The hidden costs of reward: new perspectives on the psychology of human motivation - Lepper, Mark L.; Green, David (Psychology revivals, 2016)

Cost-Effectiveness and Affordability of Interventions, Policies, and Platforms for the Prevention and Treatment of Mental, Neurological, and Substance Use Disorders - Levin, Carol; Chisholm, Dan (Mental, Neurological, and Substance Use Disorders: Disease Control Priorities, 2016)
Since the turn of the millennium, considerable progress has been made in developing an evidence base on which interventions are effective and feasible for improving mental health in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Such evidence provides a critical input to the formulation of plans and priorities to address the large and growing burden of mental, neurological, and substance use (MNS) disorders. However, for successful and sustainable scale-up of effective interventions and innovative service delivery strategies, decision makers require not only evidence of an intervention’s impact on health and other outcomes, such as equity or poverty, but also evidence of its cost and cost-effectiveness. Cost data provide information relevant to the financial planning and implementation of prioritized, evidence-based strategies; cost-effectiveness analysis indicates the relative efficiency or value for money associated with interventions or innovations. The application of economic evaluation to MNS disorders has largely focused on the assessment of a specific intervention’s costs and health outcomes, relative to some comparator, which may be treatment as usual, another innovation, or no intervention. Such assessments have often been conducted alongside clinical trials, enabling health economic researchers to add resource use questions to study protocols, generate estimates of each trial participant’s health care costs, and relate these costs to primary outcome measures in the form of cost-effectiveness ratios. We review this type of economic evidence over the course of this chapter, with a particular focus on studies that have been successfully carried out in LMICs. However, the number of completed studies remains small and insufficient to inform resource allocation decisions in all the national settings where cost-effectiveness information would be valuable, including the many countries where informal or traditional health care represents the predominant model of service availability. This paucity of economic evidence reflects the overall lack of resources and infrastructure for mental health services in LMICs, including research capacity. Partly to address the paucity of cost-effectiveness trials, as well as their intrinsic specificity to the setting in which they are conducted, a broader, modeling-based approach has also been used to build up economic evidence for international mental health policy and planning. This approach includes the earlier editions of the Disease Control Priorities (DCP) project and the World Health Organization’s (WHO) CHOosing Interventions that are Cost-Effective (CHOICE) project. Such model-based studies rely on existing data, as well as several analytical assumptions; these studies have adopted an epidemiological, population-based approach that identifies the expected costs and health impacts of delivering evidence-based interventions at scale in the population as a whole, whether a specific country or an entire region. We also review this form of economic evidence and comment on important gaps in the current evidence base, as well as the relative strengths and limitations of this approach. One important limitation of conventional cost-effectiveness analysis—whether garnered through trial-based or model-based approaches—is that it is restricted to consideration of the specific implementation costs and health-related outcomes of an intervention; it does not typically extend to the nonhealth or wider economic or social value of investing in mental health innovation and service scale-up. In particular, cost-effectiveness analysis in its conventional form has little to say about the equitable distribution of costs and health gains across different groups of the target population. Incorporation of such concerns into economic evaluation represents a major objective of extended cost-effectiveness analysis, which is explored and addressed specifically in chapter 13 in this volume (Chisholm, Johansson, and others 2015). In this chapter, we review the available cost-effectiveness evidence for the different levels and underpinning strategies of the mental health care system, with a focus on information generated in or for LMICs. Based on the overall analytical framework and priority intervention matrices developed for this volume, the remainder of the chapter is presented as follows. First, we consider the economic evidence for mental health prevention and protection at the population and community levels of the health and welfare system, including legislative, regulatory, and informational measures at the public policy level (population platform), as well as school-, workplace-, and community-based programs (community platform). We then examine the economic evidence relating to the identification and treatment of MNS disorders (health care platform), focusing on the relative cost-effectiveness or efficiency of treatment programs implemented in nonspecialized versus more specialized health care settings. Finally, we assess the financial costs and budgetary implications of implementing or scaling up a set of prioritized, cost-effective interventions. Our review is based on available, published literature. A systematic search of the literature for LMICs was undertaken in PubMed to find articles published since 2000 in English. The search combined terms for specific mental health interventions with economic terms such as “cost,” “cost-effectiveness,” or “quality-adjusted life year (QALY),” as well as the names of all LMICs and their respective regions (see annex 12A for a list of search terms used to identify relevant literature). Where little or no literature was found for LMICs on interventions of potential importance, this systematic search was augmented by selective searches of the literature available since 1995 for high-income countries (HICs); however, these results are not included in the figures or tables. Annex 12B provides the search statistics. Articles included in the review were graded using the checklist of Drummond and others (2005) to generate a quality score for each article, with most studies graded between 7 and 10. Annex 12C provides a list of studies that were used to generate the tables and figures presented in this chapter. It presents detailed information on the intervention characteristics and comparators, target population group, geographic location, methodology, results, and quality scores. All cost-effectiveness results are presented in 2012 US$ except where noted otherwise. Consistent with earlier iterations of DCP, reported regional estimates refer to the World Bank’s categorization of countries by income.

ICT and the Education of Refugees: A Stocktaking of Innovative Approaches in the MENA Region - Lewis, Kent; Thacker, Simon (World Bank, 2016)
More than 10 million school-age children have been forced out of school in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) due to armed conflict in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Libya and other countries. Most are displaced internally but others have fled across borders to seek refuge. As governments and international agencies struggle to ensure these children a safe learning environment and a good quality education, many look to information and communications technology (ICT) to provide at least part of the solution. The use of smartphones and other mobile devices, ubiquitous even among impoverished refugees, can provide a platform that educators can leverage to reach marginalized children and youth. This paper aims to inform discussion on the role information and communications technology (ICT) can play in the educational response to the refugee crisis in the MENA. It provides a clear and concise snapshot of the role ICT has played, the promise it holds, the projects that are currently under preparation and what more might be done. The purpose of this note is to provide a clear and concise snapshot of the role ICT has played, the promise it holds, the projects that are currently under preparation, and what more might be done. This is in no way a comprehensive assessment but rather an attempt to promote dialogue and inform programs.
Keywords: Google Scholar/ "education technology" refugees; RER theme_pedagogies and modalities

语言活力复兴: 云南丽江四所小学纳西语教育现状调查研究 [Language Revitalization: Language Revitalization: A Study on Naxi Language Education in Four Primary Schools in Lijiang] - Li, Hongyao (Yunnan Normal University, 2016)

Using technology and mentorship to improve teacher pedagogy and educational opportunities in rural Nicaragua - Lindenberg, Anni; Henderson, Kathryn I.; Durán, Leah (Global Education Review, 2016)
This study used ethnographic methods to understand factors influencing the implementation of an educational intervention combining short math content videos with teacher trainings and mentorship in high-poverty primary schools in Nicaragua with implications for rural school reform. Educators in rural schools in Latin America face serious obstacles to improve classroom instruction and pedagogy, including lack of resources and overcrowding. Research suggests an over-reliance on input-output models in which inputs (e.g. teacher salaries, textbooks, technology, computer labs, numbers of classrooms, etc.) are expected to produce particular outputs (student retention, lowering drop-out rates, increasing graduation rates, etc.); however, studies show that regardless of the resources, much depends on effective use of resources for successful teaching and learning (O'Sullivan, 2006; L. S. Shulman, 1987). While input/output models provide insights into an educational systems economic efficiency, they do not offer insight into what actually transpires inside of a classroom (O'Sullivan, 2006). Much depends on effective training and use of these very resources. Though systemic issues in the Nicaraguan educational system produced numerous obstacles for the eleven participating 3rd and 6th grade teachers, the educational intervention model supported teachers' ability to be innovative and grow their practice in four ways: a) increased pedagogical knowledge; b) opportunities to collaborate and support one another as a community of teachers; c) flexibility in adaptation of the intervention model to their specific classroom context; and d) use of videos as supportive resources for content knowledge.
Keywords: Barriers; ERIC, Current Index to Journals in Education (CIJE); Early Childhood Education; Educational Change; Educational Opportunities; Elementary Education; Elementary School Students; Elementary School Teachers; Ethnography; Foreign Countries; Grade 3; Grade 6; Instructional Effectiveness; Instructional Innovation; Intermediate Grades; Intervention; Mathematics; Mathematics Instruction; Mentors; Middle Schools; Nicaragua; Observation; Pedagogical Content Knowledge; Poverty; Primary Education; Rural Areas; Semi Structured Interviews; Teacher Education; Teaching Methods; Video Technology; __:import:01; __:match:final; __:matched; __:study_id:2096190; __finaldtb; ⛔ No DOI found

The Impacts of Introducing Accountability: Evidence from a Randomized Field Trial in Vocational Schools in China - Loyalka, Prashant; Li, Guirong; Yi, Hongmei; Johnson, Natalie; Shi, Henry (2016 Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness Conference, 2016)
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

Assessing the use of technology and Khan Academy to improve educational outcomes in Sacatepéquez, Guatemala - MANAUS Consulting (2016)

Evaluation Report: Assessing the use of technology and Khan Academy to improve educational outcomes in Sacatepéquez, Guatemala - MANUS Consulting (2016)

Health and health-related indicators in slum, rural, and urban communities: a comparative analysis - Mberu, Blessing U.; Haregu, Tilahun Nigatu; Kyobutungi, Catherine; Ezeh, Alex C. (Global Health Action, 2016)

‘Access to learning’ and ‘learning to access’: Analysing the distinctive role of specialist teachers of children and young people with vision impairments in facilitating curriculum access through an ecological systems theory - McLinden, Michael; Douglas, Graeme; Cobb, Rory; Hewett, Rachel; Ravenscroft, John (British Journal of Visual Impairment, 2016)
The move towards greater inclusive practice in recent years has resulted in significant changes in curriculum design, delivery and support for children and young people with vision impairments, including increasing placement in settings not designated for pupils with vision impairments. Within these settings, pupils will participate in most curriculum areas alongside their sighted peers with support provided by a range of practitioners including a specialist teacher of children and young people with vision impairments. This article is concerned with analysing the distinctive function and role of the specialist teacher across settings in helping to facilitate an appropriate balance of curriculum ‘access’. Drawing upon recent work in this area, a dual model of access is presented as a means of illustrating the specialist teacher’s role in (1) ensuring that the child’s environment is structured to promote learning throughout their education (‘access to learning’) and (2) supporting the child to learn distinctive skills in order to afford more independent learning (‘learning to access’). While it can be challenging for specialist teachers to find the balance between these two roles, its importance is highlighted in literature which associates independence skills with positive employment outcomes. An ecological systems theory is used as a lens through which to conceptualise and navigate the issues teachers negotiate in facilitating an appropriate curriculum balance. We illustrate the multi-faceted role of the specialist teacher in providing support ‘within’ and ‘between’ the different ‘systems’ within this theoretical framework with a particular focus on the professional ‘standards’ that are used in England and Scotland, respectively. The article is original in being the first to examine the role of the specialist teacher of children and young people with vision impairments through such an analysis. In providing a theoretical framework and related vocabulary illustrated with examples from practice, it therefore has significance for educators and researchers concerned with facilitating curriculum access across national contexts and educational settings in order to reduce future barriers to learning and participation.
Keywords: Curriculum access; ecological systems theory; specialist teacher; vision impairments

Universal Design for Learning: Theory and Practice - Meyer, A; Rose, D; Gordon, D (Center for Applied Special Technology., 2016)

ICT Development Strategy for Education (Draft) - Ministry of Education and Sports (Laos) (2016)

Digital Learning Programme - Ministry of Education, Kenya (2016)

Home - Ministry of Education, Kenya (2016)

Getting to Best Education Sector Plan 2017-2021 - Ministry of Education (Liberia) (2016)

National Policy for Information and Communications Technology - Ministry of ICT, Postal and Courier Services (Zimbabwe) (2016)

Prevention of Electronic Crime Bill - Ministry of Information Technology (2016)

The Jordan Response Plan For the Syria Crisis 2017-2019 - Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, Jordan (2016)

Education Sector Strategic Plan (2016-2020) - Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (Zimbabwe) (2016)

Daring Progress: Telecommunications Public Policy 2014-2015 - Ministry Of Telecommunications (Lebanon) (2016)

Implementation Strategy 2016/17-2020/21 for the National ICT Policy - Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication (2016)

National Information and Communications Technology policy - Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication (The United Republic of Tanzania, 2016)

National information and communications technology policy 2016 - Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication (2016)

Impact of non-financial reward strategies on teachers’ performance: A study of secondary schools in Nyamira County, Kenya - Mochengo, Sylvester Nyageo; Atambo, Wallace; Abuga, Mogwambo Vitalis (European Journal of Business and Management, 2016)
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

Teacher Learning Circles: A Locally Owned Complement to Coaching - Mohr, Emet; Morency Notario, Paige (2016)

Social Entrepreneurship and Disruptive Innovation: Evaluating the use of Rumie’s Free Educational Software in Seven Developing Economies - Moon, Chris; Kavanagh, Allison; Jeffrey, Jackie; Gebbels, Joseph; Korsgaard, Karen (2016)
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

Learning to teach online: a systematic review of the literature on K-12 teacher preparation for teaching online - Moore-Adams, Brianne L; Jones, W Monty; Cohen, Jonathan (Distance Education, 2016)
There is a growing need for qualified online instructors to teach the expanding population of online K-12 students. To meet this need, teachers must be provided learning opportunities to acquire the specific types of knowledge and skills necessary to teach online. In this systematic review of the literature, we utilize the TPACK framework to aggregate the types of knowledge and skills required to teach online and examine both the extent to which these elements are addressed in existing programs and are based on empirical research. Findings suggest that the types of knowledge and skills based on empirical research originate from few studies and that most programs address only a small subset of knowledge and skills, varying greatly without uniformity in content or learning experiences.
Keywords: Online learning; online teaching; teacher preparation; virtual learning

Toward next-generation performance budgeting: lessons from the experiences of seven reforming countries - Moynihan, Donald; Beazley, Ivor (2016)
Toward next-generation performance budgeting : lessons from the experiences of seven reforming countries (English)

Factors influencing teachers’ use of multimedia enhanced content in secondary schools in Tanzania - Mtebe, Joel Samson; Mbwilo, Betty; Kissaka, Mussa M. (The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 2016)
Tanzania is faced with a severe shortage of qualified in-service school science and mathematics teachers. While science and mathematics account for 46% of the curriculum, only 28% of teachers are qualified to teach these subjects. In order to overcome this challenge, the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MoEVT) implemented a project to use multimedia-enhanced content to upgrade subject content knowledge of science and mathematics teachers in secondary schools. A total of 70 topics and 147 subtopics were developed and enhanced with various multimedia elements. The content was used to train 2,000 in-service science and mathematics teachers from secondary schools in 19 selected centers countrywide. However, the presence and availability of this content does not automatically guarantee that teachers will use them. For this content to improve teachers’ subject content knowledge, they must be accepted and used by teachers in secondary schools. This study examines factors affecting teachers’ acceptance and prolonged use of developed multimedia-enhanced content using the extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) as a research framework. A sample of 1,137 teachers out of 2,000 was collected and tested against the research model using regression analysis. With exception of performance expectancy, all other factors had a statistically significant effect on teachers’ acceptance and use of the developed content. The government and other stakeholders can use these findings to develop strategies that will promote acceptance and use of the developed content in secondary schools in Tanzania.

Education in Tanzania – what role for citizens? - Murgo, John; Jaffer, Sana (PAL Network, 2016)

Innovation Education – What are innovation skills? How can we provide innovation learning through the education system? - Murphy, Ryan (2016)
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

Education Technology Map: Guidance Document - Muyoya, C; Brugha, M; Hollow, D (Jigsaw Consult, 2016)
Keywords: Review; ⛔ No DOI found

Exploring the effect of non-financial incentives on job satisfaction of teachers at Lubuto and Kayele Secondary schools in Ndola District - Natalia, Zulu (Zimbabwe Open University and the University of Zambia, 2016)

Education for Prosperity Strategy - National Committee for Human Resources Development (2016)

Pakistan’s Education Crisis: The Real Story - Naviwala, Nadia (Wilson Center, 2016)
Keywords: Advantaged; Armed Forces; Attendance; Budgets; Educational Change; Educational Finance; Educational Policy; Educational Quality; Expenditures; Foreign Countries; International Organizations; Interviews; Political Influences; Privatization; Specialists; Standards; Teacher Attendance; Teacher Salaries

Pakistan District Education Rankings - Naz, Saman; Memon, Asif; ul Haque, Minhaj; Nadeem, Umar; Jamal, Ghamae; Khan, Aleena (2016)

Role of ICT in Enabling High Quality OERs for Teacher Education and Training in Dadaab Refugee Settlement in Kenya - Ndalo, Agumba Musa (Research Journal of Education, 2016)
ICT and OER have the potential for uplifting the quality of refugee education across the world. Sustainable education in refugee camps/settlements is difficult to achieve in many countries that host refugees. This is because most international agencies that come to aid of the refugees are mostly concerned with basic humanitarian assistance like health, food and shelter. Quality education is a key determinant of students’ participation rates and achievement levels. It also remains an important ingredient towards attainment of social justice in terms of equity in educational quality for students. One contributing factor to quality education is availability of ICT infrastructure and quality OERs to create equity for many refugee learners in their camps. This paper describes how ICT and OER initiatives are appropriate tools for improving access, equity, and quality training and education of refugees in Dadaab refugee settlement schools in north eastern part of Kenya.
Keywords: Google Scholar/ "refugee education" ICT; RER theme_supporting educators; ⛔ No DOI found

Effect of financial and non-financial motivation on performance of teachers in private secondary schools in Sheema Disrict, Uganda - Niwamanya, J. (Uganda Technology and Management University, 2016)
This cross-sectional descriptive study assessed the relationship between motivation and performance of teachers in private secondary schools in Sheema District, Uganda. Specifically, the study examined the relationship between financial motivation and teachers’ performance in private secondary schools in Sheema District; and examined the relationship between non-financial motivation and teachers’ performance in private secondary schools in Sheema district. Data was collected using questionnaire, interview guide and documentary review methods. Purposive sampling was used to select 10 head teachers from 10 private secondary schools in Sheema District, and 212 teachers out of 383 teachers from ten schools in Sheema District. Findings indicated that there was significant positive relationship between financial motivation and teachers’ performance in private secondary school teachers ( r=0.692at 0.000 significant level) as well as nonfinancial motivation being significantly positively related to performance of private secondary school teachers in Sheema District (r=0.616 at 0.000 significant level). Financial motivation impacts on performance of teachers by 69.2% while non-financial motivation impacts by 61.6%. The value of r square when all variables were operating at the same time was 50.7%. This demonstrates that difference in teacher performance can be explained by the differences in non-financial and financial factors. Other factors that affect teacher performance would explain 49.3% of the difference in teacher performance. Therefore there is a need to use both financial and non-financial rewards, although the financial motivation has more impact.

Innovating education and educating for innovation: the power of digital technologies and skills - OECD (Educational Research and Innovation, 2016)
OECD Innovation Strategy calls upon all sectors in the economy and society to innovate in order to foster productivity, growth and well-being. Education systems are critically important for innovation through the development of skills that nurture new ideas and technologies. However, whereas digital technologies are profoundly changing the way we work, communicate and enjoy ourselves, the world of education and learning is not yet going through the same technology-driven innovation process as other sectors. This report served as the background report to the second Global Education Industry Summit which was held on 26-27 September 2016. It€discusses the available evidence on innovation in education, the impact of digital technologies on teaching and learning, the role of digital skills and the role of educational industries in the process of innovation. The report argues for smarter policies, involving all stakeholders, for innovation in education
Keywords: Educational innovations

OUT policy on Open Educational Resources (OER) - Open University of Tanzania (OUT) (OUT, 2016)

Orbit Reader 20 - Braille Display, Book Reader and Note-taker. Includes an SD Card, Charger and a USB cable - Orbit Research (Orbit Research, 2016)
The Orbit Reader 20 is the world’s most affordable Refreshable Braille Display.  It is a unique 3-in-1 device and serves as a self-contained book reader, a note-taker and as a braille display by connecting to a computer or smartphone via USB or Bluetooth.

How to design a monitoring and evaluation framework for a policy research project - Pasanen, Tiina; Shaxson, Louise (ODI, 2016)
This guidance note aims to support the first steps in designing and structuring the monitoring and evaluation framework for a policy research project.

The effect of blended instruction on accelerated learning - Patchan, Melissa M.; Schunn, Christian D.; Sieg, Wilfried; McLaughlin, Dawn (Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 2016)

The effect of blended instruction on accelerated learning - Patchan, Melissa M.; Schunn, Christian D.; Sieg, Wilfried; McLaughlin, Dawn (Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 2016)

Review of 'Continued progress: Promising evidence on personalized learning' - Penuel, William R.; Johnson, Raymond (National Education Policy Center, 2016)

Millions learning: Scaling up quality education in developing countries - Perlman Robinson, Jenny; Winthrop, Rebecca (Brookings Institute, 2016)

Multilingual Literacy Skill Development in Kenya: Results from Medium Scale Randomized Controlled Trials. - Piper, Benjamin (Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness, 2016)
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

Education Needs Assessment Report - Sierra Leone - Plan International (2016)

Pre-primary, primary and secondary education statistics in brief - President's Office, Regional Administration and Local Government (The United Republic of Tanzania, 2016)

How can capacity development promote evidence-informed policy making? - Punton, Melanie (2016)
How can capacity development promote evidenceinformed decision making? This review discusses the messy, complex nature of evidence use in policy processes; casts a spotlight on some of the individual, interpersonal, organisational and institutional factors that promote and constrain use of evidence; and examines the primary evidence base to investigate what works to build the capacity of decision makers to use evidence, for whom, in what circumstances, and why.

Bridging the disability divide through digital technologies - Raja, Deepti Samant (World Bank, 2016)

Promoting Family and Teacher’s Engagement Through Nudges - RECC (TRECC, 2016)
Eduq+ is a nudgebot, a technology product aimed at encouraging parents’ engagement in their children’s school life.

Interactive Learning and Teaching: Zonal In-Service Coordinators Facilitation Guide - Roger Federer Foundation (2016)

Online mathematics homework increases student achievement - Roschelle, Jeremy; Feng, Mingyu; Murphy, Robert F.; Mason, Craig A. (AERA open, 2016)

The evolution of U.S. e-learning policy: a content analysis of the National Education Technology Plans - Roumell, Elizabeth Anne; Salajan, Florin Daniel (Educational Policy, 2016)
The purpose of this study was threefold: to expand on existing reviews of 20 years of educational technology policy in the United States, to perform an empirical content analysis of the four National Education Technology Plan (NETP) documents issued by the Department of Education since 1996, and to provide a dialectic analysis of the evolution of U.S. e-learning policy. The content analysis revealed that, as the United States aims to reestablish its leadership role internationally, with a focus on global competitiveness, a sense of urgency is communicated in the development of e-learning policy and general education reform over time throughout each of the NETP documents, justifying the need for increased funding and support for federal level initiative in terms of educational technology policy. Through a dialectical analysis, endemic tensions within the NETP discourse become apparent in the competing visions of education as a means of both conferring economic fluency and mobility to individuals within the society.

Assistance to Basic Education: All Children Reading (ABE-ACR) Findings Report, Tanzania National Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) - RTI International (USAID, 2016)

Teachers and Students Perceptions on the Utilisation of Educational Media in Teaching and Learning History and Government in Secondary Schools in Kenya - Rugut, E.; Role, Jesse (2016)
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

Teachers and Students Perceptions on the Utilisation of Educational Media in Teaching and Learning History and Government in Secondary Schools in Kenya - Rugut, Eunice; Jesse, Role (International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), 2016)
Call for Papers - International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR) is a Fully Refereed - Peer Reviewed International Journal. Notably, it is a Referred, Highly Indexed, Online International Journal with High Impact Factor.
Keywords: ___working_potential_duplicate; ⛔ No DOI found

ICT in Education Policy - Rwanda Ministry of Education (2016)

Implementation Framework for ICT in Education - Rwanda Ministry of Education (2016)

Liberia ICT Policy 2017-2021: Initial Stakeholders Consultation - Sarpong, Eleanor (Alliance for Affordable Internet, 2016)

Does learning in mother tongue matter? Evidence from a natural experiment in Ethiopia - Seid, Yared (Economics of Education Review, 2016)

Is Technology Good for Education? - Selwyn, Neil (Polity Press, 2016)
Digital technologies are a key feature of contemporary education. Schools, colleges and universities operate along high-tech lines, while alternate forms of online education have emerged to challenge the dominance of traditional institutions. According to many experts, the rapid digitization of education over the past ten years has undoubtedly been a ‘good thing’. Is Technology Good For Education? offers a critical counterpoint to this received wisdom, challenging some of the central ways in which digital technology is presumed to be positively affecting education. Instead Neil Selwyn considers what is being lost as digital technologies become ever more integral to education provision and engagement. Crucially, he questions the values, agendas and interests that stand to gain most from the rise of digital education. This concise, up-to-the-minute analysis concludes by considering alternate approaches that might be capable of rescuing and perhaps revitalizing the ideals of public education, while not denying the possibilities of digital technology altogether.
Keywords: Social Science / Popular Culture; Social Science / Sociology / General; ___working_potential_duplicate; auto_merged

The information society and ICT sector development project in Tanzania - Seppälä, Teemu (TANZICT, 2016)

The impact of education programmes on learning and school participation in low- and middle-income countries - Snilstveit, Birte; Stevenson, Jennifer; International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie); Menon, Radhika; International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie); Phillips, Daniel; International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie); Gallagher, Emma; International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie); Geleen, Maisie; Maxwell Stamp; Jobse, Hannah; et al. (International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie), 2016)
Keywords: ___working_potential_duplicate

Learning While You Teach Project Report - Society for the Advancement of Education (SAHE); Institute of Development & Economic Alternatives (IDEAS) (2016)

What are the 21st-century skills every student needs - Soffel, Jenny (2016)
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

National survey into the reading and book reading behaviour of adult South Africans - South African Book Development Council (TNS; The DG Murray Trust, 2016)
This study was commissioned and managed bythe South African Book Development Council as part of the Growth and Development Strategy for the South African Book Sector.

Daughters of the Nile: Egyptian women changing their world - Spencer, S.I. (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2016)

What Works in Girls' Education: Evidence for the World's Best Investment - Sperling, G. B.; Winthrop, Rebecca; Kwauk, Christina (Brookings Institution Press; JSTOR, 2016)
Hard-headed evidence on why the returns from investing in girls are so high that no nation or family can afford not to educate their girls. Gene Sperling, author of the seminal 2004 report published by the Council on Foreign Relations, and Rebecca Winthrop, director of the Center for Universal Education, have written this definitive book on the importance of girls' education. As Malala Yousafzai expresses in her foreword, the idea that any child could be denied an education due to poverty, custom, the law, or terrorist threats is just wrong and unimaginable. More than 1,000 studies have provided evidence that high-quality girls' education around the world leads to wide-ranging returns: Better outcomes in economic areas of growth and incomes Reduced rates of infant and maternal mortality Reduced rates of child marriage Reduced rates of the incidence of HIV/AIDS and malaria Increased agricultural productivity Increased resilience to natural disasters Women's empowerment What Works in Girls' Education is a compelling work for both concerned global citizens, and any academic, expert, nongovernmental organization (NGO) staff member, policymaker, or journalist seeking to dive into the evidence and policies on girls' education.
Keywords: ___working_potential_duplicate

What Works in Girls' Education: Evidence for the World's Best Investment - Sperling, Gene B; Winthrop, Rebecca (Brookings, 2016)
Keywords: ___working_potential_duplicate; ⛔ No DOI found

What Works in Girls' Education: Evidence for the World's Best Investment - Sperling, Gene B; Winthrop, Rebecca (2016)
Keywords: ___working_potential_duplicate

What Works in Girls' Education: Evidence for the World's Best Investment - Sperling, Gene B; Winthrop, Rebecca (Brookings, 2016)
Keywords: ___working_potential_duplicate; ⛔ No DOI found

What Works in Girls' Education: Evidence for the World's Best Investment - Sperling, Gene B; Winthrop, Rebecca (2016)
Keywords: ___working_potential_duplicate

E-Learning Sudan, Formal Learning for Out-of-School Children - Stubbé, Hester; Badri, Aiman; Telford, Rebecca (2016)
E-Learning Sudan (ELS) is a custom-built computer/tablet game that provides alternative learning opportunities to Sudanese children who are excluded from education. Unique in ELS is that children can learn mathematics, in their own remote village, without a teacher. This research study assessed the effectiveness of ELS in two pilots through a pretest–posttest control group quasi-experimental design. In Pilot I, 67 children in three remote villages, aged used the game for a period of six weeks, five days a week, 45 minutes a day; the control group did not receive any education.. In Pilot II, 591 children in 19 remote villages, played the game for six months, for a maximum of five times a week, 45 minutes a day; the control group received informal education in out-of-school centers. The results of the analysis on the pretest–posttest data revealed that ELS increased mathematics knowledge acquisition in numeracy and adding significantly and maintained student motivation to learn. Analyses of control group data and EGMA (internationally validates Early Grade Mathematics Assessment) showed that the children in the experimental group learned more than children who received no education at all, informal or formal education. These findings suggest that the implementation of ELS can greatly benefit learning for out-of-school children like in Sudan.

A Systematic Review of School-Based Social-Emotional Interventions for Refugee and War-Traumatized Youth - Sullivan, Amanda L; Simonson, Gregory R (Review of Educational Research, 2016)
Refugees often experience significant psychological distress, but many do not receive necessary services. Among children and youth, most mental health services are provided by schools, so schools are an important service provider for young refugees. We conducted a systemic literature review to synthesize and evaluate the existing research on school-based interventions to improve mental health or social-emotional functioning of students who are refugees, asylum seekers, or immigrants with war trauma. Three types of school-based interventions were identified: cognitive behavioral therapy, creative expression, and multitiered or multimodal models. The review identified several interventions with positive effects, as well as multiple interventions that had null or negative effects. We address the implications of this body of intervention research for practice and research.
Keywords: cognitive behavioral therapy; creative expression therapy; intervention; refugee; school

OER Guidance for Colleges - T-TEL Professional Development Programme (Ministry of Education (Ghana), 2016)

Open Educational Resources: Guidance for College of Education - T-TEL Professional Development Programme (Ministry of Education (Ghana), 2016)

A Mobile Application to Improve Learning Performance of Dyslexic Children with Writing Difficulties - Tariq, Rabbia; Latif, Seemab (Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 2016)
A neurological learning disability, termed as Dyslexia, is characterized by difficulties in various aspects of writing skills making the individuals unable to develop age-appropriate and ability-appropriate functional skills. In Pakistan, lack of dyslexia awareness and remedial education training restrains the remediation of dyslexic children at early stages. There also exist noticeable affordance and accessibility issues concerning the remedial help and assistive technology adoption. In this research, we have developed a mobile learning application for android-powered devices that targets developmental progression and usability requirements of dyslexic children with writing difficulties. Our center of interest was to improve introductory writing skills of dyslexic children along with consistent evaluation of their learning performance to highlight the weak areas of learning process. To achieve this objective, we have designed a Writers Learning Algorithm (WLA) based on computational model of learning. We assessed the effectiveness and usability of the developed application in collaboration with dyslexic students as well as remedial teachers at selected dyslexia institutions in Pakistan. The preliminary assessment results concluded that application has justified its role in terms of representation, evaluation and optimization of writing proficiency of young dyslexic writers.
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

Conceptual understanding of definite integral with GeoGebra - Tatar, Enver; Zengin, Yilmaz (Computers in the Schools, 2016)
This study aimed to determine the effect of a computer-assisted instruction method using GeoGebra on achievement of prospective secondary mathematics teachers in the definite integral topic and to determine their opinions about this method. The study group consisted of 35 prospective secondary mathematics teachers studying in the mathematics education program at a state university in Turkey. The study was carried out using an embedded design, and the Definite Integral Knowledge Test and an opinion form were used for data collection. Upon analyzing the data, the computer-assisted instruction method using GeoGebra was found to positively contribute to the success of teaching the definite integral topic. Prospective teachers stated that this method should be used in math courses as it creates a fun and interesting environment with dynamic learning elements, provides visualization and opportunities to learn mathematics through practice and exercises, enables thorough understanding and explication of skills, and makes way for conceptual learning instead of memorizing. Furthermore, this study was found to facilitate conceptual learning of the relationship between the lower sum, upper sum and Riemann sum.
Keywords: Computer Assisted Instruction; Computer Software; Computer assisted instruction--CAI; Computer-assisted instruction (CAI); ERIC, Current Index to Journals in Education (CIJE); Education--Computer Applications; Educational Technology; Foreign Countries; GeoGebra; Mathematics; Mathematics Education; Mathematics teachers; Mixed Methods Research; Program Effectiveness; Questionnaires; Secondary Education; Secondary School Mathematics; Student Attitudes; Teacher Education Programs; Turkey; Wilcoxon Matched Pairs Signed Ranks Test; __:import:01; __:match:final; __:study_id:2098412; __finaldtb; achievement; definite integral

Conceptual understanding of definite integral with GeoGebra - Tatar, Enver; Zengin, Yilmaz (Computers in the Schools, 2016)
This study aimed to determine the effect of a computer-assisted instruction method using GeoGebra on achievement of prospective secondary mathematics teachers in the definite integral topic and to determine their opinions about this method. The study group consisted of 35 prospective secondary mathematics teachers studying in the mathematics education program at a state university in Turkey. The study was carried out using an embedded design, and the Definite Integral Knowledge Test and an opinion form were used for data collection. Upon analyzing the data, the computer-assisted instruction method using GeoGebra was found to positively contribute to the success of teaching the definite integral topic. Prospective teachers stated that this method should be used in math courses as it creates a fun and interesting environment with dynamic learning elements, provides visualization and opportunities to learn mathematics through practice and exercises, enables thorough understanding and explication of skills, and makes way for conceptual learning instead of memorizing. Furthermore, this study was found to facilitate conceptual learning of the relationship between the lower sum, upper sum and Riemann sum.
Keywords: Computer Assisted Instruction; Computer Software; Computer assisted instruction--CAI; Computer-assisted instruction (CAI); ERIC, Current Index to Journals in Education (CIJE); Education--Computer Applications; Educational Technology; Foreign Countries; GeoGebra; Mathematics; Mathematics Education; Mathematics teachers; Mixed Methods Research; Program Effectiveness; Questionnaires; Secondary Education; Secondary School Mathematics; Student Attitudes; Teacher Education Programs; Turkey; Wilcoxon Matched Pairs Signed Ranks Test; __:import:01; __:match:final; __:study_id:2098412; __finaldtb; achievement; definite integral

The learning generation: Investing in education for a changing world - The International Commission on Financing Global Education Opportunity (Education Commission, 2016)

A Framework for Evaluating Appropriateness of Educational Technology use in Global Development Programs - The Massachusetts Institute of Technology; The Indian Institute of Management (2016)

Management of Vehichle Architecture Parameters - Toepfer, F; Naumann, T (2016)
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

An Investigation into Implementation of ICT in Primary Schools, in Kenya, in the Light of Free Laptops at Primary One A Case Study of Teachers Implementing ICT into Their Teaching Practice - Tonui, Betty; Kerich, E; Koross, R (Journal of Education and Practice, 2016)
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have been touted as being potentially powerful tools that can be used to facilitate the implied educational change and reform. Implementation of ICT in higher education learning environments is a complex task. Teachers and students, but also management, administration and ICT support are affected by and affect the implementation. To facilitate the change processes better the first step is to actually understand what problems and challenges implementation of ICT leads to and how it affects practice. Although classical instructional methods will continue to be used in the teaching-learning process, it is also true that Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) can be harnessed to become powerful pedagogical tools. Proceeding from the premise that there are many ways to use new technologies for teaching and learning, the paper presents literature on the possibilities and challenges of integrating ICT into teaching-learning, the rationale for adopting and using ICTs for learning-teaching, as well as the key factors that influence the adoption and use of ICTs in teaching and learning both from a general perspective and in a technical education context. The paper then outlines and discusses findings of a study designed to investigate the possibilities and challenges of using Information Communication Technology (ICT) in teaching-learning procedures in primary school institutions in Kenya using data obtained from a Tinderet District school in the Rift valley region of Kenya. It examines views in pertinent literature as well as teachers’ perceptions of the benefits of integrating ICT into teaching-learning, the success factors and obstacles encountered in their endeavours to do this. Conclusions are drawn and suggestions made to address the challenges and improve on the use of ICT for teaching-learning in teaching institutions.
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

Affordable online maths tuition: Evaluation report and executive summary. - Torgerson, Carole; Ainsworth, Hannah; Buckley, Hannah; Hampden-Thompson, Gillen; Hewitt, Catherine; Humphry, Deborah; Jefferson, Laura; Mitchell, Natasha; Torgerson, David (Education Endowment Foundation, 2016)
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

SABER-ICT Framework Paper for Policy Analysis: Documenting national educational technology policies around the world and their evolution over time - Trucano, Michael (SABER-ICT Technical Paper Series, 2016)
Keywords: Systems Framework; ___working_potential_duplicate

Building and Sustaining National ICT Education Agencies: Lessons from International Experiences - Trucano, Michael; Dykes, Gavin (World Bank, 2016)
National ICT/education agencies (and their functional equivalents) play important roles in the implementation and oversight of large scale initiatives related to the use of information and communication technologies in education in many countries. That said, little is known at a global level about the way these organizations operate, how they are structured, and how they typically evolve over time. Through an examination of lessons from the development and history of a set of representative ICT/education agencies in East Asia, and, to better understand East Asian experience, other countries around the work, this paper seeks to identify common challenges and issues and potential relevance to leaders of such institutions.
Keywords: Education Agencies; Education Policy; ICT Education; Ict

Tusome and USAID Improve Access to Education - U.S. Embassy in Kenya (2016)

Education 2030: Incheon Declaration and Framework for Action for the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning - UNESCO (UNESCO, 2016)

If you don't understand, how can you learn? - UNESCO (2016)

If you don't understand, how can you learn? - UNESCO (2016)

If you don't understand, how can you learn? - UNESCO (UNESCO, 2016)

The world needs almsot 69 million new teachers tp reach the 2030 education goals (UIS Fact Sheet n. 39) - UNESCO (UNESCO, 2016)

ICT in education statistics: shifting from regional reporting to global monitoring;progress made, challenges encountered, and the way forward - UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2016)

Day of the Girl Child - 2016 - UNICEF (2016)

Addressing social norms and gender in support of equity in education - UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa Region (2016)

A social and behaviour change agenda for inclusion and equity in education - UNICEF ESARO (2016)

Monitoring Education Participation: Framework for Monitoring Children and Adolescents who are Out of School or at Risk of Dropping Out - UNICEF; UNESCO Institute for Statistics (Series on Education Participation and Dropout Prevention, 2016)

Education data for decision making (EDDATA II): key achievements and lessons learned - USAID (Unesco IIEP Learning Portal, 2016)

Education Data for Decision Making (EDDATA II): Key achievements and lessons learned: Final report - USAID (USAID, 2016)

EGRA Toolkit - USAID (2016)

Effects of teaching activities via Google Sketchup and concrete models on spatial skills of preservice mathematics teachers - Uygan, Candaş; Kurtuluş, Aytaç (Turkish Journal of Computer and Mathematics Education, 2016)
The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of teaching activities supported by Google SketchUp, which is a 3-Dimensional modeling software, and concrete models on the basic skills related to spatial ability in teaching geometric solids. The study sample consisted of 72 preservice teachers who were studying elementary mathematics education in 2009-2010 academic-year in a state-funded university in Central Anatolia, Turkey. This was an experimental study. The study used a pretest posttest control group design and included two experimental groups and a control group. One of the experimental groups was taught using Google SketchUp while the other one was taught with concrete model-aided teaching activities. The activities, designed for the control group, were carried out with some traditional teaching tools such as paper, pencil and classroom writing board. The Santa Barbara Solids Test (SBST) and the Purdue Spatial Visualization Test (PSVT) were used to measure spatial ability. The SBST measures the ability to mentally visualize the cross-sections of 3D objects. The PSVT consists of three parts: "Developments", which measures skills to visualize a 3D object based on its surface development; "Rotations", which measures skills to mentally rotate 3D objects; and "Views", which measures skills to visualize different views of 3D objects. The study identified significant increases in the scores received for all of the tests by the group using Google SketchUp, in the scores received for the SBST and Developments part by the group using concrete models, and in the scores received for only the Developments part by the control group. Also, the posttest average score received for the "Views" part by the experimental group using Google SketchUp was significantly higher than the score of the experimental group using concrete models and the control group.
Keywords: Colleges & universities; Concretes; Group dynamics; Mathematical analysis; Mathematical models; Mathematics; Skills; Studies; Teachers; Teaching; Three dimensional models; __:import:01; __:match:final; __:matched; __:study_id:2098421; __finaldtb; ⚠️ Invalid DOI

Technology for education in low-income countries: Assisting the UN Sustainable Development Goals - Wagner, Daniel (ICT-Supported Innovations in Small Countries and Developing Regions, 2016)

What we’re learning about how organisations select ICT tools - Walker, Tim (Making All Voices Count, 2016)
Engine room is working on a framework to help organisations select the appropriate information and technology tools (ICT) for their governance projects.

Research Report for Phases I and II e-Learning Sudan (2012 – 2015) - War Child Holland; Afhad University for Women; TNO (2016)

Research Report: E-Learning Sudan Phases 1 & II | Education Links - War Child Holland; Ahfad University for Women, TNO (Unicef Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, 2016)
With this report, programme partners, War Child Holland, Ahfad University for Women, and Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), will present research findings from e-Learning Sudan, an innovation technology education programme for out-of-school students to access quality education in Sudan.

Great expectations: aspiration, uncertainty and schooling in Rwanda - Williams, Timothy P. (Education Development Trust, 2016)

Geekie: Personalized Learning for All - Wise (WISE, 2016)
About the Project This project is one of the 2016 WISE Awards winners. Geekie is an adaptive learning platform that constantly customizes students’ learning experiences instead of providing a single standardized solution to all. Over the last 18 months, the company’s solutions have already helped five million students throughout the country, from all states and […]

Systems Approach for Better Education Results (SABER) - Equity and Inclusion in Education Systems - Wodon, Quentin (2016)
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

Liberia Education Sector Analysis - World Bank (2016)

SABER Country Report –Senegal: Engaging the Private Sector in Education - World Bank (2016)

Systems Approach for Better Education Results (SABER) - World Bank (World Bank, 2016)
The Systems Approach for Better Education Results (SABER) was launched by the World Bank in 2011 to produce comparative data and knowledge on education policies and institutions, with the aim of helping countries systematically strengthen their education systems and the ultimate goal of promoting Learning for All. It allows countries to conduct a thorough inventory of their education policies and institutions based on global best practices, as well as provides decisionmakers and stakeholders at all levels with tools for structured and effective policy dialogue.

World Development Report 2016: Digital Dividends - World Bank (2016)
Information related to the World Development Report 2016: Digital Dividends

World Development Report 2016: Digital dividends - World Bank (World Bank, 2016)
Keywords: AWP2; AWP2-actual

Bangladesh Engaging the Private Sector in Education: SABER Country Report 2016 - World Bank Group (World Bank, 2016)

Ebola data and statistics - World Health Organization (WHO, 2016)

Raising domestic resources for equitable education - Zubairi, Asma; Rose, Pauline (Education Commission, 2016)

Successes and challenges of implementing a teacher education project in rural Sierra Leone - Mcdermott, Peter; Allen, Nancy (International Journal of Educational Research, 2015)

Community-supported models for girls’ education in diverse contexts in Pakistan: Key issues for policy and practice - Razzaq, Jamila (Brookings, 2015)
Jamila Razzaq explores three models of community-supported education—in a state of fragility, in a socially conservative area experiencing resistance to girls’ education, and in an urban slum area—to explain the diverse reality of girls' education in Pakistan. She presents a set of recommendations to the government to establish complementary frameworks for promoting girls’ education and recommends a process framework to NGOs that is suitable for establishing flexible and responsive education service models.

A meta-analysis of the Dimensional Change Card Sort: Implications for developmental theories and the measurement of executive function in children - Doebel, Sabine; Zelazo, Philip David (Developmental Review, 2015)
The Dimensional Change Card Sort (DCCS) is a widely used measure of executive function in children. In the standard version, children are shown cards depicting objects that vary on two dimensions (e.g., colored shapes such as red rabbits and blue boats), and are told to sort them first by one set of rules (e.g., shape) and then by another (e.g., color). Most 3-year-olds persist in sorting by the pre-switch rules, whereas 5-year-olds switch flexibly. We conducted a meta-analysis of standard and experimental versions of the task (N = 69 reports, 426 conditions) to examine the influence of diverse task variations on performance. Age, how the test stimuli were labeled for the child, emphasis on conflict in the verbal introduction of the post-switch rules, and the number of pre-switch trials each independently predicted switching on the standard DCCS, whereas pre-switch feedback, practice, and task modality did not. Increasing the relative salience of the post-switch dimension was associated with higher rates of switching, and, conversely, decreasing post-switch salience was associated with lower rates of switching, and under both kinds of manipulation performance continued to be associated with age. Spatially separating the dimensional values was associated with higher rates of switching, and it was confirmed that the degree of spatial separation matters, with children benefiting most when the dimensional values are fully spatially segregated.Switch rates tended to be higher in versions on which children were prompted to label the stimuli compared to when the experimenter provided labels, and lower when reversal instructions were used in conjunction with the standard task stimuli. Theoretical and practical implications for the study and measurement of executive function in early childhood are discussed.
Keywords: Cognitive control; Cognitive flexibility; DCCS; Executive function; Meta-analysis; Set-shifting

The Potential for School-Based Interventions That Target Executive Function to Improve Academic Achievement: A Review - Jacob, Robin; Parkinson, Julia (Review of Educational Research, 2015)
This article systematically reviews what is known empirically about the association between executive function and student achievement in both reading and math and critically assesses the evidence for a causal association between the two. Using meta-analytic techniques, the review finds that there is a moderate unconditional association between executive function and achievement that does not differ by executive function construct, age, or measurement type but finds no compelling evidence that a causal association between the two exists.

Design and development of a Web Based Learning System in lower primary schools: A Case study of Makini Primary School, Kenya - Akinyi, Beatrice Ochieng (Moi University, 2015)
Web design technology arises from continued technological trend of computing. Globally the rise of application of information communication technology to the learning programme of primary schools is not much emphasized on. There is empirical evidence to prove that information communication technology is highly beneficial wherever it is applied. The study aimed at designing and developing a web based system of learning that can enhance the academic and social growth of lower primary school pupils. The objectives of the study were: to examine the correlation between the increased use of web based systems of learning and learner‟s academic performance; to identify the set of skills required for lower primary pupils to fully exploit the potential of web based systems of learning; to find out the specification and technical attributes of web based systems of learning that facilitate learning and lastly to design a web based learning system for lower primary school pupils. The study focused on Makini lower primary school in Nairobi County. The study employed case study method and qualitative approach. Rapid Application Development life cycle was used in software development process. Purposive sampling method was used to identify the respondents. Data was collected using interviews and focus group discussions. Findings of the study were: increased use of web based system that enhanced the learner‟s academic performance, the web based system of learning was able to identify games which exploit the pupils‟ skill in learning hence reducing monotony and lastly the web based system was able to identify some technical attributes such as use of graphics and access rights that facilitated learning and testing. The conclusion showed that developing of a web based learning system would reduce monotony in learning and enabled pupils to be in control and also increased the creativity and thinking level. The study recommends that: additions be made to the system such as a module to generate a feasible master timetable for each teacher; the web application of the system be further expanded to help attendance recording by the class teacher and for the parents to be able to view the status of their children performance using the Internet or Intranet of the school and lastly the system be made for every teacher to have some specific free periods or some part of days off and that will require an efficient search technique.
Keywords: ___working_potential_duplicate

Preparedness of Public Secondary Schools on the Use of Information Communication Technology in Teaching and Learning in Mukurweini, Nyeri County-Kenya - Ngatia, Paul Kamau (Kenyatta University, 2015)
Globally the important role played by the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in educational institutions has grown with states putting heavy investments in the purchase of ICT equipment and providing internet access for students and teachers. The Kenya government has been encouraging the adoption of ICT in schools. However, it is not clear to what extent this has been implemented. In Mukurwe-ini Sub County the implementation of ICT has not been effective as evidenced by Table 1.1. This study sought to assess the preparedness of public secondary schools on the Information Communication Technology (ICT) in Mukurwe-ini Sub County, Nyeri County. The study will assess the extent of use of ICT in secondary schools as well as investigate the school related and the teacher related preparedness to the use of ICT in their duties. The information obtained is helpful in assessing the implementation of government policy on ICT in schools. The study adopted descriptive survey design. The target population consisted; 31 public secondary school principals and 374 teachers in Mukurwe-ini Sub County. The researcher employed purposively, stratified random sampling techniques to select a sample of 15 schools, 15 principals and 120 teachers for the study. Data was collected using self-administered questionnaires. The questionnaires were assessed by experts in the field of educational technology to ensure validity while the reliability was tested using Cronbach’s alpha co-efficient calculated from the results of a pilot study and found to have a Cronbach’s Alpha Coefficient of 0.85. The study obtained both quantitative and qualitative data. Qualitative data were analysed thematically as per research objectives. Quantitative data were analysed by use of descriptive statistics in which measures of central tendencies such as mean, mode, and percentages were used for determination of extent of ICT, the level of school related and teacher related preparedness while inferential statistics specifically the independent sample t-test was used to test the relationship between variables using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). It was found that teachers rarely used computers in teaching and learning. The school preparedness was poor with school environment and support being low while teachers had positive attitudes towards integration of ICT in teaching. However, teachers were found not to be well adequately trained and experienced in the use of ICT thus very low self confidence in use of ICT in teaching and learning. Conducive school environment that was supportive was found to have positive impact of integration of ICT, inadequate training and low self confidence hindered the adoption of ICT. The study recommended that the inclusion of ICT in curriculum in teacher training institutions, increased funding, provision up to date training of teachers and employment of technical support staff to improve ICT adoption in teaching and learning

Research on Improving Systems of Education (RISE): Creating Education Systems Coherent for Learning Outcomes: Making the Transition from Schooling to Learning - Pritchett, L. (2015)
Keywords: IMPORT_FROM_DFID_RITE

Creating Education Systems Coherent for Learning Outcomes: Making the Transition from Schooling to Learning - Pritchett, Lant (Research on Improving Systems of Education, 2015)
Existing systems of education have some elements promoting learning as an objective, but are mainly coherent as systems only around enrollment targets. This paper builds an accountability framework of actors and the four design elements of accountability (delegation, financing, information and motivation) to emphasize that effectiveness in promoting learning requires systems of education that are coherent, in two ways. First, each accountability relationship has to be coherent across its elements, that is, the delegation of what agents are asked to do has to be coherent with the financing, information, and motivation, rather than "pay for one thing and expect another." Second, the relationships have to be coherent across relationships of accountability. That is, if teachers are accountable both to their employer and indirectly to parents/students/communities, then if these two have very different objectives the accountability of teachers will be made incoherent. Such incoherence can explain why small changes in the "right" direction (towards that of high performing systems or demonstrated in other contexts) might consistently fail even where a directed and coherent reform could have major impact.
Keywords: Systems Framework; ⛔ No DOI found

The State of the World’s Children 2015 - UNICEF (The State of the World’s Children 2015: Reimagine the future, 2015)

Preliminary impacts of the “Learning to Read in a Healing Classroom” intervention on teacher well-being in the Democratic Republic of the Congo - Wolf, Sharon; Torrente, Catalina; Frisoli, Paul; Weisenhorn, Nina; Shivshanker, Anjuli; Annan, Jeannie; Aber, J. Lawrence (Teaching and Teacher Education, 2015)
This article examines the impacts of a partial year of implementation of Learning to Read in a Healing Classroom (LRHC), a curricular and social-emotional teacher professional development intervention in southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, on teacher professional well-being. Using a cluster-randomized control trial, this study assesses LRHC impacts on a sample of 346 teachers from 64 primary schools. We find statistically significant increases in job dissatisfaction for female teachers and increases in motivation for the least experienced teachers. Implications are discussed for the role of teacher professional development and well-being in improving education in low resource and conflict-affected contexts.
Keywords: Democratic Republic of the Congo; International education; Motivation; Teacher professional development

Using Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology Model to Predict Students' Behavioral Intention to Adopt and Use E-Counseling in Ghana - Kolog, Emmanuel Awuni; Sutinen, Erkki; Vanhalakka-Ruoho, Marjatta; Suhonen, Jarkko; Anohah, Ebenezer (International Journal of Modern Education and Computer Science, 2015)
The urge to progressively motivate e-counseling in schools is somewhat dependent on students' behavioral intention towards the use of counseling technologies. This paper presents an empirical approach of using Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology model to ascertain students' behavioral intention to adopt and use e-counseling in Ghana. Questionnaires were used to collect data from two hundred and fifty (N=250) randomly selected students from Ghana. Cronbach alpha (α) was first employed to validate and ascertain the reliability of the data. Subsequently, Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) was performed in analysing the data. After that, a follow-up interview was conducted to explore the variance in our findings from the collected data through the questionnaires. In the end, the reliability of the test items contained in the questionnaire yielded strongly at 87.6 %. Also, whereas the outcome of the research suggests Performance Expectancy (PE) (B = .511 , p= .000) and Social Influence (SI) (B = .165 p = .001) as the influencing constructs (factors) towards students' behavioral intention to adopt and use e-counseling, Facilitation Condition (FC) (B= .014, p= .723) and Effort Expectancy (EE) (B= .086 p= .080) had no significant effect on the behavioral intention of students to adopt and use e-counseling in Ghana.
Keywords: Counseling; E-Counseling; ICT; Unified Theory of Acceptance; Use of Technology (UTAUT)

MOOCs and the claim of education for all: A disillusion by empirical data - Rohs, Matthias; Ganz, Mario (International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 2015)
MOOCs have shaped the discussion on learning with digital media for the last few years. One claim of MOOCs in the tradition of Open Educational Resources is to expand access to education, mainly in the field of higher education. But do MOOCs meet this claim? The empirical data in this article confirm the suspicion that, despite all the heterogeneity of the participants, MOOCs are mostly used by people with a higher level of education. Data of participants from two MOOCs from Germany, as well as, empirical data from large providers and universities are used. But due to the different forms of MOOCs there is no comprehensive proof possible. With respect to the Knowledge Gap Theory and the Digital Divide, a theoretical framework is provided to explain possible causes of a different usage. The aim of the article is to point out the risks of an increase of inequalities as a consequence of hyping MOOCs and to stimulate a discussion about possible answers to make MOOCs an instrument of education for all.
Keywords: Access to education; C: International; Digital Divide; Distance learning; Education; MOOCs; Socioeconomic factors; ___working_potential_duplicate

MOOCs and the claim of education for all: A disillusion by empirical data - Rohs, Matthias; Ganz, Mario (2015)
MOOCs have shaped the discussion on learning with digital media for the last few years. One claim of MOOCs in the tradition of Open Educational Resources is to expand access to education, mainly in the field of higher education. But do MOOCs meet this claim? The empirical data in this article confirm the suspicion that, despite all the heterogeneity of the participants, MOOCs are mostly used by people with a higher level of education. Data of participants from two MOOCs from Germany, as well as, empirical data from large providers and universities are used. But due to the different forms of MOOCs there is no comprehensive proof possible. With respect to the Knowledge Gap Theory and the Digital Divide, a theoretical framework is provided to explain possible causes of a different usage. The aim of the article is to point out the risks of an increase of inequalities as a consequence of hyping MOOCs and to stimulate a discussion about possible answers to make MOOCs an instrument of education for all.
Keywords: ___working_potential_duplicate; ⛔ No DOI found

MOOCs and the claim of education for all: A disillusion by empirical data - Rohs, Matthias; Ganz, Mario (2015)
MOOCs have shaped the discussion on learning with digital media for the last few years. One claim of MOOCs in the tradition of Open Educational Resources is to expand access to education, mainly in the field of higher education. But do MOOCs meet this claim? The empirical data in this article confirm the suspicion that, despite all the heterogeneity of the participants, MOOCs are mostly used by people with a higher level of education. Data of participants from two MOOCs from Germany, as well as, empirical data from large providers and universities are used. But due to the different forms of MOOCs there is no comprehensive proof possible. With respect to the Knowledge Gap Theory and the Digital Divide, a theoretical framework is provided to explain possible causes of a different usage. The aim of the article is to point out the risks of an increase of inequalities as a consequence of hyping MOOCs and to stimulate a discussion about possible answers to make MOOCs an instrument of education for all.
Keywords: ___working_potential_duplicate; ⛔ No DOI found

Revisiting the ‘m’ in m-learning: Making the most of mobile environments for teaching and learning in developing countries - Pouezevara, Sarah (E-Learn: World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education, 2015)
Educational innovations in developing countries are expanding due to pressure to achieve quality outcomes at scale and changing markets, where mobile devices are increasingly affordable. m-Learning as a concept has existed prior to the acceleration of these forces, but has gained increasing attention because of them. Growth in mobile phone ownership in developing countries has made mobile-phone enabled education (a form of e-learning) commonplace in formal and informal education. This paper draws on a broad review of existing m-learning programs to illustrate how instructional strategies...

The Use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for Knowledge Management in the Second Cycle Educational Institutions in Ghana - Ohemeng, Patrick; Twum, Edward; Nii, Isadore (International Journal of Computer Applications, 2015)
Given its capabilities to widen access, improve the quality and reduce the cost of developing, accessing and maintaining information, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) offers increased possibilities for managing knowledge. This paper thus investigates the level of utilization of ICT in the knowledge management processes in the Ghanaian educational system. Being a descriptive study, a randomly selected sample of second cycle educational institutions was surveyed through questionnaire. Using descriptive data analysis, the study found a low level of Information and Communication Technologies usage in knowledge management processes in the second cycle educational system. Knowledge management practices were found to be inefficient due to, among other things, absence of strategic policies and nonutilization of ICT. The findings indicate that the Secondary Schools are not deriving the efficiency returns of the computers they have acquired due to the absence of a deliberate and effective strategy for knowledge management. Also students, teachers and administrators in the second cycle schools are not benefitting from the information revolution for knowledge management. It was recommended that capacity building in knowledge management and improvement of Internet speed should be given priority attention by educational authorities.

Beginning to teach inclusively: An analysis of newly-qualified teacher pedagogy in lower primary classes in Tanzania - Westbrook, Jo; Croft, Alison (Teaching and Teacher Education, 2015)
Inclusive pedagogies to support children with disabilities in low-income countries have been neglected, and viewed as ‘specialised’ or optional within teacher education. In contrast, this paper presents details of practices of newly qualified teachers (NQTs) in Tanzania that aim to help all learners to learn even in poorly-resourced schools. It argues that NQTs' positive attitudes and responsibility towards their students can be located in Tanzania's history and their early professional experiences, resulting in an interactionist pedagogy that normalises ‘inclusive’ practices. ‘Learning difficulties’ are relocated from a medical model of disability to a concern with improving teaching and learning for all.

Opportunities for Equitable Access to Quality Basic Education (OPEQ): Final Report on the Impact of the OPEQ Intervention in the Democratic Republic of Congo - Aber, J. Lawrence; Starkey, Leighann; Tubbs, Carly; Torrente, Catalina; Johnston, Brian; Wolf, Sharon; Shivshanker, Anjuli; Annan, Jeannie (2015)

Perceptions of Pre-Service English Teachers towards the Integration of an LMS into English Language Teacher Education - Basal, Ahmet (Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 2015)
With the growing availability of educational technologies, informing future teachers about the use of such technologies in their classrooms has become essential, particularly for language teachers. Integrating these technologies into the curriculum of language teaching education programs is more appropriate than simply sharing information with pre-service teachers via short computer courses. Over the past decade, various Learning Management Systems (LMSs) have been gradually integrated into language teacher education programs to provide 24/7-connected teaching and learning environments. Many studies have investigated LMS adoption in terms of economic and technical challenges. However, what have been less covered are the perceptions of pre-service on the integration of an LMS. This paper reports on a study designed to gain insights into the perceptions of pre-service English teachers on the integration of an LMS into courses at a state university in Turkey. A total of 122 prospective English teachers participated in the study. Data were collected from questionnaires, open-ended questions, and semi-structured interviews. Findings revealed that pre-service English teachers had positive perceptions towards the use of an LMS as an integral part of face-to-face courses. The study also provides recommendations towards LMS integration into courses in other English language teaching departments.
Keywords: ERIC, Current Index to Journals in Education (CIJE); Education--Computer Applications; Educational technology; English (Second Language); English teachers; Foreign Countries; Foreign language instruction; Higher Education; Language Teachers; Language teachers; Learning management systems; Likert Scales; Management Systems; Mixed Methods Research; Positive Attitudes; Postsecondary Education; Preservice Teachers; Questionnaires; Second Language Instruction; Second Language Learning; Semi Structured Interviews; Student Attitudes; Teacher Education; Teacher education; Technology Integration; Turkey; __:import:01; __:match:final; __:matched; __:study_id:2096949; ___working_potential_duplicate; __finaldtb; ⛔ No DOI found

TESS-India OER: Collaborative practices to improve teacher education - Wolfenden, Freda (Indian Journal of Teacher Education, 2015)
As the numbers of children attending school in India rises rapidly ensuring a productive learning experience for every student is a huge challenge. Quality is central to the Government of India’s education policy; major education goals recognise that changes in teachers’ classroom practice are critical to improving students’ learning in elementary and secondary schools across India. This paper describes the rationale and pedagogy of an innovative response to these challenges harnessing contemporary ideas on ‘open’, learning and the increasing availability of network technology in the form of a multilingual Open Educational Resources (OER) teacher education toolkit. The main section of the paper then describes the processes for multi-stakeholder participation in the development of the elements of the OER toolkit and the paper concludes with a discussion of the ‘open’ dimension of the project and how this enables ‘local’ authentication and mediation of use of the OER in each of the project states.
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

This BRCK Will Revolutionize Education In Africa - Shapshak, Toby (Forbes, 2015)
In a scene not unlike classrooms around the world, the faces of 40 children glow from the light of their tablets as their teacher leads them through the morning's lesson. Except this happened yesterday inside a converted shipping container in a low-income area of Kenya, in a country where the price [...]

Opportunities for Accelerating Progress on Education for Syrian Children and Youth in Jordan - Jalbout, Maysa (2015)
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

Supporting Head Start parents: impact of a text message intervention on parent–child activity engagement - Hurwitz, Lisa B.; Lauricella, Alexis R.; Hanson, Ann; Raden, Anthony; Wartella, Ellen (Early Child Development and Care, 2015)
Head Start emphasises parent engagement as a critical strategy in promoting children's long-term learning. Parents can support children's positive development by engaging them in stimulating activities. The following study assessed whether a service that delivered parenting tips via text message could prompt parents of children enrolled in Head Start programmes to engage in more learning activities with their children. Two hundred and fifty-six parents participated in the study with approximately half receiving text messages for six weeks. All participants completed a questionnaire about the types of learning activities in which they engaged their children. Parents who received the service engaged in more learning activities; this was particularly true of fathers and parents of boys. Parents reported high rates of satisfaction with service. These results suggest that text-based interventions as a supplement to other forms of family engagement may successfully communicate parenting information and support parental engagement with young children.
Keywords: Head Start; ___working_potential_duplicate; activities; early childhood; intervention; parenting; text messaging

The Impact of Teachers Professional Development in Video Technology on Mathematics and English Learning of Preschoolers in a Rural Primary School in Pakistan - Ikram, Hamid (International Journal for Digital Society, 2015)
Learning media technologies are common and affordable tools in preschools for teaching and learning purposes. Unfortunately, many young children from low socio-economic communities do not have challenging and stimulating learning environment as compared to their advantaged peers.

Promoting teaching and learning in Ghanaian Basic Schools through ICT - Natia, James; Al-hassan, Seidu (International Journal of Education and Development using ICT, 2015)
The Basic School Computerization policy was created in 2011 to introduce computers and e-learning into the entire educational system to promote training and life-long learning. Using data obtained by Connect for Change Education Ghana Alliance, this paper investigates the extent to which school administration, and teaching and learning are promoted through the use of ICT in Ghanaian Basic Schools. The data was obtained through a cross-sectional survey involving a random sampling of 333 Primary and 295 Junior High Schools across four regions (Northern, Upper East, Upper West and Volta) in...
Keywords: ___working_potential_duplicate; ⛔ No DOI found

Collaborative inquiry as a professional learning structure for educators: a scoping review - DeLuca, Christopher; Shulha, Jason; Luhanga, Ulemu; Shulha, Lyn M.; Christou, Theodore M.; Klinger, Don A. (Professional Development in Education, 2015)

Implementing school-based teacher development in Tanzania - Hardman, Frank; Hardman, Jan; Dachi, Hillary; Elliott, Louise; Ihebuzor, Noel; Ntekim, Maniza; Tibuhinda, Audax (Professional Development in Education, 2015)
This paper reports on the findings of a pilot school-based professional development programme for Tanzanian primary school teachers launched in February 2011 and evaluated in December 2012 by the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training with the support of UNICEF. The study set out to investigate the effectiveness and efficiency of the pilot programme in changing pedagogical practices before it was scaled up nationally. It was found that teachers who had participated in the school-based training showed significant differences in their pedagogical practices and demonstrated a positive attitude towards their training and their pupils, and saw teaching and learning as an interactive, communicative process. Drawing on the findings, the paper explores the challenges and the lessons learned for scaling up school-based teacher development at the national level in Tanzania and other countries in the east and southern African region.
Keywords: Tanzania; __C:filed:1; capacity development; primary education; quality education; school-based teacher development; teacher education reform

Does computer-assisted learning improve learning outcomes? Evidence from a randomized experiment in migrant schools in Beijing - Lai, Fang; Luo, Renfu; Zhang, Linxiu; Huang, Xinzhe; Rozelle, Scott (Economics of Education Review, 2015)
The education of the disadvantaged population has been a long-standing challenge to education systems in both developed and developing countries. Although computer-assisted learning (CAL) has been considered one alternative to improve learning outcomes in a cost-effective way, the empirical evidence of its impacts on improving learning outcomes is mixed. This paper uses a randomized field experiment to explore the effects of CAL on student academic and non-academic outcomes for students in migrant schools in Beijing. Our results show that a remedial CAL program held out of regular school hours improved the student standardized math scores by 0.15 standard deviations and most of the program effect took place within 2 months after the start of the program. Students with less-educated parents benefited more from the program. Moreover, CAL also significantly increased the students’ interest in learning.
Keywords: China; Computer-assisted learning; Development; Education; Migration; Random assignment; Test scores

Teaching and Learning Materials Financing - Read, Tony (Where Have All the Textbooks Gone?: Toward Sustainable Provision of Teaching and Learning Materials in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2015)
Suggests that no single universal cause behind the persistent under-financing of textbook provision in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries exists, but some common components include, (1) the pressure on teaching and learning materials (TLM) budgets caused by rapid enrollment growth; (2) the repeated tendency for curriculum designers to make decisions without taking into account the cost implications on the system as a whole; (3) the failure of development partner (DP) support to addressed affordability and sustainability issues; (4) the misunderstanding of ministries of education (MOEs) and DPs concerning manufacturing versus textbook cost as well as textbook versus system cost; (5) the lack of review and management of the nature and extent of fund diversion, fund misappropriation, piracy, and price mark-ups in undermining allocated TLM funding; and (6) the lack of monitoring, inspection, supervision, and financial audit systems necessary to ensure that all links in the financing and supply chain operate effectively.

Reflective Teacher Supervision Through Videos of Classroom Teaching - Kaneko-Marques, Sandra Mari (PROFILE Issues in Teachers' Professional Development, 2015)
The main objective of this paper is to briefly present roles of different teacher supervisors according to distinct models, highlighting the importance of collaborative dialogues supported by video recordings. This paper will present results from a qualitative study of an English as a foreign language teacher education course in Brazil. The results indicated that collaborative supervision was an efficient tool to address adversities within educational contexts and that student teachers who observed their pedagogical actions through videos became more reflective and self-evaluative, as they provided a deeper analysis regarding their practice. With collaborative supervision, teacher candidates can be encouraged to recognize and understand the complexities of language learning and teaching both locally and globally.

A comparative study of blended learning versus traditional teaching in middle school science - Pixel (International Conference The Future Of Education, 2015)
Keywords: Education / Philosophy, Theory & Social Aspects

Increasing Students’ Awareness of Their Behavior in Online Learning Environments with Visualizations and Achievement Badges - Auvinen, Tapio; Hakulinen, Lasse; Malmi, Lauri (IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies, 2015)
In online learning environments where automatic assessment is used, students often resort to harmful study practices such as procrastination and trial-and-error. In this paper, we study two teaching interventions that were designed to address these issues in a university-level computer science course. In the first intervention, we used achievement badges, a form of gamification, to reward students for submitting early, solving exercises with few iterations, and completing the exercises with full points. In the second intervention, we used heatmap visualizations that show a prediction of the student's success if he or she continues to behave in the same way, based on data from earlier courses. The results from a controlled experiment show that the heatmap visualizations had an impact on how early the students submitted their exercises and how many points they earned from them. We also observed that performance approach goal orientation correlated with an interest towards the achievement badges whereas performance avoidance correlated with an interest towards the visualizations. The results indicate that increasing students' awareness of their behavior can have a positive impact on their study practices and results. However, the same type of feedback may not suit all students because of individual differences.
Keywords: Adaptation models; Context; Data visualization; Education; Heating; Monitoring; Visualization; achievement badges; automatic assessment; computer aided instruction; computer science education; data visualisation; distance learning; educational courses; exercise solving; exercise submission; further education; gamification; goal orientation; heatmap visualization; human factors; online learning environment; performance avoidance; student awareness; student behavior; student reward; student study practice; student success prediction; teaching; teaching intervention; university-level computer science course

Towards a Disability Inclusive Education - Sæbønes, Ann-Marit; Bieler, Rosangela Berman; Baboo, Nafisa; Banham, Louise; Singal, Nidhi; Howgego, Catherine; McClain-Nhlapo, Charlotte Vuyiswa; Riis-Hansen, Trine Cecilie; Dansie, Grant Angus (Oslo Summit on Education for Development, 2015)
Keywords: ___working_potential_duplicate

GraphoGame – a catalyst for multi-level promotion of literacy in diverse contexts - Ojanen, Emma; Ronimus, Miia; Ahonen, Timo; Chansa-Kabali, Tamara; February, Pamela; Jere-Folotiya, Jacqueline; Kauppinen, Karri-Pekka; Ketonen, Ritva; Ngorosho, Damaris; Pitkänen, Mikko; Puhakka, Suzanne; Sampa, Francis; et al. (Frontiers in Psychology, 2015)
GraphoGame (GG) is originally a technology-based intervention method for supporting children with reading difficulties. It is now known that children who face problems in reading acquisition have difficulties in learning to differentiate and manipulate speech sounds and consequently, in connecting these sounds to corresponding letters. GG was developed to provide intensive training in matching speech sounds and larger units of speech to their written counterparts. GG has been shown to benefit children with reading difficulties and the game is now available for all Finnish school children for literacy support. Presently millions of children in Africa fail to learn to read despite years of primary school education. As many African languages have transparent writing systems similar in structure to Finnish, it was hypothesized that GG-based training of letter-sound correspondences could also be effective in supporting children’s learning in African countries. In this article we will describe how GG has been developed from a Finnish dyslexia prevention game to an intervention method that can be used not only to improve children’s reading performance but also to raise teachers’ and parents’ awareness of the development of reading skill and effective reading instruction methods. We will also provide an overview of the GG activities in Zambia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Namibia, and the potential to promote education for all with a combination of scientific research and mobile learning.

Integration of ICT in Education in a Secondary School in Kenya: A Case Study - Kisirkoi, Florence (Literacy Information and Computer Education Journal, 2015)
Amidst reports that there was very little integration of Communication Information Technology (ICT) in curriculum delivery in many secondary schools in Kenya, it was reported that one secondary school was using ICT in instruction and practicing learner centered instructional approaches and there was improved learning outcomes. The school’s mean score in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education had improved from 6.2 to 8.4 between 2007 and 2013. This study teacher computer literacy levels, motivation for integration, perceived reason for the intervention and the impact on teaching and learning. A case study was conducted and observation and interview schedules were used to collect data. The study population was the 535 students and the 28 teachers in the school. Simple random sampling was used to sample 30 students and 18 teachers. It was established that the students and teachers were computer literate and were able to manage computer applications for teaching and learning. The Learning process was found to be practical with learner interactions and activities based learning. The motivation was desire to teach better coupled with visionary, supportive school leadership. The school was using ICT as teaching learning tool and there was improvement of learning environment and outcomes. Many schools ought to emulate the school.

Learning through Assistive Devices: A Case of Students with Hearing Impairment - Farooq, Muhammad Shahid; Aasma; Iftikhar, Umaira (Bulletin of Education and Research, 2015)
Present era has introduced persons with disabilities with a range of assistive devices that have rapidly increased their educational, vocational, and frivolous activities. Current descriptive study attempted to explore the effects of assistive devices on the learning of hearing impaired students. A sample of 200 hearing impaired students was selected to identify the assistive devices that are more in use by hearing impaired students. All of the assistive devices commonly used for hearing impairment were included in the study to explore the effects of each on the learning of students with hearing impairment. The mean difference in the learning of students suggested that assistive technologies are overall assistance for the students with hearing impairment and there is no substitute to these devices that could assist them in such a quite differentiated manner. The role of high tech assistive devices as well as low tech devices has been highlighted prominently. The parents of hearing impaired students were also the part of study and found satisfied with the use of assistive devices for their children. It is divulged that there is a need to reduce the cost of assistive devices to be used by the students with hearing impairment.
Keywords: Assistive Technology; Costs; Elementary School Students; Foreign Countries; Grade 4; Hearing Impairments; Interpersonal Communication; Parent Attitudes; Program Effectiveness; Quality of Life; Student Needs; ___working_potential_duplicate; ⛔ No DOI found

Recruitment and Retention of Public Sector Teachers in Ghana: A Discrete Choice Experiment - Gad, B. K. (University of Ghana, 2015)
The shortage of public sector teachers in rural areas is one of the main challenges facing policy makers in the education sector, in both developing and developed countries. This study sought to analyze the preferences of teachers, and how they would respond to alternative incentives associated with working in a rural location. Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE) which is rooted in Random Utility Theory (RUT) was used to capture the responses of 120 teacher trainees in Berekum College of Education. However, the full and the subgroup models were generated using the binary probit in STATA (Version 11.0). Marginal effect was also estimated. The magnitude of estimates from both the probit model and the marginal effects indicate that, for rural area posting, teachers in the public sector generally prefer and place higher priority on incentive packages such as granting of study leave with pay, provision of housing and promotion after three years of work. This was generally supported by the subgroup analysis. Also, the levels of salary will be traded off for non-financial incentive packages. It is recommended that in order to desist from force recruitment and the problem of mitigating geographical imbalances of public sector teachers, policy makers in the education sector should adopt a strategy by granting of study leave with pay, provision of housing and promotion after three years of teaching in rural areas

Evaluation of the application of mobile phone technology in teaching and learning: A case study of Kamwenja Teacher' college, Nyeri County, Kenya. - Gitome, Mwangi Joseph (Mount Kenya University, 2015)
This research was designed to investigate the application of mobile phone technology in teaching and learning among tutors and students of Kamwenja Teachers College in Nyeri County in Kenya. The problem this study addressed was to establish whether mobile phones in the hands of students and tutors were beneficial for teaching and learning or if they impede learning process in Teacher Training Colleges in Kenya. The variables under consideration were: quality teaching and learning as dependent variable and owning mobile phones, awareness of educational potential of mobile phones, acceptance of mobile phones, and mobile phones influence as alternative learning and instructional methods as independent variables. The data was collected from 71 tutors and 498 students. The sample size was worked out at 20% to be 15 tutors and 100 second year teacher trainees in the college. Stratified random sampling was used to ensure the sample was a true representation of the whole population. Data was collected through questionnaires that were both quantitative and qualitative to ensure high quality of information for the study where 98.2% response rate was achieved. To ensure Validity and Reliability of Research Instruments a pre-test of the questionnaire was conducted on tutors and students of Kagumo Teachers College. A reliability coefficient of 0.7 was adopted for the items while an expert, the supervisor, guided in validity of the items. The study was guided by the activity theory also known as Cultural Historical Activity Theory. Primary data was analysed with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 20) software to generate descriptive statistics, correlation and multiple regression analysis. The findings of the study revealed that ownership of mobile phone had a positive and significant effect on application of mobile phone technology in teaching and learning when considered singly and even when regressed together with other factors. Further, the study revealed that awareness of the educational potential of mobile phone technology, acceptance of mobile phone technology and mobile phone technology as an alternative learning and instructional methods were found to have a positive and significant effect on application of mobile phone technology in teaching and learning when considered singly, however when all the factors were regressed together they were found to have a positive and but insignificant effect on application of mobile phone technology in teaching and learning. In order to enhance use of mobile phone technology in teaching and learning students and teachers should be encouraged to acquire mobile phones with internet connectivity features. The general usage of mobile phone in teachers training colleges was found to be very high. However the rate at which mobile phones are used for exchanging learning information is low. The researcher recommends that policies be put in place on use of mobile phone technology in teaching and learning and train tutors on how to teach differently using mobile phone technology. Future researchers should try to establish hindrances of application of mobile phone technology in teaching and learning.

Bringing Learning to Light: The Role of Citizen-Led Assessments in Shifting the Education Agenda - Plaut, Daniel; Jamieson Eberhardt, Molly (Results for Development, 2015)
"Are children learning?" is a question that should inform all education policymaking. Yet in many countries, the answer to this question has remained

Corsi blocks - Colman, Andrew M. (A Dictionary of Psychology, 2015)
A popular test of *short-term memory and *spatial ability based on a set of nine wooden blocks, arranged

Call Me Educated: Evidence from a Mobile Monitoring Experiment in Niger - Aker, Jenny C; Ksoll, Christopher (2015)
Keywords: C:Niger

Mobile solution for better reading instruction in rural Africa - Ojanen, Emma; Jere-Folotiya, Jacqueline; Yalukanda, Christopher; Sampa, Francis; Nshimbi, Chomba; Katongo, Maggie; Choopa, Mapenzi; Lyytinen, Heikki (2015 IST-Africa Conference, 2015)
GraphoGame Teacher Training Service is a mobile-based solution for providing teachers with scientifically validated pedagogical training in literacy instruction. In many African countries teachers currently have insufficient knowledge to teach literacy in local languages and learning materials are scarce, especially for children with learning difficulties. As part of the GraphoWorld network, CAPOLSA/University of Zambia is developing new mobile-based method for providing in-service training for teachers in literacy instruction and assisting children with learning difficulties. GraphoGame Teacher Training Service was piloted in October 2014 in rural Zambia. An orientative workshop was given to 24 teachers who learned about literacy instruction methodology and then organized a GraphoGame intervention to randomly selected 2nd grade children either at home or in a school environment. Parents of the children in the home intervention group were also encouraged to play GraphoGame. GraphoGame learning analytics shows that both the children and their parents improved their word reading skills. Children who played GraphoGame performed better than their non-playing classmates in the EGRA letter-sound knowledge test at the end of the intervention. Teachers, parents and children were all motivated to use ICT-based literacy learning tools and their literacy skills levels show high demand for support services for literacy instruction.
Keywords: Africa; African country teachers; CAPOLSA/University of Zambia; Conferences; EGRA letter-sound knowledge test; Electronic learning; Games; GraphoGame; GraphoGame learning analytics; GraphoGame teacher training service; GraphoWorld network; ICT-based literacy learning tools; Mobile handsets; Training; Zambia; computer games; educational institutions; home environment; home intervention group; in-service teacher training; information science education; learning materials; literacy; literacy instruction; literacy skills levels; local languages; mobile learning; mobile-based method; orientative workshop; professional aspects; reading instruction; rural Africa; rural Zambia; rural areas; school environment; scientifically validated pedagogical training; teacher training; word reading skills

Do No Harm teaching case study: Cité Soleil. Reference for workshop participants - Robillard, Sabina Carlson (CDA Collaborative Learning Projects, 2015)
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

Views on Internal and External Validity in Empirical Software Engineering - Siegmund, Janet; Siegmund, Norbert; Apel, Sven (2015 IEEE/ACM 37th IEEE International Conference on Software Engineering, 2015)
Empirical methods have grown common in software engineering, but there is no consensus on how to apply them properly. Is practical relevance key? Do internally valid studies have any value? Should we replicate more to address the tradeoff between internal and external validity? We asked the community how empirical research should take place in software engineering, with a focus on the tradeoff between internal and external validity and replication, complemented with a literature review about the status of empirical research in software engineering. We found that the opinions differ considerably, and that there is no consensus in the community when to focus on internal or external validity and how to conduct and review replications.
Keywords: Bibliographies; Computer languages; Context; Guidelines; History; Software engineering; Standards

Putting Education in “Educational” Apps: Lessons From the Science of Learning - Hirsh-Pasek, Kathy; Zosh, Jennifer M.; Golinkoff, Roberta Michnick; Gray, James H.; Robb, Michael B.; Kaufman, Jordy (Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 2015)
Children are in the midst of a vast, unplanned experiment, surrounded by digital technologies that were not available but 5 years ago. At the apex of this boom is the introduction of applications (?apps?) for tablets and smartphones. However, there is simply not the time, money, or resources available to evaluate each app as it enters the market. Thus, ?educational? apps?the number of which, as of January 2015, stood at 80,000 in Apple?s App Store (Apple, 2015)?are largely unregulated and untested. This article offers a way to define the potential educational impact of current and future apps. We build upon decades of work on the Science of Learning, which has examined how children learn best. From this work, we abstract a set of principles for two ultimate goals. First, we aim to guide researchers, educators, and designers in evidence-based app development. Second, by creating an evidence-based guide, we hope to set a new standard for evaluating and selecting the most effective existing children?s apps. In short, we will show how the design and use of educational apps aligns with known processes of children?s learning and development and offer a framework that can be used by parents and designers alike. Apps designed to promote active, engaged, meaningful, and socially interactive learning?four ?pillars? of learning?within the context of a supported learning goal are considered educational.

A snapshot of online learners: e-Readiness, e-Satisfaction and expectations - Ilgaz, Hale; Gülbahar, Yasemin (The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 2015)
The popularity of online programs that educational institutions offer is continuously increasing at varying degrees, with the major demand coming from adult learners who have no opportunity to access traditional education. These adult learners have to be sufficiently ready and competent for online learning, and have their own varied expectations from the online learning process. Hence, this mixed method study is conducted to explore the participants’ readiness and expectations at the beginning and their satisfaction levels at the end of an online learning experience. An ereadiness scale and an e-satisfaction scale was administered as quantitative measures, with openended questions gathering qualitative data. Participants of the research were registered to different e-learning programs at Ankara University Distance Education Center, Turkey, during the 2013-2014 academic year. Analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data revealed facts about online learners, which should prove useful to both e-instructors and e-program administrators.

Basic school leaders in Ghana: how equipped are they? - Donkor, Anthony Kudjo (International Journal of Leadership in Education, 2015)

Increasing student engagement, self-efficacy, and meta-cognitive self-regulation in the high school geometry classroom: do iPads help? - Perry, David R.; Steck, Andy K. (Computers in the Schools, 2015)
Teachers are increasingly integrating mobile digital technology into the classroom. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of incorporating iPads in a secondary-level geometry course on academic achievement, student engagement, self-efficacy, and meta-cognitive self-regulation. Students in the iPad-using classroom experienced lower levels of geometry proficiency scores, higher levels of off-task behaviors, and similar levels of self-efficacy and meta-cognitive self-regulation compared to the non-iPad group. However, the results may have been affected by several latent variables that can be controlled for in future research.
Keywords: geometry; iPad; meta-cognitive self-regulation; mobile technology; self-efficacy

Impediments to Enhancing Research within Universities in Developing Context: The Case of Pakistani Universities - Muborakshoevaa, Marodsilton (Journal of International and Comparative Education, 2015)
Universities in some developing countries are undergoing reforms over the recent decades so that they become research-based institutions. It has been stressed that research is of paramount importance for enhancing the economy of a country and for societies to become knowledge-based. However some of these concepts and challenges faced by these universities are hardly explored. Relying on the analysis of qualitative interviews and document analysis, this paper examines how the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has taken numerous initiatives to boost the research capacity of universities in Pakistan. Even then, numerous challenge remains in the attempt to enhance research quality. Funding and its effective use, academic freedom, and value of research in the society emerged as major impediments to research development at the universities. Critical voices from the university faculty are rarely taken into account by those responsible for higher education bodies, therefore many of such challenges persist till date. The article proposes solutions for overcoming some of these challenges and situates the experience of Pakistani universities within the broader experiences of universities world-wide.

Review of international research on factors underlying teacher absenteeism - Lee, Mary; Goodman, Crystal; Dandapani, Nitara; Kekahio, Wendy (Regional Educational Laboratory Pacific, 2015)
Throughout the U.S.-affiliated Pacific Region, teacher absenteeism has posed a long-standing challenge. This report draws on research literature from international contexts and case studies to identify the underlying factors that may relate to teacher absenteeism. Resources included in this report were selected with a focus on non-U.S. Pacific entities and emerging economy contexts that might be most relevant to the U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands. Different search parameters were used to determine the scope of U.S./international literature to include in the review. The report found five main themes to consider in relation to teacher absenteeism: pay structure (for example, direct or indirect working relationship with the school), management (for example, school governance), working conditions (for example, school culture or single- vs. multi-grade classroom structure), community conditions (for example, teachers' proximity to the school), and social and cultural responsibilities (for example, illness, funeral attendance, and care of family members). Predictors of absenteeism vary across place and context. Given the diversity of Pacific Region communities, stakeholders should examine the extent to which the context and results of the research in this review correspond to the social, structural, cultural, and environmental characteristics of their own contexts. The following are appended: (1) Data and methodology; and (2) Viewing absenteeism through an international lens. A list of selected literature on teacher absenteeism in the United States is also included.
Keywords: Academic Rank (Professional); Accountability; C:LMIC; Case Studies; Community Characteristics; Correlation; Cross Cultural Studies; Cultural Context; Cultural Influences; Elementary School Teachers; Family Work Relationship; Foreign Countries; LMICs; School Administration; School Culture; School Location; Social Influences; Teacher Attendance; Teacher Salaries; Teaching Conditions; Work Environment; ⛔ No DOI found

Teacher coaching in Kenya: Examining instructional support in public and nonformal schools - Piper, Benjamin; Zuilkowski, Stephanie Simmons (Teaching and Teacher Education, 2015)
Instructional coaching has improved student outcomes in the United States, and may help to solve Kenya's literacy problems. Coaching is costly, however, and evidence is lacking regarding the most cost-efficient teacher-to-coach ratio. We used student literacy outcome data from more than 8000 students participating in the Kenya Primary Math and Reading Initiative—a randomized controlled trial of instructional interventions in public and nonformal schools—to fill this gap. Coaches in larger public zones made fewer visits per teacher, and teacher-coach ratio and student performance were negatively associated. Using causal methods, we concluded that lower ratios might improve nonformal school outcomes.
Keywords: AWP2; C:Kenya; CitedIn:AKFC; CitedIn:OER4Schools-HHH3-B; Coaching; Instruction; Kenya; Literacy; PRIMR; professional development

Final Version adopted by the High Level Conference on Data Revolution – A side event of the 8th AU-ECA Conference of Ministers - UNECA (United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, 2015)

School-cooperation Kenya - Norway: friendship and learning through social media? - Pedersen, Hege (86 s., 2015)
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

A web-based peer-assessment approach to improving junior high school students' performance, self-efficacy and motivation in performing arts courses: Peer assessment for performing art courses - Hsia, Lu‐Ho; Huang, Iwen; Hwang, Gwo-Jen (British Journal of Educational Technology, 2015)
In this paper, a web-based peer-assessment approach is proposed for conducting performing arts activities. A peer-assessment system was implemented and applied to a junior high school performing arts course to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. A total of 163 junior high students were assigned to an experimental group and a control group. The students in the experimental group learned with the web-based peer-assessment approach, whereas those in the control group learned with a web-based streaming video-supported environment. The experimental results showed that, in comparison with the web-based streaming video-supported learning approach, the web-based peer assessment approach could significantly improve the students' performance, self-efficacy and motivation in the performing arts course. In the meantime, it was found that the peer assessment ratings were highly correlated with the teachers' ratings in every performance item; moreover, the performance ratings were highly related to the students' self-efficacy in evaluating peers' work and improving their own work based on peers' comments as well as their intrinsic motivation, showing the effectiveness of the performance scoring rubrics and the peer assessment approach. The satisfaction questionnaire results also revealed that the students who learned with the peer assessment approach were significantly more satisfied with the learning activity than those who learned with the web-based learning approach.

Mozambique - Service delivery indicators: Mozambique service delivery indicators (English) - World Bank (World Bank Group, 2015)
Mozambique service delivery indicators brief;education

Designing a program of teacher professional development to support beginning reading acquisition in coastal Kenya - Dubeck, Margaret M.; Jukes, Matthew C.H.; Brooker, Simon J.; Drake, Tom L.; Inyega, Hellen N. (International Journal of Educational Development, 2015)
What should be considered when developing a literacy intervention that asks teachers to implement new instructional methods? How can this be achieved with minimal support within existing policy? We argue that two broad sets of considerations must be made in designing such an intervention. First, the intervention must be effective by bridging the gap between current teacher practice and the scientific literature on effective instruction. This broad consideration is detailed with 10 design recommendations. Second, the intervention must be amenable to being scaled-up and mainstreamed as part of government policy. This involves being (i) simple and replicable; (ii) well received by teachers; and (iii) cost effective. The paper describes how these factors were considered in the design of a literacy intervention in government primary schools in coastal Kenya. It also includes reactions from teachers about the intervention and their change in knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Keywords: ADULTS; BEST practices; EDUCATION; EDUCATIONAL innovations; EDUCATIONAL intervention; ELEMENTARY education; KENYA; Kenya; LITERACY; Literacy; Perception; Reading instruction; TEACHER development; TEACHING methods; Teacher education; Text messages; __:import:01; __:match:final; __:matched; __:study_id:2099920; __finaldtb

The Economics of Zero Rating - Eisenach, Jeffrey (Insights in Economics, 2015)
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

Sesame street in the tea estates: A multi-media intervention to improve sanitation and hygiene among Bangladesh's most vulnerable youth - Borzekowski, Dina (Annals of Global Health, 2015)

Universal Service Funds & connecting schools to the Internet around the world - Trucano, Michael (2015)

Will technology replace teachers? No, but ... - Trucano, Michael (World Bank Blogs, 2015)
In the future, will a machine replace me and smash other machines on my behalf? I've worked on, advised and evaluated educational technology projects in dozens of countries over the past fifteen years, mainly in middle and low income countries. As anyone who works intimately with information and communication technologies (ICTs) on ...

The political economy of bad data: Evidence from African survey and administrative statistics - Sandefur, Justin; Glassman, Amanda (The Journal of Development Studies, 2015)
Across multiple African countries, discrepancies between administrative data and independent household surveys suggest official statistics systematically exaggerate development progress. We provide evidence for two distinct explanations of these discrepancies. First, governments misreport to foreign donors, as in the case of a results-based aid programme rewarding reported vaccination rates. Second, national governments are themselves misled by frontline service providers, as in the case of primary education, where official enrolment numbers diverged from survey estimates after funding shifted from user fees to per pupil government grants. Both syndromes highlight the need for incentive compatibility between data systems and funding rules.

An editorial on replication studies and scaling up efforts - Spector, J. Michael; Johnson, Tristan E.; Young, Patricia A. (Educational Technology Research and Development, 2015)
This editorial calls for the submission of replication studies, meta-analyses, and reports of large-scale impact studies to any section of ETR&D.

Education and International Development: An Introduction - McCowan, Tristan; Unterhalter, Elaine (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2015)
'Honorable Mention' 2016 PROSE Award - Education PracticeEducation is fundamental to every aspect of development and there is widespread support across the world for policies that affirm that all children, regardless of their circumstances, have a right to quality schooling. Yet despite concerted efforts from national governments, multilateral organisations and NGOs over many decades we are still far from achieving education for all. In addition, while education can enhance human development, it is also associated with persistent inequalities. Education and International Development provides a comprehensive introduction to the field, giving an overview of the history, influential theories, important concepts and areas of achievement, and presenting a critical reflection on emerging trends in policy, practice and research. With chapters that review key challenges and inspiring initiatives in countries around the globe - focusing on critical issues such as language, conflict and teachers - this book serves both as a companion to graduate studies in international education and a concise reference book for practitioners and educators in the field.
Keywords: Education / Comparative; Education / Multicultural Education

Teachers and Teacher Education Policies - Steiner-Khamsi, Gita (Education and International Development: An Introduction, 2015)
'Honorable Mention' 2016 PROSE Award - Education PracticeEducation is fundamental to every aspect of development and there is widespread support across the world for policies that affirm that all children, regardless of their circumstances, have a right to quality schooling. Yet despite concerted efforts from national governments, multilateral organisations and NGOs over many decades we are still far from achieving education for all. In addition, while education can enhance human development, it is also associated with persistent inequalities. Education and International Development provides a comprehensive introduction to the field, giving an overview of the history, influential theories, important concepts and areas of achievement, and presenting a critical reflection on emerging trends in policy, practice and research. With chapters that review key challenges and inspiring initiatives in countries around the globe - focusing on critical issues such as language, conflict and teachers - this book serves both as a companion to graduate studies in international education and a concise reference book for practitioners and educators in the field.
Keywords: Education / Comparative; Education / Multicultural Education

Internal Validity: A Must in Research Designs - Cahit, Kaya (Educational Research and Reviews, 2015)
In experimental research, internal validity refers to what extent researchers can conclude that changes in dependent variable (i.e. outcome) are caused by manipulations in independent variable. The causal inference permits researchers to meaningfully interpret research results. This article discusses (a) internal validity threats in social and educational research using examples from the contemporary literature, and (b) research designs in terms of their ability to control various internal validity threats. An Eric and psychinfo search was performed to retrieve articles regarding this internal validity review. In conclusion, an appropriate research design that control possible extraneous variables is needed to be able meaningfully interpret research results. Although pretest-posttest experimental-control group design controls most of internal validity threats, the most appropriate research design would vary based on the research questions or goals.
Keywords: Control Groups; Educational Research; Literature Reviews; Predictor Variables; Pretests Posttests; Quasiexperimental Design; Research Design; Research Methodology; Research Problems; Social Science Research; Time Perspective; Validity; ⛔ No DOI found

Pluralistic approaches to languages in the curriculum: The case of French-speaking Switzerland, Spain and Austria - Daryai-Hansen, Petra; Gerber, Brigitte; Lörincz, Ildikó; Haller, Michaela; Ivanova, Olga; Krumm, Hans-Jürgen; Reich, Hans H. (International Journal of Multilingualism, 2015)
While the idea of plurilingual competence is widely established theoretically and promoted in European language policies, it is not implemented in educational practice, where separate plurilingualism is still dominant. The idea of languages as autonomous entities is e.g. reflected in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scales. The paper introduces to the Framework of Reference for Pluralistic Approaches to Languages and Cultures (FREPA). Pluralistic approaches use teaching and learning activities involving several (i.e. more than one) varieties of language, e.g. the language(s) of schooling, foreign languages, regional, minority and migration languages. FREPA thereby offers tools to put the theoretical insights and language policies into practice. The article illustrates how pluralistic approaches, in recent years, have been used in the process of large-scale national and regional curriculum renewals in Austria, French-speaking Switzerland and Spain. By promoting plurilingual education on the macro-level and including languages that are still neglected in most European curricula, these countries make a key contribution to diminishing discrepancy between theory and practice. The three cases manifest the context specificity of language-planning decisions and support supra-level comparisons by defining the specific aims and contents of plurilingual education. Furthermore, the curricular implementations offer the possibility to discuss the implementation in actual classroom practice.
Keywords: language learning; language status; linguistic landscape; multilingualism; plurilingualism

MOOCs for Development: Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities - Castillo, Nathan; Lee, Jinsol; Zahra, Fatima; Wagner, Daniel (International Technologies & International Development, 2015)
The recent rise of massive open online courses (MOOCs) has generated significant media attention for their potential to disrupt the traditional modes of education trough ease of access and free or low-cost content delivery. MOOCs offer the potential to enable access to high-quality education to students, even in the most underserved regions of the world. However, much of the excitement surrounding opportunities for MOOCs in non-OECD contexts remains unproven. Challenges with regard to infrastructure, sustainability, and evaluation have disrupted early attempts to expand inclusion for those least educated. Drawing on proceedings from a recent international conference on MOOCs for Development held at the University of Pennsylvania, this report synthesizes trends, challenges, and opportunities within the growing subfield.
Keywords: ___working_potential_duplicate; ⛔ No DOI found

A Social Informatics Analysis of Refugee Mobile Phone Use: A Case Study of Zaaatari Syrian Refugee Camp - Maitland, Carleen; Xu, Ying (SSRN Electronic Journal, 2015)

Preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis protocols (PRISMA-P) 2015 statement - Moher, David; Shamseer, Larissa; Clarke, Mike; Ghersi, Davina; Liberati, Alessandro; Petticrew, Mark; Shekelle, Paul; Stewart, Lesley A.; PRISMA-P Group (Systematic Reviews, 2015)
Systematic reviews should build on a protocol that describes the rationale, hypothesis, and planned methods of the review; few reviews report whether a protocol exists. Detailed, well-described protocols can facilitate the understanding and appraisal of the review methods, as well as the detection of modifications to methods and selective reporting in completed reviews. We describe the development of a reporting guideline, the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses for Protocols 2015 (PRISMA-P 2015). PRISMA-P consists of a 17-item checklist intended to facilitate the preparation and reporting of a robust protocol for the systematic review. Funders and those commissioning reviews might consider mandating the use of the checklist to facilitate the submission of relevant protocol information in funding applications. Similarly, peer reviewers and editors can use the guidance to gauge the completeness and transparency of a systematic review protocol submitted for publication in a journal or other medium.
Keywords: Checklist Item; Knowledge Translation; Reporting Guideline; Systematic Review; Systematic Review Protocol; ___working_potential_duplicate

Learner-centred pedagogy: Towards a post-2015 agenda for teaching and learning - Schweisfurth, Michele (International Journal of Educational Development, 2015)
Pedagogy continues to be a neglected priority in discussions on the post-2015 agenda for education. The article situates pedagogy generally and learner-centred pedagogy specifically within these current debates. The potential of learner-centred education (LCE) is considered in the light of the evidence of its promise also taking into consideration the historic record of implementation challenges where LCE has been part of a policy framework for improving the quality of education. The concept of a pedagogical nexus illustrates how different parts of a system work together, how actors shape this and are influenced by it, and the implications of this for pedagogical change. The article therefore also explores how global goals and targets and their monitoring interact with other parts of the system and may affect teaching and learning in unintended ways. It argues for a revised conception of learner-centred pedagogy as an enabling goal, upon which other goals and targets depend.
Keywords: Learner-centred education; Pedagogy; Post-2015; ___working_potential_duplicate

Learner-centred pedagogy: towards a post-2015 agenda for teaching and learning - Schweisfurth, Michele (International Journal of Educational Development, 2015)
Pedagogy continues to be a neglected priority in discussions on the post-2015 agenda for education. The article situates pedagogy generally and learner-centred pedagogy specifically within these current debates. The potential of learner-centred education (LCE) is considered in the light of the evidence of its promise also taking into consideration the historic record of implementation challenges where LCE has been part of a policy framework for improving the quality of education. The concept of a pedagogical nexus illustrates how different parts of a system work together, how actors shape this and are influenced by it, and the implications of this for pedagogical change. The article therefore also explores how global goals and targets and their monitoring interact with other parts of the system and may affect teaching and learning in unintended ways. It argues for a revised conception of learner-centred pedagogy as an enabling goal, upon which other goals and targets depend.
Keywords: Learner-centred education; Pedagogy; Post-2015; ___working_potential_duplicate

Learner-centred pedagogy: Towards a post-2015 agenda for teaching and learning - Schweisfurth, Michele (International Journal of Educational Development, 2015)
Pedagogy continues to be a neglected priority in discussions on the post-2015 agenda for education. The article situates pedagogy generally and learner-centred pedagogy specifically within these current debates. The potential of learner-centred education (LCE) is considered in the light of the evidence of its promise also taking into consideration the historic record of implementation challenges where LCE has been part of a policy framework for improving the quality of education. The concept of a pedagogical nexus illustrates how different parts of a system work together, how actors shape this and are influenced by it, and the implications of this for pedagogical change. The article therefore also explores how global goals and targets and their monitoring interact with other parts of the system and may affect teaching and learning in unintended ways. It argues for a revised conception of learner-centred pedagogy as an enabling goal, upon which other goals and targets depend.
Keywords: Learner-centred education; Pedagogy; Post-2015

The Potential of Mobile Phones to Transform Teacher Professional Development to Build Sustainable Educational Futures in Bangladesh - Walsh, Christopher S; Woodward, Clare; Solly, Mike; Shrestha, Prithvi (Asian Association of Open Universities Journal, 2015)
Futures thinking is used by governments to consider long-term strategic approaches and develop policies and practices that are potentially resilient to future uncertainty. English in Action (EIA), arguably the world's largest English language teacher professional development (TPD) project, used futures thinking to author possible, probable and preferable future scenarios to solve the project's greatest technological challenge: how to deliver audio-visual TPD materials and hundreds of classroom audio resources to 75,000 teachers by 2017. Authoring future scenarios and engaging in possibility thinking (PT) provided us with a taxonomy of question-posing and question-responding that assisted the project team in being creative. This process informed the successful pilot testing of a mobile-phone-based technology kit to deliver TPD resources within an open distance learning (ODL) platform. Taking the risk and having the foresight to trial mobile phones in remote rural areas with teachers and students led to unforeseen innovation. As a result, EIA is currently using a mobile-phone-based technology kit with 12,500 teachers to improve the English language proficiency of 700,000 students. As the project scales up in its third and final phase, we are using the new technology kit — known as the 'trainer in your pocket' — to foster a 'quiet revolution' in the provision of professional development for teachers at scale to an additional 67,500 teachers and nearly 10 million students.

The teaching of polar coordinates with dynamic mathematics software - Zengin, Yilmaz; Tatar, Enver (International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 2015)
The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of dynamic mathematics software on the achievement of pre-service mathematics teachers in the topic of polar coordinates and to solicit their opinions about computer-assisted instruction. The study was conducted for 11 weeks with 33 pre-service teachers in the Department of Mathematics Education Program of a state university in Turkey. Data collection tools comprised a knowledge test of polar coordinates and administration of a semi-structured interview form developed by the researchers who conducted the study using an embedded design as part of a mixed-method research. The results of data analysis showed that the computer-assisted instruction method in which dynamic mathematics software was used positively contributed to the success of pre-service teachers in understanding the subject of polar coordinates. Furthermore, it was found that pre-service teachers supported the use of this method in lessons as it provides visualization, increases retention, concretization of abstract mathematical structures, better understanding and learning, and creates an interesting and interactive learning environment.
Keywords: ADULTS; COMPUTER assisted instruction; Computer Assisted Instruction; Computer Software; ERIC, Current Index to Journals in Education (CIJE); Educational Technology; Foreign Countries; Higher Education; Knowledge Level; MATHEMATICS education (Secondary); MATHEMATICS education -- Aids & devices; MATHEMATICS software; Mathematical Concepts; Mathematics; Mathematics Instruction; Mathematics Skills; Mixed Methods Research; POLAR coordinates (Mathematics); Postsecondary Education; Preservice Teachers; Pretests Posttests; SECONDARY education; STUDENT teachers; Scores; Semi Structured Interviews; Software; Student Teacher Attitudes; Student teachers; TEACHING methods -- Evaluation; TEENAGERS; Teaching; Teaching Methods; Turkey; __:import:01; __:match:final; __:matched; __:study_id:2099919; __finaldtb; computer-assisted instruction method; dynamic mathematics software; polar coordinates; pre-service teachers

Back to School After the Ebola Outbreak (2015)
Back to School After the Ebola Outbreak

Report on the concurrent validity and inter-rater reliability studies of Uwezo - ACER Centre for Global Education Monitoring (Results for Development Institute (R4D), 2015)

Conducting Semi-Structured Interviews - Adams, William C. (Handbook of Practical Program Evaluation, 2015)
Conducted conversationally with one respondent at a time, the semi-structured interview (SSI) employs a blend of closed- and open-ended questions, often accompanied by follow-up why or how questions. About one hour is considered a reasonable maximum length for SSIs in order to minimize fatigue for both interviewer and respondent. This chapter begins with a discussion on the disadvantages and advantages of SSIs. Despite the disadvantages and costs of SSIs, they offer some extraordinary benefits as well. Semi-structured interviews are superbly suited for a number of valuable tasks, particularly when more than a few of the open-ended questions require follow-up queries. The chapter presents some recommendations that can be considered when constructing an SSI guide. All in all, effectively conducted semi-structured interviews, even though labor intensive, should be worth the effort in terms of the insights and information gained.
Keywords: SSI guide; open-ended questions; semi-structured interviews

Evaluating Teachers' Professional Development For ICT Use: Towards Innovative Classroom Practices - Agyei, D. D (International Journal of Education, 2015)
This paper describes an evaluation study designed to investigate the impact of an ICT-Instructional digital innovation in teaching Mathematics, English and Integrated Science subjects from the teacher capacity building professional development programme to classroom implementation at senior high school levels in Ghana. Interviews and survey data were used for data collection following a week professional development programme on the instructional digital learning training. The study demonstrated that the teachers increased in ICT proficiencies but this was limited to their own professional development and not so much of classroom implementation of ICT which results when transfer of learning takes place from training to practice. The study reported that teachers faced a complex mix of factors that when combined, contributed to challenges in transferring the ideas gained in the training programme to the classroom situation. It was evident from the findings that more systematic efforts are needed at the school levels and at the level of stakeholders who implement in-service teachers’ professional development programmes to move the goal of transforming teaching and learning through ICT-based innovations. Based on the outcomes, the study discussed recommendations to help smoothen the transition from teacher professional development programmes to actual classroom implementations in Ghanaian senior high schools and such similar contexts.
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

Design and Evaluation of Mobile Learning Applications for Autistic Children in Pakistan - Ahmad, Muneeb Imtiaz; Shahid, Suleman (Springer International Publishing, 2015)
In this paper, we present the design and evaluation of culturally specific mobile learning applications, designed as a tool to encourage social interaction in autistic children. These applications were designed for Pakistani children keep their cultural context in mind. We performed longitudinal evaluation (around eight weeks) of these applications at an autistic school in Pakistan. Our initial results, based on pre and post evaluation questionnaires and video analysis of social interactions, showed that the applications had a positive effect on the development of socio-emotional skills of children and were appreciated not only by children but also by the teachers.
Keywords: App; Autism; Culture; Social skills; Tablet

Design and Implementation of a Software for Teaching Health Related Topics to Deaf Students: the First Experience in Iran - Ahmadi, Maryam; Abbasi, Masoomeh; Bahaadinbeigy, Kambiz (Acta Informatica Medica, 2015)
Introduction: Deaf are not able to communicate with other community members due to hearing impaired. Providing health care for deaf is more complex because of their communication problems. Multimedia tools can provide multiple tangible concepts (movie, subtitles, and sign language) for the deaf and hard of hearing. In this study, identify the priority health needs of deaf students in primary schools and health education software has been created. Method: Priority health needs and software requirements were identified through interviews with teachers in primary schools in Tehran. After training videos recorded, videos edited and the required software has been created in stages. Results: As a result, health care needs, including: health, dental, ear, nails, and hair care aids, washing hands and face, the corners of the bathroom. Expected Features of the software was including the use of sign language, lip reading, pictures, animations and simple and short subtitles. Discussion: Based on the results of interviews and interest of educators and students to using of educational software for deaf health problems, we can use this software to help Teachers and student’s families to education and promotion the health of deaf students for learn effectively.

Survey of the Use of Assistive Technology in Schools in Nigeria - Ajuwon, Paul M.; Chitiyo, George (Journal of the International Association of Special Education, 2015)
In this study, the researchers explored the state of the use of assistive technology (AT) in Nigeria through a survey of 165 special educators. The underlying structure of the respondents' perceptions, and their challenges and barriers to the use of AT, were examined. Among other findings, the largest proportion of students using AT are those with deafness or hearing impairment (53.3%), followed by those with a learning disability (40%). Training in the use of AT lags behind, with most professionals having received little or no training in the use of AT. The lack of appropriate AT devices and services in classrooms, and irregular electricity to operate available devices, were frequently cited as the biggest challenges regarding AT. Correlations between students' conditions and factors of teachers' perceptions suggested the need to make AT available for students with certain conditions, as well as the need for effective training for teachers.
Keywords: Access to Computers; Assistive Technology; Barriers; Computer Uses in Education; Deafness; Disabilities; Educational Technology; Energy; Faculty Development; Foreign Countries; Hearing Impairments; Learning Disabilities; Likert Scales; Special Education Teachers; Statistical Analysis; Teacher Competencies; Teacher Surveys; Technological Literacy; Training; ⛔ No DOI found

Examining mathematical task and pedagogical usability of web contents authored by prospective mathematics teachers - Akayuure, Peter; Apawu, Jones (International Journal of Research in Education and Science, 2015)
The study was designed to engage prospective mathematics teachers in creating web learning modules. The aim was to examine the mathematical task and perceived pedagogical usability of the modules for mathematics instructions in Ghana. The study took place at University of Education, Winneba. Classes of 172 prospective mathematics teachers working in design groups were involved in the study. Data were collected using Mathematical Task Usability Scale and Pedagogical Usability Rubrics. The result indicated 77.8% of the task contents examined contained worthwhile mathematical tasks. Descriptive analysis of data reflected three distinct categories of perceived pedagogical usability. Approximately 6%, 58% and 36% of the modules contained low, moderate and high pedagogical usability attributes. The study concluded that majority of the modules developed by the prospective teachers have considerable instructional value. Implications for involvement of prospective mathematics teachers in authoring web resources were discussed against the backdrop of policy initiatives for integrating emerging technologies.
Keywords: ERIC, Current Index to Journals in Education (CIJE); Electronic Publishing; Foreign Countries; Ghana; Higher Education; Instructional Material Evaluation; Learning Modules; Mathematics Activities; Postsecondary Education; Preservice Teachers; Rating Scales; Scoring Rubrics; Statistical Analysis; Student Developed Materials; Usability; Web Based Instruction; __:import:01; __:match:final; __:matched; __:study_id:2098955; __finaldtb