Smart Schools Technologies Ltd is helping schools enhance classroom engagement and support the development of key competencies under Kenya’s Competency-Based Education framework
The adoption of digital learning technologies is reshaping classroom instruction in the country as schools embrace innovative approaches to implementing the Competency-Based Education (CBE) framework.
Among the technologies supporting this transition is the Smart Interactive Teaching Screen developed by Smart Schools Technologies Ltd, a Kenyan education technology company providing digital solutions to learning institutions.
The interactive screens are designed to enhance teaching and learning by combining digital content, interactive presentation tools and computing capabilities in a single device.
With pre-installed curriculum content and the ability to operate offline, the technology offers schools an alternative approach to delivering lessons while supporting the development of essential learner competencies.
The CBE framework emphasises the practical application of knowledge, skills and attitudes, moving away from an overreliance on rote memorisation towards learner-centred and competency-focused instruction.
The framework identifies seven core competencies, including digital literacy and self-efficacy, which are among the areas that Smart Schools Technologies interactive teaching screens can help schools develop.
Enhancing digital literacy in the classroom
Digital literacy involves the ability to use digital tools safely, ethically and effectively to access, evaluate, create and share information.
The Smart Interactive Teaching Screen supports this competency by enabling teachers and learners to engage with digital learning materials, multimedia presentations and illustrative content during lessons.
The screens can display videos, animations, diagrams, graphical demonstrations and other visual learning resources, making it easier for teachers to explain concepts and for learners to engage with content in a more interactive way.
Where internet connectivity is available, the devices can also support online learning activities and access to additional digital resources.
By integrating these tools into everyday classroom instruction, schools can provide learners with opportunities to develop digital skills while engaging with curriculum content.
Promoting self-efficacy through independent learning
The technology also supports the development of self-efficacy, a competency associated with learners’ confidence, resilience, independence and belief in their ability to complete tasks and take responsibility for their learning.
One of the key features of the Smart Interactive Teaching Screen is its ability to operate offline using curriculum content and learning materials pre-installed by Smart Schools Technologies Ltd.
This allows teachers and learners to access educational resources without relying on continuous internet connectivity. Learners can interact with the available content and undertake learning activities even in environments where internet access is limited.
The offline functionality also gives schools greater flexibility in managing digital learning, reducing dependence on internet availability during lessons.
In addition, the screens can be connected to other screens, creating opportunities for coordinated lesson delivery across multiple classrooms. This can enable one teacher to deliver a lesson to learners in different classrooms, provided the necessary screen connections and supporting arrangements are in place.
School leaders who have adopted the technology say the interactive screens are providing new opportunities for learner participation and more engaging classroom instruction.
Ms Susan Mundia, Principal of Our Lady of Consolata Mugoiri Girls High School ( OLC Mugoiri Girls) in Murang’a County, said the installation of the Smart Interactive Teaching Screens had made a significant contribution to teaching and learning at the institution.
She described the screens as appropriate tools for delivering lessons within the CBE framework, noting that they allow learners to engage with lesson content, ask questions and participate in demonstrations.
According to Ms Mundia, the devices’ ability to support offline learning is particularly useful because teachers can deliver lessons using pre-installed materials without depending entirely on internet connectivity.
She added that the technology could help learners develop digital literacy skills while also supporting online teaching when connectivity is available.
Ms Mundia further noted that the screens could support lesson delivery across multiple classrooms, enabling teachers to reach more learners where the required equipment and connections are available.
At Mang’u High School in Kiambu County, Chief Principal Mr Bernard M. Kinga said the interactive teaching screens are adding value to classroom instruction.
He noted that the technology had been useful in supporting interactive learning in Mathematics and the sciences, as well as in humanities and technical subjects.
The Principal said the ability to present information visually and demonstrate concepts interactively makes the screens a useful resource across different subject areas.
The Smart Interactive Teaching Screens offer a range of functions that teachers can incorporate into lesson delivery, including video playback, animations, illustrations, presentations and graphical demonstrations.
These features can help teachers explain complex concepts, demonstrate processes and encourage learners to participate actively in lessons.
For example, a teacher can use graphical demonstrations to explain mathematical concepts, animations to illustrate scientific processes or multimedia presentations to support discussions in humanities and technical subjects.
Such approaches can provide learners with opportunities to observe, question, discuss and demonstrate their understanding, supporting the practical and participatory learning approaches encouraged under CBE.
The technology also gives teachers access to a wider range of presentation methods, allowing them to adapt lessons to different topics and learning needs.
Smart Schools Technologies Ltd solutions are designed to support educational institutions as they embrace digital transformation and modernise classroom instruction.
The company’s Smart Interactive Teaching Screens integrate computing capabilities, an operating system and teaching tools into a single touchscreen device, providing a platform for interactive lesson delivery.
Developed with the Competency-Based Education environment in mind, the solutions support activities such as research, collaboration, presentations, demonstrations and engagement with digital learning materials.
The inclusion of preinstalled curriculum content is intended to make digital resources accessible even in schools where internet connectivity may be unreliable or unavailable.
Effective integration of technology into lesson planning and classroom practice can create additional opportunities for learners to build digital literacy, confidence, independence and practical understanding.
Used in over 500 schools across all counties, the devices have been adopted by prominent institutions such as Kapsabet Boys, Maranda High, Maryhill Girls, Mang'u High, NEP Girls Garissa, Machakos Boys, Pangani Girls, and Good Testimony International School, among others.
Contact: Smart Schools Technologies Ltd
https://www.smartschoolstechnologies.com/
Tell. +254725879488
Email. smartschoolstechnologies@gmail.com
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