Siyavula Open Ed 2009

Siyavula: Supporting Teacher Communities For Curriculum-Aligned OER in South Africa OpenEd Conference 2009 Mark Horner, Shuttleworth Foundation Joel Thierstein, Connexions Kathi Fletcher, Connexions Cynthia Jimes, Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education Siyavula:

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Siyavula
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Bringing Educators Together Siyavula will transform teaching...

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text-based material, ready for print
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Siyavula has critical mass on content ... ICS Material Leapfrog development 2 years!

Software Only the Connexions platform satisfies our primary needs: ICS Material

Software Only the Connexions platform satisfies our primary needs:

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Development Partnership
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Curriculum Alignment Lens

OpenEd Conference 2009 Cynthia 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 learners
N=164

Evidence of Need for Siyavula 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 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 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 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 Jimes [email_address] Mark Horner mark.horner@shuttleworthfoundation.org Joel Thierstein & Kathi Fletcher [email_address] [email_address]

Siyavula Open Ed 2009

by ISKME on Aug 24, 2009

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Siyavula Open Ed 2009 — Presentation Transcript