OECD Webinar

Last week, the OECD held a three-day webinar on the development of human capital for the dissemination of digital technologies. It wa.organized within the framework of the project "Strategy for Economic Diversification and Increasing competitiveness in Kazakhstan"

Participants include government agencies, higher education institutions, and the private sector holdings and Economic Research Institute JSC. 

The goal of the project is to assist in the development and implementation of Kazakhstan's policies that promote economic diversification, which has been an urgent problem for several years, based on government documents, including the strategy "Kazakhstan - 2050". 

The project focuses on three main areas: the development of human capital for the dissemination of digital technologies (the theme of the event), attracting investment in manufacturing industries and improving the competitiveness of the agri-food sector. 

In order to increase productivity and create better and more modern jobs in the future, it is important to understand the process of digital transformation and create conditions for the development of knowledge and skills in the field of digital technologies for all segments of the population. 

The participants of the webinars considered the issues of assessing the needs for digital literacy in order to draw up a national action program; the inclusion of ICT in the general education system; the development of professional competencies in the field of ICT in formal and non-formal education.

The webinars aim to assist Kazakhstan in developing an integrated approach to the development of digital literacy and identifying the policy measures required for the formation of relevant competencies. 

As part of the webinars, Estonian experts shared their experience in the development of digital literacy as a successful case study. 

ICT in education in Estonia has been included in government programmes since the mid-1990s. Free courses on digital literacy are offered to teachers. At the national level, a programmatic approach to the development of framework conditions is being implemented, namely: centralized purchases for improving school Internet communications, equipment (devices) for teachers and users, and improving educational materials.

Estonian schools have the right to independently determine how to use the technology. However, funding / investment depends on meeting certain requirements. A decentralized (bottom-up) approach is used for school groups that integrate technology. The headmaster plays a key role. And private companies provide some key services.

As part of the first wave of the pandemic, Estoni.organized about 80 webinars, including on the use of technology for teaching mathematics. A hotline for teachers has been created.

At the end of 2020, surveys and analysis of the work carried out were conducted, the competence of teachers in working with ICT significantly improved, and technological support for education played a significant role.

Estonian experts shared the programs that are used to teach schoolchildren. So, within the framework of the ProgeTiger program, programming training is provided, as well as an annual competition for schoolchildren (about 12,000 participants). The need for teacher training was voiced, and Estonian specialists launched the Reacti-VET project for this purpose. Modules are provided for the use of digital tools in teaching.

During the seminar, the importance of a systematic approach was emphasized. In addition to the specific goals set by the Ministry, the participants of the webinar consider it necessary to interact with stakeholders, as well as continuous training of teachers, mentoring; the use of innovative methods to motivate students so that they can successfully apply the knowledge they have gained in the future. This requires timely provision of infrastructure and tools for all participants in the process.