Learning over WhatsApp?: Exploring Chat Bots to create Digital Safe spaces for Women

[mozfest-bot]

[ UUID ] 30fd43b0-a1ae-4c23-a547-28f609e364c9

[ Session Name ] Learning over WhatsApp?: Exploring Chat Bots to create Digital Safe spaces for Women [ Primary Space ] Digital Inclusion [ Secondary Space ] Web Literacy

[ Submitter's Name ] Winnie Makokha [ Submitter's Affiliated Organisation ] Mozilla Kenya [ Submitter's Github ] @WinnieMakokha

What will happen in your session?

Data from the Digital Skills Observatory (mzl.la/dso) research conducted in 2016 in Kenya with a chatbot -like experiment on WhatsApp, indicated that women participants are generally more engaged than men while talking to Sterro( the chat bot name). Also, the data indicated that the most responsive chatters are women. Participants in the session will discuss their encounters with any chat- bot like platform. They can describe why they liked/didn’t like it; why they were having a conversation with the chatbot etc. While providing the descriptions of their experiences with chatbots, participants will engage in a bingo game that will involve them picking sides of which environments they feel comfortable in while learning.
Additional resource;research on gendering chatbots(http://bit.ly/2hj4cwS)

What is the goal or outcome of your session?

One of outcomes is to have a collection of ideas (and execution) on how to enhance chatting and learning (the type elected to be safe) for women in targeted spaces on the Web. Another goal is to identify methods (qualitative and quantitative) to measure improvement in inclusion and safety in targeted spaces.

If your session requires additional materials or electronic equipment, please outline your needs.

Post it notes and manilla papers

Time needed

less than 60 mins

[amirad]

Ohh winnie this is a good one! Love how this takes DSO learning into a session

[WinnieMakokha]

@amirad Thanksises! Hoping to explore it further:-)

[leahcatherine]

Hi Winnie - could you share some additional background information on this, please?

[kenyatta1]

Unfortunately, we didn't feel this session quite fit within the Digital Inclusion space this year, so I'm removing the milestone to allow other spaces to consider your proposal.

[flukeout]

We'll be considering it within the Web Literacy space, cheers!

[edovio]

Hello @WinnieMakokha - We are very happy to announce you that we have decided to accept your session at the festival this year! Congratulations! 🎉

[WinnieMakokha]

@edovio

Thank you so much. I am working on VISA application but i have my flight itinerary ready

[WinnieMakokha]

@leahcatherine Apologies for delayed response. Mozilla Foundation in conjunction with Bill & Melinda gates had a Digital skills projuct for first-time smartphone users in Kenya. A segment of the project included experimenting on how first time smartphone users can learn over Whatsapp( a bot/unknown person teaching them stuff). The data then revealed that more women were engaging over the platform. Whole project report is herehttp://mzl.la/dso

[leahcatherine]

This sounds wonderful Winnie. Congratulations! I hope to meet you at MozFest and learn more about your work as well.

[edovio]

Hello @WinnieMakokha great to know!!! I'm very happy to see you again at the MozFest!!!

[jonathanprozzi]

Hello @WinnieMakokha!

As MozFest is approaching we’re asking that you reply to this issue with an outline of the topics and activities for your session. A rough, bullet-point outline with time estimates would be ideal. Thank you and let us know if you have any questions.

[kaodro]

Hi @WinnieMakokha , my name is Kasia and I work on Mozilla’s Internet Health Report. At Mozfest we will be present with an “Internet Research Hub” #618 (last comment) - an easy-going, cozy space for discussions and networking both with us about Internet Health and among researchers themselves.

We also invite anyone who does work in an Internet research field to sign up and present their work at a couple of open display tables we will have in the hub. We will promote these sessions throughout the festival. You can do it spontaneously with pen and paper on site or if you would like to save a spot beforehand, drop me an email at kasia@mozillafoundation.org with a short description of the session.

In any case, I would like to invite you to pass by the hub and say hi. We will start with an informal "Research and coffee grinder” get-together at the beginning of the festival where people can get to know each other. Space and exact schedule for the Hub are still being decided and I will update you once we know the details. Hope to see you there!

[edovio]

Dear Facilitators, we are happy to share with you the MozFest facilitators 2017 Guide at the Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fezzIH8u0Li6pIHMNYDCuUjA_gHpB4Px9eXQo4Ol7es/edit It is also important to sign in here: https://public.etherpad-mozilla.org/p/festival.fabriders.facilitatorcoaching2017 for the coaching session, that helps you in your facilitation role! :)

[flukeout]

Hey @WinnieMakokha - have you had a chance to think about an session outline as @jonathanprozzi asked about? A list of the activities and time estimates for each phase would be great! Thanks and let us know if you have any questions.

[flukeout]

Hello @WinnieMakokha, we've created the first version of the Web Literacy Space schedule for the weekend and wanted you to have a look...

• Web Literacy Space Schedule
  • It's a public Trello board, so please don't make any changes!
  • We are still finalizing the longer Gallery Space session drop-in times.

Please take a few minutes to locate your session (I've had to abbreviate the session names) and let us know if you have any questions or if there are any reasons that you cannot host your session during the chosen time (like a travel conflict or another session you are hosting at the same time). Please comment in this issue and and include @flukeout to get my attention.

We'll be finalizing the schedule next week and updating the Guidebook app that attendees will use during the festival.

Thanks!

[WinnieMakokha]

@jonathanprozzi & @flukeout Apologies for delayed response. Se below my sessions topics & estimated time. 5 minutes: Introduction: (name & interests). Can type out on etherpad 8- 10 minutes: Bingo game (game on learning environments) 5 minutes : Debrief about the bingo game 5 minutes: Which are you favourite chat platforms(bots?) & why? [Side note: Sticky note exercise] 8-10 minutes : Discussion on bingo game outcome + bots}+ gender [Side note: the experience of women,men,marginalized groups on interacting in digital spaces] Last 3-5 minutes: Debrief of entire session/take home points/Provide background info on DSO(mzl.la/dso) (mzl.la/dso-data)

[flukeout]

@WinnieMakokha - thank you for the outline! And also, I shot you an email about possibly switching your session to the same time on Sunday instead of Saturday at 12:45, when it's currently scheduled for. Let me know if that would work, we're trying to accommodate another session that can only get some youth helpers in on the Saturday. Cheers!