Event Highlights: KIX EMAP Webinar 18: Transforming Education through Technology in Southeast Asia
KIX EMAP Webinar 18, Transforming Education through Technology in Southeast Asia, took place on 7 March 2024. The webinar welcomed 150 participants from KIX EMAP countries. It discussed issues and trends related to the digitalisation of education in Southeast Asia by bringing together experts from the sub-region who explored research and good practices surrounding technology in education by drawing on case study research from the Southeast Asia region and, in some instances, from the Pacific region.
The webinar kicked off with an introduction from Southeast Asia Knowledge Lead Amy Crompton. Following this, Evan Atis, Education Economist, Data and Evidence Lead at Global Partnership for Education (GPE) spoke about why GPE engaged in technology for education (Tech4Ed), how technology can be made to work for education, key principles of GPE’s approach to technology and important dimensions of GPE’s position on Tech4Ed. He also discussed how GPE supports its partner countries on Tech4Ed. Antonia Mandry, Education Specialist, UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office, then presented on teachers’ digital literacy in the East Asia and Pacific region. She focused her presentation on Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.
This was followed by a presentation from Yung Nietschke, Research Fellow, ACER’s Education and Development research program and Anna Dabrowski, Senior Research Fellow, Education and Development team at ACER, on a case study on the use of technology in education in Lao PDR, which was part of the Southeast Asia UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Regional Report. The presentation covered progress and innovations in education, the growing digital divide, the need to support system leaders, teachers and technology and some next steps for using technology in Lao PDR.
Lastly, Ngo Thuy Anh Tuyet, Digital Education Officer, UNICEF Viet Nam, spoke about promoting digital equality, inclusion and accessibility in Vietnam’s education system. During her presentation, she spoke about UNICEF’s Child-centered Digital Equality Framework and UNICEF Viet Nam’s Education Program. She also highlighted initiatives like the free digital library, computational thinking for preschoolers, Virtual Reality (VR) games for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Augmented and Virtual Reality (AVR) and gamified STEM learning. She concluded by mentioning some lessons learned and ways forward.
The webinar closed with remarks from Arushi Terway, Senior Technical Advisor, and Amy Crompton.
Key resources on the use of technology in education in Southeast Asia:
Technology in education: a case study on Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Readiness, response, and recovery: The impacts of COVID-19 on education systems in Asia