UNESCO Bangkok releases new publication on ICT literacy in the Asia-Pacific

There is almost universal acceptance that information and communication technologies (ICT) are good for development. These technologies, most particularly those that are Internet-connected, increase access through distance learning, enable a knowledge network for students, train teachers, broaden the availability of quality education materials and enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of educational administration policy.

Educational systems, both formal and non-formal, are powerful social institutions infused with the mission of developing desirable values among the public – and especially among the youth. Thus, they must be most sensitised to ICT potential dangers and be proactive in addressing them. ICT literacy education provides an appropriate venue for this.

Moreover, given that there is continuous development of ICT and the people who use them, so should there also be continual assessment of ICT education and curricula by the educational systems/institutions that offer them. In a world where information and knowledge are currency, governments aspire to develop their countries as optimised knowledge societies.

In order to address these issues UNESCO’s Office in Bangkok commissioned this paper, which is now published in electronic format. It provides, in its first section, a situational analysis of ICT usage in the Asia-Pacific region, both to examine current dominant thrusts in ICT literacy education and to serve as background for the strategy framework. The second section details this framework. It defines goals, objectives, and approaches, as well as discusses conceptual and operational measures for promoting ICT literacy development throughout the Asia-Pacific region. By so doing, this paper helps contribute to Asia Pacific Information Network (APIN) ICT literacy programming efforts.

Above material sourced from UNESCO website