ICTpost Education Bureau
The curricular context of ICT integration is implicit in the policy statements in many countries, which is reflected in statements like, ICT should be part of students’ everyday learning (Iceland), application of ICT in the whole learning process (Lithuania), and use of ICT in essential learning areas to enhance learning (New Zealand). ICT in education policies of Catalonia (Spain), Germany and Singapore are clear in that ICT is seen in these countries as facilitator of the emerging pedagogy which has the potentiality to make learning student-centred and more engaging. However, boldness of the policy statement does not make its implementation less difficult or problematic, as has been experienced by France, The Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, the UK and the United States.
The emerging pedagogy is a more rational approach to information society than the traditional pedagogy, but it calls for changes in all components of the learning process. Some innovative practices across the globe make curriculum changes aim at developing skills important for information society, make learning meaningful to students, cross boundaries of traditional subjects and change assessment practices. Such innovations are rare. Few of these have succeeded in breaking down the school wall to the outside world or in making learning independent of time and space.
High expectations from multimedia, or the Internet and the World Wide Web have not been realised in practice, take any country in the world. Yet there is stubborn optimism that the technology would increase student-centred teaching and students’ skills in problem-solving, in measuring and controlling events, in doing investigations and in constructing knowledge.
Communication and collaboration between schools is a remarkable feature of ICT use in education in Europe. European national networks play a role in distribution of educational information and also in promoting connections between schools, tteachers and students. School networks in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway and The Netherlands are for schools to communicate and engage in collaborative activities. The Swedish Schoolnet is a website for teachers, useful for integrating technology in the classroom. In Denmark, Sektornet connects majority of schools to the Internet. On the Dutch Kennisnet site, each user from the school community can construct a website with materials that could be of use for others. Australia, where there are many schools located in remote and isolated territories, has established networks to connect schools.
Staff development
Adoption of emerging pedagogy is linked to staff development. In several countries, there are benchmarks or ICT driving licenses, which list ICT competencies for teachers. These benchmarks indicate the teachers’ readiness to change their practices.
The priority given to staff development varies in different countries. Two extreme positions are illustrated by New Zealand and China Hong Kong. The former is the singular example where professional development of teachers has been consistently high on the agenda for educational ICT for the last fifteen years or more. Schools seek funding for the infrastructure only when they produce strategic plans that meet the criteria established by the government. A significant component in that plan is the provision for teacher empowerment. Contrarily, in China Hong Kong, only 4% of the ICT budget is allocated to staff development and the major share for building infrastructure.
Leadership is important to support introduction of ICT in schools. Cyprus, Germany, Singapore and New Zealand have special arrangements for the professional development needs of principals. Singapore implements its Principals First programme to make school principals among the first to receive professional training.
The increasing presence of ICT in schools in many countries has led to the emergence of new roles and functions for professionals in the school sector, which are usually not carried out by school teachers. In more affluent countries, this has evolved into the provision for a computer-related personnel structure in the school system for technical support and coordination.
Hong Kong and China Taipei attach much emphasis on developing teachers’ skills in using ICT and the abilities to create multimedia courseware. In systems where ICT across the curriculum has recently started, and the ICT infrastructure in schools are relatively low, as in some Eastern European countries, the focus is more on technical skills. By contrast, in Western Europe, and the Czech Republic, European Computer Drivers License is the benchmark for teachers ICT competencies for teaching. In the US, preparing teachers means helping them construct their own understanding of how to teach with, not just operate, technology. Finland locates its in-service teacher training within a nationwide Information Society Strategy and in developing knowledge and skills to reform pedagogical practices, especially with regards to collaborative teaching and learning, networking and team work. Finland anticipates that the information society, the genesis of a digital and global economy, and the development of the media require substantial changes to the culture of work and professional competence. Professional development for teachers is organised within this broader context.
