Mwabu’s Growing Impact on Learning Outcomes: Project Luangwa

Project Luangwa is based in Kafue, just outside Luangwa National Park in Eastern Province, Zambia. Mwabu has worked with Project Luangwa since 2022, supporting their Digital Learning programme (DigiLearn), supplying projectors and tablets pre-loaded with Mwabu Learn interactive e-learning content and lesson plans for teachers. Project Luangwa is one of our first projects to make use of micro servers to facilitate off-line learning and the collection of data, though has additionally provided anecdotal evidence that shows the impact of Mwabu Learn on achievement levels of the learners in the schools using this learning platform.

National exam results were compared over two years between Chiwawatala School using Mwabu Learn, Nsefu Primary using a solution provided by Edulution and a local school with no digital learning interventions. After the first year, the results from National Exams for the school with no intervention were low and the results from the other two schools were comparable, but, after a second year, the pass rate at Chiwawatala was 31% higher than at Nsefu.

An independent report commissioned by the Swedish government provided further anecdotal evidence that learners were more confident with using the technology in the Project Luangwa schools.

Mwabu has long recognised the need to collect usage data to inform interventions and measure impact. This is not an easy task in environments where gathering accurate information is hampered by lack of technical knowledge, incomplete record keeping and data collection, and infrastructure challenges in terms of data retrieval and synching (poor or no connectivity, the cost of data, unstable and inconsistent power supplies).

As these challenges are overcome, we are look forward to analysing Mwabu Learn usage data in combination with examination results and other assessment data, to supplement our growing bank of anecdotal evidence.