Telone Centre for Learning Corner Samora Machel and Hampton Road P o box BE 792 Belvedere Harare †Zimbabwe
Change Group (TASCHA) at the University of Washington Information School. Chris specializes in designing research programs that improve policy and practice in the area of information and communication
Chris holds a Master of Public Administration and a Master of arts in International Studies, both from the University of Washington
Silvia Caicedo is an international development innovator. Her background spans many fields, including education, information and communication technologies, knowledge sharing, health, and natural
resource management. Silvia spent 14 years at Canada†s International Development Research Centre IDRC) as a research project manager.
She holds a Master of arts in Sociology, Bachelor of arts in International Development, and Bachelors in Education Heidi Rauch is an entrepreneur who has designed
and executed community-based development projects throughout The americas with a focus on youth, women, employability, and technology.
University Nathalia Rodriguez Vega is an economic analyst with experience performing macroeconomic and market analysis. She worked for Citigroup analysing economic trends and providing investment recommendations
At Carnegie mellon University, she worked as a research assistant employing large-scale data analysis tools to analyse the impact of foreign-born workers in the US
Nathalia holds a Master of science In public Policy and Management and a Bachelor of arts in Economics The authors wish to thank Susan Schorr, Head, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau Special
encouraging more graduates to become job creators, not job seekers ITU has a long history in helping young people to become entrepreneurs and launch ICT careers.
mobile phones to promote education, commerce, health, sport and more. International Girls in ICT Day celebrated on the fourth Thursday of every April, is designed likewise to ensure that young women join
which provides access to a myriad of learning systems job matching services, entrepreneurship courses, contests,
5. 2 Digital literacy...30 5. 3 Web literacy...32 5. 4 Complementary skills...34
Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment vi Page 6 Entrepreneurship skills and support...35
6. 4 Toolkits and training programmes...41 6. 5 Mobile resources...41 6. 6 Comprehensive programmes...
7. 1 New learning models...44 7. 1. 1 Blended learning...44 7. 1. 2 Self-directed learning...
46 7. 1. 3 Collaborative learning...48 7. 2 Partnerships for learning and jobs...49
7. 3 Learning and innovation places...50 7. 3. 1 Co-working spaces and technology hubs...
51 7. 3. 2 Hacker/maker spaces...51 7. 4 Repositories, games and mobile resources...
52 7. 4. 1 Online repositories...52 7. 4. 2 Games...52 7. 4. 3 Social media...
53 7. 4. 4 Mobile phones †learning on the go...53 7. 5 Certification...54 7. 5. 1badges...
55 8 The role of government...56 8. 1 ICTS in education...57 8. 2 ICT skill development in non-formal educational settings...
59 8. 3 Alternative accreditation and certification methods...59 8. 4 Public-private partnerships...60
8. 5 Policies to support youth entrepreneurship...61 9 Conclusion...62 References...64 Glossary...69
This transformation is effectively making digital literacy a prerequisite for both wage employment and creating one†s own business.
ICT literacy not only qualifies people for jobs in conventional job sectors, but also opens doors to participate in rapidly growing markets such as
learning are challenged to keep pace with rapid technological changes and many are stuck in old methods
Against this gloomy picture there is an explosion of new learning opportunities that employ novel (and
myriad of new career options are generating new forms of learning. Open courseware, flipped classrooms, mobile learning,
and other innovations are redefining the realm of the possible, propelling a learning revolution that has the potential to reach a far greater proportion of the world†s youth
services, employability programs, contests and other programs for entrepreneurs, online learning platforms, and other useful resources.
Some of the nascent markets and learning programmes will become huge forces that reshape entire industries;
The technology and education sectors (both private and nonprofit are driving many of the changes,
on new models of learning. Chapter 8 discusses the role of government in supporting youth employment
pedagogical strengths and weaknesses of different learning models. Rather, the report aims to provide a
Babson College, 2011 www. gemconsortium. org/docs/cat/1/global-reports. The GEM is the largest ongoing global study of entrepreneurial
dynamics in the world, measures multiple phases on entrepreneurship, sponsored by Babson College (USA Universidad del Desarrollo (Chile) and Universiti Tun Abdul Razak (Malaysia.
In addition, 621 million youth are â€oeidle††known as NEET (not in education, employment, or training
search or seek additional education Figure 1: Global youth unemployment and unemployment rate, 1991 †2013 Source:
Education to Employment: Designing a System that Works,(Washington, D c.:Mckinsey Center for Government, 2012), www. improvingthestudentexperience. com/library/general/Educationtoemployment. pdf
-education and over-skilling coexist with under-education and under-skilling, and increasingly with skills
particularly wide in theoretical and hands-on training, problem solving, and computer literacy. 15 The unemployment situation varies significantly between developed and developing countries, and
or neither in the labour force nor in education or training. †16 12 Ibid. 1
Education to Employment, 10 15 Ibid. 36 16 International labour organization,"Global Employment Trends for Youth 2013, †2
Youth not engaged in employment, education, or training (NEET) is one of the main challenges
policymakers in developed economies face. In Japan and the United states, NEET rates were 9. 7 and 15.6
of education, be an immigrant or of ethnic minority status, or possess a disability. 21 In addition,
between ages 15 and 24 allocate most of their time to education and training, youth unemployment is
Low quality schooling and high dropout rates supress youth employment. According to the Economic Commission for Latin america and the Caribbean, completing a high quality secondary education is an
important threshold for increasing the odds of obtaining a quality job. 32 While about 89 per cent of young
people in the region begin secondary education, less than one-half complete it. 33 In addition, rates of educational achievement indicate that Latin american and Caribbean countries rank in the bottom third in
all three subjects measured by the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), and 30 to 80
per cent of students performed at the lowest level in all subjects. 34 Employment opportunities do not necessarily increase with higher levels of education.
In countries such as Argentina, Chile, and Peru there exists a higher concentration of unemployment among youth with
secondary education than either primary or advanced education. 35 This situation reflects a skills mismatch wherein there is stronger demand for workers with a college education than those with secondary
education 2. 4. 2 Arab States Youth unemployment rates in the middle East continue to be the highest in the world.
The 2012 youth unemployment rate was estimated at 28.3 per cent in the middle East, and 23.7 per cent in North africa. 36
Labour market conditions for young people remain dire, despite advances in educational attainment over the past two decades. 37 Gender disparities are also common in this region, with 42.6 per cent of young
33 UNESCO Santiago, Education, Youth, and Development, UNESCO in Latin america and the Caribbean,(Santiago UNESCO, 2010), http://unesdoc. unesco. org/images/0018/001891/189108e. pdf
As a result, young people with a university degree are more likely to be unemployed than their less-educated peers,
Technical training in science, technology, and engineering is needed particularly in this region. 43 2. 4. 3 Central and South Eastern europe and CIS
university graduates. On the other hand, there is high and unmet demand for technicians of all skills levels and for skilled blue-collar workers. †46 The region has high numbers of university graduates in fields highly
desired by employers today, like science, technology, and math. 47 This mismatch is demonstrated in surveys indicating high rates of employer dissatisfaction with the availability of skilled workers, 40 per
Education Reform in the middle East and North africa, Executive Summary Washington, D c.,2007), 11 40 International Youth Foundation, Opportunity for Action:
cent in one 2008 survey. 48 Educational achievement as measured by the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) indicates that the education system in this region is performing adequately at
imparting basic skills, but is underperforming in higher order skills like problem solving or critical thinking the very skills that firms increasingly seek. 49
In China, rural/urban disparities exist in access to education. About 61 per cent of the 225 million people
education or less, in urban areas young people have at least a high school education. As a result, 17 per
cent of urban youth in China attend university, compared to 5 per cent of rural youth. 53
In India, the youth population suffers from low levels of education. On average, young people in India receive just over seven years of education.
Moreover, there are wide disparities according to caste, class and gender. For example, the wealthiest 20 per cent attend eleven years of school, whereas the poorest
quintile averages only four years. 54 The education deficit is filled not by technical/vocational education and training as only 6 per cent of urban youth and 3 per cent of rural youth attend these institutions at
the secondary level. 55 2. 4. 5 Sub-saharan africa The youth unemployment rate in Sub-saharan africa is 11.8 per cent with large variances in the
48 Lars Sondergaard and Mamta Murthi, â€oe Skills, Not Just Diplomas, Managing Education for Results in Eastern europe and
54 UNESCO, Education for All Global Monitoring Report 2010,(Paris: UNESCO, 2010 www. unesco. org/new/en/education/themes/leading-the-international-agenda/efareport/reports/2010
-marginalization /55 International Youth Foundation, Opportunity for Action: Preparing Youth for 21st Century Livelhoods, 12
students enrol in primary education, the lowest in the world. The picture worsens as the education level
increases. Only 41 per cent of boys and 32 per cent of girls in Sub-saharan africa enrol in secondary
education. 60 In the short-term, young people are likely to continue earning their living in the informal
for them cuts across sectors†from agriculture and construction to education and service industries. 61 Europe predicts that within five years,
60 UNESCO Institute for Statistics,"Global Education Digest 2011,"(Montreal: UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2011
www. uis. unesco. org/Education/Pages/ged-2011. aspx 61 Maria Garrido, Joe Sullivan, and Andrew Gordon,"Understanding the Links Between ICT Skills Training and
Employability: An Analytical Framework,"Information technologies & International Development, 8, no. 2, 2011 62 European commission,"e-Skills week 2012:
knowledge economy. 74 This industry offers a good salary, career development opportunities for graduates and professionals,
secondary effects like the demand for education useful to work in this sector. Therefore, besides creating
between local education systems and the high-quality standards required to serve the global market. 77 This includes training in English language as well as in new technologies and processes, the latter of which
is obtained through global certifications in the ITO sector. 78 Dominican republic, Guatemala, El salvador While countries such as India and the Philippines steal the headlines in the offshore services
beneficial for people with basic literacies but who may not possess the knowledge to create a rã sumã Ì or
or training, like tagging products on an e-commerce site Referred to as a kind of digital blue-collar work,
microwork requires little training, and many microworkers are located already in the developing world. Microwork benefits workers in developing
addition to providing state-of-the-art equipment, the labs offer technical training and workshops, as well as help developers and entrepreneurs to connect with potential investors, experts, and public sector
emerging markets, many with a social agenda, that offer financial support and training for developers to
association will produce educational materials for business leaders, designers, and software developers administer professional accreditation certifications; elevate awareness of local and regional activities
and; build community and provide opportunities for accessibility professionals to engage with each other. 98
persons with disabilities unprecedented levels of access to education, skills training and employment, as well as the opportunity to participate in the economic, cultural and social life of their communities. †100
youth job training and employment in many regions around the world. In cities throughout the developing
There are countless initiatives that offer youth skills training in device repair, local employment opportunities, as well as business training for local micro enterprises
They also provide training in entrepreneurial and financial skills. The programme reaches 100 young people per year
youth and young students from some universities are preparing for the expansion of†green jobs to increase our employment and youth employment rates. †115
In addition to jobs that require higher education such as engineering, the pervasive use of ICT applications from web portals, text messages (SMS), mobile phone based monitoring systems, community
literacy is not sufficient to pursue the majority of new opportunities described in earlier chapters.
experts have developed new literacy frameworks in order to describe and delineate other types of ICT skills. These go by such names such as digital literacy, information literacy, ICT
literacy, media (or multimedia) literacy, and web literacy, among others. New curricula and training programs have emerged to cover the broader set of skills contained within these new frameworks
This chapter begins with a look at the evolution from computer to digital literacy, the latter widely
recognized as a more comprehensive and relevant inventory of the range of ICT-related skills needed for
success in career and life. Next, the concept of web literacy is explored, exemplifying new thinking around
113 Youthpolicy. org, www. youthpolicy. org/blog/category/rio-2012 /114 Michael Davidson and Kyle Gracey. â€oegreen Jobs for Youth, †2011
http://switchboard. nrdc. org/blogs/mdavidson/Youthgreenjobs%20-%20gracey,%20davidson. pdf 115 UN Focal point on Youth, â€oewhat Are the Up-and-coming Areas for Youth employment in Your Country?
5. 2 Digital literacy Most of today†s attention around ICT skills is focused on the concept of digital literacy.
Being digitally literate refers to the ability to effectively and critically navigate, evaluate and create information using a
of the European commission, has undertaken extensive work around digital literacy. In its 2013 report they propose a comprehensive framework that exemplifies the types of competencies many experts note
There are important distinctions between this and other digital literacy frameworks and those focused on computer literacy.
First, digital literacy frameworks are typically more explicit about the breadth of life purposes for which being digitally literate is necessary.
leisure, social, buying and selling, learning, citizenship, well-being and employability. The list above illuminates this tendency with the inclusion of such competences as
In this way digital literacy frameworks adopt a holistic approach, recognizing the deeply embedded nature of technology is all
All of these distinctions have important implications for digital literacy training. It is more challenging to
5. 3 Web literacy While digital literacy may be established the most concept, other efforts have emerged also that reflect
differing philosophies of how the internet should be maintained, as well as different skillsets. The concept of web literacies is worth discussing in this context.
Advanced by the Mozilla Foundation in collaboration with global experts, web literacies refers to â€oenot only being able to read the web
but also having the ability to †write†it. Writing the web †creating pages, documents and multimedia assets †means
skills, competencies and literacies to be able to tinker and make things with and on the web. †122
competencies and literacies necessary to be a Webmaker,"Mozilla Foundation, http://mzl. la/weblit Digital opportunities:
Web skills/Competencies/Literacies grid EXPLORING CREATING CONNECTING PROTECTING BEGINNER Browser basics e g. URLS copy/paste
The Framework for 21st Century Learning, produced by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills articulates the key elements needed to ensure people are equipped for lifelong success. Among other
learning and innovation skills, and information, media and technology skills. The latter has been addressed in detail above. The contents of
Learning and innovation skills •creativity and innovation •critical thinking and problem solving •communication and collaboration
Finally, many organizations that provide employability training have developed a range of complementary services aimed at improving the employment prospects of their clients.
•sector-specific training, often in collaboration with industry •language training, especially English 6 Entrepreneurship skills and support
It is recognized widely that entrepreneurship is a necessary ingredient for stimulating economic growth and employment opportunities around the world.
A learning and networking event for NGOS. Workshop Report, Barcelona, June 2007,"(Seattle: Technology & Social Change Group, 2007), http://hdl. handle. net/1773/16291
Entrepreneurship education and start-up support contribute to the creation and development of entrepreneurial attitudes, motivations and skills needed to successfully run
with the idea that running one†s own firm can be a potential career option is important, and education
Business Training is Vital Entrepreneurs cannot rely on ambition and innovation alone. Basic business training is extremely
In cases where ICT students graduate with the skills to be developers, most of these students lack the
basic business skills needed to get an idea off the ground. They are developers, not CEOS. 136 As a result
It aims to support entrepreneurs by providing them with investment, training and mentorship in an effort to accelerate the transformation of their business ideas and start-ups into high
6. 4 Toolkits and training programmes There are many digital resources designed to help young entrepreneurs that have been created by the
It engages learners by using games, exercises, video clips, and case studies to explain and break down complex business
skills †from learning how to research the market to developing an effective sales pitch and
BYB uses a blended learning strategy in which skills introduced on e-learning modules are enriched reinforced and with face-to-face instruction led by a
classroom facilitator and hands-on activities conducted by the learners in their communities Website: www. iyfnet. org/build-your-business
www. intel. com/content/www/us/en/education/k12/intel-learn. html 146 World bank, Information and Communications for Development 2012:
business training, funding and/or mentorship, among others. These comprehensive programmes offer integrated services for young entrepreneurs with the aim of facilitating
connecting them with greater opportunities for education, employment and entrepreneurship Through Youthspark, Microsoft will dedicate the majority of its cash contributions to nonprofit
Youthspark will include Office 365 for education, free technology tools for all teachers and students, and Skype in the classroom, a free global community for teachers to connect their
students with others around the world Website: www. microsoft. com/about/corporatecitizenship/en-us/youthspark/youthsparkhub
/7 Getting there †becoming ICT-savvy Young people have an innate appetite for learning-be it, alone, in the school system,
or with peers. Their curious minds harbour an immense, untapped potential for innovation capable of defying the most
A study looking at learning spaces and the influence of ICTS identifies six trends as the hallmark of the
a. Classrooms are not the only form of learning space b. Social interaction is a growing part of learning.
Team and collaborative learning is encouraged c. Technology is natural in the lives of the student †as the â€oedigital native††while the teacher †as
the â€oedigital immigrant††may perceive technologies as a new part of the educational landscape d. Internet resources can bypass peer review,
E learning can occur out of sequence as a result of intentional and serendipitous interactions on and offline f. Students construct content rather than just consuming it.
Students are active authors of content and innovation These trends reflect changes in the larger phenomena in society
and are the subject of this chapter, which looks at how people acquire ICT skills
show innovation and a variety of models, methods and channels for learning and teaching. Most of the
the first explores new learning models; the second looks at partnerships for promoting jobs and learning;
the third examines the role of physical places for learning the fourth explores the range of online resources that have proliferated;
and the last section presents new accreditation models that are expanding ways to recognize skills
148 Andrew J Milne,"Chapter 11: Designing Blended learning Space Student Experience, †in Learning Spaces. eds.
Diana G Oblinge (EDUCAUSE, 2006 Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 44 Figure 15:
7. 1 New learning models New technologies are changing how learning and teaching is done, creating new opportunities and
challenges for teachers and learners alike. Teachers can take on the role of expert-facilitators of learning
while students can own the learning process and acquire knowledge at their own pace. New ways of
interacting in the learning environment are also emerging. Three key trends are explored below: blended learning, self-directed learning, and collaborative learning
7. 1. 1 Blended learning Blended learning is the pedagogical integration of digital and face-to-face instruction. Blended learning
encompasses flipped classroom, mix-mode, hybrid, technology-mediated instruction, and web-enhanced instruction. In flipped classrooms, 149 for instance, technologies are integrated intricately in the teaching
process. The use of new technologies in learning is more than a mere substitution of the medium of
instruction; it is an intentional design that takes advantage of digital tools and technology to enhance
learning 149 Flipped classroom is a blended learning model that where the teacher leverages technology to instruct,
while reserving the classroom time to interact with students. Video lectures and other class-related information are delivered via the
internet The story of Kelvin Doe Kelvin Doe is a young teenager from Sierra leone whose self-taught technical wizardry and
abilities attracted the attention of the Massachusetts institute of technology (MIT) †one of the most prestigious technical schools in the world.
He became the youngest fellow at MIT€ s International Development Initiative, where he demonstrated his impressive skills to
more experienced engineers. Kelvin also participated at the â€oemeet the Young Makers†panel at 2012 Maker Faire in New york, serving as an inspiration to young innovators
and learning potential, Kelvin could make significant engineering contributions to his country Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment
Blended learning and ICTS Source: Authors The blended learning process relies on digital environments called Learning Management Systems (LMS
LMS enable the creation of a virtual classroom for the students, complete with lessons plans, discussion
fora, grades, quizzes, tests, class calendar and other resources. By having access to the class material
students can learn the concepts at their own pace and use the face-to-face time with the instructor to
The virtual classroom on LMS is also a space for community building and interaction. Many LMSS integrate
Blended learning requires active participation and engagement from the students, thereby changing the experience of knowledge acquisition.
It is no longer a mere transfer of information, where the student only consumes. The innovative aspect of blended learning rests on the new way it encourages students to
learn about the technology while discovering other subjects. Students have the option to present their
work using the technology†for example, instead of writing a paper or report, they can make a video
There are some exciting examples of universities organizing contests with Phd students who present their scientific work using video or other technology. 150
as a result of the Contest â€oedance your Ph d. †organized by University of Sidney in Australia. http://sydney. edu. au/news/science/397. html?
Blended learning has gained popularity mostly in European and North american high schools, colleges and universities, especially those equipped with broadband access.
The implementation of blended learning is growing slowly in the developing world, where connectivity and infrastructure continue to present
challenges. Nonetheless, a number of universities from the South have enhanced their distance education programmes by turning them into blended learning opportunities to reach migrant populations living
abroad, mostly in Europe and the United states. These universities operate through satellite offices around the world,
and attract working mothers as well as young and older professionals who take advantage of these offerings to complete their academic studies with lower costs,
often studying in their native language The African Virtual university is a Pan African Intergovernmental Organization created with
the mandate to increase access to quality higher education and training through the innovative use of information communication technologies.
AVU has the largest elearning network, and it currently works in 27 countries, through 53 partner institutions, reaching
Anglophone, Francophone and Lusophone African students. The AVU has its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya and a Regional office in Dakar Senegal
Website: www. avu. org One appeal of the blended model for youth and lifelong learners is the flexibility it offers to combine
work and study. It is expected that more and more universities and institutions will be using the blended learning model around the world
7. 1. 2 Self-directed learning With ICTS and the vast amount of free content available on the internet,
the student (young and old) can choose what and when to learn. The student is no longer bound by curricular programmes,
and can learn in a formal or non-formal manner. There is a transformative element to self-directed learning as Kelvin†s
case illustrates above. Self-directed learning is an option for youth who â€oefind themselves trapped in the
vicious circle of low skills, low productivity and low income. †151 The opportunities to learn in a self
-directed fashion are enormous Figure 17: Self-directed learning Source: Authors 151 International Labour Office, Apprenticeship in the Informal Economy in Africa,(Geneva:
ILO, 2008 Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment 47 Prominent and emerging models of self-directed learning include open universities,
open course ware OCW), open educational resources (OER), and massive open online courses (MOOCS. They have in common the desire to democratize high-calibre educational materials across the world,
empower learners of any age to take learning into their own hands by providing them with good educational options, and
foster connections without boundaries Experts think that MOOCS, OERS, and OCW constitute a disruptive technology in education.
MOOCS are becoming vehicles for unrestricted and unfiltered knowledge acquisition. One purveyor, Coursera, found that 68 per cent of its users are â€oefrom outside the United states, with India, China, Brazil, and Mexico all in
the top 10. †152 At the same time, researchers have observed that very few people complete courses and
have uncovered other evidence suggesting that the reality is currently falling short of the promise. 153 Like
many innovations in their infant stage, it is still too soon to predict the future of MOOCS.
There may be unanticipated effects, for instance, if relying on MOOCS results in not building â€oelocal capacity for
education, research or knowledge creation in the education sector. †154 Or, countries may figure out how
to incorporate MOOCS into their societies in ways that strengthen, not detract from, building their
education capacities. What can be assumed is that this type of learning will expand exponentially. This
movement marks a transition to a learning paradigm in which knowledge acquisition is no longer only in
the hands of policy-makers, publishing houses or instructors. Youth feel more empowered to decide on the type of education and the type of knowledge they want to acquire
Coursera is a for-profit social enterprise that facilitates large-scale participation of students who sign up for free online courses with top universities around the world.
Coursera launched in April 2012, and it has partnered since with a number of universities interested in
capitalizing on reaching a larger number of students. Professors affiliated with universities lead courses offered through Coursera,
and students have the option of taking them for credit or just to learn something new.
There is a high level of interactivity between students and professors. Also, student can organize face-to-face meetings using the Meetup app.
Coursera is growing rapidly. As of September 2013 Coursera has had 17 million enrolments from students in 190 countries. 155
Website: www. coursera. org /152 Anya Kemenetz, â€oeonline courses are taking off: But there†s a major downside, †(Slate. com, November 2013
www. slate. com/articles/technology/future tense/2013/11/developing countries and moocs online education could hurt national systems. html 153 Tamar Lewin, â€oeafter setbacks, online courses are rethought, †(New york times, December 10, 2013
www. nytimes. com/2013/12/11/us/after-setbacks-online courses-are-rethought. html? emc=eta1 154 Anya Kemenetz, â€oeonline courses are taking off:
But there†s a major downside, †(Slate. com, November 2013 www. slate. com/articles/technology/future tense/2013/11/developing countries and moocs online education could
hurt national systems. html 155 Coursera, www. coursera. org/about/community Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment
48 Similar services continue to grow as universities and other educational institutions seize the power of ICTS
and adopt connectivist pedagogy principles156 to deploy free and open access to instructional material on
the internet. Other examples of initiatives assisting self-directed learning include: Moodle157, Udacity158 Edx159, Second Life160, among others
7. 1. 3 Collaborative learning There are vast opportunities for youth to engage in collaborative (or peer) learning using ICTS
Collaborative learning allows peers to share their knowledge, explore new areas of interest, and benefit
from the cumulative knowledge of the group. Collaborative learning relies on positive interdependence with the group, individual accountability for learning and teaching,
and clear processes to lead, follow and resolve issues related to project goals or group dynamics. Collaborative learning takes place both in
-person and online, with ICTS expanding the range of possibilities There is evidence that working collaboratively increases productivity,
and improves learning outcomes. As a model, collaborative learning undergirds many significant ICT initiatives such as the open source model
In the education sector, students enrolled in MOOCS are found to collaborate through social media and
Meetups161 from their own locales across the world. ICTS and social media have brought down the barriers to collaboration and openness. 162 With these barriers removed, the possibilities for collaborative
learning are open to anyone. Those who participate enrich their knowledge by being exposed to a multitude of viewpoints and experiences of people with whom they otherwise would have been unlikely
to connect. 163 156 Connectivism is based a network pedagogy. It informs the work of MOOCS, OCW and other open access pedagogical
exercises. MOOCS for instances have drawn on such connectivist pedagogical principles as: aggregation †bringing a massive amount of content produced in different places online into one portal;
remixing †associating materials from different sources together to create new ones; re-purposing †aggregated
and remixed materials to suit the goals of courses, and; feeding forward †sharing of re-purposed ideas and content with rest of the world
157 Moodle, https://moodle. org /158 Udacity, https://www. udacity. com/us 159 Edx, www. edx. org
/160 Second life Directory, http://wiki. secondlife. com/wiki/Second life education directory 161 Meetups are intentional gatherings of people who share similar interests.
They are organized using the Meetup platform. See more at www. meetup. com /162 Clay Shirky, â€oethe Political Power of Social media, †Foreign affairs 90, no. 1 (2011:
28†41 163 Nilofer Merchant, â€oelet Your Ideas Go,"(Harvard Business Review, Blogs. Hbr. org, June 26, 2012
http://blogs. hbr. org/cs/2012/06/let your ideas go. html Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment
49 Figure 18: Social capital and collaborative/peer learning Source: Authors In the context of youth employment, it is important to consider the benefits that participating in
collaborative learning can offer. Collaborative learning events are opportunities for young people to learn ICTS (basic and advanced) as well as entrepreneurial skills.
It can also result in increased connections and contacts with peers and experts in the field of interest;
thus collaborative learning offers networking opportunities that may lead to participants learning about jobs as well.
The sustainability and success of collaborative learning depends largely on the motivation and commitment of individuals who organize
and participate in these events Peer 2 Peer University is an online space for learning guided by values of openness
community and peer learning. It offers courses (MOOCS) and an open master programme for anyone who wishes to learn.
The courses are free and while the P2pu does not confer credits it recognizes achievement through the Open Badges initiative,
described later in this chapter Badges are granted based on how students work together to learn a particular topic.
P2pu houses the following communities: mathematical future, school of education, school of open schools of webcraft, and school of innovation
7. 2 Partnerships for learning and jobs As noted in chapters 3 and 4, a growing number of jobs require ICT skills of different levels.
reports point to the importance of mentoring in learning and skill development, finding that when youth
Partnerships for learning and work Source: ITU Google summer of code, launched in 2005, is a global programme that has granted over
Students are paired with a mentor/s and given exposure to real-world software development scenarios and the
7. 3 Learning and innovation places The classic notion of the learning place is associated with organized institutions such as schools
universities, and vocational training centres. With the advance of new learning models described above youth are taking learning to places like technology hubs, co-working spaces,
and hacker/maker spaces The popularity of these places demonstrates the lasting value of face-to-face interaction, which when
coupled with interactive online tools, allows these places to offer a rich ERROR-Flatefilter: stop reading corrupt stream due to a Dataformatexception
environment for learning collaboration and co-creation 164 See reports by the European Youth Forum (2008;
International Youth Foundation (2012), National Youth Agency †UK 2008), ITU (2012 Civil society organizations
Governments (public sector) Educational institutions Opportunities to work and learn on the job Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment
widespread impact of social networking and new locales for learning 7. 3. 1 Co-working spaces and technology hubs
and start-ups with training, networking, mentoring, and finding funding. A co-working space is shared a
events, offer trainings, and hold social gatherings. A technology hub is a form of co-working space with a
from research to a tech incubator, engaged with the university community, and created partnerships with numerous high-tech companies. 166 Most importantly, the ihub has created
Imagining Exercise on the Future of Learning, †JRC Scientific and Technical Reports (2008), doi:
Learning with games is not an entirely new phenomenon; roleplaying has been used for many years in education to impart new
knowledge and socialize children. As game content became digitalized, playing video games moved online. This move has resulted in an explosion of creativity,
including for learning. Games attract massive audiences with a diversity of backgrounds and gives rise to multiple opportunities for expanding the scope
and learning for use in the classroom or other setting. The game accommodates multiplayer activities
games in classrooms Website: www. minecraftedu. com /167 Manuel Castells and Gustavo Cardoso, The Network Society,(WASHINGTON DC:
Social media are used extensively for learning as well. Some of the major sites (e g. Facebook and Twitter became known as platforms for the exchange of personal stories and leisure activities, but more and
and institutions of learning to enrich the learning experience. For example, people who enrol in MOOCS take advantage of both online social media
tools and applications such as Meetup to organize face-to-face study sessions at a local coffeehouse library, or someone†s house.
Education experts call this connectivism, where â€oeknowledge isn†t a set of isolated facts to be memorized.
Instead, it†s actually a large set†or really a network†of connections, and learning is nothing more
or less than traversing them. In the same way that you become proficient in a piece of music by playing its notes in order in an expressive way†that is, traversing its connections†you
7. 4. 4 Mobile phones †learning on the go There are over 5. 2 billion mobile phone subscriptions in developing countries. 169 The ubiquity of mobiles
has turned them into a learning tool that can bring people living in remote areas closer to education
basic education, literacy and numeracy; language learning; hard and soft skills, and; entrepreneurship training. 170 As described
elsewhere in this report, private and public entities have stepped up to offer mobile learning programs in numerous languages across all continents.
The Mobiles for Education Alliance, comprised of 18 members including: British Council, ITU, the Mastercard Foundation, Organization of american states, USAID
the potential of mobile phones to vastly expand learning opportunities, especially for those in developing countries. 171
Mobile learning is still in its infancy, with ongoing research being undertaken to understand what works
following the blended learning, self-directed learning, and collaborative learning examples discussed earlier. And while there are many programs that can be accessed via basic or feature phones,
In all cases, mobile devices can help young students access information at their own pace, and in
168 Paul Mcfedries, â€oei†m in the Mood for MOOCS, †Spectrum. Ieee. org, December 4, 2012, http://spectrum. ieee. org/at
-work/education/im-in-the-mood-for-moocs 169 ITU, Measuring the Information Society 2013,(Geneva:
Mobiles for Youth Workforce Development, †Mobiles for Education Alliance, 2013 21, www. meducationalliance. org/content/mobiles-youth-workforce-development-landscape-review
171 Mobiles for Education Alliance, www. meducationalliance. org /Digital opportunities: Innovative ICT solutions for youth employment
performed training activities or successfully completed a programme. Certificates cover all skill levels from basic to professional, some focus on a particular technology or application,
Educational institutions, from private institutes to public universities, are the traditional purveyor of diplomas and certificates.
Employers assign great weight to such certificates when the credentialing entity is recognized well known and in the country for high
quality education and rigorous testing Technology companies, including Microsoft, CISCO, HP, Samsung, Apple, and Google, also offer
The self-directed learner can earn some of these certificates online directly. NGOS and private institutes also rely heavily on the curricula
For example, one can take the Microsoft Digital Literacy curriculum from the Microsoft site173 or enrol at one of the thousands of civil society organizations worldwide that offer this training
Finally, there are regional and global initiatives to establish standards that span a range of skills and
Others are offered by civil society organizations and educational institutions. Global and regional initiatives also exist 172 Marion Walton and Jonathan Donner, Public Access, Private Mobile, Global Impact Study Research Report Series
Technology & Social Change Group, University of Washington Information School, 2012 www. globalimpactstudy. org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Public-access-private-mobile-final. pdf
173 Microsoft Digital Literacy curriculum www. microsoft. com/about/corporatecitizenship/citizenship/giving/programs/up/digitalliteracy/default. mspx
known as â€oebadges. †Badges have become an alternative form of accreditation, led by the Mozilla Foundation and its Mozilla Open Badges.
As depicted, the learner is at the centre of the system The badge itself is an online representation of a skill that has been learned. â€oebadge issuers††schools and
universities, community and nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and companies among others †establish the criteria and tests to verify mastery of subjects.
Learners collect badges in a â€oebackpack†where they can be displayed online for potential employers and others to view
level of granularity that is unavailable in other forms of accreditation. The importance of badges rests on
its premise that ICT skills need to be recognized regardless of the place where the learner has acquired
For self-directed learners and others, badges offer a promising way to demonstrate, acquire and promote their skills
designed to harness ICTS for youth education, employment, and entrepreneurship. The examples are the result of a combination of factors:
education,(2) supporting non-formal channels of learning,(3) supporting alternative accreditation systems,(4) advancing public-private partnerships,
8. 1 ICTS in education The opportunities for learning and innovating with ICTS are immeasurable,
However, despite significant investments, formal educational systems continue to face challenges in preparing youth with the ICT-related skills they need to succeed.
traditional models of education are not adequately preparing students to meet the demands of a changing job market. 177 The report emphasizes that formal
education remains the primary vehicle for improving the supply of skills needed for driving innovation
and that governments need to take measures to address the limitations of their systems Many experts have linked the limitations of the educational systems to a lack of real integration of ICTS in
education. The lack of integration negatively affects knowledge acquisition using ICTS, in general, and the acquisition of ICT skills, in particular, even when ICTS are available in the classroom.
Many factors account for this situation, including: lack of software and technical support; absence of reliable electrical supply
inadequate student-computer ratios; ICT learning restricted to studying basic computer literacy and not for learning other subjects;
and importantly, the limited capacity of teachers to make more integrated use of ICTS for teaching
and learning. 178 There are many active regional initiatives. The Latin american Network of Educational Portals (RELPE) 179
gathers ministers of education from 23 countries (25 portals) in the region and Spain with the goal of
making ICTS an integral part of education by training and providing resources to increase the ICT
capabilities of teachers In Africa, Schoolnet Africa and the Panafrican Research Agenda on the Pedagogical Integration on ICTS
have developed a series of evidence-based policy documents to help educators, administrators, and policy-makers. Other initiatives provide educators and students with practical resources for use in the
classroom In Asia, some countries have achieved a high degree of integration of ICTS in education while others are
still working to provide digital access and basic literacy to large parts of their populations. 180 In regional
surveys, countries such as Korea, Singapore, Japan, China, and Taiwan rank high for their achievements in
ICT in education programmes and support of sciences and technical innovation. 181 In the rest of the region
a significant amount of work is needed still. Nonetheless, it should be noted that new national 177 OECD, OECD Science, Technology and Industry Outlook 2012 (OECD Publishing, 2012), 486
http://dx. doi. org/10.1787/sti outlook-2012-en 178 Robert B. Kozma and Shafika Isaacs, Transforming Education:
the Power of ICT Policies,(Paris: UNESCO, 2011 http://unesdoc. unesco. org/images/0021/002118/211842e. pdf
Education in India and South Asia,"(Infodev. org, June 4, 2010), www. infodev. org/en/Publication. 876. html
2012 Higher education Edition†(Austin: The New Media Consortium 2012), www. nmc. org/publications/horizon-report-2012-higher-ed-edition
support the integration of ICTS in education are starting to show results. 182 The importance of government coordination
and education efforts have been implemented as independent interventions by ministries, departments or agencies, limiting their impact. 183 Seizing the potential of ICTS
for education requires an integrated, coordinated approach across relevant ministries. 184 A national strategy that guides the work of multiple ministries enhances complementarity of efforts and reduces
education, social development and even industry work together to identify common areas of interest and
new learning environments and the generation of an adequate context for Uruguay†s children to be able
mainstream ICTS in the classroom, and has been developed in coordination with multiple government agencies. 189 In Estonia the government has taken a more radical approach by launching a national programme to
teach students aged 7 to 19 to write code as part of its national digital strategy. 190 Working with industry
182 infodev, â€oeinformation and Communication Technology for Education in India and South Asia; †OECD, OECD Science
and Kozma and Isaacs, Transforming Education: the Power of ICT Policies 183 Johnson, et al. â€oethe NMC Horizon Report:
2012 Higher education Edition. †184 Kozma and Isaacs, Transforming Education: the Power of ICT Policies;
OECD, OECD Science, Technology and Industry Outlook 2012 185 Kozma and Isaacs, Transforming Education: the Power of ICT Policies;
Nidhi Tandon et al. A Bright Future in ICTS Opportunities for a New Generation of Women (Geneva:
of Basic Informatics for Online learning. www. ceibal. edu. uy /188 Kozma and Isaacs, Transforming Education:
the Power of ICT Policies 189 The Plan CEIBAL, Conectividad Educativa 190 Innovation Centre for Digital Education, www. tiigrihype. ee/en
191 Parmy Olson, â€oewhy Estonia Has started Teaching Its First-Graders to Code, †(Forbes. com, September 6, 2012
The examples from Uruguay and Estonia fall within the formal education systems. Yet, as the earlier
chapters show, the places where young people or lifelong learners can develop ICTS skills have
transcended the walls of the classroom. Learning can happen anywhere, be this in hackathons, meetups
MOOCS, codefests, using freely available information online, or participating in contests. These are opportunities governments need to pay attention to
and support as they have shown to be fertile sites for innovation and learning Promoting these kinds of activities requires openness to uncertainty and risk.
To date, most activities have been supported and initiated by non-government entities and the private sector.
Singapore plans to introduce MOOCS in K-12 education to provide alternatives for learning and promote
knowledge sharing. 193 The benefits of such initiatives in elementary school remain to be evaluated Nonetheless, it is encouraging to see governments taking interest.
young people from the open source movement, university researchers, the private sector international donor agencies and national governments.
8. 3 Alternative accreditation and certification methods A key factor in the success of alternative learning pathways is recognizing the skills and knowledge people
acquire. This seems to represent a significant stumbling block for those who adhere to the notion that
only traditional certification and accreditation systems are appropriate. Conventional accreditation and certification systems represent agreed upon standards,
often sanctioned by authorities created to guide the work of education granting organizations and institutions.
Such systems are of course important and need to be updated continuously to reflect changes in technology and workforce needs
Technology Outlook for Singaporean K-12 Education 2012-2017,(Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium, 2012), www. comminit. com/ict-4-development/content/technology-outlook-singaporean-k-12-education
-2012-2017 194 Openmrs, http://openmrs. org /195 Jembi Health Sysetms, www. jembi. org/programs
which in turn contributes to the formulation of education and labour policies that responds to the needs of the market and spurs innovation.
investments are designed to attract students into science, technology, engineering and mathematics STEM) fields. Similar programmes are emerging in developing countries.
government has launched the â€oenational ICT Literacy and Awareness Campaign, †a joint initiative of the
Ministry of Youth and ICT, Ministry of Local government, the Ministry of Education, the Rwanda Education Board, Rwanda Development Board,
and the Private Sector Federation An open dialogue between governments and the private sector can help overcome issues related to
coordination of investments in skills development and education. Many businesses make public-private partnerships a priority and have dedicated budgets for apprenticeship, job placements, and other
QA Apprenticeships and Cisco Apprenticeship to offer high school graduates three-year apprenticeship opportunities with CISCO. 199 In Jordan the Ministry of Social Development is responsible for a programme
designed to provide marginalized youth with training and job opportunities in private sector institutions Youth gain real work experience and on-the-job training through this programme. 200 In Malaysia, the
Penang Skills Development Centre, 201 created as a joint partnership among government, academia and industry, offers a range of training programmes for youth
196 Johnson, et al. â€oetechnology Outlook for Singaporean K-12 Education 2012-2017 "197 International Youth Foundation, Opportunity for Action:
Preparing Youth for 21st Century Livelihoods; ITU, Tandon et al A Bright Future in ICTS Opportunities for a New Generation of Women;
are limited to training, and businesses use them to identify talent. Often, when businesses offer apprenticeships, internships or any other form of on-the-job-training opportunity, they limit their
commitment to the duration of the programme. While students in these programmes in general fare well
this type of initiative could be complemented with a job placement element. Whether the placement is
Ensure training opportunities can be accessed through formal and non-formal channels •Ensure access to business, legal and related information to help new entrepreneurs in the early
more South-South and North-South collaborations for learning and trade •Use government procurement to purchase products and services from entrepreneurs and small
Innovations in learning both ICT and soft skills are plentiful and increasing every month. Existing programmes are improving,
Advances in mobile learning are opening new doors. Moreover many of the resources are available at little or no cost.
open courseware, enrol in a MOOC course, or receive a badge certifying mastery of a subject
Government can lead efforts to incorporate a number of the learning programmes and pedagogical models, such as blended learning and flipped classrooms, into K-12 and higher education.
It can also mobilize efforts with the private sector to recognize alternative certification models, such as badges
thereby opening up ways to recognize skills mastery outside of formal education. Government can also lead dialogues with industry, academia, nonprofit organizations,
through training, internships, and job placement programmes. Policies and programmes to support entrepreneurship require another level of dedication.
and otherwise provide an environment that facilitates learning. While self -directed youth can take advantage of online programmes on their own,
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Connectivism A network-based pedagogy that informs the work of MOOCS, OCW and other open access initiatives
Flipped classroom An instructional model where students view video lectures and other online resources outside of class, with class time devoted to discussion and group work
courses (MOOCS Online courses featuring limitless participation and open access Meetup Intentional gatherings of people who share similar interests,
organized using the Meetup platform Microwork Small digital tasks that can be completed in a few seconds by people without
Mobile learning Learning via a mobile device or learning that happens when the learner is not at a
fixed location Open educational resources OER Freely available documents and media for educational purposes Open universities Refers to a university that is open to all learners with no admissions
requirements Opencourseware (OCW) Courses offered by universities made available in digital format, at no cost, and
free to adapt under an open licence. OCW does not include access to faculty or
certifications Pitch fests Events where entrepreneurs have the opportunity to pitch their ideas to potential investors
Powerleveling Using the help of another, stronger player in a role playing video game to level a
Web literacy Refers to not only being able to read the web but also having the ability to †writeâ€
Telone Centre for Learning Corner Samora Machel and Hampton Road P o box BE 792 Belvedere Harare †Zimbabwe
5. 2 Digital literacy 5. 3 Web literacy 5. 4 Complementary skills 6 Entrepreneurship skills and support
6. 1 Entrepreneurship skills 6. 2 Mentoring and networking 6. 3 Crowdfunding, contests, and other sources of capital
6. 4 Toolkits and training programmes 6. 5 Mobile resources 6. 6 Comprehensive programmes 7 Getting there-becoming ICT-savvy
7. 1 New learning models 7. 1. 1 Blended learning 7. 1. 2 Self-directed learning 7. 1. 3 Collaborative learning
7. 2 Partnerships for learning and jobs 7. 3 Learning and innovation places 7. 3. 1 Co-working spaces and technology hubs
7. 3. 2 Hacker/maker spaces 7. 4 Repositories, games and mobile resources 7. 4. 1 Online repositories
7. 4. 2 Games 7. 4. 3 Social media 7. 4. 4 Mobile phones-learning on the go 7. 5 Certification
7. 5. 1 Badges 8 The role of government 8. 1 ICTS in education 8. 2 ICT skill development in non-formal educational settings
8. 3 Alternative accreditation and certification methods 8. 4 Public-private partnerships 8. 5 Policies to support youth entrepreneurship
9 Conclusion References Glossary
Overtext Web Module V3.0 Alpha
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