By Sandar Lwin | Program Coordinator
EPOP has developed an innovative, new generation online learning approach. It provides access to digitally excluded communities, marginalized groups and minorities in the remote areas of Myanmar on a small but easy-to-use device, i.e, a tablet. EPOP primarily targets at the learners who are living in refugee camps, far from developed cities and towns with lack of any infrastructure but are in great need for education.
EPOP has considered the concept of the use of Tablet PC as one innovative learning approach since 2015. The platform can provide learning materials, interactive courses, videos, books and multimedia contents in order to give a helping hand to those people who, despite their condition, want to break out from their current circumstance. In early May 2016, EPOP Online Course - Tablet PC Project will be launching in Myitkyina, a state in the most northern part of Myanmar.
The Exam Preparation Outreach Program (EPOP) provides guided online self-study courses to help at least 350 students each year work towards attaining the qualifications they need to be eligible for international universities. Students come from diverse backgrounds in Myanmar, Thailand, and Cambodia. EPOP also works to improve students’ professional skills to aid them in working for the benefit of their respective communities and prepares students with the research and academic writing skills they will need to succeed in university.
As EPOP primarily targets students who are actively working full-time in civil society organizations, the course load is limited to five to seven hours of work per week. Additionally, many students may travel and work in remote locations, with little access to internet. As such, students are generally allowed a two-week period to turn in each assignment and complete each assessment. EPOP strives to balance the flexibility and academic rigor needed by working students, providing a curriculum that is both “doable” and effective.
Through the outreach presentations and networking, EPOP established the new collaboration partners in Myitkyina, Mai Ja Yan (Kachin IDP) and Hpa-An to provide higher education in marginalized areas. Furthermore, the discussion and initial collaboration has been taking with our prospective partners of Thai-Myanmar borders Mae Sai, Tachileik and Ranong for the opportunity for further studies of marginalized ethnic migrant youths.
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