Q&A with LSX Fellow Elizabeth Kperrun-Eremie on Educational Apps, Cultural Relevance, and Nigerian Early Education

Can you start by telling us a bit about the mobile apps you’ve helped to design and the overall goals of the apps?

At Zenafri, we have developed a variety of mobile applications aimed at enhancing educational experiences by integrating technology with cultural relevance. Our journey began with Afrotales, an interactive app that presents traditional folktales enriched with educational elements, focusing on basic literacy and numeracy skills. The goal of Afrotales is to provide an engaging way for children to learn foundational skills while staying connected to their cultural heritage.

Following Afrotales, we launched Teseem, an app designed to teach basic words to early learners across a variety of languages. This app aims to promote multilingual literacy and help children grasp early language skills in a culturally relevant context.

Outside early education, we also created Shakara, a dress-up game that showcases African cultural attire, and Decisions, an interactive choose-your-path story aimed at educating teenage girls on making better social and sexual health decisions. These apps engage users with stories and choices that impact their virtual lives, teaching them the importance of decision-making in various aspects of life, including education, relationships, and personal development.

Why is it important for educational apps to be culturally relevant?

Culturally relevant educational apps are crucial because they help bridge the gap between students' learning experiences and their cultural backgrounds. When educational content reflects the cultural identities of learners, it fosters a sense of belonging and enhances engagement. Children are more likely to be interested and motivated to learn when they see their cultures and experiences represented in educational materials. Additionally, culturally relevant apps can help preserve cultural heritage, promote diversity, and support the development of a global perspective from a young age. By incorporating cultural elements into educational apps, we aim to create more inclusive and effective learning tools that resonate with students on a personal level.

What do you see as the biggest challenges when it comes to early and elementary education in Nigeria?

Early and elementary education in Nigeria faces several significant challenges. One of the primary issues is the lack of access to quality education, particularly in rural areas. Many schools are under-resourced, with inadequate infrastructure, insufficient teaching materials, and a shortage of qualified teachers. Additionally, there is a high student-to-teacher ratio, which makes it difficult for teachers to provide individualized attention and support to students.

Another major challenge is the socio-economic barriers that prevent many children from attending school regularly. Issues such as poverty, child labor, and cultural practices that prioritize other activities over education can hinder children's ability to receive consistent schooling.

Furthermore, the curriculum often lacks cultural relevance, which can disengage students and make learning less effective. By developing educational apps that incorporate local languages, stories, and cultural elements, we aim to address some of these challenges and create more engaging and accessible learning opportunities for Nigerian children.

What have you learned during your fellowship that policymakers need to know?

Policymakers typically tend to consult a particular set of stakeholders in a field when addressing challenges and formulating solutions. For instance, in the agriculture sector, they may consult farmers, wholesalers, and related entities. Similarly, for education-related policy issues, they would consult teachers, government players, parents, and occasionally the students themselves.

What I have learned from this fellowship is that policymakers need to adopt a more holistic and inclusive approach to achieve the greatest impact. During this fellowship, I had the opportunity to collaborate with a diverse group of individuals, including researchers, neuroscientists, education innovators, teachers, and more from all over the world, all focused on the science of learning. This diversity of perspectives provided unique insights that would be impossible to obtain otherwise, leading to more informed and effective policy decisions. Engaging a broader range of stakeholders ensures that policies are comprehensive and address the multifaceted nature of educational challenges.