As part of the NmInTheSouthPacific, a look at Pedagogy, Usability and New Media in Samoa.

Niseta F. Buatava

from Buatava, N.F. Chapter 12: Samoan Educational Ideas: a preliminary exploration, From Educational ideas from Oceania : selected readings / edited by Konai Helu Thaman. (Suva, Fiji) : Institute of Education in association with the UNESCO Chair of Teacher Education and Culture, The University of the South Pacific , (2003)

Traditional Education

• learning = life
• no written lang
• goal was cultural survival (p. 117)

Active/Communal Learning

"Samoa, like other Pacific societies, is organised on the basis of reciprocal assistance and the subjugation of individual to family interests (Gratton, 1948:47)" p. 118

Cultural Colonisation

• "In the context of school education, A'o is used primarily as a means of perpetuating the knowledge, skills and values of the western world....Samoan parents often comnplain that the younger generation is losing its skill in both speaking and writing the Samoan language, as well as its knowledge of Samoan history and customs." (p. 118)
• "...a poto person used his/her skills to help family and community. Today, however, in the context of school education, a person is poto when s/he passes the appropriate examinations and ultimately higher degrees." (p. 118)
• "Modern Samoans need to learn new skills in order to survice in the 21st century but Samoan traditional knowledge, skills and values are also important for the maintenance of Samoan culture and identity."(p. 119)

Rote to Perceptual

• A'o means "to teach and to learn"
• Iloa is knowledge through practice
• Poto is inteligent and skilled

Samoa Centre Site Visit

Notes from the visit to the Alafua Campus and Samoa Centre of USP, 6 to 10 October, 2003

Leala, DFL Program Assistant

6 October 2003, at the Samoa Centre, Alafua, Apia, Samoa

Student Demographics and Centre Usage

• Fulltime
  • 1/9 are fulltime students
  • attend centre regularly, often 3-5 times a week, to study, check email, type assignments, etc.
• Part-time
  • 8/9 are part-time students
  • they come mostly to drop off assignments or attend tutorials, but rarely to study, as they have jobs
  • many only come in evenings, after work
  • "if they are willing to, they could use computers, but they have computers at work. They depend on office computers"
• Big Island Students
  • these students almost never come in (it is at least a 2 hour trip by ferry and bus from Savaii, costing at least 28 Taala- approx 20 FJ$ return)
  • approx 10 students live in Savaii out of 320-350
  • "email is very expensive" on Savaii; not as developed or populated, so "just a few families on big island have access to computers"
  • a sub-centre is being installed next to the library in Savaii, providing computers but not connectivity
  • there is a computer school in Savaii (now closed), so USP has encouraged students to set up email accounts there

Local Tutors and Distance Learning

• courses with less than 5 students do not get local tutors (this is msotly the 200 and 300 level courses)
• pre-degree courses always get local tutors
• most 300level courses are on campus in Fiji, so students are required to come to Fiji to finish their degrees. "that is the main problem... working students don't want to take the risk of leaving a good job to finish a degree."

Satelite Tutorials

• Video + Audio is very helpful, to see who actually runs the course, but
• not regularly attended, an "on and off thing"
• "unfortunately, a lot of students do not make the effort to attend, and they miss out on alot of stuff"
• reasons for not attedning:
  • workers: most DFL students have jobs and cannot attend sessions during the work day
  • transport: buses run from 5AM-5PM, so rural students cannot attend evening courses

Peer Learning

• he encourages those who do not attend to speak with those who do

Priorities/ Goals

• Independence in Students: "they want to be spoonfed", so independence and student responsibility are stressed
• Full Degrees by DFL
• promotion of USP DFL, "everybody knows SOA, but nobody knows the centre"
• School leavers encouraged to join pre-degree program

Computer Literacy

• "every student knows how to use the computer," even Savaii students type their assignments on the computer

Computer Access

• there are 2 computer labs
  • 1 at centre: 2 pcs with internet, 3 w/o internet
  • 1 at SOA: 10 pcs with internet, always full

The Wow Factor

• "it's hard to keep students informed of changes, so an electronic notice board, liuke in an airport, would be nice. I think it could motivate them to come in"
• he says students ignore printed notes, but are excited by tech for tech's sake "oh that's a new computer...even with cars."

Sia Matalevu, ITS

Notes from a conversation with the ITS head(?) at Alafua campus, Samoa. 6 October 2003

Computer Access

• 10 computers total for the the SOA lab (150 students) and the Centre (350 students) - note: they are expecting 20 computers from JICA shortly)
• Slow Internet Access: 64 kbps for audio/ data, so during audio tutorials the web is really slow
• it is important to better utlizie the bandwidth (i.e. if Tokelau isn't using it, it is freed up for the other centres)
• thinking of connecting direct to Satelite for download, still using Fintel for now
• Intranet is fast, but Internet is too slow to be useful

Computer Literacy

• some have computers at home
• most DFL students are mature students and access PCs at office, but SOA are younger, with less computer knowledge at outset. As they are fulltime students, however, they use the computer lab often
• CS121
  • is a basic, very useful course
  • covers hardware and software
  • word, excel, access
  • should be recommended to all students, not just CS students

Sharing Computers

• often 20-30 students in a class, buyt not enough PCs, so they divide into 2 groups, and still share
• for training, newcomers prefer to share, but once comfortable, they prefer to be alone
• sharing is not possible for email or assignments

Prof Ebenebe

notes from a aconversation with Prof Ebenebe, 6 Oct, 2003

Isolation

• "we are marooned" with respect to Suva
• staff orientation is vital to give a sense of community
• training to Suva staff on how to run meetings so they work for remote centres would help them connect better
  • Randy Thaman runs good session via satelite: "he knows that if a person from Vanuatu asks a question, he knows that others may not have heard it, so he repeats it, and the answer, and rephrases it"

Freedom is tough for DFl students

• "it requires discipline to pass in DFL, because you don't have the same control as a teacher: 'where is your assignments, where is your exam, etc?'"

Mike Monsell Davis

notes from a aconversation with Mike Davis, lecturer/ researcher at Samoa centre, 7 October 2003

Tips for CDRom on Pacific History

• feels a CDRom would be useful to give "virtual field trips" through liasons with museums around the pacific
• it is important to "show students the connections... how we know"
• BOTANY
  • sugar cane: PNG
  • breadfruit: phillipines
  • kava: vanuatu
• "step by step, with optional sidetracks from the main pathway" is the best way to cater to the students with a cdrom
• Lapita
  • read Ben Finney:Google / USP Library
  • became plainware eventually, but patterns returned in Tapa and Tatu
• MAP
  • important to show migration into Australia as well, include SE Asia as well (50K BP)
• 2 major migrations
• PNG + OZ joined because sea levels were lower
• Borneo Gap stopped Asian-Australian plants, people, animal migration

Full time student

notes from a conversation with a full time management student, 7 October, 2003

Satelite Tutorials

• says not many attend because it is hard to hear and understand
• "if we could look straight into their eyes, we would be able to understand better"

NMWants

• fast and affective, "the info you want when you want it"
• prefers computer over textbook

Full time student

notes from a conversation with a full time MAF21, LLF11 student, 7 October, 2003

Computer Use

• only uses computer for typing assignments: no email, no web

Student

Asking Questions

• asks thew local tutor first, then turns to WebCT
• doesn't go to the satelite tutorials (MA101), but does go to CS112/ Veronica's VBC on Saturdays

NMwants

• lecture notes, course guide, introduction, and updated each year so it matches actual course

Computer Use

• uses web "most of the time"
• email, mp3s, webct
• has computer at home

Studying

• studies at the centre mostly. Can only study at home at night once everyone else is asleep
• "home chores is very important; everyone has to do them"

Fulltime Extension Student

7 oct, 2003

Satelite Tuturials

• "i think we have it but I've never been to one"
• has local tutors for Physics, Math and Technology

NMwants

• simplify wording of the textbook
• glossary: "sometimes you come up with a difficult word you have to look up the meaning"
• search: "in physics, it is a very big textbook, and a CDrom would make it easy to search"

Part time Student

7 october

Background

• teaches school at a local college (high school)
• studying for a degree in Acctg; if he cannot finish degree via DFL he will apply for a scholarship to go to USP campus

Centre Usage

• twice a week, for assignments and tutorials

Computer Usage

• has computer at work with internet and CDdrive
• mostly types assignments and gives them to leala to email to Suva

SOA Student

Background a fijian student studying in Samoa, 7 Oct, 2003

Computer Use

• 3x a week
• types assignments, email,s searches web (http://www.google.com and http://www.fijilive.com)
• wants 30 computers with mew systems

SOA Student 2

7 October, 2003

Computer Use

• everyday: email, assignments, websites when time
• only access at school
• "I love computing"

SOA Student 3

7 October, 2003 Computer Use

• 2 or 3 x a week
• emails "only when I have to"
• never surfs the web
• likes the computer and wants "regional info, pacific info" in Multimedia

SOA Student 4

7 October, 2003

Computer Use

• 4 hrs a day, for assignments and websurfing

Peace Corps Volunteer

notes from a conversation with 2 Samoa PCVs, Etewat and Manu 7 Oct, 2003

Body Language

• entire conversations with eyebrows and lips
• "my parents were here, and they said, 'We've just asked you the same question 4 times,' and I said, 'And I've answered it 6 times!"

Foundation Student

8 oct, 2003

Centre Use

• comes to centre everyday (fulltime student)
• uses computer everyday, for email, assignments and music
• all his courses have local tutors, but can only see the tutor once a week, not whenever he has a question

Video Conference

• 2x a month
• doesn't always attend, 6pm is late
• useful, asks questions

Student

8 October, 2003

Study Habits

• stricter rules at home than at school

Peer Learning

• "easy to learn from some students"
• "there are some students who get their message from other students rather than from the teacher"
• "slow learners are very shy; its easier to catch up with other studetns in free time"

NMwants

• simple words, explanations
• "not very boring - give it action"
• many students only study when music is on; it makes studies more alive
• simple pictures

Douglas, Lab Assistant

8 October, 2003

Computers

• 10 now, 20 coming from JICA
• all have CD-drives, floppy drives dead
• internet available 8am-10pm M-F, 2-6pm Sat, Sun
• most Samoans have training in computers from year 9
• "some of the students who come in say it is a good experience, that they've developed their computer skills here"

NMwants

• "have exciting and easy at the same time"

Oscar, former USP Computer Lab

Training

• for some of his students, it was their first time on the computer, but most already knew
• many kept changing the settings on their own

Computers

• important to send a test-copy of any CD first, because although the pcs have CD-roms, soundcards, some CDs don't work

A telling conversation with an SOA student

notes froma conversation with a Tongan Agriculture student studying at Samoa's School of Agricutlure, 8 October, 2003

Did you learn Agriculture in your village?

Yes

Was it different from how you learn it here?

Yes

How?

More easy to apply in the village. It was big, right there.

Which way is more useful?

The way it is done here.

Why?

Because I want to teach.

Ioane Malaki

8 October, 2003, Agricultural Engineering Tutor, malaki_i@samoa.usp.ac.fj

Simulations

• lack of practical support: "how do you teach students to use a level when they don't have one?"
• feels students don't get anough exposure to what is available
• simulations of the level, Engine components, tractor maintenance would be helpful

Communication

• "very difficult to conduct practicals via Sateltie"
• says most students email with questions

Language

• language is a big issue, need a lot of reptition, slow down english, use simple english
• "some people have problems with english, but thats something they have to tackle" -IM
• "...its the official language pf the University" -Aca
• "one of the requirments is english; you have to pass a certain level or you are not allowed to enter the university"
• Dictionary would be useful on Cdrom
• Discussion between students is in Samoan, but he encourages them to speak english unless there is a problem with understanding
• afterwards, when there are no other english-speaking students around, they ask me to explain in Samoan

Traditional Ed

• "its okay to teach traditional way fopr village tasks, like pounding kava, weaving matts, but its not efficient... when you teach math there is no substitute for blackboards and projectors"
• bring tech to village: ''"there is alot of support for bringing education to the village"' Bringing tech to the village includes the traditional into tech.
• "new students only get the new, not the old. if you fail the new, then you go into traditional system. if you pass, you continue getting more and more isolated from traditional system. You'll see the elite taking courses in Samoan trying to relearn the customs, proverbs..."

Aversion to Q

• "Taught to lsten and not question. When brought into the classroom, you have students who feel it is disrespectful to ask questions" -Aca (Fijian)

Taiapo, Librarian, Savaii

notes from a conversation with the Librarian at Savaii Library, major contact for students on Savaii, also a student herself, 9 Oct, 2003

Facilities

• Pacific Room
  • a reference room
  • 4 computers for assignment typing (no internet)
  • 2 printers
  • no cd-rom, no internet
  • $10 one time registration fee
• Sub-centre
  • next to the library, empty for now, soon to be equippoed with pcs and teaching materials
• Teacher's Resource Centre
  • 4 computers and 1 fax
  • no internet, no cd
  • 20 people per day

Computer Literacy

• students don't know computers but really like them, pick it up quickly
• 25 - 50 students per day use the computers at the library

Communication

• once or twice a month she comes to Alafua campus for exams
• every Tuesday a Van bring mail from the centre
• "I never talk to anybody"
• but, last week, Paula Jones her tutor called last week, then faxed her regarding a missing assignment. She ended up giving me the assignment to deliver to Paula Jones when i flew back to Suva
• sounds envious of Alafua's Satelites

Students

• 20+ USP students in Savaii
• once the sub-centre opens she is sure there will be more students
• there are students studying library, sociology, accounting, english

Language

• students are not used to how Pailangi speak
• students study in Samoan, learn in English
• "I prefer in English, but it is better to have both Samoan and English. But I prefer English because it gives us samples, it makes us more benefit from speaking english"

Internet

• never emailed r anything
• eager to try internet so she can contact her brother in America
• "I never travel the world so that is why I am really looking forward to this technology"

Studying

• some want to study alone
• she prefers to study alone, "more things I can get by working on my own. I can get answers in my own mind. I never ask in groups. I can do it myself"
• in groups, people disrturb, talk to each other

Suifaga

notes from a conversation with a PCV in Suifaga, a village in Savaii, 10 October 2003

Schooling

• Samoan language and culture tauhgt via formal system in school
• framing, fishing, etc is tuahgt in village Learn by do
• "all the hard stuff" sceinces, are formally taught
• there are even special schools, centres of education, to teach traditional arts, like canoe-making and kava bowl carving
• active learning is for vocational skills, but formal system in encroaching on traditionalk system
• fishing, farming, life skills are still taught in the traditional setting

Vic Puri, PCV

11 October, Computer Teacher in Savaii (http://www.maristsamoa.org), vpuri@vt.edu

Aversion to Q

• questions are always one on one; two scared to ask in a group

Rote to Conceptual

• it works better to star from practical and move to theoretical
• "as memorization is big here, abstract theory doesn't work unless you show them hands-on"

Approach to Computers

• "I would expect them to be shy because they are so new (to computers), but they are eager"
• older people into it too
• can't generalise about explorers vs freezers, it is a big mix of both

Usability Tests Samoa

I was struck by teh cntrast between Samoa and Nauru. In Samoa, the users were very direct and systematic. They knew what was hot, even in confusing scenarios, and when confused they stopped and read, or rolled over, and then snipered, rather than the more spreadshot approach to confusion I noted in Nauru.

TEP02 Usability

8 october, 2003

Very direct, quick responses

• hit INSTRUCTIONS quickly
• read the instructions
• cliecked BLUE UNDERLINE
• hit PLAY, NEXT, NEXT, SHOW ENTIRE
• PREVIOUS, DROP DOWN

TEP02 Usability

Direct and immediate

• START ANIMATIONS
• read then NEXT STEP
• NEXT STEP> SHOW ENTIRE
• PULLDOWN, NEXT STEP

TEP02 Usability

• hit INSTRUCTIONS after rolling over START
• read the instructions
• tried to do what the instructions said on the instruction page itself
• "oh" and then hit START ANIMATIONS
• used pull down, then hit NEXT STEP

TEP02 Usability

direct immediate responses

• hit START ANIMS
• read text
• NEXT STEP, NEXT STEP
• stepped back
• knew how to use dropdown

TEP02 Usability

• read all the text, then clicked SHOW ANIMATIONS
• used pull-down, read all the choices, then hit PLAY

TEP02 Usability

• hit START ANIMS immediately
• hit PLAY
• knew how to use the pulldown
• seemed immediately comfrotable with everything

Samoan Student in Fiji

notes from a conversation with a Samoan student studying at USP's Laucala Bay campus, Fiji, during a geography class field trip, Yadua Island, 24 June, 2004

Obervation and Imitation

accomplished at the traditional dances (she referred to their "actions")

• performed them at Meke that evening
• she had learned the dances through observation and imitation

Complained that in formal schooling, rote memorization was often a much more difficult way to learn

• Many Samoan teachers often made her learn "the hard way" by making her memorize everything
• but felt that “being given simple ways to remember things” as other teachers did (specified a Peace Corps Volunteer as an example) was an easier way to learn in school