The Master Plan for ICT in Education - Ministry of Education, Republic of Rwanda.

RWANDA MINEDUC EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY PL AN

A high speed National Research and Education Network As all the main administration and education applications are
(NREN) will be operationalized for the higher education sector setup and managed in the cloud, minimal infrastructure and
and this NREN will eventually serve all schools as well. A applications need to be installed at school level. This reduces
special education pricing structure will be developed by costs in installation and maintenance, requirement for school
MYICT to ensure that connectivity costs of schools are kept IT staff, as well as school electricity requirements.
to a minimum.
Furthermore, this model reduces risks of school/teacher/
Internet connectivity allows schools, teachers and students student data being lost or damaged. While many of these
to communicate, collaborate, access content and information functions can happen in the cloud, privacy and security
and access cloud services which MINEDUC will deploy. concerns may require this functionality on local school or
MINEDUC will ensure that adequate security mechanisms district/sector servers.
are put in place to protect students accessing the internet.
The objective of introducing an education cloud is to
7.8.1 Considerations for Connectivity provide a highly available and advanced service of software
For schools that do not have a reliable connectivity, or the applications to:
connectivity may be low bandwidth, the following provisions
will mitigate problems related to connectivity: • Accelerate students learning and development

• Caching Server – This helps multiple users share a through personalized, adaptive and active learning
tools and methods.
broadband connection by caching content accessed
through the connection. MINDECU will consider • Provide up-to-date online curriculum content at lower
deploying caching servers especially in the early years
of connectivity deployment. cost than printing materials.

• Local Storage – This means that content is kept • Enable teachers to create their own lessons, assign

physically close, in a network sense, to the teachers tasks/ projects, and monitor progress.
and students who are accessing the content. This
storage will be provided by school servers, and/or • Enable online communication and collaboration
district and sector servers.
among teachers, students, and parents.
• Off-Line Apps and Content – This means apps and
• Allow safe student access to the Internet and content
content are designed to work without a stable or
continuous broadband connection, i.e. they work in a (prohibited sites and based time of day).
standalone mode, or at least work from local storage.
• Facilitate more efficient school administration and
Connectivity Solution Setup & Usage
teacher productivity.
1. Good Broadband Use cloud services for SIS/EMIS,
MDM, TD, content, etc. • Provide management information and analytics for

2. limited broadband Pre-loaded (or side-loaded) and monitoring the effectiveness of the school system and
(Less than 5Mbps) locally available content. to make decisions for continuous improvement.

7.9 Cloud Services • Provide these applications in a cost-effective and

With universal access to the Internet, as promised by the optimized way with security and high availability.
on-going 4G rollout, cloud-based solutions and services
can be used to provide better services to the schools while These cloud services to be deployed by MINEDUC include
at the same time reducing ICT requirements and costs at an Educational Management Information System (EMIS),
the school and national level, as articulated by the Smart a content distribution platform for e-books, Learning
Rwanda Master Plan. Management Systems (LMS) and email services.

7.10 Identity Management

One of the key changes in strategy in this Master Plan is to
provide Smart Classrooms with ‘One Digital Identity Per
Student’ rather than the previous approach of ‘One Laptop per
Child’. The latter remains the ultimate goal of infrastructure
deployment. Each student in Rwanda will be provided with
their own digital identity.

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RWANDA MINEDUC EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY PL AN

Identity management is a fundamental design factor for any The system also generates reports which help the ministry
large technology deployment. This component considers perform tasks and take appropriate decisions. This
what username and passwords will be used for each of the application is designed to perform in web based architecture.
services. Initially this requirement is for usernames and Information recorded on this system is uploaded to the
passwords to authenticate and sign on to the devices and will server and can be downloaded as and when required. This
be designed so that this same username and password can system is installed and configured on a desktop or Laptop.
be used to authenticate to all required software and services. MINEDUC will continuously review the provision of this
EMIS system and upgrade/strengthen/replace it as new
7.11 User profiles technologies become available in order to ensure that it can:

As the devices will be shared between many different users a. Provide one location that is available to everyone for
in a 1:many ratio, rather than a 1:1 ratio, it is important to access to official information related to MINEDUC
consider how User Profiles will be managed. Every new activities.
logon to a device will create a new profile. This needs
to be understood and managed by combining logistical b. Reduce collecting duplicate data on teachers,
management and software configuration. A high level design students, because it would only create conflict
and detailed design will be developed for the User Profile between end-users in knowing which set of data to
design to consider: use.

• Folder redirection (A server per school is required for c. Harmonize the information received and align it to key
MINEDUC strategic plans, EDPRS, ESSP, Vision 2020
this). for M&E, Strategic Planning and Resource Allocation.

• User Experience Virtualization. d. Electronically link academic, educational,
• Roaming and mandatory profiles. demographic & compliance information from all
• Offline files. Districts to MINEDUC.

From a logistical management viewpoint in a 1:many e. Provide aggregates and disaggregates Key
education environment, all devices in a school will be labelled Performance Indicators (such as Enrolment, Teacher
and where possible, students in each class will always try Qualifications) by specified criteria (such as Gender,
and use the same device. This minimizes disk usage and the District, School, Academic Area).
setup time of a new profile every time a user logs onto a
device for the first time. f. Provide MINEDUC with the necessary information
for evidenced-based decision making (M&E,
7.12 Education Management Information strategic planning, resource allocation & appropriate
System (EMIS) interventions).

The education management information system (EMIS) g. Automatically provide reports for administration &
will be used to manage information from all the education management, planning and decision making.
institutions in Rwanda.
h. Provide critical information to external stakeholders.
MINEDUC has an existing system that was designed i. Support a more efficient Ministry and improve service
and developed for the ministry to effectively manage
the education sector in Rwanda. The major functions delivery.
performed by the current system are to manage the school j. Increase capacity of MINEDUC to use of ICT for
census, provide information relating to schools, staff,
students, textbooks, health, physical infrastructure, sports, M&E, planning, and management.
examinations and girls’ education.

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7.12.1 Student Information System Category Data Field
(SIS) 1 For Schools School_id*
One aspect of the EMIS is the student 2“ School_name
information itself, which is often handled by 3 For Students School_id*
a Student Information System (SIS). The 4“ Student_id*
SIS will need to integrate with the Content 5“ Last_name
Distribution Platform. The SIS has to 6“ First_name
capture the following information: 7“ Grade
8“ Password (automatically generated if not provided)
9 For Teachers School_id*
10 “ Teacher_id*
11 “ Last_name
12 “ First_name
13 “ Teacher_email
14 “ Password (automatically generated if not provided)
15 For Sector School_id*
16 “ Sector_id*
17 “ Teacher_id*
18 “ Name

7.13 Learning management system (LMS) Parents:

An LMS can be very useful for organizing and presenting • Communicate with teachers.
digital content. LMS tools foster communication with • View curriculum and content.
students and parents outside of the classroom. LMS system • Monitor child’s real-time progress.
have multiple benefits to:
Teachers: Others:

• Create lessons, quizzes, surveys and blogs. • Facilitate communication between teachers, students,
• Set up schedules/courses including creating lessons
and parents.
and quizzes.
• Enable collaboration through blogs, editable
• Assign online/offline assignments to students and
documents and discussion forums.
groups of students to track students’ progress,
completion, and results of lessons, quizzes, and MINEDUC will consider the deployment an LMS system for
assignments. the entire basic education sector.

Students: 7.14 Services

• Work through and manipulate content, anytime, MINEDUC will consider the following services for
management of the ICT infrastructure to protect the
anywhere. investment made and ensure a safe and available
environment for students and teachers.
• Receive immediate feedback on formative and
7.14.1 Client Device Management
summative assessments. Device management applications enable Technology
Administrators to provision, monitor, and manage device
• Link to advanced eLearning applications.
• Submit assignments.
• Stay organized.

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software over the air via a cloud based service console. Basic • Category-based filtering based on a comprehensive
functions to be considered will include:
and accurate URL database of over a billion entries.
• Organize devices by school system hierarchy (Ministry,
• Dynamic filtering policies for in-school versus out of
district, sector, school, class).
school usage.
• Manage device and application access policies by
• Filtering of internet access through browsers and
usage ( in school vs. outside of school hours).
applications.
• View and monitor hardware and software inventory.
• Distribute and update clients software. • Privacy compliant reporting of web usage.
• Distribute and update school system catalog of • Improved tamper resistance for student devices.

software. 7.14.4 Learning Analytics
MINEDUC will adopt a data-driven approach to help teachers
7.14.2 Theft Deterrence identify students who need assistance with their studies.
Theft is one of the key challenges in large scale ICT This involves collecting data on student engagement through
deployments in education. To deter and reduce theft of metrics that indicate how students interact with digital
devices in schools, MINEDUC will deploy theft-deterrent content and perform on continuous assessments. Analytics
solutions. then link student engagement and grades; and as a result, the
educator can identify low-performing, at-risk students much
The theft deterrence technology considered, should have earlier and appropriate measures can be taken to improve
hardware-based security that proactively protects lost or learning outcomes.
stolen education devices. Once a device equipped with this
technology is lost or stolen, then an IT administrator can Learning analytics is a process that includes using learner-
remotely lock the device to render it unusable. Later, if the produced data and analysis models for measurement,
device is recovered, the IT administrator can reactivate the collection, analysis and reporting of data about learners for
device with a special unlock code. the purpose of understanding and optimizing the learning
Theft deterrence technology should have the following process and the environment in which it happens. The
features and capabilities: methods of learning analytics can include:

• Simplified server installation & upgrade with user- • Content analysis - particularly of resources which

friendly dashboard, notification & user interface. students create (such as essays).

• Role-based account & group management. • Discourse analytics - aims to capture meaningful
• E-mail and SMS summary report.
• Remote unlock for devices. data on student interactions, to explore the properties
• Remote client upgrade. of the language used.
• Device inventory management.
• Dashboard. Summarize the device status, like check • Social Learning Analytics - aimed at exploring the

in, registration, etc. role of social interaction in learning, the importance of
learning networks.
• Cross-platform operation.
• Disposition Analytics - seeks to capture data
7.14.3 Internet Filter
Web filtering provides content filtering to keep students safe regarding student’s dispositions to their own learning,
from inappropriate content as they access new tools, new and the relationship of these to their learning, i.e.
content and limitless resources on the Internet. Capabilities ’curious’ learners may be more inclined to ask
of an internet filtering application should include: questions - and this data can be captured and
analyzed for learning analytics.
• Keeps students safe online wherever they go with
• The outcomes of the Learning analytics process
their devices.
includes:
• Easy-to-use cloud based interface designed for K-12
• Prediction purposes; to identify ‘at risk’ students in
administrators.
terms of drop out or course failure.
• Protection from inappropriate online content.
• No over-blocking. • Personalization & Adaptation; to provide students

with tailored learning pathways, or assessment
materials.

• Intervention purposes; providing educators with

information to intervene to support students.

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• Information visualization in the form of learning 7.17 Accessibility and Assistive Technologies

dashboards which provide an overview of learning MINEDUC will deploy accessible technology options for
data through data visualization tools. students with impairments. Accessible technology will
encompass:
7.15 Electrical Power
• Accessibility features or settings built into the
Each school will need to have access to electricity, either
through the National Grid or by other forms of electricity operating system and other software programs.
such as Solar, Generators and Wind Power. The electrical These features can be adjusted to meet vision,
installations should be tri-phase where possible and the hearing, dexterity and mobility, language, and
classrooms should have high capacity electrical sockets learning needs. For example, changing the font
installed with a minimum of 1 per classroom as an eventual size and color, and mouse pointer size, color, and
goal. movement options. Additional accessibility features
and settings that can be adjusted to make the
In a situation where access to the National grid or by Solar is computer easier to see, hear, and use are also
not possible, there should be provisions for use of a Generator important.
which will be used at strategic times for the charging of the
devices like the student and teacher laptops, school server, • Assistive technology products (specialty hardware
and local wireless network devices.
and software products) that accommodate an
MINEDUC will collaborate and coordination with MINAFRA individual student’s impairment, disability, or
to prioritize school Grid Power installations and the promotion multiple disabilities. Examples include a screen
of investment in alternative energy investments/ financing magnification program for a computer user who has
targeting schools low vision or an ergonomic keyboard for a computer
user with wrist pain. The products are usually add-
7.16 School Assessments ons to a computer system.

Each school will need to be assessed in terms of its The sections that follow lay out the assistive technologies
current environment so that the appropriate solution can required for various impairments.
be determined and applied. The following assessment
parameters will be used and new ones developed as required:

Parameter Range of Values Description
1 School ID Unique identifier.
2 Location • None Geographic location.
3 Power • Electric Grid
• Solar This refers to what is available in the area and
4 Connectivity • Generator not necessarily what or if it is being utilized.
• None
• limited connectivity broadband
• Good broadband (more than 5Mbps)

5 Existing ICT

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7.17.1 Vision Impairments difficulty seeing or manipulating conventional print
Vision impairments include low vision, color blindness and materials and people who comprehend betterwhen
blindness. Some assistive technology products provide a they hear and see text highlighted simultaneously.
combination of capabilities that help specific individuals and
include: • Speech synthesizers. Also known as text-to-speech.

• Screen magnifiers which work like a magnifying glass. These programs speak information out loud in a
• Screen readers (or software programs) that present computerized voice. Speech synthesizers can be
helpful for students with learning, language, or vision
graphics and text as speech. impairments.

• Braille printers (or embossers) that transfer • Speech recognition programs. These allow

computer-generated text into embossed Braille computer navigation by voice rather than entering
output. data by keyboard or mouse. Students can still use a
mouse and keyboard as well as voice to enter data,
• Brailledisplays that provide tactile output of write text, and navigate applications. Students who
have difficulty typing or reading text because of a
information represented on the computer screen. learning, language, or mobility impairment, can often
successfully work on a computer with the use of
• Braillenote takers that enable a student who is blind speech recognition.

to capture notes and then transfer them to a PC. 7.17.3 Mobility and Dexterity Impairments
Mobility and dexterity impairments can be caused by a wide
• Book readers. Students with low vision can use a range of common illnesses and accidents such as Polio,
cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, loss of limbs or digits,
desktop or portable magnification aid to read printed spinal cord injuries and repetitive stress injury among others.
materials and books. A student who is blind can have As a result, students might be unable to use arms or fingers
printed material scanned and read aloud through a to interact with their computers by using a standard keyboard
text-to-speech software program on the PC. or mouse.

7.17.2 Learning Impairments Temporary mobility impairments might occur with a broken
Learning impairments range from conditions such as dyslexia arm, for example, and are also included in this category.
and attention deficit disorder to Downs syndrome, among Mobility and dexterity impairments will need to be addressed
others. Many students with these types of impairments are individually to set up the right mix of accessibility features
perfectly able to learn when information is presented to and assistive technology hardware and software solutions.
them in a form and at a pace that is appropriate for them.
In addition, many individuals with learning disabilities learn Assistive Technology Products for Students with Mobility and
more efficiently using visual rather than auditory senses, or Dexterity Impairments include:
vice versa. To provide a good learning experience, control over
the individual learner’s single or multi-sensory experience is • Ergonomickeyboards and mice. Ergonomic
critical.
keyboards and mice are designed to be more
The following accessibility features are required for students comfortable than a standard keyboard and mouse.
with learning impairments:
• Joysticks can be plugged into the computer’s mouse
• Operating System features to make it easier to write
port and used to control the cursor on the screen.
and type, such as narrators, sticky keys, toggle keys Joysticks benefit users who need to operate a
and filter keys. computer with or without the use of their hands.

• Word prediction programs. These allow the user to • Trackballs look like a mouse with a movable ball on

select a desired word from an on-screen list located top of a stationary base. The ball can be rotated with
in the prediction window. The program predicts a pointing device or a hand. Students who have fine
words from the first one or two letters typed by the motor skills but lack gross motor skills can use these
user. These programs help support literacy, increase devices more easily and comfortably than a traditional
written productivity and accuracy and increase mouse.
vocabulary skills through word prompting.

• Reading tools and learning disabilities programs.

These include software designed to make text-based
materials more accessible for people who struggle
with reading. These programs help people who have

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• On-screen keyboard programs provide an image of 7.17.4 Hearing Impairments and Deafness
For students with low hearing or deafness, accessibility
a standard or modified keyboard on the computer features and assistive technologies can be useful.

screen. The user selects the keys with a mouse, Operating System Accessibility Features for Students with
Hearing Impairments
touchscreen, trackball, joystick, switch, or electronic Accessibility features helpful for students who have hearing
impairments include:
pointing device.
• Adjusting volume.
• Keyboard filters include typing aids such as word • Changing computer sounds.
• Using text or visual alternatives for sounds.
prediction utilities and add-on spelling checkers.
Assistive Technology Products for Students with Hearing
These products can often be used to reduce the Impairments
Individuals with hearing impairments may need a classroom
number of keystrokes. sign language interpreter or other accessibility solutions to
be able to communicate actively in their classroom. Personal
• Touchscreens are monitors, or devices placed on top listening devices and personal amplifying products can also
be helpful for students with some hearing. Graphical sign
of computer monitors, which allow direct selection language translator that converts speech to sign language in
real-time to enable students who are deaf to communicate
or activation of the computer by touching the screen. more easily with hearing people, is useful for mixed schools.

These devices can benefit some users with mobility Combining applications such as video and text
communications via synchronous tools can help to enable
impairments because they present a more accessible students with hearing impairments better grasp what is
happening, e.g. by video using a webcam so students who
target. communicate by sign language can readily interact.

• Alternative PC hardware and all-access Computer Use by People Who Are both Deaf and Blind
People who are both deaf and blind can, and do, use
workstations. In some cases, alternative PC computers with the aid of assistive technology. To someone
who is both deaf and blind, captioning and other sound
hardware is needed. Some individuals with mobility options are of no use but Braille assistive technology
products are critical. People who are both deaf and blind can
impairments find it challenging to open the monitor use computers with assistive technology such as refreshable
Braille displays and Braille embossers.
of a laptop because the laptop latch isn’t accessible

for them. Or, some students might need a laptop to

be mounted to a wheelchair. Assistive technology

solutions such as these are referred to as ’all-access

workstations.’

• Touchscreens. These are monitors, or devices placed

on top of computer monitors, that allow direct

selection or activation of the computer by touching

the screen. Touchscreens benefit people with mobility

impairments, as well as people with language

impairments. The ability to touch the computer screen

to make a selection is advantageous for people with

learning impairments because it is a simpler, more

direct, and intuitive process than making a selection

using a mouse or keyboard.

• Alternative input devices allow users to control their

computers through means other than a standard

keyboard or pointing device. These include:

• alternative keyboards available in different sizes

with different keypad arrangements and angles.

• electronic pointing devices used to control

the cursor on the screen using ultrasound, an

infrared beam, eye movements, nerve signals, or

brain waves.

• Sip-and-puff devices.
• Wands and sticks, typing aids used to strike keys

on the keyboard.

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8. Higher Education and TVET

Having continuity in the program from basic Figure 12 Framework for integration of ICT at post-secondary level
education through high school to higher
education, means that students will be
familiar with a digital learning environment
throughout all of their learning life. The plan
envisions deep integration of ICT within the
higher education and technical and vocational
sector to improve access, increase quality and
relevance and drive research and innovation.

The integration of ICT in higher education and
technical and vocational training is based on
a seven element model in the figure 12 on the
right.

Strong leadership and effective policies will
set the foundation for effective and successful
ICT integration. Continuing investments in
ICT infrastructure and digital content will lay
the foundation for anywhere, anytime learning
centered on student competencies and relevant
skills. ICT infrastructure, including high speed
networks at campus, national and internal
level, access devices, cloud services and High
Performance Computing will also be developed
to support research and innovation.

Digital content will promote 21st century
skills acquisition along with development
of appropriate competencies. Professional
development of lecturers and professors
to acquire the right skills together with a
supportive environment to nurture and promote
ICT use and integration will be a priority.

Assessment will be aligned to the needs of
industry to promote relevant education. Finally,
sustainable financing mechanisms along
with robust monitoring and evaluation will be
developed. These seven elements are described
in much more detail below.

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8.1 Goals

Integrating ICT in higher education and TVET sector has 3 main goals:

Goal Description
1 Improve Relevance and quality
For Rwanda’s ICT led vision to be realized, it is critical that higher education and TVET
of Higher Education and TVET sector produce graduates who are ready for the workforce and have all the required
and workforce readiness competencies and skills to work and thrive in a competitive 21st century economy.
2 Increase access to tertiary
education using ICT According to the EMIS data for 2013, Rwanda has 15,000 students enrolled in TVET
and 85,000 students in tertiary education, a GER of about 8% [UNESCO Statistics]
3 Promote research and in the tertiary sector. ICT will help Rwanda accelerate access to higher education by
innovation maximizing the occupancy of existing resources, using Open and Distance Learning
methodologies to reach more students and increasing affordability. The target is to
double the number of tertiary students within 3 years by leveraging ICT.

ICT infrastructure is critical to research and innovation in which universities play a
critical role. Many countries around the world have developed dedicated research and
education infrastructures, such as National Research and Education Networks (NRENs),
to access research and innovation resources around the world, High Performance
Computer (HPC) centers and innovation hubs that bridge the gap between academia,
research and industry. As part of this plan, Rwanda will operationalize a high speed
NREN to serve the entire education sector and set up HPC centers dedicated to
cutting edge research and innovation. Some of these HPC centers may be developed in
collaboration with the global research community. Innovation Hubs will be developed in
collaboration with industry.

8.2 Leadership investment in broadband and wireless technologies
and create affordable cost structures for higher
Successful integration of ICT at any level requires a bold education access.
vision, engagement, evaluation, and determination. MINEDUC
together with WDA, HEC and the leadership of the HLIs • Higher education and TVET sector supplies the
are committed to the integration of ICT in post-secondary
education to provide a world class education. As higher skilled labor necessary to drive national development.
education is critical to innovation, research and national National labor and workforce development policies
advancement in all fields, integration is a must. Effective should promote the use of ICT to increase the
leadership should be reflected by the advancement of relevance of higher education through requirements
Rwanda’s universities in regional and global rankings. for professional licensing and certification.

8.3 Policies MINEDUC will work with HEC, WDA and MYICT to ensure
that national policies are harmonized and conducive for the
Effective policies are required to drive systematic large rapid integration of ICT throughout the education sector.
scale transformation using ICT from driving investments in
ICT (devices and broadband) to ensuring accountability of 8.4 ICT Infrastructure
programs. The integration of ICT at higher education is also
directly impacted by national policies at three levels: To promote anywhere, anytime learning, research and
innovation, a robust ICT infrastructure will be required. This
• Every student at post-secondary level will require infrastructure includes student and lecturer devices, high-
speed internet access, cloud services, attention to security
an appropriate computing device. National ICT and and robust high performance computing platforms. The
taxation policies can have an impact on affordability of higher education and TVET sector will require investments in
devices for students. all these areas.

• The higher education sector will require high-speed 59

broadband networks at campus, national and
international levels to support education, innovation
and research. National level policies should prioritize

RWANDA MINEDUC EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY PL AN

8.4.1 Access Devices 8.4.2 Affordable access to computing devices
In line with global practice, every student should have access
Effective ICT integration at TVET and higher education will to appropriate computing devices with the primary goal being
to ensure that every student owns their device. Currently
require that all students and lecturers at TVET and HLIs be the student to computer ratio at tertiary level stands at 1:10
according to MYICT. Higher Learning Institutions and TVET
equipped or facilitated to acquire a personal computing device institutions will have two options to ensure adequate student
access:
in line with global best practice. The following requirements
1. Student Purchase Programs (SPP)
are for student and lecturer computing devices: These programs encourage student device ownership through
subsidies, volume-discounts, or financing, often coupled
• Usage – Support project-based learning as well as with a selection of recommended and approved computing
devices, bundled software, centralized support teams and
regular curriculum delivery. intensive information campaigns. Programs often provide a
number of configurations that all meet basic requirements
• Internet Independence –Continue teaching even and provide students with a range of ’good, better, best’
choices to meet more advanced user requirements.
when there is no Internet connection or the Internet
Students will be facilitated to purchase their own computing
connection may be poor. device through the creation of a loan scheme with a
guarantee fund provided to a financial institution to guarantee
• Content Creation –Teachers can create content to be student loans to acquire devices. As part of the loan
guarantee scheme, interest rates on loans will be subsidized.
used by students as well as other teachers.
All TVET and university students in public and private
• Manageability – Manage the devices centrally. universities will be eligible to participate in this scheme.
• Performance – Provide good user response for the MINEDUC will work with MYICT to identify funding and put
together a framework for implementation. The schematic
range of different content that can run on the device in figure 13 below shows how such a loan guarantee scheme
could be implemented.
order to deliver the best possible learning experience.

(5 MHz Wi-Fi).

• Security – Built-in, HW-level security and online

protection for students and schools.

• Battery Life – Teachers are able to use throughout

the school day, or approximately more than 6 hours

while using office applications and with wireless

connectivity.

• Large storage – Large Hard Disk to ensure:
• At least enough minimum storage for Operating

System, digital content and curricula and other

productivity applications;

• Storage expansion for additional content and

educational apps; and

• Enough offline storage to warranty a smooth

learning process in the case of absence of good

internet connectivity for content access.

Figure 13: Loan Fund Process Flow

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2. Institutional Purchase Programs education and research to support NRENs. Many of these
An alternative model to student purchase programs is an NRENs are operated as autonomous non-profit entities owned
institutional led model where the universities, or higher level and operated by the government, academic and research
technical institutions, can purchase computing devices for all community.
students, or for a particular department such as engineering,
medicine or business and then deduct the cost of the devices Rwanda has attempted to create an NREN for the last
from student fees. These bulk institutional contracts have few years. The Rwanda NREN will be reformulated and
advantages such as bulk discounts, interoperability and easier operationalized to provide a fast, reliable and secure network
support. for the entire education sector and to connect Rwanda’s
education sector to the global education and research
8.4.3 Computer Labs community.
Currently, every HLI has a networked computer lab and
these are primary access points for students for basic 8.4.5 Cloud-Based Services and Applications
computer use. However, every student should have their The Smart Rwanda Master Plan promotes the ’efficient
own computing devices with institutional labs dedicated to usage of limited resources through data center integration
supplement individual student access and support specialized and transition towards Cloud-based ICT infrastructure’ or
computing applications, such as Computer Aided Design, a ’Cloud-first policy’ as one of its key objectives. To this end,
graphical editing, or advanced data manipulation. MINEDUC will work with Universities to set up common
As such, computer lab computers should be of a higher cloud infrastructure, leveraging the existing National Data
specification than those found in basic education with Center resources where appropriate. Cloud services will
higher processing power, large storage and high amounts of include:
memory.
• Email and productivity applications.
8.4.4 Network Infrastructure • Web hosting.
High-speed connectivity, wired and wireless, on-campus • Learning Management Systems (LMS) for Open and
and off, is critical for communication, collaboration, content
creation, access to global resources and research. As the Distance Learning.
speed of a network is only as fast as the weakest link, robust
networks and connectivity are required at campus, national • Education Management Information Systems (EMIS).
and international level.
8.4.6 High Performance Computing
Campus Networks The Government of Rwanda has signed an agreement with
The wired and wireless campus network at TVET institutions International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) to
and HLIs will be strengthened to provide a robust and high- establish a partner institute in the University of Rwanda. The
speed network conducive to the demands of TVET and higher institute (EA Institute for Fundamental Research) is expected
education and research. At a minimum, each university and to support, study and conduct research in theoretical high
TVET institution campus should have a fiber optic based energy physics, condensed matter, statistical physics and
backbone with a minimum of 100 Gbps with Wi-Fi available material science, pure and applied mathematics as well as
in every classroom at a minimum, and across the whole earth system physics which includes climate change and
campus as desirable. The minimum speed will be reviewed geophysics.
periodically to keep up with technological changes.
Rwanda also host a Carnegie Mellon University campus.
National Research and Education Network (NREN) In order to promote research and establish Rwanda as
NRENs are the foundational infrastructure for collaboration, a research Hub in Africa, a High Performance Computer
innovation and research between universities in Rwanda and (HPC) center will be set up at the East Africa Institute for
between Rwanda and the regional and global academic and Fundamental Research. This HPC facility will be available for
research communities. NRENs are so critical to advancing the researchers both in Rwanda, the East African region, rest of
national innovation agenda that many governments around Africa and the World through the NREN.
the world have developed and fund dedicated networks for
8.4.7 Security
It is critical to ensure that students and data are protected at
all points;both on the access device, through to the cloud and

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through the internet. MINEDUC will work with universities MINEDUC will develop and host a national portal for all
to deploy a standard Identity and Access management post-secondary content. This portal will be a single source of
system. This system will manage users, their authentication, access to content and online courses and will be a gateway
authorization and privileges across all cloud, on-campus and cloud based common Learning Management Systems.
NREN resources.
8.6 Professional Development of Tutors and
8.5 Digital Content and Online Learning Lecturers

Dynamic digital content is key to the successful integration Continuing professional development of lecturers is
of ICT in Education and critical when it comes to online important to promote e-learning as part of their teaching
learning. Digital content improves learning outcomes, practice, to develop skills and mastery of e-learning
enables anywhere, anytime learning and can reduce the techniques, content and delivery tools and to transition from
costs of delivering the education experience. For TVET and a teacher-led to a student-centered paradigm of education.
Universities, content will be broadly categorized into three The MINEDUC and HEC will also set up the following
forms with specific strategies for each category: support mechanisms for TVET institutions and HLIs and their
teaching staff to transition to online learning:
1. Foundational Skills content
This is content focused on building basic skills ranging 1. Develop and offer an eLearning fundamentals course
from ICT skills, language skills (English and French), basic All lecturers will be required to take a mandatory online
mathematics, financing literacy, entrepreneurship, writing postgraduate program focused on e-learning basics, teaching
and communication skills among others. This content will be with technology and course redesign for online delivery. The
developed by local universities and WDA and offered online course will be self-paced with online assessments. As part of
only. the course, each lecturer will be required to convert at least
one of their credit courses (which they currently teach) into
This will free up physical space and resources currently an online course. It is expect that by the end of June 2016,
allocated to teaching these basic and remedial courses. By at least 50% of the credit courses will be available to offer to
going online, this will increase access, enable students to students in online mode.
learn at their own pace and revisit the material throughout
their courses and improve efficiency at the TVET and higher 2. Laptops for lecturers
learning institutions. The current teaching staff to computer ratio of 2:1 in HLIs
is inadequate. Every lecturer will be facilitated to acquire a
These courses can also be offered as pre-university courses standard laptop to be owned by the university. These laptops
and form part of entry requirements for HLIs. will be used by lecturers to develop, deliver and facilitate
online courses.
2. Supplemental content for self-directed or informal
learning 3. Set up instructional design units
There are several online Open Education Resources (OER) The former ICT departments of the individual colleges of
such as MIT’s Open Course Ware or Khan Academy and the University of Rwanda will be converted into instructional
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) available to anybody. design units to provide on-campus, face-to-face and online
MINEDUC will work with the universities to develop local based instructional design support for lecturers. Other
repositories for OER content and promote MOOCs for universities, HLIs and TVET institutions will be required to
students to access supplementary content for their own self- set up instructional design units.
directed or informal learning.
HEC under MINEDUC will also set up an online resource
3. Formal Certificate and Degree Course content center accessible to all HLIs to support e-learning. This
Lecturers at TVET and HLIs will be trained to convert resource center will contain guides, course and syllabus
their existing formal courses to online and open formats. templates, how-to documents and videos, short training
The target is to have at least 50% of all the credit courses courses, teaching guides and other advisory materials to
available for offer to students in online mode within the support lecturers to develop and deliver online courses. The
timeframe of this Master Plan. resource center will also act as an online help-desk.

23 MYICT Rwanda ICT Sector Profile 2013

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4. Community of Practice 8.8 Sustainable funding, monitoring and
A cloud-based portal for lecturers to share experiences, learn evaluation
from each other, collaborate among peers and get advice
from peers will be set up. This portal will be part of the online Very often, ICT programs can easily get one-time or startup
resource center. funding through donations, grants and partnerships. These
funds are appropriate for a pilot, proof of concept or startup
5. Reward Schemes phase. They are usually not enough to scale and sustain. For
It will be important to recognize and reward lecturers who sustainability, HLIs should provide dedicated annual budgets
embrace the challenge and lead the way in innovative content for ICT on an ongoing basis. HLIs should also remember that
design, online delivery and facilitation. Each year, the HEC in technology needs upgrading regularly so refresh or upgrade
collaboration with MINEDUC will reward lecturers who have budgets should be factored into the institutions operating
most contributed to e-learning transformation within their budget.
institutions.
MINEDUC, together with WDA and HEC, will create
8.7 Competency Assessment monitoring and evaluation tools to regularly assess the
progress and impact of ICT integration and provide guidance
MINEDUC together with WDA and HEC will collaborate for course correction.
to develop competency-based assessments which will be
hosted on a central portal. Any student will be able to access 8.9 Innovation Center of Excellence
the portal and take a self-assessment to determine how
ready they are for the workplace and get direction and advice One of the key objectives of the Smart Rwanda Master
on areas of strength and weakness. Two strategies will be Plan is the promotion of research and development of ICT
pursued: innovation. The plan calls for the establishment of national
innovation centers to promote specialized ICT skills and R&D
1. Partnership with local and international industry to centers in collaboration with private industry.
acquire competency assessments
MINEDUC together with WDA and HEC will develop MINEDUC together with WDA and HEC will follow the proven
competency assessments in partnership with industry. ’triple helix’ model of innovation that links government,
Such competency assessments could include common industry and academia to develop an Innovation Center of
interview questions, standard ICT certifications, graduate Excellence at the University of Rwanda. 
study preparatory assessments and business and soft skills
assessments.

2. Partnership with third party independent assessment
companies to conduct low cost assessment
A number of third party companies conduct paid-for
assessments in the areas of ICT and business. These will
also be considered.

24 MYICT Rwanda ICT Sector Profile 2013

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9. Monitoring, Evaluation & Change

9.1 Evaluation Process 9.1.2 Framework for Program Evaluation
Effective program evaluation is a systematic way to improve
9.1.1 Types of Research& Evaluation and account for education transformation strategies and
MINEDUC will create a chain of evidence that begins with interventions by clarifying procedures that are useful,
baseline understanding of the educational environment, feasible, ethical, and accurate.The MINEDUC will consider
to exploration of design and development interventions a holistic evaluation framework such as that developed by
and strategies, implementation results of these strategies, the US Center for Disease Control which is shown below in
intermediate outcomes and eventual impact on improving Figure 14.
learning and related educational value.
For the purpose of clarifying terminology in this Master Plan: Such a framework would guide MINEDUC and its
Stakeholders in their use of program evaluation. It is a
• Researchis the term used for the systematic practical, non-prescriptive tool, designed to summarize and
organize essential elements of program evaluation.
investigation, including research development, testing
and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to The framework is comprised of two elements. The first
generalizable knowledge. element consists of six steps in establishing an evaluation
process. Designed to be interdependent, the steps may be
• Evaluation is the term used for the systematic addressed non-sequentially, but earlier steps provide the
foundation for subsequent steps and effective progress
investigation of the merit, worth, or significance of any requires information obtained at each step. As the first
action, activity or intervention. element is procedural, the second element of the framework
is a set of standards to establish the quality of the evaluation
• Assessmentis the term used for the systematic activities. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1999.
Framework for program evaluation in public health. MMWR
measurements of an individual student’s knowledge 1999;48(No. RR-11)) (Figure 14 below).
and competencies.
9.2 Indicators/Metrics and Measures
Each function has its unique role in the education
transformation process. This section will focus on an For an evaluation to be useful, it needs to be built around
evaluation frameworks designed to monitor the process of an expected outcome, some prior conception of what that
implementation in order to better understand subsequent outcome would look like and a set of indicators of success.
impact. This stage of the evaluation entails transforming the general
goals and objectives of the project into observable and
measurable phenomena. The choice of outcomes is closely
linked to the level of analysis: the outcome has to correspond
to the level of analysis.

It is crucial that the definitions of success be realistically
based on the context and a serious appraisal of the project
design. The evaluation design must consider that schools
are full of complex political and social dynamics. For
example, it is unrealistic to expect a project to transform
teacher practice, if the design does not include professional
development nor directly engage classroom teachers.

Figure 14: Framework for Evaluation

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Each of the desired outcomes should include its own set 9.3 Change Management
of indicators/metrics of success. In turn, every indicator
requires its own set of measures. ‘Change management’ of teachers refers to both the shifting
role of the teacher, as well as motivation of the teacher in
The first consideration in starting to build the information general to embrace and use technology in the classroom as a
system for that indicator is what sources of information tool to help achieve the education vision and objectives of the
potentially can supply the relevant data. A number of issues overall Smart Education program.
need to be considered when identifying data sources.
Strategy
• Can the data source be accessed in a practical The change management strategy for the Smart Education
program applies a systematic approach to helping the
fashion? individuals impacted by ’the change’ to be successful by
building support, addressing resistance and developing the
• Can the data source provide quality data? required knowledge and ability to implement the change.
• Can the data source be accessed on a regular and
Attitudes toward the adoption of technology.
timely basis? Change management approaches would comprehend that
teachers’ attitudes and behavior toward the adoption of
• Is primary data collection from the information source technology may be generally classified as follows along a
continuous spectrum:
feasible and cost effective?
• Early Adopters(agents of change): These teachers
• Note: It is important to collect only the data that is
are either already technology savvy or are at least
intended to be used. eager and willing to use technology in the classroom.
These are the teachers that can be the agents of
• Note: It is important to collect only the data that change and help to influence the undecided and late
adopter teachers.
relates directly to the intervention and indicators that
have been identified. • Undecided: These teachers may neither be

• There are two main methods of data collection, particularly opposed to the use of technology in the
classroom, nor may they be particularly in favor
both are necessary in order to generate a complete of it either. With some guidance and support, it is
picture of the impact of an intervention in the complex possible to help these teachers accept and embrace
education system: technology as tool to assist the teaching process.

• Quantitative methods, like surveys, can indicate a

change in practice or performance, but they provide a
limited understanding of why the changes occurred.

• Qualitative methods, like observations or interviews,

can provide a more complete understanding of why
and how these changes have developed.

Methods Designs Data Collection Approaches
Exploratory Longitudinal Observation Historical
Constructive Comparison Interview Phenomenological
Empirical Truncated Longitudinal Focus Group Ethnography
Quantitative Truncated Comparison Artifact Analysis Philosophical
Pre-Test / Post-Test Survey / Questionnaire Participatory / Action
- Control of Variables Post-Test Comparison Case Study Applied
- Statistical Mechanics Post-Test Analysis Scientific Methods Market Intelligence
Qualitative Constructs Experimental
- Patterns of Data Modeling
- Interpretation of Meaning
Mixed Methods

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• Late Adopters: These teachers may be initially Requirements and dependencies

opposed to the use of technology in the classroom, • Access to technology – Teachers must have direct
or may be generally opposed to changes in teaching
methods and overall changes to the teacher and access to the technology that they are expected to
learning environment. Having a robust support
system, including an online teacher community, can use in the classroom. Also, a minimum requirement
help to provide mentorship as well as social support.
is for each teacher to have their own email address.
Incentives and support systems for change
Some of the approaches to help motivate change include: Generally, it is a good idea for teachers have access to

• Contests and competitions – would be a natural ICT before their students have access to ICT.

mechanism used to stimulate competitive spirit and • User and technical support – Teachers need to be
striving for excellence. Most likely, the early adopter
teacher would be the first to engage in such contests able to get help when they encounter a problem with
and competitions, but this can result in the influencing
of the more ambivalent teachers; and, once the more using technology, e.g. their computer won’t turn-on,
ambivalent teachers are able to see ’how it’s done’,
they may be more inclined and confident to do it they can connect to the Internet, or they can’t figure-
themselves.
out how to change the font on a document.
• Rank and Rate Content –Having a mechanism for
• School Leadership – School leadership needs to be
teachers to share their content (such as lesson plans
and supplemental curriculum content that they may supportive and help teachers to become the ’teachers
have developed) and then for other teachers and
even students to rank and rate the content in such of the future’ who are confident and competent to use
a way that the best content rises to the top. This
mechanism can be a natural motivator for teachers ICT in the classroom.
to gain visibility with the reward of knowing that their
content is liked and used by many.

• Education and Communication – This can include PR

programs, advertisements and other communication
specifically targeted at primarily the early adopters
and ambivalent teachers so that they understand the
program and what is going to be happening. This will
help set expectations and make teachers feel like they
are part of the process.

• Education Community – This is a social network for

teachers to share content and experiences with each
other. Such a network not only helps teachers benefit
from each other, it also helps teachers feel like they
are not alone and part of a group and team.

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10. Maintenance and Support

The support model developed by MINEDUC has 3 tiers or levels with
an escalation path to be defined as depicted in the figure below

Figure 15: Support levels

The three levels of support are a) on-site at school b) regional 10.3 National Level Support
level support and c) national level support. These levels of
support are described further below: MINEDUC will establish a central service and support center
at national level. This support level is the final support level.
10.1 School On-site Support A full service helpdesk will also be set up or outsourced to a
local company.
The first line of support is at school level. This is a critical line
of support as it is where the users (students and teachers) Call Center
will first ask for help. Schools will have some combination MINEDUC will consider setting up or contracting a local
of teachers (esp. IT teachers) and/or students who will company to provide a call center facility that schools and
provide a first level of support for the school. The use of local the district, or sector support institutions can call into. This
universities and private businesses will be considered as well. provides user as well as IT support.

10.2 District and Sector Support

MINEDUC will enable institutions at the district and sector
level, such as polytechnics, to provide a second line of
support.

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10.4 Support Process 10.5 Support Roles & Responsibilities
• All support services are within a tiered service model
MINEDUC will define clear support roles for each of the 3
where tier 1 resides at the school level, tier2 at district level of support.

level Service Center and tier 3 are the technical 10.6 Spares

experts. Either spare computers will be keptat schools or kept close-
enough to the school so that they can be delivered within a
• Incident, Problem, Availability, Product Release, and reasonable timeframe.

Knowledge Management processes will be utilized by

all support teams and are defined at the support plan

document.

• The Significant and high critical Incident will be

utilized by all services covered under the agreed

support plan.

• The support plan should describe and capture how

to handle the support of the solution once it is in

operation, clearly stating:

• Preventive Maintenance: Regular routine of

actions to be performed at some frequency

(for example Operating Systems and Software

Updates, Server Backups, Antivirus updates).

• Reactive Actions: This is usually an ’on-demand’

service for responding to issues as they arise by

specifying a certain Service Level Agreement

(SLA) and owner for a range of potential issues,

e.g., (steps to fix OS image damaged, clean

devices from infected viruses).

• Monitoring IT Assets – This is for keeping track

of IT assets, keeping the assets operational,

and tracking asset utilization, e.g. getting user

devices repaired/replaced by the provider or

manufacturer, determining what assets are

in use and how they are being used, network

bandwidth utilized, which required SLA with the

manufacturer.

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11. Program Management

Ensuring that ICT integration leads to pedagogical change This is aligned with world international best practices of
that impacts across the system, requires a structured major deployment of ICT such as in Uruguay.
approach. A program management office (PMO) or a Special
Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) will be essential, The key units of the SPIU are described in detail below.
including both technical and pedagogical components. A PMO ICT Infrastructure & Connectivity Unit
strategy is described below: This Unit will have overall responsibility of the roll of
ICT infrastructure and connectivity in schools and
11.1 Setting up an SPIU TVET institutions, as well as device deployment, usage,
maintenance and repair. This unit will also design and
To coordinate the large investments to be made, ensure supervise the deployment of tools to render the Ministry of
efficiency, economy and focus, the set up of a dedicated Education more effective such as the EMIS.
Special Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) for ICT in
education has been proposed as part of MIEDUC, which Teachers and Faculty Instructional Technology
will be responsible for driving, monitoring, coordinating and Development Unit
managing the Master Plan. The SPIU will bring together Rwanda is moving towards a student centric education
and harmonize the various ICT in Education departments system through the usage of technology. This is a
currently scattered across several MINEDUC institutions. fundamental change to the methodology of teaching.
This group will oversee the delivery of this new method of
To implement the multiple, interrelated projects of this teaching, including the use of technologies for both pre and
Master Plan, the SPIU is fundamental as a management and in-service teachers. This unit will provide teachers and TVET
oversight structure. The SPIU is responsible for managing trainers with the needed pedagogical skills to ensure the
all projects in the Master Plan and the interdependencies acquisition of 21st century skills.
between them. Program management encompasses the
longer terms aims of the Master Plan, whereas individual Digital Content Development and Deployment Unit
projects will have more focused, shorter term deliverables Key to the insertion of technology in education is the
by a specific project team. All projects and project managers development and acquisition of digital content. This unit will
should report into the SPIU. The SPIU should contain a ensure that the Ministry of Education avails the right content
Lead Program Manager and an Enterprise Architect as roles based on the curriculum at all levels. In addition, this unit
that understand the full end-to-end solution from a logistics will develop standards to ensure that publishers are providing
and planning viewpoint and from a solution architecture graphic rich, interactive multi-media resources.
viewpoint.
Innovation, Research and Development (EduNet)
For each individual project, a project team is required. The With the growth of connectivity around the world, all higher
SPIU will follow a project management framework such learning Institutions and research centers have been
as PRINCE2 or PMP. These frameworks will provide a interconnected through National Research and Education
structured approach and help understand key processes, Networks. This network enables Rwanda Higher Learning
documents and requirements for successful deployment. Institutions to share knowledge and research, including
This will require that staff of the institute undertake Project e-journals, e-learning resources and research collaborations.
Management training.
This unit will ensure the deployment and management of
11.2 SPIU structure this network to both Rwanda public and private universities
as well as research centers. In addition this unit will manage
The overall structure for managing ICT in Education program the education sector connectivity to the Internet as well as
is as follows: the sharing of online resources at all levels. This unit will
also manage the introduction of innovations to the education
1. Keep an ICT support unit within all institutions. system in Rwanda as they become available.
2. Centralize all ICT for education design, installation,

repair and maintenance within the SPIU.

3. Major deployment, maintenance and repair of schools

and university equipment will be outsourced to the
private sector.

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The SPIU and the project teams will need to be formed as soon as possible, with key roles identified in order to start executing
on this Master Plan. MINEDUC will also engage partners from the private sector and development agencies to support the PMO
with technical and financial assistance. The diagram below shows the structure of the SPIU.

ICT Infrastructure & Teachers and Faculty Digital Content Innovation, Research and
Connectivity Instructional Technology Development and
Unit (10) Development Unit (5) Deployment Unit (6) Development EduNet (9)
- Director - Director - Director - Chief Technology
- ICT Equipment Officer (2) - Early Childhood - Digital content
officer
(1 for general education and 1 for Development and development - Higher Education and
TVET) Primary School - TVET digital
- Network Manager (2) Teachers professional Research Institution
( 1 for general education and 1 for development specialist content specialist Network Manager
TVET) - Secondary School - Online assessment - Innovation in Education
- Mgt Information Systems Teachers professional Specialist
Specialist development specialist specialist - Higher Institution
- School Electrification Officer - TVET Trainers - Multimedia Expert Device Program
- School Connectivity (2) professional development - ICT in Education management
- Supply Chain Specialist specialist - Hosting platform
- Digital content Standards specialist (MOOCs and OERs)
development trainer Specialist
- Online resources
content specialist (4) (1
for Primary, 1 for
secondary, 1 for TVET
and 1 for Higher
education )

Figure 16: SPIU proposed roles

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11.3 Communications and PR Plan

MINEDUC will develop a comprehensive communications
and PR plan to communicate progress on implementation of
the Master Plan. This is important to keep all stakeholders
including the public abreast of developments and progress
made.

11.4 Budgeting and Financing

The total cost of implementing this Master Plan is estimated
at 300 million over 5 years. This budget will be sourced from
within and out of government, including from development
partners, NGOs, private sector and the community.
Key MINEDUC investments areas are captured below:

PHASE 1 PHASE 2 PHASE 3
( 2015-2016) (2016-2017) (2017-2018)

TOTAL 30,000,000,000RwF 40,000,000,000RwF 30,000,000,000 RwF

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12. Acknowledgements

Rwanda Ministry of Education (MINEDUC)
Ministry of Youth and ICT (MYICT)
Rwanda Education Board (REB)
Higher Education Council (HEC)
Workforce Development Authority (WDA)
Rwanda Development Board (RDB)
University of Rwanda (UR)
Intel Education
Microsoft
Positivo BGH

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13. Appendix

13.1 Appendix A Reference Documents

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13.2 Appendix B: Key Stakeholders and Roles & Responsibilities

In order to coordinate activities, the following key roles and responsibilities are
spelled out for each key stakeholder.

Owner Role Responsibility
Professional Development
Content
Infrastructure
Pedagogy
WAN and Internet
IT Support & Maintenance
Deployment
Monitor & Evaluation
Policy
Influencers/Champions
Higher Ed campus infrastructure
NREN
Student Device Access
Competency Assessment
Professional development
Development Partners
Private Sector
Civil Society

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13.3 Appendix C: Elements of Press Relations (PR) and
Communications Plan

MINEDUC will develop a comprehensive communications and PR plan to communicate
progress on the implementation of the Master Plan. It is important to keep all
stakeholders including the public abreast of developments and progress made. The
following items are part of the communication plan:

• Project Portal/Website
• Program name and logo on the device casing
• Project launch event
• School open house
• Messaging for different stakeholders (what is the story/news?)
• Theme Song
• Promotional video
• Brochure/banners for different audiences
• PR at all levels
• Program documentary/video
• Competitions at all levels
• Student digital-essay program
• Success stories and testimonials from teacher, students, parents, administrators,

community members, etc.

• Social media campaign
• National and International Conferences
• Showcase for government leaders, press, parents, teachers, students, community,

visitors, all citizens, etc.

• Invite neighboring government officials, etc.
• ICT Caravan/Roadshow
• News/TV/Newspaper/Radio Campaigns
• Lesson videos available to public
• School TV/Radio/Internet Broadcasts
• Student generated media
• Press coverage in all deployment stages
• Project history documentation and historical archive
• Proactive Communication
• Project Spokesperson
• Transparency of progress, outcomes, risks, mitigation plans, etc.

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13.4 Appendix D: Teacher Professional Development Plan

An example of a teacher development plan using Intel and Microsoft teacher training courses is presented below. Intel Teach
Elements and Microsoft Teaching with Technology courses can be pre-loaded onto devices for teachers to follow at their own
pace locally; although a facilitated model is often better. Other courses may substitute for those below, dependent on the needs
of the teachers in the future.

Year Curriculum requirements Required courses Suggested courses Elective courses
1 Teachers: 40 hours.
“Introduction to Technology” Microsoft Digital Literacy –
Focus on technology literacy (adapted from ICT Essentials Basic, Standard and Advanced
and the shift to a student for Teachers) Focus on what are courses. They cover using the
centered environment. the components of a computer computer, how to use basic
Minimum three courses (two and how to use basic programs/ programs, internet and social
face-to-face and one online). internet– 10 hours face-to-face. networks.

Intel® Transforming Learning:
“Digital Learning Fundamentals”:
Strategies for integrating
technology into teaching and
learning in ways that develop
students’ communication,
collaboration and critical thinking
skills – 15 hours face-to-face.

Intel Teach Elements: “Project
Based Approaches”– Explore the
features and benefits of project-
based learning with classroom
scenarios that move teachers
into a student-centered learning
environment – 15 hours online.

School Leaders: Intel Teach Elements:
4 hours focused on technology “Educational Leadership in
integration support the 21st Century” – Leaders
learn how they can better use
One course face-to-face. technology to help support
teacher effectiveness and
improve student achievement.

2 Teachers: 40 hours of Microsoft Teaching with 21stCentury Classroom”–

intermediate ICT literacy and Technology course – helps Teachers learn how to plan,

integration courses. educators develop a deeper develop, and manage student-

understanding of how technology centered assessment strategies

can enhance the teaching and that can benefit teaching and

learning experience. This course students’ learning. – 20 hours

is the study material for taking online.

the Microsoft Certified Educator Intel Teach Elements: “Moving
Exam. 36 hours online plus 4 into Mobile”– Understand
hours to exam. the benefits and challenges

of mobile learning and the

components of a successful

program – 10 hours online.

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3 Teachers: 40 hours of Intel Teach Elements: Intel Teach Elements: For science teachers,

advanced ICT literacy and “Collaboration in a Digital “Creativity in a Mobile Intel Teach Elements:

integration courses. Classroom”– Plan and manage Classroom” – This course “Inquiry in the Science

Focus on advanced integration collaboration activities that builds on concepts introduced Classroom”– Transition

and 21st century skills integrate online tools, which are in Moving into Mobile. Teachers from textbook science to

development. increasingly an integral part of learn concrete ways to authentic inquiry. Explore

our digital, global world – 15 implement mobile learning ways to develop students’

hours online. effectively, while encouraging scientific thinking and

OR students’ creativity – 10 hours practices – 20 hours
online. online.
Microsoft 21st Century Learning
Design (21CLD). 21CLD is about Microsoft Teaching with
the learning process: how Technology certification – 20
teachers change their pedagogy hours offline and online.

to be student centric and driven

by enhanced use of technology.

Can be face to face or online.

4 Teachers: 40 hours of Intel Transforming Learning: Intel Teach Elements: “De-
advanced ICT integration “Learning with One-to-One”– signing Blended Learning” –
courses. This training focuses on a one Transition teaching to blended
Focus on advanced to one computing environment learning experiences where
integration, 1:1 learning, and new models for teaching and some portion of learning occurs
and 21st century skills learning, to build and assess the online and outside of a tradi-
development. skills that students will need to tional classroom setting. – 20
thrive in a Digital Age classroom hours online.
– 24 hours face-to-face.

5 Teachers: 40 hours of Intel Transforming Learning: One course TBD (online)
advanced ICT integration “Student Engagement with
courses. One-to-One”; Introduces
Focus on advanced educators to one of the most
integration, 1:1 learning, powerful factors affecting
and 21st century skills student achievement – student
development. engagement. –16 hours online
Intel Teach Elements:
“Thinking Critically with
Data”– This course will help
teachers prepare students to
think analytically in our global,
knowledge-driven world. – 20
hours online

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RWANDA MINEDUC EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY PL AN

13.5 Appendix E: ICT and Infrastructure Interim Identity Management
The initial identity management configuration requires
13.5.1 Identity Management Example using on-premises Active Directory required to support Windows
Microsoft Windows 8.1 users and devices as well as on-premises software and
services. To integrate this with the Azure Active Directory
Windows 8.1 Identity Management and the Office 365 credentials the local Active Directory will
Windows 8.1 devices will require an Active Directory be configured to synchronize with the Azure Active Directory.
implementation to support the creation of usernames A high level design and detailed design will be developed for
and passwords and to manage the authentication and the Active Directory synchronization design and configuration
authorization of logging on to the devices. This infrastructure options.
will require the installation of Windows Server 2012 servers
configured as Domain Controllers. Some Domain Controllers 13.5.2 Types of Schools Networks
will be required in a central location, such as a Data Centre, Wired Networks
to host the Flexible Single Master of Operation (FSMO) roles. Basically it is a way to connect devices to the Internet or
other network (internally or externally) using cables. The
Domain Controllers will also be required in each school most common wired networks use cables connected to
where Windows 8.1 devices will be deployed to allow local Ethernet ports on the network router on one end and to a
and timely authentication of devices and users in the school. computer or other device on the cable’s opposite end, there
A high level design and detailed design will be developed for are different wired technologies available in the market
the Active Directory infrastructure including logical, physical including co-axial cable, twisted pair and fibre optic cables.
and network topologies.
Wireless Networks
Windows 10 Identity Management and SaaS Identity Typically it is a wireless network that links two or more
Management devices using a wireless distribution method (often spread-
Windows 10 introduces the ability to leverage Azure Active spectrum or OFDM radio) within a limited area such school
Directory so that devices can be connected to Azure AD and or Classroom. This gives students the ability to move around
users can login to Windows with Azure AD. For Rwanda, this within a local coverage area and still be connected to the
means that users can logon to Windows 10 devices using network, and can provide a connection to the wider Internet.
their Office 365 username and password. This will reduce the Most modern WLANs are based on IEEE 802.11 standards,
infrastructure required in Domain Controllers in every school, marketed under the Wi-Fi brand name, and just like wired
so long as the devices have sustained internet connectivity. types we do have different types of wireless LAN including.

Using Azure Active Directory as the central Identity • Peer-to-peer:
Management solution, this will also provide the capabilities • Bridge:
of Single Sign On to multiple Software-as-a-Service and • Wireless distribution system:
Line-of-Business applications, providing an experience of only
requiring one username and one password to access devices,
software and services. A high level design and detailed design
will be required for the Azure Active Directory configuration.

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