ICT use in TIVET/MOYAS
Institutions in Kenya: A
Snapshot Overview
Field Research Team:
Mike Ocharo – DTE, MoHEST
Samuel Waweru – MoHEST
Esther Wachira, GeSCI
May Hooker, GeSCI
Lina Palmer, GeSCI
Institutional Snapshot:
ICT Use in TIVET/MOYAS
– Examine the policy, pedagogical and technological
issues in ICT integration process in TIVET/MOYAS
programme provision
– How is ICT being integrated in programme
provision to improve vocational & educational
training quality and provision?
Methodology…
- Focus on system elements of training delivery: policy,
curriculum, ICT infrastructure, organization &
management, pedagogy, professional development
- Targeted groups: Urban and rural TIVET/MOYAS
institutions – Management teams, ICT coordinators and
Trainer Specialists
- Tools: Questionnaires, face to face interviews with
institutional heads, focus group interviews with staff
- Analysis: Content analysis, Most Significant Change
Technique
- Limitations: Demanding schedule, paucity of time
Interviews with…
Institution
Interviewees
Nairobi Technical Training
Institution
Mrs Teresia N Maina Deputy Principal
Machakos Technical Training
Institute
Position
Mrs. Tecla Chemobo
Registrar
Desmond L Otwoma
Dean of students
Ng’eno Bernard
Lecturer electrical engineering
Kathiru E Mathenge
Head Health & applied sciences
Antony N Kimaku
Lecturer automotive engineering
Wanjohi Peter
Gatihru
Ernestine W. Kiragu
Lecturer Mechanical engineering
Mr. Joel M. Mulelu
Deputy principal
Watson Musyoki
Technician
Jones Mutua
Head of Dept. Electrical
Moses Owana
ICT Committee Chairman
Martin K. Nung’an
Head of Dept. Computing & Applied
Sciences
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Head of ICT
Interviews with…
Institution
ThogotoYouth Polytechnic
Nyaga Youth Polytechnic
Interviewees
Mr. Ephraim Ngwiri
Position
Manager
Martin Muogu
Motor vechicle mechanic
Kigen C. Gladys
ICT Instructor
Peter Kimani
Building construction
James Nginya
Manager
Lizz Njoroge
ICT
Monicah Kuamja
ICT
George Njay
Electrical & Electronics engineering
Priscillah Kinanu G.
Fashion design & garment technology
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Findings: Policy
What is the institutional vision (mission, objectives) for TIVET/MOYAS
training provision? Does the institution have a written policy on ICT?
What are the most important factors which encourage you to use ICT in
your instructional/course activities?
•Vision and policy for course provision aligned to MoHEST overall education
policy & quality assurance
•Institutional policies at the emergent stage on ICT uses in administration,
finance, examination record keeping
•ICT learning & resource centre complex in construction
•use of ppp & smart boards in course delivery
•Existence of ICT Policy and Committee for ICT use in course delivery
•ICT department used for training & for economic generation activities
•ICT department should be pivotal for all other departmets
•Cost cutting and effectiveness in teaching drives ICT usage
•Integrating ICT into education a major step requiring instructor knowledge and
resources
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Policy
Tensions:
•Online course content and/or delivery not available
•No official internal ICT policy
•No ICT competency profile for hiring of ICT Specialist
•Traditional in-built methods of teaching & learning inhibiting new
computerized options for training
•Time limits preventing lecturers from adopting new ways of working
•Lecturers lack both training and facilities
•Teaching specialist applications outside the curriculum considered waste
of time.
•Curriculum obsolescence with technical requirements and technology
infusion driving socio-economic development & growth
•Lack of capacity to use ICT equipment
•Student graduates lacking ICT skills upon graduation thereby creating
negative image as product of TIVET institutions
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Findings: Infrastructure
What are the non ICT/ ICT resources that you use in teaching
and learning? What are the resource needs and priorities of
the institution?
•Resources needed – 2 labs for institutional and community
needs
•Upgraded hardware
•Laptops, projectors, backup generator
•ICT enables creation of more student friendly materials
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Infrastructure
Tensions:
ICT equipment inadequate in resource centres to cater for student and
lecturer/ instructor populations
•Need to encourage depts. to change and adopt new methods
•Lack of software / e-content for specialist areas and for flexible course
delivery
•Inadequate space for student population
•Equipment obsolescence to take the high end applications required in
technical education
•Inadequate budget for technology acquisition
•Need for ICT specialist instructors
•Lack of capacity/ICT knowledge that limits the use of ICT in teaching and
learning
•Lecturers shy to use ICT
•ICT usage not in the curriculum and hence a waste of time.
•Lecturers shy to use ICT.
•Limited integration of ICTs in teaching without involvement of ICT dept
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Findings: Curriculum
What are the objectives for ICT use in TIVET /MOYAS
programmes?
Do you use ICT for instructional purposes? How do you use
it?
•Need to integrate ICT for curriculum relevance
•Requirement for social networking (email) for communication
•All course manuals and written communication produced via ICT
•National examination influence ICT usage and classroom
coverage.
•City & Guild exams seen as a response to demand from student
market.
•Exams involving ICT increasingly popular.
•KNEC must find a way of incorporating ICT into the examination
– so that the practical skills are tested via ICT use
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Curriculum
Tensions:
•Absence of dedicated quality assurance on ICT specific
integration
•Absence of ICT skills/ competencies in staff recruitment
profiles
•Student population expansion exponential placing pressure
on space & resources
•E-Learning course delivery necessary to address explosive
growth in student population
•ICT not a curriculum subject
•ICT use for administration only / no instructional use
•Syllabus doesn’t mention ICT - problem in examination
orientated culture
•National examination works against ICT integration.
•ICT not used for instructional purposes outside11of ICT dept.
Findings: Organization & Management
Does the institution use ICT for
administration/monitoring? What are the roles &
responsibilities that different staff/departments
have to support ICT use in programmes? How does
the administration support ICT use for your
teaching function/ your specialized area?
•Heads of all Departments undergo ICT compliance training
•The ICT Department is meant to have a general role, not only
conducting ICT training but also supporting the ICT use of other
departments.
•IT support externally sourced
•ICT budget sourced from three lines - government,
school fees
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and community contribution
Organization & management
Tensions:
•ICT Dept capacity/ resources inadequate to support ICT use
across departments
•Computer facilities limited to computer rooms from where
administration is conducted
•Lacks of resources and capacity to support technology
usage in teaching practice
•Management board delays in release of funds
•ICT not always seen as a priority during release and
allocation of funds
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Findings: Pedagogy
Do your lecturers use technology in their programmes on a regular
basis? Which methods do you apply when using ICT in teaching and
learning process? If you went into the classroom/ lecture hall of a good
lecturer/ instructor/tutor using technology, what would you see?
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Administration encouraging laptop purchase schemes for lecturers
Student graduates should have practical skills sets for application in industry
Good use of ICT requires authentic focus on real world applications - simulations
that illustrate and clarify concepts
“What you see you don’t forget.”
More time required for experimentation & use of ICT in course work
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No dust. A projector. Very little paper. Simulations.
Enthusiasm and new form of interaction between students.
On-line evaluations.
Shared expertise between institutions
Virtual teaching and learning
More interest from students and better performance
Students accessing self-managed tutorials and learning from each other
Competent instructor aware of what he/she is teaching and 14
how to use technology.
Use of new technologies resulting in students with relevant skills to industry
Pedagogy
Tensions:
•ICT integration a new process at institutional level
•Articulation of national ICT Policy at institutional level still at
emergent phase
•Skills requirements for market place not articulated regularly
for continued relevance
•Not experiencing so many difficulties since not so much ICT
usage.
•Teachers with not enough time to explore and use a
computer.
•Funding, training, mindset are barriers to overcome
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Findings: Professional Development
Can you get access to ICT specific training support? Have
you been on ICT courses for teachers? What further training
do you feel you need to progress further? What kind of
communication and collaboration is there among lecturers/
tutors/ instructors about the use of ICT in teaching and
learning?
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All reporting is required in digitized format to encourage ICT use. Hard
copies not allowed
Incentive schemes (study leave) to encourage staff development
In-house tutoring for staff development is an effective option
ICTs use in assessment has resulted in increased transparency during the
giving of awards
ICT culture should be sustained and driven by ICT dept.
Industrial attachments generate very good ideas from students when they
resume college
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Professional Development
Tensions:
•Limited resources to encourage staff to access and apply
technology
•Fear of change and “senior citizen” staff inhibiting ICT up-take
•High attrition rates after post professional development in ICT
•Obstacles hindering integration include limited number of
computers, content, manpower, lack of equipment (software) &
dedicated budget for TPD
•Not so much interest for ICT use from colleagues outside of
the ICT dept
•5 teachers out of 126 teachers actively use ICT when
teaching.
•Computers idle for much time as all stored in the same
rooms.
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•No communication regarding use of ICT between
Most Significant Change
What has /have been the most satisfying ICT related
learning activities that you have experienced?
Can you tell a story about the most significant change
ICT has made in your practice?
(Video) Institutional Snapshot Change Stories TIVET
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