Creating a model for play-based teacher training in Rwanda
Cambridge worked with partners in Rwanda to design a hybrid digital training model. The model helped thousands of teachers use play-based methods with confidence, which improved children’s learning experiences.
Quick read
Cambridge, the Government of Rwanda and Right To Play co-created and piloted a certified hybrid digital course to support Rwanda’s skills focused learning programme.
The project began with a pilot of 30 teachers. It expanded to 304 public and government aided schools.
It reached 3,658 lower primary teachers, with an estimated 164,610 learners reached through participating teachers.
Teaching practice improved. Teachers gained confidence using play-based methods, and learners enjoyed more active, engaging lessons.
Teachers shaped the platform and training design through a user-centred approach, ensuring the tools stayed practical and relevant to real classroom needs.
A partnership to strengthen teaching through play
Many teachers in Rwanda lacked access to practical training in play-based methods. This made it harder for children to build the skills they need to thrive.
Right To Play (RTP) is a global organisation that protects, educates and empowers children to rise above adversity through the power of play.
With support from the LEGO Foundation, RTP and Cambridge worked with key education stakeholders in Rwanda. These included the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC), the Rwanda Basic Education Board (REB), the National Examination and School Inspection Authority (NESA), and the University of Rwanda College of Education (URCE).
Together, they worked alongside Rwandan teachers to address gaps in teacher training. They co-designed and piloted a hybrid digital professional development course that reached 3,658 lower primary teachers.
A hybrid digital course combines digital online modules with in-person support, giving teachers flexible ways to learn and practise new skills. The model makes training scalable, accessible and cost-effective.
The project aimed to help teachers deliver playful, collaborative and engaging learning activities aligned with Rwanda’s skills focused learning programme. It also sought to deepen teachers’ understanding of play-based learning and give them practical strategies they could use straight away.
Cambridge’s role
Cambridge provided technical expertise in learning design. We worked with an education and e-learning specialist and the Play in Education, Development & Learning (PEDAL) team at the University of Cambridge’s Faculty of Education, a global centre for research on play in learning and development.
How we worked
The Learning through Play E-training Project used a blended Continuous Professional Development (CPD) model to train, certify and mentor lower primary teachers. The goal was clear: help teachers bring the national competence-based curriculum to life through playful, collaborative and engaging learning.
The University of Rwanda’s College of Education accredited the training for 772 teachers, and the Rwanda Education Board delivered it through its national Learning Management System.
The project began with a pilot of 30 teachers before expanding more widely. It reached 304 public and government-aided schools and 3,658 teachers, who in turn supported up to 164,610 learners.
A user-centred, co-creation approach guided the design. Teachers shaped the digital platform and the blended training from the start. Their feedback ensured the tools were practical, relevant and grounded in real classroom needs in Rwanda.
Challenges teachers highlighted
Teachers raised challenges that affected how they engaged with the digital training. Unreliable internet access made it hard to complete online modules consistently. Limited digital experience meant some teachers needed extra support to navigate the platform. Time pressures made it difficult to balance training with busy classroom schedules. English language content created barriers for some teachers, affecting their confidence in applying the material.
In response, the project team acted quickly. They offered clearer guidance, simplified the platform and increased in-person support. These changes helped teachers stay confident, stay connected and complete the course.
What changed
At the start of the project, many teachers and school leaders had only a basic understanding of Learning through Play. They were positive about it but unsure how to use playful methods to deliver Rwanda’s skills-focused learning programme. Classroom observations showed uneven support from school leaders, and children’s experiences varied widely, with few chances for structured play.
By the end of the project, the picture looked very different. Teachers and school leaders recognised the value of Learning Through Play. Teachers used playful methods more often and with greater purpose and reported observing changes in their classrooms and students.
These changes mattered. Teachers left with practical tools they could use straight away. Learners benefited from more active, joyful lessons. And the system gained a model that can strengthen teaching through play at scale.
Broader impact
The project showed how digital training, co-creation and play-based teaching can work together to strengthen an education system. When teachers helped shape the training, they felt more invested and used new methods with confidence. The work also proved that hybrid digital learning can succeed in areas with low internet connectivity when it includes strong in-person support.
The project showed the value of partnership. Working together, the organisations created a model that helps teachers grow, supports children’s learning and can be scaled across the country. It demonstrated how digital learning, co-design and play-based teaching can strengthen teaching practice at scale. The model has already influenced work beyond Rwanda. Right To Play has adapted content originally developed alongside the University of Cambridge for teacher professional development in Ghana. Together, the partners created an approach that supports teachers, benefits learners and can be adapted for different contexts.
"This partnership reflects what's possible when organisations bring their strengths together for children. Cambridge's technical expertise in learning design helped us translate play-based pedagogy into a training model that actually works for teachers on the ground. Our teams co-created this course with Rwandan educators every step of the way, from piloting the initial design with 30 teachers to a model now reaching thousands of teachers and being adapted for Ghana. We're proud of what this partnership has built, and we look forward to seeing its impact grow."
Henrietta Teh, Global Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Manager, Right To Play.
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