Evaluation of Can’t Wait to Learn Platform (Pilot Phase)

Short-term Consultancy Services for Conducting Research on Evaluating Can’t Wait to Learn Platform (Pilot Phase)

General Information

Services/Work Description: Recruitment of short-term research company/consultant for War Child Holland in Jordan

Project/Program Title: Can’t Wait to Learn – Learning Platform

Post Title: Can’t Wait to Learn, Evaluation of a Moodle Learning Management System.

Duty station: Jordan

Duration: 4 months

Expected start date: Upon signing of contract

1. Background/Project Description

Can’t Wait to Learn (CWTL) is a global, innovative, and evidence-based education initiative, co-created by War Child Holland together with education partners and the wider learning community of children, caregivers, teachers, and ministries of education. The initiative and its intervention arms provide gamified learning opportunities for children affected by crises and conflicts, offering safe and quality access to education.

Its appeal lies in its engaging and student-self-guided approach to learning and it helps children to reinforce their learning in a fun and interactive way. In 2020 and due to COVID-19, CWTL underwent a significant adaptation to ensure children still had uninterrupted access to education where schools were closed, and nationwide lockdowns were enforced. Rather than see the pandemic as a barrier, War Child Holland in Jordan saw this as an opportunity to expand the reach and target more children by making the CWTL arms widely available; offline, and through remote learning modalities, by utilizing the learning content the team has developed together with Ministry of Education specialists.

The learning content of the CWTL provides children with the basic skills of numeracy and Arabic literacy along with essential social and emotional learning, while we offer our implementing partners -including front liners (caregivers and educators)- the capacities and key skills needed through training, and coaching; to ensure quality delivery of the innovation.

The initiative specifically targets students with learning loss inside their homes, schools, and community centers in refugee camps and urban areas. In Jordan we are present in:

War Child Holland’s Safe Spaces: in Zaatari Refugee camp and Emirati Jordanian Camp.

Ministry of Education Schools: in Amman, Zarqa, Shobak, and Irbid governorates.

Community-based partners: in Mafraq and Zarqa governorates including Azraq city.

War Child Holland and the Can’t Wait to Learn initiative -globally and in Jordan- are committed to continuing the research and development of education innovations, while we aim to sustain and scale our interventions together with implementing and funding partners, with and for children because they can’t wait to learn.

2. Methodology

Note: The following is not final, we encourage applicants to suggest changes where they see necessary.

• Approach

Shifting from game-based material to interactive online lessons motivated this research concerning stakeholders’ perspectives and opinions on the look, feel, and content of the online modules on the platform.

• Pilot phase

For the pilot phase, we need to monitor and evaluate two main areas 1) Online User Experience and 2) Training of educators and platform administrators. The platform pilot phase consists of three main topics that need to be evaluated:

• Learning Management System (Moodle): Children’s happy flow & Teacher dashboard.
• Training: Educators and administrators.
• Content: Math, Literacy, and Social emotional learning (SEL)

The pilot cycle will consist of 30 online sessions in Arabic Literacy, 20 online sessions in Math, and 10 online sessions in the Social Emotional Learning component. The pilot cycle will run for a maximum of four weeks.

Our aim is to evaluate the user experience and performance in the above three main topics for the students, and educators. Our sample shall consist of 200 students, 15 teachers, and 4 supervisors/coaches. We aim to have two categories for the students as follows:

1. 100 students from (7-9) years old, divided equally between male and female (50M, 50F), and each 50 is divided equally between new users and old users (25 new users, 25 old users).
2. 100 students from (10-12) years old are divided equally between male and female (50M, 50F) and each 50 is divided equally between new users and old users (25 new users, 25 old users).
3. Objectives of the consultancy

The purpose of this consultancy is to assess the current platform (pilot phase) of can’t wait to learn project and produce/develop a research tool in order to collect data, implement, and evaluate the current platform.

3. Functions/Key results expected

The research company will be involved in research activities to produce a research tool on the current platform of Can’t Wait to Learn project (Pilot Phase) and implement the data collection, under the supervision of the project’s management team at War Child- Holland. The research company will be responsible for the following activities:

• Undertaking study/research together with the project team and organizing the research activity.
• Developing of study/research protocol.
• Developing, testing, and formatting of questionnaires (pre & post).
• Collecting data, analysing and reviewing the collected data.
• Developing a research tool (quantitative) focusing on user experience and performance for all of the students and educators.
• Developing a research tool (qualitative) focusing on user experience and performance for a sample of the students, caregivers, educators, and supervisors.
• Conducting 14 focus group discussions with students, educators, caregivers, and supervisors.
• Developing of a study/research/evaluation report (first draft and final draft).
• The consultant shall be responsible for the full dataset compilation and the final edit and lay-out of the printable version of the final report.

4. Reporting Relationship

The successful consultant will work under the guidance of War Child-Holland – Jordan office, reporting to Can’t Wait to Learn Manager, with close coordination with the Research Coordinator. They shall submit the required report and implement the research project in a successful way.

5. Contractual Agreements

One research company will be engaged for this assignment. A contract will be signed with between War Child and the research company/consultant. The consultant shall agree on a division of labour among themselves for better coordination.

6. Duration and timeline of the Assessment

The assignment will be implemented over a period of 4 months starting from the signing of the contract.

1. Milestone: Research Tool

Deliverables

1. Develop of study protocol
2. Develop of quantitative questionnaire for all participants
3. Develop of qualitative questionnaire for students
4. Develop of qualitative questionnaire for educators
5. Develop of qualitative questionnaire for caregivers
6. Develop of qualitative questionnaire for supervisors

Due date: October 2022

Approval should be obtained: War Child Research Team

2. Milestone: Pre-Assessments. Data collection and Implementation

Deliverables

1. Conduct pre quantitative with 200 Students
2. Conduct pre quantitative with 15 Educators
3. Training of educators on the content
4. implementation of the research study

Due date: October 2022

Approval should be obtained: War Child Research Team

3. Milestone: Data Collection & Analysis

Deliverables

1. Conduct post quantitative with 200 Students
2. Conduct post quantitative with 15 Educators
3. Conduct 12 FGDs with 70+ students (girls alone and boys alone vs. new users alone and old users alone)
4. Conduct 1 FGD with 4 Supervisors
5. Conduct 1 FGD with 8 Educators
6. Conduct 4 FGD with caregivers
7. Analysis of all collected data
8. Any other deliverables might be assigned

Due date: November 2022

Approval should be obtained: War Child Research Team

4. Milestone: Reporting

Deliverables

1. First draft of report
2. Modifying the report based on War Child’s comments
3. Submission of final report

Due date: December 2022

Approval should be obtained:

War Child Research Team ​​​​​​​

1. Copyright, patents and other proprietary rights:

Except as is otherwise expressly provided in writing, WCH shall be entitled to all intellectual property and other proprietary rights including, but not limited to, patents, copyrights, and trademarks, with regard to products, processes, inventions, ideas, knowhow, or documents and other materials which the Contractor has developed for WCH under the Contract and which bear a direct relation to or are produced or prepared or collected in consequence of, or during the course of, the performance of the Contract, and the Contractor acknowledges and agrees that such products, documents and other materials constitute works made for hire for the WCH.

To the extent that any such intellectual property or other proprietary rights consist of any intellectual property or other proprietary rights of the Contractor: (i) that pre-existed the performance by the Contractor of its obligations under the Contract, or (ii) that the Contractor may develop or acquire, or may have developed or acquired, independently of the performance of its obligations under the Contract, WCH does not and shall not claim any ownership interest thereto, and the Contractor grants to WCH a perpetual license to use such intellectual property or other proprietary right solely for the purposes of and in accordance with the requirements of the Contract.

Subject to the foregoing provisions, all maps, drawings, photographs, mosaics, plans, reports, estimates, recommendations, documents, and all other data compiled by or received by the Contractor under the Contract shall be the property of WCH, shall be made available for use or inspection by WCH at reasonable times and in reasonable places, shall be treated as confidential, and shall only be delivered to named WCH staff.

2. Requirements

1. Company profile
2. Track record and experience in evaluation of education programs, software’s user experience, education technology, and/or blended learning
3. Skills in developing research tools and scientific report
4. Skills in mixed methods data analysis software

How to apply

Interested research consultancy agencies/individuals are invited to send their best technical and financial offers to the email address [email protected] by Friday, September 30th, 2022. However, War Child will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis and reserves the right to close the vacancy if a successful provider is identified prior to the deadline.

Note: technical offer should include any suggested changes in the methodology if necessary

Important note: Financial offer must be shared in EURO.

Please reference *“*Evaluation of Can’t Wait to Learn Platform (Pilot Phase) in the subject line of your email application. Failure to do so will withdraw your application. Further, failure to provide your offer with all the required documents will withdraw your application.