Year  | 2000 |  | 2001 |  | 2002  |  |  2003  |  |  2004  |  | 2005  |  | 2006 |  |  2007  |

REINVENTING EDUCATION CHANGE

MOST ASIAN COUNTRIES HAVE limited budgets in education, more so in information and communications technology (ICT). A sound strategic planning must be employed to guide investments in ICT. This is best approached on a regional level since most countries in Asia often have similar strategic plans.

With this in mind, representatives from leading educational institutions in the Asian region gathered to work together in assessing a high-level planning process in October 2003 at SEAMEO INNOTECH. Resource persons from the Washington-based Educational Development Center and associate members countries of SEAMEO participated in the event.

The two-day workshop assessed a planning process that incorporated education improvement, organizational change and effective ICT utilization. Unlike many workshops where the participants listen to lectures and have breakout sessions, the program made use of the participative-reflective process. This involved participants in a strategic planning exercise using the change tool kit, draft case studies and a web-based set of tools. The change tool kit maintains the process of strategic planning for the educational use of ICTs in the process of organizational change. Workshop participants engaged in a joint analysis of the strengths and limitations of the change tool kit for use in their own countries. They also identified ways to overcome its limitations.

Similarly, collaborative exercises were employed to provide the basis for working sessions. As the participants gain insights and specific skills, they helped critique the tools to improve their use in the region.

The workshop participants and the staff worked together to see what aspects of the program were suited to the region and their specific countries. The group also identified what revisions would be necessary for the education program to be useful to educators in their country.

As a whole, the workshop afforded the participants skills to think through a major education transformation where technology plays a major role. They were expected to act as leaders of transformation projects and make effective use of the tools showcased during the program.

The workshop concluded with an evaluation of the experience gained by everyone, and through its sponsors, EDC, INNOTECH, and IBM International Foundation, the next steps were planned for customizing the use of the change tool kit throughout the region.

TOP