Mobile-assisted Self-interviewing: A Mobile Alternative to ACASI

CASI (Computer-assisted Self-interviewing) and ACASI (Audio Computer-assisted Self-interviewing) are research techniques which improve the likelihood of respondents participating openly and honestly on sensitive topics. WhizzKids United used a school facilitator and Mobenzi Researcher to conduct surveys with hundreds of learners in one of the first examples of MASI - Mobile-assisted Self-interviewing.

CASI involves respondents making use of a computer (typically a touchscreen) to display questions and allow respondents to enter their answers. An important differentiator between CASI and fieldworker-administered techniques is that respondents are more likely to answer sensitive questions candidly if they know the fieldworker cannot see their answer.

ACASI is an improvement to CASI whereby audio narration is added to the equation. Respondents are able to simultaneously read each question displayed on-screen and listen to it via headphones. This technique assists in cases where respondent literacy is low.

"Best of all, respondents have greater privacy during the survey, as a phone screen is much easier to shield from prying eyes than a sheet of paper. If you imagine 40 kids in a cramped classroom answering the question, "How many sexual partners have you had in the past 6 months?" you will understand how important this added privacy is."

WhizzKids United needed a mobile version of ACASI to undertake a baseline survey of primary and secondary students in Edendale schools. The objective of the survey is to produce scientific evidence for the impact of the WhizzKids Health Academy, as well as identifying the needs of its target population.

Mobenzi Researcher Implementation

A solution leveraging "appropriate technology" was defined whereby a facilitator moves from one school to another with a consignment of entry level Nokia handsets which are handed out to students. Each handset has Mobenzi Researcher installed which steps the students through the survey while the fieldworker reads the questions out and answers any questions the students may have. Thanks to Mobenzi Researcher's ability to deploy surveys in multiple languages, students may select English or Zulu depending on their personal preference.

Once a student has completed the survey, their responses cannot be accessed until they have been uploaded at which point they can be reviewed in an anonymised format by authorised personnel. The handsets are returned to the facilitator who may then move on to the next class or school.

Impact

During the study, over 850 students used Mobenzi Researcher to perform self-interviews, in their own classrooms, while under the supervision of a facilitator.

Some of the advantages listed by Africaid include:

• No data entry
• Environmentally friendly (no printing, no stapling, no paper waste)
• Data is more secure
• Respondents find the survey more engaging