[Column] Jens Ischebeck: The power of M-learning in East Africa
What is the potential for e-learning via smartphones via online courses such as MOOC and other mobile based edtech solutions (collectively known as m-learning strategies) for East Africa? Home to key mobile phone using economies such as Kenya and Egypt, East Africa has great potential to start off with. But, how might mobile based learning change the educational landscape of East Africa? East Africa is a varied region of Africa, comprising some booming economies and others that are struggling, some of Africa's top economies and some countries that are classed as very low income. So, one key question to ask here is whether it is advisable (or even feasible) to implement a region wide solution for all of East Africa or to take things on a country by country basis.
Mobile phone use in East Africa
Globally, more and more people are accessing the internet through their smartphones and other mobile and touch screen devices, preferring the convenience and flexibility that this provides. Obviously, this has implications for m-learning too: as populations become more and more au fait with app based technology and mobile sites, people can learn and gain qualifications wherever they are using e-learning technologies. Smartphone usage is climbing by around 50 percentage points a year at the moment in both the Middle East and Africa, and Sub-Sahara Africa (including East Africa) is a growing market.
In terms of East Africa in particular, the subscriber base of mobile phone users has grown by 21% in recent years. In addition, the East African mobile phone provider OneM has (in 2016) developed technology that enables even mobile phone users who do not have smartphones to access the internet (for example, pages such as Wikipedia) for a small fee. So, the future definitely looks very promising for the world of e-learning and online courses such as MOOC in Sub-Sahara Africa.
Integrating m-learning with the existing educational infrastructure in East Africa
Access to traditional classroom style education has been improving in East Africa over the past few decades, as data collection from UNESCO shows. Nevertheless, it is still the case that only around half of school age children actually attend school in several East African countries. This is reflected in literacy rates. In Madagascar, for example, UNESCO found that the overall literacy rate amid school age children was still only 65%. On the other hand, in the Seychelles, school attendance has been very high over the past couple of decades with over 99% of children consistently in school and literacy rates of over 99% as well.
Thus, it is clear that whilst some East African nations are very much in need of an additional boost to their education infrastructure, in others, this is not the case. In countries such as Madagascar, Tanzania and Uganda, for example, factors such as child labour, child marriage, poverty and poor educational facilities mean that very few children attend primary level education - let alone secondary education. Here, perhaps remote learning would help to boost literacy levels as children and adults could both learn at home.
The future of m-learning in East Africa
In many ways, it is difficult to discuss the future of m-learning in East Africa as a whole as this region of the continent is so varied.
As we have seen, we have Kenya on the one hand which is home to several thriving tertiary education institutions such as Kenyatta University and Mount Kenya University. On the other hand, some rural areas of Uganda have literacy levels that are well below the half way mark.
Thus, it seems that edtech will need to be adapted to suit the particular location. However, the growing trend of mobile phone usage in East Africa as a whole looks very positive. So, it is definitely safe to say that mobile platform based e-learning can be a very useful feature of the East African educational economy. However, as the countries in this region differ so widely from each other in terms of their educational infrastructure, the sophistication of their knowledge based economies and their school attendance and literacy levels, there will no doubt need to be adjustments made.
For more information about this important and exciting educational market, visit my apps-for-learning.com site. Alternatively, if you wish, contact me directly today. Whether you are a student or teaching professional, we specialize in mobile education within Africa and will be pleased to help you with your enquiry.
Jens Ischebeck is an mLearning, eLearning and Online Courses specialist.
