Going digital: What we have learnt about online capacity development

Join INASP’s team of digital learning experts for a conversation, hosted by John Young, about effective online approaches to research capacity development in this moment of crisis.

INASP has been delivering and facilitating online courses, communities of practice, mentoring, and other online approaches to support teaching and learning and capacity development for Southern researchers, students, and professionals across the research and knowledge system for over 10 years.

As the world looks to online alternatives, INASP is sharing some of what they have learnt to help research and knowledge organisations across the globe as they think about transforming their normal face-to-face activities to an online environment.

In this 60 minute webinar, INASP’s team of digital learning specialists will share experiences and insights, covering questions such as:

• How can we adapt physical capacity development events to a digital-only environment?
• What can we do to ensure the sustainability of digital capacity development initiatives?
• How can we avoid reinforcing inequities or creating a new digital-based divide?

About the panel

John Young joined INASP as Executive Director in 2018, having previously spent 17 years developing and leading the Research and Policy in Development (RAPID) programme at the Overseas Development Institute (ODI). John has undertaken research, evaluations, and other assignments in more than 20 developing and emerging countries. He has advised international NGOs and bilateral and multilateral development organisations on a wide range of topics including research-policy linkages; policy engagement and influence; organizational and institutional development; capacity development, especially of think tanks and think tank-like organisations; government service reform; monitoring evaluation and learning; and strategic communication.

Joanna Wild leads INASP’s technology-enhanced capacity development approaches, She works with staff and in-country partners in designing online learning experiences for a variety of audiences in developing countries. Joanna has over 16 years experience of leading and supporting design, delivery, and evaluation of innovative and effective teaching and learning experiences online.

Andy Nobes is the Programme Manager for INASP’s AUthorAID project, focused on helping researchers develop their research writing and communication skills through online resources, courses, mentoring, and peer learning. Andy has been instrumental in the development of the AuthorAID online courses in research writing and proposal writing, which have evolved into Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Andy has also been involved in training journal editors in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka in digital publishing practices.

Veronika Schaeffler is INASP’s Programme Specialist for online pedagogy. Her focus is on individual and organizational capacity building, technology-enhanced learning, and monitoring & evaluation. Veronika has over 25 years' experience in the information and knowledge sector, including the implementation and coordination of international projects within the research sector as well as for international development and youth development organizations.

Ravi Murugesan is a technical developer and facilitator of courses on the INASP Moodle online learning platform. He has also helped to create the learning materials for the AuthorAID online courses by drawing on his background in scientific communication. Ravi is an experienced telecommuter having worked for INASP from his home in India since 2012.

About INASP

The International Network for Advancing Science and Policy (INASP) is an international development organisation working with a global network of partners in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. INASP believes that contributing to stronger and more equitable ecosystems will enable and empower knowledge producers and users to address key development challenges and improve lives. To realise this potential, INASP works in partnership to strengthen the capacity of individuals and institutions to produce, share, and use research and knowledge, in support of national development.

INASP's 2025 strategy is a call to action to those who share their vision, to work with them building a global coalition towards more equitable knowledge ecosystems that will unleash the talent of unheard voices.