Exploring the potential of a mobile computer lab for professional teacher development in a developmental context

Fortunate Gunzo , Lorenzo Dalvit Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa G08g6256@campus.ru.ac.za l.dalvit@ru.ac.za Abstract: This paper discusses the design phase of an intervention involving the integration and use of a mobile computer laboratory in South African schools. We outline a model we have developed as part of an Advanced Certificate in Education (ACE-ICT) course; a professional development course which targets in-service teachers. As part of the practical component of the ACE-ICT course, teachers are required to plan and implement an intervention involving the use of computers in their schools and or classrooms. The model we have developed is an attempt to address some of the problems teachers face in their schools when they try to use computers for teaching and learning. We used a qualitative research approach and collected data using a questionnaire with only open ended questions. With the questionnaire, we gathered in-depth descriptions of some of the challenges teachers faced and suggestions of how they would use the mobile computer lab in their schools. Data was collected from 20 in-service teachers enrolled for the ACE-ICT course at a South African institution. Teachers who came from schools that do not have computers suggested using the mobile computer lab to create basic awareness of how a computer works first for their learners. These teachers acknowledged their role in preparing their learners for the future whereby their learners will encounter the computer in one way or the other. Most teachers proposed using the mobile computer lab for teaching and learning as they regarded these as very important areas in which computers and ICT in general can make some contribution in education. Findings from this design phase of the intervention were useful in highlighting the areas that the mobile computer lab can be used in, in a developing context. Based on these findings, the interventions will now be implemented in the various schools. Keywords: Mobile computer lab, access to ICT, marginalised schools

Introduction
According to the South African White paper on e-Education (2004) every school in the country is expected to be equipped with computers by 2013. All learners and teachers are expected to become competent users of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in the school context. The Advanced Certificate in Education (ACE) in ICT run by our university is designed to equip teachers with the appropriate ICT skills and understanding of ICT use in a school context. The course runs over two years. It accommodates 20 teachers from marginalised schools in townships, farm and rural areas. All contact sessions take place at the university, in the Education Departments computer lab. As part of the course, teachers are required to plan and implement an intervention involving the use of ICT in their school. Although most schools do have ICT infrastructure, this is often haphazard, outdated, poorly maintained (Kabede, 2006). We believe that by using the same, well supported and fully functional mobile computer lab for all interventions we can make the experience more rewarding for teachers and other participants and support meaningful sharing and reflection on the experience within a community of practice. As part of a PhD research project, we intend to involve teachers in the design and implementation phases of an intervention using a mobile computer lab in their schools. The intervention must aim to address specific problems in any area of their professional life through the use of ICT. Issues of physical and epistemological access to ICT by the teachers, their learners and colleagues are of particular

importance. Narratives of all participants are collected and analysed to tease out the story behind each intervention from different points of view. Teachers then present and reflect on their experience in the ACE-ICT class. In this paper, we discuss the design phase, highlighting teachers' ideas about the possible use of the mobile computer lab in their schools.

Context
2.1 Mobile computer labs and netbooks
In this paper we describe the design phase of a computer intervention at schools. We used a group of netbooks to populate a mobile computer lab. A netbook is a 10inch lightweight laptop which has similar functions and specification as those of a standard laptop. The size of the netbook makes it portable (Staplesson, 2010), a very important characteristic for the context within which the mobile computer lab will be used in this study. We are aware that portability of the netbook increases the security risk of theft (Daly, 2005). A netbook also caters for increased productivity because of the long battery life (3-8hours) particularly for areas where electricity is still problematic. The netbook also has built-in wireless network connection for easy access and connection to the internet. In the US where the mobile lab has been implemented in schools (Martin, 2010; Daly, 2005; Manbeck, 2005; The Journal, 2003) a trolley is used to house the machines when they are not in use and recharge or update/install software. In that instance the mobile computer lab becomes mobile because it can be moved from one class to the next by pushing the trolley. In this paper, the mobile computer lab we describe is slightly different from this. Instead of only moving from one class to the next, the lab will move from one school to the next. This is an important and useful feature of the lab in the developing context in which we work.

2.2 Access to ICTs in South Africa schools

In this paper we focus on the physical access to computers. A significant proportion of schools in Eastern Cape Province of South Africa in which this research is conducted still do not have physical access to ICTs. According to the National Education Infrastructure Management System (NEIMS) report, 90% of ordinary schools (not including private/special schools) do not have a computer lab (NEIMS, 2009). It must be noted however that South Africa has one of the most uneven and unequal societies, such that while this province has this backlog there are other provinces that boast of over 90% of their schools having computer labs(NEIMS, 2009). The Eastern Cape Province is one of the poorest provinces in South Africa (Herskovitz, 2010). It still lacks basic infrastructure such as decent classrooms, sanitation, running water, electricity, and furniture. Coupled with this, is the challenge of large classes that make it difficult to share the few available resources (Dalvit et al, 2006). In terms of access to ICT, there are several problems commonly associated with using ICTs in South African schools. According to Farrell and Isaacs (2007) most schools face infrastructure problems such as a lack of decent, secure buildings, no or inconsistent electricity supply, lack of or unaffordable connectivity, lack of access to ICT infrastructure, lack of technical support services, physical security of the computers (Brandt, 2006; Smith, 2005). Lack of qualified or confident teachers to teach learners how to use computers and subsequently use computers in their classrooms is a huge challenge (Dalvit et al, 2006). Therefore the importance of training teachers to teach with ICT cannot be overstated. In some instances the problem of school management acting as a gatekeeper to technology, because of its perceived cost (Brandt, 2006) hinders access to ICT. A mobile computer lab that can be shared by a group of schools could be a solution to the problem of physical access to computers. We do not say this naively, we acknowledge that more research needs to be conducted on the efficacy of mobile computer labs. We argue that this intervention will provide the much needed data based on the experiences of participants.

2.3 Rationale for using ICT in marginalised schools

There are several reasons why marginalised schools in South Africa are receiving attention when it comes to ICT. Since the end of apartheid in 1994, the South African government has been working on delivering an equal education system to all its citizens. Making sure that resources and skills training for teachers and learners in marginalised schools happened was one of the ways of building a balanced education system. Issues of digital divide also became prominent in the discussion surrounding South Africans access to ICT. Provision of ICT in marginalised schools was and still is an endeavour to stop the widening of the gap between those who have access to ICT and those who do not. Marginalised schools are also still faced with most of the challenges that hinder access to computers as discussed above. For instance over 6% (395) of the schools in the Eastern Cape Province are still mud schools (Conway-Smith, 2011). While over 20% (1177) schools in the province do not have electricity supply (NEIMS, 2009). Other challenges marginalised schools face includes language problems. Computers are a domain of the English language and most of the learners in marginalised schools do not have a good command of the English language (Mapi et al, 2007). Another tension is teachers confidence with computers to the extent of knowing when to let children explore and for how long without losing control of the class. We are aware of the potential exploration has for computer skills acquisition in children as indicated in the Hole in Wall project (Dangwal, 2005). These issues provide the bases for continued use of ICT in marginalised schools.

Methodology
We used a qualitative research approach to gather data for this paper. Data collection started from the beginning of the ACE-ICT course. Teachers were asked to write down and submit their expectations of the course. Later, they were asked to fill in a questionnaire that had seven open ended questions. It was from this initial questionnaire that we learnt of the various challenges teachers were faced with in their schools. The challenges which are outlined in the findings section were cited as the reasons teachers found it impossible to undertake one of their assignments- designing and implementing a research project involving the use of computers in their schools. Then we got the idea of using a mobile computer lab. We realised that using a mobile computer lab would provide the same well maintained computers to all teachers and give them an equal opportunity to fully integrate ICT in their schools/classrooms. Since the teachers we were working with had no prior experience using the netbook and a mobile computer lab, we devised a model that would allow them to use the netbooks during the entire design phase which we report on in this paper. We did this so that the teachers would become familiar and comfortable using the netbook before using it for their research projects in their schools/classes. Teachers worked in groups to brainstorm on how the mobile computer lab could enhance teacher experiences within their schools. After this, each teacher had to prepare and make a presentation on what they thought would be the advantages and disadvantages of using the mobile computer lab in their schools. All this was done as a way of preparing the teachers to write an individual proposal of what they thought a mobile computer lab could be used for in their own school. In the proposal, teachers had to outline the context of their school, paying attention to the resources and infrastructure. They also had to articulate exactly what they would do with a mobile computer lab. In this paper we present findings from these proposals. Data was analysed by grouping the responses of the teachers into different themes/categorises. We found that the model we employed for the research was useful and effective. We realised that teachers struggled to use the netbooks at first mainly because of their size. After using it for few times they started to feel confident and comfortable using the netbooks. A challenge that we faced as we undertook this project was the limited number of netbooks-we had 12 netbooks. The 20 teachers had to share these and this sometimes meant that some of them could not finish the work they had to do. We resolved this by identifying teachers who were reasonably comfortable with the netbooks and so worked faster and asked them to use the netbooks first. Also we allocated more time to the work that had to be done on the machines. This was all important as it gave teachers something to think about and consider when they planned their intervention with their learners.

3.1 Profile of the schools

Teachers who participated in this study were from marginalised schools located in townships, farms and rural schools. In the South African context, the term township usually refers to the urban living areas (often underdeveloped) that during the apartheid era were reserved for non-whites i.e. blacks, coloured and working class Indians (Bond, 2008). Townships were usually built on the periphery of towns and cities. On the other hand, farm schools were created as a way of providing cheap labour to farm owners (Wilson, 2002). These schools depended on the farm owner heavily. Today, farm schools still exist, and the government is now involved in the running of such schools (Herskovitz, 2010). Farm schools usually have very low student enrolment and as a result a few teachers who usually teach across grades and subjects. Rural schools have similarities with farm schools both are characterised by underdevelopment and poverty (Herskovitz, 2010). The number of teachers that came from each school is represented in the table below:

Table 1: Research participants

Type of school Township school Rural School Farm School District official Total participants Number of teachers 12 5 2 1 20

Findings
In this section we present findings from the data collected from the questionnaire, narratives of teachers expectations of the course and the proposals they prepared. The following problems were identified from the questionnaire teachers filled at the beginning of the course. Firstly, teachers identified lack of computers. Six (30%) of the teachers came from schools did not have computers. For the teachers that came from schools that had computers 14 (70%), they stated that these were either very few, old or not working properly. Teachers expressed concern over their inability to practice what they would have learnt with their learners in their schools, one said the mobile lab will allow me the chance to go back to my class and plough what I have gained here in the course. Closely linked to this was the problem of limited to no access to computers by learners. Teachers cited problems with infrastructure at their schools. This included decent buildings and telecommunications. Another challenge that teachers spoke about was the large number of learners which they said made it difficult for the teachers to take their learners to the computer lab where facilities are available. One teacher from a township school said there is a computer lab at my school, the only challenge is that it has 25 computers and my class has 45 learners...it is difficult to add more chairs so that the learners can work in pairs. The mobile lab will make it easy since in the class the learners already sit in groups.

4.1 Possible scenarios for using the mobile laboratory in schools

In this section we present the suggestions that were made by the teachers on who should use the mobile computer lab in their schools.

4.1.1 Mobile computer labs for learners

Several reasons were put down for the choice of learners as initial users of the mobile computer lab. Teachers indicated that learner backgrounds and the environment they were in was responsible for many things including de-motivated learners, absenteeism, high dropout and failure rates. The teachers argued that the learners came from homes that were (in some cases) not conducive for learning. One teacher from a rural area said we are experiencing a problem of de-motivated learners...because of the environment they find themselves in. It was the hope of the teachers that the use of the mobile computer lab in their classrooms might interest learners and with time increase learners motivation to learn. We made sure that all the teachers understood that the interventions we were going to make at a later stage were going to be very brief and that we were not going to provide a mobile computer lab for their schools. This was important to ensure that teachers did not think of a permanent mobile computer lab in their school as they prepared for the project. Despite this teachers were optimistic that permanent access to computers could be realised from our initial intervention, once the school management had seen the potential of the mobile computer lab. Thirteen (65%) of the twenty teachers said they suggested learners because they believed that they deserved to be introduced to computers as they would need computer skills to make it in the world despite of their backgrounds. Six (30%) teachers had learners who had never been exposed to computers in a school context but expressed confidence that learners would be able to cope. One teacher from a rural school said, What children lack is not capacity, it is opportunity and resources. While teachers agreed that learners in any grade deserved to have access to computers, there was special mention of learners in the final grade- 12. A teacher said I am mentioning grade 12 because they are going to tertiary institutions next year and most except for Computer and Applications Technology (CAT) students, know nothing about computers. It will be very difficult for them to cope at tertiary level if they dont know how to open a computer. Teachers were unanimous that learners needed to have computer skills. Introduction to computers was one of the main suggestions made for learners in the foundation and intermediate phases-grades 3 to 7. Five (38%) of the thirteen teachers, who suggested learners, said that they wanted to do an introduction to computers. It must be noted that depending on the school the teacher was from and the resources available at the school, basic computer literacy was suggested even for learners up to grade 12. An example was a teacher from a rural school, which did not have a computer. Learners at the school had therefore never used computers within the school context and an introduction to computers for all grades was therefore appropriate. Another five (38%) of the thirteen teachers suggested conducting a computer literacy course with their learners. These were all teachers from schools that had computer facilities and whose learners were in the senior phase (grades 8-12) who had been exposed to computers before. Three (23%) of the thirteen teachers suggested integrating computers into the subjects they were currently teaching. All thirteen teachers suggested that parents and the school management teams (SMTs) needed to be involved and supportive of any computer programs at schools for them to be successful and effective. The teachers stated that they would need the School management teams approval so that they can be granted access to the school outside school hours. This is important given the gatekeeper role that most SMTs play in schools due to the costs associated with computer programs.

4.1.2 Possible challenges working with learners

Teachers noted that working with learners posed several challenges. Firstly the problem of large numbers of learners in classes; one teacher said Large class sizes at our school make it impossible for each and every learner to be admitted to CAT, also it will be difficult for one teacher to employ interactive teaching strategies or gain insight of different problems encountered by the learners. Teachers went ahead to offer possible solutions, for instance a teacher at one township school suggested using the data projector in the class so that his learners can follow from the board I will use a data projector since my learners are 36, I will not be able to show each learner or group what they must do, the data projector will make it easy for me to control what happens in terms of the activity that I

would have given them. However I am aware that children will probably do other things as they like to explore, I will give them the chance to do that once they finish the activity. Teachers also noted that learners come from different backgrounds and their computer knowledge differs based on that. Teachers noted that some learners had access to computers at home while the majority did not. It was their assumption that learners with access to computers would be more comfortable with computers and able to finish their tasks early, while the ones who have no access at home would take much longer to finish their work. As such, trying to work with all learners on one activity would be a challenge. One teacher said One big challenge in using computers is the different backgrounds that the learners are coming from, for an example there are learners that have computers at home. Those pupils can have their enthusiasm dampened if the activities they are asked to do are not challenging. Such pupils can also become frustrated if the school equipment is slower than the computer at home. Issues of classroom management were also raised by the teachers. One teacher said I know that it is childrens nature to get excited when they see visitors and new things in the classroom. So to reinforce good behaviour I will reward the best behaved group with a merit. Language was noted as one of the main challenges especially for younger learners. Teachers indicated that they felt the computer terminology might be a bit confusing to the learners, given that computers are the domain of the English language (Dalvit et al, 2006). One teacher expressed concern of whether or not the learners would understand the terms used for computers and resolved that she would code switch to try and explain and make it easy for learners to understand I have started teaching in English now since my learners are in grade four as is stated by the education policy, but I know that my learners will struggle to understand computer terms so I will have to explain to them in IsiXhosa (local language). Teachers were optimistic that learners would be able to improve their command of the language through the use of the computer. One teacher said their language (English) will improve since they will be using the spell checker during their writing times (on the computer).

4.2 Mobile computer labs for teaching learners

Teachers agreed computers have great potential for improving teaching. One teacher said In my school, we still make use of chalkboards for teaching. For instance, I have five grade nine Natural Sciences groups. When they come to class, I have to write on the board over and over again. By the time group 3 comes, I am exhausted and doing disservice to them- sometimes, leaving out some important stuff which I have already mentioned to others. In this instance, I will have 1 well prepared presentation for all the groups and they will have it too in their netbooks. Teachers also suggested using the mobile computer lab to accessing online resources. Teachers suggested teaching learners basic web searching/browsing techniques for learners. This suggestion was made since teachers were aware that the netbooks that we used to populate the lab had wireless internet connectivity and made it possible to connect to the internet. Suggestions to cut on the costs of connecting to the internet included that the teacher could make a list of websites for learners to visit and monitoring that they were not downloading anything else during the class time. A teacher said I think that online resources available on Thutong and educational software such as Encarta would be very useful for me and also I can show my learners how to search for information on Google for the activity that I would have given them. Thutong Portal is an online resource that provides information about Education in South Africa including the curriculum. For more information visit their website (http://www.thutong.doe.gov.za ). Encarta on the other hand is a digital multimedia encyclopaedia.

4.3 Mobile computer labs for teachers

One participant suggested that the mobile computer lab should target teachers. This participant works for the district Department of Education as e-learning subject advisor. Since the beginning of the course she expressed interest in the intervention as it is in line with her work. As she is not based in a school, we asked her to make a proposal based on a nearby school if she felt she wanted to target learners or school teachers. She was also free to choose to work with her colleagues at her place of work. The proposal she prepared was part of her job. She stated in her proposal that they visited a particular rural school to assess whether it was e-ready, i.e. whether or not a school is ready to implement ICT. This

participant stated in her proposal that while they found the school met all the requirements for it to receive government assistance to set a computer laboratory- the staff was not enthusiastic about it as none of them were computer literate. She suggested that teachers should be targeted with any technology intervention arguing that the teacher must first know how the technology works so that he/she can be in a position to assist learners to become familiar with the technology so that the teacher does not feel embarrassed in the class when learners show her how the computer works....because children are like that, they learn fast.

4.4 Mobile computer lab for administration

Six (30%) of the twenty teachers suggested using the mobile computer lab for administration. These teachers mentioned that due to limited computer facilities, their clerk did everything they needed on the computer. There were also suggestions of training colleagues to use South Africa School Administration and Management System (SA-SAMS). SA-SAMS is an electronics school management system implemented by the South African education department. More information is available from www.education.gpg.gov.za

Conclusion
In this paper we discussed issues of access to ICT in marginalised schools. We presented that in developing context physical access to computers remains a challenge. With the possibility of using a well maintained mobile computer lab, we collected suggestions from teachers working at various marginalised schools in South Africa. We outlined some of the challenges that marginalised schools still face in South Africa. These challenges include poor infrastructure, i.e. lack of decent building, and telecommunication. Six of the teachers came from schools that had no computer facilities. Teachers are also faced with challenges of large classes; one teacher had 45 learners in a class. Learners also came from different backgrounds which would complicate teaching with computers in a class where learners brought different prior knowledge of computers to school. Because of all these challenges teachers supported the use of computers for learners 1st. We found two dominant uses of ICT in education, for teaching and learning as well as for administration. Thirteen of the teachers suggested using the mobile computer lab for learners. Depending on the school and the grade of the learners suggested were split among teaching computer literacy and using the lab to teach a subject such as English or geography. There was also a focus on the teachers and the need to equip teachers with proper computer skills in order for them to be competent users comfortable to teach with computers in their classrooms. Lastly, we presented findings on the need to train teachers and administration staff on using the SA-SAMS for better management of schools.

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