ARUSHA — Teachers from Arusha City and Arusha District are strengthening their digital competencies through ongoing ICT training, gaining practical experience in using digital tools and educational resources that can support teaching, learning and access to knowledge in Tanzania’s changing education environment.
The training, being conducted as part of efforts to strengthen teachers’ capacity in digital education, has provided participants with opportunities to move beyond theoretical understanding and gain hands-on experience with digital platforms that can be applied in real school environments.
On the third day of the training, one of the key sessions focused on the Open Public School (OPS) platform (https://opschool.tie.go.tz/). This is one of the platforms developed by the Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE) to provide teaching resources for school teachers. It was demonstrated by Mr. Jonas Meyan from Monduli Teachers College.
The practical session introduced teachers to the structure, functions and educational potential of the platform, while demonstrating how digital technology can complement classroom-based teaching and learning.
Bringing the School Environment Closer Through Technology
During the session, Mr. Meyan guided teachers through the Open Public School platform, placing particular emphasis on helping beginners understand how the digital environment works and how they can navigate it with confidence.
The platform provides an online learning environment where learners can access educational content and engage with interactive learning resources. These resources can be presented in different digital formats, including images, videos, 3D content and animations, covering primary and secondary education.
Rather than encouraging teachers to simply memorise technical procedures, Mr. Meyan emphasised the importance of understanding the educational purpose behind the technology.
For teachers, the critical question is therefore not simply, “How do I use this platform?” but also, “How can I use it to support my learners?”
That distinction is increasingly important in modern education because technology becomes meaningful when it is connected to a clear teaching and learning objective.
A Practical Journey for Beginners
The training took teachers through the process of accessing the Open Public School environment through the Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE) platform.
Participants were guided on how to access the service, select the appropriate language and education level, and begin exploring the digital learning environment.
They were also introduced to the process of creating an account and selecting the appropriate User Type, including Teacher or Student, enabling users to enter the digital environment according to their respective roles.
For teachers encountering an online learning platform for the first time, such practical guidance can make the transition into digital learning more accessible and less intimidating.
The approach also demonstrates that digital competence does not necessarily begin with advanced technical knowledge. It begins with understanding the purpose of a tool, learning how to access it and gradually building confidence through practice.
From the Physical Classroom to a Digital Learning Environment
The significance of the Open Public School platform goes beyond providing another source of educational content.
It introduces teachers and learners to a digital learning environment that can extend aspects of education beyond the physical classroom.
Through such an environment, learners can encounter educational resources in digital formats, while teachers can explore new ways of supporting learning and connecting classroom instruction with technology.
This is particularly relevant in an education system that is increasingly emphasising learner participation, practical competencies and the ability to apply knowledge.
The objective is not to replace the teacher or the physical classroom.
Instead, digital platforms can complement classroom instruction by providing additional opportunities for learners to access educational content and engage with learning activities.
Why Digital Competence Matters in Tanzania’s Education Transformation
The training comes at an important time as Tanzania continues to strengthen its education system and equip teachers with competencies needed for an increasingly digital learning environment.
The revised ICT Competency Standards for Teachers in Tanzania place emphasis on the effective integration of ICT into teaching and learning activities, including pedagogy, curriculum delivery, assessment and classroom management.
This makes practical training such as the session conducted in Arusha particularly relevant.
Teachers cannot be expected to integrate technology effectively simply because digital platforms or devices are available. They need opportunities to understand, practise and apply these tools in ways that respond to actual educational needs.
The training therefore connects an important element of education transformation — teacher capacity-building — with the practical use of digital technology.
Supporting the New Direction of the Curriculum
The importance of digital learning becomes even clearer within the context of Tanzania’s changing curriculum environment.
The current direction of education places greater emphasis on developing learners’ competencies, encouraging participation, strengthening practical learning and preparing students with skills relevant to a changing world.
This requires teachers to adopt approaches that enable learners to do more than memorise information.
Learners need opportunities to explore, analyse, communicate, solve problems, apply knowledge and develop confidence in using technology.
Digital learning platforms can support this process by providing additional resources and environments in which learners can interact with educational content.
For teachers, the challenge is therefore to understand how digital tools can be connected to curriculum objectives and used to strengthen the overall learning experience.
This is why the training in Arusha represents more than an ICT lesson. It forms part of the broader process of preparing teachers to work effectively within a changing education environment.
Mr. Meyan’s Practical Approach
Mr. Meyan’s session placed strong emphasis on learning through practice.
Instead of limiting the session to theoretical explanations, participants were guided through the platform and given opportunities to understand its structure, functions and possible applications.
This approach is particularly important for teachers who may not yet feel confident using digital learning systems.
By learning step by step, teachers can gradually develop the confidence to explore digital resources and consider how these resources can be incorporated into their professional practice.
The training also reinforces an important principle: teachers do not have to know everything about technology before they begin using it.
They need to start, practise, ask questions and continue learning.
Digital Learning and the Role of the Teacher
As education becomes increasingly connected to technology, the role of the teacher remains central.
Technology can provide platforms, resources and learning opportunities, but teachers provide the pedagogical direction that makes those resources meaningful.
A teacher who understands how to use digital tools can guide learners towards appropriate content, encourage active participation and connect digital resources with classroom objectives.
This is particularly important in a competence-oriented learning environment, where students are expected to apply what they learn rather than simply remember information.
Digital platforms can therefore become valuable when teachers use them intentionally as part of a broader teaching strategy.
What the Experience Means for Students
For students, the availability of an online school environment can create additional opportunities to engage with educational resources.
Instead of relying exclusively on the physical classroom, learners can have access to digital materials that support their understanding of different subjects.
The interactive nature of digital resources can also create opportunities for students to engage with content through visual and multimedia formats.
However, the educational value of these resources ultimately depends on how effectively they are integrated into learning.
This is why empowering teachers is just as important as providing digital platforms.
Building a Digitally Confident Teaching Workforce
The third day of training has therefore highlighted a central requirement for successful digital transformation in education: technology must be accompanied by human capacity.
Schools may have access to digital resources, but teachers need the confidence and skills to turn those resources into meaningful learning experiences.
The practical exposure provided during the training gives teachers an opportunity to develop that confidence.
It also creates space for teachers to see technology not as something complicated or separate from their professional responsibilities, but as a set of tools that can support their existing work.
The training is also consistent with the professional development direction of the Tanzania Institute of Education, whose resources include areas related to digital teaching and learning platforms, ICT-supported assessment, open educational resources, virtual classrooms and the use of ICT to support curriculum goals.
UNESCO and TIE: Strengthening Teachers’ Capacity to Use Educational Resources
The training further demonstrates the importance of collaboration and professional development in advancing digital education.
Within the training, UNESCO and TIE place emphasis on strengthening teachers’ ability to understand and make purposeful use of digital educational resources.
An important component of this effort is Module 6: Open Educational Resources (OER).
The module underscores the importance of teachers becoming familiar with educational resources that are openly available and understanding how such resources can be accessed, evaluated and used appropriately to support teaching and learning.
This means that digital competence is not limited to knowing how to operate a platform.
A digitally competent teacher should also be able to identify useful educational resources, determine whether they are appropriate for a particular lesson or group of learners, and connect them with curriculum objectives.
The Open Public School experience therefore provides a practical example of how teachers can begin developing these competencies.
Through platforms and resources of this nature, teachers can expand their understanding of the digital learning environment while exploring ways of using technology to improve classroom practice.
Connecting Module 6 with the New Curriculum
The emphasis on Module 6: Open Educational Resources is particularly significant in the context of Tanzania’s evolving curriculum.
As education increasingly focuses on competencies, practical learning, learner participation and the application of knowledge, teachers require access to a wider range of educational resources.
OER can contribute to this process by giving teachers opportunities to discover and use educational materials that can enrich lessons and provide learners with additional ways of engaging with knowledge.
However, the availability of resources alone is not enough.
Teachers need the professional capacity to select resources carefully and use them in ways that support learning objectives.
This is why the combination of ICT training, digital platforms and professional development modules is important.
It moves the conversation from simply having technology to understanding how technology and educational resources can be used purposefully.
A Step Towards More Meaningful Digital Education
The third day of the ICT training in Arusha therefore represents more than an introduction to the Open Public School App.
It represents an opportunity for teachers to understand how digital technology, educational resources and professional competencies can be connected to the wider transformation taking place in Tanzania’s education system.
Through the practical guidance provided by Mr. Jonas Meyan from Monduli Teachers College, participants were able to explore an online learning environment and consider how such tools can support both teachers and students.
The experience also reinforces the importance of the professional development framework promoted through TIE, including the focus on Module 6: Open Educational Resources, which strengthens teachers’ understanding of how educational resources can be accessed and used to support teaching and learning.
The lesson emerging from the training is clear: digital transformation is not simply about having technology; it is about having teachers who know how to use technology and educational resources purposefully.
As Tanzania continues to strengthen its education system and implement a curriculum that places greater emphasis on competencies and practical learning, the ability of teachers to integrate appropriate digital tools and resources into teaching will remain an important part of preparing learners for a knowledge-based and technologically driven society.
For teachers who are still new to digital learning platforms, the message is simple: start where you are, learn step by step, explore available resources and use technology with a clear educational purpose.
The Open Public School App provides one practical example of how digital learning can bring educational resources closer to teachers and students, while the emphasis on Module 6: Open Educational Resources reinforces the broader goal of building a more connected, confident and digitally capable teaching workforce.
Ultimately, the success of digital education will depend not only on the availability of platforms and technologies, but on teachers who understand what resources are available, where to find them, how to evaluate them and how to use them effectively to improve learning.
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