Client
The ÉLODiL (Awakening to Language and Opening to Linguistic Diversity) project is an initiative from the Faculty of Education at the Université de Montréal, led by Professor Françoise Armand. Focused on promoting plurilingualism and recognizing the heritage languages of immigrant students, ÉLODiL has been developing innovative educational resources for over 15 years to support inclusive education at the preschool and elementary levels.
Recognized for its expertise in teaching French as a second language, the ÉLODiL team collaborates with various institutional and cultural partners to create practical tools that address the needs of Québec's school environment. It was with this goal in mind that Toumoro was selected to develop the web application for multilingual albums.
Project
For this project, Toumoro was tasked with designing and developing a custom web application to enable the creation, management, and viewing of multilingual youth albums. The goal was to make stories translated into multiple languages accessible online, while providing a user-friendly and responsive interface suitable for teachers, students, and families.
Working closely with the ÉLODiL team, Toumoro built a scalable platform that complies with accessibility standards. It integrates features for multilingual navigation, collaborative editing, and interactive reading to directly support French language learning and the promotion of heritage languages in schools.
Challenges
The project's main challenge was managing complex multilingual content, including texts in various alphabets, audio recordings, and layouts adapted for young readers. It was also crucial to offer a seamless experience across all device types, while ensuring exemplary accessibility for a diverse school audience.
To address these challenges, Toumoro implemented a flexible architecture based on open web technologies, allowing for precise content structuring and intuitive navigation. Tailored editing tools were developed, enabling the ÉLODiL team to create and modify albums without technical intervention. Particular attention was paid to audio integration and support for non-Latin scripts, ensuring consistent readability regardless of the language.
Approach
For this project, Toumoro adopted a collaborative approach, centered on the pedagogical and functional needs of the ÉLODiL team. From the initial stages, co-design workshops helped clarify objectives, targeted uses, and constraints related to the school environment. This in-depth understanding guided the design of a modular and scalable architecture, making it easier to add new albums, languages, and features over time.
Development relied on accessible, standard web technologies, with particular attention paid to ergonomics, digital accessibility (WCAG), and multi-platform compatibility. Regular tests with end-users—teachers, researchers, and partners—allowed for continuous adjustments to the interface and workflows, ensuring an intuitive, durable, and fully adapted platform for its educational mission.
