Understanding ICT4E developments in MOES Supported by SESDP --Joel Wayne Ganibe, DPTL SESDP Component 2 2014. On its 2nd year of implementation, SESDP has achieved important ICT4E development milestones under Component 2. We started in 2013 by defining it in both global and Lao contexts, exploring with MOES where and which among its implementing units will it be operationalized and what specific support can be provided under the ADB grant project. 1.1 DEFINING ICTE4E. Information, Communications Technology (ICT) consists of hardware, software, networks, and media for collection, storage, processing, transmission, and presentation of information (voice, data, text, images). ICT4E is the use of hardware, software, networks and media for education, the benefits of which, is also an MDG target. Kofi Anan himself advocates that “We must ensure that information and communication technologies (ICTs) are used to help unlock the door to education. (2005).

ICT in Education – Global. On a global scale, the use of ICT in education is well underway. The extent to which a country has created and diffused technology and built a human skill base, varies considerably. Leaders are countries such as Finland, the United States and the United Kingdom who are at the cutting edge of technological innovation. ICT in Education – Asia-Pacific. Asia-Pacific countries have recognized the importance of ICT in education. They have responded to this challenge by formulating policies and developing strategies in different ways. Some, such as South Korea and Singapore are more ahead in the path of ICT for education, while others, such as Thailand and Cambodia are in the early stages of planning and preparation. Philippines has developed its Digital Strategy and its institutions are in various stages of implementation. Lessons for Laos—from its neighbors, Laos can learn from their experience and instead of repeating the same mistakes can accelerate its development by leveraging on lessons learned. The major lesson is: What technologies are being used is not as important as how we are using them. From the perspective of developing countries this has to be understood as stronger opportunities for open source and/or low cost technologies as equally valuable instruments to better prepare learners for the already changing society.

1.2 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK. For a fuller appreciation of ICT4E, SESDP refers to the following framework (see figure 1)that looks at inputs and processes that determine the stages of development towards both intermediate and final impacts. Consistent with SESDP Component 2, the final impact for the learner, is increased learning, evidenced by learner’s skills and assessment scores.

Figure 1: Conceptual Framework for Design, Implementation and M&E of ICT4E

INPUTS MOES through the ITC (Information & communications Technology Center), is addressing infrastructure (connectivity and hardware investment issues, information systems). For resources, content and the ICT curriculum is being addressed by the DTE, DSE and RIES. ICT training, is integrated into the pre-service teacher training by DTE via the Secondary Teacher Education Program (STEP) as well as an informal continuous professional education learning program (in-service teacher training) delivered via social media. For, technical and logistical support, the Educational Technology Center (ETC) of the RIES is tasked to develop supplementary instructional materials for teachers and will pilot these through a pilot scheme with 5 district Secondary Pedagogical Advisers (dSPAs) for Natural Science, who in turn will be enabled with a special mobile-learning kit under (pegagogy and technical support) SESDP. PROCESSES So far, processes for ICT4E have just begun with the MOES ICT Policy having just been recently approved and the ICT4E Strategy still to be designed. I. For component 2: the strategic objective is the IMPROVED DELIVERY OF NEW SECONDARY EDUCATION

SUBSECTOR CURRICULA. As with any program or strategy, the acid test is the outcome in terms of immediate (short term), midterm and long term results. We can say the curricula are delivered effectively when we have, at the end of the day, increased student learning.

II. To increase student learning, the quality of instruction at secondary schools nationwide should improve. For this to happen, SESDP supports changes in the following key results areas (KRAs). These key results areas are coded as specific program activities.

Figure 1: Key Results Areas for Quality

ICT cross-cuts all four: What to teach, how to teach, the selection, training and deployment of who will teach, and the design and development of the tools with which to teach, including how to tract progress in all these areas (the ICT Policy is a deliverable under Component 3: Strengthening Sector Management Capacity)

III. WHAT TO TEACH is responded to by the reformed Secondary Education Curriculum achieved under

BESDP when the RIES led the improvements to both the lower secondary education (LSE) and upper secondary education (USE) curriculum which was approved by Ministerial decree in 2009. Among the important improvements to the secondary curriculum is the inclusion of ICT as subject from M1 to M7 in order for students to learn 21st century skills. What to teach is further developed in SESDP as Program activity 2A1: Pre-service teacher training curriculum to be aligned with M1-M7 school curriculum and develop procedures for TEI QA accreditation system. This area has been led by the Department of Teacher Education (DTE) which has achieved this through MINISTER'S DECREE NO. 3799 promulgated on 9 September November 2013 approving the new 15 courses under the Secondary Teacher Education Pre-service program (STEP)where ICT has been included both as a basic teacher’s skill (8 units in general education as computer science & education technology) and as a course major (48 units).

IV. HOW TO TEACH. Pre-service: ICT is now integrated in all 15 majors of the STEP curriculum which will ensure minimum competencies in pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) for Bachelor in Secondary Education graduates by 2017. In-Service: SESDP activity 2B1 supports the nationwide roll-out of the new LSE-USE curriculum and curriculum materials via the SESDP in-service trainings (now for M5 continuing to M6 in 2015 and M7 on 2016) implemented by the Department of Secondary Education (DSE) and RIES for teachers in the 5 subject strands; the DSE shall also support school-based in-service trainings focusing on Science education, via pilot deployment of District-Secondary Pedagogical Advisers (dSPAs) in 5 districts.

theory of change logic: Quality of instruction at secondary schools in Laos increases IF Secondary teachers meet the minimum competencies in PCK. Minimum competencies in PCK are assured IF condition 1: Pre-Service Training is improved and purposely develops PCK skills for all graduates; Condition 2: Learner-centered/competency building Learning Materials are effectively made available and efficiently accessible to teachers/teacher trainers via multiple channels (print/broadcast/online/optical media) Condition 3: Even if missed in pre-service training, new practices/techniques are continuously and effectively introduced during in-service training events; reinforced by clear signals from MOES that these are to be adapted as soon as possible and that teacher performance standards will check it and these practices inspected.

V.

Looking at Technology Literacy, awareness has to be increased via official memoranda followed up by learning discussions to increase policy understanding (knowledge deepening). Innovation is really a function of creative thinking which is a higher order thinking skill being emphasized since BESDP but not taking traction in classroom practices as fast as possible. This is because of the limited understanding that MOES has long ago adapted the "student-centered" approach and concepts. Until now, during in-service trainings PESS and DESB people are not so sure and confident that they should adapt into practice these new techniques even though they can "see" its effectiveness and efficiency in bringing about learning. They seem to need a literal spelling out of this policy as it is expected to be experienced in the classroom. They are afraid that unaligned units such as the DOI/DESB/PESS inspectors and school principals themselves will look for the old formats and expect the old practices when evaluating teacher performance.

Since 2009, BESDP/SESDP began mainstreaming the term "learner-centered" instead of "Student-centered" specifically to emphasize the TEACHER as model LEARNER. (Realizing how only so much can be absorbed in 5-day training-of-trainers/in-service training runs on new pedagogical practices at province levels, we shifted to online support to self-learners as follow-through activities). The limiting factor is not access to internet facilities but a more fundamental paradigm-shift for local education personnel. Lacking in solid theoretical foundations it would be difficult to expect policy innovations and practice at the different levels or points of education service delivery. Back at central, the DOP must have a way to check the levels of technology literacy of the entire personnel (central units officers and staff complement). Very basic indicators such as "do you have your own email? do you have any social media (facebook/linked-in/slideshare) account? " need to be established. Why? Everyone in the MOES must be a self-directed lifelong learner himself/herself--and learning happens in the online discussions, in curating of relevant knowledge materials to each department, in updating content-knowledge especially for Teacher Trainers at NUOL/TTCs/RIES who are the same people tapped to design and develop content for textbooks and teacher guides; and the same people who assess and evaluate performance of "learning-delivery units" (schools, libraries, any/all departments conducting workshops/consultations/IEC with internal and external stakeholders). Indeed, using modern communications channels such as sms, email, Facebook, chat box, and curating (searching for, evaluating, adapting, repurposing) materials are basic knowledge society skills that every personnel of the Ministry of Education and Sports must master and be known for, being the central LEARNING INSTITUTION for the whole of Laos. This is then top of the training needs analysis mission of the MOES through its Department of Organization and Personnel. It is not far when the DOP will realize new plantilla1 positions such as "social media manager" are needed for each department to manage more effective/efficient flow of communications to and from groups/individuals/departments/other ministries and even general public. The recommended strategy is thus, using ICT to build a "CULTURE OF LEARNING" and habits of discovery throughout the MOES system. Enabling this, is why SESDP Team set about creating and recruiting as many MOES central stakeholders into collaborative learning groups. We can see where this initiative is taking strategic traction right where the most basic training for all teachers and future MOES officials happen.

1 Organic, permanent position in an organization with clear task sets and defined performance measurements.

PRODUCTS/OUTPUTS: SESDP Products include various curated content delivered online via the virtual communities of practice created for and populated by MOES stakeholders; the In-service Training Manuals, the Textbooks and Teacher Guides (ICT for M1 to M7); the multimedia materials produced by RIES-ETC delivered via radio and tv program as well as online and physically through CD-ROM copies. LEARNING AREAS

1. Basic operations and concepts 3 (Content/process) 2. Social, ethical and human issues (Context/meaning-making) 3. ICT for Producing (reports, memos, projects, instructional materials) 4. ICT for Communicating (coding, uploading/transfer, downloading/retrieve) 5. ICT for Researching (searching, screening, analyzing, evaluating, creating) 6. ICT for Problem-solving (apply all skills to a specific situation/solution)

ENGAGING THE YOUTH As with all change management initiatives, stakeholder engagement is key. If we look for dynamism and enthusiasm for change and the right attitudes to learning something new or thinking up fresh approaches, we politely smile at the gatekeepers and more rigid seniors of an organization and aggressively engage the young and bright, who seem more delighted and less threatened by "disruption". Of course for sustainability we look at the next leaders even as we try to excite those who are just waiting for retirement and would do their best to maintain the status quo. SUCCESS STORIES 2015. At the Department of Teacher Education, Ajan Maaly Vorabouth is moderating www.facebook.com/groups/TE.LAO/ even on Saturdays and Sundays or when on the go towards a training workshop. What began as a small group in 2013 for coordinating reforms to the pre-service curriculum for SESDP has now grown into a dynamic support group and informal in-service training delivery channel that continues to grow by the day. Informal learning is a pervasive ongoing phenomenon of learning via participation or learning via knowledge creation, in contrast with the traditional view of teacher-centered learning via knowledge acquisition. Towards responding more effectively to developments in the world of Learning, these developments are notable enabling factors and can be tracked as "positive, intended impacts" even this early for Lao education to not just catch up with the rest of the world but to transform at pace. The future of learning sees shifts from "teaching" to an emphasis on the result which is "learning". Earlier, BESDP-SESDP has already emphasized this along with the term "learner" because it wanted to communicate about "lifelong learning" and of course intends that the teachers are the model-learners. the MOES with the help of the implementation advisers has been the first Ministry in Laos to use social media (2009 BESDP) to reach out to both internal and external audiences. By also emphasizing higher order thinking skills and

backwards design/UbD, the program has been able to slowly wean more teachers away from the limited rote learning oriented instructional techniques. Despite initial misgivings on "online, social media communities"--the response from teachers from various levels to the DTE led community is evidence that this initiative has hit a felt and expressed need for multiple ways of learning and for continuous learning conversations among colleagues (peer learning).

The future of learning Lieve Van den Brande, European Commission, DG Education and Culture SUSTAINABLE. By being demand-driven (the user pays for own access to online community and materials) and topics directed by the users themselves (personal relevance/context); the learning delivered or acquired is more sustainable than the occasional formal learning workshops and without the cost of venue, transportation, and daily supply allowance (DSA) and the inefficiencies of "mass training". External enabling factors like the proliferation of cheap Smartphone's from China and the promotional "free Facebook" promos of local TelCos in Laos also help.

BLENDED LEARNING. At the end of in-service training workshops, the SESDP Team recruited and oriented all teacher trainers (central and provincial) into their own above-mentioned social media group moderated by DTE which also provides for a feedback channel from the ground (school/classroom). This enables the training and technical mentorship to continue beyond workshop time allowing for synchronous and asynchronous communications.

Emerging outcomes2. As a result of promotions during the workshops, more and more Lao teachers are coming online, voluntarily joining and interacting in the various communities SESDP has created for them. www.facebook.com/groups/TE.LAO/ now has grown to 6,464 members and growing, composed of teachers and teaching instructors at the Teacher Education Institutions (TEIs) and in the various schools in Laos, as well as PESS and DESB. It is now influencing the culture of current and future key leaders at the Ministry of Education. Topics vary from day to day, from Physics and Math (their favorites) to pedagogy and learning theories to humorous anecdotes about their experience as teachers. They also use the survey function of their Facebook group and post inspiring quotes for each other. Accessed via smart phones, tablets, laptops and office PCs it has made learning conversations available on demand. It is "safe", friendly, informal and open to any topic or concern as these are easily managed as "threads". As MOES, through its implementing units becomes more comfortable with the use of ICT, particularly managing informal learning communities online and other stakeholder engagement strategies, MULTIPLE WAYS OF LEARNING can be implemented with specific work contexts. Evidence of this is the RIES creating on its own, a community for SCIENCE Teachers where it can feed both content-mastery developing modules and pedagogical skills enhancement references.

RIES has Suksamai Radio (weekly), Suksamai Magazine (tri-annual) and Suksamai TV (weekly runs) There is limited ways to measure audience reach and impact of the above existing communications

channels The additional online channels apart from the RIES FB Page and Suksamai FB page can at least track

actual number of views and downloads as well as individual profiles of those who accessed materials from site.

The following channels have been created and are now managed by the RIES, DTE, DSE: URL of SESDP FB Channels/Group pages Main Theme Active

Members https://www.facebook.com/groups/LaosLearn2013/ Assessment 65 https://www.facebook.com/groups/SESDP.QUALITY.COUNCIL/ Task Force 40 https://www.facebook.com/groups/Laocurriculum/ Curriculum Design 147 https://www.facebook.com/groups/TE.LAO/ Teacher Training 6,464 https://www.facebook.com/groups/MOES.TTIs/ TTIs, Teacher Training 210 https://www.facebook.com/groups/BESDP.friends/ General Educ./ Project

Updates 784

https://www.facebook.com/groups/LaoScience.Teachers/ Science Instruction 171 https://www.facebook.com/groups/Laocurriculum/ Curriculum Design 147 https://www.facebook.com/LAO.EDUC.HEALTH.DEVELOPMENT Educ. & Health Page https://www.facebook.com/MOES.SPA.Laos/ Page for SPAs http://www.facebook.com/MOES.DSE.LAOS. DSE Page 1,579 likes https://www.facebook.com/groups/ICT.Development.TE/ Internal 53

2 The following are important observations and insights: (i) SESDP’s strategy to increase quality of education by improving quality of instruction during pre-service and in-service training must be at a level where some significant impact can be measured; (ii). SESDP’s in-service training budget is for teachers teaching at the secondary schools only. There is a felt and expressed need to also mainstream new pedagogical approaches (authentic/Learner-centered) and techniques at the pre-service institutions; (iii) Teaching habits form hard at the TTIs during the 4 years of pre-service training exposure, and the brief, one-time 5-day in-service trainings done by SESDP at the secondary levels can hardly transform ineffective approaches learned earlier and used by the secondary teachers’ own former instructors; (iv) Meanwhile, teacher trainers at the TTI’s expressed their need (during the STEP curriculum orientation workshops) for more intensive capability strengthening so as to be able to truly shift paradigms from old teacher-centered approaches ingrained in the system, to the new learner-centered/authentic learning models being promoted by SESDP; (v) While a few of those who have demonstrated initiative are trying to learn via our online support, there is nothing yet even structured as a distance-learning course for CPE (continuous professional education) to ensure lifelong learning, nor is there a course yet, specifically designed to upgrade “unqualified” to “qualified” (and aligned to the STEP curriculum) since the program stopped even before SESDP. (vi) this seems to call for a focused in-service training course for instructors at the TTIs on basic Learner-centered modules to ensure PCK competencies. While not specifically designed in the PAM under 2A1, it could be an agile implementation solution to increase relevance and enhance effectiveness to achieve higher individual and institutional impact levels.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/ICT4LE.LAOS/ Internal for Policy/Strategy

Formulation

https://www.facebook.com/SESDP.Laos/ Project Page 1,318 likes OTHER LAOS channels now influencing https://www.facebook.com/groups/educationoflaos/ General educational reform 35,370

Coming from a beginning experience of stakeholders not even opening their emails, the new found facility for social media is encouraging and can be attributed directly to the efforts of the BESDP/SESDP team which intended it as an efficient way of sharing files (and ensuring there is no excuse that stakeholders never got hold of the most current version, or did not have access on time (there is a "seen by" facility) and as instant/group messaging platform to open up information silo's and make information available immediately to all who need it. It also helped build consensus more efficiently as conversations prior to and after formal meetings and workshops are easily facilitated and recorded/documented.

www.facebook.com/groups/MOES.SPA/ is up and running for all SPA’s to join and be able to share files, run online surveys (for training needs analysis for example), and access the ICT4LE materials that will be produced by RIES-ETC in case (as expected) they do not catch the broadcasts of TV/Radio episodes. To date, it has some initial content and 26 active members and co-administered by DSE and RIES.

YOUNG TEACHERS AT THE FRONTLINE 5 young, shy, science teachers, 4 of them with practically zero laptop experience and all from disadvantaged districts...

A 5-day crash course on learner-centered instruction tools and techniques and basic gadget operations... then turning over of the "toys" they practiced in then released "back into the wild"

URL of SESDP FB Group/pages for SPAs Main Theme

Active Members

https://www.facebook.com/groups/MOES.SPA/ Support group

43 www.facebook.com/pages/MOES-Nong-District-Educ-Sports-Service-Bureau/923552487684627

For dSPA sharing of ICT4E status

www.facebook.com/pages/Taoy-District-Educ-Sports-Service-Bureau/1564574210489920 https://www.facebook.com/pages/Xaichamphone-District-Educ-Sports-Service-Bureau/1103757069641058 https://www.facebook.com/pages/Phontong-District-Educ-Sports-Service-Bureau-of-Luang-Prabang/461347144015376 www.facebook.com/pages/Viengxay-District-Educ-Sports-Service-Bureau/1426033374374857

More MOES users/representatives have also joined private sector led FB communities and from "critical" comments, the conversations have become for constructive and "assessment for" in tone, as more stakeholders are informed of positive developments from the MOES. The Official MOES website takes up so much bandwidth and is understandably slow. By adapting social media channels, content is delivered faster and wider. It is of course driven by adaptive behavior of youth and the efforts of young education managers/leaders encouraged by our successful implementation.