The Global Teenager Project: Gender and online collaborative learning

On the international level, the GTP is characterised by two major initiatives, Learning Circles (English, French and Spanish) and Understanding Diversity. Both of these programmes provide learners with the opportunity to engage in project-based learning adapted to meet and fit with local curricula needs, collaborating with students from other cultures at home and abroad.

The Learning Circles (LC) are based on the simple, yet effective, thematic learning model which are project-based virtual exchange programmes that typically consist of eight to twelve classrooms connected through the Internet. Each class sponsors a question, which invites the other participants to provide responses. Each session lasts for 12 weeks with preparations in the first two weeks of the technological platform DGroups as provided by Bellanet (www.dgroups.org). During this active period each class in the learning circle responds to the questions sent by the other classes that make up the circle. The session culminates in a ‘Circle Publication’ in which the findings of each class’s research are published.

This article takes a first look into the success of collaborating online in Learning Circles for female teachers as well as students and the motivating factors and ends on the question of further exploring via an impact assessment if gender really influences motivation, participation and successful completion in the project.

Project value add
Learning Circles are highly structured and facilitated by the class teachers with the support of a Circle coordinator. Interaction between classes takes place in a safe learning environment and is moderated. Circles are based on themes such as ‘our school’, ‘the world around us’, ‘travelling’, ‘sports’ and ‘life values which are pre-determined by consultation of learners with their teachers.

The technology, particularly the Internet as a learning platform, plays an essential role in facilitating the exchanges on the Learning Circle, but it is not the focus of the activity. Students and teachers alike further learn about technology particularly the use of the Internet as a knowledge tool and the computer as a facilitative medium of allowing focussed learning.

The broad curriculum overview of countries currently part of the GTP virtual learning network have many common goals relating to the specific goals of the two GTP programmes, such as:

• contextual learning;
• tolerance and intercultural understanding;
• affirmation of national constitutional values;
• socialisation of the learner;
• working critically with information in a global society;
• solving problems collaboratively, in communities and wider networks;
• using Information and Communications Technology.

Although technology plays an essential role in Learning Circles, it is not the main focus of the project but is one of the added values of participation. The technology is a means to an end. It will help students collaborate and alongside teachers in a global virtual classroom.These activities have been implemented in the last eight years with core funding received from IICD.

This article looks into the success of collaborating online in Learning Circles for female teachers and students.

Facts: technology use
The following analysis are based on the evaluation process on the September 2005 (LC1) and March 2006 (LC 2) learning circles in French, English and Spanish (language of communication) involving teacher and learner respondents from 21 countries globally.

• 32 percent of the teachers used 5-10 computers for the LCs. 26 percent had more than 10. Only 11 percent had to manage with only one computer. (31 percent had between 1-4 computers)
• 95 percent of the students themselves used the computer for the LC. In the majority of cases (56 percent, no significant difference between the two LCs), there were 2-3 students working on one computer. In 33 percent of the cases, the students could work by themselves.



• 84 percent of the teachers indicate that the computers are in a separate room in the school. Very few (1-3 teachers) have computers in every classroom, in 8 percent of the cases, the students had to go out of the school (internet café, etc.) to work on the computer. In some cases the home computer of the teacher or that of students was used.
• The virtual campus was mostly used for sending and receiving LC messages (67 percent). To a lesser extent also for reading the news items (47 percent), getting background information (45 percent) and for the chat sessions (38 percent)
• There is some difference between the two LCs when it comes to the Internet connection. In the first LC, 70 percent claims that all computers are connected to the internet, in LC2 that is only 46 percent. For LC2, 28 percent of the teachers have to go out of the school to get to the Internet. This is striking as this does not have seemed to influence satisfaction on the LCs.
• Amongst the problems encountered with technology (Internet and computers) were:
• Internet connection is not there or is very slow and/or instable
• Not being able to enter the chat platform
• Connection is expensive, so limited time to use it
• Electrical Power failures
• Problems with sending or receiving (all of) the messages
• None (or as some teacher put it: “Thanks God, none”.)

Online collaborative learning: gender, a success factor?
This is not an attempt to generalise or give absolutes as to the role gender plays and how it influences success in online collaborative learning in each of these countries or others. Rather the data beneath indicates a partly open door to a room begging for exploration on the gender dynamics operating within online collaborative learning such as the GTP LC.

It should be noted that 72 percent of all teachers that filled in the questionnaire are female (28 percent male) and that the percentage of female teachers is even higher than that in previous LC year analysis (62 percent). On the part of learners, 55 percent of those who filled in the questionnaire are female (with 45 percent being male). The percentage of female students is high, but not as high as it may have been assumed based on the high percentage of female teacher in respondents.

Certain apprehensions
Can it be postulated that there are more female learners in schools and teachers across the countries that participated in this evaluation than female teachers? If yes to the above what factors have really influenced the change in trend? Does this then mean that there is less technophobia and or that online  collaborative learning such as the GTP LC are indeed an effective tool for introduction to technology and attainment of agreed upon Millennium Development goals such as universal basic education and education for all goals such as education of the girl child?

Does gender influence the adoption of ICT in Education projects and their implementation style in the classroom or outside? These are questions that over the next year or two based on earlier and emerging evaluations the GTP will seek to have informed answers for based on interaction with actual learners and teachers.

Titi Akinsanmi, Joint Programme Manager
The Global Teenager Project, Johannesburg
t.akinsanmi@schoolnetafrica.org