Download - Siyavula Open Ed 2009
Siyavula: Supporting Teacher Communities For Curriculum-Aligned OER in South Africa
OpenEd Conference 2009Mark Horner, Shuttleworth FoundationJoel Thierstein, ConnexionsKathi Fletcher, ConnexionsCynthia Jimes, Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education
Siyavula:
The Importance of Community
Community in education is highly valued:
Siyavula
Online open learning materials
Curriculum framework
online repository
accessible
online tools
curriculum framework
experts
Community development community tools
support
expanded sharing
Bringing Educators Together
Siyavula will transform teaching...
Bootstrapping Development
Siyavula has critical mass on content ...
75% of grades covered
text-based material, ready for print
curriculum-aligned
community enabled
ICS MaterialLeapfrog development 2 years!
SoftwareOnly the Connexions platform satisfies our primary needs:
ICS Material
SoftwareOnly the Connexions platform satisfies our primary needs:
Software
Closed Loop
Communities share, create, use and improve:
Development Partnership
Features for communities of teachers
• Ratings
• Forums on lenses and workgroups
• Curriculum alignment lenses
• Open lenses
Ratings
Forums on Lenses
Forums on Lenses
Curriculum Alignment Lens
OpenEd Conference 2009Cynthia Jimes, Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education ISKME:
Research to Support Teacher Communities For Curriculum-Aligned OER in South Africa
• What are teachers’ current curriculum and curriculum development needs?
• What challenges and opportunities exist for implementing Siyalula in the South African classroom?
Research Questions (First Phase)
Methodology
• School Site Visits
• Teacher and Administrator Interviews
• Workshop Observations (those piloted at SciFest)
• Baseline Teacher Survey
Key Findings
• Teachers face concrete challenges around curriculum, pointing to the need for OER and Siyavula
• Cultural, technological and structural barriers exist to implementation; however,
• Teachers currently practicing offline ‘OER behaviors’ (sharing, reusing, remixing, collaborating), that can be leveraged
• 42% - rural schools
• 38% - urban • 20% - semi urban
Classroom Context
• 37% - computer lab at school
• 32% - Internet at school
• 80% - desks for all learners
• 57% - textbooks for all learnersN=164
Evidence of Need for Siyavula
68%
47%
43%
40%
32%
Not having the curriculum materials needed
Knowing if the materials are of high quality/good
Knowing if the materials meet curriculum requirements
Knowing which materials to choose
Knowing how to use materials in the classroom
We need easy to use materials that meet the standards of
the district and that are easy to adapt. And having
material that the learners understand easily. -
Teacher Survey Participant
“
”
N=192
Teachers reported the following curriculum challenges
N=198
I make use of a lot of 3-D apparatus, which I either
bought or made myself to assist learners in
mastering a concept (numeracy). - Teacher Survey Participant
Evidence of ‘OER Behaviors’ in Place
91%
73%
70%
50%
47%
Teachers reported using the following types of materials in the classroom
Newspapers, magazines or journals
Materials created by other teachers
Information/materials found on the Internet
Textbooks recommended by the Dept. of Education
“
”
Materials I created myself
N=190
The benefits [of working collaboratively with other
teachers] are that one can see the strengths and
weaknesses of ones own work and colleagues can give
constructive suggestions.
- Teacher Survey Participant
Evidence of ‘OER Behaviors’ in Place
74%
72%
38%
31%
28%
Teachers reported the following curriculum development activities
Shared materials I have with other teachers
Created materials in collaboration with others
Provided feedback to teachers on their materials
Received feedback on materials I created
Discussed materials informally with colleagues
“
”
Observations of a teacher “swap and share” group at one
South African school revealed how teachers meet to share
hard copies of science exams and exercises, and discuss
ways to combine the new materials with their own
Evidence of ‘OER Behaviors’ in Place
83%
65%
22%
Teachers
reported
the
following
use and
reuse
activities
I combine materials with other types of materials
I edit or modify materials to meet my needs
I use materials ‘as is’
N=195
Potential Barriers• Technology access - Only 32% have Internet at school (teacher survey)
• Technology skills - 20% do not know what email is (teacher survey)
• Culture - Teachers may face resistance to becoming authorities on content (interviews)
• Culture - Some teachers may not see the value of technology (school site observations; interviews)
Implications for Siyavula• Leverage already existing communities of teachers working collaboratively
• Further support teachers’ existing use, reuse, remix and sharing behaviors
• Support workarounds for teachers without access to computers and the internet
• Integrate discussions of cultural barriers and basic technology skills training into teacher workshops
Cynthia [email protected]
Mark Horner [email protected]
Joel Thierstein & Kathi [email protected]@rice.edu