Social enterprise entity, Techaide, has launched an upgraded offline learning platform to make digital learning content available to teaching and learning, especially those in remote communities with limited access to power and Internet connectivity.
The upgraded electronic platform, dubbed ‘ASANKA’, aims to provide students with educational materials such as Ghana Education Service (GES) and National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) approved lessons, videos and interactive exercises without the need for Internet connectivity.
Chief Executive Officer of TECHAiDE, Kafui Prebbie, explained that ASANKA stands for “All Subjects and New Knowledge Access,” and is a digital port filled with educational content based on the GES curriculum.
He added that the ASANKA platform comes with a user-friendly interface and is energy efficient, offering offline access, curriculum-aligned content, multi-language support and tracking and monitoring.
It is also designed to work in both rural and urban settings and is aligned with the national curriculum to ensure students receive the right content for their grade level.
The platform covers core subjects such as Mathematics, English and Science for basic education levels from primary one to junior high school (JHS) three, with plans to extend its reach to the senior high school (SHS) level.
It is free for individual users with minimal subscription fees for schools and also designed for both private use at home and in schools.
“With many students in the country faced with challenges in accessing online learning platforms due to the high cost of the Internet and poor connectivity, this platform serves as a perfect solution to learners,” he said.
Mr. Prebbie also mentioned that the platform had been designed to provide access to about 30 percent of Ghanaians without Internet access.
The CEO hinted that the platform will soon be extended to other African countries, as it is already being introduced in places such as the Gambia, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
“The goal is to provide quality educational tools to reduce learning gaps and empower students to achieve their goals,” he said.
He added: “In March next year, we will release new features of the ASANKA platform such as pre-tests, STEM tools and self-study exercises, to help students prepare for exams and learn more effectively and independently”.
Mr. Prebbie encouraged schools, parents and organisations to adopt the platform to improve educational outcomes, adding, “Education is a right, not a privilege; and tools such as ASANKA are essential to make that right a reality”.
The Executive Director of the Centre for National Distance Learning and Open Schooling (CENDLOS), Nana Gyamfi Adwabour, who was the guest of honour at the launch, lauded TECHAiDE for aligning educational content with national curricula to ensure relevance and standardisation.
