OBJECTIVES Capitalizing Information Technology for Greater Access and
19 5. RESULTS
It was apparent that the pilot test was a significant phase in the development of the instructional materials. The heavily academic-oriented materials
needed to be pilot tested in order to judge the feasibility of utilizing them for the target audience. The results of the pilot test provided directions to
improve and revise the materials to suit the needs of the target audience.
The materials on ICT skills and surfing the Internet had been developed based on the ADDIE model by a group of lecturers at university level. It took
more than three pilot tests and revisions to achieve valid and effective materials for the audience.
The materials had been pilot tested with a specific target audience in mind i.e. female graduates of junior and senior high schools. Thus, whenever
the materials were going to be applied to other target audiences, a pilot test should first be conducted for the new audience, as modification might be
needed.
In using the materials in any training setting, it was necessary to equip the materials with a PowerPoint presentation and trainers guide. Both the
presentation and guide were expected to be contextualized and adapted into any setting while the materials were generic in nature.
The training, as a vehicle for pilot testing, was effective and had multiple effects. First, the training for trainers established the availability of local
experts and a connection between the local experts and target groups. Second, the training increased the women’s confidence to experiment with
ICT and the Internet, motivating and encouraging them to further browse for various kinds of information.
Third, there were personal and social benefits for the women – the ICT served as a means to access information to increase knowledge on health or
environmental issues, news, politics and etc. Since women were the central figure in the village household, widening their knowledge horizon would
increase healthy living and they would gain a deeper understanding of the importance of preserving their environment and becoming aware of their
rights and responsibilities as individuals.
Fourth, in terms of economic benefits, ICT skills could increase the women’s income. Information on production technology, food technology and
marketing which was related to their vocations could be easily accessed via the Internet. Poor rural women working as fisherwomen were expected to
produce better and more variations of fish food while women farmers would be more exposed to the rapid agricultural technology development which
could increase their productivity. Businesswomen, on the other hand, could obtain information on prices and quality of their products through the
Internet, as well as increasing their opportunities for entrepreneurship.