REAct E-Learning Platform

Frontline AIDS, Open University (OU) Key information

• Organisation: Frontline AIDS, Open University (OU) and ACCESS Consortium
• Country: Global (online resource)
• Region: Global
• Stage of innovation: Stage 3: Pilot
• Start date: May 2021
• End date: May 2022
• Type of innovation: Administrative or organisational innovation: new process
• Budget: 23,000–28,000 GBP
• Funder: OU ACCESS Consortium project budget (UK AID) / Frontline AIDS

Summary of intervention

REAct (Rights – Evidence – ACTion) is a human rights monitoring and response system created by Frontline AIDS that records and manages information about human rights violations in relation to access to HIV and health services. During COVID-19, Frontline AIDS was forced to pause face-to-face REAct training for implementing partners, – moving to virtual training. This came at a time when REAct was even more crucial amidst escalating rights violations during the pandemic. Seven REAct webinars in three languages in five countries were delivered across Africa and the Middle East. Although webinars allowed for continuity of training in the immediate term, a more sustainable solution was needed to deliver critical training to a growing portfolio of REAct implementers – ‘REActors’.

Frontline AIDS partnered with the OU under their ACCESS Consortium. The OU brought expertise in pedagogy and educational technology for delivering high quality learning globally at scale. In 2021, the resulting e-learning platform was piloted with a group of both current and potential REActors. Learning from the pilot has been incorporated and the fully-developed REAct e-learning course is now available to all REAct programmes – for both new trainees and for refresher trainings. Hosted on the OU website, content covers topics such as human rights; how to record human rights violations; referring clients to health, legal and other public services, and using data to inform quality rights-based programming, policy and advocacy at national, regional and global levels. Learners receive additional support through synchronous webinar sessions from Frontline AIDS trainers and have access to a course forum, printable PDFs and other learning resources.

This innovation is enabling the increasing number of REAct implementing partners to access training more easily involving less staff resources to train.

next steps

Roll-out is underway and – depending on funding – Frontline AIDS plans to translate it into French, Arabic and Portuguese.

sustainability

The OU shared the cost of developing the platform, which sits on the OU e-learning site, making hosting it very cost-effective. Future updates and revisions are anticipated to be minor, enabling Frontline AIDS to sustain the platform at low cost.

Find out more about our work on REAct, and visit the OU e-learning site.