ICT, Education Transformation, and Economic and Social Development Dr. Robert Kozma | April 2011 | Montevideo Uruguay A UNESCO Workshop

ICT, Education Transformation, and Economic and Social Development

Dr. Robert Kozma | April 2011 | Montevideo Uruguay

A UNESCO Workshop

ICT, EDUCATION REFORM, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DR. ROBERT KOZMA

The Rhetoric for ICT in Education

Many countries justify the use of ICT in schools by saying it will help create an information economy or knowledge society:

Tech/NA, Namibia’s education ICT initiative, states that “Arising from

the overall capacity building investments,

Namibia will be transformed into a knowledge-based

society.”

Jordan’s ICT-based reform effort was to make the

education sector “responsive to

employment market demands in key

industries and develop critical ‘Knowledge

Economy skills’ at all levels of the

education system”

Rwanda’s ICT in Education Strategic Plan

envisions that all Rwandans will “reach

their individual potential to become well-rounded critically thinking citizens

of an innovative , knowledge-based

economy.”

Singapore’s The third Masterplan “continues

the vision of the first and second Materplans to

enrich and transform the learning environments of our students and equip them with the critical

competencies and dispositions to succeed

in a knowledge economy”


Away from a Manufacturing Economy

• Mass production• Standardized products• Manual labor or rote cognitive tasks• Hierarchical command and control• Highly integrated organizations



Toward an Information Economy

• Services are the largest sector of 25 largest economies

• Information products and services shows the most growth

• Innovation and new knowledge are a major engine of economic growth


and a Knowledge Society

• High level of education.• High penetration of ICT in

the home.• Large majorities of people

use the internet for email.• Large majorities use it as a

primary information source• Large percentages of

young people use it to connect with groups, create and share digital materials.


Transformed Business Practices

• Self-managed teams• Regular employee

meetings• Flexible work

arrangements• Use of computers in

front-line positions


Transformed Organizational Structures

• Organizational flattening• Decentralized decision

making• Disaggregation• Out sourcing/off shoring• Cross-organizational

collaboration



Transformed Jobs


• Less demand for manual skills and routine cognitive tasks

• More demand for problem-solving, communications skills and team skills.

• ICT substitutes for low-skilled workers, supplements high-skilled workers


Transformations are Enabled by ICT

• To connect distributed teams of employees• To coordinate with

partners and suppliers• To collect and share

information• To provide products and

services to customers


Transformed Schools?

• Schools structured as enclosed groups and physical spaces• Curriculum is in silos tied to

disciplines• Teacher lectures• Students study

independently• Standardized exams test

recall and application of simple procedures• Technology used as a

supplement


Education Transformation


Is the introduction of computers enough?

What role can policy play?

Not just ICT - -

• Teaching and Learning

• Curriculum and Assessment

• Social Structure


Knowledge Ladder

• Conceptual framework for policy planning• Holistic: – All components– Aligned changes

• Developmental and progressive: – Addresses a range of current conditions.– Advances build on current resources and

experiences

• Connected to economic and social development.


A Conceptual Framework: The Knowledge Ladder

BasicEducation

KnowledgeDeepening

KnowledgeCreation

KnowledgeAcquisition

Each model has different implications for:• Policy Goals• Teaching and Learning• Curriculum and Assessment• Social Structure• ICT Use


Knowledge Ladder: Policy Goals

BasicEducation

KnowledgeDeepening

KnowledgeCreation


Increase workforce

participation improved

health and welfare

Create a highly knowledgeable citizenry that adds value to

society

Create a knowledge-

driven economy and

society

Increase primary

attendance

Graduates who apply school learning to

solve real world problems

Graduates who are creative,

innovative, lifelong

learners

Develop a manufacturing

economy

Increase secondary

completion, improve test

scores


Knowledge Ladder: Teaching and Learning

BasicEducation

KnowledgeDeepening

KnowledgeCreation


Teachers with at minimum

skills & subject

knowledge

Content & pedagogical

expertise

Communities of learners

who build on each other’s knowledge

Large student-teacher

ratios, lecture

Teachers as collaborators

and model learners

Teacher content

knowledge & direct

instruction

Students doing

individual seat work

Collaborative teams working

on complex real world projects


Knowledge Ladder: Curriculum and Assessment

BasicEducation

KnowledgeDeepening

KnowledgeCreation


Focus is on basic literacy

and numeracy

Focus on deep understanding

of key concepts and

their application to

solve real world problems

Focus on innovativenes

s and the

creation of knowledge products

Assessed by standardized

tests

Assessed by complex, real world tasks

Assessed by a community of

users

Focus on facts, simple

principles, and computer applications applied to standard

procedures

Assessed by standardized

tests


Knowledge Ladder: Social Structure

BasicEducation

KnowledgeDeepening

KnowledgeCreation


Hierarchical structure

Collaborative teaching and

learning

Anytime, anywhere,

life-long learning

Standardized delivery

Breaking disciplinary and

physical boundaries

Self-sustaining, cross-age,

cross-sector knowledge

communities

Hierarchical structure and accountability

Little teacher or student autonomy


Knowledge Ladder: ICT Use

BasicEducation

KnowledgeDeepening

KnowledgeCreation


ICT for information

delivery: radio, TV

Simulations, multimedia to

support understanding

&the application of knowledge to

solve problems

Social environments, Wikis, and knowledge-

building tools

Little computing;

little networking, potential for

teacher training.

Computers in classrooms; networks for collaboration

Computers & digital devices everywhere; networks for community

Drill and practice, tutorial

software to support test performance

Computers in labs; networks

for management


Educational Transformation

What kind of change needs to take place in education?

What role can ICT play?

Holistic Change

A Lever for Change

ICT alone will not transform education

Documents

ICT, Education Transformation, and Economic and Social Development Dr. Robert Kozma | April 2011 | Montevideo Uruguay A UNESCO Workshop