Changes in Attitudes, Changes in Latitudes: Contextually relevant digital tools supporting literacy across USDA MGD School Feeding interventions

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session

Proposal

This panel explores the transformative potential of digital tools in enhancing literacy within the framework of USDA McGovern-Dole School Feeding interventions. By presenting case studies from Sri Lanka, Liberia, Laos, and Guatemala, we aim to illustrate how contextually relevant digital solutions can significantly improve educational outcomes and parental engagement in diverse and challenging environments.

Digital tools have become a cornerstone of modern educational interventions, offering a range of benefits over traditional methods, particularly in the context of literacy promotion. The contextualization process, however, is crucial to their success. When properly adapted to local contexts, digital tools can enhance accessibility, flexibility, and scalability, making it easier to reach diverse populations, including those in remote or underserved areas. The strengths of digital tools lie in their ability to provide real-time feedback, enable continuous monitoring, and offer personalized learning experiences. However, challenges remain, such as the digital divide, where disparities in access to technology can exacerbate inequalities. Additionally, the effectiveness of digital tools depends on the level of digital literacy among users, the availability of supporting infrastructure, and the adaptability of the tools to different cultural and linguistic contexts.

Digital tools offer versatile support for literacy development, accommodating varying levels of technology and different educational settings. In low-tech environments, simple solutions like SMS and voice messages can be effective in delivering essential literacy content to caregivers and educators, as seen in Sri Lanka. In contrast, high-tech environments may leverage advanced digital platforms, interactive content, and data analytics to enhance teaching and learning, as attempted in Liberia and Laos. The adaptability of digital tools is key to their success; they must be designed to work within the constraints of the local context while providing meaningful and actionable content. Whether through mobile phones, tablets, or online platforms, these tools have the potential to bridge educational gaps, improve literacy outcomes, and foster greater parental and community engagement in the learning process.

In Sri Lanka, the mBoost Initiative by Save the Children exemplifies the innovative use of mobile technology to support literacy. This initiative leverages the widespread use of mobile phones to deliver text and voice messages to caregivers, providing them with practical guidance on how to support their children’s learning and development. The initiative supplements traditional face-to-face workshops by offering additional, accessible resources that help parents engage more effectively in their children’s literacy activities. The initiative’s design considers the varying degrees of caregiver literacy ensuring that the content is simple, accessible, and adaptable. By sending structured messages over a three-month period, mBoost gradually builds parental involvement in literacy activities, focusing on child well-being, positive parenting practices, and oral language development. Feedback and monitoring mechanisms, including face-to-face workshops, individual assessments, and a dedicated hotline, support continuous improvement efforts.

In Lao PDR, Save the Children, with funding from the USDA through the LEAPS III award managed by CRS and in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES), developed digital tools for classroom observation to improve teaching practices and literacy outcomes. These tools assess key aspects of teaching, including lesson preparation, classroom culture, and social-emotional skills, providing actionable insights for school administrators and education actors.The shift from traditional paper-based methods to digital tools was driven by the increasing availability of mobile devices among Pedagogical Advisors (PAs) and school administrators. The use of KoBo forms on personal devices and provided tablets allows for efficient data collection, even in areas with limited connectivity. This flexibility ensures that the tools are well-suited to the Lao context, where timely insights are crucial for effective educational interventions.

In Liberia, the ProFuturo Digital Education Project, launched by Save the Children International Liberia, aimed to enhance educational opportunities for disadvantaged children through digital tools. Supported by the Telefónica Foundation and "La Caixa" Foundation, ProFuturo sought to improve learning outcomes and teaching methods in vulnerable communities. Liberia’s education system faces significant challenges, including inadequate infrastructure, a lack of trained teachers, and limited access to quality education, particularly in rural areas. The ProFuturo project aimed to address these issues by integrating digital tools into classrooms, providing tablets, laptops, and other equipment to 60 schools.

Despite the project's initial promise, it struggled with significant challenges, including inconsistent electricity supply, limited technical support, and varying levels of digital literacy among teachers and students. These barriers, combined with unmanageable risks such as high rates of equipment damage and rising fuel costs, led to the decision not to continue the project past the pilot phase. The project highlighted critical lessons for future initiatives, emphasizing the importance of reliable infrastructure, ongoing teacher support, community engagement, and adaptive risk management. While the ProFuturo project was ultimately discontinued, the insights gained offer valuable guidance for future digital education efforts in Liberia and similar contexts.

In Guatemala, the Literacy, Education, and Nutrition for Sustainability (LENS) program by Save the Children created the No’jKem Learning Channel on YouTube to provide playful, innovative, and contextualized audiovisual content focused on education, health, and nutrition. No’jKem, meaning “building learning” in Quiche’, aims to reach the broad educational community within Guatemala, but particularly those educators in rural and hard-to-reach areas. The channel includes videos documenting various aspects of teaching literacy, including how to teach literacy in students’ mother tongues. By capturing and disseminating examples for teachers to implement in their classrooms, the No’jKem Channel addresses gaps in training and support for teachers who do not have direct access to LENS resources. This digital platform empowers educators to enhance their teaching practices and improve literacy outcomes for their students.

Through these case studies, the panel will highlight the importance of contextually relevant digital tools in supporting literacy development. We will discuss the challenges and successes encountered in implementing these initiatives, as well as the broader implications for educational interventions in similar contexts. By sharing these experiences, we aim to inform future efforts to leverage digital technology in promoting literacy and educational equity worldwide.

Sub Unit

• General Pool

Chair

• Rushika Anukshi Tehani Dias, Save the Children

Individual Presentations

• mBoost: Strengthening Parental Engagement in Literacy through Mobile Messaging in Sri Lanka - Rushika Anukshi Tehani Dias, Save the Children; sanath manage, Save the Children

• Challenges and Lessons from the ProFuturo Digital Education Project in Liberia: A Case Study in Digital Integration - Wesley Chuku Massaquoi, Save the Children; Dina Lisiarivelo Rakotomalala, Save the Children US; Julia Taladay, Save the Children US