05 Service Providers
Amalgamation Announcement
After the third working group meeting with the 05 Digital Standards for NGOs, Service Providers and Supporters, the group noted that many of the standards they were developing, could be added to the 06 Institutions and Infrastructure group. After some thought, Dr Tarling suggested that the remaining 3 sets of standards could also be amalgamated with this group.
On 20 September in a WhatsApp vote, the group unanimously agreed to amalgamate the remaining standards to 06 Institutions and Infrastructure group.
This group will then meet with the 06 group from 18:00 - 19:00 / 19:30.
Introduction to Digital Standards for Service Providers
Digital Standards for Service Providers
Service providers, NGOs and other supporters and champions provide invaluable support to schools and the education system as a whole. This working group specifically looks at digital standards that may support and guide these vital stakeholders. If you'd like to join this or any other group, please complete the form by clicking on the button ↓ below ↓.
Meeting Dates
Date: 29 June
Time: 6-7pm
Date: 3 August
Time: 6-7pm
Date: 31 August
Time: 6-7pm
Date: 28 September
Time: 6-7pm
Preparing for Working Group 1
As you prepare for the Working Group Meeting 1, please look online for standards for your group around digital engagement, cyber safety and cyber wellness. We'll focus on these areas in Meeting 1.
Add your suggestions for Standards for Digital Citizenship in the appropriate column on the Padlet below.
Steps for Developing Standards
When developing standards, use the digital capital framework to guide the development process. Examples are included below.
Digital Agency
Puts monitoring and evaluation procedures in place and provides a mechanism to measure the level of satisfaction of the online learning program beneficiaries.
Digital Competency
Ensures that resources and support provided are appropriate, adequate and sustainable over time, in accordance with the institution’s strategic plan, vision, and mission.
Digital Citizenship
Ensures the privacy of all users / beneficiaries’ data through clearly formulated policies and procedures that are communicated to all stakeholders.
Iterative Development of Standards
Iteration 1) Initial Brainstorming at Roundtable 1
During the roundtable, participants brainstormed some suggestions for possible standards for institutions. They initially used a Padlet as indicated.
On Day 2 they used sticky notes and a robot system which were captured on a GDoc shows their group discussions and suggestions that were developed on Day 2.
Iteration 1 Brainstorm
Participants wrote standards on sticky notes and added them to different posters:
Green: High Priority
Orange: Medium Priority
Red: Low Priority
This allowed them to discuss their priorities and potentially move their sticky notes around.
Analysed Standards from Iteration 1 Brainstorm
Dr Tarling analysed the standards developed from Iteration 1 Brainstorm. The sticky notes were digitized and analysed using the digital capital map. The results for each group were then collated and plotted on the radial chart to create the map of focus areas that the initial brainstorm sessions highlighted.
The comments around service providers, NGOs and other key supporters working in the education sector were less focused on their digital capital and more on topics related to access, provision, monitoring and evaluation, and data collection and management. Hence their digital capital map was less developed than other role players.
Thematic Analysis of Service Provider Data
A thematic analysis of the data produced by the different brainstorming sessions for service providers, indicated a strong emphasis on developing standards around content, teacher development and support, and various non-codable items. These included, among other, providing free access to Foundation Phase classrooms, providing quality service or incentives as motivation. Such items were mentioned once and were not coded, hence the non-codable category.
The working group for service providers can take the digital capital map, and the focus areas developed from the thematic coding, to identify where gaps arose in the initial brainstorming sessions, and develop steps to specifically develop standards that address key areas in a balanced and inclusive way.
Iteration 2) Refined Standards from Working Group Meeting 1
After the first meeting, initial, broad standards were identified and expanded. During the meeting, additional points were added for discussion and included in a growing list which lead to the development of potential level descriptors for the different standards.
Iteration 3) Refined Standards from Working Group Meeting 2
During the previous working group meeting, the need was identified for standards and guidelines that address the inclusion of accessibility and preventing an expansion of the digital divide, and for volunteers and supporters. These were then added and discussed in the next working group meeting.
While standards for 01) Learners, 02) Educators and 03) School Leaders were generally quite adaptable to a rubric format, this was not the case for 04) Parents and Communities, 05) NGOs, supporters and volunteers, and 06) Institutions and Infrastructure. The nature of the standards for groups 4-6 was more aligned with general guidelines for good practice than a progression or continuum. It was therefore decided to not present the last three group's standards using a table / rubric format, but instead use a standard bullet point format.
Additionally, the need was expressed in Groups 4 - 6 for a toolkit, including a first aid kit, that parents, NGOs and schools could consult when they needed it. The different groups were asked to share existing ideas and documents that could be added to such a toolkit for their group, which many of them did. It was also suggested that the toolkits be shared in a central space where all schools and stakeholders from all provinces could access it in an easy and open manner.
Iteration 4) Refined Standards from Working Group Meeting 3
Iteration 5) Refined Standards from Working Group Meeting 4
Comments, Questions or Suggestions
Please use the Padlet below to post any comments, questions or suggestions about your working group or the general process that we need to be aware off. We can only improve the process with your input, and really value hearing from you!