The COVID-19 pandemic revealed the vulnerability of the education and skills development systems in Cambodia. TVET providers had to close due to the pandemic in 2020 and were not prepared and equipped for the digital provision of education and skills development, leading to the interruption of training and education for students. The required rapid transition to digital learning has proven challenging.
TVET is characterised by a critically low availability of good learning materials - online and offline. This poses a challenge for teachers, who cannot base their teaching on a well-thought through material, but also for students, who must often rely on oral information or various materials that are patched together by their teachers.
Having all learning materials on an online platform allows students to access them before, during and after the training. Unlike a manual, online materials can be updated or complemented much easier.
To address the issues above, the Liechtenstein Development Service (LED) has commissioned Swisscontact to implement the Digital Learning Materials for TVET (DLM4TVET) project in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training (MLVT) to advance and coordinate the digitalisation of the TVET system involving relevant stakeholders. TVET teachers and instructors will be equipped for the development of high-quality digital learning and teaching materials for TVET.
Four key activities will be carried out to achieve the planned goal and results:
The project will establish the NTWG to improve coordination and communication of all stakeholders involved and to create a framework of orientation to make use of domestic and foreign resources more effectively and efficiently to achieve better outcomes of TVET digitalisation. Duplications or overlaps can better be avoided, gaps identified early and interoperability of applied digital technologies maximised. The NTWG will be chaired by the MLVT. Other members will be representatives of the six departments of the Directorate General of TVET, the National Technical Training Institute (NTTI), selected Technical Training Institutes (TTIs), Development Partners, NGOs and the private sector.
Master trainers from NTTI and selected TTIs will be trained by an experienced external consultant on the development of digital learning and teaching materials as well as e-pedagogy and methodology, creating a pool of future experts in these areas. The project will reflect and discuss with the MLVT the question of institutionalising these competences and expertise in the TVET system.
The process of developing digital learning and teaching materials will be piloted in two selected occupations, namely electricity and air conditioning repair. Two Working Groups (WGs) on digital learning and teaching materials will be formed to jointly develop or upgrade the materials for the mentioned occupations. The WGs will be composed of representatives from MLVT, previously trained master trainers for the development of digital learning and teaching materials and e-learning pedagogy and methodology from NTTI and TTIs, teachers from selected TTIs and relevant NGOs. The lessons learnt throughout the whole development process will be documented and taken as a reference for the future development of digital learning and teaching materials for other occupations. The production of videos, animations, slide presentations and others for selected modules of the respective occupations will be supported by external service providers where necessary.
The newly developed or upgraded digital learning and teaching materials will be introduced and piloted in selected TVET schools under the MLVT. The teachers will be trained and coached by the master trainers to use the materials in the classrooms.
All digital learning and teaching materials will be made available on the TVET e-learning platform and can be used by all TVET institutes in Cambodia. The possibility of making the materials available on other existing e-learning and open access platforms in Cambodia will be explored. All materials developed will be in the public domain or under a creative commons license to benefit all and promote equal access to quality learning.