Bridging learning gaps: Improving digital learning access for offline and hard to reach communities
2023 updates on the Offline Learning Passport
In 2023, the Offline Learning Passport grew significantly, reaching new countries and making a positive impact on education in diverse contexts. With the deployment of 460 offline hub devices across the Philippines, Zimbabwe, Mexico, and Lebanon, we bridged learning gaps where children need it most.
Let’s delve into the impactful journey of the Offline Learning Passport in 2023 and explore how we continue to empower children and young people through digital learning, ensuring that no one is left behind in the pursuit of knowledge and a brighter future.
The Philippines: Recovering learning after natural disasters
In the aftermath of Super Typhoon Rai, the Philippines faced unprecedented challenges to its education system. The typhoon left over 29,000 schools damaged or destroyed, particularly affecting one of the most remote regions of the country, leading to weeks of disrupted learning for children.
UNICEF responded by distributing 77 offline hub devices to multigrade schools across Southern Leyte and Dinagat islands. The offline hub devices were introduced to ensure children continue learning foundational skills and to strengthen innovation in the delivery of multigrade education programme for learners. The Philippines was the first country to receive the Learning Passport’s offline hub devices. The team trained 345 teachers and 37 Department of Education Division staff, equipping them with digital skills and proficiency in utilizing the Learning Passport.
As the first large-scale pilot of the year, the offline implementation in the Philippines taught us valuable lessons, leading us to refine our technical and programmatic approach. These learnings are continuing to shape how we deploy the Offline Learning Passport, highlighting our commitment to adaptability and resilience in challenging situations.
“Learners find it easy to access the Learning Passport…The platform is not only for learners. As a teacher, I also learn from the Learning Passport. I take on courses like digital literacy and learning toolkit and it is a great help for me.” Sheen Margarett Ensomo, 26, a multigrade teacher and Disaster Risk Reduction Management Service (DRRMS) coordinator of Navarro Elementary School in Dinagat Island
Zimbabwe: Pioneering the Offline Learning Passport in Africa with the largest offline hub device deployment
A significant milestone was reached later in the year with the arrival of 188 offline hub devices in Harare, making Zimbabwe the first country in Africa to use the Offline Learning Passport. It is also the Learning Passport’s largest fulfillment of offline hub device orders to date. Recognizing the challenges posed by limited infrastructure in selected schools, UNICEF Zimbabwe also included the provision of solar power installations with the offline devices.
The Offline Learning Passport in Zimbabwe focuses on primary and secondary learners, including out-out-of-school children, and teachers from Manicaland and Matabeleland provinces. With an estimated 83,000 learners expected to benefit from the Learning Passport programme throughout the country, 1,880 teachers are being trained to deliver the programme efficiently.
Mexico: Bridging education gaps with remedial learning in 105 remote upper secondary schools
In November 2023, UNICEF Mexico in collaboration with the Undersecretary of Higher Secondary Education (SEMS) and the Sectoral Coordination of Academic Training (COSFAC), launched the Offline Learning Passport programme.
The programme is specifically designed to support upper secondary students by helping them catch up on learning and improve their skills in Mathematics, Communication, English, Chemistry and Physics. After months of preparation and training, the Offline Learning Passport is now in 105 upper secondary schools across 10 states and is expected to benefit 78,000 students. Our Offline solution allows them unlimited access to learning resources without the need for mobile data, making a positive impact on their education.
Lebanon: Leveraging offline hub devices to reduce internet costs for schools and learning centres
The Learning Passport in Lebanon is helping Syrian and Lebanese children and youths who are out-of-school and training non-formal education (NFE) teachers. It focuses on essential subjects such as basic literacy, numeracy, digital skills, and life skills content.
UNICEF Lebanon office received 50 offline hub devices in November 2023. These devices are getting ready for distribution in early 2024, starting with NFE centres in Bekaa Valley and Southern Lebanon. Selected centers experience challenges with intermittent connectivity, regular power outages, and varying levels of student proficiency. The Offline Learning Passport, which offers interactive, adaptable, and offline digital learning, can address these challenges by enabling personalized learning to cater to individual students’ levels in an offline environment. Not only does the Learning Passport allow children to continue to learn but also this innovative solution helps reduce internet bills for schools and learning centers.
The road ahead
As we reflect on the achievements of 2023 and kick off our work in 2024, the Learning Passport team is already busy working on new ways to harness emerging technology for life-long learning, making sure no one is left behind.
Our plan is to continue to support countries expand localized and digitized learning material available through the Learning Passport, making it more tailored and accessible. This will make it easier for teachers and school administrators to deliver quality education, reducing their workload, facilitating blended learning classrooms, and helping them find the appropriate material to supplement their lessons. We will continue to listen to learners, teachers, and partners so we can deliver exceptional value to them.
In the face of increasing global crises and emergencies, our team is actively developing a new prototype for the Offline Learning Passport that will be rapidly deployable in emergency and humanitarian operations. This latest solution is designed to provide learning opportunities everywhere, even in places without electricity, internet, or smart devices.
Our goal is bold yet within reach - to empower 55 million children and youth with the skills needed to thrive in a digital world. Together with our dedicated partners we have built a successful model, setting the stage for the expansion of the Learning Passport. We invite you to join us in turning this into a global reality!
Learn More by visiting https://learningpassport.org
