Opportunities of ICT in Education in Bangladesh

1. Opportunities of ICT in Education in Bangladesh Anir Chowdhury Policy Advisor Access to Information (a2i) Programme Prime Minister’s Office, Bangladesh 31 January 2015

2. Bangladesh Context: ‘Glass Half Empty’ • Demography • Income: $1,100 GDP per capita, 26%+ under $1/day • Literacy: 65% Bangla (English insignificant) • Electricity: 62% of area under grid, very unreliable! (Solar increasing) • Service delivery • Not need responsive • Complicated/fragmented process • Extremely male biased

3. Bangladesh Context: ‘Glass Half Full’

4. The Digital Centres:Bottom-up Development • Birth and death registration • Examination results • Government forms download • Job information • Visa application and tracking • Digital photography • Computer training • Mobile banking • Life insurance • English training centres • Payments for government services • Tax collection • Remittance 4.5 mil users/month USD 600K/month Prevent Digital Divide: Start with rural, expand to urban

5. e-Services to Citizens 2010-2014

6. EducationContext 2030! What skills will they need? For the domestic market? For the global market? Will traditional capacity development channels be effective?

7. Paradigm Shifts in the World:Employment is going global! • Migration • Outsourcing Employment seeking mindset Entrepreneurial mindset • SME • Freelancing

8. Paradigm Shifts in the World:Education is going softer!

9. Paradigm Shifts in the World:School is leaving the Building!

10. Let’s Not Forget Old Research Findings: “Sustainable” Learning

11. Major Challenges in Capacity Development • Poor market relevance of skill education leading to a severe mismatch between demand and supply • Inadequate certification standards • Lack of focus on • Soft skills (communication, collaboration, problem solving and innovation) • Entrepreneurship skills • Vocational skills

12. It is not enough to grow. We have to grow and develop our capacity for growth faster than our competition

13. Components of Digital Bangladesh Digital Bangladesh Serving Citizens Driving Economy MoEdu is the only ministry with an ICT Masterplan Connecting People Building Capacity

14. Objectives of ICT in Education Masterplan • Teaching-learning environment • Professional and ICT skills of teachers • Standards of teaching-learning materials • Market-based skills • Transparency, accountability and efficiency in educational management • Services at doorsteps • Public participation • World-classmarket-based skill development through participatory teaching-learning environment facilitated by motivated teachers • High-quality service at doorsteps of citizens through transparent, accountable and efficient education management

15. ICT in Education ‘Myths’ • ICT in Education = ICT Education • ICT Literacy must be TAUGHT to students • First step is setting up computer labs • Focus on technology, not teachers

16. It’s Not Technology But Teachers That Improve Education • Teachers: 927,880 (Female 39%) • Schools: 143,356 • Training Institutions: 210 (81 Public, 129 Private) • Teacher Trainers: 2,602 (Teacher : Trainer ratio 357:1) • Teachers Received Training on ICT-Pedagogy integration: 4.35% (Female 3.9%)

17. Limitations of Traditional Training Not effective, money-waster: short, not hands-on, disruptive to otherwise stretched school resources.

18. Limitations of Traditional Refresher Training ‘Don’t know the reason’ is highest! What is Refresher Training?

19. Importance of Refresher Training But teachers know they need it …

20. Wake-up Call! 1. Govt. + HW/SW Vendor Approach in 2000s 2. Traditional Teacher Training + ICT Labs Criticism by 23 Teachers from 7 Schools in 2010 1. Birth of ‘Multimedia Classrooms’ + 2. Co-creation and Collaboration by Teachers

21. Multimedia Classroom Reduces ‘Digital Divide’ More importantly, reduces ‘Education Divide’

22. Innovative use of TV, radio, internet 305 e-books covering primary, secondary, madrassa, vocational 100+ Digital Talking Books

23. Teacher Co-creation and Collaboration • www.teachers.gov.bd • 49,000+ members • 25,000+ contents • 4,000+ blog entries Transform education, not IT education

24. Teaching-Learning in Classroom Improved Enjoyable & effective learning Easy to understand Sustainable learning Learning by participation Research Findings : Dr. Deborah Wyburn et al, 2013 (TQI-SEP)

25. Teacher Confidence Increased

26. Head Teachers in Agreement

27. Teachers Summit Human connection, more than technology, drives collaboration! Public reward is highly motivational!

28. Looking Forward: Virtual Interactive Classroom/Video Conferencing • possibility of online lectures or joint classes with remote teachers • enhancement of face-to-face sessions

29. Looking Forward … • e-Learning Platform of Bangladesh Open University • e-Learning/m-Learning for migrant workers • Low-cost, low-powered devices for teaching-learning • ICT for children with Special Needs • Widening and deepening collaboration and co-creation amongst teachers • Creative Questions Databank

30. Using of Sangsad TV for broadcasting the TV programmes “The unused time of Sangsad TV should be effective through broadcasting the programmes on Agriculture, Health, Education, Development Programmes etc. ‘’ - Sheikh Hasina, Hon’ble Prime Minister, Bangladesh. 20 May, 2012 The inauguration of MMC, PMO

31. Human Development Media

32. Stop Over-focusing on Technology • “Technology can be a powerful education multiplier, but we must know how to use it. It is not enough to install technology into classrooms – it must be integrated into learning. Nothing can substitute for a good teacher.” • UNESCO (From the Save the Children’s ICTE Mapping Report)

33. Most Important Focus for ICTE: Teacher Empowerment Framework Multimedia Classroom E = mc4 Empowerment = multimedia classroom x continuous learning x co-creation x collaboration x competition

34. Future: 21st Century Skills-based Curriculum and Assessment Eliminate ‘Finish-the-syllabus’ approach. Design Appropriate Assessments.

35. Future: Student Engagement in the Empowerment Framework • Co-design of classroom space • Co-creation of curriculum and content • Student collaboration within and across classrooms Let students take the wheel

36. How effectively are we using theICT in Education Master Plan? • Are we focusing on market demands? • Soft skills, Entrepreneurship skills, Vocational skills • Are we designing new incentives for change for • Teachers, SMC, Education Officers • Are we coordinating effectively? • Are we monitoring and evaluating closely and making new decisions based on that? • Are we keeping the programming flexible to respond to changing context?

37. Ready. Shoot. Aim.