Globe, Molave App Challenge Cebu 2016: Helping Children Read and Write in Cebuano

Globe Telecom, in partnership with Molave Development Foundation, launches App Challenge Cebu 2016 to encourage the creation of educational Android apps that will teach K-3 pupils about reading and writing in Cebuano.

“We want to advance Globe Telecom’s education initiatives by coming out with top-quality content in learning areas that are underserved. The tri-lingual system is a key cause of lack of basic reading comprehension. With poor reading skills, students are ill-equipped to learn other key subjects such as Math and Science. Literacy in the mother tongue is an essential component in the foundation of early learning. Thus, we didn’t hesitate to accept the request of Molave Development Foundation to mount an app challenge encouraging developers to create an educational app that can teach K-3 students about reading, writing, and comprehending Cebuano,” said Michelle Tapia, Head of Education and Digital Learning under Corporate Strategy and Business Development Group of Globe.

At present, a lot of students have minimal-to-no usable material for in-classroom learning or for self-study especially for fundamental skills like mother tongue literacy in K-3, thus, while they are able to speak and to understand their main language or dialect, their reading and writing abilities are limited.

On the other hand, many teachers all over the country are saddled with additional work on content development to compensate for the lack of available good-quality materials instead of being able to focus on improving student outcomes.

Cebuano is among the pre-identified major Mother Tongues for instruction, according to the Department of Education. The language is the second most widely used language, after Tagalog, and is spoken by 21 million Filipinos.

The apps are expected to help address the problem by teaching the half-a-million Cebuano children their native alphabet and helping them build their vocabulary, among other things, through various activities.  Learning concepts will focus on colors, numbers, shapes, family members, and/or body parts.

To qualify for the App Challenge, interested parties need to form a group of  3-4 members with at least one member who is fluent in Cebuano. Teams may register at http://bit.ly/AppChallengeCebu2016 and submit their proposal by November 10, 2016. Teams based outside Cebu are expected to travel to Cebu for the Pitch & Awarding at their own capacity.

The project proposal, which has to be in PDF format of two pages or less, should explain the following:  how the Android app will respond to the required functionality, how it will appeal to the target audience of K-3 children and their parents, any additional features or ideas to achieve the app’s learning objectives, and illustrations and graphics that depict the concept.

The top five qualifiers will be announced on November 11 and will be invited to attend a one-day online workshop via Brightspace on November 14. Technology and learning experts from Globe Telecom, Molave Development Foundation, and IREX will also participate in the online workshop to mentor the qualifying teams.

The qualifiers may use Globe Labs Application Program Interface (APIs) for SMS, Voice, Charging, Sponsored Access, and Location-Based Services to create their app. To access the API, they have to register with Globe Labs at http://www.globelabs.com.ph/community.

Live Beta version of the app must be 70% completed and will be presented during the face-to-face Pitch Day in December in Cebu. Winning Android apps are expected to be completed by March 31, 2017 and must be published to the Google App Store.  It will also be disseminated to the network of libraries and schools in the country.

The first prize winner will receive P100,000 for funding development, a special gadget for each team member, long-term advisory with Molave and Globe Labs, and an audience with Kickstart Ventures, Inc., a fully-owned venture capital firm of Globe. The rest of the participants will be given tokens and consolation prizes.

The apps will be judged based on the following criteria:  features – 30%, quality of design – 15%, feasibility/sustainability – 15%; appropriateness (content, learning outcomes) – 30%; and uniqueness – 10%.

To know more about the App Challenge, please visit https://www.facebook.com/globelabs/ or email Hack_Ed_Cebu2016@molavefoundation.org.