Gadgets for Improved Learning Outcomes (GILO)

It is widely recognized and accepted that inclusive education is a critical driver of economic success and social progress in modern society. The provision of quality education and training is central to the creation of high-skills, knowledge and innovation-based economy for sustainable development. Education and training are also crucial to achieving the objective of an inclusive society where all citizens have an equal opportunity and the incentive to participate fully in the social and economic life of the country.

 Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020, schools worldwide have been negatively affected, but Uganda’s case has been worse. Primary and Secondary Schools were closed for the entire COVID-19 period until January 2022.

The pandemic has exposed digital inequalities across Uganda and within our respective constituencies. With regard to education, the scale of the digital divide and its implications for remote learning are striking. According to the 2021Ibrahim forum Report, 89% of learners in sub-Sahara, Africa Uganda inclusive, do not have access to household computers, 82% lack internet access and at least 20 million live in areas not covered by a mobile network. Furthermore, wide gender disparities in ownership of access to digital devices have limited technology’s role in providing solutions in education outcomes, leaving many rural vulnerable learners behind. This case gets worse in refugee settlements where services offered are centered on provision of food, medical care and sanitation but not much on quality education.

Learners in urban areas have been privileged in the COVID-19 period by having some form of distance learning/online classes compared to their counterparts in remote areas, whose chance of learning was through radio programs which were not effective. The long period of school closure coupled with no form of learning continue to create a lapse among rural learners with many of them disconnected from education to join informal trade and some young girls are home nursing babies got during lockdown. The pandemic has led to digitization of education and uncertainty for the future. These disruptions will amplify educational and social cultural divides. Many rural teachers are also concerned about the imbalance in society, where the prolonged closure of schools automatically meant leaving behind those without ease of access to quality education. This solution therefore, will ensure that both learners and teachers in rural and refugee communities are able to access and use technology during and beyond the pandemic period, bridging the digital gap in education.

We are introducing digital (paperless)classrooms among 10 rural schools in the pilot phase, targeting 2 classes; primary 5 and 6 in each of the 10 schools. We are providing relatively affordable Electronic Tablets, laptops and data projectors as tools for teaching and learning, for teachers and learners. Learner electronic tablets are pre-loaded with customized e-books relevant for the new revised curriculum for all subjects while the teachers’ laptops are pre-loaded with both Learner E-Books and teachers’ guides. All tablet PCs are installed with relevant customized apps for offline file transfer between users, office applications to enable users read and work with documents in Word, pdf and excel. These Apps have voice prompts to help learners with reading skills.

We are partnering with a telecom company to access low cost mobile data through “zero rated sim cards” for learners and teachers for which schools will be charged less than half the standard price. This will enable learners and teachers have affordable internet, taking advantage of the 4G network that has just been extended to the target population.

For each of beneficiary schools, a website with a portal will be developed where teachers will be able to upload activities for the relevant subjects and grades.

 We are also partnering with 2 solar companies to provide solar power for 3 of 10 schools that are not on the national grid, to power the gadgets.

The innovation is not solely dependent on a learning management system or software, but also about changing the pedagogy with the help of useful tools and methods. Easy to use methods in digital classrooms with the intention to make it simple, accessible and achievable to all teachers will be applied, making learning more relevant to the students. The classroom will be open to the rest of the world and both teachers and learners will be more important than ever.

The target population is 650 primary five and six (P5 & P6) Pupils and 60 teachers, from 10 schools in Isingiro District in Western Uganda. The target learner beneficiaries are of mixed gender, aged between 13-14 years. The 10 selected schools are vulnerable rural schools, three of which are in refugee settlements of Nakivale and Oruchinga. The average Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) percentage pass rate for the last six year is; 5 learners (Division1)18(Division 2), 15 (Division 3), 8 (Division 4), 6 (U) and 4 (X). This percentage pass rate demonstrates poor performance and low-quality education that limits opportunities to enroll in high school. The target population households live $0.44 below the international poverty line of $1.90.

The solution will impact their lives in a number of ways;

• The proposed innovation has been prototyped in 2019 in one school serving two classes of 95 learners, and from the assessment we conducted, the innovation was found to be more engaging and interactive, children were paying more attention to it not only through listening but also watching lessons on the screen, which has increased effective learning. Learning was found to be easier through visual and perceived to be fun. Their learning skills and capabilities improved by 40%. These gains will be translated to the target population.
• Learners will attain better and quality education, improved physical and mental health and lower levels of deviant behavior. The innovation will lead to participation and social trust, improving on the bonds that students feel exist between themselves and others, hence, a willingness to cooperate. Social competences such as; an individual’s ability to successfully fulfil a wide range of social roles, interpersonal competences aimed at interacting with people, ability to collaborate, critical thinking, competence in ICT solutions to be better suited for future employment will be realized.
• Outcomes pertaining improved affective behavior focusing on for example how learners see themselves and the world around them, projected at; 90% school attendance, 85% grade pass rate at national examination, increased enrollment by 80% and others that may not easily be quantified like, self-confidence, intellectual development, cognitive behavior, visualization and communication.
• The innovation is projected to equip students for economic independence by preparing them to participate in the ever-increasing digital labor market.
• The solution offers teachers continuing professional development (CPD). The training given to teachers equips them with necessary ICT skills for teaching.

Digital Chronicles Ltd is a solid Organisation with a strong Board of directors overseeing operations and an effective and efficient management team that executes its activities with a high level of professionalism. The vision, mission and core values of the Organisation make everyone affiliated to the Organisation perform at their best capacity

• We are a team with blended skills and trainings that are well familiar with the day to day affairs of the target population. We have passed through the traditional system of education and are familiar with all it challenges. Most of the team members grew up from underprivileged settings which identifies us with the challenges of the target population. The founder and executive director hails from the same community and has been a successful educator in South African Schools where he initiated the incorporation of ICT in the teaching process, which earned him recognition by the Department of Basic Education (DBE). Having acquired the knowledge, skills and experience, he decided to pay back his home community and country by coming back to Uganda to start DCL.
• Our operations are in the same area of the target population and 3 of our team members come from the same district.
• To understand the needs of those we are serving, we are constantly in touch with school Principals, teachers, District Education Officers (DEO) and Local Councilors (LCs). We are also parents and interact with our school-going children to be familiar with their challenges.
• When we shared the proposed solution to Principals and Heads of Departments (HODs) in the schools, the solution was welcomed with open arms. The School heads organized a meeting with parents and we also shared the solution to parents with good success. The Area Commandant (AC) of the refugee settlement was approached and introduced the solution to, she was very excited and guided us to reach out to other leaders in the settlement. We have had several engagements with DEOs and Subject Advisors and have also adopted their input in this pilot phase. All stakeholders have been engaged, their questions answered and their positive contributions adopted.

SOLVE funding will play a key enabling or catalyzing role in expanding the innovation in a number of ways. The successful implementation of the pilot stage with SOLVE funding will set the pace for the solution to be publicly and privately adopted. The realization of both learning and social outcomes will be an attraction to all prospective partners and agencies.

The solution has attracted some partners for the pilot phase that have helped in funding and donating laptops and tablets. However, some processes are yet to be covered such as; teacher and learner trainings, solar power installation and data collection and analysis.

We are also applying to solve to forge a partnership not only for this project but future projects as well. We realize that modern day development challenges can not be solved single-handedly but rather collectively. We are seeking collaboration for solutions to diverse challenges.

We would like SOLVE to link us to partners that are experienced and successful in developing Applications tailored towards learning that cut across all operating systems.

Adopting digital technology in the teaching and learning process may not seem to be an innovation in the developed world but in Africa where technology is limited, more so in less privileged communities, it is an innovation. Our solution is innovative in a diverse number of fronts;

• The solution enables and supports the teaching process to transition from traditional ‘teacher-centric’ teaching styles to more ‘learner-centric’ methods. Traditional teaching makes the teacher the custodian of information and learners are passive recipient of information. This solution allows for availability of information to all players. It makes each one of the learners active and fully engaged.
• The solution allows the learner to get an alternative point of view through video lessons on particular topics which increases their capacity to understanding concepts.
• The solution allows for distance and blended learning where learners can study from home. School is not limited to physical structures. In case of any disruption such as lockdown, learning is able to continue. teaching is now a process that can occur anywhere and at any time.

• With learners’ textbooks pre-loaded on tablets as eBooks, the challenges of lack of textbooks in rural community schools is solved. A few households in the rural communities can afford learning and teaching support materials (LTSM). This solutions levels the ground for the availability of LTSM.
• With all textbooks loaded onto a single tablet that weighs under 1.5kg, as well as the same tablet being a writing resource to replace note books, the burden that leaners in modern schools bear to carry heavy loads of bags is eliminated. Posture is a bigger concern than most think. With growing workload for school children, the weight of this issue is increasing every day. Carrying heavy weighted and oversized school bags full of heavy books can cause young children to develop serious spinal deformities. Children carrying heavy school bags are developing forward head posture as they are hinging forward at the hips to compensate for the heavy weight on their back.                                         
• The solution addresses the growing need for teachers to adopt ICT in the teaching pedagogy. Teacher inexperience and skill deficiencies is often a fundamental factor that prevents the effective use of ICT.
• THE SOLUTION CREATES PAPERLSS CLASSROOMS. LEARNERS ARE ABLE TO DO THEIR CLASSWORK AND HOMEWORK, SEND IT TO THE TEACHER’S GADGET. THE TEACHER IS ABLE TO MARK AND GIVE FEEDBACK ELECTRONICALLY. NO PAPER, NO INK, NO TREE IS CUT FOR PAPER, LESS CO2 IN THE ATMOSPHERE, LESS CLIMATE CHANGE…. THIS SOLUTION IS INNOVATIVE!!
• This solution is able to change the market as there is growing need to adopt technology in the teaching and learning process. There is need to have a complete overhaul of the education system towards digital migration. This opens a lot of opportunities for all players such as Software developers, course designers, trainers, manufactures of gadgets, etc.

For the next year and the next 5 years (pilot year included), we will be focusing on the following impact goals;

• Increasing on the number and level of clients/beneficiaries. In the coming year we shall be introducing the technology to secondary schools and tertiary institutions.
• Our goal in the coming years is to increase on the number of financial institutions that will partner with private schools to offer soft loans that can be easy to manage and also accelerate the penetration of the technology.
• Developing an App that cut across all operating systems is our key goal. Our current Apps are limited to Android and windows operating systems. Our team is focusing on an App or Apps that can work well with IOS, Android, Windows and Ubuntu operating systems. This will make the technology not only user-friendly but it will also greatly increase our market share.
• Lobbying with government to get the technology incorporated in the ministry of education’s budget allocation is our very important goal. Our activity with public schools at the moment is only reliant on donor funding. Government adopting the technology would mean an allocation on the budget for the innovation. Lobbying with the ministry of trade to make the gadgets tax exempted will also make these gadgets cheaper and affordable for the private schools. This is our key goal.

We will do the following to realize the above goals:

• Conscious planning of our course of action
• Increase our human resource.
• Increase resource mobilization.
• More collaboration and partnerships.

To measure the progress and effectiveness of the innovation toward impact goals, measurement instruments have been developed. These instruments are in four distinctive categories; a) Learner Achievement Instrument (LAI), b) Attendance Rates Instrument (ARI), c) Teacher Satisfaction Instrument (TS)I and d) Adoption (login) rates instrument. (LRI)

LAI measure the following:

• Number of users of the solution. This includes both learners and teachers.
• Change in learner attainment in grade.
• Change in quality of pass rate such as number of distinctions, passes and fails attained by learners.
• Change in school pass rate in comparison to the base year (year before adoption of the technology.
• Change in learner retention at the end of academic year.

ARI measure the following:

• Change in leaner enrollment in comparison to the base year
• Number of absentee learners
• Dropout rate at the end of academic year in comparison to the base year.

TSI measure the following:

• Teacher retention rate (proportion of teaching staff leaving for reasons other than retirement in the year of implementation compared to previous years),
• reduced teacher burn-out
• Ease with which teachers are adopting the solution.

LRI measure the following:

• number of learners and teachers logging into the school website,
• number of learners consistently using their gadgets as writing tools and file transfers.

Other progress measurement toward impact goals will include penetration rate that will focus on the rate at which we gain new territory in terms of regional markets.

1) Training teachers to comfortably be in a better position to incorporate the technology in teaching will make processes such as; lesson preparation, lesson delivery, assessment, marking and giving feedback easy and timely. This will help teachers overcome barriers of using technology in the classroom and be more effective in their work and time spent on administrative work will drastically reduce.

2) With learners receiving training on using tablets as writing resource for class notes, classwork and homework and be able to send it through to the teachers’ tablet or laptop to be marked, the cost of scholastic materials such as notebooks, pens, pencils, rulers etc. will be reduced, the cost of printing will reduce. Printing costs make up a large portion of school budgets with an average school spending about $3000-$4000 on paper, ink and toner each month.  Diseases such as Covid-19 will be avoided since there is no contact of learner books by teachers for marking.

3) With teaching and learning resources loaded in tablets for all the subjects offered and tips on using the internet for useful links such as for past question papers and techniques for question approach mastered, learners will be comfortably positioned to pass national examinations and better suited for the next phase. (lower secondary school) in good schools. Lack of educational resources contributes 75% chances of learner failure to attain good grades.

4) Formulating an e-learning policy document, in conjunction with the school authority and distributed to all stakeholders as a guideline, the usage and sustainability of the solution will be ensured. Schools that have attempted to allow gadgets such as cellphone and tablets without a policy have been frustrated and the idea dropped.

5) Solar companies offering solar energy to schools without electricity at a friendly payment scheme, will solve the challenge of lack of electricity to power the gadgets in rural communities. In rural parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, nearly 600 million lack access to electricity and this is a fundamental barrier to progress. 6) With local telecom companies offering Zero-rated sim cards at no or minimal fee for mobile data to students and teachers, schools will have cheap and affordable internet access to facilitate the solution. The cost of mobile data in Uganda ranges between $80 for 150GB at 10mbps to $208 for 450GB at 10mbps, compared to $7.50 for 150GB at 20mps and $22.50 for 450GB at 20mbps in Israel. 

•  Our solution uses Android compatible apps between tablets and windows laptops to make educational resources and processes accessible to many in an affordable way. 10.1’’inch Android Tablet PC Octa-core, 32GB and a dual sim 4G Phone call to enable high speed internet. The tablets are customized with apps that enable offline file transfer between users and eBooks (ePUB), with voice prompts for all subjects for the relevant classes. Our well-equipped developers are working on developing an app that can be used across devices regardless of the operating system.
• laptops with specifications; 15inch HP intel-core i5 8250U Processor 8GB memory supporting Wi-Fi connectivity of 802.11 are used by teachers to enable connectivity to data projectors in the process of teaching.
• Three of the schools not connected on the national grid will be installed with two solar systems, each system comprising 4 solar panels, 2 Batteries each 150AH, 6 light bulbs and a Victron inverter. Each system is capable of 960-Watt hours of energy per day, and a total of 1920 Watt hours per day for each school. Uganda being a tropic country with plenty of sunshine all year round makes solar energy more reliable to power gadgets in remote areas with no electricity.
•  With a website designed for each school, it makes it possible for the school to be linked to the rest of the world. Acquisition of teaching and learning materials becomes more possible than ever before for the less privileged communities compared to advantaged urban communities. The solution uses virtual reality such as virtual laboratories, to explain and demonstrate science experiments to under-resourced schools.

DCL is a forward-thinking Company that operates with a high level of professionalism. Our ethical and moral values coupled with our vision and mission project us at a high standard.

We are a team of diverse professions and skills, each one complementing the other for the whole team to excel. We have teachers, IT specialists, accountants, social scientists and other professionals. We also come from diverse backgrounds, which when brought together, make us one DCL team.

Equity is one value DCL upholds. We are each valued according to our input and qualifications, with no favors. The human resources team arranges for staff appraisal at scheduled intervals to assess the need reward on merit or fairness.

Our team is made up of staff with different gender in proportional ratios. We are very inclusive in the execution of our services. We do not discriminate against any client because of their race, gender, age or background.

DCL’s business model is a bundling kind of model between a service and product.

Product and service that we deliver

• We offer digital and smart solutions to modern day development challenges. Our managed services simplify the management of ICT, making businesses more productive and relevant. We offer ICT training to learning institutions, small and medium business enterprises (SMEs), Local Government agencies and organized rural community groups.
• We procure electronic gadgets (tablets, laptops, projectors and smartboards) in bulk on behalf of clients. We take advantage of economies of scale to make these gadgets relatively affordable to our clients.
• We design and develop websites and web portals, Apps and databases for our clients.

How we market what we do

• More often we get referrals from the clients we have served. These recommend us to other clients and it has prompted us deliver our services at our best without comprise. We have put in place quality control measures to ensure no room for lip service. We take time to understand the client’s needs and offer solutions tailored to address such needs.
• We have partnered with several organizations and local government agencies to create awareness of what we do.
• We distribute our brochures and fliers to strategic places with a lot of traffic such as busy shopping centres.
• We are working on intensifying our online presence to create more awareness.

The kind of expenses we incur

Like any other business we incur expenses that come with operations such as, rent, salaries, utilities, travel, equipment etc.

How we profit

         Our services to business entities and agencies are charged at a fee and a profit is factored into that fee. However, when we get donations, we transfer such donations as a charity to the beneficiaries. In the process, we market our services.

• Since the provision of education to citizens is a mandate of government, and with the pilot project largely in public schools, more revenue is expected from Government towards the innovation. After the pilot stage, Government will be approached and encouraged to channel resources such as funds for textbooks and stationary into the innovation as it becomes popular in public schools.
• Private schools that have been approached find the innovation effective and are keen to adopt the technology. We are in the process of partnering private schools with local financial institutions to offer soft loans to schools to procure tablets, laptops, and projectors then parents pay in affordable installments. In this way, private institutions will be in position to afford the innovation.  
• Revenue realized from trainings and workshops conducted in private schools is seen as means to great financial sustainability. Teacher trainings on integrating ICT in the teaching pedagogy is attracting massive demand and this has to a big extent kept us afloat financially.
• Our mobilization team has lined up fundraising campaigns to raise funds that will position us for the scaling phase.
• Building a network of supporters and Collaboration, when and where appropriate will be of priority. 

Being known for quality ICT education programs, we have been given opportunity to offer teachers’ trainings in integrating ICT in the teaching pedagogy in a number of private schools. The revenue generated from theses trainings has helped to keep us afloat where donor funding and sponsorships have been low.

We have also realized revenue from NGOs and government agencies through consultancy services, developing databases and offering Digital Security trainings. We have also obtained sponsorships and donations from corporate companies. Laptops and tablets were sponsored for this pilot project by telecom and beverage companies. This sponsorship is valued at $74,230.