Using Ict To Improve Access To Educational Resources By Marginalized Communities: A Kenyan Experience

Abstract

Educational provision is a critical ingredient necessary for the development of any nation. Many of the secondary school graduates in Kenya are not guaranteed placement within the available university slots in the country. The vocational and technical colleges in Kenya could support such students The technical colleges are not enough to absorb all the students ready to join technical colleges do not offer enough (Chege & Kariuki, 2016). Students living among the marginalized communities in Kenya continue to experience limited access to current and relevant educational resources (TVETA Strategic Plan, 2018). Limited access to educational resources denies the youth the necessary hands-on skills required to secure employment in the ever-changing labor market (Miriti et al., 2014). This study aims to develop an enhanced educational resources access model for the marginalized communities. The study objectives were to determine factors limiting access to educational resources, identify suitable educational resources access solutions and develop an ICT enhanced educational resources access framework for the marginalized communities. The study was carried out in selected technical and vocational colleges in marginalized zone in Kenya employing descriptive survey for the research design. The study collected data from college managers, ICT lecturers, and ICT support staff. Data analysis process generated frequencies, percentages, and means. The study finding showed that financial-related factors greatly affected educational access followed closely by physical factors. The study finding indicated that suitable educational resources access solutions included appropriate and relevant content, improved access opportunities and quality reviews. The study findings supported multi-mode delivery channels, innovativeness and flexibility as suitable access solutions. The developed models significantly reduced the physical, technological, financial and human access challenges when access to educational resources challenges was moderated with PRIMER Enablers. The research presents the necessary apparatus required to improve access to educational resources within the marginalized zones in Kenya. The research highlights the need to improve the state of technical colleges within the rural areas in Kenya which would enable more students to enroll in technical colleges. Through the use of ICT in education technical colleges can offer a stimulating learning experience to the students which could improve the negative perception these colleges have experienced over the years. The study was undertaken in Tharaka Nithi county one of the 14 marginalized counties in Kenya, hence needs for further research focusing on many more marginalized or rural zones. v The study duration of two months could not allow the detection of all technical, cultural, and social factors in education. The study could not employ an online questionnaire due to low internet connection in some areas of Tharaka Nithi County. The study concluded that finance-related factors heavily affected educational access in the marginalized communities. Other challenges affecting educational access for the marginalized communities were technology-related factors. ICT modeling and policy solutions were identified as the most suitable solutions to enhance educational resource access. In the development of the ICT educational model, the PRIMER enablers could make it possible to address the physical, technological, financial and human resource challenges. In verifying the model, the study concluded that ICT infrastructure including virtualization, thin clients, web servers and content management accounted for the effects of the PRIMER enablers leading to enhanced access to educational resources by the marginalized communities. The government needs to provide financial capital required to mitigate the funding challenges facing the technical colleges. The government should support initiatives geared toward setting up physical infrastructure. The training of technical college teachers should be a priority. The county office should promote ICT related policies in schools. The private sector involvement through the development of ICT based solutions that would promote educational access in the marginalized areas is important. Keywords ICT, Educational Resources, Marginalized Communities.