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Using Interactive Radio to Enhance Classroom Learning and Reach (Review of South African Radio Learning Programme)

• ‘English in Action’ programme in South Africa from 1993 to 2004
• Looking to achieve the Millennium Development goals for Africa by 2015 it was suggested that there needed to be innovative means of educational delivery
• Perraton (2000) suggests that open learning and distance learning has an important role to play in the developing world
• The key Millennium Development goal of achieving universal primary education has particular focus
• Economies of developing countries makes the rapid roll-out or broad roll out of ICT unlikely
• Radio enhanced learning is a low-cost multi-channel support
• Interactive radio is defined as ‘an educational methodology that actively engages learners in learning through carefully designed audio programs, such as radio or cassette’ (Learntech, 1994, p7)
• It is based on the educational methodology which aims to involve learners actively in audio lessons
• South African Radio Learning Programme established new directions in interactive radio learning in emphasising the constuctivist nature of classroom learning.  Looking at social dimensions involved in successful education and recognition of the essential role of teachers not only as supporters but as facilitators of the learning process (OLSET, 1995)
• Radio was conceptualised as a central organiser in a process of multichannel learning
• Supported by print materials, workshops, classroom visits, teacher support groups
• Aimed at facilitating teacher development involving a social and community element to the educational process
• 1993 – 118 radio lessons in supporting the teaching of English @ Grade 1 Level – 14500 learners in five regions
• 1994 – 130 radio lessons in supporting the teaching of English @Grade 2 Level – implemented to those who had complete the Level 1
• Half hour durations and recorded on audiotapes
• Initial negative feedback concerning the behaviourist nature of the programme and its’ technology-centric view of education evolved the programme to be broader in design involving distance education supported by programme staff – Regional Coordinators delivered to the participating schools together with a radio tape recorder and other classroom posters.  The Regional Coordinator established contact (ongoing) with the development of teacher support groups
• Regional Coordinator role pivotal in the shift from a pedagogy involving distance education via radio to a pedagogy based on open learning – this included teachers being encouraged to network and form teaching support groups
• Another weakness identified was a lack of a coherent conceptual and policy framework and teacher development work.  Staff were more involved with  discussing the usage and a ‘Teacher Development Coordinator’ was appointed
• 1995 – there had been a shift from a pedagogy on a learner curriculum to a pedagogy of two: first for learners and second for teachers
• The second curricular for teachers was a new step and provided teacher support; in service training; lesson observations; discussions; support groups and workshops – Teacher development accomplished through daily audio-assisted practice
• 1998 – Despite positive external evaluation evidence the programmes operation was uneven  and of variable quality.  For those who were involved from the start the quality was very good and comprehensive – for those involved later the work was limited and of mixed quality – there was a growing demand for the Radio Learning Programme Countrywide
• 2001 – 14500 teachers and 680000 learners
• 2002 – 7570 schools participating with 21745 teachers
• 2003 – 30167 teachers and 1,302,728 learners
• The combination of different forms to support curricula secured strong advocacy by teachers and principals – this suggests that it has provided individual, social and contextually relevant support to classrooms and schools
• Work has led to collaborative teacher development with the BBC and a pilot level in other areas of Africa and Asia
• South African Radio Learning Programme has demonstrated the potential of radio as a low-cost ICT when used at scale and the power to use radio as part of a wider theory

References

Charles Potter and Gordon Naidoo. (2006). Using Interactive Radio to enhance classroom learning and reach schools, classrooms, teachers and learners. Available: https://learn2.open.ac.uk/pluginfile.php/1280134/mod_resource/content/1/H800_Week2c_UsingInteractiveRadio_Potter_etal.pdf. Last accessed 18th February 2015.