Embrace Learning Hub - Reid

Education Minister Ruel Reid has said that the Caribbean Examinations Council's (CXC) initiative, the Learning Hub, is in perfect alignment with the Government's thrust to equip citizens with 21st century skills.

Slated for initial roll-out in September, the CXC Learning Hub will be the single repository for all resources that have been produced by CXC, mined from open educational resources available online, as well as resources produced by the examination body's external partners.

The Learning Hub will have the capacity to host resources in multiple formats such as audio, video, animation, text, images, hyperlinks, e-books and links to CXC social media platforms.

Speaking at a press conference last Thursday, Reid argued that with the growing emphasis on incorporating information communication technology (ICT) into the teaching and learning process, the easier access to resources in multiple formats should prove very attractive and useful to students and teachers alike.

"We encourage our schools to embrace this project and we will continue to work with the relevant agencies to ensure that the improved infrastructure is in place, where lacking, to allow all our children to have access to this valuable resource," said Reid.

He noted that the Government had made more resources available to expand ICT training throughout the entire education system, pointing to last year's full roll-out of the Tablets in Schools project in 1,106 education institutions. Approximately $8 billion was being provided through the Universal Service Fund to facilitate the full implementation of the project over 11 years.

"At the same, our ministry has been working through the National College for Education Leadership to build capacity in our schools. Among the more recent projects is the joint E-Learning Jamaica training programme with E-Learning Jamaica to integrate Information Communication Technology in teaching and learning," the education minister disclosed.