Designing Open and Distance Learning for Teacher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa: A toolkit for educators and planners

Everyone remembers a good teacher. Good teachers are the key to educational expansion and improvement. In many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, there is an urgent need to expand the number of primary and secondary teachers. In all African countries, there is an equally important need to improve the quality of teaching. To achieve this, it is clear that new approaches to teacher education are essential. Existing institutions of teacher education will continue to play an important role, but, alone, they will not meet the goals of Education for All (EFA) by 2015. It is fortunate that, just as the twin needs to improve the quantity and quality of teachers become imperative, so new forms of education and training are becoming available. The world is witnessing a revolution in information and communication technologies (ICTs), which can offer training and support of a type and at a cost hitherto impossible to consider, and thus, must be fully explored given the scale and urgency of demand. In doing so, however, it will be necessary to build on existing and well-tested strategies, including the best models of open and distance learning. This toolkit is the third in a series of recent publications by the Africa Region Human Development Department of the World Bank to share knowledge and experience on how distance education and ICTs can support education in Sub-Saharan Africa. It emphasizes the rigorous process by which new forms of distance-education programs for teacher education can be planned and implemented. The best models of established programs are considered along with the potential for incorporating, as the means become available, new modes of communication. Most forms of teacher education, particularly those concerned with qualification upgrading and ongoing professional development, will have to be based in schools. The authors demonstrate how school-based programs, appropriately resourced and supported, have the potential not only to raise significantly the number and quality of teachers, but also to improve classroom practice and school organization, generally. The guidance and advice, which is drawn from many years of experience in design and implementation, and embraces a range of case studies from across the region, will be of considerable value to those preparing new policies and programs of teacher education and to those seeking to improve existing programs

World Links for Development Program in Latin America: An Insight on Internet in the Classroom

The World Links for Development (WorLD) program, initiative launched by the World Bank in 1997, has assisted developing countries in bridging the “digital divide”, by providing schools and Ministries of Education with the necessary technologies, skills, and educational resources to prepare their youth to participate in the global knowledge economy. This article presents the WorLD program experience in the Latin American region. Special attention is given to the description of the components at the core of the WorLD program, its Teacher Professional Development Program in the use of the Internet in the Classroom.The World Links for Development (WorLD) program, initiative launched by the World Bank in 1997, has assisted developing countries in bridging the “digital divide”, by providing schools and Ministries of Education with the necessary technologies, skills, and educational resources to prepare their youth to participate in the global knowledge economy. This article presents the WorLD program experience in the Latin American region. Special attention is given to the description of the components at the core of the WorLD program, its Teacher Professional Development Program in the use of the Internet in the Classroom

Educational Technology Topic Guide

This guide aims to contribute to what we know about the relationship between educational technology (edtech) and educational outcomes by addressing the following overarching question: What is the evidence that the use of edtech, by teachers or students, impacts teaching and learning practices, or learning outcomes? It also offers recommendations to support advisors to strengthen the design, implementation and evaluation of programmes that use edtech. We define edtech as the use of digital or electronic technologies and materials to support teaching and learning. Recognising that technology alone does not enhance learning, evaluations must also consider how programmes are designed and implemented, how teachers are supported, how communities are developed and how outcomes are measured (see http://tel.ac.uk/about-3/, 2014). Effective edtech programmes are characterised by: a clear and specific curriculum focus the use of relevant curriculum materials a focus on teacher development and pedagogy evaluation mechanisms that go beyond outputs. These findings come from a wide range of technology use including: interactive radio instruction (IRI) classroom audio or video resources accessed via teachers’ mobile phones student tablets and eReaders computer-assisted learning (CAL) to supplement classroom teaching. However, there are also examples of large-scale investment in edtech – particularly computers for student use – that produce limited educational outcomes. We need to know more about: how to support teachers to develop appropriate, relevant practices using edtech how such practices are enacted in schools, and what factors contribute to or mitigate against successful outcomes. Recommendations: 1. Edtech programmes should focus on enabling educational change, not delivering technology. In doing so, programmes should provide adequate support for teachers and aim to capture changes in teaching practice and learning outcomes in evaluation. 2. Advisors should support proposals that further develop successful practices or that address gaps in evidence and understanding. 3. Advisors should discourage proposals that have an emphasis on technology over education, weak programmatic support or poor evaluation. 4. In design and evaluation, value-for-money metrics and cost-effectiveness analyses should be carried out

World Links for Development Program in Latin America: An Insight on Internet in the Classroom

The World Links for Development (WorLD) program, initiative launched by the World Bank in 1997, has assisted developing countries in bridging the “digital divide”, by providing schools and Ministries of Education with the necessary technologies, skills, and educational resources to prepare their youth to participate in the global knowledge economy. This article presents the WorLD program experience in the Latin American region. Special attention is given to the description of the components at the core of the WorLD program, its Teacher Professional Development Program in the use of the Internet in the Classroom.The World Links for Development (WorLD) program, initiative launched by the World Bank in 1997, has assisted developing countries in bridging the “digital divide”, by providing schools and Ministries of Education with the necessary technologies, skills, and educational resources to prepare their youth to participate in the global knowledge economy. This article presents the WorLD program experience in the Latin American region. Special attention is given to the description of the components at the core of the WorLD program, its Teacher Professional Development Program in the use of the Internet in the Classroom

Teacher and Technology: The Computer In Education

This article is results of the research carried out between the years 2000 and 2001 in a Chilean high school, with the objective of studying the role of the computer in teaching. The focus was to understand and to describe the technologies used for teaching in high school, identifying them and seeing how they operate, their possibilities and limitations and the contradictions that may emerge as part of the natural development of the activity. The approach used for the methodological design was the cultural-historical Activity Theory, this being the reason why the investigation was structured in two phases: (a) the cultural-historical reconstruction of the teaching activity and (b) the empirical description of pedagogical practice in a specific context.This article is results of the research carried out between the years 2000 and 2001 in a Chilean high school, with the objective of studying the role of the computer in teaching. The focus was to understand and to describe the technologies used for teaching in high school, identifying them and seeing how they operate, their possibilities and limitations and the contradictions that may emerge as part of the natural development of the activity. The approach used for the methodological design was the cultural-historical Activity Theory, this being the reason why the investigation was structured in two phases: (a) the cultural-historical reconstruction of the teaching activity and (b) the empirical description of pedagogical practice in a specific context

Teacher and Technology: The Computer In Education

This article is results of the research carried out between the years 2000 and 2001 in a Chilean high school, with the objective of studying the role of the computer in teaching. The focus was to understand and to describe the technologies used for teaching in high school, identifying them and seeing how they operate, their possibilities and limitations and the contradictions that may emerge as part of the natural development of the activity.The approach used for the methodological design was the cultural-historical Activity Theory, this being the reason why the investigation was structured in two phases: (a) the cultural-historical reconstruction of the teaching activity and (b) the empirical description of pedagogical practice in a specific context.This article is results of the research carried out between the years 2000 and 2001 in a Chilean high school, with the objective of studying the role of the computer in teaching. The focus was to understand and to describe the technologies used for teaching in high school, identifying them and seeing how they operate, their possibilities and limitations and the contradictions that may emerge as part of the natural development of the activity.The approach used for the methodological design was the cultural-historical Activity Theory, this being the reason why the investigation was structured in two phases: (a) the cultural-historical reconstruction of the teaching activity and (b) the empirical description of pedagogical practice in a specific context

Design of the MESH Network for the Rural Educational Institution of Mambita, located in the Municipality of Ubalá - Cundinamarca Colombia

This article presents the design of a MESH network and the creation of wireless antennas to provide Internet access and other services to the community of the Institución Educativa Rural Departamental Mambita located in the village/caserío of Mambita in the municipality of Ubalá in the department of Cundinamarca. The development was carried out within the framework of a project developed by students and professors of the Universidad Libre in Colombia. As a result, a MESH network consisting of four nodes was designed and simulated and four antennas were created for communications between the branches that make up the educational institution

Digital learning: distraction or default for the future

Today it is not easy to think in the society without the impact (and influence) of digital technologies. The relevance of digital devices and associated indicators are used as proxies to measure the development of societies today. In that context, both top-down and/or bottom-up technology in education initiatives seek to promote different forms of incorporating digital technologies in educational contexts. There are many successful experiences around the world to implement digital technologies in school contexts. However, it is critical to analyze the mismatch between the expectations and the reality but also to enquire how to provide better evidence and analysis to deepen and expand the knowledge in the field of education and technology from the Top-Down and Bottom-Up initiatives. Keeping that in mind, an international call for papers was launched that finally 14 contributions from 12 countries were included in this special issue. The articles shed light about two important aspects: (1) how good technical solutions cannot ignore the context in which these digital technologies are being used or adopted. (2) how the access to technologies can simply amplify the existing inequalities within a society (as well as between different societies) if additional (in most cases non-technical) components are not being carefully considered

[Chile] National Cybersecurity Policy (2017-2022)

Identifies public policy measures for 2017-2018, and identifies the national standards and institutions involved in cybersecurity, Provides a risk and threat overview; Identifies the following policy objectives to reach by 2022: Robust and resilient information infrastructure, prepared to face and recover from cybersecurity incidents, under a risk management approach; Protection of people’s rights in cyberspace; Development of a cybersecurity culture based on education, good practices and accountability in the management of digital technologies; Cooperation actions with other stakeholders in the field of cybersecurity and active participation in international forums and discussions; Promoting the development of a cybersecurity industry serving its strategic objectives

Strategies for Bridging the Internet Digital Divide in Peru: A Benchmarking of South Korea and Chile

The Internet has become a catalyst of the global economy. Developing countries are lagging behind developed countries due to unequal access to the Internet and other information and communication technologies (ICTs). Governments are challenged to establish adequate strategies to reduce this gap and achieve the inclusion of their citizens. In this context, developing countries could leverage on adequate Internet-gap-reduction strategies to boost economic growth and development. The present study attempts to make an analysis of the Internet-related policies adopted by Chile, which is a leading country in South America; and by South Korea, which is a leading country in the world. We gathered data from secondary sources related to the process of digitalization in both countries. The collected data was processed and a PEST (political, economic, social, and technological) analysis was conducted for Peru to determine which actions can be taken to bridge the Internet digital divide in this country. The results shed light on the complexity of this phenomenon, which depends not only on access, but also on intensity of use and skills. Implications for policy makers are discussed