Transforming Education with Technology: the Experience of Jordan

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Transforming Education with Technologythe
Experience of Jordan

• Suhair Khatib
• Advisor to HE Nadia Al Saeed, Minister of
  Information and Communications Technology, Jordan
• Andreas Cox
• Program Manager, Jordan Education Initiative

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Overview

• Jordans Technology Vision
• Providing Access Connecting Jordanians
  Initiative
• Transforming Education Jordan Education
  Initiative
• Public-Private Partnerships
• Preparing Jordan for the 21st Century

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Jordans Technology Vision

• ICT strategy launched in 1999 by His Majesty King
  Abdullah II
• Goal of transforming Jordan into a knowledge
  based economy
• Creating a leading ICT technology hub in the
  region
• Ministry of Information and Communications
  Technology MoICT works to leverage ICT to serve
  Jordan's economic and social development
• Establishment of INT_at_J, representing Jordans ICT
  private sector
• Development of REACH Initiative, the action plan
  to deliver Jordans ICT strategy

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Providing Access Connecting Jordanians
Initiative

• An integrated national strategy to get Jordanians
  online
• High-bandwidth access crucial for the current and
  projected needs of learning institutions
• Currently establishing a national broadband
  learning network
• This network will link over 3200 public schools,
  8 public universities, 23 community colleges and
  67 community access centers by 2006, impacting
  nearly 1.5 million Jordanians

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Transforming Education with ICT Jordan
Education Initiative

• Jordan Education Initiative
• launched in 2003 in partnership with the World
  Economic Forum
• Four objectives
• improve the development delivery of education
  to Jordans citizens through public-private
  partnerships
• unleash the innovation of teachers and students
  through the effective use of ICT
• build the capacity of Jordans ICT industry for
  the development of innovative learning solutions
• leverage national government commitment and
  corporate citizenship to build model for
  education advancement with worldwide relevance

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Transforming Education with ICT Jordan
Education Initiative cont.

• Three key pillars
• Discovery Schools
• In-Classroom Technology
• e-Curricula Development
• Teacher Training
• Lifelong Learning
• ICT Industry Development

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Transforming Education with ICT Jordan
Education Initiative cont.

• In-Classroom Technology
• Foster new pedagogies in learning through the
  development of classroom technology models,
  computer labs and other innovative approaches
  (e.g. Computers on Wheels)
• Focus on scalability and sustainability (TCO is a
  key driver)
• E-Curricula Development
• Global-local partnerships to develop e-curricula
  and build local capacity of both the Ministry of
  Education and Jordans e-learning industry sector
• Teacher Training
• Intel Teach to the Future has partnered with
  Ministry of Education to train 22,000 teachers
  over three years

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Jordan Education Initiative Video
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Public-Private Partnerships

• Key learnings from the Jordan Education
  Initiative
• Active government support and mentorship is
  crucial
• Openness to new paradigms for private sector and
  development community participation in education
  advancement
• Motivation for involvement less important than
  commitment to create innovative and robust models
  with global relevance
• Communicate, communicate, communicate!
• Models must be scalable and relevant to both
  urban and rural areas
• Sustainability is directly related to effective
  knowledge transfer and local capacity building
• Measurement of both PPP performance against
  program objectives and education outcomes key to
  success and international relevance
• Transparency and knowledge sharing for increased
  outreach

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Jordans GoalPreparing Jordan for the 21st
Century

• Technology as a tool for economic and social
  development
• Jordan is focused on building skills for success
  in the knowledge economy, fostering lifelong
  learning and attracting investment
• Relevant information
• Ministry of Information and Communications
  Technology website www.moict.gov.jo
• Jordan Education initiative websitewww.jei.org.j
  o
• Knowledge Center McKinsey Assessment of JEI PPP
  Model

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Questions?