photo credits: Prasith Chin
Action Education in Laos provides schools with tablets and innovative tools to facilitate students' learning and make teachers' work more efficient.
The benefits of using new technologies in schools in Laos
In some rural schools in Laos, teaching methods are still traditional. Despite the progress and preponderance of new technologies, these schools do not have the appropriate teaching materials and aids. Yet, new technologies occupy an important place in the world of education today. Indeed, they have two main advantages:
- To make teaching methods more effective and to help teachers to appropriate educational media.
- Encouraging students' learning and creativity through teaching materials (videos, interactive games, etc.)
Based on this observation, Action Education in Laos has set up the ICT project. This project, launched in a number of nursery and elementary schools in the country, has the overall objective of facilitating the teaching process for both teachers and students.
Action Education's mission in the ICT project
Various actions have been carried out by the association to promote the use of new technologies in these rural schools. Among these actions, we can mention
- The development of digital teaching materials in the Lao mother tongue for teachers and students
- The supply of tablets, projectors, screens, speakers, power cables and innovative tools.
- The provision of appropriate training and video guides to teachers on how to use the equipment
In practical terms, each school has received a projector and some teachers are currently using it to engage the class in problem solving. Tablets are also used to facilitate group work and sharing among students. Teachers integrate 1-2 hours of ICT learning into the lesson plans per week to encourage and stimulate the pupils.
The impact of these new solutions was immediately visible on all students and teachers.
The success of the project in the target schools
The content developed is very rich and varied, applicable to several subjects such as vocabulary and mathematics. The results observed in the schools targeted by the project are very promising. With the help of coloured pictures or brain training games, it is easier for pupils to understand the teaching. The teachers are able to convey the knowledge more clearly. One of the project leaders testifies:
"As the ICT equipment was completely new to the teachers, it will take time to learn how to use it. But one of the strengths of the project is the commitment of the teachers to master the functions and maintain the equipment. They see the potential and want the pupils to benefit from this new approach to learning.
Once these different materials and applications have been validated, they can be shared on different download platforms, especially for use in other schools across the country.
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