Re-Thinking Out-of-School Learning in Rural Pakistan

Abstract

Continued innovation in networked digital technologies brings both opportunities and challenges to educators, educational system designers, and policy makers. This situation is exacerbated in developing countries where there is marked disparity of educational opportunities and achievements compared with developed countries. With a global population having one out of five children out-of-school, UNESCO’s agenda of quality ‘Education for All’ demands attention to a deteriorating situation. Advancements in learning technologies continue to be seen as key to solving the disparities with increasing diversity in the design, development and implementation of educational technology initiatives. This paper proposes a framework for underprivileged communities in Pakistan who do not have access to good schools, teachers and libraries. Contextualizing adaptable learning support, scalability of initiatives, and development of sustainable policies, however, is a continuous challenge. In reviewing relevant ‘stand out’ initiatives during the last two decades and socio-technological impacts on the communities they served, we discuss a range of issues and stakeholder perspectives framed by challenges arising from technological, pedagogical and localized perspectives. Principles are identified that might assist contextualized learning support models for remote and underprivileged communities, and a way forward is proposed in terms of a sustainable, scalable and adaptable teaching and learning model.