MEST Africa and Mastercard Foundation have launched the first episode of the 2023 edition of Edtech Monday.

The episode discussed “Mainstreaming Hybrid Model of Learning in Ghana” and featured expert panelists including the Head of Pre-school Aba Brandful Ankrah, at Vine Christian School,the Chief Operating Officer of TECHAiDE,FJ Cava; and Africa Policy Lead at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change Hilda Barasa.

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on education and training across Africa, with approximately 250 million learners in the region affected. In sub-Saharan Africa, around 20% of children risk being excluded from schooling by 2030, which could have dire consequences on the quality of education.

Below are 5 key learnings from the discussion which explored whether a hybrid model of learning could be the solution Ghana’s educational system needs.

1. Lack of digital skills and lack of support and training for educational providers are some challenges for the hybrid model of learning(FJ Cava, TECHAiDE).
   
   
2. Parents play a major role in facilitating the hybrid model of learning because they have to guide, supervise and monitor the learning of their wards online and offline(Aba Brandful Ankrah - Head of Pre-school at Vine Christian School).
   
3. Online learning may not be a suitable learning style for every child as most children need that physical touch so it is essential that the hybrid model is adapted to suit each child (Aba Brandful Ankrah - Head of Pre-school at Vine Christian School).
   
4. The use of low-technological solutions such as radio and tv can facilitate learning and improve the hybrid models of learning (Hilda Barasa, Africa Policy Lead at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change)
   
5. Digital literacy for children is also very important to protect the child from the dangers of the internet and to keep them safe while online(FJ Cava - COO, TECHAiDE).

The discussions also featured public opinions from students, educators, and technology experts.

Betty Adu-Gyamfi, a student and teacher, noted the convenience of online learning, while Daniel Amedza Phillips, Co-Founder of Scribble Works, advocated for a blend of online and in-classroom learning.

Prince Nana Kojo Boafo, a student at the International School Area, highlighted the benefits of recorded classroom lessons and immediate results from online practice tests.

“If my classroom lessons were recorded, it would be quite helpful as I can refer back to them if I miss something. Practising past questions on my computer and getting immediate results would also be efficient,” he said.

EdTech Mondays is an initiative of the Mastercard Foundation’s Regional Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning in ICT, aimed at finding solutions to Africa’s youth employment by closing the gap in access to quality education and advancing the integration of technology in education policies and practices across Africa.

The Mastercard Foundation has partnered with MEST Africa, a pan-African technology institution, to bring EdTech Monday on the last Monday of every month on Citi FM.