ICTs in Education Drivers of Innovation and Enablers towards Knowledge Society Development

Santally Mohammad IssackAssociate Professor

University of Mauritius

Evolution of ICTs in Education

The Knowledge Society

Definition of the Knowledge Society

Knowledge Societies are identified as societies based on the creation, dissemination and utilization of information and knowledge to enhance socio-economic development.

Key Pillars of Knowledge Society

Information and Communication Technologies

Knowledge Society

Education

Innovation

Development

What pedagogy for 21st Century?

Traditional Teaching

Traditional Learning

Passive Learning

Behaviorist Learning

Know-it-all

What pedagogy for 21st Century?

The biggest drawback of our Educational system - students are not taught “soft skills”- the competence to discuss, analyse, innovate and communicate.

What pedagogy for 21st Century

Obsolete concepts in 21st century schools

Computer Labs

Isolated classroom

Ban on mobile phones

Traditional Libraries

Standardized tests

One-size fits all teaching

21st Century Education

Media-Driven

Learner-Centered

Personalised

Virtual & Global

Networked

What Education for Knowledge Society?

Our existing system suits the industrialization era – producing disciplined manpower to work in a linear process model.

There is not a need to reform our current education system, but a need to replace them completely to address 21st century challenges..

Bill Gates

21st Century Learning Challenge

Key trends in Education

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) Promote informal and lifelong learning Virtual communities of practice Disruptive innovations – challenging traditional University

education Massive enrolments, increased access to quality courses,

but usually low completion rate Opportunities – Big Data applications in Educations e.g.

Learning Analytics (Educational Business Intelligence)

Key trends in Education

Self-Organized Learning Environments

Key trends in Education

Inverted (Flipped) Classroom

Key Trends in Education

Augmented Reality

SMART Learning Environment

Open Educational Resources

33 contributing partners - OU UK, UNISA, USP …

Establishing enabling Policy Environment

Ensure that investments in the Integration of ICT in Education are directed by a single and unified strategy to work towards a common National Objective

Ensure policy coherence by consulting all stakeholders and to work within an integrated framework for ICT in Education.

Establish proper monitoring and evaluation of policy implementation

Capacity-building of Educators

“........there is absolutely no way the bricks and mortar institutions of teacher training created in the last century will be adequate for 21st century needs........

....... the training needs of new and existing teachers far outstrip the capacity of existing institutions.............’’

Change Agents

Pedagogy RevisitedReconceptualisation

of Learning

Learn anytime, anywhere, but more important of all - learn differently, just-in-time learning

Skill

s-fo

cuse

d

Technology as the mediating instrument for cognitive

stimulation, skills development, ad-hoc learning and knowledge construction/sharing

Other Key Actions

Schools to be WIFI zones with improved Connectivity - YouTube and Mobile Devices should play a key role (Digital Learning Resources)

Networked School Administration and Management

A tablet per child in the Pre-Primary

A proper Technology Plan at School Level

Fund Research in Innovative Learning Technologies

Status- quo

Cosmetic improvements

In 2022, in the constraint scenario, ICT

will still be at experimental level in schools and Government

promises will have moved from offering a laptop per child policy to a

tablet per child policy to now

a mobile phone per child policy

TRANSFORMATION

3 54

6 7 8

?

1 2

54

The Next Generation School

schools without walls

interactive on-demand curriculum

School building will become

temples of life arts

Policy Coherence Framework

FUNDING MODEL

ICT INFRASTRUCTURE

Innovations Framework

Curriculum’s Framework

Capacity Building Framework

21st Century Learning

Knowledge Society Building

Thank You

Drivers of Innovation and Enablers towards Knowledge Society Development

Santally Mohammad IssackUniversity of Mauritius

ICTs in Education