SolarSPELL Assessment: Impact of a Solar-Powered Digital Library as a Teaching-Learning Resource on Climate Change

Laura Hosman, Marcela Georgina Gómez Zermeño and Lorena Alemán de la Garza
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Laura Hosman: School for the Future of Innovation in Society (SFIS), Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
Marcela Georgina Gómez Zermeño: School of Humanities and Education, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey 64849, Mexico
Lorena Alemán de la Garza: School of Humanities and Education, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey 64849, Mexico

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 16, 1-18

Abstract: Inclusive and quality education can provide nations with the tools to solve global problems. However, some barriers prevent equal access to this education. These obstacles include the lack of basic resources such as electricity and internet availability, which prevents appropriate training in the skills necessary for sustainable community development. Therefore, we have responded with the Solar-Powered Educational Learning Library (SolarSPELL) initiative, which offers a solar-powered digital library and provides an internet-like experience through its offline WiFi network. This educational innovation has been implemented in rural schools across the Pacific Islands, including in some of the more remote islands of Fiji, an area strongly affected by climate change. The objective of the study was to understand the impact of SolarSPELL on teaching and learning about climate change in the schools where it was implemented. This research used a case study method in which quantitative tools were applied to understand the characteristics of the schools and the impact of this educational innovation. The results showed that the SolarSPELL library was an impactful pedagogical resource in the schools where it was implemented. It served as support for teachers and motivated the students, promoted the democratization of knowledge in vulnerable areas, and provided appropriate educational resources to generate knowledge about problem-solving actions that can respond to climate change. The importance of this educational innovation lies in presenting strategies and best practices that help improve the quality of education, making it more inclusive and eliminating barriers to the acquisition of knowledge.

Keywords: sustainability; climate change; SolarSPELL; inclusion; educational innovation; higher education (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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