1. INNOVATIVE INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION AND ITS
POTENTIAL FOR REDUCING POVERTY IN THE ASIA AND PACIFIC REGION
Using Mobile Communications Technology to
Support School-based, In-service Teacher Training
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) funded an
investigation of the effective use of information and
communication technology (ICT) in rural areas of
Nepal, Bangladesh, Mongolia, and Samoa. In these
areas, the multidimensional elements of poverty
diminish access to and the quality of education for the
poorest people. The study assessed the potential for
ICT, combined with training, to improve these
education factors for people whose educational
opportunities are severely limited.
In Bangladesh, the focus was on creating an
opportunity for school-based in-service teacher A training participant shows the mobile phone model that was
training with the support of mobile communications used for the study in Bangladesh. [Photo: RTI Study team]
technology. RTI equipped a cluster of 10 schools with
What is ‘mobile learning’?
mobile telephones that had advanced multimedia and
communications features. A standard 2-week face-to- Mobile learning is a term used to describe learning
face training was converted to 6-weeks distance through portable, handheld, electronic devices,
mode, and a pair of teachers from each school generally with wireless communications capabilities.
completed the course using print materials, practical It is not limited to mobile phones, since it can also
school-level exercises, and communication on a refer to the use of personal digital assistants, handheld
regular basis with trainers and teacher trainees in computers, or mobile gaming devices. It implies
other schools. The results show that the distance learning while ‘on the move’—outside of the
mode can be as effective as face-to-face training, and classroom and outside of the home. Mobile learning
it is the strongly preferred mode by training means you can be learning while in your car, or riding
participants. the subway, or walking. Beyond just ‘anytime,
anywhere’--the slogan coined by online distance
Quotes from a training participant’s journal. learning programs--this also implies on demand, and
immediate learning, because these devices allow the
“Today we had another mobile conference. Our
trainer made the lesson very clear to us by giving a user to connect to training provider at the necessary
detailed example. Then he asked several questions moment.
to enhance our understanding. So the day was
very remarkable to me.” In Bangladesh there are approximately 23 mobile
subscribers per 100 people, and in one month
(June 2007) there were more than 4 million new
“After discussing today’s topic with the other
teachers, we had some disagreement about how to subscribers. [BTRC, 2007]
apply this in the classroom. But the trainer made it
clear during the mobile conference.” Understanding how mobile devices can be used to
support learning is important to educators because of
“Today was Friday [and last day of training period]. the increasing pervasiveness of these tools in society
So after finishing household chores, at 10:00 pm I
and also because of their ability to create situated
studied for some time and discussed some points
with the teachers from other schools over mobile learning environments, and facilitate communication
phone.” and collaborative learning.

2. 2 Using Video Recording and Playback for more Effective Teaching Preparation in Rural Nepal
Mobile communications as support to distance Lessons learned through the Bangladesh
learning mobile distance learning experience
Although many experiences in mobile learning make • When mobile telephones were used to support a
well designed, active learning, distance-mode
use of the handheld as the main mode of delivering curriculum, with appropriate printed self-learning
course content, the particular experience in materials, the trainees demonstrated equivalent
Bangladesh used mobile phones to support a learning outcomes on pre- and post-tests.
distance learning curriculum that involved printed • The most valuable feature of the telephone was the
simple voice communication that it provided
instructional materials, peer discussion and between trainees and trainers—and among
demonstration sessions as the main mode of content trainees, allowing them to solve problems and ask
delivery. The purpose of the phones was: questions about course content and its application.
• Users of the phones need training to use the more
• To carry out mobile conferences (two way call advanced features of the phones effectively.
using the loudspeaker to involve several Experience in mobile phone use is not sufficient for
the intuitive use of a more sophisticated model.
interlocutors on one end) involving the trainees
• Communications technology improves the training
and their colleagues in the same school, during experience over a traditional print-based distance
which questions, problem solving, assessment learning program by enabling trainers to monitor
progress regularly and ensure completion of the
and feedback would take place.
course. This mode of delivery offers more
• To carry out conference calls between trainee reassurance for the training provider’s investment.
teachers in different schools. • Trainers may become frustrated with this mode of
delivery, which doesn’t allow for visual observations,
• To share multimedia examples of teaching and the learning is self-directed rather than
controlled by the teacher. Therefore, supervision at
practice, student activities and audio lectures
the school level is still desirable.
through MMS (multimedia messaging service). • Involvement of head teachers in the training
• To allow trainers to send short text messages program is crucial to provide ongoing support and
supervision to the trainees. With head teacher
(SMS) with reminders, motivational messages, initiative, the training program can be an opportunity
short assessment questions, etc. for whole-school involvement and improvement.
• Distance training is an important way to reach more
• To allow the trainees to use text messaging or women and disadvantaged groups who are
phone calls to ask questions, request materials, otherwise unable or unmotivated to attend face-to-
respond to assessment questions, etc. face, residential training away from home.
• Cost analysis is still being done, but it is expected
Lessons Learned that the cost of distance training, supported through
mobile communications technology, will be less
The experience in Bangladesh, which took place expensive than residential training, when the initial
with 20 trainee teachers in 10 schools during the cost of telephone purchase is not taken into
consideration.
months of June and July, 2007, provides important
lessons learned for the use of mobile phones to
support in-service distance learning. In particular, it Distance learning design
revealed a strong preference that trainees have for As noted above, the mobile phones were not the
school-based continuous professional development, primary means for transmitting course content. A
rather than being taken from their homes and detailed training curriculum was developed, which
classrooms for two weeks to attend a face-to-face trainees followed using print-based materials. A key
training. In addition to the convenience of remaining component of the curriculum involved peer learning
in their schools, the school-based training allowed sessions, where trainees would gather with other
them to immediately practice the concepts from the teachers in the school to discuss training concepts,
training, solve problems collaboratively by including and observe each other’s classroom practice. Each
other teachers, the head teacher and headmaster, and week there were four peer review sessions and two
request feedback from the trainers immediately after. mobile conferences per school.

3. Using Video Recording and Playback for more Effective Teaching Preparation in Rural Nepal 3
Additionally, each weekly unit contained the • Ask specific questions to verify lesson
following elements and tasks: comprehension (spontaneous quizzing).
• Trainee receives an introductory set of discussion • Answer questions that trainees would have been
questions and supplemental readings. instructed to compile in their group discussion
beforehand, and resolve disagreements that might
• Trainee reviews the readings, reflects on
come up during group discussion.
questions, and plans peer group session.
• Answer questions or solve problems that come up
• Trainee leads a peer group session during which
during reading and content application.
discussion, role-play and reflective exercises take
place. • Exchanging ideas for overall school
improvement.
• Unscheduled, informal contact with the trainer
takes place using the mobile phone, both to verify Other multimedia can be used to:
that activities are being completed and to ask
• Send short text reminders to confirm the weekly
questions as necessary.
schedule, time of conference, and other
• A conference call is held among trainee, trainer, administrative matters.
and colleagues to discuss the main questions and
• Send short text messages to reinforce lesson
outcomes of peer group sessions.
concepts, such as a daily technique to try in the
Recommendations classroom, or a subject-related quiz or game.
This experience can be relevant not only to further • Send short audio lectures, where particularly
continuous professional development in Bangladesh, suitable for the content matter (i.e., language
but also for other countries that need to retrain large learning, poetry, song, etc.).
numbers of teachers, especially in rural areas.
• Send still photos to support complicated
The following recommendations can be considered concepts, for example, mathematical symbols or
for future experiences with mobile phone-supported formulas.
distance learning (considering as well the lessons • Ask trainees to send back still photos as examples
learned outlined in the previous section.) In of a concept explained on the chalkboard, or a
particular, this section is aimed to provide trainers unique teaching aid created locally.
and training providers with recommendations for
optimizing the use of the advanced technologies, What could be accomplished in a 10 second
where available. video? (Typically the maximum amount of video that
can be transferred over a cellular network).
Trainers must be the champions of the mobile phone • Introducing yourself
use, allowing the trainees to focus on the course • Responding to a question concerning the content of
the lesson
content and not the technology. Trainers should
• Showing examples of instructional materials made
receive ongoing support for using the advanced locally
features of the phones to send information to • Demonstration of a mathematical formula or
complement the curriculum, even if the trainees only completion of calculations on the board (see photo)
respond with regular voice calls. • Demonstration of classroom seating arrangement,
with teacher interacting (see photo)
Phone calls can be used to:
Combined with a computer, the trainers or training
• Gather progress reports from trainees, and discuss coordinators can also easily create and send standard
outcomes of peer group discussions. messages to all trainees at once using available
• Provide encouragement and motivation to apply software packages. There are also possibilities to
techniques from the lessons. publish multimedia content from the phones directly

4. Using Video Recording and Playback for more Effective Teaching Preparation in Rural Nepal 4
to the web, where trainers and training coordinators References
can view a portfolio of training progress. Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission.
Mobile phone subscribers in Bangladesh. Web site
As technologies evolve and trainers become more accessed October 8, 2007,
adept at handling the phones, new uses for the http://www.btrc.gov.bd/mobile_subscribers_may-
july2007.htm.
features will certainly be discovered. However, it is
important to recall that the simplest use of the Dieterle, E., & Dede, C. 2006. Straightforward and deep
phones is also that which is accessible to most effects of wireless handheld devices for teaching and
people—simple voice communication. This can be learning in university settings. Paper presented at the
2006 American Educational Research Association
accomplished at low cost, using either the personal Conference, San Francisco, CA.
phones of the trainees, or village public phones,
where a trainee does not have their own phone. Naismith, L., Lonsdale, P., Vavloula, G., Sharples, M.
2006. Literature review in mobile technologies and
learning. Futurelab series, Report 11. Futurelab:
University of Birmingham, Bristol, UK.
RTI International. 2007. Learning Communities enabled
by Mobile Technology: A Case Study of School-based, In-
service Secondary Teacher Training in Rural Bangladesh.
Bangladesh Country Report. ADB TA6278-REG.
Research Triangle Park.
Prepared by RTI International, under ADB TA No. 6278-
REG, Contract No: COCS/60-026.
A mobile phone captures a teacher trainee delivering For more information, please contact
a mathematics lesson in his secondary school classroom.
Gordon Cressman, Director, Information and Communication
[Photo: RTI Study team]
Technologies (ICT) Program. E-mail: gmc@rti.org.
Telephone: +1 919.541.6363
Carmen Strigel, ICT and Education Team Leader.
E-mail: cstrigel@rti.org
RTI International is one of the world’s leading research institutes, dedicated to improving the human condition by turning
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