Technologies to Visualize and Analyze Behavior/Utterances of Teachers and Students During Lectures in Teacher Training Institutes

（Examples of Expected Solutions）
Image and voice processing techniques that can automatically measure indicators based on the video footage or sensor data

 

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BACKGROUND

JICA implemented the Project for Expansion of New Curriculum of Teacher Training Institute (IFP), a technical cooperation project, in Mozambique from April 2016 to April 2020. It is pointed out that the quality of teacher performance in Mozambique should be improved because the achievement level of children's academic ability in primary education is not sufficiently high. To improve classes, it is essential to objectively understand teacher's behavior/questions and student's answers/utterances, identify problems, and improve teaching methodology.

As math and science teaching in Japan is well known for its high quality, JICA’s Project for Expansion of New Curriculum tackled to improve the math and science instruction ability of IFP students by developing, testing, and introducing math and science teaching materials for IFP students. Simultaneously, class videos were analyzed using the S-T analysis system to visualize classes. This allowed the teacher who had conducted the class to become focused on student-centered lessons, gradually emphasizing on student participation.

JICA promotes discussion for future project expansion to facilitate teachers and students to efficiently and effectively acquire knowledge and techniques for improving the class. This RFP calls for solutions that can visualize and analyze the behavior and utterances of teachers and students, and give feedback or support to teachers.  

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WHY PARTICIPATE?

• JICA will provide PoC opportunity (Expected to be conducted in JICA’s teacher training institutues)
• JICA will provide Proof of Concept (PoC) opportunity by providing the PoC fund of up to 3~5 million yen
• If the PoC is successful, there are possibilities for technologies/services to be introduced in JICA projects
• JICA will support the PoC by introducing the government agencies and public institutions in the country

 

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POINTS TO CONSIDER

• Internet access situation: LTE network is available in Mozambique including IFP, but internet speeds are slow in some areas. Wireless LAN environment is unavailable in IFP buildings.
• Among the IFP teachers, 80–90% use smartphones.
• Line speed is unmeasured.

 

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PoC

• PoC Period：Approximately 3 months within Feburary to June 2021
• PoC will be conducted remotely in case of travel constraints due to COVID-19
• PoC location: School building of IFP in Matola, Maputo Province
• Number of users: It is to be decided depending on the proposal. The project supported 6 teachers (3 for math, 3 for science education and 400 students (170 new trainees in 2017, 110 in 2018, 120 in 2019).
• As the indicators for quantitative analysis are open, proposals such as the following are welcome: Content of teacher's question, content of student's answer, writings on black/white board, frequency and length of teacher's utterance, frequency and length of student's utterance, behavior and actions of teachers and students.
• Communicative language: Standard language is Portuguese. When an interpreter is required during the demonstration, related costs can be included in the PoC budget. As English is not used for communication, it is desirable to use Portuguese in software and other solutions.

Project for Expansion of New Curriculum of Teacher Training Institute (IFP)

• Project：Technical cooperation project
• Area：Education
• Period: April 2016 to April 2020 (The project was complete. As of writing this RFP, discussion on the possibility of future cooperation is in progress)
• Final Project Report： https://libopac.jica.go.jp/images/report/P1000043318.html
• Overview：
  In Mozambique, the achievement level of children's academic ability in primary education is not sufficiently high. The Ministry of Education and Human Development (MINEDH) indicates that the quality of teacher performance in the country should be improved. Given this background, the teacher training system started in 2007. However, its 1-year training program was identified as not adequate for developing high expertise and practical skills as a teacher. This project plans to develop and test math and science teaching materials for IFP students by transferring Japan’s accumulated experience in math and science education. This will contribute to improving the math and science teaching ability of IFP students.

Development of S-T analysis system

• An excel macro program was developed after discussion with MINEDH, the counterpart of the project, about what kind of activities to be recorded by reference to S-T analysis system used in Japan.
• In above chart, the vertical axis shows student's activities (same as students who play school children in mock class) while the horizontal axis shows instructor's activities (same as students who play instructors). The left figure includes classes with more instructor-centered activities while the right includes classes with more student-centered activities.
• Although it is insufficient to assess the class with only this system, even a person without knowledge of subject or teaching method can easily judge whether the class is a one-sided lecture by a teacher or a student participation-based class using this system.
• After repeated guidance on the system in the training course, monitoring or investigation found that employees of government and other public offices, the directors of IFPs, etc. had become to discuss and analyze practical classes. Moreover, the visualization of classes made teachers become aware of student-centered lessons, gradually changing classes from lecture- to student participation-based.

 

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SCHEDULE

※1　 An online meeting (less than an hour) will be set up with ZOOM or other tools.
※2　Selected proposers will be asked to brush up the PoC plan in consultation with JICA and make an online presentation about your company, the details of your solution, the PoC plan, etc.

 

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ENTRY

Click on the "Apply" button, go to the entry form and fill in the required information.

The evaluation criteria for proposals will be as follows. Please note that we will not disclose any evaluation results.

• Potential of the proposal as a solution to the given challenges
• Feasibility of the proposed solution
• Competitive advantage of the proposed solution
• Validity of the PoC plan
• Any relevant experiences of proposer

 

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CONTACT

If you have any questions, please send them to the email address below. The secretariat will reply to your inquiry.

The secretariat for Africa Open Innovation Challenge powered by JICA
E-mail: jpopeninnovation-jica@tohmatsu.co.jp

 

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NOTE

Contract for PoC
This verification testing will be conducted based on the business consignment contract, and the proposer will be required to submit the report specified in the contract as a product of the business consignment contract.
The management of this process is carried out in the Africa Open Innovation Challenge powered by JICA Management Secretariat (hereinafter referred to as the "Secretariat"). The secretariat is operated by a joint venture of Deloitte Tohmatsu Venture Support Co., Ltd., which is entrusted by JICA. Thus the proposer will make a business consignment contract for the implementation of the verification testing not with JICA but with the secretariat (Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu).

• The secretariat and JICA will not disclose any evaluation details or results related to the selection.
• The ownership of the materials and equipment procured by the proposer with the budget allocated by JICA shall belong to JICA, and in principle, JICA will transfer the materials and equipment to the government agencies of the project implementing country after the completion of the verification testing.
• The intellectual property rights of the prototypes produced by the proposer and other organizations related to the verification testing shall belong to the proposer even after the termination of the business consignment contract. However the proposer grants the license to JICA and the government agency of the project implementing country. (separately confirmed in writing by the proposer and JICA).
• The intellectual property rights of the report prepared by the proposer, which is the product of the business consignment contract, shall be transferred to JICA.
• In principle, JICA will disclose the submitted report to the public. If the report contains confidential contents for the proposer, the contents will be kept private. The contents of non-disclosure will be decided after discussion among the proposer, JICA, and the secretariat.
• The verification testing may suspended or canceled due to local conditions or the spread of COVID-19 infection.