Blog of Evelyne Para, SI Representative at UNESCO. 

From 2 to 5 September 2024, the second edition of “Digital Learning Week” was held at UNESCO Paris, UNESCO’s annual flagship event on digital learning and transformation of education.

This intergovernmental and multi-stakeholder UN Forum brought together the community of leaders, decision-makers, researchers and practitioners of digital education from various organisations, including policy makers from several countries (China, Europe, United States…), representatives of UN Agencies, NGOs and the private sector. It was a unique opportunity to participate in dynamic and stimulating discussions, to dialogue and share innovative ideas to advance the digital transformation of education. I had the chance to attend this work, and here is a short summary of it.

Many themes were on the agenda: the implementation of national policies and effective master plans for digital learning, generative AI (Artificial Intelligence) in teaching and learning, the role of digitalisation in climate change, greater representation of women and girls in digital disciplines, the launch of guides for policy makers, and also several skills frameworks for students and teachers…

First of all, why develop digital innovation in education?

It was important to remind all policymakers that Education is a fundamental human right for all, without any discrimination and without interruption. In today’s world of serious crises and frequent conflicts, digital has become an essential asset, combining technology and human resources to transform school models and build inclusive, open and resilient learning systems.

For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, countries without sufficient ICT (Information and Communication Technology) infrastructure suffered the greatest disruptions to education and major learning losses for millions of young people. Globally, up to a third of students were left without access to learning while schools were closed for more than a year. Almost all countries were forced to rapidly mobilise technological solutions to reinforce remote learning, in order to ensure educational continuity. Another example and we unfortunately see it every day on the news channels: today, the same scenario of educational disruptions is repeated in countries experiencing wars.

In a world characterised by increasing complexity and uncertainty, it is our collective responsibility to ensure that education remains the central space for the transformation of our common future.

This is why it is important to support the sustainable use of ICT and digital innovation in order to expand access to educational opportunities for all girls and boys, improve the quality of learning and strengthen education management systems. To achieve these objectives, UNESCO has been organising this annual Digital Learning Week since 2023. UNESCO is also developing digital literacy and digital skills with a focus on teachers and students.

NGOs and in particular Soroptimist International support these digital learning programmes developed by UNESCO, in order to contribute to achieving SDG 4 – Education 2030, contribute to defining the UNESCO Strategy for Technological Innovation in Education and build a common future of education beyond 2030.

The NGO support UNESCO Strategy

UNESCO supports its Member States in designing, integrating and implementing effective national policies and master plans for digital learning, ensuring that activities on the ground respond to the needs of each country and community, with a particular focus on women and girls and disadvantaged populations.

During the Digital Learning Week, several policy planning frameworks proposed by UNESCO in cooperation with many countries were presented, discussed and illustrated. These roadmaps are intended to examine the digital readiness of different local education systems, assess the needs of learners and teachers, and design national ICT in education programmes with sufficient resources. Among all the tools developed by UNESCO and presented during the Week, three interesting examples promoted by NGO stand out:

>>> The Guidelines UNESCO for ICT in education policies and masterplans, It provides recommendations to policymakers and decision-makers to ensure that, when choosing ICTs, Human Rights are upheld, that inclusion, equity and gender equality are at the heart of locally adopted solutions and that innovations are considered a common good.

>>> The UNESCO ICT Competency Framework for Teachers, It helps guide initial and ongoing training of teachers on the use of ICT throughout the education system.

Effective integration of ICT in schools and classrooms can transform pedagogy and empower students. In this context, it is essential that teachers have the skills to integrate ICT into their professional practice to ensure equity and quality of learning. Teachers must also be able to harness ICT to guide learners in developing knowledge society skills such as critical and innovative thinking, complex problem solving, collaboration and socio-emotional skills. Teacher training and ongoing and relevant professional development of teachers are essential for the benefits of ICT investments to be realised. Training and also ongoing support must enable teachers to develop the necessary ICT skills so that they can, in turn, ensure that their students develop relevant skills, including digital skills for life and work.

>>> The UNESCO AI Competency Framework for Students, It helps prepare students to be responsible and creative citizens in the era of AI.

In the age of AI, students must be prepared to become active co-creators of AI, as well as future leaders who will shape new iterations of the technology and define its relationship with society. This guide is intended to help students acquire the values, knowledge, and skills needed to critically examine and understand AI from a holistic perspective, including its ethical, social, and technical dimensions.

Ensure that women and girls are better represented in digital disciplines

During Digital Learning Week, this goal was affirmed by several participants in several working groups. Digital divides and gender inequalities in access to new technologies have an impact on the skills and future professional development of women and girls in digital disciplines. These discriminations also lead to gender bias in the development of AI and technological tools.

It is worth noting that women and girls are underrepresented in ICT disciplines and in the development of AI, with 80% of software being created by exclusively male teams. Many blogs and Positions of our NGO Soroptimist International point out that it is important to raise awareness and train girls in technology from an early age at school level, to train them in the technology sector and support their studies in AI and new technologies.

Conclusion

All participants of this Digital Learning Week organised by UNESCO argued that the prevalence of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has significant potential to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs, bridge the digital divide and support the development of inclusive knowledge societies based on Human Rights, the achievement of gender equality and empowerment.