Mobile solution for better reading instruction in rural Africa

Abstract

GraphoGame Teacher Training Service is a mobile-based solution for providing teachers with scientifically validated pedagogical training in literacy instruction. In many African countries teachers currently have insufficient knowledge to teach literacy in local languages and learning materials are scarce, especially for children with learning difficulties. As part of the GraphoWorld network, CAPOLSA/University of Zambia is developing new mobile-based method for providing in-service training for teachers in literacy instruction and assisting children with learning difficulties. GraphoGame Teacher Training Service was piloted in October 2014 in rural Zambia. An orientative workshop was given to 24 teachers who learned about literacy instruction methodology and then organized a GraphoGame intervention to randomly selected 2 nd grade children either at home or in a school environment. Parents of the children in the home intervention group were also encouraged to play GraphoGame. GraphoGame learning analytics shows that both the children and their parents improved their word reading skills. Children who played GraphoGame performed better than their non-playing classmates in the EGRA letter-sound knowledge test at the end of the intervention. Teachers, parents and children were all motivated to use ICT-based literacy learning tools and their literacy skills levels show high demand for support services for literacy instruction.Literacy Framework which gives detailed guidance on how literacy teaching should be implemented in primary schools based on a program called Primary Literacy Program (PLP) that uses a phonics-based approach for teaching reading. While these new advancements will be included in the college of education curriculum for student teachers, there are still thousands of teachers across Zambia who have had few chances of participating in literacy instruction trainings With the mobile technology, it is now possible to disseminate information on science-based literacy instruction methods in a quick and cost-effective way. Mobile technology allows teachers to self-study materials, which decreases the time spent in workshop trainings.GraphoGame has been developed for providing learning support for children with reading difficulties [3]. For this purpose its effectiveness has been studied in four African countries (Zambia [4], Namibia [5], Kenya [6] and Tanzania [7]). Our previous research focus in Zambia has been the decoding skill [4] and how to help teachers [8] and parents [9] to support children in the very early stages of learning to read . In Kenya, GraphoGame is available in Kikuyu and Kiswahili and children's letter-sound knowledge, word recognition and spelling improved after a minimum exposure of 3 hours [6]. Kiswahili GraphoGameversion is also being studied in Tanzania at Sebastian Kolowa University with promising results [7]. In Namibia GraphoGame was translated into Afrikaans and programmed to follow the literacy curriculum in grades 1 and 2. In the first validation study in 2013, 83 first grade l...

GraphoGame – a catalyst for multi-level promotion of literacy in diverse contexts

“…In September–October 2014, CAPOLSA included a teacher-orientation component in the design of the latest GG field test in rural areas ( Ojanen et al, 2015 ) and conducted a pilot study on a mobile phone-based teacher training program. This involved training the teachers about the new phonics-based curriculum and providing them with GG and related video materials for 5 weeks.…”

“…In 2012, 76% of Zambians used mobile phone and 13.5% used internet ( UNICEF, 2013a ). Since the role of family involvement in urban Lusaka is already known, a new study ( Ojanen et al, 2015 ) was conducted in October 2014 in rural Zambia where most parents have little or no formal education or no child-friendly reading materials at home. The aim of this study was to explore whether GG made available by lending a smart phone to Grade 2 children could also engage parents and other family members in literacy activities and improve their literacy skills.…”

Supporting Acquisition of Spelling Skills in Different Orthographies Using an Empirically Validated Digital Learning Environment

“…The GL system, tailored to the specific language, provides basic phonics instruction in a very concrete, consistent, and effective way using widely available, inexpensive mobile phones [e.g., Jere-Folotiya et al, 2014 ; see for a review of our related African studies, Ojanen et al ( 2015a , b ) and Lyytinen et al ( 2019a , b )]. This program is most advantageous when children use the GL game at the same time as their teachers are teaching effective phonics instruction in their native language using the program (Jere-Folotiya et al, 2014 ).…”

“…When a child fails to store letter names under such conditions in preschool, s/he often face problems in learning to read (e.g., Lyytinen et al, 2015a ). Ojanen et al ( 2015a , b ) and Lyytinen et al ( 2019a , b ) provide summaries of the results of African studies associated with the use of the GL technology. Following the validation of the program, the technology is now made available asGraphoGame (GG, see graphogame.com).…”

“…Because of the difficulties these Zambian children are experiencing, the GL-based research in Zambia has become a priority and a large number of studies have supported the program for instruction [see a review of the results, see Ojanen et al ( 2015a , b ) and Lyytinen et al ( 2019a , b )]. Because of the difficulty these children are experiencing, we are moving as fast as possible from research to the distribution of the GraphoGame learning environment for which we have given rights to the Grapho Group Ltd company.…”