Period of implementation of the project: 

October 2020 – May 2021

Challenge: 

• The spread of COVID-19 and the transition to distance learning have deprived many students of access to quality education. According to the Ukrainian Center for Educational Quality Assessment, 79% of teachers needed to improve their distance learning methods at the end of the first wave, and 72% of school principals said it was the most difficult to connect with students. It was necessary to create for every Ukrainian student, regardless of their residence and resources, an opportunity to keep in touch with their teachers, equal access to knowledge, and provide teachers with quality teaching materials and methodological support.

Solution: 

According to the best international practice, a solution was a national platform for blended and distance learning Ukrainian Online School.

All educational content corresponds to the current state educational programs, and the Ukrainian Institute tests its quality for Educational Development. The list and topics of courses are proposed by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.

The platform contains:

– video lessons, tests, and tasks for independent work for students of 5-11 grades

– guidelines for teachers on blended and distance learning

– personal accounts for students and teachers (virtual class), where it is possible to trace progress and assign tasks 

– mobile applications

Results: 

The Platform has more than 183 000 registered users, including 

135 000 students, 39 000 teachers and 9 000 listeners. According to the Ministry of Education and Science, every sixth teacher in grades 5-11 and more than 50% of schools use UOS. More than half a million users from more than 120 countries visited the Platform. More than 4 200 users downloaded the application from Google Play Market, Apple App Store and Huawei AppGallery.

Innovativeness of the project

The UOS platform meets the world’s best distance learning practices. Blended learning – a combination of offline and online formats – is recognized as the most effective learning tool.

UOS is built on the principle of microlearning. Each lesson consists of a short video of 8-10 minutes, a test, exercises and materials for self-preparation. This allows the students to change the forms of activity and hold attention dynamically.

Student-teacher interaction occurs through the teacher’s account, allowing the user to group the students into classes, assign them courses, and track progress.

Partnership

The UOS is an example of a public-private partnership between government, international and non-governmental organizations and responsible businesses. The state acted as the customer and chief quality expert, NGO Osvitoria worked as the contractor, and UNICEF provided expert support and training to teachers on inclusion. Three mobile operators provided free mobile traffic to use UOS (both web version and applications), Creative States – shooting room. Mobile applications were implemented with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation.

Sustainability of the project

UOS is needed both in quarantine and in the classroom. Each element can be used separately during the lesson to consolidate and revise the material.

The plan is to provide content for the entire school year and add new subjects. The procedure of coordination of further works is currently underway.

Category: People

Company:

NGO Osvitoria

About the company:

Osvitoria is an NGO that develops education in Ukraine through innovative educational projects and schools, professional training of teachers, providing children with equal educational opportunities, building platforms for distance and blended learning, and boosting educational reforms.

Sustainable Development Goals