CONSULTATIVE WORKSHOP FOR DEVELOPING PERFORMANCE INDICATORS FOR ICT IN EDUCATION

SEAMEO INNOTECH is taking the lead in developing a set of indicators for measuring the impact of the use of information and communications technology (ICT) on education in countries of the Asia-Pacific region.

Through close efforts with UNESCO Asia-Pacific Regional Bureau for Education, SEAMEO INNOTECH targets to come up with the set of performance indicators to be presented to education ministry officials during the UNESCO-IITE Conference on ICT and Policy Development to be held late this year in order to secure ministry commitment in using the indicators.

The Consultative Workshop for Developing Performance Indicators for ICT in Education held at SEAMEO INNOTECH from 28-30 August 2002 is part of the ICT in Education Project being funded by the Japan Funds-In-Trust. The project aims to gather indices for determining how changes are occurring towards the formation of knowledge societies. It also seeks to determine how ICTs are used not only as basic operational tools but also as communication tools.

The three-day workshop produced a set of ICT indicators that will provide basis for policy analysis and planning. These should specifically indicate how the use of ICTs is raising standards in education, serving as a catalyst for educational change, and empowering both teachers and learners.

Aside from the ICT indicators which will be pilot tested in selected countries, the workshop identified the strategies and methods for collecting, processing, storing and disseminating data from ICT indicator surveys.

The participants reported their countries’ experiences in the use of ICT in education, including existing policies, scope of usage, and the assessment of its impact in raising the quality of education. Based on these reports came a compilation of the best practices, successful experiences and lessons learned in the development and use of ICT indicators in education. Some of the issues tackled were the methods of collecting data on selected indicators, and the measurement of ICT usage with focus on access and equity issues.

Workshop participants included Ms. Paula Christophersen (Australia); Mr. Vivek Bharadwaj (India); Mr. Lambas (Indonesia); Mr. Zainal Abidin bin Ismail (Malaysia); Dr. Zenaida T. Domingo, Mrs. Maria Victoria D. Abcede, Ms. Debbie Lacuesta, and Mr. Philip Purnell (Philippines); Mr. Seung-Ku Woo, and Mr. Jung-Woo Cho (China); Mr. Narong Saom Boonyamalik (Thailand); Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan (Viet Nam); and Mr. Ziyovuddin Jaloliddinov (Uzbekistan). Three resource persons provided overviews of research on various ICT-in-education programs conducted in Australia, the Russian Federation and Western Europe. They were Dr. Michele Bruniges, Director for Strategic Information and Planning, New South Wales Department of Education and Training; Mr. Mike Aston, Consultant, UNESCO Institute of Information Technology in Education, United Kingdom; and Dr. Boris Kotsik of the UNESCO Institute of Information Technology in Education, Russian Federation.

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