My personal opinion on where e-Learning should be going in Jamaica. This is based on my previous experience as a project manager on the first e-Learning project which has just been completed and my experience with my own children.

1. e-Learning II
….2013 and beyond

2. e-Learning II - Project Highlights
Focus on early childhood and primary education
Giving more power to the student
Reducing the workload of teachers
Solar powered infrastructure
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3. e-Learning II - Project Highlights
Saving significant funds in the education
ministries budget
A sea change to education to start the next 50
years
Strictly wireless infrastructure
A game changer, not slow incremental
philosophy
ALL teachers at all schools will receive a tablet
and be trained in their use
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4. e-Learning II - Project Highlights
Today’s classroom technology should be
changing to support the learning needs of
the students who have grown up using
technology everyday. Labs no more…one
tablet per child, YES !
Tablets are soon to be in parliament
Tablet are the future classroom
UWI med school students are getting
their books as e-books on tablets now
Everyone can use a tablet, desktops are
dead…notebooks are on their way out !
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5. e-Learning II - Project Highlights
Tablets are commodities…and cheap
Its less about the technology….its more
about the integration and Implementation !
Real issues are;
Less talk….more implement
Put the naysayers in the corner
Not loosing anymore time
Less meetings and more decisions
Not leaving our children behind
Yes we can, not no can do !
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6. e-Learning II - Project Highlights
Plan includes security cameras in each
school centrally monitored
Plan includes electronic tracking security
features to reduce theft
Plan includes centrally administered system
administration so system administrators in
schools will not be needed
Plan aligns with significant existing plans;
Vision 2030
MOE Strategic Plan
STEM Strategic Plan
PNP Manifesto
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7. e-Learning II – Strategic Objectives
Improve Academic Performance
Goal Objectives Indicators
Improve the academic Provide tablet computers to ALL teachers -Grade 4 test results significantly and
performance of all (approx 24,000) in all schools 4 months of consistently improved
students in a modern start of project.
-GSAT results significantly and
and efficient re-
consistently improved
engineered “classroom” Train all teachers in the use of the tablets,
basic IT generally and integrating tablets -CXC results significantly and
into the curriculum before September 2013 consistently improved
Developing e-Books to replace existing -All teachers in Jamaica having a
books for all primary and secondary schools government provided tablet and trained
3 grade years per year for the next 5 years. in its use especially integrating it into the
curriculum of the subjects they teach and
actively doing so on a daily basis
Align existing content with current
curriculums for the first 3 grade years to be -Last 2 years of early childhood and first
implemented in 2013 to facilitate tablets year of primary school being equipped in
being used for the last two years of all schools and use starting in September
Basic/Prep School and the first year of 2013.
primary school starting September 2013.
-IT Infrastructure in all primary and
early childhood schools to support
Each subsequent year for the next 10 years tablets in place by September 2013
rollout equipment for the new Basic/Prep
school year moving up.
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8. e-Learning II – Strategic Objectives
Reduce the cost of Education
Goal Objectives Indicators
Reduce the cost of education Reduce the Ministry of Education Budget by - Ministry of Education Budget
for parents and the 2% per year after the first year of the project sees a 2% reduction per year
government in ECI’s and for each year for the next 5 years. (No book each year after the first year of
primary and secondary rental costs due to use of e-Books, less the project.
schools across Jamaica classroom space needed, less reproduction
costs, less energy costs, better school - All schools using same SMS
management through use of SMS) (if they want) starting in
September 2013.
Reduce cost of spending each child to school
by 5 % (less - Parents reporting reduced cost
of school supplies for each
school year on the system
- Reliable, timely and accurate
reporting from all schools
using SMS.
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9. e-Learning II – Strategic Objectives
Provide up to date and efficient IT infrastructure for students and
teachers
Goal Objectives
Provide up to date cost IT infrastructure in all primary and early childhood schools All teachers in Jamaica
efficient and accessible IT to support tablets in place by September 2013 have a tablet and are
technology to students and trained as per objective
teachers All teachers in Jamaica having received a tablet computer
and trained in its use by September 2013. All early childhood and
primary schools have IT
Students in last 2 years of early childhood and first year of infrastructure to support
primary school being equipped in all schools and using tablet/e-Book and e-
them starting in September 2013 Learning technology as
per objective
Each year for the next 5 years one grade level of school at
the early childhood level receives tablets and they are used All student have tablets
as a part of the curriculum in place as per objective
Every 5 years the IT infrastructure is evaluated for All technology refreshes
efficiency and if necessary replaced. in place as per
objective.
Every 5 years the client tablets coming to 5 years old are
replaced.
In Second year of project all secondary schools receive IT
infrastructure supporting new e-learning infrastructure
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10. Applications on Devices
Communication…only a few
Internet
Email
Skype
Twitter
FaceBook
LinkedIn
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11. Applications on Devices
Reference Books…only a few
Bible
English Dictionary and Thesaurus
Wikipedia (Encyclopedia)
World Atlas
Jamaica Yellow Pages
Free Classic e-Books and e-Reader
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12. Applications on Devices
News and Magazines
BBC News Service
News Republic
National Geographic
Popular Science
CNN
Time
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13. Applications on Devices
Office Automation
• Word Processing
• Spreadsheet
• Database
• Presentation
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14. Applications on Devices
Multimedia
• Graphics/Drawing
• Painting
• CAD
• Video Recorder and editing
• Digital Camera
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15. Applications on Devices
Extras
• Real Guitar
• LOTS of existing e-
Learning content !
• Piano
• Moodle
• Programming
– Android Logo
– Android Basic
– Pascal Compiler
– Java
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16. Applications on Devices
“Brain” Games
• Chess
• Scrabble
• Suduko
• Einsteins Challenge
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17. How will we pay for it?
Existing Funds !
• Re-allocated Capital A and B
• Reduce recurrent budget to reflect savings that will occur
and put that reduction in capital A to support the project
• Use UAF/e-Learning Funds
• And still cut the budget !
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18. e-Learn II
Monthly competitions…to encourage use
• Best Chess player • Best Piano piece played
• Best Scrabble player • Best Guitar piece played
• Best Video created • Best CAD drawing made
• Best Picture taken • Best App developed
• Best Computer Program • Best e-Content Developed
written • Best Painting created
• Best drawing created
These will encourage students to use
the tablets in a constructive way both
at school and out of school.
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19. e-Learning II
Some Hurdles
There are many Early Childhood Institutions that are Kindergarten/Prep
schools which are private
Offer them the same solution at a percentage of the cost per student
Train and facilitate all teachers both private and government
Yes some students are simply going to play and idle with the tablets,
however if they give us 2000 students per year who are:
Bob Marleys
Usain Bolts
Rhodes Scholars
Steve Jobs
Rex Nettlefords
Nelson Mandelas
Barack Obamas etc
Wouldn’t it be worth it?
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20. e-Learning II
What to do next?
Put a project team together – 1 Week
Finalize the numbers and project plan - 3 Weeks
Design Project Details and put out RFP – 4 Weeks
Get an RFP out!!!! - 1 Day
Evaluate RFP and Decide – 4 Weeks
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21. e-Learning II
What to do next?
Develop Training Courses – 8 Weeks
Train Teachers – 12 Weeks
Rollout equipment -12 Weeks
IMPLEMENT for September 2013 !!
Lets Do it !!!
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22. e-Learning II
Let us not leave our children behind!
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23. e-Learning II
Let us not leave our children behind!
We are Jamaicans, we
lead, we do not
follow !
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24. e-Learning II
Let us not leave our children behind!
All children in Cardiff in
the UK at Primary AND
Secondary school received
a tablet in September 2012
The next OLPC computer
is going to be a tablet
format in 2013
All tablet/notebook per
student projects are in
Portugal, Venezuela,
Bolivia, South Korea,
Trinidad, Guyana……
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25. What was e-Learning I
about?
Ultimate Goal and Scope of e-Learning I
Goal
•To improve the performance of our students in high
schools, particularly in CXC Examinations.
Scope
•166 Public High Schools
•6 Public Special Schools
•8 Teachers Colleges
•Establish CREM at MOE
•16 Privates High Schools
•Average 55 desktops and 17 laptops per school (Approx
JA$15M per school in terms of infrastructure equipment for
government schools, half that for private)
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26. What was e-Learning I about?
IT Infrastructure in 196 Schools and Teacher Training
Colleges in Jamaica
To develop a comprehensive set of
standard ICT-based instructional
materials for grades 7-11 teachers and
students, in 11 CXC CSEC subject areas
To provide schools with ICT equipment
and software for use in the teaching and
learning process, and to establish a
Central Repository for the Educational
Materials (CREM) at the MOEY
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27. What was e-Learning I
about?
IT Infrastructure in 196 Schools and Teacher Training
Colleges in Jamaica
To enhance the skills of teachers through training
programmes and certification in the use of software and
equipment and in modern methodologies for delivery of the
high school CXC syllabus;
To provide modern technologies to existing remedial
programmes in high schools to ensure that all children keep
pace with the schools’ programmes;
To institute standard examinations for grades 7-9 that
will measure and track the performance of students in
each grade in high schools, as well as, measure performance
among schools. (If you can’t measure it you can’t manage
it)
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28. What was e-Learning I
about?
11 CXC subjects in high school targeted
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29. What was e-Learning I
about?
Instructional Material for the 11 subjects
Instructional material of the
highest standards are to be
developed for Teachers,Teachers
Instructional Material, (TIM’s).
Similarly Students Instructional
Material is being developed,
(SIM’S). For all 11 CXC subjects.
These materials will be in hard
copy, Audio Tape, Video, Cable TV
and web Based.
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30. What was e-Learning I
about?
Item Bank and Educational Software
An Item Bank with relevant CXC questions and answers
in most cases we be available online and is already under
development. The Target is 25,000 questions. These will
be a part of the CREM and some are available on the
interim CREM at this time.
Additional educational software running on PC’s is
being provided to the schools to further help in the
delivery of education
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31. What was e-Learning I
about?
Continuous Assessment
Standard year end examinations
for grades 7-11 are being
developed and can be delivered
and administered by the CREM.
These exams will provide a
consistent level of assessment of
the students and schools at all
times in all schools.
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32. What was e-Learning I about?
Additional Information Technology delivered to schools
by project
Digital Cameras
Camcorders
Multi-media Projectors
Document Scanners
Mobile wireless computer labs with 10 netbook computers for
166 schools
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33. What was e-Learning I about?
Remedial Programme
E-Learning has recognised that
many students entering high
schools are well behind the
required standard to start and
keep up with the majority of high
school entrants.
As such e-Learning is
strengthening the remedial
programmes in the schools with
ICT methodologies and materials.
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34. What was e-Learning I
about?
School IT equipment and Infrastructure
176 schools – Average 3 schools per week !
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35. What was e-Learning I
about?
Typical network architecture in each of the high schools
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36. What was e-Learning I
about?
Central Repository of Educational Material, the CREM
The CREM will contain all the relevant educational material for the
11 CXC subjects targeted in the high schools. No internet TMI !!!
The CREM content can be updated easily and cheaply and be
immediately available to all high school students in Jamaica …… and
the Caribbean if policy supports this as they do the same syllabus as
we do in Jamaica.
The CREM can allow easy deployment of new subjects to all
students in Jamaica - Civics
The CREM will allow high schools to be open 24 hours per day, 7
days per week, 52 weeks per year!!!
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37. What was e-Learning I
about?
Why the CREM?
Students work on the CREM can be centrally
monitored by teachers and the Ministry.
The CREM can be extended for all students in the
Caribbean doing CXC’s, GSAT, Jamaica can lead in
high school, primary and Early Childhood Education.
Private sector companies are already offering similar
CREMs at a price to students in the Caribbean.
Students will have a free, clean and focussed portal
to collaborate on their work.
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38. What was e-Learning I
about?
Why the CREM?
The CREM material will be developed by the best teachers in the
country, allowing all students to have access to the same quality
learning material.
The CREM will be online and thus “extra lessons” will be available for
even students that cant afford face-to-face extra lessons.
Additional subjects can be provided to the whole population in a very
cost effective manner and very inexpensively.
The CREM will reduce the high dependency to have all the textbooks.
The CREM will be extended to Primary and basic Schools as well.
A subset of the CREM relevant to a particular students year of study
can be download to that students tablet computer, thus making
broadband access not mandatory for CREM use.
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39. What was e-Learning I
about?
Why the CREM?
The CREM holds all the material required to satisfy
students doing any of the 11 CXC subjects being
targeted, it is the heart of the project, it is housed at
the Ministry of Education.
This is accessed by the governments broadband
network via the internet
Additional subjects and material will be housed
here.
Moodle is the Learning Management System (LMS)
facilitating the CREM.
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40. What was e-Learning I
about?
Why the CREM?
Other Jamaican Tertiary institutions are already
creating and using CREM’S and some of our high
schools as well….. Using Moodle of Course.
The CREM will compensate for the shortage of
teachers and classrooms.
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41. What was e-Learning I
about?
Project website www.e-ljam.net
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42. e-Learning I - Lessons Learnt
Weak Systems Administration at the high
schools. System Administrators were trained
but;
Some simply didn’t have enough technical capacity to build
on
They were poorly paid and lacked incentive and changed
jobs
The technical environment was a little too high
for what was required
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43. e-Learning I - Lessons Learnt
• Systems consumed a lot of electricity
– Desktops, laptops, servers, laser printers, UPS’s, air
conditioning units
• Infrastructure was expensive to
IMPLEMENT, OPERATE and MAINTAIN !
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44. e-Learning I - Lessons Learnt
Ministry of Education (MOE) had limitations in implementation.
School Infrastructure was to be paid for by the MOE but they just
didn’t do it.
eL2, ensure full commitment and readiness from all stakeholders and have
contingencies put in place in case they default from the get go
Standby generator for CREM was not installed despite unit being
purchased for 2 years and sitting at the MOE Head Office
Be very aware of the limitations of all the stakeholders and plan for the effects of
these limitations
System design took too long and too long to implement so by the
time it was starting to be implemented it looked dated
eL2, design quick, implement faster and refresh design annually
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45. e-Learning I - Lessons Learnt
Schools had labs which in many cases were simply the
existing labs upgraded so very little new space was added
Basically the labs were mainly used for teaching IT rather than e-Learning
Student had access to equipment during the limited
scheduled time on the timetable (each student on average
less than 3 hours per week)
Students will be able to keep each tablet for 3 years, before a replacement
is provided. Students will have the tablet 24x7x365…thus access to the
technology for as much of the time they desire
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