How can educators, researchers and practitioners use digital technologies to enable learning and support change?

The world woke up to online learning during the pandemic, but for the last 10 years we’ve been quietly developing our digital expertise. Over 20,000 professionals and students across Asia, Africa and Latin America have used our online courses — and connected communities of practice — to develop new knowledge, master new skills and apply them in their workplace. Many of our facilitators are themselves Southern researchers and professionals. Those 20,000 are all “completers”, not simply participants, who have actively participated, submitted assignments, and peer reviewed the work of their fellow learners. Half are women, notable in contexts where women can face barriers to professional learning. 

We’ve asked and answered many questions in that time, as we’ve sought to adapt our methods and update our content to reach more people, improve their learning experience, and build a community of learners that is building knowledge and developing new ideas together.  

• What makes our online learning successful?  
• Is there a link between social interaction and completion rates? 
• How can we overcome technological barriers and develop courses that are accessible to learners no matter where they live and how good or poor their internet connectivity is? 
• How can we develop courses that respect and respond to participants’ contexts – including past experience, language, learning culture and communication? 

Source: INASP