ICT for Teaching and Learning in Schools - Bolivia

Started in 2000,  educational programme Chaski  (Quechua for ' messenger' ) participated with a limited number of schools in the English language Learning Circles. In 2008, 30 computerlabs serve 46 schools in the departments of Oruro and Tarija.

The project has integrated Information and Communication Technologies (such as computers and internet) in these schools including the set up of administrative committees led by teachers and parents, who now fully sustain activities in terms of finance, administration and maintenance. The project has developed digital learning games for mathematics and languages

In Bolivia the enrollment levels in education are relativiely high with 90% of the population having access to education. Also literacy levels are above 90%. Still, the drop out levels are high and the overall quality of education is very low. This is related to poor motivation, limited capacities of teachers and poor quality of education materials. Since two decades, there is no new curriculum developed as a consquence of a long-term discussion about pedagocic principles and methodologies.

In this context, access to computers can assist teachers and students to improve management of school activities, develop localised educational support materials. It also may motivate both teachers and students in more general terms.

Where available, access to Internet can assist teachers and students to gain access to support materials and link up to peers in the rest of the country and in the world.

Read more about IICD's Bolivia Country Programme.

The project has produced the following outputs:

• Computer labs installed (42 schools)
• Administrative committees operational in all schools to administrate the project (46 schools)
• Training administrative committees (42 committees)
• Training regional educational authorities and school directors in ICT and administration
• Training teachers in development of teaching aides supporting the main curricula (1,120 teachers)
• Training students in basic ICT and use for learning (19,500) beneficiaries)
• Participation in GTP (130 students and 8 teachers)
• Participation Aprender Creando, development of teaching aid materials by teachers with support of a University UMIBOL
• Development and validation of computer games for younger students (16 games developed with 25 teachers)

The project focuses on integration of ICT in primary and secondary education and is active in the departments of Oruro, La Paz and Tarija. The objectives are to:

• Increase the quality of teaching by teachers
• Increase the quality of learning by students
• Increase the future position of students on the labor market

On the basis of questionnaires among teachers and students over the period 2004-2007, the project has produced strong impact on the target groups:

• In this sector, there is a good balance between women and men participating. And schools participating in the projects are located in rural areas and peri-urban sectors of low-income people;
• 95% of the beneficiaries declare to be satisfied with the training and the support received during the implementation phase of the programs in their schools. They all agree that the use of ICTs is a positive element in learning processes and that as long as they are used in an appropriate way, they contribute to improve the quality of education;
• Almost 100% of the participants feel more aware and empowered by the use of ICT in the class room. The impact attained shows clearly the important role played by ICTs in improving the quality of education, one of the most important indicators in the sector. The main reason that pushed the teachers to work with ICTs was the desire to learn more and at the same time to facilitate the learning process for their students;
• As regards economic impact, school authorities, teachers and students declare to be satisfied with their access to digital technology as they feel that “the use of computers will help them to be connected with the world and will give them more opportunities to find a good job and thus improve their living standards.”

Read more about IICD's approach towards Education.

These projects focus mainly on the assimilation of ICTs in the classrooms and on the development of digital content for primary and secondary education. Their overall objective is to improve the quality of teaching and learning processes. The focus group includes school authorities, parents, teachers and students. These are the main lessons learned:

• Thanks to the implementation of the projects and the methodologies used, teachers and students are now able to improve the performance of their educational activities and make them more effective and efficient. The project is a new challenge for them and to overcome all the obstacles they count on the support of the SEDUCAS at the local level. Teachers are aware of the fact that the application of ICTs in the learning and teaching processes has been a big step forward.
• For other teachers, thanks to ICTs in the classroom, students have gained the capacity to contextualize contents in the learning processes: “the process of learning and sharing contents becomes pleasant when performed by means of didactic and interactive games. And this is something novel and original for the students.” For their part, students affirm that the use of the Internet has enabled them to get in touch with other cultures and with other educational institutions. Here, a testimony of a student: “The access, use and management of ICTs, in particular the computer was something amazing. We felt that when we learnt how to work with a computer we had accomplished our first goal.”
• Teachers claim the implementation of ICTs in every educational institution in Bolivia. Thus, they are asking for more support and follow up so as to be able to keep moving forward;
• The participants are asking for more computers to facilitate the learning processes of the students. They also want to rely on an improved Internet access to be able to both conduct their own researches and support the ones of the students.

The project is implemented by the Fundacion Ayni Bolivia, based in the Netherlands. In Q4 2008, a local chapter of the Fundacion is set up to allow for the implementation of the project by a local organisation.