Kaizenlog

 

 

 

 

 

 

NO. 1951

 

 

Address by the Hon. Louis Galea, Minister of Education, Youth and Employment, at the beginning of the consultation process of the e-Learning strategy, launched together with the Hon. Austin Gatt, Minister for Industry, Investments and Information Technology, during the meeting of the National Information Society Advisory Council – Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valletta – 14^th December 2007

 

 

The current educational reform in Malta is essentially one that will ensure quality education for all our children. The college set-up provides the infrastructure necessary to provide quality services and educational experiences of high quality to the whole range of our students.

 

The missions of the two directorates recently set up, namely the Directorate of Educational Services and Directorate of Quality and Standards address both these issues directly.

 

The quality of education children experience during their compulsory schooling will determine their life chances, opportunities and ability to create a better life for themselves, their families and their country. Collectively, our vision is to have a better quality of life for the Maltese in a globalised world.

 

The remit of the directorate of Quality and Standards which deals specifically with the curriculum including e-learning and quality and standards in education is responsible for providing quality education and monitoring of the system to ensure that standards are maintained and improved.

 

In today’s world, good quality education makes use of technologies available that make learning an active and meaningful experience. Good quality  resources have the potential to engage the majority of students and motivate them to develop the skills necessary to become lifelong learners.  Essential skills include self-directed learning, reflection, problem-solving, creativity and collaboration.

 

E-Learning is all about making the best use of available ICT to facilitate learning by accessing good quality resources that help develop understanding  and develop lifelong skills and competencies. E-Learning is an opportunity to go to the next phase, were learning is personalised and the quality of education is further upgraded. The new Directorates will be guiding, supporting and overseeing this next leap. Thus e-Learning is on the continuum of the transformation that Education in Malta has experienced in the last years.

 

The e-learning strategy being presented today aims to give our children the most sophisticated tools available. It also aims to equip education professionals with the necessary resources to reach all learners.

 

There are many positive implications arising from this strategy, for example:

o    More autonomous and active learning can take place.

o    Teachers can make use of a wider resources and active pedagogies.

o    Assessment practices can be personalised, ongoing and interactive.

o    Record keeping at school and system level will be enhanced.

o    Development of a wide range of lifelong skills for all involved.

o   The strategy has the potential to enhance collaboration among schools locally and internationally.

 

The national e-learning strategy being presented today is timely and ambitious. The document provides one coherent structure which places e-learning in a wider educational context. The vision presented in this document reflects the philosophy and beliefs of the MEYE and indeed a number of projects and actions have started that are already addressing e-learning and its application in primary and secondary levels of education.

 

The drawing up of a national strategy is the first step in making the strategy a reality. The document needs to go through a process of consultation where the stakeholders come to grips with the details and the implications for their institutions. For example, the strategy has direct and wide-ranging implications for teacher-training in pre-service and in-service courses. It is essential that stakeholders responsible for such training have the opportunity to present their feedback and input and come to own the final document and endorse it in their action plans and strategic planning.

 

The issue of ownership is a crucial one. If we truly believe that this is the way forward for a quality education, then we must take time to empower teachers, to make sure that they understand the value of this way forward and support them with necessary training that goes beyond providing them with the hardware and the resources. In their hands rests the rate of success of the implementation of this process.

 

There are also logistical realities that need to be worked through – such as the best set-ups of the computers in classrooms, the responsibility for the hardware in secondary schools especially where different teachers come into the same room and the issue of trolleys with computers on them. The smooth running of the hardware and the technical support needed must be given its due importance to enable tachers to manage their range of responsibilities.

 

The first phase in the implementation of this strategy will help us experience the e-learning strategy first-hand in a small number of schools. It needs to be followed through carefully in order to allow us to work though challenges and difficulties as they happen. We need to use this phase to help us evaluate the potential and use of the materials available and the implementation in the different schools as it progresses.

 

All great journeys begin with one small step. Let us augur that the launch of this consultative document is the first step that will bring about the changes necessary that will make e-learning a daily, living, curricular, reality in all our schools. 

 

 

DOI – 14.12.2007

 

 

 

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