Beyond Chalk And talk: Kenyan Teachers embracing technology in Education

In the 21^st century technology features strongly in every facet of life including education. Kenya is well en route with these technological advancements with 23.2 million internet users (67% penetration), 27% smart phones and 82% mobile subscription penetration. Two major Kenyan government programs, the digital literacy program (DLP) and the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) have necessitated focus on the competency of teachers in the use of ICT in education.

The ELIMIKA program is designed to improve teachers’ pedagogy in delivery of curriculum through technology, using the 21st century skills that provoke critical thinking, creativity and innovation, coordination of virtual activities and work space. The target is to reach as many of the 300000 teacher and education officers as possible though this depends on funding to train more online tutors which has been one of our pillars for the success of the program.

Since 2011 ELIMIKA has run 4 cohorts reaching over 2000 teachers with a completion rate of 80%. This interactive program supported by well-trained online tutors has been adopted by the Kenyan Institute for Curriculum Development (KICD) as a capacity building vehicle for all curriculum training matters. Courses include Primary Teacher Orientation and ICT integration. The success of ELIMIKA has been attributed to buy-in by the government, internet and mobile phone penetration, as well as teachers’ enthusiasm in using technology for teaching and learning considering that they pay for the course. Besides these factors the design of the course that allows ease of navigation for self paced learning with tutor support ensures that we have a high retention rate. However, attitude change, technophobia, school leadership and limited funding are still challenges.