Digital Personalised Learning (DPL) to Improve Numeracy Outcomes in Kenyan Classrooms
Country: Kenya | Topic Area: Digital Personalised Learning (DPL)
Project summary
Using technology to support Digital Personalised Learning (or DPL) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) could play an important role in achieving better learning outcomes. However, there is limited research investigating the effectiveness of using DPL in classrooms to improve early grade literacy and numeracy in LMICs.
This research will address this important gap by rigorously evaluating contextually appropriate pedagogical and software approaches for integrating DPL into primary schools in Kenya. It will focus on the integration of DPL into classroom activities, in particular:
- How teachers integrate DPL tools into their regular pedagogical practices;
- The duration and intensity of use during classroom instruction;
- How adaptive software features can support learning in the classroom;
- Cost and resource implications.
The research will focus specifically on the EIDU tool within Kenyan classrooms. EIDU offers a DPL platform, deployed on low-cost Android devices. The software facilitates adaptive assessment and measurement strategies, generating continuous insights into learning. In Kenya, this is aligned with a structured pedagogy programme known as Tayari, enabling the integration of digital content with classroom instruction.
Research questions
- What are the educational affordances of a DPL tool such as EIDU and how can these be harnessed to enhance learning in the classroom?
- What are contextually appropriate approaches for integrating DPL into classroom instruction?
- What are appropriate strategies for implementing EIDU learning platform in relation to the timing, duration, and intensity of student exposure (e.g. different approaches to student selection / usage length / number of devices per class / teacher role)?
- What is the impact of classroom-based DPL on learning outcomes for (i) girls? (ii) learners of different ages? (iii) learners with different baseline attainment levels?
- What variables influence the cost-effectiveness of DPL in classrooms and how is this linked to improvement in learning outcomes?
Key partners
- EIDU — Implementation partner
- Women Educational Researchers of Kenya (WERK) — Research partner
- Government of Kenya / County Governments in Kenya (e.g. Mombasa)
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Study contacts:
Louis Major, Principal Investigator — Contact Louis
Tom Kaye, Co-Principal Investigator — Contact Tom
Rebecca Daltry, Research Associate
Katy Jordan, Research Associate
Partners
