HOW TO INTEGRATE ICT IN EDUCATION

Rapid global technological and economic developments have placed greater demands on education systems. The need to inculcate among students the importance of lifelong learning, that is, to constantly seek new information, to think critically and to take initiative has become ever more pressing in our fast-changing world. Countries in Asia and the Pacific have responded to these challenges in different forms and at varying levels so as to enable their people to adapt to change, inspire creativity and innovation, and enhance their ability to apply knowledge and solve emerging problems with confidence. Policies and strategies have been developed to integrate ICTs into education.

In these six countries, ICT use in education is at different stages of development. In its review of 90 ICT projects in Asia, the UNESCO (2003) comprehensive report groups the countries into three categories:
1. Advanced countries with integrated ICT in the education system. These include Australia, South Korea and Singapore. Some typical characteristics of these countries are as follows: almost all classrooms are equipped with computers and other ICT tools; the student/computer ratio is high; Internet access is available in all schools; curriculum revision ensures nationwide ICT integration; delivery of education is increasingly online.

2. Countries where national ICT policies and master plans have been formulated and various ICT integration strategies are being applied and tested (although ICT is not fully integrated in the education system). These include China,Thailand, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines and India. While there is great variation in their characteristics, there are nevertheless some common features as follows: national ICT policies in education have been developed, and the goals and objectives for introducing ICT in various aspects of education have been established.

3. Some countries where efforts towards ICT integration efforts and formulation of national policies have just begun. There are also countries that have no relevant policies but are running pilot ICT projects. In both instances, however, there is insufficient budget to implement policies and work plans and ICT infrastructure and penetration are poor. This third category includes Myanmar, Lao PDR, Viet Nam, Cambodia, and Bangladesh, among others. Because of the different levels of ICT integration in the six countries, alongside many similarities in their experiences of ICT integration, there is a variety of approaches that should be explored and examined. An analysis of experiences and best practices and associated problems has generated lessons learned in the following eight components of ICT integration in education:

(i) broader environmental context,
(ii) policy and regulatory environment,
(iii) management and financing,
(iv) ICT in schools – policy, vision and strategy,
(v) technology infrastructure and connectivity,
(vi) curriculum, pedagogy and content development,
(vii) professional development,
viii) monitoring and evaluation.

These components provide the key foundation and framework in setting up ICT for education programmes. A synthesis of lessons learned from selected countries in the region provides the basis for the development of tools and blueprints to guide policy formulation and programme improvements. It also serves as an advocacy instrument to gain the support of policy-makers and other stakeholders for the appropriate use of resources to support the integration of ICT in education.