FOUNDERS of Jamaica’s first-ever online learning programme for students at the primary and secondary level have launched a series of innovative courses at an affordable rate. These courses, which can be found on LearningHub Academy, allow students and parents to participate at their own pace at US$1.00 or $150 per course per week.

“The LearningHub Academy was born out of my desire to see children across Jamaica being able to access educational resources, no matter their economic status,” said Dr Shalette Ashman, business owner of the LearningHub.

LearningHub Academy takes the early childhood, primary and secondary curriculum of the Ministry of Education and breaks it down into focused courses by topic. Each course has both instruction and testing components. Courses also have live Zoom sessions led by instructors who actively deliver lessons, assess essays and short-answer questions, monitor student progress, and provide additional explanations to students seeking clarification. A critical component of the LearningHub Academy is the ability of parents to monitor their child’s progress through the report card feature. Furthermore, the programme incorporates a gamification component that encourages students to actively participate and make the most of the system and courses, providing them with incentives along the way.

Dr Ashman, an educator with almost three decades of experience, has used her endless research in the cognitive development of students to supervise the creation of these courses, which have been widely well received. The system, first launched in 2014 as a virtual academy, has had tremendous success in multiple areas but Dr Ashman is particularly proud of the track record among students sitting the pre-high school exams.

“For years our success has been spoken of among some of the top primary and preparatory schools’ teachers and parents, whose students have done well in the GSAT/PEP exams. It’s time I believe that every child, no matter their socioeconomic status or level of education, has an opportunity to access professionally designed courses to complement their learning,” she said.

These user-friendly courses can be accessed at www.learninghubacademy.com.