Testing Times: Online Learning Appraisal Gets ‘Thumbs Up’

Dec. 28, 2021

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Teachers, caregivers, and children have given a new online learning assessment tool the ‘thumbs up’. The Gamified Learning Measuring Tool, developed and tested by War Child, the Humanitarian Education Accelerator and New York University TIES, measures children’s learning abilities in maths and reading as well as their social and emotional learning skills.

No child left behind

Interactive, accessible with minimal internet connectivity and fun to use, the digital tool provides a real-time assessment snapshot for teachers wherever they or their students are.

It is being developed and tested at a time when home learning has become virtually universal. Assessment of how well children are learning remotely, in class, and in conflict zones is essential if they are to avoid falling behind.

Accurate, timely insights

The game, fronted by a friendly animated bee, has been adapted for early learners, even children as young as six. Using the results, teachers can get accurate and timely insight into the individual child’s educational level and needs. This means that tailored lessons and targeted interventions can be made – even remotely – to help children stay on track or catch up.

Well-timed

The tool has so far been tested in Jordan, where it was fully translated into Arabic. Pre-pilot feedback has been enthusiastic, with teachers describing the tool as a great support and a motivator for student learning. Teachers also confirmed that they would use it with their own students.

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War Child believes that we can provide every child with quality education, and work relentlessly to achieve that.

Next steps

The developers will further adapt the tool based on lessons from the pilot, test its reliability, and consistency at home and at school. There will also be an assessment builder to let teachers use their own content, linking the tool to existing teaching practices. And a new video will be useful for caregivers who use the assessment with children at home.

Hope in challenging times

With increasing interest in how e-learning can be used for all, including by those in humanitarian settings, innovations such as War Child Holland’s Can’t Wait to Learn programme and the co-created new assessment tool are providing new hope to children, educators, and caregivers in challenging times.