Title: The Transition of Community Multimedia Centers (CMCs) towards Lifelong Learning
1The Transition of Community Multimedia Centers
(CMCs) towards Lifelong Learning
- Günther Cyranek
- Adviser for Communication and Information in
MERCOSUR (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay y Uruguay)
and Chile - UNESCO Cluster Office in Montevideo
- 9th IFIP World Conference on
- Computers in Education, AGORA Track
- Bento Gonçalves, Brazil, 30 July 2009
2Societies split by the Digital Divide
NO ACCESS developing regions / countries rural
areas disadvantages social class low level of
education jobless elderly people
ACCESS developed regions / countries cities middle
high social class high level of
education employees young people
3Reasons of Digital Divide
- Mental access
- Lack of elementary digital experience caused by
lack of interest, computer anxiety, and
unattractiveness of the new technology - Material access
- No possession of computers and network
connections - Skills access
- Lack of digital skills caused by insufficient
user-friendliness and inadequate education or
social support - Usage access
- Lack of significant usage opportunities
4The Structure of Knowledge Societies
Knowledge Societies
Inclusiveness Pluralism Equality Accessibility
Participation
Freedom of expression
Universal access to information and knowledge
Respect of cultural and linguistic diversity
Quality education for all
Creativity Critical and analytical
thinking Communication skills Access to mass
media and their content
Information literacy
Towards Knowledge Societies. UNESCO World Report
2005, Paris UNESCO.
5Effects of Knowledge Societies
Social Development
Economic Growth
Knowledge
Political Empowerment
Cultural Enrichment
6Communication Skills Map
INFORMATION LITERACY
Other information skills
Communication and ethical use of information
Organization of information
Articulation of information need
Location and access of information
ICT SKILLS - MEDIA LITERACY
Other ICT/media skills
Filter media messages Analyze media messages
ICT use Use of networks
LITERACY
Reading Writing Numeracy Other basic skills
ORAL COMMUNICATION
Speaking Listening
REASONING
Thinking skills
Ralph Catts/Jesus Lau (2008) Towards Information
Literacy Indicators. Paris UNESCO, p. 5.
7Pluralism of learning opportunities (1)
Educational and training programs
Experience-based learning
Presence
Work experience
PrimarySecondary EducationHigher
Lifelong learning
Social learning experience
Personal experience
Virtual/Distance
8Pluralism of learning opportunities (2)
Relation between education and learning is
changing
From a monopole of official standardized
education to a vast offer of learning
opportunities From offer-focused to
demand-focused education From standardized
curricula to modular, individualized curricula
Curriculum and qualification are of citizens
own responsibility
9UNESCO principles of ICT for Education
- Gather best strategies and practices of knowledge
sharing - Raise awareness among political and institutional
stakeholders - Create a demand for ICT based lifelong learning
among various social groups - Use open processes, open outputs, open
participation approach - Educate skills as well as citizenship, values
and attitudes - Guarantee impact and sustainability
- Learn from evaluation
10Community focus
- Create communities of practice
- Leverage communities by focusing on their needs
- Foster self-organization of community learning
- Support local partnerships
- Provide content, methodologies and topics of
local interest
11Community Access to Knowledge Societies
- Enlarge community access and peoples
participation in knowledge societies - Support multimedia centers of schools in poor
areas - Strengthen the cooperation among national
networks of telecenters / community multimedia
centers - Development of accessible educational resources
- Development of open source software, e.g. to
improve access of blind and near-sighted people
12Community Multimedia Centers (CMC)
Informal media and ICT education
- Learning environment in the heart of the
community - Social club bringing together various community
groups - ICTs as part of a general plan towards community
development - Open access to information via ICT and radio
- Contextualization of contents
- Local production of multimedia content
- Constructivist approach to education
- Tutorials in distance learning
13ICT for Capacity Building in CMCs (1)
10 key factors of successful capacity
buildingRed RUTELCO experiences
- Clear project outline
- Holistic, inclusive and sustainable approach
- Local ownership and community involvement
- Develop not only skills, but a state of mind
- Government support
- Multi-stakeholder involvement
- Flexibility to find innovative solutions
- Appropriate technological environment
- Development of social skills
- Involvement of women
14ICT for Capacity Building in CMCs (2)
Obstacles impeding successful capacity
building Red RUTELCO experiences (1)
- Bad human resources management
- Lack of skills and / or commitment among tutors
- Short-term project planning, lack of
sustainability - Insufficient use of strategic alliances
- Lack of networking and knowledge exchange among
CMCs - Lack of teamwork and coordination
- Potential of ICTs for telework and its benefits
widely unknown
15ICT for Capacity Building in CMCs (3)
Obstacles impeding successful capacity
buildingRed RUTELCO experiences (2)
- Lack of flexibility within standardized digital
inclusion programs - CMC activities unnoticed by parts of the
community - Lack of interest on the part of people in need of
care - Inefficient fundraising and funds management
- Hardware useless to run modern software
16Lifelong learning within the Plan Ceibal (1)
2006 Presidency of Uruguay starts nationwide
campaign to overcome the digital
divide 2007-2009 in cooperation with OLPC all
children enrolled in public primary schools
receive XO laptops free of charge Secondary
school students following in phase two of the
project Laptops to be used in and out of school
by children and their parents Internet access
guaranteed in schools, in many areas also at
home Open source learning software for children
and parents downloadable
17Lifelong learning within the Plan Ceibal (2)
- Parents invited to explore the XO laptops
options together with their children and
independently - In cooperation with CMCs and public-private
partnerships training workshops for parents on - Information literacy
- e-government and e-governance
- e-business and e-banking
- Dependent and independent teleworking
http//www.ceibal.edu.uy
18UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (1)
- Policy advice
- Integrating lifelong learning perspectives in
education policies and education sector plans - Mother tongue and bilingual education
- Strengthening literacy policies through a
gender-equality perspective
- Capacity building
- Textbook series on perspectives on adult
learning - Adult basic education program
http//www.unesco.org/uil
19UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (2)
- Research
- Mother tongue and bilingual education
- Recognition, validation and accreditation of
non-formal and informal learning and experiences
(RVA) - Post-basic education and training for youth
- Status of adult education
- Advocacy and networking
- Regional conferences in support of global
literacy? - Working group on non-formal education
20UNESCO Promotion of Distance Higher Education (1)
Research study on implementation, standards and
practices of distance higher education in
LAC Distance higher education mainly emerging
within the last 10 years 175 higher education
institutions offering distance education
modules 165,000 students enrolled in distance
education courses High disparity throughout the
region Postgraduate specialization and training
courses most frequent type of studies
IESALC/UNESCO (ed.) (2004) La Educación superior
virtual en América Latina y el Caribe, Quito.
21UNESCO Promotion of Distance Higher Education (2)
UNESCO Chairs of Distance Learning (CUED) and
e-Learning (UOC) in Spain Instituto Internacional
de la UNESCO para la Educación Superior en
América Latina y el Caribe (IESALC)
- Research, promotion of virtual distance education
- foster dialogue among institutions
- coordinate initiatives
- promote standardization of distance education
- inspire learning through international best
practices - 2009 World Conference on Higher Education
- chances of ICT development for higher distance
education - web 2.0 for more interaction
- media and ICT mix creates and improves learning
opportunities
22UNESCO ICT Competency Standards for Teachers
- Objectives
- To constitute a common set of guidelines that
professional development providers can use to
identify, develop or evaluate learning materials
or teacher training programs in the use of ICT in
teaching and learning. - To provide a basic set of qualifications that
allows teachers to integrate ICT into their
teaching and learning, to advance student
learning, and to improve other professional
duties. - To extend teachers professional development so
as to advance their skills in pedagogy,
collaboration, leadership and innovative school
development using ICT. - To harmonize different views and vocabulary
regarding the uses of ICT in teacher education - www.unesco.org/en/competency-standards-
teachers
23Thank you for your attention!
Günther CyranekAdviser for Communication and
Information in MERCOSUR and ChileUNESCO Regional
Bureau for Science in Latin America and the
Caribbean Montevideo, Uruguay
g.cyranek_at_unesco.orgwww.unesco.org.uy/ci