SHARE: RELM

Donor: USAID • Partner: University of Notre Dame’s Pulte Institute for Global Development • Timeframe: July 2023-December 2024

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)’s Receptive and Expressive Language Module (RELM) is intended to fill a knowledge gap by assessing relevant aspects of receptive and productive language proficiency skills among learners in pre-primary and primary grades across low-and middle-income countries, in order to better understand the language abilities that are known predictors for literacy acquisition. IDP is supporting the University of Notre Dame’s Pulte Institute for Global Development to continue its work developing and refining the RELM by advising on universal design updates to the tool and adaptation guide. IDP will also lead the process of designing, piloting and validating a RELM for learners who are blind and learners who are deaf in 2 countries.

 

Two rows of people, seated in front and standing in back, At the center is a sign with the logos for the U.S. Agency for International Development and Supporting Holistic and Actionable Research in Education (SHARE). Some of the people are holding their hands in the "I love you" handshape used in some sign languages.

Project Highlights

  • With support from the MOE Directorate of Special Needs Education, IDP collaborated with OPDs and educators in Kenya to develop RELM tools for learners who are blind and learners who are deaf. 
  • Teachers who are also members of these disability communities were integral members of both the tool development process and during data collection, serving as enumerators. 
  • A deaf-owned videography firm developed professional videos for the RELM-Deaf Learner (DL) tool, and a Kenyan expert in Tangerine® data collection software worked with the enumerator team for the RELM Blind Learner (BL) tool to build an accessible digital tool, so that enumerators who are blind could administer the assessment. 
  • A local graphic artist created beautiful images to accompany the RELM-DL tool, and the Kenya Society for the Blind produced braille versions of the tool for enumerators to use. Tangible items from the market served in place of images for the RELM-BL tool. 
  • Data analysis and reporting are underway, with results expected in Fall 2024. A guidance resource is also forthcoming.
  • A second pilot country for the RELM-DL and RELM-BL tools is still to be deterimined.