Tablets In Schools Programme to be Monitored Quarterly

A quarterly monitoring system is to be implemented to keep an eye on the Tablets in Schools programme, the pilot of which is to be rolled out in September.

This was disclosed by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at eLearning Jamaica, Avrill Crawford, at a JIS ‘Think Tank’, on August 14.

Some 25,000 tablet computers are to be distributed islandwide to 38 educational institutions, including infant, primary, all-age and high schools, a school of special education and one teachers’ college.

Mrs. Crawford explained that having a monitoring system is critical and will be very instructive in going forward, as the collection of baseline data before and during the life of the project will help in measuring its performance.

“This is going to allow us to evaluate, very carefully, what we need to do to make that roll-out the success that we would like it to be. We have already had a baseline study of all 38 schools; we are going to have another now that the teachers are ready and the tablets are there to determine where the schools are in terms of technology,” she said.

Mrs. Crawford noted that the evaluation will facilitate the correction of any errors made, treating them as learning experiences and allowing for the efficient planning of the roll-out to other schools.

She reported that so far some 1,200 teachers have received training in the operation and efficient use of the tablet computers.

“They are now going through how to use the tablets and integrate the tablets into their instructional delivery along with the other technology they may have in the schools,” Mrs. Crawford said.

She added that an effort was made to involve every strata of interest in the project and so existing personnel and infrastructure in the individual schools were integrated as was the community, which became an integral part of the development of the programme and would also be part of the monitoring process.

“We’ve established in each school a technical team to be responsible for the implementation of the project. This will include whatever technical person or system administrator in place. We’ve also established for each school a community advisory committee, led by a community leader who has an interest in the school. We really have sought to include everybody in this project in whatever way they will be most useful to ensure that it runs successfully,” Mrs. Crawford said.