1. Brian Gutterman Shahreen Rahman Jorge Supelano Laura Thies Mai Yang
ICT (Information & Communication Technology) in Education for Development
Brian Gutterman
Shahreen Rahman
Jorge Supelano
Laura Thies
Mai Yang

2. Objectives of GAID
Initiated by United Nations Secretary-General in 2006
Multi-stakeholder approach to tackle the various challenges in bringing ICT to the developing world
To achieve Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

3. Objectives of White Paper
Focus on ICT & it’s impact in education for development
Comparative Country Case Studies:
Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Ghana, Malaysia, Mali, Namibia, Rwanda, Sweden & Uruguay
Challenges & Solutions
Recommendations for
various stakeholders

4. Role of ICT in Education (ICTE)
Survey Result by
International Institute for Communication & Development
(IICD)
80% feel empowered by ICT
60% feel ICT had a positive effect on teaching & learning

5. Role of ICTE Improved Quality of Education
Shift to more learner-centered methods
Improvement in Education leadership,
management & governance
Increased Access
Increased access for the disabled
Reduce Gender Gap
Distance Learning
Dual Mode Universities
Virtual Classrooms
Digital Divide

7. Providing Access to ICTE
Factors inhibiting access to education:
Gender
Ethnic background
Socioeconomic status
Geographical location

8. Providing Access to ICTE
Avenues providing access:
Distance Learning
E-Learning
Community-based IT facilities
Private Sector / NGO Initiatives

9. Plan CEIBAL: One Laptop Per Child
Case Study:
Uruguay
Plan CEIBAL: One Laptop Per Child
First country to commit to large
scale nationwide deployment
Fully implement by 2010
Provide 340,000 students &
16,000 teachers with a laptop
Target all public primary
children from 1st – 6th grade

10. Teachers & ICT Challenges to capacity building:
Lack of adequately trained teachers
Lack of administrative support
Loss of instructional time

11. Teachers & ICT Integrating ICT in Education:
Enables teachers to transform
their practices
Improves the learning process
Develops a critical mass of
knowledge workers

12. Difficulties in Transition to ICTE
Financial costs
Government-owned
telecommunication companies
Corruption
Accessibility of technology
Infrastructure especially in
rural areas
New technology
Localized & don’t follow trends
Language barrier
Teacher training to develop own
materials

13. Difficulties in Transition to ICTE
What can we do?
Strong, sustainable partnerships between government, private sector & civil society
Goodwill, dedication & flexibility of all stake holders

14. Case Study: Malaysia Commitment of government towards ICTE:
Smart School Project
Electronic Book Project
Availability of electronic software in national language
Commitment of non-government agencies:
Chinese Smart Schools
Private Smart Schools

15. Government Cooperation & Policy Implementation
Lack of:
Cooperation & coordination
Infrastructure & staff
Need to:
Government cooperation
Willingness to integrate ICTE
Evaluation of social context, availability of ICT, needs & desires of the country
Adaptation of national policy across sectors & ministries
LACK
corporation & coordintion bet nat gov’t policies & use of ICT in educational systems
Infrastructure: institutional infrastructure & right tools to address technology & educational issues dealing with learning & teaching
Staff: technicians, programmers, engineers, computer scientists (Those who are available may not underst& or are ill-trained to undertake policy & strategic planning for the inclusion of learning purposes within an educational setting. )
NEED
gov’t corporation is necessary for ICT programs to be sustainable, to support educational curriculum system -> survival of ICTE, gov’ts need to evaluate social context, & realities & availability of ICT of the country should be made accordingly to accommodate needs & desires.
Adoption of national policy across sectors & ministries since intertwined, which must be aligned with nat dev goals & frameworks
Willingness to integrate ICTE

16. Case Study: Namibia No advisory on implementation
Several different platforms
No connectivity & technical support
Inability of MoE to oversee whether projects & organizations worked towards their educational goals
2004 – Education Steering Committees
Implement ICT policy
Create framework
2004 – Education Steering Committeesj:
ministry officials, ICT project managers & NGOs:
oversee implementation of ICT policy focused on ICTE
Create comprehensive framework for implementation of ICT across the education sector.
9 key components in 4 sectors
Strength: concentrates on actions rather than institutions -> can be used by all levels

17. Case Study: Namibia 2004 – Education Steering Committeesj:
ministry officials, ICT project managers & NGOs:
oversee implementation of ICT policy focused on ICTE
Create comprehensive framework for implementation of ICT across the education sector.
9 key components in 4 sectors
Strength: concentrates on actions rather than institutions -> can be used by all levels

18. Monitoring & Evaluation
Need:
Identify indicators
Ensure impact
Ensure sustainability
Involve all stakeholders
Critical to ensure that projects make intended impact & will be sustainable in the long run
Appropriate indicators must be identified for every ICTE project that can be monitored in order to effectively track progress
Stakeholders at all level must be part of this process to ensure transparency & to avoid potentially corruptive practices throughout the projects.
PDA: Personal digital assistant
Data can be calculated within hours
Connect to internet -> transmitted from field to headquarter
Improves quality & reliability of survey, more consistent data
Lower cost: no paper, reusable, change & make new surveys
Rw&a
Information found
Students benefited from exposure to computers
Families were thought by them since they were able to bring laptops home -> gained importance important
Students learned faster than teachers -> contant teacher training is necessary
Information missing:
how do students use computers
How are they being taught in the schools to use them
Use of personal digital assistant
(PDA) for M & E

19. Case Study: Rwanda M & E showed: Information found:
Students benefitted
Families benefitted
Laptops gained importance
Students learned faster than teachers
Information missing:
Knowledge on usage
Teaching methodologies at school
Critical to ensure that projects make intended impact & will be sustainable in the long run
Appropriate indicators must be identified for every ICTE project that can be monitored in order to effectively track progress
Stakeholders at all level must be part of this process to ensure transparency & to avoid potentially corruptive practices throughout the projects.
PDA: Personal digital assistant
Data can be calculated within hours
Connect to internet -> transmitted from field to headquarter
Improves quality & reliability of survey, more consistent data
Lower cost: no paper, reusable, change & make new surveys
Rw&a
Information found
Students benefited from exposure to computers
Families were thought by them since they were able to bring laptops home -> gained importance important
Students learned faster than teachers -> contant teacher training is necessary
Information missing:
how do students use computers
How are they being taught in the schools to use them

20. Recommendations Access :
Bandwidth & spectrum of radio & television wavelengths
Digital libraries
Region collaboration
Teachers:
Increased focus on training
Public & private stakeholders
Cost:
Important to lobby for investment from stakeholders
Increased advocacy for support from private ICT companies, UN & World Bank, other development agencies

21. Recommendations Government Policy & Implementation:
Establish partnerships between government, private sector, civil society
Encourage national ICTE policies
Eliminate government corruption
Monitoring & Evaluation
Stakeholders involved must concentrate on M&E

22. Methodology/Results - Periodic meetings with client - Individual &
group research
- Collaborative effort
writing paper
- Extensive
revisions/drafts
- Exploration of several
themes from GPIA
coursework throughout
the project & paper
- Issues of social &
economic development
through ICTE, poverty
and inequality
reduction strategies

23. Continued collaboration with GAID on future GPIA practicum
Methodology/Results
Future of Project?
Paper to be presented & distributed at upcoming GAID forum scheduled to be held in Monterrey, Mexico in September 2009.
Continued collaboration with GAID on future GPIA practicum

24. Thank You.