- Singapore Management University
- Dr. Christine Ho, Associate Professor, Singapore Management University
- Dr. Abu S Shonchoy, Associate Professor, Florida International University
- Dr. Tomoki Fuji, Associate Professor, Singapore Management University
- Dr. Rohan Ray, Research Fellow, National University of Singapore
- Md Mushfiqur Rahman Shumon
- Nani Halder Ovhik
The Digital Lab Access in Bangladesh (D-Lab) project aims to seek the effectiveness of digital labs and blended learning in strengthening student learning and self-study skills, particularly in supplementary English and Math classes. The project leverages existing digital labs like ICT DLAB and ICT Learning Center (ILC), while also providing teacher training for effective video-assisted learning implementation. Key activities include conducting 451 Head Master Surveys, 1353 Teacher Surveys, and 13,639 Student tests & surveys across 451 schools. Additionally, the project provided teacher training, digital educational materials, and gifted wall clocks to participating schools, along with geometry boxes to all surveyed students. Data was also collected from D-LAB software.
The Covid-19 pandemic has significantly delayed the progress of education in Bangladesh in recent decades. With schools closed for nearly a year and a half due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the crisis of education has been exacerbated, especially for poor students. Schools are currently open in Bangladesh, but students are automatically promoted to higher (next) grades without acquiring adequate learning skills. Therefore, it is very important to ensure that students understand the lessons of the class by studying themselves or by participating in remedial lessons.
A promising solution to this problem is to harness the recent advances in EdTech (Digital Technology in Education). However, authorities believe that EdTech (such as the use of computer lab classes) is not being fully used. The reasons for not being fully utilized are the lack of proper maintenance of existing digital facilities such as ICT DLAB and ICT Learning Center (ILC), adequate training for teachers, and lack of mandatory lab use rules.
Currently, there is a need for a study on the effectiveness of digital labs and how students are experiencing the benefits of self-learning using digital labs. Moreover, due to COVID-19, educational institutions were closed in Bangladesh for a long time like the rest of the world. As a result, students have faced learning deficits in various subjects.
The D-LAB project is focused on whether these labs can be used effectively to overcome this learning gap. Based on the results obtained from this project, it is possible to ensure the self-learning of the students, including overcoming the learning deficit of the students during corona, if the initiative is taken to make the digital labs effective. As part of this project, this orientation program has been organized for the headmaster and one computer lab teacher of the participating schools.