Training course on storyboard writing for visual reality (VR) training in Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET)

PROJECT BACKGROUND

1. General Background

The forced displacement crisis has increased in scale and complexity in recent years. According to UNHCR, 79.5 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide at the end of 2019[1]. Forcibly displaced persons (FDPs), including refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) face specific vulnerabilities, including loss of assets and psychological trauma, limited rights, lack of opportunities, a protection risk as well as a risk to be out of school, and a lack of planning horizon. In addition, the communities hosting FDPs also struggle to pursue their own development efforts.

In response to the considerable challenges facing FDPs and host communities, a new partnership initiative titled: ‘PROSPECTS’ Partnership for improving Prospects for host communities and forcibly displaced persons, was launched by the Government of the Netherlands, that brings together the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Bank. Through the PROSPECTS partnership, the five partner agencies aim to leverage their comparative advantages and areas of expertise to programme complementary and interdependent interventions that address education, employment, and protection challenges. The partnership spans eight countries, namely Egypt, Ethiopia, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Sudan, and Uganda and covers the period 2019-2023.

2. ILO PROSPECTS in Jordan
Through the Prospects partnership, the five partners aim to leverage their comparative advantages and areas of expertise to programme complementary and interdependent interventions that address three areas where challenges negatively affect the livelihoods and well-being of Jordanians, refugees, and other vulnerable groups: education, employment, and protection. Through an in-depth theory of change process, the combined efforts of the organizations will endeavour to bolster the medium- and longer-term development goals for Jordanians, refugees, and other vulnerable groups to access quality and market-relevant education; decent engagement, work and enterprise opportunities; and comprehensive protection systems, which will in turn support more sustainable livelihoods, in line with Jordan’s national plans. Integrated into the joint programme is systematic learning and knowledge management that will feed into future planning, the scaling up of innovative approaches, and ultimately transform the way partners respond to displacement crises.

Under the Education pillar, Partners support initiatives that focus on strengthening the whole educational system, from capacitating teachers to providing basic education, life skills and Technical Vocational Education and Training. Of key importance in Jordan is ensuring ‘market relevant’ skills are supported in the late stages of the educational cycle.

ASSIGNMENT BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

A gaping mismatch exists between the demand for skills in the extended realities (XR) labor, a term encompassing virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR), with 97% of companies globally lamenting the lack of XR skills among the specialized workforce, and the growth of the XR sector by 1,400% in the past 2 years. Economists contend that VR and AR technology will generate new economic ventures worldwide: currently, roughly 80,000 filed jobs exist in the XR realm, with projections predicting an increment of 2.32 million by 2030[1].

In TVET, and as vocational training is supposed to equip the trainees with the market-relevant skills, it should include exposing the trainees to bring them closer to work environment and the real workplaces. Virtual reality (VR) technology can be utilized as part of the training and learning process to provide situation-based learning and training. Not only does the VR contribute to digitalization of the education and learning, but it is also more aligned with the ongoing digital transformation of work life. The use of digital technologies also serves as an element to make TVET programmes more attractive to learners. In addition to that, VR could provide the space to reduce the number of consumables used in conducting the vocational training exercises and activities, and hence reduce the waste and contribute to greening the TVET.

Creating an immersive (VR-enhanced) learning/training scenario (storyboard) to integrate in the vocational training curriculum, become versed in the vocabulary used in the VR realm and in the current VR technologies’ landscape to identify the most suitable solutions to serve both sectors and the users’ needs2. Storyboarding is the design phase where training content creators mix didactic know-how with knowledge and 3D data to produce a plan document, a blueprint “referred to as the storyboard that allows the VR/AR creation experts and developers to actually build the immersive training[2].

[1] Virtual reality in skills development- ITC-ILO

[2] https://aucta.io/blog/blog/storyboarding/

ASSIGNMENT OBJECTIVES

The general objective of this assignment is to support the TVSDC in promoting the VR-AR in technical and vocational training in Jordan. The specific objective of this assignment is to build the capacity of the TVSDC staff and in particular the E-lab staff on developing quality storyboarding for visual reality (VR) training in Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET)

SCOPE OF WORK AND METHODOLOGY

Storyboard writing is an essential tool for the TVET staff to plan and organize their lessons effectively. By creating a visual representation of the lesson, vocational instructors can easily communicate their ideas to students/trainees and ensure that they understand the material. Storyboard writing also allows TVET staff to identify potential problems and make adjustments to their lesson plans before they are implemented. This can help to improve student engagement and learning outcomes. Additionally, Storyboard writing can be used to create interactive and engaging learning experiences that are tailored to the needs of individual students for example it will help the VR/AR and 3d designers to transform the traditional content into modules. Overall, Storyboard writing is a valuable tool that can help TVSET to create more effective and engaging lessons for TVET sector.

Upon the TVSDC request, ILO will support building the capacities of the TVSDC’ E-Lab staff in developing storyboard VR-AR content. ILO is seeking for a consultant/trainer who conduct training course to the TVSDC’ E-lab staff on storyboarding writing for VR-AR in TVET and to perform the following tasks and activities:

• Conduct a need assessment to the TVSDC’ E-lab staff on their training needs with respect to storyboarding for VR training.
• Design training outlines and plan responding to the TVSDC’ E-Lab training needs.
• Develop training materials for raining the TVSDC’ E-lab staff on storyboarding for VR-AR training in TVET.
• Conduct 5 days training to the TVSDC E-lab staff (at least 6 staff) on storyboarding for VR-AR training in TVET.
• Prepare a report on the training course conducted includes recommendations on promoting mainstreaming VR-AR in TVET

KEY DELIVERABLES

• Training needs assessment report on the TVSDC capacities on storyboard writing for VR-AR in TVET by 20th November 2023.
• Training materials and PowerPoint presentations by 23rd November 2023.
• Report on the 5-day training conducted to at least 6 staff from the TVSDC’ E-lab includes recommendations on improving the TVSDC capacities in promoting VR-AR in TVET by 7th December 2023.

Candidate Profile

Qualifications:

1. At least two years of experience in the field of developing storyboard for VR-AR. Experience in developing storyboard for VR-AR in TVET is high advantage.
2. Proven experience in conducting training courses for writing scripts (storyboard) for videos and multimedia educational materials and developing VR-AR content particularly for learning and education purposes.
3. Excellent communication skills in English and Arabic.

PAYMENT SCHEDULE

First and final Payment : 100% of the total amount of the contract upon submission and validation by 7 December 2023 the report on the training course and all deliverables stated in these TORs, to the satisfaction of the ILO

SUPERVISION AND LOGISTICAL ARRANGEMENTS

The tasks and deliverables under this assignment will be carried out under the direct supervision of the PROPSECTS Skills Technical Office. Overall guidance will be provided by the PROSPECTS Regional CTA, and overall technical review will also be provided by the Regional Skills Technical specialist.