eEducation and eGovernment National approaches to ICT in education

1
e-Education and e-Government National
approaches to ICT in education

• Rapporteur Tim Unwin
• WSIS Tunis 16th November 2005

2
Speakers

• Tarek Shawki (UNESCO)
• Janet Longmore (DOT)
• Andreas Cox (JEI)
• Selim Edde (Cisco)
• Moderator Dr. Michelle Selinger

3
What are the considerations in planning for the
national roll out of ICT in schools?

• ICT is important - but where do we start?!
• Need to inform decision makers about what is
  available (toolkits, guidelines) (TS)
• Need for benchmarks
• And learning from experiences (TS)
• Need to involve all key stakeholders in planning
  (JL)
• Need for a formal change management programme
  (with training) (JL)
• Management from within (SE)
• People can do exciting things without formal
  training (SE)

4
What are the considerations in planning for the
national roll out of ICT in schools?

• Must involved the local communities (SE)
• Role of PPPs
• JEI as an example of successful partnerships (AC)
• Be willing to break paradigms (AC)
• Crucial importance of training (AC)
• Teacher training fundamental
• New ways of learning (for teachers and students)
• Scalability and sustainability (AC)
• Local capacity building

5
What is your message to countries just about to
embark on this path?

• Collaborate and learn from each other (TS)
• Everyone should be involved in development and
  reporting (JL)
• Keep the scope narrow (JL)
• Identify champions and early adopters (JL)
• Very strong leadership is important (SE/AC)
• Leaders who communicate with everyone (SE/AC
• Create a learning space (SE)
• Enabling the educating environment - anywhere,
  anytime, but the students choices
• Measure it! (SE)

6
Thoughts from the floor

• 21st century education
• ICTs
• Pedagogy of learning
• Honest about the challenges!
• NEPAD e-Schools initiative
• Demonstration projects in 16 countries
• Finding out what works for roll-out into 600,000
  schools across whole of Africa
• Value of maintenance programmes
• Ongoing teacher learning is important
• Professional learning communities

7
Thoughts from the floor

• Examples of good communities of practice
• Where really are these?
• Lets build and share these practices
• UNESCO knowledge communities (TS)
• Move from talking to delivering
• Free and Open Content (40 languages)
• GK12 (NSF in USA)
• Doctoral students with teachers in school
• Importance of replication and scalability
• How do we really deliver this?
• JEI use of ICT as part of total education reform
  (AC)

8
Thoughts from the floor

• Teachers, policy, commitment..
• Training for all involved in the education sector
• How involved are the children in the processes
• Some examples do ask children what they think

9
Ways forward

• Must have an integrated strategy
• ICT for education not education for ICT
• Share experiences of good practice
• Must stop reinventing the wheel
• Measuring (new infoDev handbook on M E)
• Initiatives must be delivered at scale
• Enough pilot schemes
• Need to address sustainability issues
• From the very start, not an afterthought
• Value of partnerships
• Really understanding how to deliver (not just
  PPP) (UNESCO)