The COVID-19 has forced schools worldwide to adopt online learning following their closure. Globally, over 1.2 billion children are out of the classroom. In Rwanda, schools were closed almost immediately after the country recorded its first case of COVID-19. They are expected to resume in September 2020. Primary and secondary schools will restart the academic year while higher learning institutions will resume teaching activities. As a result, education has changed dramatically, with the distinctive rise of e-learning, whereby teaching is undertaken remotely and on digital platforms. Different remote learning strategies have been put in place by both government and private learning institutions in order to facilitate continued learning. Some of the initiatives include airing classes on public radios and televisions. Given that online learning is becoming the new normal for students, The New Times has compiled five online resourceful tools that will make eLearning effective and ease interaction between students and teachers. There could be many others though. 1. Storybird Storybird aims to promote writing and reading skills in students through storytelling. Teachers can create interactive books online through a simple and easy to use interface. The stories created can be printed, among other options. In Storybird, teachers can also create projects with students, give constant feedback, and organize classes and grades. 2. Edmodo Edmodo connects teachers and students to create online collaborative groups, administer and provide educational materials, measure student performance, and communicate with parents, among other functions. Edmodo has more than 34 million users. 3. ClassDojo ClassDojo is a tool to improve student behavior: teachers provide their students with instant feedback so that good disposition in class is rewarded with points and students have a more receptive attitude towards the learning process. The information that is collected about student behavior can be shared later with parents and administrators through the web. 4. CenturyTech CenturyTech facilitates personal learning pathways with micro-lessons to address gaps in knowledge, challenge students and promote long-term memory retention. 5. Rumie Rumie is an education tool that enables lifelong learning for underserved communities. Rumie can be accessed offline where the internet does not reach. All the above online tools were credited by UNESCO to be highly effective and facilitative for students following studies remotely.
