportunities for displaced populations via technology. Th e paper analyzes the key findings of a comprehensive external evaluation of the program conducted in 2012. According to the evaluation, the areas of greatest positive impact for people of concern were in the enjoyment of basic rights to freedom of expression and information, in building relationships with the host community, and social networking. However, access to technology alone is not sufficient to achieve the goals of quality education and self-reliance. Therefore, the evaluation recommends developing strategic, contextualized education and livelihood content and tools in order to achieve the desired goals of learning, skills, and access to employment, as well as a reassessment of CTAs’ potential for operational and fiscal autonomy in different countries.
Keywords: Google Scholar/ teacher "professional development" AND refugees AND technology; RER theme_pedagogies and modalities

Teachers’ self-directed professional development: science and mathematics teachers’ adoption of ICT as a professional development strategy - Mushayikwa, Emmanuel (African Journal of Research in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 2013)
This paper is part of a larger study that was carried out to investigate the use of information communication technology (ICT) in the self-directed professional development (SDPD) of mathematics and science teachers in Zimbabwe. The educational context provides an example of how teachers compensated for lack of structured government initiatives to support teachers' professional development. This paper focuses on the ways in which these teachers were using ICT resources to further their professional development. The study is based on 259 questionnaire responses from A-level Science and Mathematics teachers in Zimbabwe. Doyle and Ponder's "Practicality Ethic" and Loucks-Horsley et al.'s "Concerns-Based Adoption Model" provided the theoretical framework for analysing teachers' decision making and led to the development of a model for teacher empowerment with respect to the use of ICT. The study results showed that around 60% of teachers experienced difficulties in accessing ICT for their professional development. About half of the non-users did not access ICT even when it was available at their schools. Some of those who did access ICT used innovative methods to ensure access, including using their own resources, and pooling resources. The findings also show that teachers have three main drivers for using ICT for SDPD, including word processing for generating instructional materials; accessing and downloading web-based learning materials; and emailing for networking with peers and professional organisations. The results of this study demonstrate the great potential that ICT has for teachers' SDPD.
Keywords: __:import:01; __:match:final; __:matched; __:study_id:2096430; __finaldtb

M-learn lessons learnt: Bangladesh perspective - Imam, Zaki (QScience Proceedings, 2013)
M-learning is a form of distance learning in that it provides a communication tool( the mobile phone) to bridge the distance between the providing institution and the learners and facilitates 2-way (synchronous and asynchronous) interactivity between teacher and the learner (McWilliams et al, 2007). M-learning allows the remote teachers to stay in frequent contact with teacher educators, to ask questions and discuss issues as they adapt new teaching practices. This programme has been initiated by Ministry of Education upon requested by ADB, Manila to implement technology based training programme for reaching remote and disadvantaged areas. M learning has been piloted by teacher educators of Government Teachers’ Training College in one district (Barisal, located in the southern part of Bangladesh) and later extended to four districts to train teachers of remote schools of Patuakhali, Sandwip, Hatya and Thakurgaon districts. Regular 14 day and 5 day follow-up face-to-face inservice Continuing Professional Development (CPD) training was adapted as a two day face-to-face orientation, followed by a 6 week programme with regular conference calls to support classroom practices. Findings of the programme are very promising for adapting new practices. The CPD training by using mobile phone became very successful for increasing teachers and student’s competence level. Government of Bangladesh and Development Partners are very keen to maximize the use of technology in CPD for teachers especially for addressing female teachers and reaching training facilities to remote areas.

Report shows student tablet flaws - Lamphai Intathep (2013)

Motivating students to offer their best: evidence based effective course design - Stearns, Susan A. (College Teaching, 2013)
Sometimes we question whether students are incapable or capable and/or willing or unwilling in regards to their academics. This study determined where students lie in regards to these concepts and showed one example of motivating students to do their best via course design, in this particular case by the use of a writing process model.
Keywords: course design; effective teaching; higher education; process writing; student motivation

The Impact of Learning Design on Student Learning in Technology Integrated Lessons - Waqar, Yasira (Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2013)
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of learning design on knowledge transfer in technology integrated lessons where limited technologies are available to students in a third world country. This article includes an evaluation of the learning designs of technology integrated lessons in a private school in Pakistan. Qualitative research methodologies were employed to see the impact of learning design on knowledge transfer of students when similar technologies are used at the same grade level but the learning designs are different. The results revealed that knowledge transfer depends on learning design in technology integrated lessons where limited technologies are available. In third world countries like Pakistan the concept of technology integration in schools is relatively new and the schools do not have access to sophisticated online learning environments like agent based learning or environments where in built scaffolds are provided to students. So technologies like Microsoft office, videos, digital cameras and projector are being used in private schools to improve the teaching and learning experience of students and learning design plays a very important role in knowledge transfer.

Preparing Future Teachers through Distance Learning: An Empirical Study on Students' Perception of Teacher Education Program Provided by AIOU Pakistan - Nadeem, Mohammed; Ali, Akhtar; Maqbool, Saira (Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, 2013)
The purpose of the current study was to analyse the pre service teachers training programs for the distance learners of Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) Islamabad, Pakistan. This kind of training is provided to the future teachers enrolled to acquire pre service training to become a teacher in a Government educational institution in Pakistan. The data was collected by administering a 45 items agree disagree four points Likert type scale to the subjects mainly through the scheduled meetings during the workshops. The independent sample t-test, and one way ANOVA along with mean difference was worked out for the data set. A group of 490 student teachers were randomly selected from the regions of Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Rahimyarkhan, Multan, and D.G.Khan Districts (Southern Punjab). The planning for training is made timely but lacking physical facilities remains dominant in trainings. Although training plays an important role in students learning yet it is considered just a routine activity which made it a useless exercise. Similarly, findings reveal that co-curricular activities and child psychology are those aspects which ignored in the training. Future studies may be aimed at comparing the training system of teachers with teacher training through other channels of formal system of governments.
Keywords: Child Psychology; Distance Education; Educational Facilities; Foreign Countries; Likert Scales; Measures (Individuals); Meetings; Open Universities; Statistical Analysis; Student Teacher Attitudes; Student Teachers; Teacher Education Programs; Workshops; ⛔ No DOI found

Financial incentives and coverage of child health interventions: a systematic review and meta-analysis - Bassani, Diego G.; Arora, Paul; Wazny, Kerri; Gaffey, Michelle F.; Lenters, Lindsey; Bhutta, Zulfiqar A. (BMC Public Health, 2013)
Financial incentives are widely used strategies to alleviate poverty, foster development, and improve health. Cash transfer programs, microcredit, user fee removal policies and voucher schemes that provide direct or indirect monetary incentives to households have been used for decades in Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and more recently in Southeast Asia. Until now, no systematic review of the impact of financial incentives on coverage and uptake of health interventions targeting children under 5 years of age has been conducted. The objective of this review is to provide estimates on the effect of six types of financial incentive programs: (i) Unconditional cash transfers (CT), (ii) Conditional cash transfers (CCT), (iii) Microcredit (MC), (iv) Conditional Microcredit (CMC), (v) Voucher schemes (VS) and (vi) User fee removal (UFR) on the uptake and coverage of health interventions targeting children under the age of five years.

Challenges facing principals in Integrating Information Communication Technology (ICT) for efficient management in secondary schools In Nyamira County, Kenya - Ombui, Silas Chester (2013)
This study examines the challenges faced by Kenyan secondary school principals in the use of ICT in enhancing school management. The study investigated computer literacy levels of secondary school principals, challenges faced by principals in integrating ICT for management and acquiring computer hardware and software, extent in which ICT is being used in management and the recommendations which can enhance the principals use ICT for management. The target groups of schools under the study were schools situated in a rural district where we have weak infrastructure and limited facilities in terms of transportation and other means of communication. The study was conducted in 30 secondary schools in Nyamira District in Kenya selected purposefully using availability of electricity as the criteria for selection. Data collection methods included closed and open ended questionnaires for the principals and observation. The data collected was analyzed by tabulating the responses from the 30 respondents and processed manually using frequency counts and percentages. The study findings showed that ICT as a management tool was not used effectively to address management issues. The study also revealed that ICT was being used for clerical issues and to a limited extent on little management issues particularly the processing of examinations. The major challenges facing the principals was lack of funds to acquire computer hardware and software, lack of exposure on the capabilities of ICT to ease management work, and lack of adequate training in ICT for the principals. The findings of the study suggest that for successful implementation of ICT for management in Kenyan secondary schools, strategies that include the financing of ICT infrastructure by the government and other stakeholders, capacity building and the formulation of an ICT policy is required to address the issue of management in secondary schools. Equally adaptation of strategies used elsewhere in the world could be employed.

Low-cost private schools: Evidence, approaches and emerging issues - Mcloughlin, Claire (University of Birmingham, 2013)

Sierra Leone: Education Country Status Report: An analysis for further improving the quality, equity and efficiency of the education system in Sierra Leone - Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (Government of Sierra Leone, 2013)

A Comparative Study of Online and Directly Selected Secondary School Teachers Regarding Teaching Proficiency and Classroom Management in Kohat Division, Pakistan - Suleman, Qaiser; Hussain, Ishtiaq (International Journal of Learning and Development, 2013)
Secondary school teachers occupy the most critical and crucial position in the entire education system (Suleman, et al, 2011a). The purpose of the study was to compare the performance of online and directly selected secondary school teachers regarding teaching proficiency and classroom Management. All the students at secondary school level in Kohat Division, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Pakistan) constituted the population of the study. Only 600 students studying at secondary school level in Kohat Division were selected as sample randomly. The study was delimited to only male students at secondary school level. The study was descriptive type and questionnaire was used as research instrument. Data was collected through personal visits. After the collection of data, it was organized, tabulated, analyzed and interpreted. The statistical tools i.e. means, standard deviation and differences of means were computed for each variable. Significance of difference between the mean values of the responses of students about online and directlly selected secondary school teachers were tested at 0.05 levels by applying t-test. After statisitcal analysis of the data, the researchers conclduded that the overall performance of the directly selected secondary school teachers was better and satisfactory. They were found to have the knowledge of teaching methods and the ability to control classroom disruptive behaviour. Conversely, the overall performance of the online selected secondary school teachers was poor and unsatisfactory. They have no knowledge of teaching methodologies and subject mastery. They were found unable to manage classroom disruptive behaviour and other related activities. Based on findings, it was strongly recommended that a special professional training programme should be arranged to the existing online selected SSTs in teaching methodologies and classroom management to equip them with the modern teaching methods and techniques of managing classroom behaviour so that they become able to perform their duties effectively.

Implementation of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in Education Course: A Case from Teacher Education Institutions in Pakistan - Majoka, Muhammad Iqbal; Fazal, Shawana; Khan, Muhammad Saeed (Bulletin of Education and Research, 2013)
This research was aimed to explore the implementation of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in education in teacher training programs in the Khyber Pakthunkhwa and Punjab provinces in Pakistan. It was the first time that the course "ICTs in Education" was implemented for ADE/B. Ed (Elementary) programs in session 2010-11. In this situation, it was vital to explore how successfully this course was implemented in the pioneer institutions, so as to have baseline information for further improvement in the implementation process. This study was focused to explore: (i) How the course "ICTs in Education" was implemented? (ii) How did the teacher educators follow the course guide and to what extent the course guide was helpful in implementing this course? Seven teacher training institutions (three from the Punjab and four from KP provinces) were selected as target population. The total sample was 40 teacher educators and 200 students from seven institutions. Mixed method research design was adopted to conduct this study. The data was drawn from the surveys for heads and prospective teachers, and semi-structured interviews with teacher educators. Analysis revealed that only in a few classrooms, different activities/ experiences as suggested in the unit were properly implemented, while in most that was not the case due to issues such as shortage of electric power supply, scarcity of ICTs tools and lack of training and skills in ICTs application. The extent to which teachers followed the course guide was another factor contributing to the implementation process.
Keywords: Barriers; Energy; Foreign Countries; Guides; Information Technology; Program Implementation; Teacher Education Programs; Teacher Educators; ⛔ No DOI found

Dynamic Systems Modeling in Educational System Design & Policy - Groff, Jennifer Sterling (Journal of New Approaches in Educational Research, 2013)

10 principles to consider when introducing ICTs into remote, low-income educational environments - Trucano, Michael (World Bank Blogs, 2013)
there must be an I, a C, and a T here somewhere ... There are, broadly speaking, two strands of concurrent thinking that dominate discussions around the use of new technologies in education around the world. At one end of the continuum, talk is dominated by words like 'transformation'. The ...

10 principles to consider when introducing ICTs into remote, low-income educational environments - Trucano, Michael (2013)
there must be an I, a C, and a T here somewhere ... There are, broadly speaking, two strands of concurrent thinking that dominate discussions around the use of new technologies in education around the world. At one end of the continuum, talk is dominated by words like 'transformation'. The ...

What is approach motivation? - Harmon-Jones, Eddie; Harmon-Jones, Cindy; Price, Tom F. (Emotion Review, 2013)
We discuss some research that has examined approach motivational urges and how this research clarifies the definition of approach motivation. Our research and that of others have raised doubts about the commonly accepted definition of approach motivation, which views it as a positive affective state triggered by positive stimuli. We review evidence that suggests: (a) that approach motivation is occasionally evoked by negative stimuli; (b) that approach motivation may be experienced as a negative state; and (c) that stimuli are unnecessary to evoke approach motivation.
Keywords: anger; approach motivation; emotion; startle eyeblink

The Effect of Teacher-Family Communication on Student Engagement: Evidence from a Randomized Field Experiment - Kraft, M; Dougherty, Shaun (Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 2013)
In this study, we evaluate the efficacy of teacher communication with parents and students as a means of increasing student engagement. We estimate the causal effect of teacher communication by conducting a randomized field experiment in which sixth- and ninth-grade students were assigned to receive a daily phone call home and a text/written message during a mandatory summer school program. We find that frequent teacher–family communication immediately increased student engagement as measured by homework completion rates, on-task behavior, and class participation. On average, teacher–family communication increased the odds that students completed their homework by 40%, decreased instances in which teachers had to redirect students’ attention to the task at hand by 25%, and increased class participation rates by 15%. Drawing upon surveys and interviews with participating teachers and students, we identify three primary mechanisms through which communication likely affected engagement: stronger teacher–student relationships, expanded parental involvement, and increased student motivation.
Keywords: ___working_potential_duplicate

Pre-pilot findings on developing a literacy tablet - Chang, Angela; Nunez, David; Roberts, Tom; Sengeh, David; Breazeal, Cynthia (ACM, 2013)

Development assessment of leisure agriculture in Henan province of China based on SWOT-AHP method - Zhang, Yichuan; Feng, Lei (Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management, 2013)

Missing Millions and Measuring Development Progress - Carr-Hill, Roy (World Development, 2013)
In developing countries, assessments of progress toward development goals are based increasingly on household surveys. These are inappropriate for obtaining information about the poorest. Typically, they omit by design: the homeless; those in institutions; and mobile, nomadic, or pastoralist populations. Moreover, in practice, household surveys typically under-represent: those in fragile, disjointed households; slum populations and areas posing security risks. Those six sub-groups constitute a large fraction of the “poorest of the poor”. We estimate that 250 million are missed worldwide from the sampling frames of such surveys and from many censuses and their omission may well lead to substantial biases.
Keywords: accurate population counts; household surveys; inequalities; invisible populations; measurement of poverty; millenium development goals

Framing student engagement in higher education - Kahu, Ella R. (Studies in Higher Education, 2013)
Student engagement is widely recognised as an important influence on achievement and learning in higher education and as such is being widely theorised and researched. This article firstly reviews and critiques the four dominant research perspectives on student engagement: the behavioural perspective, which foregrounds student behaviour and institutional practice; the psychological perspective, which clearly defines engagement as an individual psycho-social process; the socio-cultural perspective, which highlights the critical role of the socio-political context; and, finally, the holistic perspective, which takes a broader view of engagement. Key problems are identified, in particular poor definitions and a lack of distinction between the state of engagement, factors that influence student engagement, and the immediate and longer term consequences of engagement. The second part of the article presents a conceptual framework that overcomes these problems, incorporating valuable elements from each of the perspectives, to enable a better shared understanding of student engagement to frame future research and improve student outcomes.
Keywords: critique; sociocultural perspectives; student engagement; teaching and learning; theoretical framework

Determinants of social desirability bias in sensitive surveys: a literature review - Krumpal, Ivar (Quality & Quantity, 2013)
Survey questions asking about taboo topics such as sexual activities, illegal behaviour such as social fraud, or unsocial attitudes such as racism, often generate inaccurate survey estimates which are distorted by social desirability bias. Due to self-presentation concerns, survey respondents underreport socially undesirable activities and overreport socially desirable ones. This article reviews theoretical explanations of socially motivated misreporting in sensitive surveys and provides an overview of the empirical evidence on the effectiveness of specific survey methods designed to encourage the respondents to answer more honestly. Besides psychological aspects, like a stable need for social approval and the preference for not getting involved into embarrassing social interactions, aspects of the survey design, the interviewer’s characteristics and the survey situation determine the occurrence and the degree of social desirability bias. The review shows that survey designers could generate more valid data by selecting appropriate data collection strategies that reduce respondents’ discomfort when answering to a sensitive question.

Computer assisted learning as extracurricular tutor? Evidence from a randomised experiment in rural boarding schools in Shaanxi - Lai, Fang; Zhang, Linxiu; Hu, Xiao; Qu, Qinghe; Shi, Yaojiang; Qiao, Yajie; Boswell, Matthew; Rozelle, Scott (Journal of Development Effectiveness, 2013)
This paper uses a clustered randomised field experiment to explore the effects of a computer assisted learning (CAL) programme on student academic and non-academic outcomes in poor, rural public schools in China. Our results show that a remedial, game-based CAL programme in math held outside of regular school hours with boarding students in poor rural public schools improved standardised math scores by 0.12 standard deviations. Students from poorer families tended to benefit more from the programme. However, CAL did not have any significant impact on either Chinese language standardised test scores or non-academic outcomes.
Keywords: China; computer assisted learning; development; education; random assignment; rural schools; test scores

Can One-to-One Computing Narrow the Digital Divide and the Educational Gap in China? The Case of Beijing Migrant Schools - Mo, Di; Swinnen, Johan; Zhang, Linxiu; Yi, Hongmei; Qu, Qinghe; Boswell, Matthew; Rozelle, Scott (World Development, 2013)
One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) is a high profile initiative to narrow the inequality of access to ICT and improve educational performance. However, there is little empirical evidence on its impacts. In order to assess the effectiveness of OLPC, we conducted a randomized experiment of OLPC with Chinese characteristics involving 300 third-grade students in Beijing migrant schools. Our results show that the program improved student computer skills by 0.33 standard deviations and math scores by 0.17 standard deviations. The program also increased student time spent using educational software and decreased student time spent watching TV. Student self-esteem also improved.
Keywords: Asia; Beijing migrant school; China; One Laptop Per Child; RCT; computer skills; math test scores

Staying or leaving? Designing for persistence in an online educator training programme in Indonesia - Burns, Mary (Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning, 2013)
This case study discusses factors impacting the attrition and persistence rates of 60 Indonesian educators in an online programme in 2010. Course designers developed three variations of a web-based programme – a fully online, hybrid and web-facilitated model – and placed 20 learners, all with similar technology skills, in the three different models. The online cohort experienced a 31% attrition rate while 100% of learners in the hybrid and web-facilitated models completed the programme. Data collection revealed that the greatest factor impacting attrition or persistence was the absence or presence of face-to-face interaction with the instructor and colleagues. This paper outlines programme design elements that learners found most helpful in successfully completing the course.
Keywords: Indonesia; completion; online learning; persistence; readiness

A different approach to scaling up educational technology initiatives - Trucano, Michael (World Bank Blogs, 2013)
the way most projects 'scale up' just might yield inequitable results Much is made of the necessity to 'scale up' in international development circles. Here at the World Bank, a quick search on our web site reveals publications and conferences with titles like Scaling Up Knowledge Sharing for Development, Global ...

Educational design research - McKenney, Susan; Reeves, Thomas C. (Handbook of research on educational communications and technology, 2013)
Educational design research is a genre of research in which the iterative development of solutions to practical and complex educational problems provides the setting for scientific inquiry. The solutions can be educational products, processes, programs, or policies. Educational design research not only targets solving significant problems facing educational practitioners but at the same time seeks to discover new knowledge that can inform the work of others facing similar problems. Working systematically and simultaneously toward these dual goals is perhaps the most defining feature of educational design research. This chapter seeks to clarify the nature of educational design research by distinguishing it from other types of inquiry conducted in the field of educational communications and technology. Examples of design research conducted by different researchers working in the field of educational communications and technology are described. The chapter concludes with a discussion of several important issues facing educational design researchers as they pursue future work using this innovative research approach.

An Infographic Presentation of Eneza's 2012 Impact Study - Eneza Education (Eneza Education, 2013)
I am sure you are wondering what Eneza is, that should not worry you at all. We have just changed our name from MPrep to Eneza. “Eneza” is a Swahili ... Read More

Improving teaching and learning of basic maths and reading in Africa: Does teacher preparation count? - Akyeampong, Kwame; Lussier, Kattie; Pryor, John; Westbrook, Jo (International Journal of Educational Development, 2013)
Teacher education has an important role in ensuring quality of learning especially for the poorest children. The article draws on a study of teacher preparation for the early primary grades in six African countries – Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Senegal, Tanzania and Uganda – in reading and mathematics. Initial teacher education had the strongest impact on newly qualified teachers but also induced misplaced confidence leading to standardised teacher-led approaches that failed to engage learners. Learning to read was divorced from meaning while mathematical activities were not linked to learning concepts. We suggest that teacher education is reconstructed as a study of classroom practice that places children's learning at its centre.

Effects of Sesame Street: A meta-analysis of children's learning in 15 countries - Mares, Marie‐Louise; Pan, Zhongdang (Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 2013)

Audio-described educational materials: Ugandan teachers' experiences - Wormnaes, Siri; Sellaeg, Nina (British Journal of Visual Impairment, 2013)
This article describes and discusses a qualitative, descriptive, and exploratory study of how 12 visually impaired teachers in Uganda experienced audio-described educational video material for teachers and student teachers. The study is based upon interviews with these teachers and observations while they were using the material either individually, in pairs, or in small groups along with sighted teachers. The findings demonstrate that audio-described material was highly appreciated by the teachers, contributing to their involvement and emotional engagement with the situation for learners with disabilities. The teachers also benefited from the opportunity of participating in the discussion sessions that followed the viewing. In this article, questions regarding what and how to audio describe are discussed in the light of educational objectives and cultural relevance. The overall aim of the study is to make a contribution to knowledge about how audio-described educational videos may assist inclusive and reflective learning processes among blind teachers and student teachers in an East African context. (Contains 1 note.)
Keywords: Access to Education; Audio description; Cultural Relevance; Culturally Relevant Education; ERIC, Current Index to Journals in Education (CIJE); Educational Objectives; Foreign Countries; Higher Education; Inclusion; Instructional Materials; Interviews; Learning Processes; Postsecondary Education; Qualitative Research; Reflection; Student Teachers; Teacher Attitudes; Teacher Education; Teachers; Uganda; Video Technology; Visual Impairments; __:import:01; __:match:final; __:matched; __:study_id:2098573; __finaldtb; blind universal design; educational material accessible media; teacher training

Constraints to Senior Management’s Capacity to Implement the Performance Management System in Senior Secondary Schools in Botswana - Bulawa, Philip (International Education Studies, 2013)

21 Ways to 21st Century Skills: Why Students Need Them and Ideas for Practical Implementation - Kaufman, Kristina J. (Kappa Delta Pi Record, 2013)

The ‘trainer in your pocket’: mobile phones within a teacher continuing professional development program in Bangladesh - Walsh, Christopher S.; Power, Tom; Khatoon, Masuda; Biswas, Sudeb Kumar; Paul, Ashok Kumar; Sarkar, Bikash Chandra; Griffiths, Malcolm (Professional Development in Education, 2013)
Examples of mobile phones being used with teachers to provide continuing professional development (CPD) in emerging economies at scale are largely absent from the research literature. We outline English in Action’s (EIA) model for providing 80,000 teachers with CPD to improve their communicative language teaching in Bangladesh over nine years. EIA’s CPD program is delivered face to face and supported through open distance learning (ODL). This innovative model of teacher CPD is supported through peer learning and self-study using a variety of print, audio and video resources. Drawing on the success of EIA’s pilot studies, where internal and external evaluation reported significant improvement in teachers’ and students’ English-language competence after one year, the current phase is using low-cost mobile phones, or the ‘trainer in your pocket’ to deliver CPD to 12,500 teachers through 2015. We believe EIA’s teacher CDP model is best suited to assist the project in achieving one of its primary goals: to increase the English-language proficiency of 12 million students, allowing them to access greater social and economic opportunities in the future. We argue EIA’s use of mobile phones for the provision of teacher CPD – at scale – is timely and replicable in both developed and developing contexts.
Keywords: English in Action; communicative language teaching; mobile phones; open distance learning; school-based professional development (SBPD); teachers’ continuing professional development (CPD)

Education's Effects on Individual Life Chances and On Development: An Overview - McMahon, Walter W.; Oketch, Moses (British Journal of Educational Studies, 2013)
This paper estimates the effects of human capital skills largely created through education on life's chances over the life cycle. Qualifications as a measure of these skills affect earnings, and schooling affects private and social non-market benefits beyond earnings. Private non-market benefits include better own-health, child health, spousal health, infant mortality, longevity, fertility, household efficiency, asset management and happiness. Social benefits include increased democratisation, civil rights, political stability, reduced crime, lower prison, health and welfare costs, and new ideas. Individual benefits enhance community-wide development. New ‘narrow’ social rates of return using UK Labour Force earnings correct for institutional costs, longitudinal trends and ability. The paper's objective, however, is to estimate these earnings plus non-market outcomes comprehensively without overlaps and also relative to costs. Non-market outcomes are measured by averaging regression coefficients from published studies that meet scientific standards. New UK ‘narrow’ social rates of return average 12.1 per cent for short-cycle and 13.6 per cent for bachelor's programmes. Augmented with non-market effects on life chances, they are over twice that. Short degrees are found effective for regional development and have potential for developing countries.
Keywords: ___working_potential_duplicate; auto_merged; cost-benefit; education and development; externalities; financing criteria; life chances; non-market benefits; qualifications; rates of return; social benefits

Education's Effects on Individual Life Chances and On Development: An Overview - McMahon, Walter W.; Oketch, Moses (British Journal of Educational Studies, 2013)
This paper estimates the effects of human capital skills largely created through education on life's chances over the life cycle. Qualifications as a measure of these skills affect earnings, and schooling affects private and social non-market benefits beyond earnings. Private non-market benefits include better own-health, child health, spousal health, infant mortality, longevity, fertility, household efficiency, asset management and happiness. Social benefits include increased democratisation, civil rights, political stability, reduced crime, lower prison, health and welfare costs, and new ideas. Individual benefits enhance community-wide development. New ‘narrow’ social rates of return using UK Labour Force earnings correct for institutional costs, longitudinal trends and ability. The paper's objective, however, is to estimate these earnings plus non-market outcomes comprehensively without overlaps and also relative to costs. Non-market outcomes are measured by averaging regression coefficients from published studies that meet scientific standards. New UK ‘narrow’ social rates of return average 12.1 per cent for short-cycle and 13.6 per cent for bachelor's programmes. Augmented with non-market effects on life chances, they are over twice that. Short degrees are found effective for regional development and have potential for developing countries.
Keywords: ___working_potential_duplicate; cost-benefit; education and development; externalities; financing criteria; life chances; non-market benefits; qualifications; rates of return; social benefits

The Influence of Principals’, Teachers’ and Students’ Attitude on Readiness to Adopt e-Learning in Secondary Schools in Kitui District, Kenya - Mulwa, Angeline Sabina; Kyalo, Dorothy Ndunge (European Scientific Journal, ESJ, 2013)
Studies conducted in the field of ICT use in secondary schools reveal that, although in the past few years teachers and students have enjoyed adequate access to an assortment of ICTs such as computers, laptops, projectors printers, e-blackboards, mobile phones for use n integration of teaching and learning in schools, the level of utilization of the ICTs by teachers and students in Kitui District is still minimal. This study sought to examine the relationship between Principals, teachers’ and students’ attitude on utilization of ICTs and the readiness to adopt e-learning in curriculum implementation at secondary school level. The major objective of the study was to establish the extent to which the attitude of principals, teachers and students influence readiness to adopt e-learning in secondary schools in Kitui District. Cross–sectional survey research design was adopted for the study. A sample of 66 principals, 66 teachers and 347 students, were involved in the study. The multiphase sampling procedure was adopted for this study. Data were collected using questionnaires and an observation schedule. The resultant information was analyzed by employing the quantitative approach which involved descriptive and inferential statistical procedures. The findings of the study reveal that the attitude held by secondary school Principals and Teachers had no significant influence on the schools’ readiness to adopt e-learning. However, the attitude held by students had a significant influence on the schools’ readiness to adopt e-learning. The study recommends that the government should plan to address the issue of e-learning infrastructure by availing e-learning equipment, enhancing connection to reliable sources of power, improving connectivity to various internet services and augmenting Human Resource ﻿capacity by organizing training programmes for Principals, Teachers and Students. Secondary schools should employ support staff members such as computer laboratory technicians or assistants before embarking on full-scale implementation of e-learning in schools in Kitui District and, indeed, all other remote semi-arid districts in Kenya. This will enhance positive attitude and confidence that e-learning can be successfully adopted in secondary schools in Kenya regardless of the location of the school.
Keywords: ___working_potential_duplicate; ⚠️ Invalid DOI

The Influence of Principals’, Teachers’ and Students’ Attitude on Readiness to Adopt e-Learning in Secondary Schools in Kitui District, Kenya - Mulwa, Angeline Sabina; Kyalo, Dorothy Ndunge (European Scientific Journal, ESJ, 2013)
Studies conducted in the field of ICT use in secondary schools reveal that, although in the past few years teachers and students have enjoyed adequate access to an assortment of ICTs such as computers, laptops, projectors printers, e-blackboards, mobile phones for use n integration of teaching and learning in schools, the level of utilization of the ICTs by teachers and students in Kitui District is still minimal. This study sought to examine the relationship between Principals, teachers’ and students’ attitude on utilization of ICTs and the readiness to adopt e-learning in curriculum implementation at secondary school level. The major objective of the study was to establish the extent to which the attitude of principals, teachers and students influence readiness to adopt e-learning in secondary schools in Kitui District. Cross–sectional survey research design was adopted for the study. A sample of 66 principals, 66 teachers and 347 students, were involved in the study. The multiphase sampling procedure was adopted for this study. Data were collected using questionnaires and an observation schedule. The resultant information was analyzed by employing the quantitative approach which involved descriptive and inferential statistical procedures. The findings of the study reveal that the attitude held by secondary school Principals and Teachers had no significant influence on the schools’ readiness to adopt e-learning. However, the attitude held by students had a significant influence on the schools’ readiness to adopt e-learning. The study recommends that the government should plan to address the issue of e-learning infrastructure by availing e-learning equipment, enhancing connection to reliable sources of power, improving connectivity to various internet services and augmenting Human Resource ﻿capacity by organizing training programmes for Principals, Teachers and Students. Secondary schools should employ support staff members such as computer laboratory technicians or assistants before embarking on full-scale implementation of e-learning in schools in Kitui District and, indeed, all other remote semi-arid districts in Kenya. This will enhance positive attitude and confidence that e-learning can be successfully adopted in secondary schools in Kenya regardless of the location of the school.
Keywords: ___working_potential_duplicate; ⚠️ Invalid DOI

Broadband “the missing link” in global access to education - UNESCO (2013)
New report from the Broadband Commission highlights strategies for leveraging high-speed networks to realize ‘Education for All’ Broadband connectivity carries unprecedented potential to bridge education divides, transform learning and improve skills for the globalized economy provided that governments make broadband accessible, empower teachers and students to use technology, support the production of local language content and promote open educational resources, says a new report just released by the Broadband Commission for Digital Development.

Broadband “the missing link” in global access to education - Williams, Sue; Parkes, Sarah (UNESCO, 2013)
New report from the Broadband Commission highlights strategies for leveraging high-speed networks to realize ‘Education for All’ Broadband connectivity carries unprecedented potential to bridge education divides, transform learning and improve skills for the globalized economy provided that governments make broadband accessible, empower teachers and students to use technology, support the production of local language content and promote open educational resources, says a new report just released by the Broadband Commission for Digital Development.

Leveraging data in African countries: Curating government microdata for research - Woolfrey, Lynn (DataFirst Technical Papers, 2013)
Governments mandate their National Statistics Offices to collect empirical data through censuses and surveys to determine appropriate national policies. Further investigation of this data by academics can help evaluate the effectiveness of government action. In many countries governments have created policies and institutions to share official data with researchers to allow independent evaluation of both the data and the policies informed by the data. In 2009 a survey was undertaken to assess ease of access to government survey microdata in African countries. This investigation revealed that the sharing of African government microdata is constrained by several obstacles. African National Statistics Offices, the main African data producers, have limited resources to curate microdata and ensure its long-term availability. Consequently many African data producers do not follow international best practice with regard to survey data management or make the microdata from official surveys available for research purposes. A further obstacle in Africa is inadequate producer-user communication channels. Concerns around the confidentiality of respondent information also present a barrier to data usage for research, as does the bureaucratic nature of government institutions involved in data production. A follow-up survey undertaken in 2012 examined improvements in data access and other dimensions of data quality in the intervening years, focusing on Statistics Offices participating in a donor project to advance data curation in resource poor countries. The survey showed that the provision of appropriate data curation tools can improve data sharing for policy feedback. However, this is more effective in countries with sound data usage policies driven by African decision-makers who appreciate the role of data utilisation in national development.

Effectiveness of Educational Technology in Strengthening Student’s Achievement in English at Secondary School Level in Kohat Division (Pakistan) - Suleman, Qaiser; Hussain, Dr Ishtiaq (International Journal of Learning and Development, 2013)
It is a reality that educational technology plays a remarkable role in strengthening and facilitating instructional process. Educational technologies are useful and effective in maximizing educational attainment at each level. The purpose of the study was to explore the effectiveness of educational technology in strengthening students’ achievement in English at secondary school level. All the students at secondary school level in Kohat Division constituted the population of the study. The study was delimited to the students of Govt. High School Khurram (Karak). The study was further delimited to the students of 9th class. Forty students of 9th class were selected as sample. Sample students were divided into two groups i.e. control group and experimental group on the basis of pre-test. Each group was comprised of 20 students. The study was experimental in nature therefore pre-test and post-test research design was used as research instrument. Statistical tools i.e. the mean, standard deviation and differences of means were computed for each group. Significance of difference between the mean scores of both the experimental and control groups on the variable of pre-test and post test scores was tested at 0.05 levels by applying t-test. After statistical analysis of the data, the researchers arrived at the conclusions that educational technology plays a vital role in teaching of English at secondary level. Educational technologies were found to be more effective and successful in teaching of English. The students of experimental group showed unexpected and astonishing performance as compared to the students of control group. On the basis of the findings, it is strongly recommended that availability of educational technologies should be ensured and utilized at secondary school level. KEYWORDS: Effectiveness; Educational Technology; Students’ Achievement; English; Secondary Level

The effects of TV on speech education - Gocen, Gokcen; Okur, Alpaslan (Educational Research and Reviews, 2013)
Generally, the speaking aspect is not properly debated when discussing the positive and negative effects of television (TV), especially on children. So, to highlight this point, this study was first initialized by asking the question: "What are the effects of TV on speech?" and secondly, to transform the effects that TV has on speech in a utilizable manner, "How can we utilize TV in speech education?". The required data were collected through a survey with the middle school students involved in the sample. Students who argued that TV "does not" corrupt their speech are in the opinion that they imitate how people speak on TV and think that figures they see on TV actually speak well, teaching them how to speak well also, and that TV expands their vocabulary, helping them to express themselves more easily. According to this result, "TV language" should set an example for that matter. (Contains 7 tables.)
Keywords: Articulation (Speech); Foreign Countries; Mass Media Effects; Mass Media Role; Middle School Students; Middle Schools; Speech Communication; Speech Habits; Speech Skills; Teacher Attitudes; Television; Television Research; Television Viewing; ⛔ No DOI found

A historical perspective of systems theory - Adams, Kevin; Hester, Patrick; Bradley, Joseph (IIE Annual Conference and Expo 2013, 2013)
Systems theory lacks a universal, formally agreed upon definition. It is a term that has been used in a variety of disciplines to support varied purposes and one which is found frequently in the systems literature. Because the term has been used in a variety of disciplines and has multiple meanings, it is often subject to misunderstanding when used in a multidisciplinary setting. This paper classifies and provides a brief historical perspective of the major streams that address systems theory. A synthesis of these seemingly disparate streams is presented, along with a path forward for development of a unified theory.
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

The impact of national and international assessment programmes on education policy, particularly policies regarding resource allocation and teaching and learning practices in developing countries - Best, Maura; Knight, Pat; Lietz, Petra; Lockwood, Craig; Nugroho, Dita; Tobin, Mollie (Assessment and Reporting, 2013)
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

Reciprocity among Farmers in Farming System Research: Application of Social Network Analysis - Jana, Rabindranath; Bandyopadhyay, Suraj; Choudhuri, Anil K. (Journal of Human Ecology, 2013)
In course of agricultural activities, farmers interact among themselves to fulfill different kinds of needs, such as getting advice regarding cultivation, obtaining appropriate seeds and plants, getting tools and implements, etc. On the basis of data to whom a farmer sends requests for such help and whether the farmer receives the required help, one can build a social network of help, whether simple or weighted, in agricultural production. The paper intends to study variation in measures of reciprocity among the farmers of the two villages in respect of different activities for agricultural production. For the study, two villages Madhya-Uttar and Astabari consisting of 88 and 79 households respectively were selected from unirrigated, rainfed area in the south-eastern region of the district of East Medinipur of West Bengal. To collect the required data, open-ended check lists were employed. A standardized graph theoretic measure (s3-measure) of reciprocity was applied to carry out social network analysis. In both the villages, values of reciprocity measures for seeds/plants and tools/implements exchange were more than that for advice giving; the measure for the network of agricultural activities as a whole was also greater than the network for social aspects. In case of all networks, values of s3-measure for the village Madhya-Uttar were much higher than Astabari. It indicates that the farming households of a network having greater value of s3-measure are more inter-dependent among themselves in agricultural production.
Keywords: In-degree; Out-degree; Reciprocal Pair; Simple and Weighted Social Networks; s3-measure

The Learning Environment as a Chaotic and Complex Adaptive System - Weichhart, Georg (systems-journal.eu, 2013)
Thrivability is a novel concept describing the intention to go beyond sustainability, allowing a system to flourish (Russell, 2010). For a society or organization to be thrivable, educated, responsible acting agents are needed. Traditional education focuses on (efficient) reproduction of existing organised bodies of information (Dewey, 1938). We argue that complex adaptive systems theory and chaos theory provide concepts well suited to inform the design of learning environments, in order to facilitate a thrivable organization. This learning is not linear and externally controlled, but happens in a chaotic, yet guided manner. After discussing the suitability of the theoretical body of these general approaches, we show how a concrete progressive education approach, called the Dalton-Plan pedagogy (Parkhurst, 1923, 2010), implements and supports these elements. By doing so, we show that the Dalton-Plan pedagogy is well suited for education of agents working in and for thrivable organizations. Support for teachers as part of this evolving learning system is provided by an e-learning environment.
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

Computers and the academic performance of elementary school-aged girls in China's poor communities - Yang, Yihua; Zhang, Linxiu; Zeng, Junxia; Pang, Xiaopeng; Lai, Fang; Rozelle, Scott (Computers & Education, 2013)
Experts agree that computers and computing play an important role in education. Since the 1980s there has been a debate about gender as it relates to computers and education. However, results regarding gender differences concerning computer use in education are not consistent. In particular there is little work done in China on this issue. Therefore, the overall goal of this paper is to demonstrate whether girls and boys can gain equally from computer-based education in China's elementary schools. To do so we analyze results from three randomized field experiments of a Computer Assisted Learning (CAL) program and One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) program. The field experiments are carried out in three kinds of schools: Shannxi rural public schools; Qinghai minority public schools; and Beijing migrant schools. Although CAL and OLPC have been considered cost effective means to improve learning outcomes, it is not known whether the programs impact girls differently than boys. Our analysis shows that, in fact, there were no differences between female and male students in either the improvement in standardized math test scores or Chinese test scores with either the CAL or OLPC programs. Our study suggests that among disadvantaged students in China's rural areas and migrant communities, there is reason to believe that computer based learning can benefit both girls and boys equally. This finding has possible implications for China's ongoing efforts to integrate computers and computing technologies into the nation's underserved schools.
Keywords: Country-specific developments; Elementary education; Evaluation of CAL systems; Gender studies; Teaching/learning strategies

Development and evaluation of Ning social network for teaching training online surveillance - Mohd Nawi, Mohd Aliff; Jamsari, Ezad Azraai; Sulaiman, Adibah; Hamzah, Mohd Isa (Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, 2013)
Supervision of teaching practice is an important aspect of training teachers in improving their teaching skills. Barriers such as distance and time factor are the constraints faced by the lecturers at the National University of Malaysia to communicate with the teacher trainees under their supervision. Therefore, this study aims to develop and evaluate a social-networking site Ning's platform for the supervision of lecturers to teach on-line training. This study used the case design where a total of nine teacher trainees involved in this study. It found that overall, acceptance of the use of the social-networking site Ning mean score at the highest level of 3.91. In addition, all student teachers have positive attitudes towards the use of the social-networking site Ning social-networking site and agree a suitable approach to the supervision of one of the online teaching practices. While the "blog" is the most active facility used by student teachers in which they do self-reflection. In conclusion, the social-networking site Ning has the potential to assist lecturers to carry out supervision on-line teaching practice. (Contains 5 figures and 1 table.)
Keywords: Courseware; ERIC, Current Index to Journals in Education (CIJE); Foreign Countries; Higher Education; Interviews; Malaysia; Observation; Online Courses; Social Networks; Student Teachers; Supervisory Methods; Teacher Education Programs; Teacher Supervision; Teaching Methods; Trainees; Web 2.0 Technologies; __:import:01; __:match:final; __:matched; __:study_id:2098097; __finaldtb; ⛔ No DOI found

Zanzibar ICT Policy (Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar Ministry of Infrastructure and Communications, 2013)

Report On Assessment Of ‘multimediaclassrooms (Mmc) And Teacher- Led Content Development’ - a2i (Access to Information (a2i) Programme, 2013)

Examining the impact of Information and Communication Technology capacity building in High School education in Ghana. - Abilimi, Chris; Adu-Manu, Kofi S. (International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (UER), 2013)
The quality of education in general is improved, if Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is used in teaching and learning in High School education. This is because the use of ICT related strategy for teaching and learning rise the
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

Analysis of the problems of primary education system in Pakistan: critical review of literature - Ahmad, Iqbal; Rauf, Muhammad; Rashid, Aqeela (Academic Research International, 2013)
This study critically examines the problems of primary education system in Pakistan. For this purpose a critical review of existing literature was carried out. On the basis of deeper and critical investigation into the literature, the study found that primary education is the most neglected, poorly financed and poorly managed. There is political interference in the system which breeds corruption, favoritism and nepotism. The system of supervision is weak and traditionally characterized having no effective mechanism for teacher training with poor system of accountability, teachers are underpaid and successive educational policies have failed to bring any positive changes in the system due to poor implementation. The curriculum of the primary education is outdated. Assessment is based on the memory of the students rather than their performance. On the basis of this study it is recommended that the problems can be solved by robust system of accountability, eradication of corruption, quality assessment system, non political interference, quality curriculum, teacher motivation.
Keywords: ⚠️ Invalid DOI

Collboard: Fostering new media literacies in the classroom through collaborative problem solving supported by digital pens and interactive whiteboards - Alvarez, Claudio; Salavati, Sadaf; Nussbaum, Miguel; Milrad, Marcelo (Computers & Education, 2013)
Education systems worldwide must strive to support the teaching of a set of New Media Literacies (NMLs). These literacies respond to the need for educating human capital within participatory cultures in a highly technologized world. In this paper, we present Collboard, a constructivist problem solving activity for fostering the development of speciﬁc NMLs in classrooms: collective intelligence, distributed cognition and transmedia navigation. Collboard encompasses successive individual and collaborative work phases that prompt active student participation and engagement. It integrates digitally augmented appliances, namely, digital pens as a means to support individual work, and interactive whiteboards as a collaborative knowledge construction space. We report on the conceptual design of Collboard, its different technological and software components, as well as our ﬁndings from experiences we conducted in a Swedish school with 12 students from a 7th grade maths class. Findings from the experience provide an indication that Collboard can be well integrated in classroom teaching, and that it can foster the development of collective intelligence, distributed cognition and transmedia navigation in different knowledge domains.

Digital literacy, libraries, and public policy: Report of the Office for Information Technology Policy's Digital Literacy Task Force - American Library Association (American Library Association (ALA), 2013)

Dynamics of Public Policy: Determinants of Policymaking and Implementation in Bangladesh - Aminuzzaman, S (Public Organization Review, 2013)
Socio-economic development achievements in Bangladesh have been characterized as a development paradox. The policymaking process in Bangladesh is seen as the outcome of incentives created by patronage politics as opposed to the compulsion for the government to play an effective developmental role. A number of factors strongly affect the public policy formulation and implementation process—factors such as the assistance and extent of pressure and persuasion from international development partners, and the capacity to mobilize and manage resources. The political commitment at the highest level is found to be the most critical determinant element of policy formulation and implementation in Bangladesh.

Digital literacy in Ugandan teacher education: Insights from a case study - Andema, Samuel; Kendrick, Maureen; Norton, Bonny (Reading & Writing-Journal of the Reading Association of South Africa, 2013)
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

An OLPC workshop in rural Tanzania: Preliminary results - Apiola, M.; Pakarinen, S.; Moisseinen, N.; Tedre, M. (2013 IEEE 13th International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies, 2013)
One-to-one computing is an active and widely researched topic in educational technology. Its benefits include, for instance, easily up datable material base, anywhere-anytime learning, adaptability, and simulated experiments in science. The use of one-to-one computing in a developing country context has recently become an active research topic. However, the materialization of the educational benefits requires proper contextualization regarding the necessary pedagogical, organizational, institutional, and other types of adaptation. This paper presents preliminary results from an action research study in a primary school in rural Tanzania. In that study, the utilization of one-to-one computing in a combination with modern pedagogical approaches to teach ICT and health care topics was studied.
Keywords: Conferences; Developing country context; Educational institutions; Games; ICT; Materials; OLPC workshop; One-Laptop-Per-Child Foundation; Portable computers; Tanzania; anywhere-anytime learning; computer aided instruction; educational technology; information-and-communication technology; institutional learning; one-to-one computing; organizational learning; pedagogical approach; pedagogical learning

Complementary Education Programme (CEP) and the Opportunity to Learn In the Northern Region of Ghana - Arkorful, Kingsley K D (University of Sussex, 2013)

Technology Integration before Student Outcomes: Factors Affecting Teacher Adoption of Technology in India - Bandyopadhyay, Alankar (University of Maryland, 2013)

Developing a Quantitative Data Analysis Plan - Banks, Emily; Paige, Ellie; Mather, Tanya (Australian National University, 2013)

The Good News From Pakistan - Barber, Michael (Reform, 2013)
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

Cohort profile: the Young Lives study - Barnett, Inka; Ariana, Proochista; Petrou, Stavros; Penny, Mary E; Duc, Le Thuc; Galab, S; Woldehanna, Tassew; Escobal, Javier A; Plugge, Emma; Boyden, Jo (International Journal of Epidemiology, 2013)

Equity issues in Parental and Community involvement in schools: What teacher educators need to know - Barquedano-Lopez, Patricia; Alexander, Rebecca Anne; Hernandez, Sara (Review of Research in Education, 2013)

Computer literacy and e-learning perception in Cameroon: the case of Yaounde Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences - Bediang, Georges; Stoll, Beat; Geissbuhler, Antoine; Klohn, Axel M; Stuckelberger, Astrid; Nko’o, Samuel; Chastonay, Philippe (BMC Medical Education, 2013)
Background: Health science education faces numerous challenges: assimilation of knowledge, management of increasing numbers of learners or changes in educational models and methodologies. With the emergence of e-learning, the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) and Internet to improve teaching and learning in health science training institutions has become a crucial issue for low and middle income countries, including sub-Saharan Africa. In this perspective, the Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (FMBS) of Yaoundé has played a pioneering role in Cameroon in making significant efforts to improve students’ and lecturers’ access to computers and to Internet on its campus. The objective is to investigate how computer literacy and the perception towards e-learning and its potential could contribute to the learning and teaching process within the FMBS academic community. Method: A cross-sectional survey was carried out among students, residents and lecturers. The data was gathered through a written questionnaire distributed at FMBS campus and analysed with routine statistical software. Results: 307 participants answered the questionnaire: 218 students, 57 residents and 32 lecturers. Results show that most students, residents and lecturers have access to computers and Internet, although students’ access is mainly at home for computers and at cyber cafés for Internet. Most of the participants have a fairly good mastery of ICT. However, some basic rules of good practices concerning the use of ICT in the health domain were still not well known. Google is the most frequently used engine to retrieve health literature for all participants; only 7% of students and 16% of residents have heard about Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). The potential of e-learning in the improvement of teaching and learning still remains insufficiently exploited. About two thirds of the students are not familiar with the concept of e-leaning. 84% of students and 58% of residents had never had access to e-learning resources. However, most of the participants perceive the potential of e-learning for learning and teaching, and are in favour of its development at the FMBS. Conclusion: The strong interest revealed by the study participants to adopt and follow-up the development of elearning, opens new perspectives to a faculty like the FMBS, located in a country with limited resources. However, the success of its development will depend on different factors: the definition of an e-learning strategy, the implementation of concrete measures and the adoption of a more active and participative pedagogy.

Access and equity in Open Education Resources: E-learning for girl and women in Bangladesh Open University. - Billah, Masum (2013)
Open Educational Resources are freely accessible, usually openly licensed documents and media that are useful for teaching, learning, educational, assessment and research purposes. E-learning is (website, e-book, cd, DVD etc) latest addition to OER which is accessible through internet and computing systems. Though these resources are ‘open’ to all for learning, but the socio economic situation of women and girls in Bangladesh is a challenge to take the advantage of e-learning systems. This research has been carried out to comprehend the situation of women and girls in Bangladesh in terms of E-learning, identify the challenges and opportunities of access to E-learning among women and girls and recommend about further improvement of those systems. The research had been consisted of several stages of analysis. Primarily different e-learning systems have been identified and later the contents have been analyzed to explore whether the topics and knowledge are relevant to women and girls. In the next stage, two groups of girls have been selected as respondent groups among which one group has been selected as user group who are currently using e-learning systems, and other group has non-users group. Comparison between these two groups has helped to identify the challenges that some girls face to use e-learning system and to recognize the factors that facilitated some girls to use the elearning system. In further stage of analysis, information from user’s group has helped to explore about the contents that should be included in the e-learning systems especially for women education, which will ensure a gender balance to use the system. At the end, it is expected that the research can recommend two factors; firstly, how these e-learning system could be more accessible among girls/women through increasing knowledge about the systems, and; secondly, what is required to include in these system to ensure equity to use the system and to gain knowledge from it.
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

Adoption and use of technology in early education - Blackwell, Courtney K.; Lauricella, Alexis R.; Wartella, Ellen; Robb, Michael; Schomburg, Roberta (Computers & Education, 2013)
The increased access to, but continued under-use of, technology in education makes it imperative to understand the barriers teachers face when integrating technology into their classrooms. While prior research suggests teachers encounter both ﬁrst-order extrinsic barriers and second-order personal barriers, much of this research has focused on K-12 teachers, not early childhood educators. Applying the Uniﬁed Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology to early childhood education, the current study examines predictors of early childhood educators’ access to and use of traditional technologies and newer mobile devices. Findings from 1329 teachers of 0–4-year-olds reveal that while extrinsic barriers inﬂuence access to a range of technologies, positive beliefs in children’s learning from technology signiﬁcantly predicted actual use of technology. Overall, the study provides new insight into factors inﬂuencing technology integration speciﬁcally for early childhood educators, a subgroup that has not been represented in much of the literature on technology integration in formal education.

Why the Lean Start-Up Changes Everything - Blank, Steve (2013)

Best of both worlds: issues of structure and agency in computational creation, in and out of school - Brennan, Karen A. (Karen Ann) (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2013)
We live in a computational culture - a culture in which we are surrounded by computational systems and interfaces, from social networks to banking infrastructure, to entertainment platforms, to transportation systems. This culture introduces new expectations and new opportunities for learning, creating new demands for what to learn and offering new possibilities for how to learn. In this dissertation, I adopt a predominantly qualitative approach to exploring learning in computational culture, studying how the Scratch programming environment and online community are employed to support learning both in and out of school. To this end, I conducted interviews with 30 kids working with Scratch at home and 30 teachers working with Scratch in K-12 classrooms to develop descriptions of computational creation in these two settings. Using a theoretical framework of agency and structure, I analyze how the at-home and school-classroom contexts enable - or constrain - young people's agency in computational creation. Despite common assumptions that at-home learning is necessarily low-structure/high-agency and that at-school learning is necessarily high-structure/low-agency, I argue that structure and agency need not be in opposition. Designers of learning environments should explore intermediate possibilities, finding ways to employ structure in the service of learner agency.

Public Financial Management and Its Emerging Architecture - Cangiano, Marco; Curristine, Teresa; Lazare, Michael (2013)
The first two decades of the twenty-first century have witnessed an influx of innovations and reforms in public financial management. The current wave of reforms is markedly different from those in the past, owing to the sheer number of innovations, their widespread adoption, and the sense that they add up to a fundamental change in the way governments manage public money. This book takes stock of the most important innovations that have emerged over the past two decades.

Using Technology to Deliver Educational Services to Children and Youth in Environments Affected by Crisis and/or Conflict - Carlson, Samuel (USAID, 2013)
Keywords: Screened; ___working_potential_duplicate; ⛔ No DOI found

Creating an Analysis Plan - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013)

Towards the development of mobile learning model for Tanzania secondary schools: Case study Kilimanjaro region - Chambo, F. F.; Laizer, L. S.; Nkansah-Gyekye, Y.; Ndume, V. (2013 Pan African International Conference on Information Science, Computing and Telecommunications (PACT), 2013)
This paper explores the factors that influence the implementation of m-learning and proposes a model for implementing m-learning in Tanzania. The study was conducted in ten secondary schools in the Kilimanjaro region in Tanzania. Purposive and convenience sampling techniques were used to determine students majoring in science subjects. Findings indicate that majority of students own mobile phones and have access to the Internet connectivity. However, m-learning platforms that are currently in place are not viable solution in all contexts and not necessarily the best solution. Therefore, the design of m-learning content should focus on learning profile and personal needs such as location and affordability. A framework that considers four factors: user satisfaction, pedagogy, technology, and economy of use are proposed for Tanzanian context. It is concluded that education stakeholders should consider the opportunities of technology in education in order to boost knowledge sharing among students.
Keywords: Computational modeling; Context modeling; Educational institutions; Internet; Internet connectivity; Interoperability; Kilimanjaro region; Learning Science; M-Learning; Materials; Mobile handsets; Secondary School; Tanzania secondary school; computer aided instruction; economy of use; education stakeholder; emerging technology; knowledge sharing; m-learning; mobile learning; mobile learning model; mobile phone; pedagogy; sampling methods; sampling technique; science subject; user satisfaction

Using video for professional development: the role of the discussion facilitator - Coles, Alf (Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, 2013)
Past research into the use of video for professional development has failed to problematise or theorise sufﬁciently the role of the discussion facilitator. It has been reported consistently that it can be hard or take time to establish norms for discussion of video but little has been said about reasons why, or the role of the discussion facilitator. As a starting point in this area, I suggest ﬁves aspects or decision points in the role of the facilitator. Two aspects are taken from the literature and the others are drawn from empirical data, collected as part of an enactivist study into the use of video in one secondary school. At the school, teachers commented on ﬁnding video watching in a group more useful than lesson observation, with no evidence of this taking time to develop. I offer speculations, based on enactivist category theory, as to why the use of video in this school is effective. Having presented key aspects of the role of the facilitator of video use, a further look at the detail of the data from discussions serves to highlight some of the complexities involved in just one of the categories (and, by implication, the others). I conclude that the role of the facilitator cannot be separated from a consideration of the historical context in which discussion takes place.

A Primer on Quantitized Data Analysis and Permutation Testing - Collingridge, Dave S. (Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 2013)

System Theories: An Overview of Various System Theories and Its Application in Healthcare - Cordon, Charissa P. (American Journal of Systems Science, 2013)
Throughout the course of human evolution, humans have been solving complex problems. In this paper, various system theories such as General Systems Theory, Chaos Theory, Complex-Adaptive Systems, and Integral Theory are described and discussed within the context of the human body. Different systems of varying context, such as: (1) when facilitating sustainable changes in organizations; (2) when promoting the unification of health care teams to enhance patient care; and (3) when explaining treatment principles in oncology, are also described and discussed in this paper, using systems theory as a framework. Systems theory has many applications, not only in leadership and organization, but also in oncology. Leaders need to be systems thinkers in order to facilitate sustainable change in their organizations.
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches - Creswell, John W. (2013)
Civil rights rhetoric has been central to the debate over U.S. immigration policy since at least the 1960s. A coalition of interest groups, including churches, ethnic organizations, civil rights groups, and employer associations has played a fundamental role in advancing civil rights norms in the immigration arena. The growing importance of civil rights rhetoric in the debate over U.S. immigration policy, DeLaet asserts, helps to explain the liberalization of U.S. immigration policy in spite of growing evidence that the public opposition to immigration has grown during the same period. In turn, the liberalization of U.S. immigration policy has contributed to rising numbers of both legal and illegal immigrants. Thus, high levels of immigration reflect the basic provisions of current U.S. immigration policy, rather than a loss of governmental control. Many analysts have suggested that the immigration policy reforms passed by Congress in 1996 marked the beginning of a new era of restrictionism. However, as DeLaet illustrates, the new restrictions adopted in 1996 contain many of the same loopholes as previous legislation, indicating the coalition of interest groups supporting immigration still pose a significant obstacle to efforts to restrict immigration.
Keywords: Social Science / Research

Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches - Creswell, John W. (Sage publications, 2013)
Keywords: CitedIn:OER4Schools-HHH3-A; CitedIn:OER4Schools-HHH3-A-PREVIOUS; CitedIn:PhD_Thesis; InterviewMethodology; _THEME: Education management

Do animations in enhanced ebooks for children favour the reading comprehension process?: a pilot study - Dalla Longa, Nicol; Mich, Ornella (ACM, 2013)
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

A Data Guide to Sir Michael Barber’s “The Good News from Pakistan” - Das, Jishnu (World Bank Blogs, 2013)
Shanta’s blog reported on Sir Michael Barber’s approach to implementing service delivery or “Deliverology”. Sir Michael was back at the World Bank on June 6th to present “The Good News from Pakistan”, where he outlined the impressive changes in Punjab, Pakistan as a result of his leadership in delivering deliverology. ...

An Investigation of the Impact of an Intervention to Reduce Academic Procrastination Using Short Message Service (SMS) Technology - Davis, D; Abbitt, J (Journal of Interactive Online Learning, 2013)
This mixed-method pilot study investigated the impact of a custom Short Message Service (SMS) reminder system developed to help students reduce procrastination and increase performance on weekly content-related quizzes in a high-enrollment hybrid online course. Text message reminders were sent to three students with high procrastination and low performance levels on a schedule based on free-operant avoidance principles, where messages would be terminated upon completion of the weekly quiz. The results suggest that there was sufficient evidence that the system had a positive effect on procrastination levels, but less evidence for an effect on performance. Subsequent interviews with the participants confirmed the utility and potential of the system, and revealed areas for improvement in the implementation of the SMS reminder system as well as an understanding of the students’ response to the intervention.
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

Data Access Protocol - Department of Education Children Services (2013)

DFID Research Open and Enhanced Access - Implementation Guide (v1.1) - DFID (2013)

DFID Research Open and Enhanced Access Policy - DFID (2013)
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

DFID Research Open and Enhanced Access Policy (v1.1) - DFID (2013)

Comparative Cost-Effectiveness Analysis to Inform Policy in Developing Countries: A General Framework with Applications for Education - Dhaliwal, Iqbal; Duflo, Esther; Glennerster, Rachel; Tulloch, Caitlin (Education policy in developing countries, 2013)

The Role of the iPad in the Hands of the Learner - Dhir, Amandeep; Gahwaji, Nahla M; Nyman, Gote (Journal of Universal Computer Science, 2013)
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

Digital Badges for Professional Development - Diaz, Veronica (EDUCAUSE, 2013)
Brent Herbert-Copley, Ditch the resume and pick up a badge, they're not just for Boy Scouts, Globe and Mail, May 1, 2013.

Digital Study Hall: Lighthouse Case Study - Dover, Mark (Global Solution Networks, 2013)

How to Define and Measure Value for Money in the Humanitarian Sector ? - Dross, Ester; Baker, Jock; Polastro, Riccardo; Shah (2013)

Critical issues in advancing the special education technology evidence base - Edyburn, Dave L. (Exceptional Children, 2013)

Empowering teachers and children for a healthy digital life : report on activities carried out at the European School of Varese, Italy. - European Commission (2013)
This document reports on a training action with teachers that targeted mostly the role of teachers in the promotion of a balanced and healthy online life and the prevention of cyber-bullying at primary school level. Our aim in this experience in training the primary teacher of the European School of Varese is to open a path to empower teachers in guiding our children to become smart, responsible, and respectful also when using media and help them to understand the ethical consequences behind the decisions they make online. Healthy children learn better and become healthy adults enabling them to reach their potential. This document describes the training activities that took place among teachers of the primary sections of the European School of Varese. It then summarises the observations made by the moderators of the respective activities and finally presents the recommendations that have been made by the teachers and the moderators in the light of the described experiences.

Mobile learning technology based on iOS devices to support students with special education needs - Fernández-López, Álvaro; Rodríguez-Fórtiz, María José; Rodríguez-Almendros, María Luisa; Martínez-Segura, María José (Computers & Education, 2013)

The effects of the size and weight of a mobile device on an educational game - Furió, David; González-Gancedo, Santiago; Juan, M; Seguí, Ignacio; Costa, María; others (Computers & Education, 2013)

Making leakages visible: public expenditure tracking in education - Gauthier, Bernard (Global Corruption Report: Education, 2013)
The public expenditure tracking survey (PETS) is a tool that has been developed to strengthen the relationships of accountability in budgeting and service delivery by improving the quality of information on public expenditure and provider performance.

School resources and educational outcomes in developing countries: A review of the literature from 1990 to 2010. - Glewwe, Paul; Hanuschek, Eric A.; Humpage, Sarah; Ravina, Renato (2013)

The Agenda for Prosperity: Road to Middle Income Status - Government of Sierra Leone (2013)
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

The Systems Approach in Education - Gupta, Swati; Gupta, Amit (International Journal of Management, 2013)
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

Learning from international experiences with interactive whiteboards: The role of professional development in integrating the technology - Hennessy, S.; London, L. (OECD Education Working Papers No. 89., 2013)

The Sutton Trust-Education Endowment Foundation Teaching and Learning Toolkit. - Higgins, S; Katsipataki, M; Kokotsaki, D; Coleman, R; Major, LE; Coe, R (2013)
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

A New Global Partnership: Eradicate Poverty and Transform Economies through Sustainable Development - High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on; the Post-2015 Development Agenda (2013)

Sandboxes Explained: How They’re Already Protecting You and How to Sandbox Any Program - Hoffman, Chris (How-To Geek, 2013)
Sandboxing is an important security technique that isolates programs, preventing malicious or malfunctioning programs from damaging or snooping on the rest of your computer. The software you use is already sandboxing much of the code you run every day.

Cornerstone Mathematics: Designing digital technology for teacher adaptation and scaling - Hoyles, Celia; Noss, Richard; Vahey, Phil; Roschelle, Jeremy (ZDM, 2013)

A practitioner's guide to gamification of education - Huang, Wendy Hsin-Yuan; Soman, Dilip (2013)

A guide for planning and strategy development in the face of complexity - Hummelbrunner, Richard; Jones, Harry (Overseas Development Institute, 2013)

The acceptance of Tablet-PCs in classroom instruction: The teachers’ perspectives - Ifenthaler, Dirk; Schweinbenz, Volker (Computers in Human Behavior, 2013)

An Analysis of Teacher Education Context, Structure, and Quality-Assurance Arrangements in TEDS-M Countries | IEA.nl - Ingvarson, L; Schwille, J; Tatto, M; Rowley, G; Peck, R; Senk, S (2013)

Universal and Digital Inclusion for All - International Telecommunications Union (2013)

Knowledge, policy and power in international development: a practical framework for improving policy - Jones, Harry; Jones, Nicola; Shaxson, Louise; Walker, David (Overseas Development Institute, 2013)
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

E-learning tools for public awareness programme education in disaster risk management: Case study of the city of Cape Town disaster risk management centre - Kabaka, Martha; Stoltenkamp, Juliet (Proceedings of the International Conference on e-Learning, ICEL, 2013)
Disaster occurrence around the world has in the past few decades increased at an alarming rate necessitating an urgent need for mitigation strategies. As a result, research has indicated the usefulness of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in disaster risk management. Furthermore, ICT generally plays a critical role in all aspects of disaster risk management such as: early warning prediction; informing and circulating information relating to disasters to communities especially those at risk as promptly as possible and providing communication structures immediately after a disaster occurrence. As part of its planning and precautionary measures in responding to disasters, the City of Cape Town Disaster Risk Management Centre (CoCTDRMC) implements public awareness programmes across the city. The most acclaimed is an annual awareness programme especially for high school learners selected from various schools across the city. The learner participants are expected to act as change agents in their communities. In 2012, learners from twelve different schools across the city benefited from this programme. They were expected to educate families, friends, schoolmates and communities generally on the topical issues surrounding disaster risk management. This study uses a case study approach. Since the target audience of the programme is the youth, there is need to shift towards utilising ICT. The aim of this paper is to look at how e-learning as an ICT tool can be integrated in the implementation of Public Awareness Education Programme (PAEP), so as to target broader audience and create an increased capacity building across the City of Cape Town (CoCT). The examination considers providing tools that are accessible, dependable, resilient and flexible among the residents so as to reach the grassroots levels where communities are mostly affected. The paper considers a combination of tools so as to support behavioural change. Some of the research findings are that, the 2012 programme was very beneficial and successful. Henceforth there is need to target a broader audience, and although the CoCTDRMC does make use of some relevant ICTs, there is need for additional and upgraded technological resources. Also pertinent is the fact that e-learning can play a major role in making sure that a broader audience is reached if applied effectively. The findings of the research are of relevance to the CoCTDRMC and other municipalities across South Africa. The Centre for Innovative Educational and Communication Technologies (CIECT) at the University of the Western Cape can also use these findings to develop and implement an e-learning course for both employees of CoCTDRMC and other interested community members. This will guide them on how e-learning can assist in fostering a successful implementation of PAEP across the city.
Keywords: Disaster; Disaster risk management; E-learning; Information communication technology; Public awareness education programme; ⛔ No DOI found

Mobile learning games for low-income children in India: Lessons from 2004–2009 - Kam, Matthew (In Berge, Z. & Muilenburg, L. (Eds.), Handbook of mobile learning. New York: Routledge. pp. 617–628., 2013)

Integrating problem-based learning with ICT for developing trainee teachers' content knowledge and teaching skill - Karami, Mehdi; Karami, Zohreh; Attaran, Mohammad (International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology, 2013)
Professional teachers can guarantee the progress and the promotion of society because fostering the development of next generation is up to them and depends on their professional knowledge which has two kinds of sources; content knowledge and teaching skill. The aim of the present research was studying the effect of integrating problem-based learning with Information and Communications Technology (ICT) on developing content knowledge and teaching skill of trainee teachers. The research design was a quasi-experimental one, and the participants were elementary education trainee teachers of Shahid Bahonar teacher training center of Hamadan, Iran. Two groups were given tests of theory and practice on teaching mathematical concepts at elementary school, and then a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted to compare the pretest-posttest scores. There was a significant difference, in both multivariate and univariate analyses, in scores. The findings suggest that trainee teachers who integrate problembased learning with ICT in solving a problem may develop more professional content knowledge and teaching skill than those who merely employ ICT.
Keywords: _THEME: Curriculum and resources; __:import:01; __:match:final; __:matched; __:study_id:2096422; __finaldtb; ⛔ No DOI found

Introducing ICT into Teacher-Training Programs: Problems in Bangladesh - Khan, Shahadat Hossain; Hasan, Mahbub (Journal of Education and Practice, 2013)
Information and Communication Technology can offer more adaptable and efficient ways of teacher training for improvement of quality of professional development programs. But the use of ICT into teacher training usually faces certain obstacles. In this paper, we identified different barriers of introducing ICT into teacher training model (this model had been discussed by the authors in a separate paper, titled as “A model for integrating ICT into teacher training programs in Bangladesh based on TPCK) in Bangladesh, a developing country. We then described the strategies to overcome these problems for improving the current status of ICT integration into teacher training. Finally, we concluded with emerging research issues and offered pertinent recommendation with respect to ICT integration into teacher training program for improving quality of teaching in Bangladesh.
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

Are contract teachers and para-teachers a cost-effective intervention to address teacher shortage and improve learning outcomes? - Kingdon, Geeta Gandhi; Aslam, Monazza; Rawal, Shenila; Das, Sushmita (Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Co-ordinating Centre:Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education, University of London, 2013)

Internet Utilization: A Case of Connected Rural and Urban Secondary Schools in Kenya - Kiptalam, George Kibet; Rodrigues, Anthony Joachim (2013)
This paper looks at the utilization of the Internet among teachers and students in connected rural and urban secondary schools in Kenya. A conceptual framework composed of variables which can explain Internet utilization in Kenyan secondary schools is established and measured. Instruments based on this framework were used in the survey and covered 11 schools with school principals, teachers and students as respondents. Findings show that use of the Internet and its integration in teaching and learning in secondary education is increasing with its use more pervasive among students and teachers as a means of communication and for information searching. Internet access rates for teachers and students have been observed to be much higher in educational institutions that have made effective ICT investments in education, translating into better utilization of ICT related technologies. Strategies are suggested on how to utilize the Internet to improve educational outcomes, and recommendations given on issues that touch on ICT access and infrastructure; human resources and training; policy environment; financing and ICT investment; curriculum development and locally relevant content
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

Impact of Information Communication Technology on Education-Kenya - Kirimi, Kagwiria Josephine (undefined, 2013)
Kenya has made remarkable progress putting in place an ICT policy framework and implementation strategy, complete with measurable outcomes and time frames. The process has had the benefit of sound advice from officials and stakeholders and, perhaps more importantly, strong leadership from the office of the permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education. However, universal implementation is challenging given the lack of resources, national ICT infrastructure, and even electrical supply- particularly in the rural areas. As technology is bound to rule our present and future, it is good to obtain know-how of the technological reforms at the earliest. Children learn faster and can adapt to changes relatively easily. If they are trained during their school years, they have a high chance of becoming experts in technology. Computers can give lovelier explanations to various subjects. The internet is an ocean of information which can be harnessed for the rendition of information in school. The inclusion of technology in the learning process makes learning an enjoyable activity, thus inviting greater interest from the learners. The administration processes, the official procedures of the school can be simplified by the means of technology. School records, the information about all the students and the teachers and other school employees can efficiently be maintained by means of the advanced technology. Thus we see that technology not only benefits the school students but also eases the office work. It makes possible a more effective way of storage and distribution of information. The realization of the importance of technology in schools and its successful implementation is a necessity. The introduction of technology in schools is the means to bridge the long distance between the present and the future. DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2014.v4n1p435
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

The Limitations of Access Alone: moving towards open processes in education technology - Knox, Jeremy (OpenPraxis, 2013)
Keywords: C:International

The Challenge of Education and Learning in the Developing World - Kremer, Michael; Brennen, Conner; Glennerster, Rachel (Science, 2013)
Across many different contexts, randomized evaluations find that school participation is sensitive to costs: Reducing out-of-pocket costs, merit scholarships, and conditional cash transfers all increase schooling. Addressing child health and providing information on how earnings rise with education can increase schooling even more cost-effectively. However, among those in school, test scores are remarkably low and unresponsive to more-of-the-same inputs, such as hiring additional teachers, buying more textbooks, or providing flexible grants. In contrast, pedagogical reforms that match teaching to students' learning levels are highly cost effective at increasing learning, as are reforms that improve accountability and incentives, such as local hiring of teachers on short-term contracts. Technology could potentially improve pedagogy and accountability. Improving pre-and postprimary education are major future challenges.
Keywords: ___working_potential_duplicate

Using Systems Thinking to Leverage Technology for School Improvement: Lessons Learned from Award-Winning Secondary Schools/Districts - Levin, Barbara B.; Schrum, Lynne (Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 2013)

Social-ecological systems as complex adaptive systems: modeling and policy implications - Levin, Simon; Xepapadeas, Tasos; Crépin, Anne-Sophie; Norberg, Jon; De Zeeuw, Aart; Folke, Carl; Hughes, Terry; Arrow, Kenneth; Barrett, Scott; Daily, Gretchen (Environment and Development Economics, 2013)

Teachers for All: Inclusive Teaching for Children with Disabilities - Lewis, Ingrid; Bagree, Sunit (International Disability and Development Consortium, 2013)
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

Effects of cues and real objects on learning in a mobile device supported environment - Liu, Tzu-Chien; Lin, Yi-Chun; Paas, Fred (British Journal of Educational Technology, 2013)

The impact and reach of MOOCs: A developing countries’ perspective - Liyanagunawardena, T.; Williams, S.; Adams, A. (eLearning Papers, 2013)
Massively Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are a recent but hugely popular phenomenon in the online learning world. They are hailed by many as a solution for the developing world’s lack of access to education because MOOCs can provide learning opportunities to a massive number of learners from anywhere in the world as long as they can access the course through Internet. However, a close consideration of the ability of learn- ers from most developing countries to make use of MOOCs seems to contradict this rhetoric. This paper discusses features of MOOCs and looks at them from a developing countries’ perspective to conclude that due to a complicated set of conditions (‘access’, language, computer literacy among others) prevailing in developing countries, MOOCs may not be a viable solution for education for a large proportion of people in these ar- eas of the world. The paper further shows the need for more data on the demograph- ics of MOOC participants from developing countries to form a better understanding of MOOCs role in educating people from developing countries.
Keywords: C:Low- and middle-income countries; NOTdocs.opendeved.net; ___working_potential_duplicate; ⛔ No DOI found

Accelerated Learning Programmes: What can we learn from them about curriculum reform? - Longden, Ken (Education for All Monitoring Report Background Paper, 2013)
The purpose of this paper is to present a cross-country analysis of the content and implementation of successful Accelerated Learning Programmes, ALPs. A literature search was conducted to find information on as many ALPs, as possible. This resulted in a matrix displaying key features of ALPs. Using the information from fifteen ALPs where almost complete data was available, an analysis was undertaken to discern the nature of these programmes in terms of providing improved access to learning. Five ALPs covering a range of types were selected for more detailed study. Finally, the lessons learned from ALPs were highlighted; potential implications for reform in the formal system were discussed with particular emphasis on the curriculum and teacher education.
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

Introduction to systems theory - Luhmann, Niklas; Baecker, Dirk; Gilgen, Peter (Polity Cambridge, 2013)
Keywords: ___working_potential_duplicate; auto_merged

Mother-tongue education: policy lessons for quality and inclusion - Mackenzie, Pamela J; Walker, Jo (2013)

The Key Informant Child Disability Project in Bangladesh and Pakistan - Mactaggart, I (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 2013)

Article 9: Issue 4: Systems Thinking and Technology Leadership in PK-12 Schools - Maddin, Ellen (EdTechnology Ideas, 2013)
Article 9: Issue 4: Systems Thinking and Technology Leadership in PK-12 Schools
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

ICT in secondary school administration in rural southern Kenya: An educator’s eye on its importance and use - Makewa, Lazarus; Meremo, Jackson; Role, Elizabeth; Role, Jesse (2013)
This study investigated whether there was a significant difference between teachers’ and administrators’ perceptions on the importance of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) in secondary school administration and evaluated the extent to which it was used by administrators. In this study, administrators are those involved in the day to day running of secondary school duties such as: the principal, deputy principal and heads of departments. The researchers used a descriptive-comparative research design to obtain information on the current status of ICT. The t-test was used to establish whether there was any significant difference in perceptions while a Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient was used to find whether there was any significant relationship between educators’ perceptions of the importance and extent of ICT use in secondary school administration. Both teachers and administrators rated the use of ICT in secondary school administration as important. Teachers and administrators viewed the use of ICT in student administration as equally important. Administrators rated the importance of using ICT in supervision of instruction and in student administration more highly. There was a significant difference between the perceptions of teachers and administrators on the importance of ICT use in the following areas of secondary school administration: student administration, general administration and supervision of instruction.
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

Is it a tool suitable for learning? A critical review of the literature on Facebook as a technology-enhanced learning environment - Manca, S.; Ranieri, M. (Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 2013)
Despite its continuing popularity as the social network site par excellence, the educational value of Facebook has not been fully determined, and results from the mainstream educational paradigms are contradictory, with some scholars emphasizing its pedagogical affordances (e.g., widening context of learning, mixing information and learning resources, hybridization of expertise) and others cautioning against its use for educational purposes. Moreover, systematic reviews about documented educational usage of Facebook as a learning environment are lacking. This article attempts to provide a critical overview of current studies focusing on the use of Facebook as a technology-enhanced learning environment, with the aim of exploring the extent to which its pedagogical potential is actually translated into practice. Only empirical studies published in peer-reviewed academic journals with a specific focus on Facebook as a learning environment have been considered for the review. The authors conducted a comprehensive literature search that identified 23 relevant articles that were subsequently analysed according to a simplified list of guidelines. These articles were further analysed and recoded through a set of emerging categories. The results show that pedagogical affordances of Facebook have only been partially implemented and that there are still many obstacles that may prevent a full adoption of Facebook as a learning environment such as implicit institutional, teacher and student pedagogies, and cultural issues. Finally, a broad observation on the implications of the study is developed with some suggestions for future research.
Keywords: Facebook; Q =M; R = L; ___working_potential_duplicate; cultural issue; implicit pedagogies; social networking sites; technology-enhanced learning

Is it a tool suitable for learning? A critical review of the literature on Facebook as a technology-enhanced learning environment - Manca, S.; Ranieri, M. (Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 2013)
Despite its continuing popularity as the social network site par excellence, the educational value of Facebook has not been fully determined, and results from the mainstream educational paradigms are contradictory, with some scholars emphasizing its pedagogical affordances (e.g., widening context of learning, mixing information and learning resources, hybridization of expertise) and others cautioning against its use for educational purposes. Moreover, systematic reviews about documented educational usage of Facebook as a learning environment are lacking. This article attempts to provide a critical overview of current studies focusing on the use of Facebook as a technology-enhanced learning environment, with the aim of exploring the extent to which its pedagogical potential is actually translated into practice. Only empirical studies published in peer-reviewed academic journals with a specific focus on Facebook as a learning environment have been considered for the review. The authors conducted a comprehensive literature search that identified 23 relevant articles that were subsequently analysed according to a simplified list of guidelines. These articles were further analysed and recoded through a set of emerging categories. The results show that pedagogical affordances of Facebook have only been partially implemented and that there are still many obstacles that may prevent a full adoption of Facebook as a learning environment such as implicit institutional, teacher and student pedagogies, and cultural issues. Finally, a broad observation on the implications of the study is developed with some suggestions for future research.
Keywords: Facebook; Q =M; R = L; ___working_potential_duplicate; cultural issue; implicit pedagogies; social networking sites; technology-enhanced learning

Is it a tool suitable for learning? A critical review of the literature on Facebook as a technology-enhanced learning environment - Manca, S.; Ranieri, M. (Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 2013)
Despite its continuing popularity as the social network site par excellence, the educational value of Facebook has not been fully determined, and results from the mainstream educational paradigms are contradictory, with some scholars emphasizing its pedagogical affordances (e.g., widening context of learning, mixing information and learning resources, hybridization of expertise) and others cautioning against its use for educational purposes. Moreover, systematic reviews about documented educational usage of Facebook as a learning environment are lacking. This article attempts to provide a critical overview of current studies focusing on the use of Facebook as a technology-enhanced learning environment, with the aim of exploring the extent to which its pedagogical potential is actually translated into practice. Only empirical studies published in peer-reviewed academic journals with a specific focus on Facebook as a learning environment have been considered for the review. The authors conducted a comprehensive literature search that identified 23 relevant articles that were subsequently analysed according to a simplified list of guidelines. These articles were further analysed and recoded through a set of emerging categories. The results show that pedagogical affordances of Facebook have only been partially implemented and that there are still many obstacles that may prevent a full adoption of Facebook as a learning environment such as implicit institutional, teacher and student pedagogies, and cultural issues. Finally, a broad observation on the implications of the study is developed with some suggestions for future research.
Keywords: Facebook; Q =M; R = L; cultural issue; implicit pedagogies; social networking sites; technology-enhanced learning

Is it a tool suitable for learning? A critical review of the literature on Facebook as a technology-enhanced learning environment - Manca, S.; Ranieri, M. (Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 2013)
Despite its continuing popularity as the social network site par excellence, the educational value of Facebook has not been fully determined, and results from the mainstream educational paradigms are contradictory, with some scholars emphasizing its pedagogical affordances (e.g., widening context of learning, mixing information and learning resources, hybridization of expertise) and others cautioning against its use for educational purposes. Moreover, systematic reviews about documented educational usage of Facebook as a learning environment are lacking. This article attempts to provide a critical overview of current studies focusing on the use of Facebook as a technology-enhanced learning environment, with the aim of exploring the extent to which its pedagogical potential is actually translated into practice. Only empirical studies published in peer-reviewed academic journals with a specific focus on Facebook as a learning environment have been considered for the review. The authors conducted a comprehensive literature search that identified 23 relevant articles that were subsequently analysed according to a simplified list of guidelines. These articles were further analysed and recoded through a set of emerging categories. The results show that pedagogical affordances of Facebook have only been partially implemented and that there are still many obstacles that may prevent a full adoption of Facebook as a learning environment such as implicit institutional, teacher and student pedagogies, and cultural issues. Finally, a broad observation on the implications of the study is developed with some suggestions for future research.
Keywords: Facebook; Q =M; R = L; ___working_potential_duplicate; cultural issue; implicit pedagogies; social networking sites; technology-enhanced learning

Is it a tool suitable for learning? A critical review of the literature on Facebook as a technology-enhanced learning environment - Manca, S.; Ranieri, M. (Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 2013)
Despite its continuing popularity as the social network site par excellence, the educational value of Facebook has not been fully determined, and results from the mainstream educational paradigms are contradictory, with some scholars emphasizing its pedagogical affordances (e.g., widening context of learning, mixing information and learning resources, hybridization of expertise) and others cautioning against its use for educational purposes. Moreover, systematic reviews about documented educational usage of Facebook as a learning environment are lacking. This article attempts to provide a critical overview of current studies focusing on the use of Facebook as a technology-enhanced learning environment, with the aim of exploring the extent to which its pedagogical potential is actually translated into practice. Only empirical studies published in peer-reviewed academic journals with a specific focus on Facebook as a learning environment have been considered for the review. The authors conducted a comprehensive literature search that identified 23 relevant articles that were subsequently analysed according to a simplified list of guidelines. These articles were further analysed and recoded through a set of emerging categories. The results show that pedagogical affordances of Facebook have only been partially implemented and that there are still many obstacles that may prevent a full adoption of Facebook as a learning environment such as implicit institutional, teacher and student pedagogies, and cultural issues. Finally, a broad observation on the implications of the study is developed with some suggestions for future research.
Keywords: Facebook; Q =M; R = L; cultural issue; implicit pedagogies; social networking sites; technology-enhanced learning

Open Data: Unlocking Innovation and Performance with Liquid Information - Manyika, James; Chui, Michael; Groves, Peter; Farrell, Diana; Van Kuiken, Steve; Almasi Doshi, Elizabeth (McKinsey Global Institute, 2013)
Keywords: _C:Algeria DZA; _C:Brazil BRA; _C:Canada CAN; _C:China CHN; _C:Colombia COL; _C:France FRA; _C:Georgia GEO; _C:Germany DEU; _C:Haiti HTI; _C:India IND; _C:Iran IRN; _C:Japan JPN; _C:Kenya KEN; _C:Mexico MEX; _C:Netherlands NLD; _C:New Zealand NZL; _C:Republic of Moldova MDA; _C:Romania ROU; _C:Russian Federation RUS; _C:Singapore SGP; _C:South Africa ZAF; _C:Sweden SWE; _C:United Kingdom GBR; _C:United States USA; __C:scheme:1

América Latina en PISA 2012: ¿Cómo se desempeñan los varones y las mujeres? - María Soledad, Bos,; Ganimian, Alejandro; Vegas, Emiliana (2013)

Here and now mobile learning: An experimental study on the use of mobile technology - Martin, Florence; Ertzberger, Jeffrey (Computers & Education, 2013)

An Investigation on Learning Performance among Disabled People Using Educational Multimedia Software: A Case Study for Deaf People - Masitry, Ananthi Krishnasami; Majid, Mazlina Abdul; Toh, M Zulfahmi; Herawan, Tutut (2013)
The increasing number of people with hearing-impaired in Malaysia attracts to produce a variety of technologies, which can assist the deaf people in carrying out their tasks in everyday life as normal people. New technology can help to decrease the difficulty that hearing-impaired people faces in daily life to use the information services like normal people. Thus, this paper focuses on: i) developing a new multimedia courseware for pre-school students with hearing problem, and ii) comparing the deaf student’s learning performance before and after using the courseware. Four modules were developed for e-MSL courseware consist of alphabets, numbers, words and quizzes with colorful text, animation, sounds, video and pictures using Malaysian Sign Language (MSL). Sekolah Rendah Pendidikan Khas (SRPK) Indera Mahkota II, Kuantan has been chosen as the case study for data collection and for investigating the student learning performance on the courseware. The survey results show that 100% of the respondents have agreed that using e-MSL courseware managed to reduce the student learning time more than 80%. The result has indicated that students have shown better learning performance using e-MSL compared to traditional learning.

The effectiveness of online and blended learning: A meta-analysis of the empirical literature - Means, Barbara; Toyama, Yukie; Murphy, Robert; Bakia, Marianne (Teachers College Record, 2013)
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

PISA and the globalization of education governance: some puzzles and problems - Meyer, Heinz Dieter; Benavot, Aaron (PISA, Power, and Policy: The Emergence of Global Educational Governance, 2013)

Perception and Usage Level of ICT of the Primary School Teachers in Bangladesh - Mia, Abdul Hannan; Haque, Ziaul (Bangladesh Journal of MIS, 2013)
Bangladesh has been investing in the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) in education from the last decade. The evolution of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and their integration in the education lead to specific changes both in personal and professional area of primary school teachers in Bangladesh. Bangladesh has realized the need for a high quality primary education system and seen huge government funding for schools over the last 7years. However, Bangladesh’s spending on ICT has attracted little research regarding the impact of ICT on primary school teachers. For this reason, this study aimed to discover perception and usage level of ICT of the primary school teachers in Bangladesh. The study found that teachers have deficiency in usage and training of ICT. Findings revealed that programs on ICT provided for the primary schools in Bangladesh were too basic and that further investment is required. Data analyzed by STATA indicate that perception of primary school teachers about the ICT is positive irrespective of demographic characteristics such as sex, level of profession, type of institution, marital status and age. The usage level of ICT is not satisfactory whether the teacher is married or single, senior or junior or headmaster, male or female and government or non government. Some initiative can be taken to improve the ICT use among primary school teachers such as training on ICT, setup of computer Lab in primary school, introducing a course on ICT in primary level, reducing the cost of Internet connection and ICT devices etc.
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

Teachers’ Perception About Integration of ICT in Teaching and Learning of Kiswahili Language in Secondary Schools in Kenya. - Miima, Florence; Ondigi, Dr Samson; Mavisi, Rose (2013)
This article discusses the results of exploratory study of integration of ICT in teaching and learning of Kiswahili language in Kenyan secondary schools taking the case of Kakamega county in western part of Kenya. A survey design technique was adopted. Forty five teachers were selected to act as sample size for the study. Questionnaires and interview protocols were used to collect the data. The data collected was analyzed through descriptive statistical techniques. The results are summarized and presented through tables and graphs. The findings established that most Kiswahili teachers understand the benefit of integrating ICT in teaching and learning of Kiswahili language but they are not willing to adopt it due to various challenges. The paper examines how Kiswahili language teachers integrate ICT into everyday classroom practice, their perceptions, constrains, and their reservations. It also considers use of ICT along with the influences of established curriculum practice and policy upon Kiswahili language teacher’s willingness to develop new forms of activity and pedagogy. The case study provides some information on integration of ICT at all level of language teaching and learning in education.

Using iPads to teach inquiry science to students with a moderate to severe intellectual disability: A pilot study - Miller, Bridget T; Krockover, Gerald H; Doughty, Teresa (Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 2013)

Master plan for information and communication technology in education (2012-2021) - Ministry of Education (Ministry of Education, 2013)

Master plan for information and communication technology in education (2012-2021) - Ministry of Education (Ministry of Education, 2013)

Master Plan for Information and Communication Technology in Education (2012-2021) - MoE (2013)

Teacher Education and the Challenge of Development: A global analysis - Moon, Bob (Routledge, 2013)

Results on implementing personal learning environments in Tanzanian secondary schools - Mselle, L. J.; Kondo, T. S. (8th International Conference for Internet Technology and Secured Transactions (ICITST-2013), 2013)
In this paper we describe how an Offline Personal Learning Environment (OPLE) for learning mathematics was implemented in Tanzanian secondary schools. Students and teachers' perceptions were captured and discussed. The viability of delivering mathematics classes through offline digital content was tested. Results show that OPLE can be used to improve teaching and learning in Tanzanian secondary schools.
Keywords: Context; Education; Educational institutions; Green products; ICT; Offline Digital Content; Offline Personal Learning Environment; Technology

The Influence of Principals’, Teachers’ and Students’ Attitude on Readiness to Adopt e-Learning in Secondary Schools in Kitui District, Kenya - Mulwa, Dr Angeline Sabina; Kyalo, Dr Dorothy Ndunge (2013)
Keywords: ___working_potential_duplicate; ⛔ No DOI found

The Influence of Principals’, Teachers’ and Students’ Attitude on Readiness to Adopt e-Learning in Secondary Schools in Kitui District, Kenya - Mulwa, Dr Angeline Sabina; Kyalo, Dr Dorothy Ndunge (2013)
Keywords: ___working_potential_duplicate; ⛔ No DOI found

Special Needs Education (SNE) in Kenyan public primary schools: exploring government policy and teachers’ understandings - Mwangi, Lucy (2013)
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2012-13 - National Institute of Population Studies (USAID, 2013)
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

Paper 3. Landscaping the Institutions of Educational Policy Research in Pakistan: Who is doing what? - Naveed, Arif (Department for International Development, 2013)

Enhanced STEM learning with Online Labs: Empirical study comparing physical labs, tablets and desktops - Nedungadi, Prema; Raman, Raghu; McGregor, Mark (IEEE, 2013)

Promoting sustainable living in the borderless world through blended learning platforms - Ng, Khar; Parahakaran, Suma; Febro, Rhea; Weisheit, Egbert; Lee, Tan (Open Praxis, 2013)

National Education Policy - Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (2013)

Use of Information communication technology in teaching and learning processes in secondary schools in Rachuonyo South District, Homa-Bay County, Kenya - Obonyo, Samson O. (University of Nairobi, 2013)
The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in teaching and Learning in Rachuonyo South District secondary schools. The focus was on three main subject matters: on ICT use and competence, on teacher and student and on ICT infrastructure and teaching practices. The study is closely connected to the national educational policy, which has aimed strongly at supporting the implementation of ICT in pedagogical practices at all institutional levels. Six research questions were formulated to guide the researcher investigate the phenomena. A descriptive survey design was used to collect data from the field through the use of questionnaire and an observation schedule. The result indicated that ICT has not been successfully integrated in teaching and learning in schools. In general, students are capable and motivated users of computers. Some students have the skills to use new kinds of applications and their ICT skills are wider although not necessarily adequate. Teachers’ skills are more heterogeneous. The large majority of teachers have sufficient skills for everyday and routine working practices, but many of them still have difficulties in finding a meaningful integration of ICT into teaching and learning. Most teachers reported that the use of ICT in learning and teaching was slow in the past years and proposed upgrading of students computer labs and accelerating internet connectivity in the schools. Further, teachers’ good ICT competence helps them to adopt new pedagogical practices and integrate ICT in a meaningful way. The results also showed that students are capable and motivated users of new technology and their ICT skills are wide, although not necessarily adequate; the working habit might be ineffective and wrong. Some students have a special kind of ICT related adaptive expertise, which develops in a beneficial interaction between students and teachers, and individual interest and activity. The most common goal to student use of ICT is challenged by the internet, digital communication and the need to filter information. Since students’ ICT skills can be translated to increased creativity, which include innovation and productive workforce, to develop capacity to ICT which support the country’s knowledge base. The findings further indicated that ICT integration realized some challenges such as availability of sufficient number of ICT tools, lack of motivation and support and lack of technical support. The challenges are either teacher-level (Microlevel), school level (Meso-level) or system level (Macro-level). These barriers have hindered successful implementation of ICT into teaching and learning processes. The study also recommended that teachers should be given sufficient training on how to use ICT tools to enhance teaching and learning in schools. The study also recommended that students should be equipped with ICT skills such as Microsoft software applications such as word, excel and access. Finally, further research on the perception of teachers and students towards the use of ICT in enhancing teaching and learning and relevant strategies for using ICT to improve teaching and learning practices should be conducted.

Mother tongue as default language of instruction in lower primary science classes: Tension between policy prescription and practice in Nigeria - Okebukola, Peter Akinsola; Owolabi, Olatunde; Okebukola, Foluso Olutoyin (Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 2013)
The forecast for the first quarter of this century is that the issue of teaching science in the language to which the learner is most familiar will receive more attention in our quest to win more students for science. Over two-thirds of countries in Africa, Asia, and Europe have developed policies on the use of the mother tongue for teaching science in the lower levels of their education system. In spite of this policy thrust, the educational system of many of these countries has not responded fully to the demands of such a policy. Because studies which mapped the dynamics of communication in science classrooms taught using the mother tongue are scant, we remain in the dark as to how best to structure such classrooms. The study was conducted in 12 primary schools and it involved 36 teachers in urban and rural locations of Lagos State, Nigeria. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from primary science classrooms where the mother tongue is expected to be used as a medium of instruction. Mismatch between policy and practice was found especially in urban science classrooms. Among other things, it was found that on the average, science lessons delivered in primary 1 in rural settings, were found to be 93.6% in the mother tongue (L1). In primary 2 this fell to 91.1% and in primary 3–84.6%. In contrast, in the urban schools, mother tongue content was found to be 61.8% in primary 1, 49.2% in primary 2 and 26.6% in primary 3. The geo-spatial communication between and among pupils in urban and rural science classes also showed interesting findings, that is, English served as a mediating language. The implications of the findings for future policy considerations and future research to inform policy are drawn. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 50:62–81, 2013
Keywords: class dynamics; mother tongue; science teaching

"For us it was a learning experience": design, development and implementation of blended learning - Onguko, Brown; Jepchumba, Lucy; Gaceri, Petronilla (European Journal of Training and Development, 2013)
Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to share reflections of the three authors on the process of instructional design and implementation of blended learning for teachers' professional development (PD) in rural western Kenya. It proposes reforms in provision of teachers' professional development to enable professional development providers to access specialized skills in instructional design (ID) and blended learning. Design/methodology/approach - The paper resulted from a design-based research including 12 entry and 12 exit interviews, observations of three face-to-face meetings of blended learning sessions and ten classroom observations of teachers implementing new teaching approaches learned through blended learning. Findings - The paper provides insights into the authors' experiences in this research. They shared the following reflections: engagement in ID empowered them and they are confident that they can engage in systematic instructional design on a larger scale; they gained technical knowledge and skills in authoring content in HTML on eXe open source platform; uploading the content and processing audio and video content was equally enthralling to them. Research limitations/implications - Because of the chosen research approach, the research results may lack generalisability. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to consider incorporating the design-based research, instructional design and blended learning approaches used in this study while conducting related research in their dissimilar contexts. Practical implications - The paper includes implications for the design, development and implementation of teachers' professional development for challenging contexts as a contribution towards achievement of both Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Education for All (EFA). Originality/value - This paper fulfils an identified need to study provision of professional development for teachers who lack opportunities for professional development.
Keywords: 5220:Information technology management; 8306:Schools and educational services; 9177:Africa; Appropriate technology; Audio recordings; Business And Economics--Management; Instructional design; Kenya; Personal development; Professional development; Research; Rural schools; Teaching; Technological change; Training; __:import:01; __:match:final; __:matched; __:study_id:2096396; ___working_potential_duplicate; __finaldtb

Perspectives on underutilisation of ICT in education in Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya - Oroma, J. O.; Kiden, S.; Maghendha, M. W.; Ntiyani, S. (2013 IST-Africa Conference, 2013)
Developing countries in Africa have experienced considerably high growth in education that is witnessed by high enrolments at all levels, and brought forth several critical challenges like limited learning space, insufficient learning materials, and inadequate human capacity, forcing governments to build more schools and encourage the private sector to invest in education at all levels because education is pivotal to growth in other sectors. To overcome these challenges and improve the quality of education, these governments enacted several policies that integrate information and communication technologies in the curriculums at all levels of education and encouraged institutions to embrace these technologies because they enhance the teaching and learning processes. However, in reality, the adoption, ICT integration and implementation of these policies is inadequate and hindered by numerous factors. This study therefore focuses on exploring and comparing these factors leading to the underuse of ICT in education in these three countries.
Keywords: Africa; Computers; East Africa; Educational institutions; Government; ICT; ICT integration; ICT underutilisation; Internet; Kenya; Libraries; Materials; Tanzania; Uganda; Uganda and Kenya; challenges; computer aided instruction; context; countries; developing; developing countries; e-learning. Tanzania; education; education quality; educational institutions; excuses; human capacity; information and communication technologies; learning materials; learning process; learning space; private sector; teaching; teaching process; utilisation; ⛔ No DOI found

What are the impacts and cost-effectiveness of strategies to improve performance of untrained and under-trained teachers in the classroom in developing countries? Systematic review - Orr, David; Westbrook, Jo; Pryor, John; Durrani, Naureen; Sebba, Judy; Adu-Yeboah, Christine (EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education, 2013)
Keywords: C:Low- and middle-income countries

Learning to argue: A study of four schools and their attempt to develop the use of argumentation as a common instructional practice and its impact on students - Osborne, Jonathan; Simon, Shirley; Christodoulou, Andri; Howell-Richardson, Christina; Richardson, Katherine (Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 2013)
This article reports the outcomes of a project in which teachers' sought to develop their ability to use instructional practices associated with argumentation in the teaching of science—in particular, the use of more dialogic approach based on small group work and the consideration of ideas, evidence, and argument. The project worked with four secondary school science departments over 2 years with the aim of developing a more dialogic approach to the teaching of science as a common instructional practice within the school. To achieve this goal, two lead teachers in each school worked to improve the use of argumentation as an instructional practice by embedding activities in the school science curriculum and to develop their colleague's expertise across the curriculum for 11- to 16-year-old students. This research sought to identify: (a) whether such an approach using minimal support and professional development could lead to measurable difference in student outcomes, and (b) what changes in teachers' practice were achieved (reported elsewhere). To assess the effects on student learning and engagement, data were collected of students' conceptual understanding, reasoning, and attitudes toward science from both the experimental schools and a comparison sample using a set of standard instruments. Results show that few significant changes were found in students compared to the comparison sample. In this article, we report the findings and discuss what we argue are salient implications for teacher professional development and teacher learning. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 50:315–347, 2013
Keywords: argumentation; dialogic teaching; epistemic learning; student engagement; teacher professional development

Working with immigrant children and their families: An application of Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory - Paat, Yok-Fong (Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 2013)

Designing OLPC learning environments: A case on 1:1 pedagogy in rural Tanzania - Pakarinen, S.; Apiola, M.; Moisseinen, N.; Tedre, M. (2013 Africon, 2013)
In the past two decades computers have become a standard educational tool in the industrialized countries. Recently, equipping each student with a personal device (one-to-one computing, OLPC) has been enthusiastically advocated for developing countries, too. However, despite a number of pioneering research studies, broader analyses of pedagogical, technical, and organizational aspects of one-to-one computing in developing countries are largely missing. In this participatory action research in a rural Tanzanian primary school, we identified a number of pedagogical elements that were beneficial for teaching and utilizing ICT in the classroom. We pinpointed exploratory and self-regulated learning, group problem solving, and constructive principles as facilitators of learning within the one-to-one computing paradigm in this context. Our results show that the introduction of children's computers also triggered a number of changes in dynamics both within the school but also outside the school.
Keywords: Context; Educational institutions; ICT utilization; Interviews; Materials; OLPC learning environment; Portable computers; Tanzania; computer aided instruction; constructive principles; educational institutions; educational tool; exploratory learning; group problem solving; information and communications technology; learning facilitators; one-to-one computing; organizational aspect; participatory action research; pedagogical aspect; pedagogical elements; pedagogy; rural primary school; self-regulated learning; teaching; technical aspect

Schools going mobile: A study of the adoption of mobile handheld technologies in Western Australian independent schools. - Pegrum, M., Oakley, G., & Faulkner, R. (Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 2013)

How teachers are using technology at home and in their classrooms - Pew (Pew Research, 2013)

From Distance Learning and ODL to ODeL: Unisa Library’s journey to transformation and innovation - Rammutloa, Modiehi Winnie (2013)
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

U-report: Rapid SMS - RapidSMS (2013)
Keywords: sub-Saharan Africa

Efficacy of Think Tanks in Influencing Public Policies: The Case of Bangladesh - Rashid, A (Asian Journal of Political Science, 2013)
This article analyzes contextual and organizational challenges and constraints faced by think tanks in Bangladesh. It argues that while think tanks have been visible in the policy discourse through fostering policy debates and advocating policy proposals, their direct impact on policy outcomes remains limited. Think tanks’ research findings are often interpreted through the prism of politics. A number of think tanks are institutionally weak and face challenges in funding, attracting researchers, and retaining research focus. Think tanks can potentially focus attention to the wider policy community, and emphasize intermediate influences, such as, building capacity, wider networking and interacting with a broader base of policy-makers, in order to be effective and relevant in the policy discussions.

How students create motivationally supportive learning environments for themselves: The concept of agentic engagement - Reeve, Johnmarshall (Journal of Educational Psychology, 2013)

Results From a Controlled Study of the iPad Fractions Game Motion Math - Riconscente, Michelle M (Games and Culture, 2013)

Teachers and Students Perceptions on the Utilisation of Educational Media in Teaching and Learning History and Government in Secondary Schools in Kenya - Rugut, Eunice; Role, Jesse (2013)
The purpose of conducting this study was to determine the perception that students and teachers held on the utilisation of educational media in teaching and learning of History and Government subject in public secondary schools in Nandi Central Sub County, Kenya. The study involved participation of 10 secondary schools from the area. The target population for the study involved 48 teachers and 257 form IV students. The data for the research was collected through questionnaires. Research results showed that majority of student rated that educational media was very helpful in learning History and Government. Teachers had more positive perceptions towards the integration of educational media in teaching and learning of History and Government in secondary schools in Nandi Central Sub-County. There was a significant difference on the teachers perception and students perception on the use of educational media in teaching and learning History and Government in secondary schools (p<0.05). The study concluded that teachers and students perceived differently on the effect of utilisation of educational media in teaching and learning History and Government subject in secondary schools in Nandi Central. The study recommends that teachers should go for in-service training to be acquainted with new educational media resources. Teachers should also work closely with students when designing, improvising and utilising educational media resources in teaching and learning in schools.
Keywords: ___working_potential_duplicate; auto_merged

Teachers and Students Perceptions on the Utilisation of Educational Media in Teaching and Learning History and Government in Secondary Schools in Kenya - Rugut, Eunice; Role, Jesse (2013)
The purpose of conducting this study was to determine the perception that students and teachers held on the utilisation of educational media in teaching and learning of History and Government subject in public secondary schools in Nandi Central Sub County, Kenya. The study involved participation of 10 secondary schools from the area. The target population for the study involved 48 teachers and 257 form IV students. The data for the research was collected through questionnaires. Research results showed that majority of student rated that educational media was very helpful in learning History and Government. Teachers had more positive perceptions towards the integration of educational media in teaching and learning of History and Government in secondary schools in Nandi Central Sub-County. There was a significant difference on the teachers perception and students perception on the use of educational media in teaching and learning History and Government in secondary schools (p<0.05). The study concluded that teachers and students perceived differently on the effect of utilisation of educational media in teaching and learning History and Government subject in secondary schools in Nandi Central. The study recommends that teachers should go for in-service training to be acquainted with new educational media resources. Teachers should also work closely with students when designing, improvising and utilising educational media resources in teaching and learning in schools.
Keywords: ___working_potential_duplicate

School drop out in Bangladesh: insights using panel data - Sabatés, Ricardo; Hossain, Altaf; Lewin, Keith M. (International Journal of Educational Development, 2013)
This paper examines the relative strength of different factors associated with school drop out using data collected between 2007 and 2009 in Bangladesh. A sample of 9046 children, aged 4-15, was selected across six districts for a household survey focusing on children's school access and experiences. Two groups of children were identified: those who were enrolled in school in both 2007 and 2009 and those who dropped out by 2009. Using a multivariate logit model, results show age and gender, together with financial constraints, such as lack of income and school expenditure, as the top predictors of school drop out. Two other important predictors are lack of parental support for children's school work and school absenteeism. This paper identifies some possible interventions that could reduce school drop out. These include campaigns to reduce late entry and overage enrolment, reductions in direct costs of schooling, and more support for low achieving children to compensate for lack of educational support at home.

Teaching children with disabilities: ICTs in Bangkok and Addis Ababa - Schiemer, Margarita; Proyer, Michelle; Ahamer, Gilbert (Multicultural Education & Technology Journal, 2013)
Purpose – This paper intends to explore the levels of availability and restrictions in relation to the use of ICTs (information and communication technologies) for educating children with disabilities in Thailand's and Ethiopia's capitals. Design/methodology/approach – In the course of an international research project, parents and teachers of children with different disabilities, the children themselves and further experts were interviewed about barriers and facilitators in the children's educational environment. For this paper only selected interviews focusing on sensory disabilities were analysed regarding the above mentioned areas of using ICTs. Findings – ICTs are available in the respective cities. The levels of restrictions related to the socio‐economic situation in the two cities vary accordingly but show the same overall limitations. The intensity and kind of use of ICTs is strongly related to resources, the educational actors' awareness and knowledge. Originality/value – Approaching the topic of ICTs in relation to disability might not be new, neither is the contextualisation with the Majority World. However, the combination of the three aspects against the background of current global developments (e.g. the growing gap between the poor and the rich) reveals the importance of taking a closer look at special needs education and ICTs in the Majority World. This opens the floor for discussion on how inclusion of the most marginalised groups in education affects development in general.
Keywords: Children; Children with disabilities; Comparative research; Disabilities; Education; Ethiopia; ICTs; Majority World; Thailand

Design Thinking for Educators - Schurr, Michael (2013)

Learner-centred education in international perspective: Whose pedagogy for whose development? - Schweisfurth, Michele (Routledge, 2013)
Is learner-centred education appropriate for all societies and classrooms? Learner-centred education (LCE) is a travelling policy, widely promoted by international agencies and national governments. Arguments in favour of this pedagogical tradition refer to theories and evidence from cognitive psychology, claiming that all learners can benefit equally from its judicious use. Beyond the benefits to the individual however, lie a set of assumptions about learner-centred education as a foundation for the building of democratic citizens and societies, suitable for economies of the future. These promises have been questioned by critics who doubt that it is appropriate in all cultural and resource contexts, and there is considerable evidence in the global South of perennial problems of implementation. In the light of these debates, is LCE still a good development 'bet'? This book provides an authoritative and balanced investigation of these issues, exploring the contextual factors from global movements to local resourcing realities which have fuelled it as a discourse and affected its practice. In the light of the theoretical underpinnings and research evidence, the book addresses pressing questions: to what extent is learner-centred education a sound choice for policy and practice in developing countries? And if it is a sound choice, under which conditions is it a viable one? The book is divided into three key parts: - Learner-centred Education as a Global Phenomenon - Learner-centred Education in Lower and Middle-income Countries - Lessons and Resolutions This book provides a much-needed fresh analysis of the concept and practice of LCE. It will be valuable reading for academics and post-graduates with a focus on comparative and international education, along with policy-makers in developing countries and development agencies.
Keywords: Education / General

English Language Classroom Practices: Bangladeshi Primary School Children’s Perceptions - Shrestha, P (RELC Journal, 2013)
English language teaching (ELT) has been investigated from various angles including how English language teachers perceive what happens in an ELT classroom. How primary school English language learners perceive their experiences of ELT is rarely reported in the published literature, particularly from developing countries such as Bangladesh. This article reports on a study that examined Bangladeshi primary school learners’ experience of English language classroom practices in which technology-enhanced communicative language teaching activities were promoted through a project called English in Action (EIA). EIA is a large-scale 9-year long international English language development project in Bangladesh, funded by the UK government. A semi-structured group interview was conducted with 600 Grade 3 students from different regions of Bangladesh. The findings showed that the learners found communicative language learning activities such as dialogue and role play more effective than translation and memorizing grammar rules for learning English, although they enjoyed reciting and drills. The results also showed that these learners’ English teachers tended to mix both traditional and communicative approaches in their lessons. The paper critiques EIA and argues that any major language development project needs to consider the local context and learners’ views on language learning for its success.

Entry, engagement and empowerment: Dilemmas for inclusive education in an Indian context. - Singal, N; Florian, L (The Sage Handbook of Special Education, 2013)

Assessment of policies to improve teacher quality and reduce teacher absenteeism - Suryahadi, Asep; Sambodho, Prio (Working paper, 2013)

The Effects of Incentive Initiatives on Teacher Retention in Tanzania: A Case of the Rukwa Region - Swai, Anna Every (University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2013)

The benefits of school mapping - Sylla, K; Tournier, B (2013)

Ict Integration in Teacher Education: Pakistan "Attitude of Prospective Teachers Towards Ict" - Tahira, Syeda Samina; Saadi, Azhar Mumtaz (Iated-Int Assoc Technology Education & Development, 2013)
The integration of information and communication technologies can help to strengthen teachers and students, but the success of any initiatives to integrate technology in an educational program depends strongly upon the support and attitudes of people involved such as students or teachers. This study aimed to investigate the use of computers in teacher education institutes of Punjab, Pakistan. It measured the attitude of prospective teachers towards the use of ICT and identified barriers faced by prospective teachers in use of ICT. Loyd Gressard Computer Attitude Scale (Loyd and Gressard, 1984, 1985) was administered among 250 M. Ed level prospective teachers from 5-public sector universities of Punjab, Pakistan. This instrument captured the prospective teacher's attitude in four dimensions of ICT. These dimensions were computer anxiety, confidence with computers, liking computers and attitude toward the usefulness of computers. Moreover some open ended questions were also included to identify the barriers faced by prospective teachers in the use of ICT. The overall attitude of the prospective teachers towards the use of ICT was measured by applying simple descriptive statistical technique such as mean score. Further, comparison of attitude of male and female prospective teachers was made by applying inferential statistical technique such as t-test. All prospective teachers showed highly positive attitude towards ICT. Moreover female prospective teachers were found to be more anxious than male. Male prospective teachers were found more confident in using computers. Prospective teachers pointed out a lot of barriers faced by them in the use of ICT.
Keywords: Information Communication Technology; Teacher Education; attitude; barriers in the use of ICT; computer anxiety; computer attitudes; confidence with computers; liking computers; usefulness of computers; validation

The Punjab Transparency and Right to Information Act 2013 - The Punjab Transparency and Right to Information Act (2013)

Exclusion from education: The Economic Cost of Out of School Children in 20 Countries - Thomas, Milan; Burnett, Nicholas (Educate a Child; Results for Develpoment, 2013)

Instructional and assessment accommodations in the 21st century. - Thurlow, M (The SAGE Handbook of Special Education: Two Volume Set., 2013)

Grade 4 Mathematics 2011 Assessment Items - TIMSS (TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center, International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), 2013)

Getting inside the black box of technology integration in education: Teachers stimulated recall of classroom observations - Tondeur, J.; Kershaw, L.; Vanderlinde, R.; van Braak, J. (Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 2013)

"Opening" a new kind of high school: The story of the open high school of Utah - Tonks, De Laina; Weston, Sarah; Wiley, David; Barbour, Michael K (International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 2013)
The use of online learning at the primary and secondary school level is growing exponentially in the United States. Much of this growth is with full-time online schools, most of whichare operated by for-profit companies that use proprietary online course content. In this article we trace the development of, and philosophy behind, a full-time online school that uses open access software and open educational resources for course content. As more nations begin to put in place plans for primary and secondary education in the event of natural disasters (e.g., the Christchurch earthquakes) or pandemics (e.g., avian flu or H1N1), the availability of open online content is of critical importance.
Keywords: Cyber school; K-12 online learning; Open education; Virtual school

Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) for young people in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis - Tripney, Janice S; Hombrados, Jorge G (Empirical Research in Vocational Education and Training, 2013)
The world is facing a worsening youth employment crisis. In response, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) is back on the development agenda after years of neglect. This systematic review examined the evidence from studies evaluating the impacts of TVET interventions for young people in low- and middleincome countries (LMICs). The 26 included studies evaluated 20 different interventions, predominantly from Latin America. Meta-analyses of the effectiveness of TVET on five outcome measure categories were conducted. The overall mean effects on overall paid employment, formal employment, and monthly earnings were small, positive, and significant; however, significant heterogeneity was observed. Moderator analysis was performed in an attempt to explain between-study differences in effects. The overall paucity of research in this area, together with specific gaps and methodological limitations, affirm the need for strengthening the evidence base. Implications for policy, practice and research are discussed.
Keywords: -AB-Review; -AB-Review-SSA; -RQAsummary; -codedOrSummarised; -review; C:Kenya; CLL:en; FF1.1/3; FF2.2; FF2.7.a; interesting; keyReview en; onLongList; retain_obsolete; revofrevSummarisedSeptember2018; summarised

Moving education into the digital age: the contribution of teachers' professional development - Twining, P.; Raffaghelli, J.; Albion, P.; Knezek, D. (Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 2013)
This article introduces the main outcomes of discussions at EDUsummIT 2011 by the specific Technical Working Group on Teacher Professional Development (TWG3). The focus was to explore how professional development of teachers may ensure that teachers are better prepared to use information and communication technology (ICT) to promote 21st century learning. The article is organized into three main sections: a review of key literature on professional development of teachers (TPD), in general and with specific reference to ICT; a summary of the key points emerging from TWG3's discussions; and recommendations for action. On the basis of discussions held within the TWG3, the authors concluded that effective TPD requires changes at several levels of educational systems (political, institutional and individual), and that ICTs should be seen as an opportunity for introducing new goals, structures and roles that support these changes. It is significant that while many of the issues highlighted by the group are well established, addressing them continues to be problematic globally.
Keywords: ICT; IT; digital age; policy recommendations; practitioner research; teacher professional development; transformation

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Education in Five Arab States. Information paper - UNESCO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2013)

UNESCO | Statistics on Radio - UNESCO (2013)

Out-of-School Children in the Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh Provinces of Pakistan - UNICEF (2013)

Facing the challenges of the One-Tablet-Per-Child policy in Thai primary school education. - Viriyapong, Ratchada; Harfield, Antony (International Journal of Advanced Computer Science & Applications, 2013)

Policy and practice on language of instruction in Ethiopian school: findings from the Young Lives school survey - Vujcich, Daniel (Working paper, 2013)
Keywords: Ethiopia; Language; Native language and education; Teachers; Teaching

The ‘trainer in your pocket’: mobile phones within a teacher continuing professional development program in Bangladesh - Walsh, Christopher S.; Power, Tom; Khatoon, Masuda; Biswas, Sudeb Kumar; Paul, Ashok Kumar; Sarkar, Bikash Chandra; Griffiths, Malcolm (Professional Development in Education, 2013)
Keywords: ___working_potential_duplicate

The ‘trainer in your pocket’: mobile phones within a teacher continuing professional development program in Bangladesh - Walsh, Christopher S.; Power, Tom; Khatoon, Masuda; Biswas, Sudeb Kumar; Paul, Ashok Kumar; Sarkar, Bikash Chandra; Griffiths, Malcolm (Professional Development in Education, 2013)
Keywords: ___working_potential_duplicate

The ‘trainer in your pocket’: mobile phones within a teacher continuing professional development program in Bangladesh - Walsh, Christopher S.; Power, Tom; Khatoon, Masuda; Biswas, Sudeb Kumar; Paul, Ashok Kumar; Sarkar, Bikash Chandra; Griffiths, Malcolm (Professional Development in Education, 2013)
Keywords: ___working_potential_duplicate