Global Networked Readiness for Education

This 103-page evaluation emerges from a joint effort between the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at the United States' Harvard Law School and the World Bank Institute (WBI) called Global Networked Readiness for Education (GNRE). This research initiative is an effort to help educators and policymakers examine the role and effects of integrating information and communication technologies (ICTs) into formal learning settings in developing countries.

The report highlights the findings from GNRE surveys carried out between August and November 2003 in schools in Brazil, Costa Rica, El Salvador, The Gambia, India (Karnataka), Jordan, Mexico, Panama, the Philippines, South Africa, and Uganda. Over 3,700 students, 1,000 teachers, 120 heads-of-school, and 115 computer lab administrators were surveyed in 126 schools. The authors note that this sample is representative of schools using technology in the participant nations; schools are primarily state-sponsored, located in both urban and rural areas, focused mainly on secondary education, and represent a range of socio-economic circumstances. The survey and resource toolkits are available online by clicking here.

In short, "the most basic finding of the first round of surveys is that ICTs are still new to education in the developing world....While computers are available in one form or another in the schools surveyed, they are still not well-integrated into most core learning processes." Despite limited - but incipient - exposure to the new tools, those surveyed were found to be very enthusiastic about the use of ICTs to foster learning, teaching, and communication in formal education settings. This attitude may in part be linked to perceived impact - for instance, improved skills and learning were found to be correlated with using computers in science/programming, word-processing, and games. (In contrast, "E-mail and other electronic educational resources are associated with perceived decreases in skills and learning." The degree to which these resources are integrated into the curriculum may provide an explanation.)

More specifically, the results indicate the following:

• Infrastructure - Schools with better electrical and telecommunications infrastructure tend to have higher degrees of computer-mediated learning and computer use; their students, teachers and administrators exhibit more positive attitudes towards computers. However, "the preponderance of electric grid access may suggest that ICT for education programs are not yet reaching the most rural schools, since in many of the survey countries the most rural areas have significantly less access to electricity (and telecommunications)."
• ICT and network infrastructure - Based on the observation that most computers are located in libraries, computer labs, or administrators' offices rather than in classrooms, the authors suggest that policymakers "investigate ways in which to make actual classroom infrastructure more robust and flexible. They may want to encourage the adoption of technologies such as wireless networks and mobile laptop computers...while also addressing other challenges such as inconsistent power supply and physical security. Since most schools equip new computers with Microsoft Windows, a proprietary (and expensive - if the appropriate licenses are purchased) software, it appears that little attention has been given to alternative, cheaper sources of hardware and software..."
• Computer access for students remains a challenge:
  
  • on average, there are over 3 students per computer - this may or may not inhibit some forms of learning
  • nearly half of the students surveyed who want access to computers outside
    school hours do not have it
  • over half of the teachers do not use computers outside class hours
  • half the schools surveyed do not keep their computer laboratories open after hours - schools could "retain a mentor, lab administrator or teacher who can stay after school hours...Other solutions include creative scheduling and opening labs to the broader community."
• Attitudes and perceptions - Students, teachers, and administrators all report strongly liking computers. The authors recommend the development of resources (e.g., training programmes, websites, and communities of practice) that "support the identification and communication of the trustworthiness and usefulness of content and applications..."
• Teacher training and professional development - Training reaches less than two-thirds of teachers; teachers depend on peer support networks for much of their knowledge and continued learning. However, "experience and the literature both suggest the importance of formal professional development....[T]his should extend beyond technical training and support to pedagogical issues of integrating technology with teaching and learning. While formal training programs are the most highly rated by teachers, the surveys revealed little about their content or effectiveness..."
• Educational content and software - "Old tools still dominate the educational landscape, with teachers calling textbooks the most useful tool for teaching, and e-mail the least important....Educational portals, training, and communities of practice could be valuable for helping teachers identify trusted information. Furthermore, helping schools to develop their own websites and other content could develop local cultures of creation and publishing..."
• Teaching pedaegogy and computer use - "It is important for teachers to have positive attitudes toward computers and to believe that computers facilitate the development of higher order thinking skills such as problem solving and creativity. When this is the case, there is a greater likelihood that they will introduce pedagogical and curricular innovations that emphasize a more interactive and constructivist approach to teaching and learning....Professional development should continue to emphasize the key role that teachers play in the effective integration of technology in the school, including how they can facilitate a more student-centered, interactive classroom. As part of that dynamic, teachers and students should also be encouraged to become content creators as well as content consumers."
• Gender - Boys use computers more frequently than girls. In the context of evidence that girls' use of computers is associated with improvements in learning, writing skills, and verbal skills - as well as the finding that about half of the teachers report that the internet helps girls access health information - the authors recommend that schools explore the possibility of providing girls with access during or immediately before or after school, or designating certain computers for girls. "A better understanding is also needed of how schools can work with the community and parents to create effective and appropriate training programs for girls, as well as what materials are most valuable for girls..."
• Community involvement - Although nearly 50% of schools report that their labs are never opened to the public and less than 2% report that they generate revenue from telecentre fees, efforts to build a broader base of support for ICT programmes "can not only reduce cost burdens and resistance to innovation, but also insulate against political change, and support effective use, upkeep and acceptance of the new computers and online resources."
• Policy issues - "Specific ICT use policies (that govern how students can use the Internet and computers) are common, but have mixed effects....Existing ICT policies should be reviewed....Policymakers should ensure that they engage the school community (heads-of-school and teachers, in particular) in the planning and implementation process, as well as the broader community." Because students were found to play a major role in running computer labs in two-thirds of the schools surveyed, the authors note that "systematic examination of student involvement in ICT management could yield effective, educational and economical solutions to technical challenges."
• Costs and other challenges - "Heads-of-school, teachers, and students all want both more hardware and greater technology support."

Based on these results (which the authors stress "should not be treated as final truths, but rather, as condensed insights into areas that merit focused attention and deeper consideration"), GNRE is engaging in efforts to create online toolkits including resources for planning around ICTs and education. Collaborators will also work to build a database of ICT/education indicators based on the survey results and begin identifying elements that can help determine "best practices" for policy and decision making.