About the project: “Now I Know” is a free 5-week Ukrainian language and mathematics online course for schoolchildren by the “Smart Osvita” NGO. The idea for this project came after the successful implementation of catch-up classes in 2022. The project primarily aims at children struggling to master the school curriculum fully.
This year’s course covered 747 students. This figure includes those who have completed 50% or more of the curriculum and received certificates and motivation letters.
3 waves:
- 22.06-25.07 (approximately 100 children who have completed grade 4)
- 17.07-20.08 (approximately 900 children who have completed grades 4-8)
- 03.08-25.08 (approximately 60 children who have completed grades 9-10)
Each course consisted of 20 lessons, including 2 paired lessons at the beginning and end to pass the entrance and final tests. Classes were held every day (except Wednesday) in the morning (10.00-12.00) and evening (17.00-19.00).
The program was developed by experienced methodologists Natalia Vinnitska for the Ukrainian language component and Yuriy Chop’yuk for mathematics. The course incorporates the principles of a competency-based approach to learning.
The course is free of charge and was held on the Moodle platform, which remains open to participants so they can log in at any time and recall the material, complete exercises, or read texts.
The students were tested in Ukrainian and math at the end of the course. Afterward, the teachers personally provided each of them with motivation letters and guaranteed certificates of completion.
Currently, experts from the Ukrainian Center for Educational Quality Assessment are analyzing the developed teaching materials and evaluating the curriculum and results of the “Now I Know” course.
The course is based on the principles of a competency-based approach to learning, which allows children to explore and understand various topics through practical tasks and everyday life situations.
The goal of the project is to help students fill gaps in their school education that may have arisen due to the war in Ukraine and deepen their knowledge for everyday use.
Key features:
- Small groups of children
- A competency-based approach to learning
- Pre- and post-course assessments to gauge children’s knowledge
- Participants have access to course materials on a platform, allowing them to study at their convenience
- Ongoing communication with teachers for questions and clarifications.
Partner: Educo Foundation.
Timeline: Wave 1 – June 1st to July 25th, 2023; Wave 2 – July 17th to August 20th, 2023; Wave 3 – August 3rd to August 25th, 2023.
Project in media:
“Osvitoriia”: https://osvitoria.media/experience/yak-zatsikavyty-ditej-na-urokah-ukrayinskoyi-movy-pryklady-zavdan/