Evaluator

PROGRAmme SUMMARY

Can’t Wait to Learn (CWTL) proposes new cost-effective solutions to the urgent challenges facing education for children in emergencies. By utilizing innovative technological solutions with a focus on serious gaming, CWTL has the potential to provide out-of-school children with access to education opportunities, especially children from vulnerable communities and have been out of school for a number of years. The programme uses education technology as part of a model of education which is offering certified curriculum level content through applied gaming and personalized children engagement. The programme uses a range of innovative, results focused approaches: combining context specific applied gaming and community-based facilitation; a strong innovation management staged approach to growth with rigorous appropriate research; and focusing on getting the right partnerships in place.

Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the whole educational system shifted to distant learning. ‘Can’t Wait to Learn’ program was also adapted to this new way of learning under what we call ‘Can’t Wait to Learn from Home’.

This new education methodology combines online/downloadable educational materials provided at household level. It aims at setting up an interactive learning environment for children where blending or ‘mixing’ the teacher’s role with technological tools as resources to support the learning process. Different modalities were implemented, students were able to download the materials on their phones through a webpage, using receivers that are connected to televisions or even through SD cards. Throughout this approach, a package of CWTL downloadable Arabic and Math instructional videos as well as BLN books were shared under two packages of literacy and numeracy. Since the approach is based on blended learning, children will watch the instructional videos and listen to the audio/songs, and they will be assigned a number of exercises from their BLN books to practice the concepts they have learned. In addition to that, there were Psychosocial Support, Child Protection and health awareness videos/audios that were developed by War Child technical team on COVID-19. Another modality was providing tablets to children at household level.

BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE

Can’t Wait to Learn is a global innovation in education programme promoting access to quality education in crisis affected areas, including areas where there are no (or not sufficient) teachers and schools. Can’t Wait to Learn was rolled out for the first time in Lebanon in Chatila Camp in in October 2017.

As of January 2020 Can’t Wait to Learn have reached over 8700 children in Lebanon. With the emersion of COVID-19 and adapting the program to remote learning, we could reach 6921 children by August 30 through Can’t Wait to Learn from Home’. With the support of 20 implementing partners, 20 international and local NGOs as implementing partners. Ministry of Education and Higher Education– at national and District levels –has been involved at all programme stages, particularly with regards to supporting the formal integration of Can’t Wait to learn as a recognized Basic Literacy and Numeracy (BLN) approach in Lebanon. The programme will use this opportunity to measure the effectiveness of the numeracy and literacy outcomes of ‘Can’t Wait to Learn from Home’. To do so this will be done using mix methodologies (qualitative and quantitative).

The programme has already conducted a number of research studies, including: maths research study Sudan (2014); pre-post evaluative study on the Arabic language reading game in Sudan (2018); practice based evaluative study on the Lebanon Maths game (2018), and; quasi-experimental study on the Jordan Maths and Arabic reading game (2018). 

Assignment SUMMARY

Country

Lebanon

Project code

Donor

Study Type

x

Baseline study

x

Endline study

x

Project evaluation

Timeframe

October 2020– January 2021

Audience & use

The evaluation will inform understanding on the effectiveness of the ‘Can’t Wait to Learn from Home’ programme in Lebanon at the in-country and global technical education and programme management levels. The results will inform potential adaptions to the programme content, technical inputs such as teacher training and support, remote learning delivery and community engagement activities, and project support structures such as staffing and logistics.

General objective

Assess the change in the performance of the children’s literacy and numeracy competencies and their psychosocial well-being through their participation in the ‘CWTL from Home’ programme as part of Basic Literacy and Numeracy (BLN) Programme for 9 weeks.

Asses the experience of children, caregivers and facilitators with ‘CWTL from Home’ and identify which factors may benefit or hinder implementation and effectiveness of the programme.

Specific Objectives

Quantitative assessment of learning outcomes and well-being through baseline and endline measurements.

Qualitative assessment of the learning experiences, learning progress and well-being through focus group discussions, key informant interviews and observations.

Research questions

The below questions are to be categorized under each of the following modalities: Tablets, Downloadable link, SD cards, Receivers linked to TVs
 

• Do the children demonstrate improved competency in numeracy and literacy after participating in the ‘CWTL from Home’ programme?

• After taking part in the ‘CWTL from Home’ programme, is there any significant improvement on psychological wellbeing?

• What are different participants’ (children, parents, teachers, partners and technical staff) opinions of and experiences with and feedback on the ‘CWTL from Home’ programme?

   

   

   

• What are the factors that may moderate learning outcomes, predict programme dropout, and enable and hinder successful implementation?

Target group(s)

Refugee children and children from vulnerable communities (boys and girls from 10 to 14 years old) enrolled in BLN programming, including ‘Can’t Wait to Learn from Home’.

Other participants: teachers.

Type of Study

X

Mixed Methods

Data sources

Primary: Math and Reading baseline and endline assessment data, self-reported well-being questionnaire data, key informant interviews and focus group discussions with target groups, or any other tool recommended by the evaluator.

Secondary: existing literature (assessment reports) on education in Lebanon, including humanitarian and non-humanitarian settings, etc.

Methodology

To be drafted by the evaluator and approved by War Child

Approach

To be drafted by the evaluator and approved by War Child

Sampling & Data Collection

To be drafted by the evaluator and approved by War Child

Expected output(s)

Inception report

Drafting and sharing of data collection tools

Baseline data collection + report

Endline data collection + report

Final evaluation report compiling and analysing qualitative and quantitative data no later January 2021

Dissemination

In country restitution workshop no later than January 2021

Ethics

The timing, location, and target group of the evaluation will be coordinated with our implementing partners.

Data collection and storage will be in line with EU privacy regulations (GDPR), and comply with War Child’s Child Safeguarding Policy, including informed consent of children, parents, teachers and other participants.

Work plan, roles and responsibilities

War Child Holland:

• Coordination with relevant authorities, particularly the Ministry of Education and Higher Education at national and local levels
• Identification of all active beneficiaries across the country with their distribution across areas and partners
• Coordination of availability of beneficiaries/sample
• Review and approval of inception report and data collection tools
• Attending an initiation meeting after approval of inception report in order to plan data collection and all relevant details
• In-country logistics support for data collection
• Attending and participating in the validation workshop once the findings and the final report are drafted
• Review and approval of endline data analysis and final report
• Attending the dissemination meeting

Evaluator:

• Identification and review of secondary data sources
• Drafting and finalisation of inception report
• Drafting and finalisation of data collection tools
• Attending initiation meeting
• Selection of target participants and planning data collection with the support of CWTL team
• Lead data collection, baseline and endline
• Drafting and finalisation of baseline data collection report
• Drafting and finalisation of endline data collection report and findings (both quantitative and qualitative)
• Delivery of final evaluation report compiling interpretation of qualitative and quantitative data analysis no later than January 2021
• Planning and delivering a validation workshop
• Delivery of dissemination workshop no later than January 2021