JANUS Workshop

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JANUS Workshop Progressing the Information
Society The role of government
ICT policy challenges for education Beatriz
Pont OECD Directorate for Education Education
and training policy division
Brussels 17
February, 2003
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Presentation

• Use of ICTs in education
• Best practices of ICTs in educational innovation
  (CERI, OECD)
• ICT Policy challenges for education
• Scenario building

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ICTs, economy and society

• ICTs are transforming OECD economies and
  societies.
• Have contributed to economic growth
• Are engines of changes in business
• Changes in the structures of firms
• Changes in the organisation of work
• Changes in the way transactions are carried out
• They are integrating in social and individual
  daily practices but there are still important
  inequities in access and usage.

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ICTs in education

• The education sector is faced with similar
  challenges as those of industry, in structure,
  organisation and educational contents.
• Similar inequities as in the economy and
  society, but education system can help to reduce
  them.
• Highest use of computers Young people
• High investment of ICTs in education
• Distance education has grown estimate of rise
  from 710 000 students in 1998 to 2.2 million in
  2002

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Computers per 100 students

• Growth in the number of PC per 100 students, all
  levels (1999)

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Students and computers (PISA, 2000)
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Computer use at home or school (PISA, 2000)
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Index of computer use (PISA)

• Index of computer use varies by country

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Frequency of computer use (PISA)

• Frequency of use for school work varies by country

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Gender perceived ability of use (PISA)

• Girls self perception of computer skills lower
  than boys

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Use of ICTs in education (PISA)

• 75 of 15 year old students have a computer and
  50 access to internet and software at home.
• On average, 13 students share a computer,
  although there are wide variations according to
  countries, regions and schools in OECD countries.
  
• A third of students use computers for their
  schoolwork at least once a week 22 between once
  a week and once a month. Use is lower for
  schoolwork in some lower per capita income
  countries.

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Lack of computers hinders learning (PISA)

• School principals who report that learning is
  hindered to some extent by lack of computers

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ICTs, access and use (PISA)

• Use of computers is spread between school and
  home.
• Access and use is very different by countries.
• In some countries, use at school compensates for
  lack of resources at home.
• This data provides an idea of the changes in the
  integrations of computers for learning at school.
  
• But lack of key data on the use of ICTs in the
  education process
• Use in management of educational institutions
• Use by teachers and use in education process

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ICTs and educational innovation

• Internacional comparative study on ICTs and
  organisational change in education (CERI, OECD).
• Objective To understand the relationship between
  ICT and educational reform and innovation.
• 94 good practices in 23 countries selected
  because of innovations and investment in ICT.
• Main conclusions
• ICTs are tools to carry on planned education
  innovations.
• They do not replace traditional education.
• Integration of ICTs in education render basic
  skills and teachers knowledge even more
  important.

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ICT and educational innovation

• Are they engines of change?
• Technologies favour prepared institutions
• ICTs dont act as engine by themselves
• They are tools to carry on planned education
  innovations
• Direction of change must be previously defined
  and personnel be prepared for changes
• In most cases, ICTs act as support for planned
  school improvements for teachers or
  administration.

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ICT and educational innovation

• Most innovations arose because of strategies to
  solve school problems
• School survival
• Low academic achievement
• Independent studies
• Preparation for work
• Development of IT skills.
• Strategies adopted
• Curricular change or improvement
• Improvement of access to education (anytime
  anywhere)
• New learning methods
• Reforms of school organisation
• Improvement of personnel support.

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ICT and educational innovation

• Successful application depends on
• Infrastructure (equipment, internet conection,
  technical support)
• Teacher and student skills and support
• School context
• User friendly infrastructure
• Pedagogical skills of teachers and integration of
  ICTs in curriculum
• Training and development programs to teach ICTs
  and pedagogical skills with ICTs
• Barriers to adoption lack of opportunities for
  development during working hours, teacher
  resistance, limited infrastructure.

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ICT Policy challenges to education

• New OECD activity to analyse from a policy
  perspective the policy challenges ICT poses for
  education
• The context
• High investments in educational ICT
• But uncertain returns in
• Better teaching
• Wider access
• Improved outcomes
• More equitable outcomes

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ICT Policy challenges to education

• Two broad issues in ICT policy challenges for
  education
• ICT and policies for effective outcomes
• Getting an educational return on ICT investments
• The impact of ICT on policy making and on how
  educational institutions work

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ICT Policy challenges to education

• ICT Policy challenges for education themes
• ICT and policies for inclusiveness and equity
• ICT and educational resource policies
• ICT and teacher policies
• ICT and educations institutional and regulatory
  frameworks
• 22 countries are participating.

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ICT Policy challenges to education

• Methodology
• Some shared labour some division of labour
• A diverse methodology
• Workshops and seminars
• Expert papers
• Scenarios
• Site visits and study groups
• Policy as implemented, not only as described

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ICT Policy challenges to education

• A strong forward looking element
• Not attempt to describe present policies, but
  adopt a forward-looking approach (scenario
  building).
• Valuable experience schooling for tomorrow
  (OECD, 2002).
• Valuable tool for countries to clarify main
  directions and strategic options for effective
  use of ICT in schooling.
• Importance of adopting this approach in
  education.

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ICT Policy challenges to education

• Scenarios
• Develop alternative scenarios of the integration
  of ICT in education systems.
• Include the main themes
• Resources implication of having access to ICT
  when and where needed and for ICT in school
  management.
• Teachers impact of ICT in teachers work.
• Institutional issues how ICT may impact the
  institutional and regulatory frameworks of
  education.
• Clarify dimensions.
• Identify large driving forces (economic, social
  and political).

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ICT Policy challenges to education

• Scenario development
• Use of OECD resources Country delegates and
  knowledge base. Strength is comparative
  perspective.
• Meetings, workshops and e-discussion groups.
• Use of thematic advisory committees.
• Time frame very important.
• Final objective
• Help our constituents look into their future and
  make key decisions on how to best invest in ICT
  for improved educational outcomes.

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We welcome your suggestions. Thank you.
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Bibliography

• ICTs, access and use in education
• OECD (2002), Education at a Glance, Paris,
• http//www.oecd.org/els/education/eag2002
• www.pisa.oecd.org
• Good practices in 22 countries (CERI)
• Venezky and Davies (2002), Quo Vademus, the
  transformation of schooling in a networked
  world, OECD/CERI.
• http//www.oecd.org/els/education/ (ceri
  objective 2.b)
• Schooling for tomorrow scenarios (CERI)
• OECD, 2001, What future for our schools?,
  Education Policy Analysis, Paris.
• OECD, 2001, Schooling for tomorrow Trends and
  scenarios, Paris. www.oecd.org/els/education/