The document discusses Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education. It provides an overview of UNESCO's work in the area of ICT in education, including policy, teacher education, mobile learning, open educational resources, and e-learning. It also discusses the ecosystem of ICT in education, including elements such as a shared vision, implementation planning, content and learning products, equitable access, teacher training, support, policies, security, funding, and monitoring. Finally, it speculates on potential future directions for ICT in education, such as connecting formal and informal learning, continuous use of assessment data, virtual mentors, and using ICT at scale for management and policy purposes.

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Introduction to ICT in Education
Steve Vosloo, UNESCO, 26 April 2017, SciencesPo Paris

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Agenda
• About me
• What is ICT in education?
• Ecosystem of ICT in education
• UNESCO's work in ICT in education
• Where it is all going?

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Technology
‘Technology’, as the computer
scientist Bran Ferren
memorably defined it, is ‘stuff
that doesn’t work yet.’
-- Douglas Adams, 1999

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ICT in education
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can contribute to universal access to education, equity
in education, the delivery of quality learning and teaching, teachers’ professional development and more
efficient education management, governance and administration (UNESCO).

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Mobile learning
Mobile learning involves the use of mobile
technology, either alone or in combination with
other information and communication
technology (ICT), to enable learning anytime and
anywhere. Learning can unfold in a variety
of ways: people can use mobile devices to access
educational resources, connect with others, or
create content, both inside and outside
classrooms. Mobile learning also encompasses
efforts to support broad educational goals such
as the effective administration of school systems
and improved communication between schools
and families (UNESCO, 2013).

6. Digital resources
work alongside all other
classroom materials
Increased
Collaboration and
development
Of 21st Century
skills
Revision and practice
including mobile apps outside the classroom
Front-of-class teaching
is enhanced by interactive assets
Time-saving
assessment
tools
enable the teacher
to adapt their lessons
to ensure successful
outcomes
Core
curriculum
content delivered
via eBooks on a
variety of devices
Individual diagnostic
assessments
identify personalised learning needs

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Digital learning ecosystem
Has many parts, stakeholders, principles. What ISTE calls “essential conditions” to
effectively leverage technology for learning.

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Digital learning is a journey
Uneven landscape at the school/college and district level: technology,
infrastructure, ICT literacy, buy-in, etc. Not all are at the same point of digital
readiness.
Therefore we need to create multiple entry points into digital learning.
Not all institutions will adopt and grow at the same pace. Therefor offer a suite of
solutions.
A roadmap approach is appropriate, that allows for institutions to begin the digital
journey at a level of innovation that they can absorb, but with a clear roadmap of
where they need to get to. We need to cater to everyone, but provide clear
direction and support.
Long-term view is necessary.

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Shared vision
Where is the institution/district going? How will it get there?
Shared vision for digital learning among all education stakeholders, including
teachers and support staff, school administrators, teacher educators, learners,
parents and the community. And curriculum advisors, departmental officials,
Depts of Education.
All stakeholders should be able to give input, and be kept informed.
This is about change management. About buy-in.

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Implementation planning
Guides the manifestation of the shared vision.
Covers every aspect of the move to digital learning, e.g. infrastructure to
professional development, monitoring, content.
A detailed roadmap: short term and long term goals.
Must be agile and adaptable.

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Content and learning products and services
Digital content
• Full range of ebooks: flat ePDFs to interactive ePubs
• OERs
• Digital assets (online and/or offline)
Online assessment
Learning and revision apps
Learner Management Systems
MOOCs
Because many schools don’t allow learners to take tablets home, a blended
approach -- print textbooks AND ebooks -- is needed.

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Equitable access
Connectivity: can it be provided? At what quality? Is a local offline solution
adequate (for now)?
Devices: Do all learners have equal access to devices? And what devices to buy?
Not just about access, but about being empowered to use the technology to its
fullest capacity.

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Teacher training and ongoing professional
development
ISTE: “All the technology in the world won’t make a difference if educators don’t
know how to leverage it for deeper learning.”
Solid teacher training, ranging from basic ICT literacy to teaching with technology.
If we don’t change the pedagogy, we are “pouring new wine into old skins”.
Continuous professional development. “Focusing on both learning to use
technology and using technology to learn”
Range of modalities: face to face, online, blended, linking teachers into virtual
peer-to-peer support networks (use the technology!)
Need incentives to encourage participation.

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Teacher training and ongoing professional
development

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Support
Technical support, provided just-in-time so that the teaching and learning process
is not disrupted.
Support needs to be on-site, ongoing and phased, e.g. first 3 months very
intensive and mainly about access, then focus moves to ICT integration into
teaching, etc.
For sustainability, skills and support must be embedded into the organisation, e.g.
through a Schools eLearning Management Programme.
Variety of roles: facilitators, technology specialists, e-Champions.
Everyone must know whom to turn to for assistance.

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E-Champions

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Supportive policies
ISTE: “Policies serve as explicit statements of an organisation’s vision,
culture and attitude toward technology, they play a symbolic role as well
as a practical one. It embodies the vision and culture of the organisation.”
Appropriate use of technology:
• Learner and teacher safety online.
• High-level policies governing web filtering and access to low-level
policies around digital citizenship, digital responsibility, cyberbullying.
Remember, cellphones are BANNED in many schools!

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Security
Personal/physical
Infrastructural (at the school)
Community buy-in very important

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Funding: Adequate and ongoing
About more than buying the ebooks and tablets.
Includes: devices, connectivity costs, ongoing technology maintenance and
support, hardware and software updates, professional development, etc.
Strategic budgeting mitigates against buying the “latest and greatest” and should
prompt leaders to select the most cost-effective tool for achieving the program’s
goals.

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Monitoring of effectiveness
It is essential to measure the effectives of the programme and, after the massive
financial and human investment, the return.
Are there better learner outcomes? Is there more efficient assessment that
informs teaching practices? Is there more effective administration? Has the move
to digital been worth it? Etc.

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Criteria area Rating Rationale summary
• Action plan
• Governance
• Monitoring and reporting
• Pearson capacity and culture
• Customer capacity and culture
• Stakeholder relationships
Outcomes
• Intended outcomes
• Overall design
• Value for money
• Comprehensiveness of evidence
• Quality of evidence
• Application of evidence
Evidence
Planning and implementation
Capacity to deliver
Efficacy
Key
Green: Requires small number of minor actions.
Amber/green: Requires some actions (some urgent and some-non urgent).
Amber/red: Requires large number of urgent actions.
Red: Highly problematic requiring substantial number of urgent actions.
Efficacy Framework: Likelihood of impact

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Supportive context
What national policies support or hinder digital learning? What can be
influenced?
What budget can be tapped?

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“Dropping technology from the
sky is tantamount to missionary
work from the Church of
Technophilia.”
Jordan Shapiro, 2015

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UNESCO’s work in ICT in Education
• Policy
• Teacher Education
• Mobile Learning
• Open Educational Resources
• Lifelong Learning
• E-Learning
• Education Management
Information System
• ICT in Education Prize

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Where is it going? Something like this …?

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Connecting formal and informal learning
settings – including the Internet of Things

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Continuous use and assessment
 big data for learning analytics / machine
learning
 personalised, adaptive learning

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Virtual mentors and chatbots

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ICT in education at scale
better management
real-time data for policy
development
privacy, security

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1989 2015
“Since the introduction of e-
Learning at my school learner
participation in class has
increased. As at teacher I find it
easier to explain concepts using
the models, activities and
videos…”
Teacher at Zweilibanzi Secondary

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Thank you
Steven Vosloo, Senior Project Officer, UNESCO
se.vosloo@unesco.org
Learn more: www.slideshare.net/stevevosloo
stevevosloo