Low-cost digital assessment tool pilot

For some time, Mwabu has been on the lookout for an innovative way to assess learners that will reduce the time assessments take, lighten the administrative burden on teachers and make results available to those who need them.

To provide content and services at low cost we are all about integrating existing solutions rather than reinventing the wheel. While some assessment solutions meet some of Mwabu’s criteria, in this instance no system exists that meets all our criteria. These include low cost (to deploy and scale), offline capability as well as robust reporting functionality.

One of the promising options identified is “Plickers”, which uses “paper clickers”, i.e. printed QR-type codes learners use to indicate their answers by the way they hold up their code. This system is low cost and works offline, however it focussed on individual teacher use and lacks broader reporting capabilities.

Mwabu therefore decided to pilot the quick digital assessment concept in Zambia using the Plickers system to identify what works and what doesn’t in this context, before investing in development of our own system.  Plans are underway to start this pilot early in 2025, in collaboration with iLearnabout. Should this be successful, Mwabu will use the insights gained to develop our own app that utilises paper clickers, together with a robust data system that allows easy sharing of questions, gathering and sharing collated anonymous assessment data with teachers and other relevant parties, such as programme funders.

The teacher needs a smartphone or tablet and a set of paper clicker cards. To make a set of 50 reusable cards costs less than $15. An app on the teacher’s device is loaded with the questions, then used to scan the learner responses to each question within seconds. The responses are stored and uploaded to the database when there is an internet connection.

Watch this space for news on the project!