Educational use of ICTs in Mexico: Challenges of Quality and Access Guillermo Kelley Director General Latin American Institute of Educational Communication Montreal, Canada. April, 2002

Since 1996, the Mexican Department of Education has embarked in a sustained effort to bring adequate and pertinent technology to all areas of education. This effort incorporates audiovisual media, as well as information and communication technologies, with special emphasis on basic education. ICTs in Mexican Education

The pedagogical potential of ICTs has been greatly expanded in recent years. International tendencies are radically transforming the teaching-learning process, schooling practices and educational institutions themselves. A new educational paradigm based on intensive use of ICTs is beginning to take shape. Change of Paradigm

ICTs offer solutions in terms of access, quality and diversified opportunities to the problems and challenges faced by Latin America today. The renewal of the educational process will take place gradually. The rate of innovation in this field is proceeding rapidly, but changes in pedagogical practices and mind-sets will happen at a much slower pace. ICTs in Education

The “digital divide” marks the difference between those who benefit from information networks and those who do not. It cuts across countries, regions and many social and cultural categories. This divide is only important in that it can deepen existing social and educational inequalities. The Digital Divide

Concentration and Inequalities OECD Countries = 19 % world population Source: UNDP 1999 Report

Tele-Density (For every one thousand inhabitants)

Female Participation on the Internet Source: UNDP 1999 Report

10% of the world´s population speaks English. 80% of Internet content and software are in English The wealthiest 20% of the world´s population concentrate 93% of Internet users. The poorest 20% only represent 0.2%. Gaps to Bridge

GENERAL OUTLINE  Teleprimaria (elementary)  Telesecundaria (lower sec.) Telesecundaria (lower sec.)  Distance Middle School for Adults (SEA).  Distance High-school (EMSAD).  Higher Education (degrees, diplomas, seminars, etc.).  Teleprimaria (elementary)  Telesecundaria (lower sec.) Telesecundaria (lower sec.)  Distance Middle School for Adults (SEA).  Distance High-school (EMSAD).  Higher Education (degrees, diplomas, seminars, etc.).  SEC 21 (technology-intensive Middle School ). SEC 21 (technology-intensive Middle School ).  In-service and pre-service teacher training. In-service and pre-service teacher training.  Skills for the workplace.  Digital Community Centers. (Plazas Comunitarias) Digital Community Centers. (Plazas Comunitarias)  Parental Education.  SEC 21 (technology-intensive Middle School ). SEC 21 (technology-intensive Middle School ).  In-service and pre-service teacher training. In-service and pre-service teacher training.  Skills for the workplace.  Digital Community Centers. (Plazas Comunitarias) Digital Community Centers. (Plazas Comunitarias)  Parental Education. SchoolNet Edusat NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL VIDEO LIBRARY NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL VIDEO LIBRARY

Launched in 1995, EDUSAT is an educational television satellite system with 12 digitally compressed channels. Over 30,000 educational centers. (Closed Circuit) Delivers over 28,000 hours per year, of which 70% are domestic productions. 5,000 hours of television production per year. Broadcasted nationwide through open television and cable (selected programming). Curricular programs (Telesecundaria and SEA). Video delivered to teachers to enrich lessons.

Red Escolar, based on the Internet, offers teachers and students pedagogical and information resources directed at improving the teaching- learning process. It also allows students and teachers to share their ideas and experiences. Services over 9,000 educational sites. Red Escolar (School Net)

It offers a wide variety of collaborative projects Over 2 million weekly hits. It also hosts several discussion fora and mailing lists for teachers and students. 40,000 teachers trained. In the next five years Red Escolar will reach all Lower and Higher Secondary Schools, including Telesecundarias, and 50% of the elementary schools as well as public libraries.

National Educational Video Library (VNE) Storage and distribution of educational videos and multimedia materials (learning objects). Digitize and restore educational videos. On-line search, referenced according to the curricula at all academic levels. Video-on-demand for schools. Special services for academics and educational or cultural television producers. All these services will be offered shortly in the web environment of Red Escolar and the national educational portal:

Television-assisted middle-school service for communities with less than 2,500 inhabitants. 15 minute TV-programs daily per subject 4,500 TV programs available 1,070,000 students serviced 14,704 schools 46,556 teachers 7 Latin American countries have embraced this initiative in 600 schools servicing over 42,000 students. TELESECUNDARIA (7th to 9th grades)

Secondary 21st Century (SEC 21) SEC 21 contemplates the integrated use of technologies to improve the quality of junior high- school education. The model is aimed at the production of new content by teachers closely related to the study programs. The audiovisual material is sent to schools via satellite and stored on the LAN server, which allows teachers to use it as needed. Virtual communities of teachers by subject to discuss and exchange best practices and new materials. To date, there are 84 SEC 21 schools and the goal during the following five years is to reach 2,000 more.

20 PC´s LAN Internet Classrooms Computer labs Equipment Model Physics Math History Geography Biology +50 CALCULATORS PER MATH CLASSROOM + 15 PC´s IN THE PHYSICS CLASS ROOM 1 TV SET & 1 PC PER CLASSROOM DATA-CASTING AND TV SIGNAL

Digital Community Centers As a part of the e-Mexico presidential initiative, a network of Digital Community Centers (Plazas Comunitarias) are being set-up throughout the country. Conevyt / General objectives: TV and e-learning environment offering diverse training programs. Access to public and social services. Marketing support for the sale of local products.

To date, 300 Centers have been established. We expect to set up and additional 2,500 this year. The final objective is to have 25,000 centers in the country over the next five years. Digital Community Centers

Teacher Training The introduction of ICTs in education has created a demand for a vast teacher training program, which includes on-site, on-line, television delivered or mixed formats. On-site teacher training since 1996 has offered nearly 500 courses, to over 40,000 teachers. Since 1999, 43 on-line courses have been offered to 10,745 teachers. During the next five years the goal is to reach 500,000 teachers.

ON-LINE WORKSHOPS * Learning Circles Coordinators* Spread Sheet I * On-line Course Development* Spread Sheet II * Learning Assessment* Creativity * On-line Educational Services* Initial Education * Web-page development * Any Text is a Pretext * Collaborative Internet Projects Development COURSES BY SUBJECTS (on-line). Didactical Strategies for the Teaching of Mathematics, Spanish, History, Physics, Geography, Sciences and Ethic. TV DELIVERED COURSES (EDUSAT)  “SEPA cómputo” (Learn Computing)  Introduction to Red Escolar Teacher Training

ICTs, especially in developing countries, are instrumental to improve quality and access. It is of the utmost importance to exploit the full potential of technological convergence. Creation of new learning objects, with teacher participation, from existing materials that may be used in different contexts. Externalities that ICTs bring to education. Concluding Remarks