Browsing by Subject "Aptus"
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PublicationAptus( 2014-04)Introductory videos of Aptus, the Classroom Without Walls. A large number of learners and teachers in the developing world operate in "unconnected" environments – unconnected to the power grid and to the Internet. There needs to be a different approach to extend them support. COL’s idea of a "classroom without walls" can make a contribution. We can imagine a situation where a learner in a typically unconnected environment can access a lesson in a Learning Management System (LMS), and complete an assignment, with her/his credentials intact and available to the teacher. Learners can also participate in a socializing process through visiting and commenting on a blog related to the learning materials and courses. -
PublicationAptus( 2016-11-25)Promotional brochure explaining Aptus - a device developed by the Commonwealth of Learning to facilitate elearning in remote and disconnected areas. (Revised June 2018).
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PublicationAPTUS Deployment in Samoa( 2017-03-22)Workshop presentation by Mr. Mose Mose, The National University of Samoa, for Mobile Learning Week 2017 in Paris, France, on 22 March 2017.
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PublicationAptus: A Potential Support System for Education in Emergencies( 2017-03-22)Workshop presented by Dr. Venkataraman Balaji, Director - Technology and Knowledge Management, Commonwealth of Learning, for Mobile Learning Week 2017 in Paris, France, on 22 March 2017.
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PublicationDELIVERING APTUS - OER IN OFF-GRID, OFF-LINE SITUATIONS: REACHING THE UNREACHED( 2015-02-24)Presented at Mobile Learning Week 2015, UNESCO (24 February 2015) held in Paris, France by Dr. Venkataraman Balaji (co-written with Mr. Ricky Cheng and Ms. Michelle Gruda), Commonwealth of Learning.
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PublicationDo Tablets and Aptus Contribute to Improved Learning Outcome? Results from an Applied Research Project in Swat Region, Pakistan( 2016-04)This is a report of findings from the Project for Innovative Delivery of Education Using Mobile Technology, Pakistan. It contains an analysis of results of activities under collaborative project of the Commonwealth of Learning and the Reach Out to Asia (ROTA) department of Qatar Foundation. It was prepared under the supervision of Professor Mohamed Ally, senior research advisor, and Mr. Raffat Khaqan, consultant on this project. // Widespread use of affordable mobile technology is an important development in the present times. Leaders of all nations are committed to achieving “inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”, which is Goal 4 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this regard with the increasing use and accessibility of mobile technology, trials were carried out in using mobile learning to increase access to education in Swat, Pakistan. The project was implemented during January to March 2016 in Allama Iqbal Public School and College Kanju Swat, Pakistan. Grades 8, 9, and 10 were involved in this project. The mobile learning project involved the use of mobile technology to deliver learning materials to students to provide flexibility of access of electronic learning materials. The Aptus system is portable and was designed to allow children to connect to digital learning platforms and access course materials without the need for grid electricity or internet access. This ideal situation was found in an area like Swat where there is limited or no access to the internet and unreliable supply of electricity. Moreover, the costs of the Aptus system and the tablet computers are reasonable which makes it a good choice for large scale implementations.
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PublicationAn Evaluation of the Usefulness and Ease of Use of the Aptus Within the Samoan Education Context( 2017-11)This paper describes the findings of the first trial of the Aptus device within the National University of Samoa. The Aptus is a device that enables wireless access to valuable educational resources in the absence of electricity and the Internet. The goals of this research were to explore the acceptance of using the Aptus to access e-resources within the context of education in Samoa, with user acceptance measured by evaluating the ease of use and usefulness of the Aptus. The findings of the trial indicated very positive perceptions of students and teachers at the university in terms of ease of use and usefulness of the Aptus within educational settings. From the results of Phase 1, a strong recommendation is made to adopt the Aptus as a technology for providing access to quality educational resources within the National University of Samoa. The study also recommends the need for training of teachers on the use of the Aptus and its applications, such as Moodle.
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PublicationExpanding Access, Openness and Flexibility( 2017-10-17)Presented by Professor Asha Kanwar, President & CEO, Commonwealth of Learning, at the World Conference on Online Learning: Teaching in a Digital Age - Re-thinking Teaching & Learning, 17 October 2017, Toronto, Canada.
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PublicationField Trials of Aptus Prototype: An overview of results from 15 countries( 2014-07)Aptus is a server with its own WiFi router. It can be deployed in areas with no access to grid electricity or data connectivity, and the users (with Tablets, smart phones or Laptops) can access several thousand Open Educational Resources of repute and quality- such as videos from Khan Academy, Wikipedia for Schools, Simple English Wikipedia) and Moodle 2.7 or Drupal 7 (a content management system). Aptus prototype was launched in Sep 2013. During the 7th Pan Commonwealth Forum (PCF) at Abuja, Nigerai (Dec 2013), a series of demonstrations were conducted with Aptus. In one, a market place event, about 120 individuals attended a demo and gave written expressions of interest in testing the prototype in their respective sites and locations. Aptus was also demonstrated in the UNESCO Mobile Learning week (Paris, Feb 2014) and drew a significant audience.
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PublicationInnovative Digital Solutions( 2021-09-20)Innovative Digital Solutions: Keynote address delivered virtually by Dr Naveed Malik, Special Adviser: Technology & Innovation at the 2021International Conference on Education held in Kuala Lumpur, 20 September 2021.
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PublicationMaking Mobile Learning Highly Viable in Contexts with no Connectivity or Grid Power: A Recent Implementation( 2017-03-22)Workshop presentation by Dr. Venkataraman Balaji (Commonwealth of Learning), Dr. Mohamed Ally (Athabasca University), Vanita Shinde (Mann Deshi Foundation), and Mose Mose (National University of Samoa) for Mobile Learning Week 2017 in Paris, France, on 22 March 2017.
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PublicationOERs Taking Schools from Resource Poor to Resource Rich( 2016-11)A rapidly growing number of schools in developing countries are introducing packages of OERs through offline solutions such as APTUS, Rachel, Internet In A Box etc. Such solutions typically deliver thousands of teaching videos, free books and text books, digital dictionaries and encyclopaedias, interactive exercises, real time student progress details etc. The schools they are delivered to typically have few educational resources, undertrained teachers and poor teaching and learning support systems. The paper will draw on several years of experience in Pacific Small Island States in implementing a range of ICT4E projects and provide insights into issues raised by this new approach of flooding schools with OERs. It will critically evaluate much of the developed world approaches to OERs for relevance, noting they come from reasonably well functioning education systems with well trained teachers, adequate resources and support systems and an ICT and information literate population. The paper will attempt to answer the question – What do we need to do to ensure maximum learning benefits come from such use of such OERs. To do this, it will examine the method and practices of deploying and accessing these OERs and identify gaps and inadequacies and make recommendations to address them// Paper ID 155
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PublicationOpen and Innovative Schooling: An Implementation Experience in Fifteen Secondary Schools across Mozambique( 2021-10-19)This case study explores the open and innovative schooling model piloted in fifteen secondary schools across all regions of Mozambique in the period 2018 to 2020. The model involved provision of access to curriculum-based digital Open Educational Resources (OER) using an Aptus device to enable sharing offline. Learning support centres offering access to some ICT as well as opportunities for individual use or structured tutorials were established in fifteen schools around the country. A mixed methods tracer study was designed and implemented using quantitative analysis to ascertain student enrolment, retention and success and then used qualitative focus surveys and focus groups to gauge the satisfaction of students, teachers and managers with the OIS model to inform future planning. While the pilot was generally considered successful in augmenting existing secondary schooling provision, access to devices, teacher development and support and expansion of curriculum coverage were all found to be in critical need of improvement if the model is to be scaled.
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PublicationSpeech at Canada House Reception for the Ninth Pan-Commonwealth Forum( 2019-03-12)Delivered by Professor Asha Kanwar, President & CEO, Commonwealth of Learning, at the launch of the Ninth Pan-Commonwealth Forum, 12 March 2019, Canada House, London, UK.
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PublicationThe iBox Technology-Enabled Teaching and Learning in Pre- and Post-COVID Ghana( 2022-09)PCF10 Sub-theme: Inspiring Innovations // Prior to Covid-19, some young private Ghanaian technologists, inspired by COL’s APTUS dongle, undertook a project toward solving the high cost of internet connectivity and the challenges related to equity, access, quality and gender. Their research produced an offline system called the iBox along with a corresponding online iCampusgh.com for learners, teachers, parents and school managers. It was adopted in 2014 by Ghana’s Ministry of Education through the Centre for National Distance Learning and Open Schooling (CENDLOS). Appropriate e-content was also developed by selected teachers. The product became a national solution during the Lockdown. // The system offers lessons in text, quiz, video, audio and laboratory simulation formats. Its unique learner management system (LMS) generates individualized assessment report sheet along with other support features on a dashboard. It supports learning at one’s own pace, is gender sensitive and is convenient for some persons with disabilities (PWD). // This paper considers how adapted and localized technologies can help bridge the digital divide in lower income communities, using the case of the iBox system. It explores the spirit of collaboration within the Pan-Commonwealth education in areas of technology, pedagogy and training. // Paper ID 9015
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PublicationUse of Aptus: Manndeshi's Experience( 2017-03-22)Workshop presentation by Ms. Vanita Shinde, Manndeshi Foundation, for Mobile Learning Week 2017 in Paris, France, on 22 March 2017.
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PublicationUse of Tablet Computers to Improve Access to Education( 2016-11)A research project was carried out in using mobile learning to increase access to education. This project is contributing to the achievement of Goal 4 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) “inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”. The mobile learning project involved the use of mobile technology to deliver learning materials to students to provide flexibility of access. Students used tablet computers to access electronic learning materials from the Aptus local server without having to connect to the internet. The Aptus system is portable and was designed by the Commonwealth of Learning to allow learners to connect to digital learning platforms and access course materials without the need for internet access. The project was implemented in a school in Pakistan. A total of 74 Grades 8, 9, and 10 students were involved in this project. The research revealed positive impact on students and on learning as a result of their participation in the mobile learning project. The results from the research study indicated that students are better able to use the mobile technology for learning. Both students and parents also reflected that the project increased the students’ knowledge on the use of tablet for learning. Parents shared that the mobile learning project increased their children interest in study. This was also acknowledged by teachers that the students were taking more interest in classroom learning and concentrated on their tablets during study. Students were given content pre-test and post-test. The post-test scores were significantly higher than the pre-test scores, indicating the use of the tablets for learning improved students’ performance. // Paper ID 154
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PublicationUse of Tablet Computers to Improve Access to Education in a Remote Location( 2017-07)A research project was carried out in using mobile learning to increase access to education. This project is contributing to the achievement of Goal 4 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which is to “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”. The mobile learning project involved the use of mobile technology to deliver learning materials to students to provide flexibility of access. Students used tablet computers to access electronic learning materials from the Aptus local server without having to connect to the Internet. The Aptus system is portable and was designed by the Commonwealth of Learning to allow learners to connect to digital learning platforms and access course materials without the need for Internet access. The project was implemented in a school in Pakistan. A total of 74 Grade 8, 9, and 10 students were involved in this project. The research revealed a positive impact on students and on learning as a result of their participation in the mobile learning project: students were better able to use the mobile technology for learning. Both students and parents also indicated that the project increased the students’ knowledge on the use of tablets for learning. Parents indicated that the mobile learning project increased their childrens’ interest in studying. Teachers also acknowledged that the students were taking more interest in classroom learning and concentrated on their tablets during study. Students were tested before and after they were supplied with content on their tablets. The post-test scores were significantly higher than the pre-test scores, indicating the use of the tablets for learning improved students’ performance.