Education Ministry’s new EDpal app expands, revolutionises learning

Leveraging technology once again, the Ministry of Education’s radio station, EDYOU FM on Monday launched the EDpal mobile app – designed to revolutionize learning for the country’s children.
At the touch of a device, students can now download the app and have access to curriculum aligned content and educational entertainment. The contents range to benefit stakeholders from the nursery level straight to the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE).
Director of EDYOU FM, Phillip Williams highlighted during the launching ceremony at the Pegasus Hotel that the new app sports low bandwidth, options to add highly compressed videos, a friendly user interface, uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to tailor recommended content; and uses analytics to measure usage and interaction.
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, the teaching system was not prepared and this led to children being unengaged for months. After assuming office, Education Minister, Priya Manickchand led efforts to prevent learning loss or dropouts, by expanding the Guyana Learning Channel and introducing initiatives such as EDYOU FM among others, which are continuously upgraded.
Even in pre- and post-Covid conditions, the hinterland has always had a lower percentage of trained teachers while being the least able to access. Trainee teachers have been able to access training in their own communities via the radio and will now benefit from this platform. It moves the country closer towards achieving 100 percent trained teachers by 2025.
Education Minister, Priya Manickchand underscored, “We’re able to reach CPCE students. We’re able to reach high school students and we’re able to teach in a way that we didn’t even conceive of properly pre-COVID…I hope to see results that are achieved in classrooms because of this supportive and supplemental learning. This took leadership and vision and an understanding of the need will have to evolve with the people leading this mission
She shared that in three years, the sector has evolved to present different needs, whereby a teacher in front of the classroom practicing traditional methods is no longer relevant. What is needed however, she said, is the same lessons demonstrated in different ways.
“The importance of this app is that we can do, and we can educate on the radio where people can’t get the app in Guyana’s villages, valleys and mountains. But we can also use that same content on an app and device for children who are here and addicted to it. This is just a small example of how the Ministry of Education has had to almost overnight, evolve and that is not always easy,” Manickchand noted.
Recognizing that it can be difficult for teachers to ‘switch out’ traditional teaching methods which work, she urged educators to embrace this change in education delivery while encouraged parents to welcome the new balance.
Manickchand clarified, “With this, we’re not tossing out the old. We are teaching the content of the old a new way, what educators call methodology and pedagogy…As educators, I invite you to embrace these various means of education that we’re trying to give.”
Revolution leading to evolution
Meanwhile, Director of the National Center for Educational Resource Development (NCERD), Quenita Walrond shared that this is a sterling example of revolution leading to evolution. After the constraints of COVID, the Ministry has led an aggressive agenda to keep children learning through technology.
“One of those technologies that we had in our arsenal, but was underutilized was the radio. It reaches every corner of our society. It permeates every household and community. Why not leverage this available tool to keep our learners in the seat of learning?”
EDYOU FM is the only radio programme that provides educational content 24 hours per day, touching outstretched hinterland communities. Through the app, she added that anyone can learn.
“The beautiful thing about this is that it creates opportunities for shared learning among families, because not all parents have the benefits of a sound educational experience. And this is an opportunity to make what is old new again in a manner that is non-threatening. It opens opportunities for shared growth and development and these are things that fortify families,” Walrond reasoned. (G12)