1 Contextualizing Mobile Learning for Syrian Refugee GirlsSMARTPHONE SCHOOLS: Contextualizing Mobile Learning for Syrian Refugee Girls
2 50% 5% Education Cannot Wait 30%61 Million Children Around the World are Out-of-School 1 secondary school enrollment is 1/3 lower in conflict-affected countries compared with other developing countries 50% of the out-of-school children worldwide live in areas of conflict 4 2 of Refugee Girls are Enrolled in Secondary School 30% 3 5% of Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon between the ages of years attend formal secondary school 5
3 If Students Can't Come to School, We Must Take School to ThemReach Girls Educate Youth Despite Conflict If Students Can't Come to School, We Must Take School to Them
4 Framework Purpose Three StepsConnect education and mobile learning theory to conflict-affected context Three Steps Design for Context Needs Impacts Tools
5 STEP 1: NEEDS
6 Needs of Girls Affected by ConflictResearch by the Women's Refugee Commission finds that education interventions for adolescent girls affected by conflict should include: 1 Informal Learning Opportunities Address Barriers Provide informal learning opportunities for out-of-school adolescent girls Address barriers that keep adolescent girls from participating in schooling Include the Vulnerable Flexible Structure Be aware of the needs of vulnerable girls, including girls unaccompanied, out-of-school, married, young mothers, and disabled Consider daily routines, care taking responsibilities and time issue
7 Hundreds of Thousands Not in SchoolNearly 4 years after the beginning of the Syrian conflict we still need a way to scale up access to quality education for refugees: 300,000 Syrian refugees in Lebanon were out-of-school during the school year. 2 70,000 refugee children in Jordan remain outside any type of schooling. 300k Out-of-School 1 70K Out-of-School No more than 3 years 29% of girls in Jordan & Lebanon leave home only once or less during the week, preventing many from attending school. 29% of girls In Jordan, if youth are out of school more than 3 years they are ineligible to enroll in formal school again. 4 3
8 Mobile Learning SolutionsBarriers to Accessing Quality Education Amongst Syrian School-Aged Refugees in Lebanon and Jordan According to UNHCR’s 3RP for Barriers to Education Examples Negative Impacts Mobile Learning Solutions Lack of Educational Infrastructure No space in schools; insufficient transportation; limited number of trained teachers; Lack of certified education programs. Decreases access to education: Many Syrian refugee students are excluded from education including the most vulnerable. Develop a non-formal educational infrastructure by creating both local and virtual collaborative environments, utilizing technology, mentors, and certification options. High Cost of School Attendance Fees; transportation; clothing; supplies; wash facilities; missed income for families; parents need help at home. Decreased Enrollment Rates: These factors discourage parents from enrolling students in school. Eliminate the need for transportation, fees, school clothes and supplies. Make the program flexible for students to participate in their free time. Safety Concerns Parents feel school is unsafe for girls; harassment and discrimination in schools; tensions with host-community; deteriorating security. Low Attendance Rates and Levels of Meaningful Learning: These factors disrupt learning in school and discourage students from consistently attending. Allow students and parents the freedom to choose locations they feel are safe learning environments. Lack of Support to Address Refugees’ Special Needs Students struggle with adapting to new curriculum; students can't understand language of instruction (English and French); students struggle coping with trauma and distress; students fall behind peers from the host-country. Low Levels of Meaningful Learning: These factors inhibit students from succeeding in school, which leads to increased drop-out-rates, greater frustration, and loss of hope and motivation. Reach vulnerable students. Provide psychosocial support, language learning opportunities, catch-up classes, local supervisors, virtual mentors and community and parent support. 1,2 2,3 4 5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12
9 Smartphone Schools Preliminary Needs Assessment in Sida, LebanonSurveyed parents and youth, both attending / not-attending school Survey in Syrian School Small Focus Groups in a Shelter
10 What we learned from our Survey ResultsTotal Respondent Number: 19 students and 19 parents Average age of respondent/adolescent: years old Location: Sidon, Lebanon Key Barriers to Formal Schooling Openness to Non-Formal Education CAN'T AFFORD COST CERTIFICATION Though formal schooling is preferred, the majority of parents said they at least want their kids to go to school, even if it is not accredited. While school costs about $50 USD/month, most parents can only pay $25 USD/month for 1 child to go to school. SCHOOL IS TOO FAR SAFE LOCATIONS 13 out of 19 parents said they did not currently live close to a school. Feel mosques, and their home are safest places for learning outside of formal school, but also open to community center. NEEDED SKILLS PARENTS COMMITTED If given tools, most parents would spend at least 1 hour/day to help their child learn at home. Students indicated they want to learn English, Business, and Finance to help them get good jobs. WORK TO EARN MONEY MENTORS HELP 84% of students feel it's extremely important to have a mentor’s help, 10% said it was important, and 6% not important. Half of the students said they contribute to their family income.
11 Survey Results: Student Use of Technology and Internet74% of students know how to use a computer 53% say they use the internet once or more per day 68% have at least one smart phone in their family 16% use it at least once per week
12 STEP 2: IMPACT
13 Mobile Learning ImpactsTip 1 Tip 2 Work Backwards: What social impact do you want your mobile learning program to have on participants and their communities? Fit for Purpose: Clarify objectives to be achieved through technology and through social components 1 Learning Objectives 2 Cognitive - What do I want my graduates to know? Affective - What do you want your graduates to think or care about Behavioral - What do you want your graduates to be able to do?
14 Smartphone Schools Program ImpactIncrease Access to Quality and Relevant Education Amongst Out-of-School Syrian Refugees and Marginalized Youth Ages in Lebanon and Jordan By Delivering Non-Formal Educational Tools that Empower Students to: be resilient in their current situation actively build a good future for themselves contribute positively to their new communities
15 Learning Objectives Affective Behavioral CognitiveEnglish Certification - Students will be prepared to successfully take and pass the TOEFL iBT/Junior TOEFL Literacy and Numeracy Skills - Students will learn 7th and 8th grade literacy and numeracy skills in both their mother language (Arabic) and in English Life Skills - Student will learn about how to deal with new environments and different cultures, personal finance basics, goal setting, basic entrepreneurial computer skills Affective Peace Building - Students will feel a sense of purpose, think for themselves, practice tolerance, value human rights, and deal with the traumas of war productively Behavioral Social Cohesion - Students will feel a sense of belonging to both virtual and physical learning communities by interacting, teaching, and serving those in their communities.
16 Empowerment Projects: Solidify Learning by Doing1, 9 At the End of Each Curriculum Unit, Students Must Complete a Project Using Critical Thinking Skills Contextual Application: Learner Driven / Meta Learning Perceptive Writing: Active Learning Research-Based Inquiry and Reasoning: Collaborative Learning 2 3 4 Virtual Journals Community Project Group Presentation Problem Solve Individually Sets Own Goals Strategize Approach with mentor Self-Evaluate Progress Problem Solve as a Group Formulate Questions and Identify Resources Opportunities to Lead Solidify Learning by Teaching Others Apply Lessons to Surroundings Utilize various modes of communication Self-Reflection: Relationship to New Environment Feedback from Mentor and Peers 5 11 10 6 7 8 How does technology enable our impact design? Individual to Community Collaboration
17 STEP 3: TOOLS
18 Enabling Technology to Achieve Learning ObjectivesUse Effective Learning Principles (Watkins, Carnell, and Lodge, 2007) 1. Produce work based on feedback (Active learning) 2. Collaborate with others (Collaborative learning) 3. Make choices about their learning (Learner-driven) 4. Monitor and review how they learn (Meta-learning) Asynchronous and Synchronous Technology
19 Smartphone Schools Example: Technology Enabling Feedback
20 Student Motivation and IncentivesLeverage Gaming Principles and Social Networks Opportunities to Earn Incremental Rewards AB Test User Interface for Girls vs Boys Build Support at Home and in the Community
21 Transactional Distance Theory by Moore (2007)How Do We Develop the Program to Provide Quality Education in a Conflict Context? Transactional Distance Theory by Moore (2007) Instructor Learner Less Transactional Distance Is Always Better Levers to Decrease Transactional Distance: 1) Reduce Curriculum Structure 2) Increase Dialogue (Synchronous or Real-Time) 3) Increase Learner’s Autonomy
22 HI HS HL LS High Transactional Distance (H)Individualized Activity (I) Socialized Activity (S) Low Transactional Distance (L) HI HS HL LS Park’s Pedagogical Framework for Mobile Learning (2011) 1
23 Non-Formal CurriculumMapping Exercise: Identifying Transactional Distance in Conflict Context Core Program Components Your Capacity in Given Context Low Transactional Distance, Individualized Activity High Transactional Distance, Individualized Activity Low Transactional Distance, Socialized Activity High Transactional Distance, Socialized Activity Internet connection speed 3G - 4G X - 2G Mobile Device Type Tablet Basic Mobile Access to In-person Teachers/ Mentors Generally Accessible Limited Access to Electricity Reliable Unreliable Type of Program Formal Curriculum Non-Formal Curriculum Strive for more circles in the “Low Transactional” columns and an equal number of “Individual” and “Social” Activities
24 Other Conflict-Affected Contexts# Education Can’t Wait # Refugee Girls Matter # Education DESPITE War
25 Thanks! aliim.org Special thanks to my colleagues and advisors: Bassel Akar, Evaline Schot, Dominic Mentor, Andrea Varadi