1 The Transition of Community Multimedia Centers (CMCs) towards Lifelong Learning Günther Cyranek Adviser for Communication and Information in MERCOSUR (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay y Uruguay) and Chile UNESCO Cluster Office in Montevideo 9th IFIP World Conference on Computers in Education, AGORA Track Bento Gonçalves, Brazil, 30 July 2009

2 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

3 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

4 The Structure of Knowledge Societies Towards Knowledge Societies. UNESCO World Report 2005, Paris: UNESCO. Knowledge Societies Inclusiveness Pluralism Equality Accessibility Participation Freedom of expression Universal access to information and knowledge Respect of cultural and linguistic diversity Quality education for all Information literacy Creativity Critical and analytical thinking Communication skills Access to mass media and their content

5 Effects of Knowledge Societies Cultural Enrichment Social Development Political Empowerment Economic Growth Knowledge

6 Communication Skills Map REASONING Thinking skills ORAL COMMUNICATION SpeakingListening LITERACY ReadingWritingNumeracyOther basic skills ICT SKILLS - MEDIA LITERACY ICT useUse 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.

7 Pluralism of learning opportunities (1) Educational and training programs Experience-based learning Primary Secondary Education Higher Presence Virtual/ Distance Lifelong learning Work experience Social learning experience Personal experience

8 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

9 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

10 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

11 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

12 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

13 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 building Red RUTELCO experiences:

14 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 building Red RUTELCO experiences (1):

15 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 building Red RUTELCO experiences (2):

16 Lifelong learning within the Plan Ceibal (1) 2006: Presidency of Uruguay starts nationwide campaign to overcome the digital divide : 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

17 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

18 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 Textbook series on perspectives on adult learning Adult basic education program

19 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 Post-basic education and training for youth Status of adult education Advocacy and networking Regional conferences in support of global literacy Regional conferences in support of global literacy Working group on non-formal education Workinggroup on non-formal education

20 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.

21 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

22 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

23 Thank you for your attention! Günther Cyranek Adviser for Communication and Information in MERCOSUR and Chile UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science in Latin America and the Caribbean Montevideo, Uruguay