Digital Promise Reports and Publications

Permanent URI for this communityhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12265/1

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Browsing Digital Promise Reports and Publications by Author "April Williamson"

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    Certifying Competencies and Skills with Micro-credentials in a Global Context
    (Digital Promise, 2023-06) Rita Fennelly-Atkinson; April Williamson
    In this session, we introduced our platform of competency-based micro-credentials for educators (https://microcredentials.digitalpromise.org/explore), as well as resources and best practices to support using micro-credentials to meet a variety of adult learner needs across K-12 education, higher education, and workforce contexts. We provided examples of how educational institutions can leverage micro-credentials to recognize and incentivize the implementation of quality pedagogical strategies in any learning environment. In addition, we shared an overview of Digital Promise's global education work, including a case study of how micro-credentials will be leveraged in our blended learning pilot in Haiti, and examined options for using, adapting, and developing micro-credentials in a variety of global contexts.
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    Challenge-Based Learning for Global Competence and Employability
    (Digital Promise, 2024-06) April Williamson
    Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) is an innovative pedagogical approach that empowers students to identify and design solutions to real issues within their communities. Students use available materials and technologies to develop and implement community-based projects addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This presentation orients educators to using CBL to develop global competence and employability skills and shares a range of free resources that educators across levels, disciplines, and geographies can use to implement projects in their classrooms.
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    Improving Access to Interactive, Mother-Tongue Digital Science Content for Early Grade Learners in Rural Haiti
    (Digital Promise & Blue Butterfly Collaborative, 2023-09) April Williamson; Suzanne Cole
    Digital Promise and Blue Butterfly - along with our partners, Anseye Pou Ayiti (APA), Summits Education/Model School Network (MSN), Education Development Center (EDC), and Learning Equality - are implementing a blended learning pilot program in primary schools in rural Haiti. Our model aims to implement an active, learner-centered approach in Haitian classrooms through (i) development and delivery of culturally relevant, mother-tongue digital content; (ii) strategic use of technology; and (iii) integrated professional development focused on pedagogy, content knowledge, and technology. We are using Learning Equality’s open-source Kolibri learning platform to deliver Eksploratoryòm, Blue Butterfly’s locally developed, Haitian-Creole science education series. The Eksploratoryòm series promotes early literacy and social-emotional learning skills by encouraging children to engage with fun, interactive science audio and visuals. Kolibri is also designed for offline or low-bandwidth settings and optimized for a variety of low-cost and legacy devices. By improving the capabilities of Haitian teachers through local training and coaching; expanding the availability of culturally relevant, standards-aligned, Haitian-Creole digital content; and improving access to electricity, devices, and connectivity for Haitian schools, we aim to provide Haitian students quality and continuous education that is a pathway to economic opportunity, wellbeing, and agency.
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    Introducing Blended Learning in Low-Tech Settings: Lessons from Haiti
    (Digital Promise, 2024-06) April Williamson
    Schools don’t need to have extensive infrastructure and reliable connectivity, and teachers don’t need to have deep experience with technology, in order to introduce high-quality blended learning. This presentation shares tools and lessons from our partnership to bring interactive digital learning to primary schools in rural Haiti. Our pilot model aims to shift instruction in Haitian classrooms from a rote, teacher-centered system to an active, learner-centered approach through (i) development and delivery of culturally relevant, mother-tongue digital content; (ii) strategic use of appropriate infrastructure and technology; and (iii) integrated professional development focused on pedagogy, content knowledge, and technology. Our phased approach to implementation and monitoring emphasizes applying lessons from past efforts, iterating over time, and building local capacity to ensure that the results and impact are sustainable. We are working in partnership with local and global partners - including Anseye Pou Ayiti, Summits Education, Model School Network, Blue Butterfly, and EDC - and using Learning Equality’s open-source, offline-first Kolibri learning platform to deliver a Haitian-Creole science education series (“the Eksploratoryòm”).