Case study: Use of offline packages to deliver digital skills training to TVET teaching staff in Burundi and DRC

Bibliothèques Sans Frontières (BSF), an international NGO founded in 2007, aims to build bridges between the information society and those excluded from it. One of BSF’s main activities is to provide tailor-made support to educators in areas of the world where a large part of the population does not have access to the internet, using innovative technologies and teaching methods. Since 2019, BSF has been implementing offline digitalization projects to support quality improvements in TVET in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It has installed Ideas Cube kits in 13 vocational training centres across Burundi and in 15 technical education centres across DRC. The Ideas Cube is a portable nano-server that creates a local offline Wi-Fi hotspot to which users can connect using any device to access thousands of specially curated digital resources with no need for internet connectivity. When connected to the internet, the Ideas Cube updates and shares locally created content to the cloud. New resources can also be downloaded from an online catalogue. Ideas Cube kits contain the Ideas Cube server, 20 tablets, a laptop, a projector, a camera and (if needed) solar panels, which come neatly packaged in a small backpack or hardware box to optimize storage and protection from dust, heat and humidity, while allowing for easy recharging. The support that BSF offers to TVET teachers and trainers covers not only how to use its digital tools and contents, but also how to organize and facilitate learning activities to engage students and create an active learning environment. Pedagogy, together with digital tools and curated content, is central to BSF’s operations.