Building tools to measure the use of ICT in the classroom
Institutions/Research team
The project is led by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the Centre for Economic and Social Research (FEDESARROLLO), with the participation of Ceibal Foundation, Universidad del Norte (North University – Barranquilla, Colombia), the Ministries of Education of Colombia, Chile and Peru and the Ministry of Public Education of Mexico.
Project background and objectives
This initiative arises from the need to make progress in the production of a comprehensive proposal for the measurement of education indicators in Latin America that, being comparable to each other, will make it possible to develop education policies for the improvement of learning-teaching processes in our countries.
This project has two main objectives. First, to build and develop indicators measuring the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in classrooms for their introduction in other countries in the region by the end of the second year of implementation. This objective is expected to contribute to the building of a regional network for measuring the use of ICTs in instructional practices.
The second objective has to do with the use of previously-built indicators for strategic uses relating to educational and social development in general, such as teacher training, curriculum development and increasing social and gender equity.
Further information and materials
The project will focus on two action hubs:
• Research: using a participatory research approach for the creation, review and validation of indicators and methodologies for the monitoring and assessment of the educational use of ICTs and building the students’ 21st century competencies. This will require document review, consolidation of networking relationships, the collection of quantitative and qualitative data, and the preparation of documents and proposals which will result from the research process.
• Management: by means of ongoing communication and exchange of good practices between the research team and the ministries of education linked to the project. To this end, technical follow-up meetings and high-level meetings between researchers and policy makers will be organized and held.