Reimagining Education Podcast

Reimagining Education: Distance Education in Humanitarian Settings is an INEE interview series featuring a range of perspectives on distance education in crisis-affected contexts, as presented by teachers, implementing actors, donors, and academics delivering distance education interventions in crisis contexts. Some episodes present real-life examples and solutions, while others focus on theoretical concepts about distance education in humanitarian settings.

Each interview highlights the unique contributions of those working on the ground and the challenges they face. As the COVID-19 pandemic forces education actors to reorganize delivery mechanisms, this series shares the perspectives of those responding to changing needs

Each episode is hosted by a different member of the INEE Distance Education Reference Group (DERG). For more information about the INEE DERG, please visit inee.org/network-spaces

This podcast is supported by USAID. 

Reimagining Education: Distance Education in Humanitarian Settings is available on Apple, Google, Spotify, Audible, and wherever you get your podcasts.

Season 1

Episode 1: Digital Fluency in Emergency Education Contexts

In this episode, we learn from Dr. Agnes Chigona, Research Fellow at Cape Peninsula University of Technology in South Africa, about the importance of digital fluency in education in crisis-affected contexts. Dr. Agnes highlights key differences between digital literacy and digital fluency, and explains why it's important for students and teachers to focus on fluency rather than only digital literacy.   

The host of this episode is Dr. Diana Woolis, Director of the Center for Learning and Practice at the Childhood Education International and Co-Chair of the INEE Distance Education Reference Group. 

For more information on digital fluency check out these resources: 

• The Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Framework "TPACK"
• Dr. Agnes Chigona - Digital fluency for teaching and learning" by Agnes Chigona 

 

Episode 2: How USAID is Helping Teachers and Communities Deliver Distance Education around the Globe. 

In this episode, we learn about various tools and resources produced by USAID to help practitioners in crisis contexts deliver distance education.

We’d like to thank members of USAID’s team - Dr. Saima Malik, Senior Research and Learning Advisor, Dr. Emily Morris, Senior Professorial Lecturer, American University and Specialist in Distance Learning, and the late Rebecca Rhodes, Senior Education Advisor - for contributing to this episode. 

For more information about USAID`s work on distance education, visit www.edu-links.org/. 

• Distance Learning Programming
• Designing a Comprehensive Distance Learning Strategy
• Key Strategies for Measuring Reach, Engagement, and Outcomes of Distance Learning Initiatives
• Checklist for Overcoming Digital Barriers to Inclusion in Online Learning
• Best Practices on Effective SEL/Soft Skills Interventions in Distance Learning
• A Roadmap for Measuring Distance Learning

 

Episode 3: (Part 1) Humanizing Pedagogy for Higher Education in Emergencies Contexts 

This episode has two parts. We learn how social, political, and historical contexts help humanize pedagogies and achieve better education outcomes in emergency contexts. We learn from academics and practitioners about how to incorporate the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence in teaching methodologies. 

In this first interview, our host, Barbara Moser Mercer, Visiting Professor at the University of Nairobi, Professor Emerita at the University of Geneva, and member of the INEE Distance Education Reference Group Member, discusses with Jan Petrus Bosman, Director of the Center for Learning Technologies at Stellenbosch University, South Africa, and Sonja Strydom, Deputy Director of the Center for Learning Technology at Stellenbosch University.               

For more information on humanizing pedagogy check out the following resources.

• María del Carmen Salazar,  A Humanizing Pedagogy: Reinventing the Principles and Practice of Education as a Journey Toward Liberation
• Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed 
• Kubler Ross, Change Curve
• Dr Anthea H M Jacobs, How ‘mutual vulnerability’ came knocking at my door

 

(Part 2) : Humanizing Pedagogy for Higher Education in Emergencies Context 

In this second episode on “Humanizing Pedagogy”, we hear the perspectives of Juvenal Mbonihankuye, Project Director of Youth Education and Sports, and Aime Bizimana, Academic Manager at Youth Education and Sports, on operationalizing humanizing pedagogy in low resource and humanitarian environments. Juvenal and Aime, who work in Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, tell us about the transformative nature of humanizing pedagogy for students, teaching staff, and local academic support staff. 

For more information on humanizing pedagogy check out the following resources: 

• The African Digital University Network 
• The African Higher Education Emergencies Network          
• Ordinary Diploma in Community Interpreting by University of Nairobi

 

Episode 5: Delivering Low- and No-Tech Solutions in Double Crisis Situations (Conflict and Covid-19) 

This episode is available in Arabic.

In this episode, presented in Arabic, we learn about various challenges and barriers faced by stakeholders implementing distance learning programs in Syria. Our guests Mr. Manaf el Ass'ad and Yasin El Hamadi working for Bayt al Mo'atana, a local NGO in Syria share their experiences teaching and implementing distance learning programs in crisis settings. This episode is hosted by Dr. Mona Younes, Founder and Principal at Beyond Borders and member of the INEE Distance Education Reference Group. 

 

Episode 6: Engaging Learners Using Low- and No-Tech Solutions

This episode is available in Arabic.

In this episode, presented in Arabic, we hear from Jihad Mahmoud, Principal of the main school within Al Mahmoudli camp for internally displaced persons in al-Raqqa, Syria, run by Action for Humanity. Jihad shares his experience implementing various distance learning programs in no-tech scenarios. This episode is hosted by Dr. Mona Younes, Founder and Principal at Beyond Borders and member of the INEE Distance Education Reference Group.