Computer Access Mentorship Program
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Technical Assistance Consultant’s Report Project Number: 43915 April 2013 Republic of the Philippines: Computer Access Mentorship Program — a Public–Private Partnership for Enhancing Education Quality (Financed by the Republic of Korea e-Asia and Knowledge Partnership Fund) Prepared by Sa Aklat Sisikat Foundation, Inc. Manila, Philippines TA 7513-PHI: Computer Access Mentorship Program — a Public–Private Partnership for Enhancing Education Quality A. Introduction The Asian Development (ADB) approved on 12 April 2010 the provision of capacity development technical assistance (the Technical Assistance), through a partnership agreement between ADB and Sa Aklat Sisikat Foundation, Inc. (SAS), in collaboration with the Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP) and the Department of Education (DepEd). A memorandum of agreement (MOA) was signed among SAS, BSP and DepEd on 11 January 2010 to formalize the collaboration for this project. The Letter of Agreement between ADB and SAS was signed on 11 August 2010. SAS is a registered nongovernment organization, involved in upgrading the skills of public elementary teachers in the teaching of reading since 1999. To reach larger numbers of teachers, dispersed over a wide geographic area, and in response to the urgent need for functional literacy, the Computer Access Mentorship Program (CAMP) pilot project aims to develop and provide ready access to an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) based training program to improve the quality of teaching reading online. The program was an extension of the current SAS program, which currently improves reading skills only through the face-to-face training of teachers. At its heart, CAMP is a pilot online training software directed towards educating 9,000 public elementary school teachers in the latest and most progressive methods of teaching reading for meaning in their classrooms. The pilot was implemented over the course of three consecutive years (2010-2013). B. Utilization of Funds A total of $500,000 was allocated for the implementation of the pilot. The entire amount was disbursed to SAS through milestone payments as stipulated in the Letter of Agreement. Table 1 summarizes utilization of funds. Table 1. Original Allocation and Actual Expenditure Expenditure Items Allocation % Actual % Consultants 136,458.00 27% 142,467.18 28% Equipment 135,417.00 27% 128,156.90 25% Online Training/Workshops/Seminars 160,417.00 32% 165,598.62 33% Other Project Expenses 67,708.00 14% 69,671.02 14% Total Project Expenses 500,000.00 505,893.71 C. Project Implementation CAMP Sites. The establishment of 50 CAMP sites was envisioned to be implemented in three phases. The first phase would establish 15 CAMP sites, Phase 2 would establish another 15 sites and the remaining 20 CAMP sites would be established in Mindanao during Phase 3. In February 2011, a minor change in scope was approved reducing the target number of CAMP sites from 50 to 25 due to inadequate capacity of the 50 donated computers and depreciation of the dollar against the peso. Additionally, instead of 150 computers, only 75 were purchased for the CAMP sites. The number of target teachers to be trained remained unchanged. A baseline survey was conducted in August 2011 which covered 500 individual interviews In 481 schools, across all 17 municipalities in NCR. In each of the sampled schools, 5 teachers were selected at random to participate. The results of the baseline survey are in Appendix 1. Survey results of the Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Public Elementary School Teachers in the National Capital Region is also in Appendix 1. In April 2012, a change in the distribution of sites in Visayas and Mindanao as shown in Table 2 below was approved due to: (i) accessibility and sustainability (ii) security; and (iii) reliability of internet connectivity. Table 2. Distribution of CAMP Sites Area No. of CAMP Revised No. of sites CAMP sites Luzon 30 15 Visayas 10 6 Mindanao 10 4 Total 50 25 SAS did not experience any major delays in TA implementation. In fact, because the project ran ahead of schedule in Year Two, the project trained more teachers and built and additional CAMP site through a private partnership (26 CAMP sites In total) – more than the originally committed number in the three-year implementation period. In Phase 3, the team did not experience problems or issues affecting implementation, despite an original concern regarding the selection of CAMP Sites in Mindanao. Some of the problems encountered in the Mindanao Council Offices were: (i) difficult access (inhibiting computer maintenance); (ii) inability to provide Site security (computer theft); and (iii) unreliable electricity and Internet connectivity. All deliverables for Year 3, based on the February 2011 approved change of scope, have been met successfully. Below are the Core/Key Activities/Milestones for Year 3. By the end of Month 31 Completed Setup of 20 CAMP Sites (Phase 3) (by month 30) Training of Master Trainers by software developer Training of CAMP Custodians by hardware supplier Conducted User training Programs for Phase 3 (by month 30) Phases 1 & 2 on full production mode - i.e., Go 'Live' (by Month 24) Phase 3 on full production mode - i.e., Go 'Live' (by Month 31) Final Report The list of CAMP Sites, CAMP Online Registration statistics, list of CAMP participants/participating schools, training schedule and hardware inventory are in Appendices 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. Project Management. A project implementation unit was established, consisting a Project Manager and project assistant, to oversee day-to-day implementation, including procurement, disbursement, reporting and information collection. A project steering committee consisting of representatives from the DepEd Teacher Training Department, SAS, partner educational institutions and BSP was established to provide overall guidance and ensure linkages to national planning and policy dialogues. The Committee met annually (6 December 2010, 28 November 2011 and 30 November 2012). Four individual consultants were engaged: (i) e-Learning Specialist, (ii) Instructional Developer, (iii) ICT Developer, and (iv) Reading Specialist. D. Monitoring and Evaluation SAS submitted to ADB quarterly and annual reports. A review mission and a site visit were conducted by ADB on 15 April 2011 and 23 January 2012, respectively. A review exercise was also conducted by SAS in Year 3. At project end, key assumptions and risks for CAMP have stayed the same. The following are the impact, outcome, and outputs: Impact Status/Remarks As of project close on April 30, 2013, CAMP had 9,110 Improved learning outcomes, especially in registered participants. By engaging private individuals, reading, among students in schools the TA built a 26th CAMP Site in Cavite. covered by the project sites. Outcome A replicable and sustainable ICT-based The software for CAMP is fully developed and online. It system that improves the teaching of consists of an introduction plus four modules whose focus reading. is to teach reading for meaning. Outputs Through the 26 CAMP Sites, elementary teachers will experience increased access to on-line in-service training. Output 1. Increased access to online in- At a meeting on April 18, 2012, the DepEd committed to service training opportunities in reading for post CAMP on its online Learning Resource Management elementary teachers. Development System (LRMDS) portal and official website – thereby increasing the reach of the program to public school teachers nationwide. Output 2. Training modules and materials SAS has developed the curriculum in coordination with its developed for online strengthening of Reading Specialists and Master Trainers. teaching skills in reading. The program consists of both videos and text, and Output 3. Improved teacher competencies includes numerous student-centered activities to teach in using a student-centered approach to reading for meaning. the teaching of reading. TNS Philippines, a local media research company, has Output 4. Monitoring and evaluation successfully completed a Baseline and Post- system established. Implementation Survey of the CAMP project. The online program itself also has a monitoring system, as well as a rating system, which will evaluate the teachers internally. A program evaluation survey/impact assessment was conducted. The results of the survey are in Appendix 7. The report also includes insights from the project and recommendations for program development. Appendix 1 Baseline Knowledge, Aptitude and Practices Survey Results A Baseline Survey on the Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Public Elementary School Teachers in NCR (Project Deucalion) JC1100332 August 2011 Client Contacts: MS. CLARISSA DELGADO MR. WILLIAM SIDAYON TNS Consultants: JOEL FLORES ABIGAIL SAMONTE 1 MA. CRISTINA DELORINO Table of Contents Page Overview of the Survey 3 General Profile of Teachers 9 Attitudes Toward Teaching 17 Attitudes Toward Reading 24 Attitudes Toward Teaching Reading 29 Teaching Methods and Practices Segmentation 32 Learning Materials 34 Teaching Methods 37 Current Practices on Teaching Reading 39 Segmentation of Teachers 44 On-Line Practices and Digital Lifestyle 52 On-Line Practices and Behavior 53 Digital Lifestyle Segmentation 58 Summary and Recommendations 71 2 Overview of the Survey 3 Research Context What brought about the project? Sa Aklat Sisikat Foundation is “a non-profit professional Philippine organization that promotes the love and habit of reading in Filipino children.” They work with public schools all over the Philippines to provide resources and encourage students to make reading part of their lives. As part of their vision to build a nation of readers, Sa Aklat Sisikat Foundation have designed the Computer Access Mentorship Program (CAMP). It is an online certificate course intended for our educators, which focuses on teaching reading for meaning. Before launching the program, Sa Aklat Sisikat Foundation asked the help of TNS Philippines to conduct a baseline study and gather initial information on the current online practices and attitudes towards reading of public elementary school teachers. The results of the survey shall be used by the organization in optimizing the design of the online course.