A few international schools in Ghana have
gone fully digital with the introduction of iPads and laptops in the classroom.
Most of them implemented the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) approach which has numerous benefits notably its ability to reduce
cost because the school did not have to invest in buying devices. Some schools have
been using these devices for the past 4 years or more with numerous problems
encountered and some successes achieved. The bigger challenge is that these
schools are in the minority. The greater number of schools in the national
system do not allow their students access to digital devices like mobile phones
and tablets because the Ghana Education Service
regulations are against it. The few schools which allow the use of laptops
during school hours limit its use to teaching and learning of basic computer
literacy. However, the laptops can be utilized effectively if it integrated
into all other subjects.
Our students in both our basic and
secondary schools are been left behind as far as digital technology integration
is concerned. The world is a global village, therefore our students stand to
lose out big time if this trend continues. They are going to compete for the same
opportunities as students elsewhere who are using these devices on day to day
basis. We are therefore not left with any choice but to allow the introduction
of digital technology in our schools. If Africa is to become a force to reckon
with in the knowledge age, there is a need to rethink the whole educational
process that places a lot of emphasis on regurgitation and allow innovation in
the classroom.
This is not to say that introducing
digital devices in the classroom will suddenly raise student achievements. Research
has shown that merely putting digital devices in the hands of students will not
necessarily result in marked improvement in their academic performance unless a
conscious effort is made by schools to develop content relevant to their classroom
experience. These digital devices only magnifies the behaviour of the student
thus if the student is focused and self-motivated, they will use the device to
organize and enhance their learning whiles students who easily lose focus in
class will do same in the virtual world aided by their device.
In line with the mission of most
schools of preparing students to become responsible citizens in a complex and
challenging world, it is imperative that students are equipped with the cutting
edge digital technology to enhance their learning and open them up to new
possibilities. So these schools already implementing digital technology
integration are absolutely right in putting in place policy that encouraged
their students to bring digital devices to school to aid their learning. It is
an open secret that the laptops especially help students a lot in carrying out
assignments, Internal Assessment as well as in research, notes taking and
revision. However, their major challenge has been how to rope in the iPads and seamlessly integrate it into
their teaching and learning.
As with every new initiative, there are
bound to be challenges. There have been numerous occasions that meetings have
been held to discuss how these devices have become a source of distraction
rather than a source of knowledge for students in the schools currently
implementing it.
However, the important thing for
these schools to do is to review their program from time to time and look at
ways they can consolidate their gains and improve on their weaknesses. It is in
the light of this that this write up is being put together to look at ways schools
can maximize the use of especially the iPad into teaching and learning.
Another major challenge with this
program is the risk of cyber-bullying on fellow students as does happen in the
west where these devices have been an integral part of their education system.
However, if schools commit to continuous education of their students on the
need to use the devices wisely, that challenge is likely to be overcome.
What most schools failed to consider
when introducing digital devices is their inability to organize training for
staff on how to use these devices and introduce them to appropriate software aligned to their curriculum to help them guide
the students in using the device in class.
Most teachers are handicapped due to lack of content aligned to their
syllabus and professional development on how to use the device for meaningful
engagement in class. So the problem is not the device but the way we are
choosing to use them.
For schools yet to implement the
program, they need to think carefully about the learning outcome they desire in
the students before rolling out the digital devices. For those already using
it, since they are already on the right path, they just need to tweak their iPad
integration program here and there to make it better. As a first step all
schools need to put teachers at the centre of their iPad integration program instead
of the students. With the current setup in
the few schools implementing the program, the students are at the forefront of
the digital integration; they lead whiles the teachers follow instead of the
other way round. What these schools must do is to make teachers the focus of
the iPad integration program by giving them the necessary professional
development to enable them be abreast with innovative ways of using these
devices to enhance their classroom activities. This can be achieved if the
schools facilitate the acquisition of iPad for teachers (possibly on long term
hire purchase basis) since it is a working tool that will enhance their
teaching. The schools must also consider sending some IT staff for trainer-of-trainers
workshop to enable them be abreast with what is trending in digital technology
for education.
Once these are done, there is the
need to give continuous professional development to staff to help them know the
current trends in digital technology that are changing the learning experiences
in classrooms around the world. What IT departments in these schools must do from then is to organize training once
every month or two for teachers within the school to share best practices,
lessons learned and also give fresh training. I acknowledge that there are
bound to be challenges with this program since some teachers will not want to
change but stick to old ways of doing things. In that sense I propose that each
department appoint an iPad Integration
Evangelist who will be at the forefront of the department’s effort at
integrating digital technology into the teaching and learning process. This
Evangelist will be a member of the department who is very knowledgeable in the
use of digital tools. This person will champion the implementation of the
program in the department and help other teachers who are likely to struggle
with the use of the digital technology. There is also the need to have members
of the school management team or board of governors as well as parents solidly
behind the program to enable it succeed.
It is
time the GES accepted that the current crop of students in our schools are
digital natives. It would therefore be great if they revised their policies and
allowed student in the basic and secondary school to own at least one digital device
(be it tablets, Smartphones or laptops).
The time
to act is now, the longer we wait the more we lose out.
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