The School of Education, The University of the West Indies (The UWI), Mona Campus, is delighted to announce the winners of the Schools of Education Biennial Conference Blended Learning Challenge. The Conference was hosted on July 8-10, 2024 under the theme, "Revolutionizing Caribbean Education: Cultivating Critical Competences in a Shifting Landscape."

The winners of the Challenge were Dr. Mia Armour Jules of the Cave Hill Campus in the Strong Blend Category and Dr. Raona Williams, the Runner-Up, from R.E.F.I.T. Consulting, UK in the Strong Blend Category.

Speaking to the importance of this Blended Learning Challenge component of this year’s conference, Debra Ferdinand-James, PhD, and Chair, Blended Learning Challenge Sub-Committee said, "The School of Education, Mona Campus is quite pleased to contribute to the advancement of Blended Learning in our Caribbean region in exposing prize-winning teachers to cutting edge EON-XR platforms that promise enhanced engagement and superior knowledge retention for their students.”

The Challenge was a new feature added to The UWI's Schools of Education 2024 Biennial Conference and aimed at distilling and identifying exemplary blended learning practices in keeping with the digital transformation trajectory characterizing the global educational landscape. It was also added in response to the call by students in the Mona Campus Student Satisfaction Survey 2023 for more blended classes.

The Challenge was an important component of the Conference as it was designed to showcase the School of Education’s contributions to advancing educational delivery in our region in keeping abreast of the digital transformation characterizing 21st Century learning environments.

Of importance is the fact that students will benefit from the Winners' EON-XR Training in being immersed in simulated learning activities in a risk-free Artificial Intelligence setting that promotes student engagement and superior knowledge retention.

Further, The UWI will benefit by showcasing the use of cutting-edge EON-XR technology for enhancing students' learning in keeping with its Aim: "To Advance Learning, Create Knowledge and Foster Innovation for the Positive Transformation of the Caribbean and the Wider World": https://www.uwi.edu/uop/strategic-plan-mission-vision-and-core-values