Optimizing ICT for Education, Sharing Practical Experiences from the Asia and Pacific Region: What Works, What Doesn't, and In What Circumstances

Close to 200 'ICT in Education' stakeholders from across the Asia-Pacific region participated in the "Optimizing ICT for Education, Sharing Practical Experiences from the Asia and Pacific Region: What Works, What Doesn't, and In What Circumstances" conference. The diverse group of participants included senior government officials from 27 ADB developing member countries (DMCs), education and ICT technical specialists and researchers from across the Asia-Pacific region, and private sector stakeholders, NGOs, and development partners who are engaged in the development and application of information and communication technology in education. This international conference, co-sponsored by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI), was held in Manila at ADB Headquarters from 16 to 18 October 2007. Read the full conference program.

In her opening statement, Ursula Schäfer-Preuss, ADB's Vice President for Knowledge Management and Sustainable Development, outlined ADB's vision for education and its program to work together with ADB's DMCs to increase equitable access to quality education for all, with a special focus on girls and the disadvantaged. She highlighted that ICT has tremendous potential to close the education gaps and to give all children in the region hope for a brighter future. With the rapid advancement of technology, Ms. Schafer-Preuss recognized the enormous opportunities offered by the significant increases in computing power that now can be affordably accessed and the recent developments in wireless and satellite technology. The challenge, she emphasized, that is faced, is not only to understand the potential but to create the appropriate policies and approaches to try and optimize the benefits they offer for ICT in education while ensuring their cost effective and sustainable implementation and use.

During the three-day conference a wide range of 'ICT in Education' issues related to strengthening ICT integration and improving the quality of education across the Asia-Pacific region were extensively explored. Stakeholders from the public sector, facilitated by education and ICT technical experts, deliberated on broad policy and strategic issues and shared country experiences, lessons learned and best practices. ICT technical specialists also provided an update on recent technological developments and the practical solutions and innovative approaches that are now offered and supported by the private sector, which offer affordable and sustainable benefits for ICT in education. In addition to the plenary and panel sessions on 'ICT in Education' policy and strategy frameworks and approaches, the conference offered a number of concurrent sessions on special interest 'ICT in Education' topics that included: regulatory issues, technology developments and hardware issues, ICT financing issues, developments in e-teacher training and e-learning tools and products, and successful ICT public-private partnerships.

Innovative program delivery approaches piloted by the conference included a Free Discussion Session, use of a specially designed interactive conference website entitled 'Wiki', and the ICT in Education Expo. The Free Discussion Session provided a forum for delegates to make additional presentations (which were not possible to include in the formal conference program) to enable them to share country specific or other experiences and lessons learned with conference delegates. The conference website 'Wiki' enabled conference organizers and participants to share thoughts, experiences, and questions and answers, via wireless connections throughout and following the conference. Finally, the ICT in Education Expo profiled new ICT in Education technology solutions and products developed by the private sector to accelerate ICT integration in education. During the Expo, private sector representatives shared with conference delegates product information and offered hands-on opportunities to experience and interact with the innovative ICT in education solutions now available.

The conference successfully shared and discussed the findings and proposed recommendations of two of ADB's regional studies: Subregional Cooperation for Information and Communications Technology in Basic Education; and Innovative Information and Communications Technology in Education, and its Potential for Reducing Poverty in the Asia and Pacific Region. The conference also successfully raised awareness and increased understanding of the importance of ICT and ICT skills for national development, and the need for integrating and fully advantaging the benefits of ICT for education quality and delivery to better ensure access to education for all. Most importantly, it provided a forum to recognize and address the complex challenge ahead, and the need for national ICT for education policies and regulatory frameworks within which sector specific ICT policies and strategies can be cost effectively pursued and appropriately sustained.

In his closing remarks, Xianbin Yao, Acting Director General for ADB's Regional and Sustainable Development Department highlighted the importance for the DMCs to ensure they address two intertwined perspectives-namely the 'policy and strategy perspective' and the 'school and pupil perspective'-during the planning process and in deciding to prioritize and undertake ICT for education investments. He stressed the need to take into account DMC experiences, lessons learned and best practices to best ensure the benefits of ICT for education are fully optimized, and will serve to accelerate and achieve sustainable development of quality education for all.

The conference presentations, group session findings, as well as a summary of the conference outcome and next steps, are available on ADB's website.