Multilingual Education Students had a great time watching and learning from the Digital Educational Resources in Indigenous Languages

After Open Development Cambodia Organization (ODC) successfully organized a launching workshop on “Digital Educational Resources in Indigenous Languages for Primary School Students” on October 27, 2023, at the Kampong Cham Provincial Department of Education, Youth, and Sport, the ODC team commenced on-site promotional activities on how to utilize the resources at primary schools implementing a multilingual education program. Two multilingual education primary schools for the language of Phnong were chosen for the visit and training. This occurred on December 6, 2023, at Anlung Kes Primary School, located in Srae Non village, Kantuot commune, Chetr Borei district, Kratie province, and on December 9, 2023, at Kbal Romeas Primary School, located in Kbal Romeas village, Kbal Romeas commune, Sesan district, Stung Treng province.

Students engaged in video watching at Anlung Kes Primary School

Prior to screening videos for the students, the ODC team engaged with school management to understand student learning performance, the use of digital tools for teaching and learning, internet accessibility in the areas, and the challenges faced by both students and teachers. The videos were selected based on the native languages implemented by these schools, covering topics such as learning Khmer alphabets, mathematics, and kid stories. The students showed genuine excitement and attentiveness toward the video descriptions, explanations, and narrations. As the video concluded, the students participated in quiz games to earn rewards, acknowledging their courage and attention. The teachers and management team expressed strong support for these educational resources, recognizing their value as supplementary learning materials. They appreciated the flexibility these resources provided for students to learn at their own pace while enjoying the video content. The use of movement, gestures, voices, and imagery was noted as significantly aiding students’ understanding and engagement, fostering an interactive learning environment in the classroom between students and teachers. Subsequently, the ODC team demonstrated how to access these resources, particularly on the ODC YouTube channel, understanding its popularity among the target audience.

Students engaged in video watching at Kbal Romeas Primary School

This activity was part of the implementation of the project “Digital Educational Resources in Indigenous Languages for Primary School Students,” funded by the Swedish Program for ICT in Developing Regions (SPIDER) and implemented by Open Development Cambodia (ODC) in collaboration with the Special Education Department (SED) of the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport (MoEYS) to address language barriers in primary education faced by indigenous students in Cambodia. The project produced videos in five native languages, including Phnong, Kavet, Krung, Tumpuon, and Kuoy, covering three key subjects: Practicing writing and reading Khmer alphabets, Learning math, and Kid stories. These resources are available for public use in targeted rural areas across Kampong Thom, Kratie, Stung Treng, Preah Vihear, Mondulkiri, and Ratanakiri.

For the videos, please browse through the embedded link below, organized by language and topic.