CLOUD | Developing teachers' digital competencies in Africa

The CLOUD is a flagship magazine published by UNESCO-ICHEI since 2021, aiming to build a platform that connects professionals in the realm of global higher education by sharing knowledge, project updates, data and best practices related to the digital transformation of global higher education. The name CLOUD symbolises a global network for knowledge sharing driven by Information and Communications Technology (ICT). As of September 2022, CLOUD has published six issues that covered various subjects such as digital transformation strategies for higher education, capacity building for university teachers, and quality assurance systems in higher education.

UNESCO-ICHEI interviews Chief Program Specialist at the Ghana Commission for UNESCO

Dr.  Riche-Mike Wellington

Currently serving as the Chief Program Specialist at the Ghana Commission for UNESCO, Riche-Mike Wellington has been a revered technocrat in Ghana and UNESCO affairs over the past 22 years. Mr. Riche-Mike Wellington is well recognized for having initiated major UNESCO projects of strategic importance in the education, sciences and culture sectors in the Africa region. As an ardent promoter of international best practices in the UNESCO fields of competence, Riche-Mike continues to advocate for Open Science and Open Educational Resources in multilateral space to accelerate Africa's development, promote integration and a culture of peace on the Continent.

01

Building university teachers' 

digital capacity in the post-pandemic era

As the world charted its way to the post-pandemic era, university teachers are forced to directly face the challenge of ensuring a smooth reopening of universities. Could you please give an example to introduce what measures or activities have been implemented in Africa to improve the state of being or to build the capacity of university teachers?

Source: UNESCO

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about one of the world's most defining moments for education. The unprecedented global health crisis affected every sector of societal life. The UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) estimates that over 1.5 billion students and youth around the world were affected by school and university closures resulting in massive learning losses.

Based on the existing digital infrastructure, after the pandemic, African universities prioritised the development of systems and structures for the continuous capacity building of university teachers and students towards efficiency and mastery in digital learning. Regarding faculty members, it was of vital needs to train teachers on distance education, especially for the capacity development in the adoption and utilisation of digitalised methodologies. Tutors and staff needed to be prepared through training on various themes to design and deliver online instructions using appropriate instructional methodologies in the digital space. Tutors also needed to be trained in courseware design and interactives, innovative online practices, as well as online assessment tools and practices. Meanwhile, student support was also one of the key elements for effective engagement in online learning.

02

Promoting inclusivity and accessibility 

for teacher education in Ghana

What are some existing gaps and corresponding strategies in Ghana to ensure inclusivity and accessibility, especially in remote or disadvantaged areas, to reach and train education managers?

In 2018, Ghana set out to reimagine teaching and learning to meet the demands of the 21st-Century education in a 12-year strategic plan -'Education Strategic Plan (ESP) 2018-2030'. The aim of the ESP among others is to improve equitable access to and participation in inclusive education at all levels.

However, there are existential gaps in the teacher-to-pupil ratio in Ghana as projected by UNESCO. Also, UNESCO data on trained teachers in Ghana projects below the world average. The face-to-face delivery approach to training, coupled with the limited infrastructure and spaces in the training schools' places limitations on access to education by all persons interested in teacher education. The Covid-19 pandemic has only served to exacerbate this need.

Colleges in Ghana adhere to the principles of inclusiveness in education. Currently, there are 48 colleges of education and two universities; international organisations also join forces in local teacher training processes. The Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (IEPA) - a UNESCO Category II Institute - for instance, is mandated to train education managers and administrators in Ghana. Teacher education in Ghana has undergone many reforms involving curricular changes, restructuring of teacher education institutions, and upgrading the three-year diploma qualification into a four-year Bachelor of Education degree to raise the status among those considering a career in teaching. Education managers are experienced teachers who have opted to go into management or individuals who have attained higher education qualifications with specialised skills in school leadership, accounting, and management.

03

Role of higher education and digital transformation in lifelong learning

What role do you think higher education, or the digital transformation of higher education, can play in boosting lifelong learning and sustainable community?

Source: UNESCO

Higher education as knowledge hubs play a central role in societal transformation for sustainable development. Through education and lifelong learning opportunities, individual members of the society are equipped with the knowledge, skillsets, and mindsets necessary to navigate societal problems for development. The city of Accra to be designated as the World Book Capital for the year 2023 was proposed by the Ghana Book Development Council (GBDC), the theme states as 'Reading to connect minds for Social Transformation ', which resonates with UNESCO's mission to 'build the defenses of peace in the minds of men and women' highlights the importance of the transformative power of books and the culture of reading to changing mindsets as well as creating bonds for peace and development. Higher education is better placed to champion this course, particularly in Africa.

Digital transformation has proven to promote access, inclusivity, and equity in higher education in Ghana. To increase equitable access in tertiary education, the power of technology is harnessed in distance learning. With EdTech solutions, the cost related to the construction of schools and classroom arrangements would be eliminated. Governments' partnerships with Telecommunication companies have resulted in some cases the zero-rating of cost of internet data for educational purposes.

To keep pace with the rapid changes in education matters, it is important to institute measures for the continuous improvement of teachers and education managers to catch up with global trends and embrace digitalisation to mitigate the education gaps. The UNESCO Recommendation on Open Education Resources framework is another initiative that serves lifelong learning purposes. It allows government collaboration within Member States to support open-licensed teaching and learning materials adaptable to deprived communities. In this direction, it is important to embrace EdTech solutions to the delivery of education to address the gaps in access and inclusivity in the face-to-face approach.

04

Micro-credentials as an innovative solution for digital teaching & learning

Could you please take one or two more examples to elaborate in detail how micro-credentials and digital learning will help to address the needs for lifelong learning and open education resources in Africa, especially called by teachers and education managers?  

Source: Pexels

Higher education digital transformation has the potential to address complex challenges. Micro-credentialing approaches as a tool to address continuous professional development of untrained teachers in the private sector space of African countries could be one of the innovative ways of addressing the continuous development of teachers in Ghana and Africa as a whole.

I can take the work of Instill Education in Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa as another example; Instill Education sets the pace of leveraging technology to improve access, quality, community, and continuous professional development of teachers and school leaders in hard-to-reach communities. Considering the sparse location of higher education facilities, coupled with issues of limited infrastructure and education finance in low-income countries in Africa, enabling open distance and digital learning approaches to teacher and education manager training will increase access, enhance digital skills of trainees, and complete coursework at their own pace and leisure, allowing them to prioritize careers, family, and other societal responsibilities.

However, to achieve the above objectives, there is the need for capacity building in digital content development, particularly for Africa where traditional educational materials could be converted digitally to immediately applicable, evidence-informed, bite-sized modular contents, with robust assessment tools, for easy accessibility and appreciation by students and faculty. This is where I see UNESCO-ICHEI and partners leading the way to explore partnerships with African governments and Higher Education Institutions through the IIOE Micro-certification for Higher Education Teaching Personnel Project in this area.

As the flagship programme of UNESCO-ICHEI and an open learning platform, IIOE is dedicated to empowering universities and higher education professionals worldwide to enhance their knowledge, skills, and competences facing the digitalisation trend. Click iioe.org to know more about the IIOE Micro-certification details.

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The content of this article is compiled from the preparation content of UNESCO-ICHEI‘s flagship publication CLOUD. Click to read previous issues.

https://www.ichei.org/dist/index.html#/InauguralIssue?nid=8

Interviewer：HUANG Chen

Editor：YANG Lan

Proofreading: CUI Yijia

Review：KPCC