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Conducting Field Research in Under-resourced Environments: Lessons from Experiences in Ghana

Conducting Field Research in Under-resourced Environments: Lessons from Experiences in Ghana. G. Ayorkor Mills-Tettey iSTEP Mini-course Lecture 30 th March 2009. About Me. Ph.D. student in Robotics Resource constrained path planning Constrained task allocation for teams

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Conducting Field Research in Under-resourced Environments: Lessons from Experiences in Ghana

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  1. Conducting Field Research in Under-resourced Environments: Lessons from Experiences in Ghana G. Ayorkor Mills-Tettey iSTEP Mini-course Lecture 30th March 2009

  2. About Me • Ph.D. student in Robotics • Resource constrained path planning • Constrained task allocation for teams • Grew up in Nigeria & Ghana • ICTD research interest: education • Field work with TechBridgeWorld: • Project Kané • Ashesi Robotics Course

  3. Project Kané: Goal • To investigate the role of technology in improving child literacy in Africa

  4. Project Kané: Ghana Study • Tested feasibility and effectiveness of an automated reading tutor • Pilot study (3 weeks): • Qualitative observations of feasibility • 18 children from under-resourced schools • Controlled study (4 months): • Quantitative measurements of effectiveness • 89 children from 3 socio-economic backgrounds

  5. Project Kané: Ghana Study Timeline Fall 2004 – Spring 2005 Summer 2005 Fall 2005 – Fall 2006 Spring – Summer 2007 Formulated study design Traveled to Ghana to implement pilot study Investigated options for funding and implementation of controlled study Collaborated remotely with partners in Ghana to implement controlled study

  6. Lessons about FieldworkUsing examples from Project Kané Ghana Study • Preparation • Understanding local constraints • Communication • Timing • Trouble-shooting • Sustainability

  7. Preparation • Test as much of your project as possible in advance of the actual implementation • E.g., for Project Kane, we tested the tests

  8. Understanding Local Constraints • Understand local constraints such as • Transportation costs • Availability of human and other resources • Required permissions • “Politics”

  9. Communication • Listen carefully to partners / collaborators / project participants • Remember it’s a partnership • Try to understand where they are coming from • Do not judge too quickly! • Are they telling you what they really think, or what they think you want to hear? • Particularly tricky when interviewing children • For collaborators, make an effort to ask questions in a non-judgmental way

  10. Timing • Try your best to stick to your schedule because time flies! • When working with partners, things might take longer than you think, and priorities might be different • Regular follow-up is important • Plan for contingencies

  11. Trouble-shooting • As data comes in, perform some basic analysis to catch problems early • E.g. Project Kane data challenges

  12. Sustainability • Open question: how to ensure sustainability? • Define desired outcomes for each partner • Define your goals • Is it to do a one-time evaluation/development of something? • Doing it yourself might work • Is it to train someone to carry on the project long-term? • Constantly assist/accompany that person to build capacity gradually. Patience and encouragement are key!

  13. Questions?

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