Zhannat Bubekbayeva is a digital education expert, instructional designer, teacher trainer, researcher, and environmentalist based in Kazakhstan. Zhannat holds an M.A. in international education from New York University and has managerial and teaching experience in higher education. She is an alumna of the 2022 IVLP-Digital Education in the U.S. and the 2019 and 2021 OPEN. Zhannat is currently the director of Bilim Barine Public Foundation, which is an educational nonprofit organization that she founded in 2019. In her free time, she enjoys journaling, working out, reading and learning new skills and languages. She is also an advocate of mental health. 

IVLP Impact Award Project: Creating and Implementing Online EFL Courses at Higher and Secondary Education in Kazakhstan

This project trained 30 secondary school and university English teachers throughout Kazakhstan to create and implement online English as a Foreign Language (EFL) courses. Each participant created an effective online course to develop engaging multimedia learning assets. By the end of the project, teachers had created 10 online EFL courses and implemented them on the Canvas for Teachers learning management system using the ADDIE instructional design model.

As a reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic and the loss of English language teaching, this project aimed to compensate for the decline of in-class group activities that foster presentational and interpersonal communication skills. The online courses they created will be further utilized in more than 25 secondary and higher educational institutions.

Secondary school and university English teachers across Kazakhstan participating in a training workshop on creating and implementing online courses.

"I'm grateful that this project equipped me with relevant practical skills that I was able to apply immediately under the supervision of the trainers. Creating an online course is time-consuming, but all the time and work I put in this summer will pay off during the upcoming school year." -Project Participant

IVLP Exchange Experience

Zhannat was a participant in the IVLP Project Digital Education in the United States, organized by the U.S. Department of State and Meridian International Center.

Zhannat's exchange experience led to the development of her IVLP Impact Award Project: "I was humbled at how many impressive people and renowned institutions volunteered to share their expertise and experience with us through IVLP."

U.S. Communities Visited Virtually 

Washington, DC; Baltimore, MD; Charlotte, NC

"I established connections with nonprofit organizations, secondary schools, universities and so many incredible individuals who aspire to improve understanding and to strengthen relationship between the U.S. and Kazakhstan through mutually beneficial and sustainable projects." - Zhannat Bubekbayeva

Country: Kazakhstan 

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