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The Transition of Community Multimedia Centers (CMCs) towards Lifelong Learning

Günther CyranekAdviser for Communication and Information in MERCOSUR

(Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay y Uruguay) and ChileUNESCO Cluster Office in Montevideo

9th IFIP World Conference onComputers in Education, AGORA Track

Bento Gonçalves, Brazil, 30 July 2009

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Societies split by the Digital Divide

NO ACCESS

developing regions / countries

rural areas

disadvantages social class

low level of education

jobless

elderly people

ACCESS

developed regions / countries

cities

middle & high social class

high level of education

employees

young people

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Reasons of Digital Divide

• Mental access

Lack of elementary digital experience caused by lack of interest, computer anxiety, and unattractiveness of the new technology

• Material access

No possession of computers and network connections

• Skills access

Lack of digital skills caused by insufficient user-friendliness and inadequate education or social support

• Usage access

Lack of significant usage opportunities

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The Structure of Knowledge Societies

Towards Knowledge Societies. UNESCO World Report 2005, Paris: UNESCO.

Knowledge Societies

Inclusiveness Pluralism Equality Accessibility Participation

Freedom of Freedom of expressionexpression

Universal access to information and

knowledge

Respect of cultural and linguistic

diversity

Quality education

for all

Information literacy

CreativityCritical and analytical thinking

Communication skillsAccess to mass media and their content

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Effects of Knowledge Societies

Cultural Enrichment

Social Development

Political Empowerment

Economic Growth

Knowledge

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Communication Skills Map

REASONING

Thinking skills

ORAL COMMUNICATION

Speaking Listening

LITERACY

Reading Writing Numeracy Other basic skills

ICT SKILLS - MEDIA LITERACY

ICT use Use of networks Filter media messages

Analyze media messages

Other ICT/media

skills

INFORMATION LITERACY

Other information

skills

Communication and ethical use of information

Organization of information

Articulation of information

need

Location and access of

information

Ralph Catts/Jesus Lau (2008): Towards Information Literacy Indicators. Paris: UNESCO, p. 5.

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Pluralism of learning opportunities (1)

Educational and training programs

Experience-based learning

PrimarySecondary EducationHigher

Presence

Virtual/Distance

Lifelong learning

Work experience

Social learning experience

Personal experience

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Pluralism of learning opportunities (2)

Relation between education and learning is changing:

From a monopole of official standardized education to a vast offer of learning opportunities

From offer-focused to demand-focused education

From standardized curricula to modular, individualized curricula

Curriculum and qualification are of citizen’s own responsibility

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UNESCO principles of ICT for Education

• Gather best strategies and practices of knowledge sharing

• Raise awareness among political and institutional stakeholders

• Create a demand for ICT based lifelong learning among various social groups

• Use open processes, open outputs, open participation approach

• Educate skills as well as citizenship, values and attitudes

• Guarantee impact and sustainability

• Learn from evaluation

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Community focus

• Create communities of practice

• Leverage communities by focusing on their needs

• Foster self-organization of community learning

• Support local partnerships

• Provide content, methodologies and topics of local interest

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Community Access to Knowledge Societies

• Enlarge community access and people’s participation in knowledge societies

• Support multimedia centers of schools in poor areas

• Strengthen the cooperation among national networks of telecenters / community multimedia centers

• Development of accessible educational resources

• Development of open source software, e.g. to improve access of blind and near-sighted people

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• Learning environment in the heart of the community

• Social club bringing together various community groups

• ICTs as part of a general plan towards community development

• Open access to information via ICT and radio

• Contextualization of contents

• Local production of multimedia content

• Constructivist approach to education

• Tutorials in distance learning

Community Multimedia Centers (CMC)

Informal media and ICT education

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ICT for Capacity Building in CMCs (1)

1. Clear project outline

2. Holistic, inclusive and sustainable approach

3. Local ownership and community involvement

4. Develop not only skills, but a state of mind

5. Government support

6. Multi-stakeholder involvement

7. Flexibility to find innovative solutions

8. Appropriate technological environment

9. Development of social skills

10. Involvement of women

10 key factors of successful capacity buildingRed RUTELCO experiences:

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ICT for Capacity Building in CMCs (2)

• Bad human resources management

• Lack of skills and / or commitment among tutors

• Short-term project planning, lack of sustainability

• Insufficient use of strategic alliances

• Lack of networking and knowledge exchange among CMCs

• Lack of teamwork and coordination

• Potential of ICTs for telework and its benefits widely unknown

Obstacles impeding successful capacity buildingRed RUTELCO experiences (1):

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ICT for Capacity Building in CMCs (3)

• Lack of flexibility within standardized digital inclusion programs

• CMC activities unnoticed by parts of the community

• Lack of interest on the part of people in need of care

• Inefficient fundraising and funds management

• Hardware useless to run modern software

Obstacles impeding successful capacity buildingRed RUTELCO experiences (2):

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Lifelong learning within the Plan Ceibal (1)

2006: Presidency of Uruguay starts nationwide campaign to overcome the digital divide

2007-2009: in cooperation with OLPC all children enrolled in public primary schools receive XO laptops free of charge

Secondary school students following in phase two of the project

Laptops to be used in and out of school by children and their parents

Internet access guaranteed in schools, in many areas also at home

Open source learning software for children and parents downloadable

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Lifelong learning within the Plan Ceibal (2)

Parents invited to explore the XO laptop’s options together with their children and independently

In cooperation with CMCs and public-private partnerships training workshops for parents on:

• Information literacy

• e-government and e-governance

• e-business and e-banking

• Dependent and independent teleworking

http://www.ceibal.edu.uy

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UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (1)

Policy advice

• Integrating lifelong learning perspectives in education policies and education sector plans

• Mother tongue and bilingual education

• Strengthening literacy policies through a gender-equality perspective

Capacity building

• Textbook series on perspectives on adult learning

• Adult basic education program

http://www.unesco.org/uil

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UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (2)

Research

• Mother tongue and bilingual education

• Recognition, validation and accreditation of non-formal and informal learning and experiences (RVA)

• Post-basic education and training for youth

• Status of adult education

Advocacy and networking

• Regional conferences in support of global literacy

• Working group on non-formal education

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UNESCO Promotion of Distance Higher Education (1)

Research study on implementation, standards and practices of distance higher education in LAC

Distance higher education mainly emerging within the last 10 years

175 higher education institutions offering distance education modules

165,000 students enrolled in distance education courses

High disparity throughout the region

Postgraduate specialization and training courses most frequent type of studies

IESALC/UNESCO (ed.) (2004): La Educación superior virtual en América Latina y el Caribe, Quito.

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UNESCO Promotion of Distance Higher Education (2)

UNESCO Chairs of Distance Learning (CUED) and e-Learning (UOC) in Spain

Instituto Internacional de la UNESCO para la Educación Superior en América Latina y el Caribe (IESALC):

Research, promotion of virtual distance education• foster dialogue among institutions• coordinate initiatives• promote standardization of distance education • inspire learning through international best practices

2009 World Conference on Higher Education• chances of ICT development for higher distance education: • web 2.0 for more interaction• media and ICT mix creates and improves learning opportunities

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UNESCO ICT Competency Standards for Teachers

Objectives• To constitute a common set of guidelines that professional development providers can use to identify, develop or evaluate learning materials or teacher training programs in the use of ICT in teaching and learning.

• To provide a basic set of qualifications that allows teachers to integrate ICT into their teaching and learning, to advance student learning, and to improve other professional duties.

• To extend teachers’ professional development so as to advance their skills in pedagogy, collaboration, leadership and innovative school development using ICT.

• To harmonize different views and vocabulary regarding the uses of ICT in teacher education www.unesco.org/en/competency-standards-teachers

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Thank you for your attention!

g.cyranek@unesco.orgwww.unesco.org.uy/ci

Günther CyranekAdviser for Communication and Information in MERCOSUR and ChileUNESCO Regional Bureau for Science in Latin America and the Caribbean Montevideo, Uruguay