Using ICTs and Blended Learning in Transforming TVET
New technology and digitalisation are rapidly transforming the world of work and the demand for skills needed by the industry. In this scenario, TVET can play a crucial role by equipping learners with skills and competencies that match industry demand, thus facilitating people’s access to the labour market throughout life and supporting each countries’ economic growth. According to Unesco – Unevoc, a greater integration of ICTs in TVET has come along with a number of challenges including poor digital skills of the trainers and limited access to ICT infrastructures.
Information and communication technology (ICT) encompasses technologies such as radio, television, the Internet and the Web, satellite and Wi-Fi systems, mobile telephony, computer hardware and software, audio- and video-conferencing, virtual reality, social media, wikis, 3D printers and so on, which enable users to access, store, share, and present information.
The Commonwealth of Learning (COL), the Canada – based intergovernmental organisation created by Commonwealth Heads of Government in 1987 to promote the development and sharing of open learning and distance education knowledge, resources and technologies, UNESCO Section of Youth, Literacy and Skills Development, and the UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre have recently launched a joint publication called “Using ICTs and Blended Learning in Transforming TVET”, which presents case studies from around the world and the need of policy reforms.
The publication outlines ways in which use of ICTs and open and flexible means of delivery help enhance learning opportunities. It comprises of inputs from leading experts around the world, including case studies developed by experts from UNEVOC Centres in Germany, Finland, Jamaica, and Sri Lanka.
Drawig on the expertise and experience of 15 contributors, the books examines the potential of TVET to bring education to those who might otherwise be unable to access it, provides insight into — and lessons learned from — different applications of ICTs in TVET around the globe, analyses issues of cost and approaches to planning for successful and sustainable applications of ICTs, and offers recommendations for the international organisations, governments, policy makers, managers and staff responsible for TVET.
The first part of the book sets the context, by introducing the demands and challenges, outlining the range of ICT applications available for teaching and learning which include Distance Education, Open, Blended, Flexible and Mobile Learning, Open Educational Resources and Open Courseware, Massive Open Online Courses, Digital Repositories, Virtual Reality (VR), Simulations, Games and Role Plays, Augmented Reality, and 3D Printing, and explaining how to adopt ICT-based Applications in TVET. The second part of the book comprises nine case studies from Germany, Australia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Jamaica, Finland, Africa, Cambodia, and Canada. In the third part, the authors explain how to plan for transformation, by providing considerations about costing the introduction of ICTs in TVET, and planning for the use of ICTs at the national and institutional levels.
This book should prove to be a valuable asset for both practising and potential TVET providers.
Download the publication: Using ICTs and Blended Learning in Transforming TVET