1. EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY IN THE ASIA PACIFIC REGION
LESSON 3

2. To provide confidence to educators that they are taking the right steps in adopting technology in education, it is good to know that during the last few years, progressive countries in the Asia Pacific region have formulated state policies and strategies to infuse technology in schools.

3. NEW ZEALAND 2001 ICT Goals and Strategy
Government with the education and technology sectors, community groups, and industry envisions to support to the development of the capability of schools to use information and communication technologies in teaching-and-learning and in administration.
NEW ZEALAND 2001 ICT Goals and Strategy

4. STRATEGY It foresees schools to be:
STRATEGY It foresees schools to be: . Improving learning outcomes for students using ICT to support the curriculum . Using ICT to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of educational administration . Developing partnerships with communities to enhance access to learning through ICT.

5. FOCUS AREAS
. Infrastructure for increasing school’s access to ICTs to enhance education
. Professional development so that school managers and teachers can increase their capacity to use ICT

6. INITIATIVES
. An On-line Resource Center with a centrally managed website for the delivery of multimedia resources to schools
. A computer recycling scheme
. A planning and implementation guide for schools
. ICT professional development schools/clusters

7. AUSTRALIA IT INITIATIVES
Students should be confident, creative and productive users of new technologies, particularly ICTs, and understand the impact of these technologies on society (Adelaide Declaration on National Goals for schools)
AUSTRALIA IT INITIATIVES

8. Fast local and wide area networks linking schools across the state and territory
Substantial number of computers in schools, ensuring adequate access
Continuing teacher training in the use of technology
Technical support to each school
Sufficient hardware and software
Digital library resources
Technology demonstrations as models for schools

9. MALAYSIA SMART SCHOOL-LEVEL TECHNOLOGY PROJECT
Technology plays many roles in a Smart School from facilitating teaching-and-learning activities to assisting with school management .
MALAYSIA SMART SCHOOL-LEVEL TECHNOLOGY PROJECT

10. Classrooms with multimedia, presentation facilities, e-mail, and groupware for collaborative work
Library media center with database for multimedia courseware and network access to the internet
Computer laboratory for teaching, readily accessible multimedia and audiovisual equipment

11. Multimedia development center with tools for creating multimedia materials. Computer studies as a subject
Studio/theatrette with control room for centralized audiovisual equipment, teleconferencing studio, audio room, video and laser disc room
Server room equipped to handle applications, management databases and webservers

12. Teachers’ room with on-line access to courseware catalogues and databases, information and resource management systems and professional networking tools, such as and groupware
Administration offices capable of managing databases of students and facilities, tracking student and teacher performance and resources, distributing notices and other information electronically

13. SINGAPOREAN MASTERPLAN FOR IT IN EDUCATION
FOUR KEY DIMENSIONS: * Curriculum and Assessment . A balance between acquisition of factual knowledge and mastery of concepts and skills . Students in more active and independent learning . Assessments to measure abilities in applying information, thinking and communicating
SINGAPOREAN MASTERPLAN FOR IT IN EDUCATION

14. LEARNING RESOURCES
Development of a wide range of educational software for instruction
Use of relevant Internet resources for teaching-and-learning
Convenient and timely procurement of software materials

15. TEACHER DEVELOPMENT
Training on purposeful use of It for teaching
Equipping each trainee teacher with core skills in teaching with IT
Tie-ups with institutions of higher learning and industry partners

16. PHYSICAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
Pupil computer ratio is 2:1
Access to It in all learning areas in the school
School-wide network, and school linkages through wide area network (WAN), eventually connected to Singapore ONE (a broadband access service for high-speedy delivery of multimedia services on island-wide basis.

17. HONGKONG EDUCATION PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
Government aims to raise the quality of school education by promoting the use of IT in teaching and learning.
HONGKONG EDUCATION PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

18. IT initiatives:
On average, 40 computers for each primary school and 82 computers for each secondary school
About 85,000 IT training places for teachers at four levels
Technical support for all schools
An Information Education Resource Center for all schools and teachers

19. An IT coordinator for each of 250 schools which should have sound IT plans
Computer rooms for use by students after normal school hours
An IT Pilot Scheme to provide schools with additional resources

20. Review of school curriculum to incorporate IT elements
Development of appropriate software in collaboration with government, the private sector, tertiary institutions and schools
Exploring the feasibility of setting up an education-specific Internet