Accra, Oct 08, GNA – Emerging technology is constantly affecting every aspect of life, especially human communication.
Indeed, technology has become an integral and integral part of daily life to the extent that all sectors of the economy, including finance, banking, insurance, health, agriculture, tourism and hospitality, among others, rely on one or other form of technology. thrive.
Despite the infusion of technology into every sector of the economy, perhaps one sector showing an increasing infusion of technology is education. The application of technology in education is on the rise and its impact on teaching and learning in schools cannot be overemphasized.
Although the application of technology in education has a long history with countries around the world achieving different levels of infusion over the years, perhaps a watershed moment, on a global scale, that created major actions for the application of technology in the provision of educational services . emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The emergence and spread of the virus has led to a variety of measures, including partial and total lockdown orders, to limit its spread. In Ghana, one of the first measures taken to contain the spread of COVID-19 was the closure of schools across the country through a speech in which the President of the Republic ordered the immediate closure of all public and private schools in the country. Ghana.
With school closures, the government, the private sector, civil society organizations, technology companies, academic and research institutions, had to find alternative but innovative ways to ensure that the provision of educational services was not curtailed.
The importance of technology in education
In a globalized world economy, the importance of technology in education cannot be overemphasized. Technology gives students access to countless online resources, encouraging them to conduct research and therefore become more independent in their studies. Technology also simplifies learning by making concepts more digestible, for example through a video tutorial.
It is also important to recognize that there are different learning styles and that traditional training methods may not cover them all. Additionally, some people don’t thrive in classroom environments, and so access to technology-enabled online courses allows them to study virtually and gain qualifications they otherwise wouldn’t be able to.
When it comes to teaching, technology is used to teach in a different way, whether through online learning or simply by showing a video in a classroom. Teaching is now more than a lecturer in front of a blackboard and technology is an integral part of its development. Today, information communication technologies allow teachers to deliver lessons, give students an online quiz, and provide them with instant feedback. Technology also contributes to the quality of content delivered, as the Internet enables teachers to do basic research on topics before engaging with students.
Relatedly, during the COVID-19 school closures, for example, many public and private pre-school and post-secondary institutions continued to provide education to their students using a variety of information communication technologies. Lectures were delivered online and students took and submitted exams online. In fact, even though schools were closed, technology ensured that the provision of education was not curtailed.
Harnessing technology for education – CAMFED’s contribution
CAMFED Ghana continues to implement education and empowerment programs for school children and young women as a means of supporting them to find a way out of poverty for themselves and their families. The focus was on addressing the unique challenges faced by girls and young women from marginalized rural backgrounds.
As a technology-based organization and recognizing the central role that technology plays in teaching and learning, and in education as a whole, CAMFED has over the years implemented a number of education technology interventions. Through initiatives such as the Mobile Learning Lab (MLL) Project, CAMFED provides access to high-quality educational content to under-resourced rural schools.
As part of the MLL project, Rachel Plus devices (offline content servers that deliver curriculum-based material over Wi-Fi), along with tablets and sound bars, enable students to engage with digital content even in areas with limited connectivity. In 2023, this initiative provided approximately 2,500 girls with access to technology, significantly improving their understanding of STEM subjects and enhancing their proficiency in using digital tools.
As a result, there was an increase in student participation, improved academic performance and the formation of peer learning groups. After 12 months, these technology assets have been delivered to the schools, allowing them to self-manage and sustain the impact of the interventions.
CAMFED also provides key technology – content, devices and infrastructure – to central hubs to ensure that young women in rural areas have immediate access to tools and content that increase their chances of participating in the digital economy as a poverty reduction strategy . In addition, through strategic partnerships with like-minded organizations such as CENDLOS and TECHAiDE, CAMFED ensures that its interventions are aligned with industry standards.
These partnerships also offer access to additional resources that CAMFED may not otherwise have. For example, CAMFED’s partnership with CENDLOS gave CAMFED clients access to curriculum-aligned content to be used in schools. In addition, CAMFED’s recent partnership with TECHAiDE will provide approximately 700 students in the Central Region with access to educational technology to improve educational outcomes in Middle Schools.
Another technology intervention is through direct IT improvement programs where CAMFED provides IT training for young women and adults. These capacity building programs are supported through central locations equipped with IT components such as digital content and devices. In addition, most volunteers have access to mobile technology at area resource centers through a device loan policy.
Through the loan of digital learning tablets, CAMFED Guides gain access to additional content to enhance their engagement with other young women on topics such as financial literacy, sexual reproductive health, business management and leadership.
Young women are harnessing technology to drive change
As a result of technology interventions by CAMFED and their partners, many young women have been empowered to lead change using technology as an enabler. For example, Adelaide Dede Abaidoo, an IT professional with a degree in Computer Science and a member of the CAMFED Association (CAMA), uses her technology skills to improve her community by teaching girls how to use computers.
These hands-on courses give girls the chance to learn about digital tools and computers, enabling them to gain the skills and confidence for a career in IT. By offering this education, it helps bridge the technology gap in rural areas and prepares more young women for future success.
In her mentoring work with CAMFED as a Leaner Guide, Adelaide has also used technology to support her advocacy for women’s education and empowerment. As a Teaching Assistant in the university’s Department of Computer Science and Information Technology, she supports students with their technology education needs.
Similarly, CAMA member Khadija Iddrisu, who is passionate about technology and its application for development, is currently pursuing her PhD having previously obtained a BA in Computer Science from the University for Development Studies and an MA from the African Institute of Mathematics Sciences (AIMS).
Her thesis at AIMS focused on the use of deep learning architectures for brain vessel segmentation. This initiative greatly motivated her to pursue machine learning research as a step to becoming an expert in machine intelligence. In her free time, Khadija used to volunteer at Women in Machine Learning and Data Science organizational team.
In addition, he worked on a team producing machine learning content on Instagram. Khadija also represented Ghana at the 2022 Deep Learning Indaba, during the Africa Research Expo Day. Deep Learning Indaba is the largest machine learning conference in Africa. Because of Khadija’s research, she also attended the Divergent Intelligence Summer Institute for two years at St. Andrews of Scotland.
International Day of the Girl
Adelaide and Khadija’s stories bear ample testimony to the great potential that can be unleashed when young women are supported to study STEM and pursue careers in technology. In celebration of the International Day of the Girl under the theme “Girls’ Vision for the Future”, CAMFED and its partners such as the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Education Service, CENDLOS and TECHAiDE reaffirm their commitment to work collectively to expand the development of technology in education.
They will also work on SDGs 4 and 5, which concern the achievement of quality education and gender equality respectively. Achieving the goals is important to empowering girls and ensuring that around the world, their vision for the future is achieved.
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