MobileActive08 presentation: Scaling Mobile Projects - BridgeIT

Increasing the Quality of Education Through the Innovative Use of Technology MobileActive Conference Johannesburg, October 14 th , 2008

ICT for Development

UN Millennium Development Goal 8, Target 18

“ In cooperation with the private sector, make available the benefits of new technologies--especially information and communications technologies”

What is Bridge it ?

A project in the Philippines and Tanzania that provides teachers access to a broad variety of digital video content in math, science, English and life skills in their classrooms ‘ on-demand ’ by sending an SMS message through a cell phone, which activates digital files to be delivered either to a DVR or mobile phone and then viewed on a television .

Project Impact

Philippines

938 schools

1,241 primary school teachers

357,000 rural and urban students

Tanzania

200 schools

1,000 primary school teachers

10,000 rural and urban students (with at least 50% girls)

Project Vision

A sustainable contribution to bridging the digital divide by complementing the local curriculum with high quality educational content delivered through a high-speed digital connection and integrated teacher training

Project Goal

To significantly increase the educational quality and achievement among boys and girls in primary schools in math, science, and life skills through the innovative use of cell phone and digital technology

The Partners Educational multimedia content. Curriculum integration. Teacher training. Project leader. Project design, monitoring, evaluation. Local project coordination. Local content development. Life skills content development. Grant management. Technical infrastructure. Software application development. Business model. Pilot funder. Project funder Ministry of Education: ICT & education framework. Curriculum integration. Local content adaptation. Training.

Key Objectives

To work with the Ministry/Department of Education and others to launch Bridge IT and integrate it into the education system, at low cost, in order to reach the greatest number of children and teachers possible;

To improve teacher performance in Bridge it classrooms, as determined by changes in the quality of interaction and teaching in the classroom; and

To increase learning gains and knowledge retention among upper primary students in math, science, English and life skills in Bridge it classrooms, with a particular emphasis on girls.

The Technology