Digital Solution for Education in Africa

Digital capacity-building for teachers, students and educational leaders Considering challenges like those presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, but also the general need for digital skills in today’s digitalised economies and societies, the SMART Zambia Institute (e-Government Division) has seen the need for enhancing digital skills among teachers, students, and educational leaders. Zambia P1 Lusaka P2.1 P2.2 3171 teachers enrolled on the DSF platform students from 30 boarding schools 6000 in 10 provinces targeted 70 teachers and 10 provincial officers trained in digital literacy educational leaders onboarded on the DSF platform 120 To provide teachers, students and educational leaders with digital literacy and 21st century teaching and learning skills, the SMART Zambia Institute has worked with the Digital Skills Foundation (DSF). A first project carried out jointly in 2022 targeted the development of digital and digital peda- gogy skills among basic education teachers (P2.1). Via a Training of Trainers approach, which involved the training of 31/32 Master Trainers from e-Government Division and teaching staff, 3171 teachers were enrolled on the DSF plat- form. The platform offers the opportunity to complete different courses on digital literacy, 21st century teaching and learning and teachers’ well-being. The aim was to enable teachers to conduct online lessons and to better harness digital devices to enhance learning and teaching practices, benefiting both teachers and students. In the follow-up project in 2023, the focus was shifted towards the provision of digital skills directly for students as well as educational leaders, as digital skills are seen as central for employability (P2.2). 70 teachers and 10 provin- cial officers were trained in digital literacy and 21st century skills, enabling them to act as facilitators for the 6000 students from 30 boarding schools targeted by digital literacy courses. – 15 – Digital Solutions for Education in Africa