Blended learning models have continued to gain traction in Africa, more so after the COVID-19 pandemic. However, while the adoption of these models shows promising prospects, continuously reviewing the progress in implementation is a crucial part of the roll out process.

The November edition of the Mastercard Foundation’s EdTech Mondays sought to explore the monitoring and evaluation of blended learning models. The questions on how to measure the success of these models, who should own the process, and if Africa’s educational landscape is well-equipped for the fast-changing ICT and digital trends were discussed at length.

To begin with, the continent still faces challenges in internet coverage. Those living in rural and remote areas often have to contend with difficulties in accessing technology-enabled learning. According to Shem Bodo, Senior Programs Officer at the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), more must be done in preparedness and driving resilience of technology-enabled learning models.

“There are definitely challenges especially with learners who are either in vulnerable situations, hard-to-reach areas or from families with low socioeconomic status. While on one hand there has been some success in accessing blended learning models, on the other hand, there are still learners without inclusive access to tech-enabled learning,” said Bodo, who featured in the November edition of the EdTech Mondays.

A recent study commissioned by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and the African Development Bank (AfDB), and supported by the Mastercard Foundation, showed that many African countries are at different levels in using ICT in education. This includes their policy and legal environment, curriculum reforms, teacher training, continuing professional development, as well as ICT expenditure levels.

“While there are areas in which there is some progress mostly initiated by learners themselves, in other regions the infrastructure is outdated, the cost of accessing devices is prohibitive, teacher preparation is lacking, and there are hardly any policies specific to ICT integration in learning,” added Bodo.

The findings from this study revealed that for ICT in education to be inclusive and accessible beyond the privileged few, there is an urgent need to address electrification and infrastructure issues in countries such as South Sudan, Chad, and Niger. Apart from Tunisia and Mauritius, all other countries in the study needed to pursue electrification efforts to reach the 100 percent target.

But there is some development, said Prof. Charles Ong’ondo, Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD). He shared that in Kenya, for instance, the country is at 40 percent in the integration of technology in teaching and learning within basic education. The country has largely improved its infrastructure, trained more personnel, and continued to digitize educational content.

“In two or three years, blended learning could grow to 100 percent in Kenya. Whilst there may be other challenges to address, improving internet and electricity connectivity in the country is imperative. There should also be sustained efforts in training more teaching personnel,” Prof. Ong’ondo added.

Dr. Zelalem Assefa, CEO for ICT and Digital Education at the Ministry of Education in Ethiopia, shared Prof. Ong’ondo’s sentiments, and added that Ethiopia is equally doing more to invest in the development of blended learning models.

He further said that the Ethiopian government is continually investing in universities and boarding schools that provide more access to blended learning and empower teachers through continuous professional development programs. Dr. Assefa however believes that there is still more to be improved.

Bella Rwigamba, Chief Digital Officer for the Ministry of Education in Rwanda, shared these views, adding that educators are crucial for the introduction and implementation of tech-enabled pedagogical models, whether EdTech or blended learning.

“Training teachers is important in enhancing their competency and digital skills. This helps them to fully integrate technology in their teaching routines,” she said. “We have been doing this in different ways. We train them when they are already teaching, and when they are still in colleges; where they have courses on digital skills and how to deploy tech in teaching.”

The panelists also emphasized the importance of data-based monitoring and evaluation of blended learning model to ensure accurate analysis of the progress made. Such data would inform future decisions on its further development.

“Data is important in any such initiatives,” Dr. Assefa said. “Timely and accurate data is key in monitoring and evaluating progress that has been made in adopting blended learning models across Africa.”

In Ethiopia, the Higher Education Management Information System (HEMIS), and Kenya’s National Education Management Information System (NEMIS), have been instrumental in providing the relevant data and information on the progress of the learning model.

“We have to agree that we are in the 4th Industrial Revolution, and tech competency is a requirement. In Kenya, we are in the process of reforming our curriculum towards a more competency-based system,” Prof. Ongondo added. “KICD, therefore, monitors and evaluates the uptake of blended learning models to inform future decisions in developing the curriculum.”

Ethiopia is also doing as much to actualize tech-enabled learning in its schools’ curriculums, according to Dr. Assefa.

For Rwanda, Rwigamba shared that the country is putting in the efforts to boost the uptake of blended learning models by addressing key challenges particularly connectivity and electricity provision in schools, through different governmental departments and private sector partnerships. By 2024, the country intends to have all schools covered with either grid electricity supply or solar energy.

“For internet connectivity, in urban areas there is either fiber or 4G. In rural areas where these may not be available, we intend to use satellite,” she said. “There’s an ongoing partnership with Starlink which has about 50 schools connected through its services. But devices remain a big challenge. They are expensive and yet to be bought on a recurrent basis.”

Nonetheless, to ensure the success of blended learning models now, and in the coming years, the panelists in the November Edition of EdTech Mondays offered a raft of measures.

It was noted that participation and commitment of the leadership in African countries is important. Political goodwill was identified as vital in supporting the development of policies on technology-enabled learning. Such policies help to create favorable environments for investors in ICT resources, empower more educators, and implement development of the relevant infrastructures.

African countries also need to develop curricula that are adaptable for the future, and have the capability to adopt these curricula fast enough. Also, technology needs to be fully embedded in these curricula, while teacher training remains imperative.

A case in point, Rwigamba discussed Rwanda’s efforts in developing a new EdTech policy that plans to be launched in 2024 through the input of the relevant stakeholders. “For Kenya’s case, relevant departments and ministries in ICT, Education, and even Interior, need to work together to actualize EdTech,” Prof. Ongondo implied.

The same can be said of Ethiopia, where collaborations between the government and investors in the EdTech sector need to be encouraged to streamline tech-enabled learning models, alongside traditional pedagogies.

To get the right outcomes, according to the panelists, it is necessary to ensure that no child is left behind in accessing technology-enabled education.