Introducing Blended Learning in Low-Tech Settings: Lessons from Haiti

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”).