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!