Expanding Access to Open Education: Kolibri Project

Project Overview

Since 2023, BCcampus and Learning Equality have been collaborating to address the challenge of limited internet access in remote communities across British Columbia. Leveraging Kolibri, this partnership aims to customize and deliver digital educational content to regions where internet connectivity is unreliable or unavailable.

BCcampus is leading this initiative to expand learning opportunities and provide access to its extensive collection of open course materials to remote communities in B.C. Kolibri facilitates the sharing of high-quality content and free access to educational resources without the need for internet connectivity.

In April 2021, BCcampus received a grant of $900,000 from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. This grant supports our efforts to increase and improve access to open educational resources (OER) for students and institutions in northern B.C., while also promoting the creation, adaptation, and adoption of culturally relevant OER content and pedagogical practices.

Project Timeline

Starting in April 2024, BCcampus is integrating more than 80 open textbooks into the Kolibri library. Additionally, efforts are underway to demonstrate how these textbooks can be remixed with other content within the Kolibri library catalog, fostering greater flexibility and customization in learning materials.

The migration of interactive resources, such as those featuring H5P and video elements, to the Kolibri platform ensures learners without internet access can still benefit from engaging educational content.

As we continue to improve accessibility and flexibility in education through the integration of open textbooks into the Kolibri platform, the next steps include:

Sharing the work with the B.C. post-secondary system: In May 2024, we hosted a webinar introducing this project. Learn more and register for Meet Kolibri: Expanding the Reach of BCcampus Open Resources to Learners Lacking Internet Access.

Publishing Kolibri support resources: BCcampus will develop and release resources designed to assist those interested in adopting Kolibri within their post-secondary institutions.

Piloting Kolibri in B.C. institutions and communities: To further expand the reach and impact of Kolibri, BCcampus will seek potential pilot partners among post-secondary institutions and community organizations across the province.

Project Partners

Learning Equality: Based in San Diego, Learning Equality is an edtech non-profit dedicated to creating quality learning opportunities for the third of the world without connectivity. Their work is primarily focused around Kolibri, an ecosystem of open products and tools designed for teaching and learning with tech but without the internet. Through the development of innovative offline-first educational technology, Learning Equality is bridging the digital divide and building equity in education across the globe.
William and Flora Hewlett Foundation: As a prominent philanthropic organization, the Hewlett Foundation champions initiatives that promote constructive dialogue, inclusivity, and societal well-being.