Coronavirus related school closures have affected 90% of the world’s student population. EduTech solutions can support educational outcomes for children and Many countries’ COVID-19 Digital Response includes some form of educational technology.
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Yet the evidence base on what is showing promise, for whom, and under what circumstances is limited. Researchers have an opportunity to strengthen knowledge and evidence on what ICT4Edu programs work as governments and organisations mobilise to provide education to children and youth. Together, we can inform and advocate for effective responses to educational disruptions.
£50,000 for COVID-19 EduTech Research
EdTech Hub call for proposals will fund research projects for 3-6 months that are related to COVID-19 response and recovery using educational technology.
Applicants can ask for grant funding between 10,000 GBP and 50,000 GBP for empirically-based research in Bangladesh, Ghana, Kenya, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, or Tanzania, that focuses:
- Systems Technology to strengthen education system governance, data management and accountability.
- Teacher Technology to improve the professional development, retention and attendance of teachers.
- Learner Technology for the diverse needs of girls, learners with disabilities, out of school children, refugees and internally displaced learners.
The selected research projects will investigate the practical application of EduTech, generate primary research, and develop recommendations during pandemic response, recovery, and beyond.
Apply Now: Deadline is November 27, 2020
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This is very good opportunity to apply this grants for empowering education in Africa.
Can I apply for this fund – am I eligible in Somalia?
James, please re-read the post. EdTech Lab has a focus on projects undertaken in Bangladesh, Ghana, Kenya, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, and Tanzania. Somalia is not on their list.
Thank you so much for sharing with us these opportunities in ICT works. The experience that I would like to share is about the impact of coronavirus on education at my university in D R Congo. In this part of the world, very few students own a laptop.
During the last COVID-19 lock the university decided to shift to e-learning. Many students were completely disturbed by not having a computer to use. As the university intends to keep both learning approaches, it is clear that the need of laptops by students becomes very high.
However, even before the COVID-19 pandemic we were already concerned by this problem, and me as the Dean of the Faculty of Sciences where we train informaticians, I had already initiated a small project of 60 laptops, funded by a Chartered NGO in Belgium, to be sold to students as a loan. This worked very well and the demand is very high.
Now I am looking for an assistant to sustain this initiative and expand it to other faculties. If you know a way or another that can help me to upgrade the initiative, please let me know.
Fabrice Muvundja, Dean of the Faculty of Sciences
Catholic University of Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo
Thank you so much for sharing with us these opportunities in edu-works. The experience that I would like to share is about the impact of coronavirus on education at my university in kenya. In my university, very few people come from urban areas.90% of the students come from rural areas.These rural areas most of them lack source of power i.e electricity and this has impacted yhere lives negatively in such a way that they are unable to access zoom classes (online) .This has made some of them to defer there education untill the end of the corona virus .
The experience that I would like to share is about the impact of coronavirus on education at my university in kenya. In my university, very few people come from urban areas.90% of the students come from rural areas.These rural areas most of them lack source of power i.e electricity and this has impacted yhere lives negatively in such a way that they are unable to access zoom classes (online) .This has made some of them to defer there education untill the end of the corona virus .
In Kenya, an icrease in covid-19 case has led to the closure of educational institutions. As a matter of fact, this led to this institutions offering students learningaterials through online classes. It is an obvious known fact that unequal access to educational resource by learners pauses a serious challenge to vulnerable groups. Ministry of Education Sector Disaster Management Policy drafted in 2017 and launched in 2018 asserts that, diverse types of disasters hit the country from time to time. Consequently, need for Education Emergency interventions to be designed to respond to the diverse and unique needs of the affected communities where learners reside. Unfortunately this has not been realized (MoE Disaster Management Policy, 2018). Further the Kenyan Ministry of Education through its Sessional Paper of 2018 on Reforming Education and Training for Sustainable Development acknowledges that the unequal access to educational resources especially digital by the marginalized learners is critical. To this end, I propose the following policy guidelines for adoption which has not been realized to address education digital challenges for the marginalized and
vulnerable groups of learners:
i) Utilization of ICTs to upsurge access to quality education for the vulnerable and marginalized and learners.
(ii) Allotment of funds for the delivery of appropriate ICT
infrastructure to address equity, access and quality challenges in education for the vulnerable and marginalized leaners.
(iii) Utilization of ICTs to stimulate alternate modes of delivery (satellite, computers, radio, television and mobile
phones) to reach the vulnerable and marginalized learners.
(iv) Upsurge affordability of ICT infrastructure through discussions with the providers for cheap rates for education institutions
One of the chief impact of COVID-19 to students at Kabarak University is absence of physical contact with lecturers for content delivery. This has been occasioned by Ministry of Health’s regulations of social distancing to avoid fast spread of the virus. This has been momentarily substituted with digital learning.
However inaccessibility of technology or quick, dependable internet access has barred learners in rural regions and underprivileged families. Lack of access to technology or sound internet connectivity is a hurdle to continuous learning, particularly for learmers from underprivileged families.
In reaction to institutional closures instigated by COVID-19, UNESCO recommended the utilization of distance learning platforms and open education applications and any other platforms that institutions and instructors can utilize to get in touch with students distantly and minimize the interruption of learning.
Now that I’ve subscribed for the EduTech Research Grants and I’ve already submitted three reports, how do i get to access the grants?
Once you apply for the grants, you should look for communications from the donor. They will tell you the statuis of your application and what funding they might offer you.