Sector Policy Advice and ICT in education Planning and Development of Education Systems Division

Mission statement PAD contributes to improve the quality of policy developments in education in member States by: a)carrying out evidence-based policy reviews, comparative analysis, trends monitoring and research; b)providing policy advice and assistance to individual States as well as developing capacity in the field; and c)supporting peer dialogue and raising awareness with regard to emerging policy issues. PAD also promotes and monitors policy developments in particular in the domains of the right to education and of ICT in education.

Objectives Peer learning

Key messages The discussion about ICT policies in education has to be, first and foremost, about education: – Focus on learning Five key themes from a policy perspective: – Alignment – Monitoring and evaluation – Scalability – Curriculum and content development – Teacher empowerment

Alignment ICT in education aligned with wider sector policies, in turn aligned with development objectives (economic and societal). – CEIBAL is a good example of the dynamics between social inclusion and educational objectives. Knowledge ladder: policy analysis tool: – How well are schools aligned with the knowledge society? – How can technology contribute to improve this alignment?

Monitoring & Evaluation Need to clearly identify: – Baseline – Objectives – Methods to measure: Quantitative (surveys) Qualitative (longitudinal observations) But the most difficult issue remains to: – Monitor changes in teaching and learning methods – Their impact on student learning

Scalability A lot has been achieved with top-down policies in equipment and networking But the pending issue is to foster educational transformation at system level Pilots and showcasing initiatives are helpful, but not enough Need to think of quick wins

Curriculum and content development To increase adoption, digital content should be aligned with the national curriculum Governments have to find their own way to: – Generate incentives for the textbook industry to generate good digital resources and help them to find alternative business models (less focused on copyrights and more on service provision) – Support teacher networks and communities that promote open resources

Teacher empowerment Start by identifying teacher needs (zone of proximal development) Identify and recognise what works at local level Disseminate what teachers-like-me are doing Provide additional support to those willing to learn more (training and social recognition); do it recognising different profiles/needs Consider the key role of school leaders