A new ICT maturity model for education institutions in developing countries

Developing ICT infrastructure is disproportionately expensive in developing countries and sustainable interventions are difficult to achieve: in part because leaders of educational institutions and donors have often not had the opportunity to develop ICT infrastructure planning and implementation skills. There has been a lack of concrete guidance regarding the stages of development needed to make efficient use of resources and maximise the chances of sustainable investments.

To address these needs, a novel ICT Maturity Model is presented in the paper prepared by Julian M. Bass that provides a developmental framework for education institutions in low-income countries. The Model is unique in defining the ICT infrastructure resource levels required to achieve primary organisational objectives expressed in the form of student learning outcomes.

The Model consists of eight levels, with the lowest levels defining the infrastructure required to enable initial computer training. The highest level applies to institutions where e-research is widely practised across the curriculum. The levels in the Maturity Model show management, teaching and technical staff, and donors how to make most efficient use of ICT resources by maximising opportunities for student learning.

The Maturity Model has been derived from documentary sources and an analysis of selected schools, colleges and universities in Ethiopia. The surveyed institutions include five primary schools, one higher education preparatory school, six teacher education colleges and five public universities. The Maturity Model was used as a prescriptive, developmental tool in one of the teacher education colleges and one public university.

In this mode, the Model was shown to prioritise capacity building and infrastructure development initiatives that contributed to improving student learning opportunities. Although developed and tested in the context of one country, it is hoped that the Model will be applicable across a range of developing countries.

Author: Julian M. Bass

Creating the next generation of teacher's

Deans and representatives from Thai Rajabhat Universities came together to plan ICT capacity development for their institutions’ pre-service teachers at Rajabhat Deans’ Forum on April 28 – 30, 2010 as part of UNESCO Bangkok’s Scaling Up the Next Generation of Teachers project.

Participants included deans, duty deans and ICT training personnel from 40 Rajabhat Universities across Thailand. The event was held at National Institute for the Development of Teacher, Faculty Staff and Educational Personnel in Nakhon Pathom province in collaboration with Thai National Commission for UNESCO. Leadership from Education Faculties were given the opportunity to assess their current ICT training practices and plan for future goals, identifying support they require under UNESCO Bangkok’s Scaling Up the Next Generation of Teachers project to instill their pre-service teachers with the knowledge and skills to integrate ICT into pedagogy effectively.

The project, which is funded by Japanese-Funds-in-Trust (JFIT), is a continuation of the Next Generation of Teachers project aimed at building the institutional capacity of teacher education institutions (TEIs) in designing and providing the training on ICT-integration for the next generation of teachers in Asia and the Pacific region to enhance teaching and learning by utilizing ICT judiciously in the classrooms serving more countries and TEIs capitalizing knowledge and expertise acquired during the first phase.

Speakers from Thai Ministry of Education and SEAMEO talked about their initiatives and present activities in ICT teacher training in Thailand. The UNESCO Bangkok ICT in Education team then introduced the four stages of development on ICT-pedagogy integration and discussed capacity building of teacher education institutions. Chiang Mai University, as one of the first TEIs to take part in the Next Generation of Teachers project, shared its successes and challenges of implementing the three-pronged approach of the project, i.e. (i) leadership and management capacity, (ii) ICT-ready curriculum (iii) capacity of instructors. In addition, representatives from Intel Teach gave an overview of available teacher training courses and presented case studies to the participants.

These sessions provided contextual information and essential points for group discussions among the Rajabhat Universities which culminated in a planning session to select options for enhancing the institutions’ capacity in ICT-pedagogy integration on the final day.

The forum proved fruitful as the participating deans were able to identify current challenges and the necessary long-term actions including support needed from external organizations. UNESCO Bangkok and Thai National Commission for UNESCO are already preparing to co-organize Intel Teach Essentials course workshops for all Rajabhat Universities from June 2010 onwards.

For more information on the Scaling Up the Next Generation of Teachers project please contact f.miao[at]unesco.org

Menyusuri Trans Sulawesi Linkar Selatan di Sulawesi Utara.

Tanggal 29 April 2010, saya bersama empat teman lainnya terbang menuju Manado. Tujuan perjalanan kami adalah visitasi program pendidikan nonformal di beberapa kabupaten di Sulawesi Utara.
Dua teman saya kemudian menuju Sangihe, naikvery selama 12 jam menyeberang laut lagi. sementara satu teman lagi menuju Kakas. Satu teman lagi menuju Bolmong Utara dan saya sendiri menuju Bolmong Timur.
Dimanakah itu Bolmong Timur?
Inilah pertanyaan yang selalu menggantung di kepala saya, yang saya tau adalah Kota mobagu, dan kabupaten Bolmong. Wilayah Bolaang Mongondow adalah wilayah Barat dari Sulawesi Utara menempati sekitar 55% wilayah daratan Sulut. Menuju Kotamobagu melewati daerah Minahasa Selatan, Amurang kemudian masuk wilayah Bolaang Mongondow. Selama tiga jam perjalanan sampailah di kota Kotamobagu.
Tetapi ini lain. Bolaang Mongondow Timur? Dimanakah itu?
Menurut informasi yang saya terima sebelumnya, Kabupaten Bolaang Mongondow telah terbagi menjadi 5 wilayah otonomi baru, yaitu Kab. Bolmong induk, kota Kotamobagu, Bolmong Timur, Bolmong Utara, dan Bolmong Selatan.
Singkat cerita, malam itu kami nginap di hotel dekat pantai. 2 teman sudah berangkat ke sangihe, tinggal kami bertiga. esok paginya subuh-subuh jam 5 teman kamar saya sudah dijemput menuju Bolmong Utara, saya tinggal menunggu pagi, sarapan kopi dan roti selai dengan teman. Jam 7.30 saya keluar dari hotel menuju Pangkalan oto, daerah kota lama. ternyata di pangkalan oto tersebut memang tempat penumpang menuju kotamobagu dan juga kotabunan, bolmong timur. hati saya sudah tenang karena sudah bisa sampai di tujuan. Tetapi jam 8 lewat teman menelepon dan menyampaikan bahwa saya akan di jemput untuk di antar ke bolmong timur. padahal saya sudah didaftar di oto, terpaksa saya kasih uang sebagai pengganti kecewa karena tidak jadi naik otonya.
Jam 9 Pak Ady(samaran) menjemput saya, dia bilang jarak perjalanan kita kurang lebih 400 km. saya tanya sama siapa kita berangkat, dia bilang cuma kita berdua. astaga... hanya untuk saya dia akan antar saya menuju bolmong timur sejauh 400 km dan pulang balik... wah- wah..... betul-betul..... saya tidak tau gmana kalo saya yang diminta mengantar orang seperti ini?
akhirnya kami berangkat, sepanjang jalan pak Ady cerita pengalamannya sebagai pamong belajar senior di BPKB. Beliau hampir jadi kepala BPKB, tetapi karena otonomisasi peluang beliau jadi kepala tergantikan. yah begitulah....
sambil terkantuk saya melayani pembicaraan beliau, terkadang saya tertidur karena tidak kuat menahan kantuk, tetapi saya kasihan karena cuma saya yang beliau bawa, tidak mungkin saya tidur sementara beliau bawa mobil sendiri. meskipun sangat mengantuk. cara beliau membawa mobil sangat bagus, beliau sudah menguasai wilayah sulut, so dia sudah hapal. jalanan berkelok-kelok menyusuri pesisir selatan Sulawesi Utara, sepanjang perjalanan yang melewati beberapa kabuoaten sulawesi Utara antara lain, Tomohon, Tondano, Kakas, Minahasa. sempat saya melihat danau Tondano dibawah kami.. di tengah perjalanan beliau menujukkan pada saya didepan kami ada tiga gunung di kejauhan, ketiga gunung itulah yang harus kami lewati untuk sampai di Kotabunan. saya bayangkan malam baru bisa sampai. di kotabunan. hmmm.... perjalanan masih jauh.