Feminist articulations, social literacies, and ubiquitous mobile technology use in Kenya

Abstract

This article examines the changes occurring in learning and literacy in the age of ubiquitous mobile phone use. Focusing on rural Kenyan women’s use of mobile phone technologies in civic education programs, mobile banking, and to contact family members, the article explores how these women’s use of mobile phones, based on their everyday needs, has facilitated the development of a literacy. The women learned to read on their phones to receive money, civic education information, and to communicate with their family members. In this process, these women, who self-identified and are also nationally classified as illiterate, developed a relevant social literacy through active use of text-based mobile phone applications.

Facilitated discussions increase learning gains from dialectically localized animated educational videos in Niger

“…But while mobile phones arguably provide the current maximum of digital ICT access for African populations, gendered differences around access, use, and especially additional safety issues for women in general (Clouse et al, 2015;Dodson, Sterling, & Bennett, 2013;Hafkin, 2000;Overå, 2008;Sanya & Odero, 2017) alert us to the growing digital divide between men and women and the need to implement any offered solutions in equitably sustainable ways (Huyer, Hafkin, Ertl, & Dryburgh, 2005;Ihm et al, 2013;Warschauer, 2004). In light of these possible constraints on ICT-ESD knowledge transfer delivered on mobile phones, this research explores whether facilitated discussion can enhance such knowledge transfer, if not overcome these constraints.…”

Program Planning and Animated Videos as Learning Tools in Sub-Saharan Africa

“…Cellular phones have become an important tool for disseminating educational videos globally. In most African countries, these devices are used in banking, general commerce, and as a general educational tool, including communicating with others--such as traders, accessing information, making decisions about buying and selling, learning, accessing extension services, and sharing of educational content-including videos (Feder & Savastano, 2017;Porter, Hampshire, Abane et al, 2020;Sanya & Odero, 2017;Walter, Finger, Huber, & Buchmann, 2017).…”

Breaking out: the turning point in learning using mobile technology

“…Consequently, just as a tipping point for book readers with enough resources (of skill, time, and money) to read was reached, these days increasing numbers of people have the resources—e.g., digital awareness ( Reddy et al., 2020 ), affordable data plans ( Cable.Co.UK, n.d. ), ownership or sharing-arrangements for SIM cards or smartphones ( Amiri Sani, Boos, Yun and Zhong, 2014 ; Donner, 2007 ; Wyche et al., 2015 ), stable electrical infrastructures or solar-charging panels in rural or remote areas to keep phones charged ( Almeida and Brito, 2015 )—to access digitally available content. Paralleling the accessibility to books (and other print media), which did not guarantee access to everyone but positioned accessibility as a critical part of culture and citizenship ( Sanya, 2017 ) beyond a certain tipping point, so has digital accessibility passed a tipping point to become a critical part of present-day culture and citizenship ( Choi, 2016 ; Sanya and Odero, 2017 )—without yet safeguarding access for everyone and thus inadvertently or deliberately excluding some. Indeed, Ribot and Peluso (2003) persuasively argue that providing availability without enabling accessibility represents a shortfall for any intervention; as such, availability with inadequate accessibility limits the reach of any diffusion of an innovation ( Kee, 2017 ; Rice, 2009 ).…”