Access Education

We aim to make technology-based education accessible to learners in remote areas.

The distance to a school's location has been a challenge for many young learners in Southeast Asia, particularly in the Philippines. While there are those who diligently travel to their schools, there are also those who just give up and forego having an education because going to school takes a toll on their health and safety as they have to endure long, often treacherous treks just to make it to their schools. These days, because of the Covid-19 pandemic, distance learning has taken on a new meaning. Children are unable to attend classes physically, and parents would not risk exposing their children to the threat of contracting the disease. 

By creating a mobile classroom with internet connectivity, the children can continue to learn in the safety of their community. In today's learning environment, the use of technology is important in bringing and developing 21st century skills to the learners; those in remote areas are being left behind by their contemporaries in the cities. In order for them to keep up with their contemporaries, having access to a technology-based education can lead these learners to be globally competitive, and their self-confidence and capabilities will also improve the opportunities to them later on.

The Philippines had an enrollment rate of 8.9% in 2018 for primary education while completion rate for lower secondary education was 80.52% for the same year (knoema.com, 2019). Data for the 2020 school year showed that total elementary enrolment (Grades 1 to 6) dropped by 1,263,482 learners, from the previous year’s 13.2 million to 11.95 million. Across all levels, more than two million students were not able to continue their education (Luz, 2020). 

The reality is that even before Covid-19 restricted and confined us to our homes, there were already existing difficulties that both learners and parents had to overcome in order to obtain an education. These can be attributed to a number of factors such as academic difficulty, family and socio-economic needs, poor health, and disengagement or lack of personal interest. Social divide contributes to the disparity in educational quality, as students in the urban areas outperform many of their counterparts from the rural areas because they have access to education and many have the technology to use in enhancing their learning (k12academics.com, n.d.). Technology needs to be available for all students, especially now that distance learning modalities are in use. The inequalities are revealed, causing a digital divide (Santos, 2020). Poor network infrastructure adds to the problem, so internet providers are scrambling to upgrade and boost their capacities to address this. 

Unfortunately, the strict guidelines have left the children at home and unable to begin their schooling. It is best for children to start schooling on time, as a delay could pose a great disadvantage for many learners in terms of developing reading and other skills vital to their young minds, like socialization and communication. This has impacted even more the children in the remote areas, as learning has shifted to being more technology-driven, and teachers are not able to travel to these distant places. This year, the Department of Education has prioritized “last mile” schools, defined as those with less than four classrooms, usually makeshift and non-standard, either with limited or lacking resources, lacking access to power, transportation, and water, or a combination of any of these factors. Such schools take more than an hour’s travel for students through difficult terrain, with a few teachers available to handle all levels (Malipot, 2021). It is a goal of the department to transition education to technology, and it is imperative as it is essential that children do not miss out on what technology can offer to assist them in their learning. Providing resources in the form of books and multimedia learning through various online platforms engage their inquisitive minds as they adapt easily to audio-visual aids. Many children’s books are available online, as are tutorials in reading and writing, communicating through songs and animated features that facilitate learning. Reading and writing are skills essential to their education. 

The existing problem is lack of access to technology, such as devices and internet connectivity. Many of the last mile schools cater to indigenous people and the destitute, whose parents have no fixed income and/or occupation. It is a sad realization that there are still so many young people who live below the poverty line, and they end up leaving their homes to seek employment in other places, foregoing education for their livelihood. It is of no consequence that those who venture far without the basic reading, writing, and comprehension skills get exploited. Allowing them to learn through the internet also exposes them to the things happening outside and beyond their usual surroundings, while being guided by their traditional family values at home or in their immediate communities. As such, poor or low connectivity is still a problem, but these materials can be downloaded and stored in digital media so learning facilitators can use them for instruction. The target clientele, in particular, are the preschool and school age children who are unable to enroll in formal education, but this learning opportunity will also be available for the other members of the community to promote digital literacy. Using 21st century skills, it is hoped that those seeking to leave their homes in order to find work, could at least learn some skills through instructional videos that they can view and follow. Distance learning can certainly take on a deeper and more fulfilling relevance with simulation apps that can be run offline. 

Alyssamae A. Nuñez

The challenge to education in the Philippines is the apparent inequality to access and availability. While the Department of Education has added to its budget allocation to provide for learning resources, the situation in schools in remote areas, re: “last mile” schools, have not changed much. Our solution is projected to aid in the field, particularly to the teachers who still bear most of the responsibility to bring the necessary learning tools that would enable their learners to be at the same level of competence as their more urban counterparts. In this pandemic, online classes were conducted in order for education to continue. Even using the mobile phone to bridge communication problems, the unstable signal and unavailable internet from service providers make it a problem still. There lies the inequality, felt more in the countryside of provinces farther from the major business and economic regions. With a mobile learning hub equipped with internet, this would, at the very least, introduce young people to the actual experience rather than simply reading or hearing about it. This mobile learning hub will bring not only learning resources, but include training kits for basic electrical and electronics for hands-on application for the older students. This could provide for the fundamental skills training in the field, which could lead to further technical-vocational training. The goal is to provide equal opportunities for the students in these communities to be tech-savvy and able to relate to what reality there is in our modern world.  

The prototype mobile library was handed over to an elementary school situated in a remote hacienda. It came with children’s books, primarily story books, which will be utilized to help children read and familiarize with the English language. There was also a TV, multimedia player, amplifier and speakers which would be used to play digital files of learning videos saved in a flash drive, along with printable exercises in English and Math. With the situation imposed by Covid-19, the mobile library proved to be useful to the teachers who would also travel to their learners’ homes for the distribution of modules. At the same time, they would be able to provide learning sessions in certain areas where they could set up in community (barangay) centers.

The mobile library, originally conceptualized as a vehicle that would be used to travel to learners’ local community’s and hold reading sessions with books available, was upgraded as a mobile e-classroom with the multimedia equipment to usher in digital learning. There are children in the rural areas who have no tv and no knowledge of the internet, because of lack of access to electricity, no gadgets or devices, and because education is not always a priority owing to their poverty. With the mobile library, not only are they able to pick up books and learn to read the traditional way, their learning can also be more audio-visual, which enhances their young minds to become more interactive and imaginative from the information they can receive from the learning videos. It is a blend of the old new technology. The modern school libraries feature archived materials and internet access, with an e-library even made accessible through school websites and portals. Upgraded as a mobile learning hub, not only will there be technology available for digital formats, but still feature the traditional storybooks that appeal to children, which can be creatively presented to children by creative retelling, or acting. The pull-out board is for the learners to follow and practice more activities as enhancement, like sight words and spelling. The training kits are for the slightly older learners, who may want to learn more technical-vocational skills. 

The reality that many children are not going to school and missing out on opportunities is something that should be given attention. Remote communities have had to make do with what available resources they can receive or get from their stakeholders. Sometimes a private individual or organization takes the initiative of providing much-needed learning materials and resources, but the books soon become outdated, and whatever technology, devices, or gadgets received would not be functioning optimally because these are not well maintained. The concept of this mobile learning hub is to provide much-needed resources for young learners, even the adolescent and much older individuals who may want to learn additional skills. The use of traditional and modern resources will allow learners to be engaged in their education, with developing reading skills through textbooks and storybooks, and those wanting to pick up skills will be helped by training kits and manuals. Audio-visual materials also aim to promote observation and listening skills. The youth of today learn more and absorb information faster if they are able to see and hear the information as it unfolds. Videos can reduce the stress on a teacher’s voice in delivering a lesson as they will act as facilitators and the students themselves can develop comprehension, even analytical, skills as they process the information presented. New information can also stimulate curiosity, leading learners to ask more questions and seek new knowledge, promoting a culture of learning. 

The learning hub will be entrusted to the care of a central school to allow for the safekeeping and maintenance of the vehicle, also promoting the involvement and participation of the local government unit, particularly at the barangay level, to align with their program on education, and for additional support to cover costs. Volunteer teachers can initiate the lessons, at the same time train learning facilitators in the barangays so they could take over when the teachers return to their stations. This way, learning becomes an automatic activity that learners can look forward to. Information becomes available and accessible with the use of the internet/wifi provided. 

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The Reading Readiness test is a standardized test administered to learners entering the primary level. This could be used to measure the reading skills, along with the basic sight words and fundamental Science and Math exercises. There are also other instruments to use that are standardized and approved by the Department of Education to assess the progress of learners. The best way to gauge improvement is to give a diagnostic test at the start of the program, and a posttest after the term. As with special programs, there should be a culminating activity for every stage, to enable the learners to showcase what they have learned. Skills training would be enhanced with a skills assessment test, a theoretical and a practical test, which would be coordinated through the help of the local government, in order to have the students earn certificates, or be encouraged to proceed to formal technical-vocational training.

“No child should be left behind”. That is the premise of the Department of Education’s statement in continuing to hold classes despite the challenges of the pandemic. Thus, it supports efforts like the pushcart classroom to expand the reach of education. Our project is geared towards engaging mostly young learners who as yet cannot venture far from their homes because of the pandemic’s restrictions but need to start school. Another thing to consider is the reality that parents in these remote communities are most likely to have completed only elementary level education, which is why they would send their children to school with the hope of earning higher degrees than them, even if it means waking up early to travel long distances and providing for their needs with their meager income. Our solution can provide young learners with materials to help them read and learn other essential skills like writing, oral communication, and spelling. With many children still attending “last mile” schools, it seems fitting that more efforts should be given to uplift their conditions and expose them to the advantages of technology. The objective is to really bring learning closer to these learners and giving them the information that they need through technology that is available and following a program that is replicable and sustainable.

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Barriers to consider would be funding, since a vehicle is needed, and to include the features, it needs to be customized.  The prototype was materialized through extensive fund-raising and calling for donations. Some of the books were donated by private individuals while some children’s story books were bought. The other resources like the television and audio set up were purchased along with a USB flash drive to store digital media and soft copies of additional exercises and worksheets, which could be obtained online for free.  To make it a mobile learning hub, it would need to have internet connectivity, a pull-out white board or chalk board, and training kits. The most important factors are human, since the learning hub will be entrusted to an institution, represented by the school head, and teachers/learning facilitators will have to coordinate with the immediate community’s leadership so that the learners, and other members of the community, will cooperate with the implementation. Another concern would be the selection of a suitable and safe environment so that learning can take place and the resources can be maximized. It is hoped that the local government units will also be receptive and assist the local (recipient) school in the maintenance and support of the project. 

Officially our team is not yet an organization in itself, just a group of minds working to find solutions to address the needs of many, primarily underprivileged, communities. We believe that education is a major factor in the advancement and success of a society. We are united by our objective of bringing education closer to those who have had to struggle in order to obtain an education. We are all involved in teaching, with a degree of specialization in different fields. As educators we put a lot of effort in carrying out our duty to serve, to transform lives with meaningful and useful learning experiences. In doing so we know that we are pursuing a greater goal of creating a better world for these young people. We want to share our knowledge and skills by taking it out of the classroom and into these communities. We want to reach more learners with our solution. The present restrictions imposed under the pandemic intensified our desire to replicate what we were able to do with our prototype. We believe that our solution can benefit more communities once it gains solid support from community leaders and stakeholders. 

3 Part-time staff

2 contractors

As a team, we can say that we have the necessary skills and background to carry out this project of a mobile learning hub, a solution that we see as very doable and achievable, and far-reaching in its impact. We work as educators, and in our experience, we have been to communities who are without available resources. These areas are often remote and what little resources they had in their primary schools are mostly obsolete, some equipment lacking, or may be damaged by wear and tear. It’s in these conditions that we feel the need to help the young learners, and the teachers assigned, to be provided with an opportunity to further learning. We can help their communities by engaging learning facilitators who are residents of that area, providing them with training so they can assist in, or even take over, the supervision of learning activities. In some village schools, only a few teachers are assigned to handle multiple grade levels, and this adds to the work of our fellow educators. It would benefit them to also have the opportunity to maximize the learning experiences of their learners with the use of the mobile learning hub. Additional materials can be saved in digital format so the teacher can have use of the audio-visual presentations which many young learners find engaging, and this would keep them interested in learning. A glimpse of technology can open their minds to many possibilities for them with the education they can obtain. 

We believe in teamwork, and in each aspect of the proposed solution, we put our minds to work in order to maximize all the learning tools we can include and feature in the learning hub. Our Team Lead is very personable, and has spearheaded organizational activities before, from conceptualization, to fund sourcing and fund raising, event-planning, and even accounting and reimbursements. She can network with other organizations and individuals, and also able to plan out logistics and financial concerns. Her involvement in leadership training has allowed her to work on different events and allowed her to travel to different places. Her exposure to an international program also gave her the opportunity to craft programs for education, a passion we mutually share. There is no denying our individual capabilities, and to bring us all together and work as one team is credit enough to our Team Lead. 

As of the moment, we are not affiliated or partnered with any organization. It is only the need that we wanted to address going into the second year of not holding classes face to face that we thought of doing another project similar to the mobile library, but it could use upgrades because of the number of pre-school children not able to enroll and go to school. With the threat of the virus, many parents, particularly in the rural areas, have decided not to enroll their young children. Despite the efforts of the Department of Education to make enrolment easier, the number of enrollees still fall below pre-Covid figures. According to UNICEF, lack of quality early childhood education is very critical to their development. If we would have the opportunity to partner with other organizations, we would be very happy to put our solution in motion. It would be a tremendous help with funding, and the network they could also provide to enable more stakeholders’ participation and involvement. A partner organization can help us with logistics and marketing, and the implementation of our solution. We would also welcome ideas and suggestions that could improve or maximize the mobile learning hub. 

We see that partnering with an institution like MIT would boost our solution because it is well-known and respected as a pillar of education and breakthroughs in technology. Looking at the inequalities experienced by education in our country, it seems to have been compounded by the pandemic. If ever we are chosen as winners, the prize money would be great to get the project started. The solution requires a motorized vehicle and all the inclusions need to be customized for it to be considered a mobile learning hub. The impact that it would bring to a community in need could be a platform for change and improvement that the local government needs to realize in support of quality education. As funding and sustainability seem to be an issue with a project's longevity, partnering with local government and other concerned individuals can be undertaken, along with possible income-generating activities. 

The opportunity to help further education is important for us. With the name of MIT attached to this Challenge, we see how we can draw more attention from possible partners who would be interested to help us in the implementation of the project. We could partner with organizations that can help us with the much-needed learning resources, volunteer learning facilitators, even with skills training. Given that the target areas are remote, we would need assistance in the follow-up of the project, with transportation, utilities, and other needs that may come up during the implementation. Skills training for the more older learners would also require the purchase and use of training kits and other materials. Learners could be assessed with partner schools and institutions such as TESDA. With proper assessment, the solution can also be evaluated in terms of efficiency and effectiveness.