UNICEF Findings on the Value of Digital Content in Zambian Schools

In 2021-22 Mwabu worked in partnership with the Ministry of Education and UNICEF Zambia to adapt e-learning content for learners with special educational needs and disabilities (LSEND) in Zambia.   

The project set about to review, revise and develop digital contents for LSEND in upper primary education (grades 5–7) in order to enhance equitable access to alternative learning, enable LSEND to catch up with their peers after a reduced period of education due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and enhance transition to the secondary level of education.  

In February 2024, UNICEF undertook a countrywide programme of visits to schools and organisations using the LSEND content to assess the impact of digital tools used in classrooms in all provinces where tablets and content had been deployed. 

UNICEF and Mwabu staff observing a Mwabu lesson at Luumbo Primary

Although Mwabu content is not used specifically with LSEND at Luumbo (Gwembe district), UNICEF included the school in their visit plan to see Mwabu lessons in action. The team observed ECE and Grade 6 lessons delivered using Mwabu’s phone and projector solution.

The UNICEF team observed lesson delivery, use of the Mwabu content, local language teaching, and engagement techniques as well as witnessing the learners using tablets and having the chance to interact with the Mwabu Learn content on tablets themselves.  

The key points of UNICEF’s visit report are outlined below.

Good practices and opportunities for expansion 

Utilisation of Tablets 

Visual Support: Tablets have helped learners understand content effectively as visual aids in the classroom.  

Student Motivation: The use of tablets has significantly increased student interest and motivation towards learning. The interactive nature of tablet-based education encourages active participation among students. 

Collaborative Learning: Observations highlighted where students shared tablets, students support each other for learning. 

Support for Special Needs: The tablets have been instrumental in catering to the diverse learning needs of all students, including those with special needs.  

Utilisation of Projectors 

Enhanced Visual Learning: Projectors have been effectively used to display visual content that complements students’ learning in the classroom. This visual supplementation engages students more deeply with the material. This approach can be taken even in situations without tablets. 

Increased Engagement: Similar to tablets, the use of projectors has also led to higher levels of student interest and engagement. The interactive presentations get the students' attention and encourage active participation in the learning process. In the visited schools, teachers were well trained to engage students in the classroom in this projector-assisted teaching approach. Rather than the teachers leading the lesson through one-way delivery from the device, they invited student to come up to the screen and operate the device themselves. This method enabled the students to demonstrate their understanding by actively explaining their thinking processes.