Introduction [TJ]

8.4.4 Patterns of Use

Learners

More than 83% of the sampled learners could use a computer. Of the remaining 17%, 57% said they could not use one, and the remainder that they did not have time. Nabisunsa Girls School charges a separate fee for computer training - this makes computer training less accessible to some students. The Coordinator explained that the school was forced to charge a fee of 30 000 shillings per student per term for computer training in order to raise money to pay the teacher who was brought in from outside to teach the girls. The head-teacher explained that in future the policy would change, and instead of charging individual learners for the training an amount would be levied on all learners as part of their school fees. This was the system employed in the other three schools. The experience in these schools was that computers were more accessible to students and staff at such schools. Ten of the students who indicated that they did not use computers explained that they had not had the time because they had been busy preparing for their final exams.

Those learners who used computers were asked to indicate the year they started using computers. The majority indicated that they had started using the computer during the last two to three years. More than half of the learners who used the computer, indicated that they had learned to use them at school. Figure 8.3 shows the different places where the learners learned to use the computer.


Figure 8.3 Places where Learners Learnt the Computer

More than half of the learners who used the computer, indicated that they had learned to use them at school. Learners were also asked to indicate where they learned most about the computer.

Figure 8.4 Places where Learners Learnt the Most about Computers
More than half of the learners indicated that most of what they knew about computers was learned at school, followed by 40% who learnt most at home.


Figure 8.5 Duration of Computer Use
Learners indicated that they had been using computers for durations ranging from one to nine years. The mean however was 3 years, with a standard deviation of 2.9.
Nearly half the learners indicated that they spent one to two hours each week in school learning and using the computer as illustrated in Figure 8.6 below.

Figure 8.6 Time Spent Using the Computer
In all four schools computer training for students had been introduced on the school timetables and some free time was made available for students to use the Internet and to send e-mail.
These findings confirm those reported in the WorLD evaluation report that students in Uganda spent more time using ICTs in school than the average for Africa and the WorLD Program. This is an indication that the initial introduction of computers to the learners by the WorLD Program had a catalytic effect and has stimulated a demand for more access to computers and computer training.
Educators

83% of educators indicated that they were fully literate with the rest indicating that they were fairly literate. None of the educators indicated that they were not computer literate, an indication that they all had been exposed to computer training of some sort. When asked how often they used computers their responses ranged from daily to about once a week. Slightly more than half of the educators used computers daily.

Figure 8.7 Time Spent by Educators on the Computer
Although some educators were at first afraid of using computers, the majority now enjoyed using computers and would actually like to learn about computers as shown in the Table 8.1 below. Educators use computers mainly for teaching, followed by student learning. They were used very little for administrative tasks. Communication was mentioned as another use..
What is of interest, however is that the e-mail questionnaire sent out to 30 teachers yielded a zero response. This zero response could not have been as a result of the teachers having not received the questionnaire because the National Coordinator indicated that he had received it and it was sent using a list address. The reasons for this zero response therefore remain unclear. The majority of educators indicated that their schools had access to the Internet (83%) and e-mail (95%).
Table 8.1 Teachers' Perceptions of Using ICTs

Statement	Number	%
I was afraid of using computers	10	43
I have never been afraid of computers	6	26
I enjoy using computers	15	65
I would like to learn about computers	14	61
I would like to learn more about computers	10	43
Total	23

The Community

Two of the schools reported that they made their computers accessible to the neighbouring communities during the holidays at a minimal cost, which was to cover a contribution towards the maintenance and costs of the computers. In both these cases the schools offered computer training to teachers in neighbouring primary schools and in one instance to a women’s group.