Virtual labs, East Africa

Due to the impact on education created by the Covid–19 pandemic, flexibility and cost effectiveness have made virtual labs a viable option in experiment-oriented training and education. COL organised a regional workshop on the use of virtual labs in TVET for practitioners from Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia, with the aim of providing trainers the necessary skills to incorporate Internet-based experimentation in their practice. Learners in science and engineering will now have remote access to a real-life simulation-based workshop environment providing a deep sense of involvement. Speaking at the event, Dr Margaret Mwakima, Principal Secretary, Department of Vocational and Technical Training (VTT), Ministry of Education, Kenya stressed the immense potential of virtual labs which are also cost effective in comparison to physical ones. COL’s regional office (CEMCA, Delhi) initiated collaboration with Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University, India — the national lead for a project of India’s Ministry of Education — on setting up a large number of virtual labs to facilitate a number of capacity building workshops in Asia to support teachers.

The three-day workshop was hosted in late July 2022 by Kenya Technical Trainers College (KTTC), Nairobi.