Projects - Canadian Institute for Media Convergence (CIMC)

PROJECTS

Blended Learning Solution to Advance Gender Equality in Education – UGANDA

e-Learning WITHOUT Internet or Electricity !

This unique project successfully tested an innovative cost-effective, decentralized, blended e-learning solution designed for, and sensitive to, specific gender challenges in South-West Uganda. The solution is providing much-needed opportunity to in-service women teachers to earn their Bachelors of Education, Primary (BEP) degree. E-learning study material is being delivered digitally to target students, where they live, and at a pace that they can self-manage. Crucially, this solution functions autonomously, operating effectively without the need for internet connectivity or reliance on electricity. The strategy involves equipping the learners with solar-powered mobile devices (MP4 Players) preloaded with Educational Lecture Video (ELV) content. The project was funded by Global Affairs Canada – Fund for Innovation and Transformation (FIT), to test innovative solutions that advance gender equality in the Global South.

Within a year of prototyping the innovation in three districts in south-western Uganda, registrations in the pilot education program surged by 159%, from 150 to 389 enrolments. Several universities in Africa, facing similar socio-economic challenges, are interested in adopting CIMC’s pioneering technological solution and unique e-learning platform to “bring the university to the students” .

CIMC’s innovative ICT solution delivering blended e-learning to in-service teachers for their professional development, and advancing gender equality in Uganda.

Educational Videos Online – ETHIOPIA

Through this project, CIMC will provide online on-demand access to syllabus based educational videos to all secondary school students in Ethiopia on mobile devices for convenient e-learning. The videos will cover the entire syllabus of grades 9-12 for all subjects, and will be streamed on a secure online portal. Samples of streaming video lessons can be viewed here. The project will build a telecommunication network infrastructure for Last-Mile Digital Connectivity in rural and remote areas for online access to educational content. Customized mobile devices will be distributed to students for exclusive access to the e-content.

Online Education – INDIA

CIMC is partnering with the Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur (IITJ) to enhance IITJ’s convergent mass media communication technologies and develop IITJ’s courses for online delivery worldwide. The courses will be developed with a combination of both Synchronous and Asynchronous modes, based on business model, needs, objectives and learner types.

Educational Television Production – ETHIOPIA

3,702 syllabus-based Educational Television Programs have been produced for the Ethiopian Educational Media Agency, covering the entire curriculum of grades 9 – 12 for the subjects of English, Geography, Civics, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Economics, Business and Technical Drawing. Production includes special ETV lessons for deaf students, incorporating Ethiopian Sign-Language Interpretation. The programs are broadcast from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to Plasma television sets in individual classrooms in all public high schools across Ethiopia via a Satellite Broadcast Network. Lessons are transmitted in accordance with uniform national curriculum schedule.

Media Capacity Building – ETHIOPIA

CIMC conducts practical media training workshops at the Amhara Mass Media Agency (AMMA), Ethiopia. The cooperation plan addresses Information Exchange & Experience Sharing with Canada in Content Creation, Technical and Broadcast Management, and Overall Organizational Capability.