If you are reading this blog post, you probably know that Alma is following a digital learning strategy to train hundreds of rural teachers from isolated areas of the Cusco region. We offer university-accredited diplomas for pre-primary and primary school teachers.
What probably is less familiar to you is that the platform that is making this possible is called Moodle. Moodle is an open-source learning platform (or Learning Management System) which is used by millions of users worldwide from schools, universities, corporations or any institution that offers online learning.
However, only using Moodle is not enough to successfully offer high-quality courses. In fact, we can argue that that’s the least important aspect. The technology is -of course- necessary, but understanding the context where these rural teachers live, the barriers they have, how they navigate the lack of connectivity, power outages, and low digital literacy skills are the crucial elements to design and deliver the courses.
With all of this in mind, Alma has adopted an innovative approach to overcoming educational barriers in low-resource, remote settings – and this will be presented at the upcoming Moodle Global MOOT conference in October 2024 in Mexico.
The presentation Postdigital Learning Spaces in Rural Peru: Reaching Teachers from Low-resource Remote Communities will cover how a ‘postdigital’ perspective with a mobile-first approach is proving to be highly effective in providing accessible and inclusive education in the Peruvian highlands. This project exemplifies how leveraging digital tools and contextualized learning strategies and design can bridge the digital divide even in the most challenging scenarios.
It’s such an honour to have Alma at the global stage of digital education, and we are excited to share our experiences and insights with a wider audience. We believe that our work can inspire other educators and organisations to adopt similar approaches, ultimately contributing to a more equitable and inclusive global education system.
Javier Tejera