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HEP-TED Digital Champions share experiences and best practices in the use of digital tools for teaching and learning.

A four-day HEP-TED Project Workshop on Digital Pedagogy is taking place from 6 to 10 October 2025 at Rwanda Polytechnic (RP) Huye College. The workshop brings together Digital Champions from the University of Rwanda – College of Education (UR-CE) and Rwanda Polytechnic (RP) to strengthen their capacity in Moodle, blended learning, interactive tools, and institutional digital strategies.

The HEP-TED Project (Higher Education Pedagogies for Teacher Education) is a collaborative initiative between Finnish universities and Rwandan higher education institutions. It aims to enhance the quality and relevance of teacher education in Rwanda, with a strong focus on sustainable development in both general education and technical and vocational education and training (TVET).

The workshop is facilitated by Dr. Mari Petäjä and Dr. Pernu Henna from JAMK University of Applied Sciences, Finland. Through a series of interactive sessions, participants are being equipped with practical skills and pedagogical approaches to enhance the quality of teaching and learning in their respective institutions.

As part of the workshop, participants held an experience-sharing session on the implementation of digital learning tools introduced in previous trainings. The session provided a platform to reflect on how these tools have been applied to improve teaching practices and learner engagement.

During the July training, participants were introduced to various tools such as Padlet, Kahoot, Mentimeter, and Plickers, as well as the use of the Moodle question bank for assessment. According to participants, the use of the Moodle platform has greatly enhanced interactivity and improved the quality of assessment activities. Many reported having created and updated their modules using the question bank in Moodle, which they found very useful for storing and organizing assessment questions.

Reflecting on the outcomes, participants highlighted that creating question banks using the AIKEN format in Moodle was one of the most effective strategies piloted. Other tools successfully implemented included Kahoot and Mentimeter, which proved engaging for students during classroom sessions, particularly for brainstorming and diagnostic assessments.

Marie Joyeuse Nyiraneza, a HEP-TED Digital Champion at RP Huye College, shared that she gained new skills in using Kahoot, Mentimeter, Moodle’s question bank, and Plickers. She noted that these tools have been beneficial in facilitating interactive learning and continuous assessment. “All the tools we piloted worked well, and students enjoyed the sessions,” she said.

Marie Joyeuse Nyiraneza, HEP-TED digital champion/ RP Huye College

Looking ahead, participants expressed interest in exploring additional tools such as Slido for discussion forums, Pi.Inc AI for creating presentation slides, Napkin AI and Piktochart for developing images and infographics, InVideo for interactive videos, Spinpicker for random selections, and Elai.io for generating videos from text prompts.

Overall, the experience-sharing session highlighted growing confidence among educators in integrating digital tools into their teaching. As the new academic year begins, participants are committed to applying these tools more extensively to enhance digital pedagogy and promote active learning in higher education.

Story by

NTIRANDEKURA Schadrac
Public Relations and Community Engagement Officer
UR-College of Education