The islandwide school closure resulting from the coronavirus pandemic has turned the spotlight on local and regional e-learning providers, several of which are offering free access to their sites during the public health emergency.

Among them are gogsat limited, caribbeanexams.com, learninghub.online, SmartTerm, and One-on-One Educational Services.

Creator and owner of the first three, Shalette Ashman told the Jamaica Observer that students from grades 1-13 will enjoy free access to the sites while schools are on lockdown.

SmartTerm, which allows educators to create an online learning environment similar to that of the physical school or classroom and execute tasks like recording attendance, manage assignments, share content, and converse via video web sessions, said institutions can use the platform free of charge until the new school year in September.

Meanwhile, One-on-One, the Ministry of Education’s chief partner in e-learning for the period, is free for all users and zero-rated for Flow customers.

One on One will host live classes on its platform and will facilitate the creation of private classes to share notes and engage students. Public classes will also be scheduled according to a timetable that will be uploaded on the website classroom.1on1lms.com/.

Live classes are scheduled to start on Monday, March 23.

“As we observe the sensitive situation that is COVID-19, we know that life still has to go on. This is a crucial period for CXC [Caribbean Examinations Council] students and school being out delays the progress teachers and students want to make in exam preparations. During this time, e-learning is the way to go. We have all the technical infrastructure in place to facilitate an extensive online learning programme, but in a way that feels personalised and tailored to each student,” said Ricardo Allen, president & CEO of the company.

Self-paced learners will be able access up to 18 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination syllabuses as well as other study content via flowstudy.co/.

Since its inception in 2013, One on One has provided innovative e-learning solutions to various industries including finance, manufacturing, government, and education across the region.

Allen said the company is dedicated to supporting government and academic institutions through interactive media development with a view to enhancing learners’ success. It is seeking to reach more than one million students and teachers in the near to medium term.