Cyber-Home Learning System

In Kenya, state of normality seems far off for education sector; rising Covid19 cases and fourth wave already knocking. Students have little choice but to embrace digital tools to keep learning afloat. Though sizeable population of low-income families own either a tablet, laptop, desktop or smart phone, internet supported remote learning is unaffordable due to connection costs. Proposed solution converts cyber kiosks in rural centers to offer cyber home learning system that provides offline digital learning materials disseminated, shared and uploaded in available hardware. The solution target 10000 rural students and encourages self-directed learning amongst students to bridge education divide. Trained teachers package learning materials; provide guidance and feedback to students via phone enabled short messages to encourage cognitive engagement and promote active learning; provide guidance to 2000 parents to help engage students and create a joint-up approach, where parents and caregivers can reinforce the work the teachers are doing. 

Amid the global wave of pandemic lockdowns, there was unprecedented rise in online learning which remains unaffordable or out of reach for many rural/marginalized populations. Globally, over 1.2 billion children have been affected with untimely school closures. As a result, education has changed dramatically, with the distinctive rise of online learning, whereby teaching is undertaken remotely and on digital platforms. Now with dangerous strains of COVID 19 already being reported in Kenya; school closures and the loss of some family incomes could keep children out of school indefinitely. Students without reliable internet access struggle to participate in digital learning; this gap is seen across countries and between income brackets within countries. Though sizeable population of low-income families in Kenya own either a tablet, laptop, desktop or smart phone, internet supported remote learning is unaffordable due to connection costs. Proposed solution pilot and scale a feasible roll-out plan for cyber home learning system that provides offline digital learning materials supported by an additional feature of SMS based teacher- student feedback to enhance learning for students from less well-off socio-economic backgrounds. The solution as well enhances a joint-up approach plan in which parents and caregivers can reinforce the work teachers are doing.

The project will create, design, pilot and scale a feasible roll-out plan for cyber home learning system that provides offline digital learning materials supported by an additional feature of SMS based teacher- student feedback to enhance learning for 10000 students from less well-off socio-economic backgrounds with access to additional content and support. The project enhances a joint-up approach plan in which 2000 parents and caregivers can reinforce the work teachers under this project are doing. Through this project, a project scale-up plan will be developed with a possibility that this project will be expanded as a private and/or home tutoring system. The project will produce offline digital student self-learning instructional resources and tools customized for cyber home learning environment and designed to meet the needs of target students in Kenya. These instructional resources and tools are in form of text-based study module packs with a wide variety of practice activities and revision notes for students and teachers/parents’ instructional guidance notes for every module. These instructional self-learning resources and tools will allow the students to interact with words, illustrations, notes and ideas in a way to develop their abilities to read and actively learn in a self-learning cyber home environment. 

This project is implemented in rural areas of Kenya targeting low income households owning suitable hardware and willing to engage their students in an active learning system. The project will produce offline digital student self-learning instructional resources and tools customized for cyber home learning environment and designed to meet the needs of target students in Kenya. These instructional resources and tools are in form of text-based study module packs with a wide variety of practice activities and revision notes for students and teachers/parents’ instructional guidance notes for every module. These instructional self-learning resources and tools will allow the students to interact with words, illustrations, notes and ideas in a way to develop their abilities to read and actively learn in a self-learning cyber home environment. The project is currently on pilot basis with possibility to be expanded as a home tutoring system. At the pilot onset, a project implementation committee (PIC) was convened comprising three project staff and two local community mobilizers who jointly developed project roll-out plan and created project awareness. Local community mobilizers have mobilized and registered 2500 students and 500 parents to benefit from the pilot project.  The PIC has identified and engaged five cyber kiosks in five rural town centers of Nakuru, Kenya to offer a cyber home learning system that provides offline digital learning materials for  science, social studies and geography subjects in line with Kenya curriculum to be disseminated, shared and uploaded via suitable hardware owned by target families.

PIC has also engaged five trained teachers who will progressively develop digital learning materials and continuously provide guidance and feedback to students via phone enabled short messages; and provide guidance to parents to help engage students and create a joined-up approach to reinforce the work the teachers are doing. The proposed pilot endeavors to facilitate development of an effective commercial oriented  approach for participating cyber kiosks after the pilot period to help ensure financial sustainability. After the pilot period, participating cyber kiosks will develop viable businesses for disseminating cyber home offline digital learning materials for students and parents on reasonable commercial rates. These cyber kiosks would as well promote and disseminate print outs versions of the same materials during post-coronavirus period on a reasonable commercial rates. The knowledge and project skills acquired by participating cyber kiosks operators will remain with them and will be used to ensure that cyber kiosks continue disseminating cyber home offline digital students self-learning materials beyond the pilot period for students  private studies and/or home tutoring consumption. During the pilot period, the participating cyber kiosks will develop a large clientele base of parents and students which will motivate the cyber kiosks operators to continue disseminating cyber home offline digital student self-learning materials as a commercial business beyond the pilot period. It is anticipated that the cyber kiosks will continue business on their own after the pilot duration and scale-up operations  in post-coronavirus period.

The position of remote learning is still bleak in Africa as compared to other countries as >25% of low-income countries currently provide any type of remote learning, and of these, majority are using TV and radio. In adapting and adopting new learning and teaching paradigms, the education sector had to leverage the assets of cyber home-based learning as they stay and work at home, rather than trying to recreate school. Proposed mode of learning is capable of bringing private meaningful learning experiences that connect to learners’ home environment and rural identities and also use available devices in the home environment. 

The project is currently on pilot basis with possibility to be expanded as a home tutoring system. At the pilot project onset, a project implementation committee (PIC) was convened comprising three project staff and two local community mobilizers who jointly developed project roll-out plan and created project awareness. Local community mobilizers have mobilized and registered 2500 students and 500 parents to benefit from the pilot project.  The PIC has identified and engaged five cyber kiosks in five rural town centers of Nakuru, Kenya to offer a cyber home learning system that provides offline digital learning materials for  science, social studies and geography subjects in line with Kenya curriculum to be disseminated, shared and uploaded via suitable hardware owned by target families

The proposed project  endeavors to facilitate development of an effective commercial oriented  approach for participating cyber kiosks after the project pilot period to help ensure financial sustainability. After the pilot period, participating cyber kiosks will develop viable businesses for disseminating cyber home offline digital learning materials for students and parents on reasonable commercial rates. These cyber kiosks would as well promote and disseminate print outs versions of the same materials during post-coronavirus period on a reasonable commercial rates. The knowledge and project skills acquired by participating cyber kiosks operators will remain with them and will be used to ensure that cyber kiosks continue disseminating cyber home offline digital students self-learning materials beyond the pilot period for students  private studies and/or home tutoring consumption. During the pilot period, the participating cyber kiosks will develop a large clientele base of parents and students which will motivate the cyber kiosks operators orient to continue disseminating cyber home offline digital student self-learning materials as a commercial business beyond the project pilot period. It is anticipated that the cyber kiosks will continue business on their own after the project pilot duration and scale-up operations  in post-coronavirus period.

The pilot project is currently serving 

the number you’ll be serving in one year, 

and the number you’ll be serving in five years.