$3.$ FEASIBILITY TEST OBJECTIVES:

The main objective of this feasibility test is to learn from the $15$ schools to ensure the successful implementation of projects and in particular, incorporate what we learn into improving the projects and process of implementation. This ensures that project and process improvements are informed by data and user feedback. This is especially important for science projects in particular as we learn how they can be done in place of practical assessment exams.

Specific Objectives

$1.$ To test the usability of projects by students, that is$,$ whether they do them as designed or require additional information and support.

$2.$ To test the usability of the project and project tools by teachers, whether they are able to assign, give feedback to students, grade projects and upload the marks to MIS without any additional support, guidance, or training other than what is provided on the tools and in the communication to them.

$3.$ To understand and outline what additional support teachers and students may need to do projects effectively.

$4.$ To understand what more may be required to enable teachers and students to use projects in place of practical assessment exams in science subjects.

$5.$ To understand whether schools that have been able to respond to MIS requirements are in a better position to also respond to and implement the requirements for projects for assessment.

Feasibility Test Expected Results

$$ Teachers will assign projects to students from the projects booklet provided. $$ Teachers will use the rubric included in the projects booklet as a guide to provide feedback to students on their projects as they work on them.

$$ Teachers will mark and grade the projects by $29$th May.

$$ Marks for two selected projects will be uploaded to MIS by $30$th June.

$$ Teachers and students will provide feedback on what is going well as well as any challenges they encounter until the successful completion of the project.

$$ Provided feedback and WESIC$$s learnings$/$ observations will inform our next projects$$ designs.

$$ District and Ward Education Officials, teachers, and school administrators will have the opportunity to become familiar and comfortable with the new form of assessment before expanding to all Form $5$ classes and subsequently all Form $6$ when necessary.

$4.$ METHODOLOGY

For the success of this feasibility test, the selected schools will be provided with Project booklets and clear guidelines on how to assign, monitor and give feedback, and mark students$$ projects. Project booklets and guidelines will be given to teachers during their orientation workshop.

A feasibility test will be done in $4$ to $5$ schools for the entire term three of $2023$ to learn about the feasibility of the projects as well as the logistics of implementation.

a$.$ Data collection will be done as part of this feasibility test

b$.$ Since students will do two selected projects in this term, after each project$$s completion, teachers must upload their project marks and end$-$of$-$term exam marks to MIS. This will enable the MIS team to test the system by applying the $10\%$ project mark contribution to the end$-$of$-$term exam. This will enable the identification of any challenges in operationalizing this feature on MIS.

c$.$ Data analysis will be carried out towards the end of Term $3$ with a detailed report outlining recommendations for project enhancement and process improvement.

A key focus area here will be on collecting evidence around projects being done in place of practical assessments. Understanding for example the rate of use, level of adoption based on school context and resourcing, and teacher adoption will be a few key areas of interest in informing project$-$based assessment implementation for the science subjects in particular at scale.

d$.$ Project enhancement and process implementation improvement will be done during term $3$ holidays informed by the feasibility test findings.

e$.$ Booklets with refined projects and instructions will be printed and distributed to all Form $5$ teachers of the $15$ pilot schools.

$5.$ PARTICIPATING FEASIBILITY STUDY SCHOOLS, VENUES & DATES FOR FORM $5$ TEACHERS$$ ORIENTATION

District

Venues for Form $5$ teachers

orientation

Pilot Schools

Orientation Dates

IRINGA

Heritage Sec School

Kiluvya hills

$29$th April,$2023$

Goba Secondary

Jitegemee Secondary

Kibaha Secondary

KAGERA

Loyola Sec School

Lumumba Secondary

$6$th May, $2023$

Malangali Secondary

Got Rateng Secondary

Mbiuni Secondary

LINDI

Mpiji Sec School

Mau Secondary

$29$th April $2023$

Chavakali Secondary

Kamana Secondary

Sima Secondary

MARA

White Lake Sec

School

Kiluvya Secondary

$7$th May, $2023$

Mwanza Secondary

Pugu Secondary

$6.$ RESOURCES AND SUPPORT NEEDED

Some of the projects may require students to go out into the community to conduct their research and speak to various community members. We request that the CEC Education and District Administrators of the districts participating in t