ict in the jamaican education system - world...
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ICT in Jamaica’s Education System
Initiatives and ChallengesWorld Bank Regional Event, Barbados
April 14 – 15 , 2011
Historical overview of ICT in Education
Project Target Group
MainObjective
Scale
Expanding EducationHorizonsProject
Primary Teachers Improve literacy and numeracy learning
72 Primary Schools
Primary School EnhancementProject (PESP)
Primary teachers, principals
Enhance teaching and learning through integration of ICT
15 pilots schools initially but cascaded to 57 schools totaling 72 schools
Historical overview of ICT in Education
Project Target Group
MainObjective
Scale
Jamaica 2000 Secondary I.T. Teachers other secondary teachers
Increase capacity for teaching of ComputerScience
166 SecondarySchools
e-Learning Jamaica
Sources: MOE, elJam,
Secondaryteachers and principals
Enhance teaching and learningthrough integration of ICT
1 teacher and 1 principal in all 166 Secondary Schools
Background: e-Learning Project The Taskforce Report on Education
(2004) – education national priority.
The Ministry of Commerce and technology (MOCT) and the Ministry of Education, (MOE) collaborated in 2005 to use ICT to support education.
It was decided that a project, entitled ‘e-learning’, should focus exclusively on Grades 7-11 students in the high schools.
The e-Learning Project
The e-Learning Jamaica Company Ltd. which manages the implementation of the project, aims to utilize ICT to: introduce new approaches to impart
instructionstimulate learningaddress some key constraints in the
system.
Constraints Objectives
Lack of a comprehensive set of standard instructional materials
Develop a set of standard ICT-based instructional materials for teachers and students in high schools (grades 7-11) for eleven subject areas
Constraints ObjectivesInadequate equipment in the schools to enhance teaching and learning and the lack of a proper educational management information system.
Provide the high schools with ICT equipment and software, and establish a central repository for the materials at the Ministry of Education.
Constraints Objectives
Low level of skills among some teachers in the use of certain technologies and to stimulate interests among students, especially boys;
Provide ICT training certification and professional development in technology integration for teachers.
Constraints Objectives
Inadequate remedial programme at Grade 7 to enable weak students who have who have been promoted to high school to cope with high school work;
Support existing remedial teaching programmes in high schools by introducing ICT-based technologies
theConstraints Objectives
Lack of a standard system of assessing performance at each grade for students, teachers, and the schools;
Introduce standard end-of-year examinations for grades 7-9 that will measure and track the performance of students in each grade; and performance among schools.
Achievements Training and certification of a number of educators in
the integration of ICT – over 13,500 certified Distribution of hardware and software in a number of
schools – Over 95% of secondary schools equipped. The development and distribution of Instructional
materials – over 12,000 test items provided on DVDs and on e-Ljam websites in 11 subject areas.
The development and distribution of School Management Software (JSAS)
Lecturers at Teachers’ Colleges gained scholarships to pursue masters in Ed. Tech (online)
CHALLENGES
The development for System wide (secondary ) instructional materials not yet complete A number of schools at the secondary
level are yet to be furnished with ICT equipment A number of educators have not
accessed training
CHALLENGES
Specialized equipment and software (to treat remedial challenges) have only been identified. The e-Learning Project was not designed
to facilitate the implementation of ICT at the primary level.
Demonstration of ICT Activities
Educators graduating from ICT integration Training
Attempting ICT at the Primary Level
ICT: Answering Jamaica’s call for Development The introduction and integration of ICT
has injected new energy into the teaching and learning environment and has enabled: Greater promotion of reading readiness
skills Greater student – teacher interaction Student-centered learning & Differentiation in classroom teaching-
appealing to multiple intelligences
Conclusion
The ICT in education programme has began the process for the achievement of Jamaica's 2030 vision. If the ICT in education programme continues to receive the support it needs. Jamaica will indeed become the place of choice to live, work, raise families and do business!