A Course for Policymakers Organized by World Bank Institute, Korean Ministry of Education, Science & Technology and Korea Education & Research Information Service in partnership with Intel Corporation

Seoul , Republic of Korea, 17 - 21 November, 2008

1. Background
Information Communication Technology (ICT) is often perceived as a useful strategy to transform education systems and a means by which students can develop basic competencies and skills needed for a knowledge economy.

The main focus of this course is on how a country's education system and policy can be enriched through the applications of ICT. The course is organized to help policymakers to address the imperative that traditional, formal education systems are facing by raising awareness and understanding about essential elements of an effective application of ICT.

The course will review ICT in relation to education policy, relevant strategies, and best practice. The exchange of first-hand experience of ICT use in education policy and its implementation would help policymakers grasp a systematic view in strengthening the competitiveness of their education systems by applying ICT more effectively.

2. Audience
The audience for the course will be approximately 35-40 mid-level government officials in developing countries throughout the world, with a focus on those in the early stages of planning or implementing programs that integrate ICT into educational initiatives.

3. Objective
It is estimated that the majority of ICT-related projects fail due to many reasons, including the lack of skills and human capacity. Not surprisingly, ICT in education initiatives can be similarly daunting to plan and implement. With this in mind, the main focus of this new course on "ICT for Educational Policy-makers: From Vision to Action" will be to provide policymakers with a broad yet detailed overview of what to expect in the area based on the experiences of different countries, in terms of challenges, opportunities, costs, benefits, etc.. More specifically, the objectives of the course are to:

• Build overall awareness of what is known about the impact of ICT in education, in the context of broader development goals and the knowledge economy and drawing on an international knowledge base;
• Introduce key concepts in details, including leadership, institutions, public-private partnerships, monitoring and evaluation, and ICT integration at different educational levels;
• Discuss strategy formulation and implementation through the use of concrete case studies and field visits;
• Identify challenges and opportunities, with an opportunity for each participant to get feedback on his/her country-specific action plan on integrating ICT into education;
• Provide an opportunity for knowledge sharing and networking across regions.

4. Agenda
The course " ICT for Educational Policy-makers: From Vision to Action " is designed in three basic parts.

Part 1 is an introduction to the role and impact of ICT in education, as well as an overview of recent global trends and developments in this area.
Module 1: Role of ICT in the knowledge economy
Module 2: ICT and future education
Module 3: Trends and developments of ICT in education policy

Part 2 which comprises panel discussions, examined a number of concrete case studies with an emphasis on the building blocks of ICT integration into education initiatives and how specific countries have made progress. Part 2 is also involved field visits to Korean organizations for a first-hand view of the Korean experience.
Module 4: ICT teacher training and content development
Module 5: Public Private Partnerships
Module 6: ICT in higher education and life-long learning

Part 3 focuses on developing and presenting an action plan for each participant as a way of reflecting on the knowledge being shared and to articulate a framework of ICT in education for her his country.
Module 7: Issues and challenges for developing countries in implementing ICT in education
Module 8: Monitoring and assessing ICT impact in education
Module 9: Application of ICT: Poster Session
It is expected that all participants would prepare a short briefing on recent ICT in education developments in their countries before the course as a way of preparing in general for the course and the action plan more specifically. This process is facilitated by the course organizers.

5. Course Expenses

All participants are being sponsored and their travel, accommodation, and other expenses covered entirely by the Korea Education & Research Information Service (KERIS).