Supporting the capacity development of professionals, leaders and institutions to integrate ICT in teaching, learning and innovation for the creation of a Knowledge Society for All.
Global eschools and Commmunities Initiative (GESCI) an international non-profit organization established by the United Nations Taskforce on Information Communication Technology (ICT) primarily funded by the governments of Finland, Sweden, Ireland and Switzerland. funding partners including USAID, World Bank, British Council, Intel, MCF and African MOEs
GESCI s role in formal education provision in Africa ICT Policy advice and development to Ministries ICT Teacher professional development - design and delivery towards mainstreaming models Technology tools, equipment configurations and infrastructural design Projects oversight, monitoring and evaluation ICT integration in TVET - advice on skills development and project implementation alleviating youth unemployment/addressing literacy & numeracy
African Leadership in ICT and Knowledge Society development Professional blended learning course Designed to equip African Leaders with a commanding understanding of the key elements in the advancement of leadership for Knowledge Societies Based on an examination of three key pillars of knowledge societies ICT, Science, Technology & Innovation, and Education and their relationship to one another Graduate diploma in African Leadership in ICT and knowledge Society development
ALICT facilitates: Futures Thinking methodologies to prepare for alternative futures New leadership mindset change for transformational leadership Understanding the role of ICT, Science, Technology and Innovation, and Education in knowledge society dev. Taking on the need for collaboration across ICT, STI and Education for system change
Current Course Participant Statistics Countries Sectors Education Gender
ALICT Modules and delivery model
Expected Impact It will create a network of leaders for knowledge society advancement in Africa and informed policy making and harmonisation. It will advance collaboration in and between organizations and countries It will create an alumni of KS experts in Africa The ALICT model will become part of public service training programs in Africa It will add richly to the KS knowledge base in Africa
EFA to date Last 10 years has seen great progress in education in Africa Net Enrolment Ratio in primary education had increased from 58% (1999) to 76% (2010) Gender parity index from 0.85 to 0.93 Enrolment in secondary education more than doubled from 20.8m to 43.7m, EFA efforts have led to significant achievement in SSA especially on the first 2 goals.
Global Education for All Meeting UNESCO - Paris, November 20-23, 2012 Sub-Saharan Africa 2012 EFA report
Re-focusing efforts All regions: quality provision i.e. qualified teachers capable of delivering East & South Africa: ECCE Central and West Africa: UPE SADC: out of school cohort Central Africa; ECCE Inter-country exchanges and more resources
Priorities Focus on: the most vulnerable and special needs The yet unreached, incl. girls out of school cohort An additional $26 Billion needed annually to provide basic education in poor countries $38 Billion to fund USE 5 to 8 million teachers needed by 2015 Deficit of 10,000 teachers exists
Post 2015 Quality - a key priority for all countries A continuum approach from pre-primary to lower secondary Skills development of young people (medium & long term) ECCAS improving access Mobilisation of additional funds in the face of changing donor priorities
ICT for access to: increased schooling opportunities to remote areas, disadvantage groups, SEN, facilitates inclusiveness Better teaching and enhance teacher status Raise quality of initial teacher education with ICT integration/school-based training. Richer learning experience in school Enables informal/community based learning Inter generational opportunities for L&N and community development
ICT enables access to better teachers Teachers To help reform initial teacher education in core skills and in ICT competencies Help to improve teaching abilities through peer-topeer group sharing and content co-creation Raise the social status of teachers in the community Establish subject associations networks for professional development Ref. Bring back the Teacher to the African school Pai Obonya (2012)
ICT enables Better and richer learning resources Relevant digital content to enhance teaching and teaching offline/dvds Content creation and repurposing skills - key elements of teacher training. Meta tagging to curriculum learning objects Share and build content OER banks After life of textbooks as fibre continues to be rolled out and schools get computers?
OER and ICT Benefits and value of open source learning content Process standards for content to be part of content creation Criteria to evaluate user generated content Open access to flexible and shared learning OER and mobile technologies enables learning to take place in homes and the surrounding community. Learning can be more natural, flexible and more reflective of the realities of life Support delivery of refocused goals
ICT integration the European experience ICT policies in place for 15 20 years 8 10 Billion invested in ICT in schools in Europe We know that effective use of ICT increases motivation and enriches learning Inconsistent ICT integration happening
Assessment the chief barrier Existing models of assessment are typically at odds with the skills, knowledge, attitudes and characteristics of self-directed and collaborative learning that are increasingly important for our global economy (ref. AT21C ) Teachers teach to the test rather than utilise the curriculum to deliver 21C skills. Assessment methods heavily influence the curriculum development process
Lessons learned Critical to focus on supporting ICT implementation at school level Central role of a dedicated national/regional centre for technology in education to support schools Curriculum development with ICT at the table Establish ICT excellence in teacher training colleges Enable on-going teacher training, ICT competency skills and support networks Fast broadband internet central to successful, consistent ICT usage
School Culture leadership of the principal School readiness - National/Regional support/training for school principals is essential Handbook for ICT policy making in the school Make ICT planning an in-school collaborative and inclusive process for all The principal builds a positive ICT culture in the school and acceptable use policies (AUP) Support an ICT professional development strategy for all teachers in the school Establish school readiness to integrate ICT
Technology configurations Decide on a national/regional equipment acquisition strategy Nation-wide procurement process for equipment and broadband Establish a National service desk to support ICT coordinators in schools Training for schools ICT coordinating teacher Establish an online network for per-to-peer support and sharing best practice in tech support and maintenance
Equipment deployment options at Primary At primary level, use of a digital projector (shared) and a teaching laptop (with DVD drive) in classrooms. Subsequent provision of 4/5 learner laptops for use in a classroom (if funds allow). A distribution trolley with 12-15 laptops moves from classroom to classroom - booked in advance by a classroom teacher Laptops in preference to tablets
Equipment deployment at Secondary At secondary level, use of a digital projector and teaching laptop(with DVD drive) in classrooms A computer room/space with 25 30 computers (desktops are less prone to pilfering) If funds allow, 4/5 learner laptops for use in STEM labs and classroom school networking(lans) and central server design and installation (when funds allow)
KENYA LAPTOP INITIATIVE Political promise to provide laptops to all first grade primary pupils 1.5 million 28,000 teachers to receive training Cost: 70 billion shillings Planning for rollout coordinated Gov. approach Issues of school security for equipment, energy loss Changing role of industry supports new interface scenario
ICT and TVSD Critical role for ICT in reforming Technical and vocational skills development provision in traditional courses and in new programmes in digital arts, culture industries and media. ADEA Triennale in Ouadagougou in 2012 on education and training for sustainable development - position papers on TVSD in Africa are pivotal to reform and upgrade of technical and vocational skills training and development in Africa.
ICT and TVSD Demonstration project in skills development and ICT Traditional skills - new skills skills training enterprise skills technology centres (start ups/mentoring) Community college model/polytechnics Non-formal sector validation and certification Plann for community - based learning
Print, Multimodal and Digital
FOR YOUR INVITATION TO BE HERE AND FOR YOUR ATTENTION THIS MORNING THANK YOU
ICT Taskforce The work of ADEA s ICT Task Force and its outputs through papers and concept notes provide a rich input to policy making for African countries Valuable Forum for communication and sharing expertise and experience on the changing nature of ICT integration in our education systems