Nauru Site Visit

Tuesday, 30 September to Monday, 6 October
Maria = phd student
AK = Ann Keke, Centre Director
D = Dallas, Librarian
P= Phaedora, teacher at Nauru Secondary School (14-17 yr olds), studying TESL at USP Nauru
W = Winnie, Librarian at primary school, library student at USP Nauru
DV = David, Telecoms, Noddy Bird "pro"
WT = Whitlam, law student over internet
RK = Ronald Kun, MG tutor
L = Limay, Director of Tourism
LY = Lyn, Director of Education
J= Josephine, early childhood education student
F= Formosa, student at Nauru centre

Infrastructure Issues

Power

• intermittent, unreliable
• "every day it goes out" -AK, 30 Sep. 2003
• "the power supply is unpredictable, so we miss important video conferences, or our main server goes out" - Whitlam, Student, 30 Sep. 2003
• dependency on the word processor can become a problem - AK 30 Sep, 2003
• "in power blackouts you lose your work, with a manual typewriter you could finish it" - W, 1 Oct 2003

Financial

• "gov't employees haven't been payed in 10 fortnights" - AK, 30 Sep, 2003

Transport

• fuel issues: "many people have no transport because they can't get petrol"- AK, 30 Sep, 2003
• public transport is unreliable, no schedule, just a few random buses - AK, 30 Sep, 2003

Access

• "something like 99% of people do not have internet access at home" - AK, 30 Sep, 2003
• there are 2 expensive internet cafes - AK, 30 Sep, 2003
• nearly all primary schools (3) and secondary schools (2) have computers
• "people are very interested in technology, but it is not available" - AK, 30 Sep, 2003

Phosphate

• the tumultuous legacy of phosphate has made many Nauruans uncertain about their future, unsure of whythey should learn: what possible goal can education on an expanding population with little opportunity on an increasingly crowded island?
• "phosphate developed a social welfare state that is now going" - AK, 30 Sep, 2003

High dropout rate

• many students are workers so cannot attend tutors during the day - AK, 30 Sep, 2003
• when they begin to find it too tough, they will often just quit, flexibility in timing is needed from Suva-end - AK, 30 Sep, 2003

Learning Issues

Goals of Education

• Uncertain Future
  • there was much concern about Nauru's future, now that the Phosphate has all but been exhausted. Some suggested a goal of education should be to prepare younger Nauruans to work abroad, as overcrowding is imminent.
• Culture
  • String Figures: only alive within select families, though USP Nauru Centre has recently published a book showing how
  • Noddy Bird Hunting: this is still a thriving part of the culture, though the Noddy Bird's population has dropped sharply: "We used to get 100 a night, at least twenty, but last night we brought home only 6" (and that evening we got 11) -DV 4 Oct 2003
  • Frigate Birding: still thriving, though many of the rules which has kept it sustainable are ignored or not known to today's youth
  • No more traditional arts and crafts -AK 30 Sep 2003
  • The Arts and Crafts Centre and the Museum have both been taken over by the landowners, and are now defunct
• History
  • Nauruan is an oral culture, so there are not many documents about their history: "The Oral Culture needs to be recorded" -M 30 Sep 2003
  • Prof. Hambruch has written a history of Nauruan in German that would be good to translate -AK 1 Oct 2003

Computer Skills

• "computer literacy is low, and we need a competent tutor" - AK, 30 Sep, 2003
• perhaps start with games to make students comfortable, as this is generally a common ground - AK, 30 Sep, 2003

Language

• verbal english is fine but written is not so good -AK, 30 Sep, 2003
• English is the administrative language, Nauru is not a written language
• teaching is done in English, but discussion is done in Nauruan
• classes are mixed at USP, with many Tuvaluan and Kiribati -M 30 Sep 2003
• "I think in English, and have troubles explaining my studies in Naruan" -AK 30 Sep 2003
• Often language-use is split by context: "my husband, on a personal level uses Naruan, but for work uses English" - AK 30 Sep 2003

Literacy

• no bookstore, and the public library has burnt down, "books in the home is core" -M 30 Sep 2003

Academic skills

• remedial training is needed - AK, 30 Sep, 2003
• many early leavers, few have year 12, so the strongest need is for preliminary and foundation courses - AK, 30 Sep, 2003
• foundation is core, we need to start with very basic learning, even at the USP level -M 30 Sep 2003

Home Environment

• "the home is an open space, and you cannot do this (school work) at home" -Maria, 30 Sep, 2003
• 10-12 kids in the average home - AK, 30 Sep, 2003
• "I have to come to the centre to get any work done" -M 30 Sep 2003
• "you leave a book around, someone takes it, then another takes it from them, and then it becomes toilet paper" -M 30 Sep 2003

Visual Learning

• they look for the pictures in all course material; they just look at flipping the pictures all the time, but that's the beginning of reading -M/AK 30 Sep 2003

Group Learning

• Negatives
  • "people are sort of... private" -G, 30 Sep 2003
  • "you need one or two in the group to guide the others" - AK 30 Sep 2003
  • common negatives to Group Learning are "we don't want be ridiculed" and "I don't want to tell her the answer, she'll copy that" but "when it works, its great" - AK 30 Sep 2003
  • students "don't like to boast" (M 30 Sep 2003) so group-learning can make people even quieter
• Positives
  • "you grow up working in groups" (M 30 Sep 2003) "its how you live, too" (AK 30 Sep 2003)
  • "they learn better in groups, take it out of the classroom and its great, it works" -M 30 Sep 2003

Rote vs. Active Learning

• Colonisation of Culture and Education
  • traditional learning was active learning, but with the strict formal education systems of the Germans, Japanese, and Missionaries, active learning is "not really part of life anymore". e.g. "arts and crafts are not passed down anymore" - AK 30 Sep 2003
  • "Young men learnt how to catch fish by observing their fathers and uncles. Young women learnt how to cook food and plait mats by observing their mothers and aunts... A Gilbertese named Tabuia started a Protestant mission in 1888... Naururans were forced to observe the holiness of Sundays and to attend prayer on that day... Education as we know it today did not exist prior to the advent of Europeans to Nauru. Education later became compulsory. General Griffith, as Administrator, centralized education in 1919. Parents sent their children to school so as not to be gaoled or fined." -Degoregore, Roy (1991) Nauru: The Way it Used to Be. from Stories from Nauru. USP Centre Nauru and Insitute of Pacific Studes, Suva, Fiji.
• "How do you nurture problem-solving in a rote-learning atmosphere?" -M 30 Sep, 2003

Aversion to Question Authority

• "although we are passive, we are observing but not articulating because of peer pressure, social constraints" -M 30 Sep, 2003
• "polynesians are always ready to come out, whereas we are more reserved, we're not demonstrative" -M/AK 30 Sep 2003

Cultural Differences

• "polynesians are always ready to come out, whereas we are more reserved, we're not demonstrative" -M/AK 30 Sep 2003
• body language
  • Nauruans use limited eye contact when speaking -AK 30 Sep 2003
  • eyebrows: to say hello (note: the eyebrow is also used extensively in Fiji to point and affirm), but many Nauruans seem to feel this is a "Nauruan thing"

Cultural Similarities

• "tomorrow will take care of itself"

Internal Reccomendations

these are reccs Nauru staff and students have come up with; it is not a filtered or tested set of reccs

Short, sharp courses

• develop many small victories into the course to account for the insecurity of school leavers -AK 30 Sep, 2003
• concentration span is short, they need many small victories -AK, 30 Sep, 2003

Face to Face

• they hire tutors if there are 5 or more students in a course
• prefer video to audio "I can see what she is saying"

Flexibility

• many are workers, and need a flexible schedule, as they cannot attend some audio tutorials -AK 30 Sep, 2003
• The Librarian said that 2-10 pm might be more useful timing
  • "some of them finish work at 6, and that's when I close, and some even come at weekends to my house to ask me to open" -D 1 Oct, 2003
• due to power, transport, communication and shipping issues Suva-based lecturers need to be more flexible with deadlines -AK 30 Sep, 2003

Incorporate computers

• Incorporate computers into courses more robustly (now just email, web, word processor) -AK 30 Sep, 2003

Make them comfortable

• with game-like interface, etc.
• "Humor goes a long way here" -AK 30 Sep, 2003
• "They like the games." Girls like Mavis Beacon, but they are still scared of computers, even though they use them for certain activities, "they feel intimidated when they learn something new" -P, 1 Oct, 2003

Aversion to Q

• delegate specific people to ask questions -AK, 30 Sep 2003
• self-esteem is a major contributor to this, so anything to improve self-esteem will encourage them to raise questions -AK 30 Sep 2003

Oral/ Audio

• "not brought up with books; being oral will bring out more than just books" -M 30 Sep 2003

Use local metaphors

• "the exam paper had to do with Kava. It was like double-dutch to us" -AK 30 Sep 2003

Nauruan Icons

Cantilever

Pinnacles

• "they are the soldiers" -M 30 Sep 2003
• "a reminder of how our home has been dug up" -M 30 Sep 2003

Coconut Trees

• "show that there is still life in Nauru" -LY, 2 Oct 2003

String Figures

• Older people knew what they meant, but younger ones just make the figures -LY, 2 Oct 2003

Frigate Bird

• the National Bird, on the coat of arms (see http://www.www.nr for an example)
• for men, it teaches responsibility because they must feed and tame the birds, a rite of passage once they reach a certain number -L 3 Oct 2003
• women have the Frigate Dance: (see Joanna Olson, a Journo student at USP Suva, who studied them)

Noddy Bird

Phosphate

• after WW2, the phosphate trade became big enough to differentiate Nauru from much of the Pacific

Tomanu Tree

• used to make canoes
• the flower represents the tree on the coat of arms

12-pointed Star

• the twelve points represent the 12 tribes of Nauru
• also on the coat of arms

Lady on the moon/ Eigigu

• a story about a woman who climbed to the sky, breaking off the branches of the tree she climbed at each step. note to self: Read the Full story, and ask Ann about it

Traditional Sport

• wooden-ball throwing and wrestling both stopped because they were too dangerous

Districts

• they used to be marked by where people tended the land, swept, planted trees, and acted as caretakers
• the colonists put it on paper, and people stopped cleaning their sections, as the paper rarely agreed with the borders they had understood -LY 30 Oct

Flying Fish

Interview with a Webct student

these are notes from a conversation with Whitlam, a student from the Solomon Islands at the Nauru centre, taking a USP law course over the internet

in a nutshell, the technology appears inadequate

• difficult to open course materials, as the internet is very slow, and files often will not open on his computer after the lengthy download process is complete
• often his teachers will email him the materials that he cannot download, which usually works. However, this quickly fills up his alotted student email
• "the power supply is unpredictable, so we miss important video conferences, or the main server is out" -WT, 30 Sep 2003
• there is warning before the video conference connection is cut off, "should advise me in advance" -WT, 30 Sep 2003

Interview with Ronald Kun

notes from a conversation with Ronald Kun on 1 OCtober, 2003, who tutors a management course at the Nauru centre

Aversion to Q

• "students prefer one on one in terms of asking questions... most questions come up while I smoke after class, it's more informal" -RK 1 Oct 2003
• "the thing that would be useful is to gather most asked questions. It shows them it is not a silly question." -RK 1 Oct 2003
• "1 student will ask the question, but everyone else is scribbling like mad" -RK 1 Oct 2003
• Sharing Questions: "when they ask a question, don't answer directly, but send them to the peanut board so everyone can see" -RK 1 Oct 2003
• "most of my students are my seniors, so I dont think its about being shy, i think its about not wanting to waste people's time, because they do ask questions when they step outside" -RK 1 Oct 2003

Computer Usage

• the computer lab is underutilised, a basic, mandatory tutorial would be useful
• "I know alot of students who never use the computers, who hand-write their essays, and if they're handwriting their essays, forget research. They're not even familiar with the resources available on the USP website" -RK 1 Oct 2003
• access to studies, journals, research, etc is important, so orientation to see how to access papers, journals online woukd help -RK 1 Oct 2003

Language

• if all Naruan students, I teach in Nauruan; if it is a mix, I teach in English. for definitions, specific specific questions, I answer in English, but explain concepts using examples in Nauruan -RK 1 Oct 2003

Local Metaphors

• "most of the examples are very Fijian", and he has to make the examples more Nauruan on the fly, using local companies and topical Nauruan events as examples. "We don't have veggy markets, we don't have military management. I have to pick something we can identify with." -RK 1 Oct 2003
• another solution to localisation would be to find examples that are common throughout the pacific, like fish or public sector -RK 1 Oct 2003

Group Learning

• neg is shyness
• pos is discussion, "we get to a point where we just have discussions together" -RK 1 Oct 2003
• must have small groups for group learning to work -RK 1 Oct 2003
• "its always at the beginning I do all the talking, but by the end I just chip in time to time" -RK 1 Oct 2003

Audio Conference

notes on the audio conference facility in Nauru, 1 October 2003

• I listened in on an audio conference 1 Oct, 2003. Quality differed for different centres
  • Niue: soft and staticy
  • Marshalls: clear
  • Fiji: incredibly LOUD!
• during the meeting, Solomon Islands lost power and Samoa lost its connection
• in spite of this, the acting centre director find it very helpful: "you tend to think your problems are negligible, but when you hear the problems of other centres, it is a comfort. You have people to bounce ideas off of... sometimes I ache for these meetings" -AK 1 Oct, 2003

Interview with Dallas, Nauru Librarian

notes from an interview with Dallas, Nauru Centre Librarian, 1 OCt 2003

Facilities

• 2 computers
• 1 with internet for Librarian-use only, CD-drive
• 1 without internet for student use (typing assignments), no CD-drive

Library Usage

• hours are 9-12, 1:30-6, M-F
• "most students are working in the morning, so they come in the afternoon" -D 1 Oct 2003
• "some of them finish work at 6, and that's when I close, and some even come at weekends to my house to ask me to open" -D 1 Oct, 2003
• the library is used not only for getting books, but also as a study area (its air conditioned and by far the coolest room in the centre), though Dallas says that most students just use the library as a resource
• "most students study at home, and when they need resources, that's when they come in" -D 1 Oct 2003
• 10 - 11 students come a day

Computer Knowledge

• Dallas was able to reboot the student computer when it froze at start up
• Students are mostly not computer literate when they begin: "most of them aren't computer literate literate, so I show them:"
  • how to start
  • where to save documents
  • how to search the USP library site
  • how to do search on google
• "once you tell them how to get started, usually they're just off on their own, they just do it" -D 1 Oct 2003
• if they want a book not in this library, they describe the sort of book they want, and Dallas looks for the book herself on usp site for an interlibrary loan: "I think this (Library Quick Search) is the greatest thing they did!" -D 1 Oct 2003
• most students have to come to Dallas to find books online, though "some of them can search on their own. Once they know how to do library search, maybe the second time they ask, then they do it on their own. Maybe two ro three I have to show how to do it every time, and they still have to come and have me do it" -D 1 Oct 2003
• "I think I am good at that (showing how to research on web and library site) because most end up being able to do it on their own" -D 1 Oct 2003
• "Once you start them off, they are quick to pick it up"

Needs

• networked computers in library so students can do the research on their own
• training on advanced search on library search

Group Learning

• "some just need a quiet space, some want to be in groups." Some will leave a group, get permission to just read on their own. "I know they are supposed to be with the group, but when I ask the group they understand, he just wants to be alone" -D 1 Oct 2003

Home Environment

• "they just know that they couldn't do anything at home because of family commitments, etc" -D 1 Oct 2003

Interview with Winnie

notes from a conversation 1 Oct, 2003, with Winnie, a library student at USP Nauru Centre, and Librarian at a primary school in Nauru. This interview didn't go along the typical lines, as she quickly took control, which was great! I got a lot of good ideas out of it, and left quite inspired

Literacy

• reading standard is going down, "we adapted to it better in our time, to read properly" -W 1 Oct 2003
• 8, 9, 10 year olds, many can read, but less than in my time

Using the Family Unit

• she invited parents in to pick books their children might like, "because they know what their kids like more than I do"
• it also gets the parents involved

Home Environment

• the open house style of many Nauruan homes is not very conducive to study and quiet reading, so Winnie did some experiments to try to make it more book-friendly
  • Made a shelf and put it by their sleeping area, then filled it with books
  • "make a cozy corner, stick a book under part of the matt, make that your cozy corner before going to sleep"

Local Metaphors/ Contextualising

• Clifford - put up a clifford poster, renamed the dog Clifford, popularized the dog itself, and then the kids would start to read the clifford books now that they identified with it in their own lives
• Pokemon is another character the children love, that can be used to make them read
• "I wanted to link reading to the real world, to relate books to an environment they can relate to"

Aversion to Q

• "if you don't want to ask questions in the classroom because you're shy, you can read the book"

Computers at Primary School

• 20-30 in a separate class from the library
• no internet
• "young children use the internet cafes. at $2.50 an hour, is it affordable, much cheaper tahn telephones or fax"

Kids and Computers in Nauru

• "its wonderful that the computer is a tool that can be used for education; just sit in your house an press a button and you can learn. Its like a washing machine in other countriers; I wish we could have that in Nauru. Its better than a telephone"
• kids in Nauru use xbox, nintendo, etc. her 9 yr old son asked for an email adress
• "I know for a fact that the children at our schools enjoy the computers, very quick to learn. My son knows more than I do."

Lynne, USP student

• studying UEP03 at USP Nauru, also a kindergarten teacher
• plays cards on the computer mostly, no internet, some word processing "I like it but am not familiar"

Sister Buratani, USP student

• says she has "no experience on computer"
  • uses word processor, but no web or email
• ED102 student
• teacher at grade 1
• Gilbertese

Lucinta, USP student

• a communications studies student at USO Centre Nauru
• "I work so use computers everyday"
• goes to cafe for internet, email, web browsing
• says she feels comfortable with computers

Interview with Phaedora

1 Oct, 2003. Notes from an interview with Phaedora, a teacher at Nauru Secondary School (14-17 yr olds), studying TESL at the USP Nauru centre

Computers at NSS

• 1 computer room with 20 computers
• last year had internet, paid for by monthly $15 staff fee. This didn't cover the costs, and they no longer have an internet connection
• "They like the games." Girls like Mavis Beacon, but they are still scared of computers, even though they use them for certain activities, "they feel intimidated when they learn something new" -P, 1 Oct, 2003
• "older ones use email. When we had internet they had to use email as part of their assignment"
• consistent power during the day at NSS

Aversion to Q

• "students are very shy; they don't want attention. If I talk to them one on one, I whisper, and it works" -P, 1 Oct, 2003
• "and if they know the answer, they're afraid their friends will make of them, 'ah you're smart'" -P, 1 Oct, 2003
• "most of them know, but they are shy, so I have to ask them individually" -P, 1 Oct, 2003

Language

• she teaches in English, but if the students are still confused she'll go over to Nauruan 'miss can you please talk in Nauruan'
• Discussion is in Nauruan, "they are too shy to speak english. They'll start fidgeting if I ask them to speak in English. They know it but they're shy. If they have a Fijian of Filipino teacher they can speak English, but with a Nauruan teacher they prefer Nauruan"

Oral

• "they'd rather hear it and talk about it than read it"
• more than half of her class is illiterate (she has the most remedial set of her age group)
• so they do group work, talking instead of reading, because "if I givce them something to read they sit on it"

Local Metaphors/ Context

• the war
• topside
• ROC Taiwan

Interview with Lyn, Director of Education

notes from a conversation with Lyn, the Nauru Director of Education, 2 October 2003

Computers at Schools

• 5 out of 11 schools have computers
  • 5 infants schools: no computers
  • 3 primary: all have computers
  • 1 secondary: has computer
  • 2 composites: 1 has computers, the other had them stolen
  • Vocational training Centre: computer lab was burnt down

TOT

• software that enables teachers to create their own Nm work would be nice

Local Metaphors

• Graphics Turtle (logo)
  • using a character to draw the graphs worked great, and they did a map of Nauru with it

"students enjoy anythign thats hands on"

?McKenzie, Student at Nauru Centre

Background

• from Tarawa (Kiribati)
• been in Nauru 2 years
• likes google

Interview with Josepehine, Nauru Centre Student

notes from an interview 3 October, 2003, with Josephine, in the last unit of early childhood education at the Nauru Centre

Background

• used to teach kindergarten, working towards a certificate in non-formal education
• wants to work with dhildren with disabilities, to help the fledgling special ed program in Nauru
• "in Nauru we're mostly on formal education, and I think we need non-formal education here... we need community education" -J 3 Oct 2003

Computer Usage

• frustrated because wants to use the Internet, but feels this is not encouraged
• has emailed, but never browsed web sites, has no ideas what Google, (or "Coco" as I have heard others refer to it) is
• "I'm not really good at Internet"

Needs

• who to turn to with questions outside of centre

Interview with Formosa, Management Student

3 oct, 2003 Background

• studying for a certificate in Management Studies
• works in public service, Dept. of Home Affairs
• wants an Ausaid scholarship to study on campus at USP in Suva
• her sister is studying at USP on campus in Suva on an ROC scholarship

Why on Campus?

• she wants a full degree, which is only possible oncampus, and wants to study fulltime to get it done quicker, which is only possible for her with a scholarship and studying on campus

Negs of Distance Learning

• no local tutor

Positives of Distance Learning

• Video conferences every 2 weeks with Robert Wojek (1 hour strictly)
• not a lecture, more a question session

Aversion to Q

• he (Robert Wojek) seeds questions by going through examples
• "we were a bit shy at the start, but we're more desparate than shy" -F, 3 Oct 2003

Feedback

• other than video conferences, the students are encouraged to use email for questions, but email isn't very reliable "when the power is up, the internet's usually down" -F, 3 Oct 2003

Local Metaphors/ Context

• the course materials make sense, but usually local management tutors have to change the examples on the fly to make them applicable to the local sistuation
• "the actual cooursebook is fine"
• she considers references to Kava, Dalo and other pacific but not Nauruan aspects to be "very good"

Group Learning

• "groups are good because more brainstorming is done, more ideas are generated and in MAths we jump on the problem together. Then again, some people are too shy for the groups." -F, 3 Oct 2003

Computer Usage

• has computer at home, but Nauru's power situation makes it hard (there were multiple power outages thgroughout town every day i was there)
• she likes the computer "because it is neat, and I can carry work on a disk. which Ican carry to work, and dow ork in both places." -F, 3 Oct 2003
• she likes spellcheck, word count, ease of editing

Home Environment

• she uses the centre only for the tutors, and does most of her work at her job, because "at home I am more distracted by my daughter"

New Media Desires

• she likes animations over dictionaries, because animations are "motivating"

Email

• "one tutor said we could send assignments by email, but Director said we don't have those facilities"
• she wants to send assignments through email, but doesn't send email through the centre
• at night there are no lights, and she loses work at every power cut, so she often runs late, "and email would help help me catch up"

Language

• "I think English is better, from preschool we are taught it, and Nauruan is not a written language"

Interview with Robby Detudano, Internet Cafe

interview with Robby Detudano, who runs one of two Internet cafes in Nauru, 3 Oct 2003

• designed http://www.www.nr

Internet usage

• started the cafe in 2000
• at first, an onsite poll showed that most people used the internet because they were curious. Now, most use it for email
• a minimum of 20 people each day, up to 200, with an average of 140 a day in August
• usage depends on the cash issues of the Nauru government (the bank has few, if any funds, and many civil servants haven;'t been payed in several fortnights)
• the most used service on his site are the e-cards; chat, discussion boards, and auction are underutilised, but he says this is because the site has only been around for 3 weeks, and people don't know about it

User Demographics

• in 2000, at first opening, mostly white collar
• now "mostly teenagers and housewives"
• most are are regular users, coming every other day, at least 2 times a week
• $2.50 Australian per hour for internet use

Frequent Questions

• mostly email related
• how to open new accounts
• at first had lots of questions about yahoo, hotmail, etc, but now "users mostly assist each other"

Approach to Computers

• "by commissioning this facility, it has changed people's attitudes to computers. That was lacking here. Its the only way to expose the internet to people."
• many people want formal ed for computers. All staff are self-taught, and would like some formal education.
• wants software that shows how to use web, set up email, etc
• also would love it if USP could do computer training for the general public

Ronna

Notes from a conversation 3 October, 2003, at the USP Nauru Centre

Background

• teacher of Computing at NAuru College
• wants a masters in Early Childhood Education
• studied Organizational Communication for BA in Phillipines

Cultural Differences

• Phillipines is a much stricter and rigorous system, she found scholing more relaxed in Nauru

Aversion to Q

• "bright students are afraid they will be teased if they say soething extraordinary"
• "instead of shocking them into doing something, I have steps to bring them out of their shell" like smaller groups, project-based that give "a team-work feeling," so they work together instead of against each other

Approach to Computers

• says there are two broad types of novice computer users, those who are afraid, and those who are too eager
• there are the kids who freeze up, and those who try anything on their own
• "experimentation is individual; can't be applied to all in Nauru"

Reccomendations for Nm

• Use of Character: "kids are more into educational software where they think the character is cool"
• suggesting that perhaps making the "cool characters" look like pacific islanders would be a good idea

Access

• "I don't think there would be much of a problem for USP students to get access, but non-USP students only have one ISP"

Usability

• forget underlined words; they'd rather go for shapes or something more colorful or graphics

Usability Tests in Nauru

Overall USability Summary

• headphones must be included with Cd-roms, as although computers have soundcards, they do not have speakers, nor headphones
• overall, the Nauruan students were explorers, clicking around rather than freezing when they were confused. However, there was a marked difference between continuing ed/ "off the street" students, who froze up, and others.
• buttons got clicks, underlined words did not
• escape routes are very important: students wanted to know how to get back to instructions, how to quit
• clear differentation between active and inactive is necessary, more pronounced than in Uk and US tests
• allow immediate action on instructions

Usability on Timeline

This test showed a clear need for a dictionary or clearer terms, and showed that additional differentiation (beyond typical US/UK levels) is needed between active and inactive objects. It was good to see the student exploring with the mouse rather than freezing when confused

1. "explain what BP means"
2. "make it more obvious that the controller is the active thing"
3. student had trouble figuring out what was active, so he just clicked around searching
4. once clear on the concept, he really liked the visualisation, "now, that really makes sense" -WT 1 Oct 2003

Usability on Timeline

1. clicked around searching for active objects
2. when in screen clicks failed, tried the menu (inline then menu?)
3. does this make sense? "No!"

Usability TEP02

This test showed a preference for buttons over underlined links, and made it clear that it is very important to differentiate quite powerfully between active and inactive objects

1. clicked button not underline
2. "give a way to re-enter the instruction page" (escape route) -WT 1 Oct 2003
3. student kept trying to try out the instructions on the buttons on the instruction page, though these buttons were inactive, for demo purposes only.

Usability TEP02

This test showed a preference for buttons over underlined links, and made it clear that it is very important to differentiate quite powerfully between active and inactive objects, and reiterated that we need obvious escape routes

1. clicked instructions
2. tried to use demo buttons during instructions
3. had troubles getting in, but once in, worked it fine
4. clicked around, experimented
5. clicked button not underline
6. "how do I quit?" (give escape route)

Usability TEP02

This test showed a preference for buttons over underlined links. Although she had difficulties figuring out how to use it, she was an explorer, clicking and trying until she was able to use the program. Although she did not recognize the pulldown, she knew how to use it once I pointed it out.

• clicked instructions
• tried to click buttons on instruction page
• finally, after trying everything else, clicked START ANIMATIONS
• in all her clicks, never really noticed the blue underlined links
• tried to use the compass
• didn't realise the pulldown was active, but once I showed it to her she knew how to use it

Usability TEP02

This user, after some initial troubles differentiating between what was active or not in the entry page, used the actual program itself without flaw.

• tried to click the decorative graphic that had the word 'next' in it
• pressed "start animations"
• hit play
• found next
• at end of anim, found drop down and sel;ected another, then hit "next step"
• asked how to exit the program

Usability TEP02

In a nutshell, this user was not an explorer, but a cautious user. She uses the computer daily, mostly excel. She approcahed the program in a very studied and cautious fashion, and became flustered at the long list of choices, saying she was confused and endeing the session.

• went to "start animations" really quickly
• paused a lot before clicking buttons, reading to herself
• found the dropdown and opened it easily, but was reluctant to choose any specific animations
• she then said she "doesn't understand" and ended the session

Audio Conference/Isolation

I FAIL TO HEAR, a poem by Makerita Va'ai, in PINNACLES, Mana Publications, Suva, 1993 I FAIL TO HEAR
(about the USP net)

A blanket of noise fills the void
now and then a human voice breaks through
frustration mounts
I curse the little black box
for failing to tell
the messages from the other end

I glare at the little black box
it stares right back
I wish I could break
if not persuade it
to tell me what they are saying
at the other end

Phone with Greg Ribauw

Notes from an interview with Greg Ribauw, USPNet Operator, Nauru, on 28 July, 2003

Language

• Teaching: English
• Study-groups: Nauruan
  • Study-groups: students set up their own
• Outputs: English

Computers:

• 8 computers in lab for student access: enrolled students only working hours
• 1 at library
• students to computer is 12 to 1
• not too many on computers because "not really sure they can use" and "probably don't know how to use"
• Only one student in a webct course
• 1 in online law course
• most don't have computers at home nor access at work

Collab/Active learning

• students set up their own study groups
• more students showing up "beause I am telling them and putting up schedules"
• small island so "only problem is petrol"
• most study done outside of centre: "I'd rather do work at work but I haven't seen many students come in to do work unless they need to type it up"

Emily Moala

notes from a meeting with Emily Moala about the different USp Centres, on 18 August, 2003

Equipment

• Nauru and Tuvalu both have bad electricity: government rations electricity in Nauru
• students miss lots of tutorials due to inconsistent electricity

Schools

• "more depressing environment... hardly see any green"
• 2nd smallest centre (Tokelau is smallest, then Nauru, then Tuvalu)
• 21 students enrolled!
• hardly any teachers
• there is a catholic secondary school to form 6 and a govt school to form 5

Nauru Education for the 21st Century

notes taken by Alim from Nauru education for the 21st century : priorities & needs. Suva, Fiji : The University of the South Pacific, 1997. on 25 August, 2003

Key areas for development

• Shortage of teaching fields like science, math and biology.

• Curriculum development

• Needs for proper teaching aids, materials, and equipments

• Non-formal education programme targeting the needs of local community

• Improve the standard of journalism

• Vast majority of public servants not properly trained nor qualified.

• Absence of a proper training scheme for staff in the service.

• The education system of Nauru producing students who could not read or write.

• High truancy rate in schools

• Role of relevant curriculum and motivated teachers needed.

• Significant number of Nauruans employed in jobs which they were not trained for

• Many Nauruans not taking advantage of many available opportunities for education and training

• Would take time for Nauruans to fully embrace the culture of education, due to past attitudes and circumstances.

• Strong concern that Nauru was losing its language

Solutions

• Vernacular be used as a medium of instructions in school

• Review current education system and make it relevant to local needs and aspirations

• Current system producing semi-literate students

• Lack of clear education policy guidelines to guide developments in sector

• Award more scholarships to mature students

• Lack of clear policy directives to allow schools to operate effectively

• Teachers lacked support from parents, the head office, and the society in general.

• Truancy another problem in schools

• Lack of motivation among students to attend school.

Causes of such Problem

• Performance of teachers
• Students not able to relate to the curriculum being taught
• The home environment and circumstances in some student's case

Questions raised on the effects of modern technology on truancy,

• Example, the influence of TV and videos in the attitudes and motivations of students

Urgent Attention

• Youth development
• Improvements to standard of secondary education
• Change of attitudes towards education among parents and students
• Professional development of teachers
• Bulk of teachers expatriates

Further questions on Nauru Education paper

''followup points based on Alims notes on Nauru education for the 21st century

Many Nauruans not taking advantage of many available opportunities for education and training

• Q: Why not?
• A: Perception of overseas training as better than local training
• Q: What opportunities are available?
• A:

Would take time for Nauruans to fully embrace the culture of education, due to past attitudes and circumstances.

• Q: What are these past attitudes and circumstances?
• A:
• Q: What is the “culture of education” that is not being embraced?
• A

Strong concern that Nauru was losing its language. Vernacular should be used as a medium of instructions in school

• Q: What is language situation? What language is school taught in? Do students use the vernacular?
• A:

Students not able to relate to the curriculum being taught The home environment and circumstances in some student's case

• Please describe the home environments that prevents learning
• Explain why students are unable to relate