Article
LMS development and video interactivity
Introduction of the Project:
Background:
To create a centralized, accessible online and offline platform for all current and future digital literacy and skills development materials, UNESCO Kabul is seeking a media-based education firm to develop a Learning Management System (LMS). This LMS will serve as a comprehensive platform, available both online and offline, to house the digitized resources and future contents, curated for effective dissemination through both online and offline means, supporting youth and adult learners who are illiterate or semi-literate.
Purpose:
This LMS will not only provide a platform through which available resources are disseminated to potential learners across Afghanistan but also enhances the interactivity of these materials, making them more engaging and accessible. The lessons and the associated exercises will be interactive, allowing learners to actively engage with the content; for instance, fill-in-the-blank activities, quizzes and games should enable learners to select the correct words rather than simply viewing static images.
Scope of Work:
The selected firm will be responsible for the development of a dedicated LMS platform as both Web App and Mobile App that is ready to use by illiterate and semiliterate individuals in Afghanistan.
All textbooks including Literacy and Skills-Based Literacy, consist of two key components: the narrative and activity sessions. The activity sessions, in particular, should be adopted into interactive exercises. For instance, there could be exercises where learners may be prompted to complete fill-in-the-blank activities by selecting and placing words in the correct spaces, with immediate feedback on their responses. Another example can be sound charts, where learners enter corresponding sounds in an interactive table, enhancing their hands-on learning experience.
The project constitutes the following key components and activities:
LMS Development (content integration, curation and adaptation):
Design and develop an LMS from scratch that integrates and adopts UNESCO鈥檚 literacy content into digital textbooks, videos, and interactive exercises. The LMS should be complemented by a website that serves as a gateway for users. Instead of a single login page, users should first enter a website that promotes the LMS, highlights testimonials, shares success stories, and provides related news, before redirecting to the LMS.
Convert static exercises into interactive formats, such as fill-in-the-blanks, drag-and-drop, quizzes including multiple-choice questions, with immediate feedback functionality.
Embed video content optimized for minimal file size without compromising quality.
Integrate interactive elements for self-paced learning, such as auto-pausing exercises for learner responses, with correct/incorrect answer feedback.
Each lesson should be followed by an assessment. For level 1, the existing Learning Assessment Portfolio (LAP) can be utilized. For Level 2, a similar, competency-aligned approach should be developed to ensure compatibility with Level 2 requirements.
Add elements like badges, certificates, and progress bars to encourage learners鈥 engagement and motivation.
Ensure the LMS is accessible on low-bandwidth internet, with options for downloadable content.
User Management:
Several roles to be created including administrator, learner, content manager, moderator, and others as needed.
Develop a main dashboard allowing learners to log in (even without emails or phone numbers), manage profiles, and track progress.
Design a 鈥淕uest鈥 access feature with restricted access to certain LMS materials.
Key Features/components, Organization and Structure: (Develop separate content categories for following components)
Literacy learning focused on foundational reading, writing, and numeracy skills
Skills-Based Literacy that includes practical areas like dairy production, agriculture, poultry farming, and tailoring/designing
Social & Emotional Learning (SEL) emphasizing essential life skills such as self-confidence, resilience, and effective communication
Family and Intergenerational Literacy Learning (FILL) with an online course developed in Pashto, to be captioned into Dari
Library where other educational materials will be embedded.
Cloud Storage and Domain Management:
Provide cloud storage capable of handling current and future data demands.
Secure an appropriate domain in coordination with UNESCO and provide options for scalable hosting solutions.
Social Media Integration:
Establish and integrate social media channels (Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, Twitter) to share content updates, resources, and promote engagement.
Content Access and Distribution:
Ensure the compatibility with multiple devices (phones, desktop, tablet) and can be accessed from any location.
Content should be easily downloaded with minimum bandwidth usage.
Platform Architecture:
Deploy LMS on a cloud-based server (come up with options, whether to go with AWS, Azure)
The architecture should be designed to handle a growing number of users and data, while taking into consideration of future expansion.
Use secure authentication mechanism like password hashing or 2FA.
User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) Design:
The structure should enable users, primarily illiterate and semi-literate youth and adults, to navigate independently and with ease.
Key sections, such as literacy lessons, skill-based literacy lessons, and the support section, should be directly accessible from the homepage.
The UI should be responsive, optimized for mobile devices, and allow for scalable font size adjustments.
Multilingual Support
The LMS should support Dari, Pasto, and English languages (only for navigation purposes).
All the multimedia content needs to have subtitles and captions in the original language of the digitized content.
User Guide Video creation
Video content covering the basics of how to use the LMS, including account creation, navigation, accessing course materials, submitting assignments, and utilizing key features effectively.
Interested candidates send an email to e.procurement@unesco.org, request a complete RFP package, and express their interest.
The deadline for submission of the complete RFP package is 25th December 2024.
Note: All the necessary instructions are included in the RFP package.
