Tools for communication and collaboration
How can you use EdTech tools to support communication and peer collaboration among teachers? To find out, read through the guidance at your own pace, or jump to a specific section:
Evidence-based guidance
These tips will help you effectively choose and use EdTech tools to develop teaching knowledge and skills.
| #1 | Use communication tools to encourage peer support. Peer support is an essential characteristic of effective TPD. It is important for teachers to communicate with their peers, form communities of practice, and learn from each others’ experiences. This can improve pedagogical practice and support teacher well-being.
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| #2 | Use communication tools that teachers already have and / or are familiar with. This encourages scale, sustainability, and cost-efficiency as teachers do not need to adopt new tools and practices. For example, if teachers are used to using WhatsApp or Signal, prioritise using these, instead of introducing a new tool or app. | ||||
| #3 | Use tools in ways that encourage teachers to reflect on their practice. Reflection is an essential practice to help teachers to develop into stronger practitioners. | ||||
| #4 | Make sure tools are suitable for teachers’ levels of digital skills. Tools should fit teachers’ levels of digital literacy and support communication in their language. Teachers have different communication needs in TPD depending on their settings, the type of TPD, and their level of teaching. Here’s how you can tailor tools for communication to meet the needs of your teachers.
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| #5 | Make sure tools can be used at scale within the existing digital infrastructure. For example, consider mobile penetration among teachers, data costs, and network connectivity among teachers. | ||||
| #6 | Make sure tools are low-cost or free for teachers to use. This allows for a more cost-efficient and scalable TPD solution. |
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❔ Who can use tools for communication and collaboration and how?
| Teachers | TPD coordinators | School leaders | Policymakers |
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🔎 Curated tools for communication and collaboration
| Tool | Description | Review |
| RapidPro | RapidPro is an open-source communication platform you can configure to suit your communication needs and digital infrastructure requirements. It has features such as SMS, interactive voice response (IVR), and automated flows. It has APIs to allow you to integrate with other tools and offers real-time analytics so you can monitor the TPD programme. |
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| TeachersConnect | TeachersConnect is a free app that allows teachers to share ideas and ask questions. Teachers can search through topics, ideas, and problem-solving techniques from peers. Teachers can use this tool to share challenges and achievements with other teachers, ask for solutions to challenges, and offer advice to other teachers. NB: TeachersConnect is US-centric. |
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| WhatsApp, Signal, and Telegram for communicating within TPD | WhatsApp, Signal, and Telegram are instant-messaging tools. The popular instant messaging tool of choice differs from country to country. Instant messaging tools are commonly used among teachers in many settings. Teachers can use these tools to communicate with peers and coaches. |
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| Facebook for communicating within TPD | Facebook is a social media platform with an instant messaging tool and a feature to create groups. Teachers can use this platform to form communities of practice, share best practices, and share useful resources. Facilitators can moderate and facilitate group discussions. |
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| EdThena | EdThena is a communication platform based on the use of video and feedback. Teachers take videos of their teaching using any device or software, such as Zoom. They upload and share their videos with a coach or group, and receive feedback on their teaching through time-stamped comments from coaches or peers. The features are useful for encouraging cycles of trial, feedback, reflection, and refinement, and for promoting microteaching, which has a significant impact on student outcomes. NB: This is not free or open-source for decision-makers. |
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| Teacherly | Teacherly is a teacher communication and collaboration platform that allows teachers to collaborate on lesson planning, give each other feedback and seek support in teams and workspaces. It can be used by both teachers and coaches to facilitate collaboration, feedback, and refinement of teaching practices. NB: The free option is limited. Used at scale, this would not be free for decision-makers. |
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Encourage peer support
Familiar to teachers📎 Case study: EdTech tools for communication and collaboration
| The Teacher Development Programme (TDP) in Kenya | ||||
Teachers for Teachers Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya Duration | Overview The Teachers for Teachers initiative was launched by Columbia University in the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya. It is a three-pronged teacher professional development intervention, with training, coaching, and mentoring. | |||
| Approach | ||||
Mentors communicate with 4–5 teachers over WhatsApp and Facebook. Mentors deliver a mobile mentoring curriculum, share experiences, and problem-solve real-time challenges faced by teachers. Teachers are provided with mobile phones, airtime, and data. Mentors form larger WhatsApp groups for teachers to engage with all peers in their training cohort (~30 teachers). A separate group chat is set up for global mentors, to brainstorm solutions for their mentees. | ||||
| Results | ||||
Almost 50% of teachers reported trialling new practices shared in WhatsApp conversations in their classrooms, and that these practices were successful. | Using WhatsApp and Facebook allowed teachers from the same areas to connect with each other and form communities of practice. | The programme leveraged digital tools to allow global mentors to connect with local teachers and share their support. | ||
