Grassroots and Global: A Blended Approach to University Faculty Development in Rwanda

CHALLENGE: Faculty development initiatives which leverage globally distributed teams for program design and instruction can easily miss or lose track of critical contextual issues, especially when engaging online with program participants located distant or unfamiliar settings. Interpreting and adapting the ISTE standards for relevant PD in technologically marginalized settings is not always straightforward.INTERVENTION: A participatory approach to program design was used for development of a faculty development program which combined international and local facilitators in a blended (face-to-face/online) strategy, and a novel SMS-based participant feedback system was implemented to inform ongoing adaptation of the program.OUTCOMES: (1) Understand how global standards can be contextualized for the design of locally relevant PD programming via a process of participatory design. (2) Understand how the blended approaches to PD which integrate OER and globally-distributed facilitators were used to develop technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) among teachers in Rwanda. (3) Understand how mobile and web technology can be used for lightweight formative assessment, impact evaluation and continuous program improvement. (4) Understand the potential of SMS-based beneficiary feedback systems like UNICEF's RapidPro for responsive educational development programming.