Tech limitations, assessment methods fail to identify COVID-19 learning losses, report reveals

A new study in Nigeria and some other low and middle-income countries has revealed that effective tools and techniques for progress monitoring are essential if government must address learning gaps that have widened during the pandemic.

The report, released by T4 Education in collaboration with EdTech Hub, noted that tech limitations, particularly, high cost of data and education assessment methods, failed to accurately gauge students progress and identify learning losses created by COVID-19, piling pressure on teachers at a critical time.

The report titled: ‘Effective assessment and progress monitoring in an online environment,’ provided an insight into how tools and techniques for monitoring progress should be improved upon, if government is to address learning gaps widened during the pandemic.

The study was conducted to understand how, during the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers and school leaders in Nigeria and other low and middle income countries (LMICs) approached assessing progress when students were learning remotely.

The study, undertaken in six countries, namely, Nigeria, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Philippines and South Africa, was based on focus group discussions with teachers and school leaders in each country.

The report also highlighted how consistent access to electricity proved a big challenge for teaching students and tracking their progress during the pandemic, as was lack of access to devices.

The cost of data was also widely cited by study participants as an issue students and teachers had to contend with. Cheaper data rates at night meant students often had to work later in the evenings. The report said when digital tools could be employed; text and voice notes were commonly used for both instruction and assessment as practical ways of disseminating materials without using too much data.

“The practice of recording video lectures, posting on YouTube, then sending the link to students was another method used by teachers.

“When students had free time and access to a device, they would study the posted materials, then take quiz to check for their learning.

“The pressure of attempting to ensure learning continued and progress was monitored effectively online, despite limited device access and data cost issues, created extremely inefficient workflows for teachers,” the report stated.

Reliance on hundreds of WhatsApp messages a day from students at different hours created significant workloads, stress, and often direct financial costs for teachers. Lack of students’ access to devices during the day often meant teachers working into the night.

Executive Director of EdTech Hub, Verna Lalbeharie, said: “The extreme challenge placed on teachers in Nigeria and around the world to provide continuity of learning for students in a long-term emergency environment is something from which we must learn.”

“There is no piece of technology that can replace the art of good teaching. This was true before the pandemic and has been deeply underscored in the last two years. What we can do, however, is enhance that art by providing teachers with evidence-based, effective tools and assessment systems, which are essential to tackling learning losses in LMICs exacerbated by the pandemic. And drawing on the lessons learnt in this report, we can prepare for and properly monitor students progress the next time a crisis forces schools to close.”