EDC Talks: Unlocking the Potential of WhatsApp in Learning
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Last year, EDC’s Alexia Raynal led an evaluation of Sesame Workshop’s Dream Save Do program in Mexico City. Dream Save Do teaches children and families the basics of financial literacy and is typically delivered in preschool settings. However, with the pandemic restricting in-person education in Mexico, the intervention was delivered over Zoom and WhatsApp.
Raynal wondered how virtual delivery of materials would impact learning, especially since parents and caregivers were now expected to lead most of the activities. What she saw surprised her—and reinforced her conviction that WhatsApp, Zoom, and other tech tools have a place in early learning contexts.
“What we saw was that families engaged very easily on WhatsApp,” says Raynal. “The tech made it easy for families to receive the materials from teachers, and it allowed families to make learning fun.”
In this video, Raynal discusses how delivering Dream Save Do over WhatsApp helped to extend learning far beyond the traditional classroom, while giving parents a concrete role to play in their children’s education.