Learning Bridges

Learning Bridges was a programme of support provided by EDT to the Jordanian Ministry of Education to help one million students recover and accelerate their learning following the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

It focused on capacity building and quality assurance to sustainably improve the quality of teaching and learning in the  midst of disruption, making use of distance and blended learning techniques. 

The programme supported out-of-school learning for students in Grades 4 to 9, providing a ‘bridge’ between schools and homes using a range of formats (both online and offline). It was considered essential to enabling large numbers of students – especially disadvantaged students – to continue their learning during periods of disruption. Each week, students received a printed activity sheet connecting key learning outcomes for four core subjects (Arabic, English, maths and science), meaning that lessons remained available to families without access to the internet. Where helpful, the sheets were supplemented with links to additional online resources for those with some internet connectivity. 

Meanwhile, the programme provided new online training resources for teachers to support both the implementation of the programme and their own professional development, helping them to develop good practice in distance teaching and learning.  

To ensure a sustained impact, an emphasis on creativity and innovation was embedded within the design of the programme. In feedback collected by UNICEF, 59% of students said they wanted to keep using Learning Bridges when they returned to school.   

Following the programme, structures are now in place that help the ministry’s educators to use technology flexibly, improve teachers’ skills in blended learning, and build collaboration for learning between homes, communities and schools.