Low-cost technology solutions for high-impact curriculum development

• In Event: Utilizing open-source technology platforms to interrupt traditional norms of development

Proposal

Teaching and learning materials (TLMs), including teachers’ guides and learner books are a critical component of many formal education systems (Muralidhar & Sharma, 2018). In Malawi, TLMs often play an outsized role in providing information for teachers and students due to limited classroom resources (Chirwa & Naidoo, 2016). Currently MIE is leading a revision of the language arts materials in Chichewa and English for grades 5-8, after completing a revision of the grades 1-4 materials prior. FSU was tasked by USAID to support MIE to improve upon the previous TLMs and reform the Standards 5-8 Language Arts curriculum through the National Reading Program Implementation and Expansion (NRPIE) Activity and it’s MIE counterpart, the Upper Primary Reading Activity (UPRead). The initial materials development process for Standards 5 and 6, which began on paper, was rife with duplication of effort, version control issues, lost documents, complicated workflow, and inefficient use of time. Fueled by lessons learned, the technical team sought new processes that would disrupt the status quo of materials development in this context by introducing new technology coupled with free digital platforms. This included the purchase of 18 Chromebooks and intensive training on the use of Google Live Docs, and Google Drive with content writers, curriculum specialists, typists/editors/designers, and Ministry of Education officials.
Google Drive was chosen because it is a free, dynamic platform that allows for concurrent online editing and collaboration, and will likely never be blocked by a pay wall. It is also likely to never be blocked by a paywall which many new open-source softwares tend to transition to when popularity increases. Critical and creative conversations can occur from opposite sides of the globe within moments, encouraging clear and focused communication and the betterment of materials. The access features can be individually assigned to stakeholders, allowing for open editing privileges or the ability to exclusively leave comments. An accidentally deleted document or a former version of the text can be retrieved instantaneously, reducing duplicative work related to rewriting.
The new curricula, developed on Chromebooks using Google Live Documents and Google Drive, are of high quality and their development has been a smooth, collaborative, and efficient process. Using Chromebooks has come exactly at the right time because the team is prepared to use this platform for upcoming MIE curriculum review activities. Additional benefits include reduced paperwork and associated costs, significantly reduced writing time, improved budgetary planning, and integration of remote work. This presentation will highlight lessons learned, challenges and solutions, qualitative data on effectiveness, voices from the participants and leadership who experienced the transition from paper to digitalization, and the powerful implications of this innovative solution on future education projects in low-income and resource-constrained contexts.

Authors

• Jennie Robinette, Florida State University, Learning Systems Institute

• Adrienne Barnes-Story, Learning Systems Institute at Florida State University