ICT4E: The Backstory | Dr. Alexander G. Flor

Summary

The speaker delves into the origins and evolution of ICT for Education (ICT 4e), tracing its roots to the concept of the information society introduced by Austrian economists in the 1930s. Highlighting the significance of knowledge and technology in economic growth, the discourse shifts to the modern context, emphasizing the role of ICT in shaping economies and societies. The talk discusses the transformation of the Philippines from an agricultural to an information society, influenced by the classification of overseas Filipino workers. It explores the impact of information and communication on economic markets, the rise of open educational resources, and the emergence of mega universities. The speaker concludes by reflecting on the challenges and potential of ICT in education, urging the sector to harness technology for lifelong learning and sustainable development.

Takeaways

• 📚 ICT 4e stands for Information Communications Technology for Education, which is a branch of the larger discourse on the information society.
• 🌐 The concept of the information society has roots in the 1930s, with Austrian economists like Friedrich Hayek and Fritz Machlup contributing to the early development of knowledge economics.
• 🚀 The transformation of Germany into a major economy was attributed to Science and Technology, highlighting the importance of knowledge and information in economic growth.
• 🌟 The term 'information society' was popularized by Fritz Machlup, who also introduced the trichotomy of agricultural, industrial, and information societies.
• 🌍 The Philippines was reclassified from an agricultural to an information society due to the classification of overseas Filipino workers as information or service workers.
• 📈 The volatility index graph illustrates the impact of information and communication on economic markets, showing how media coverage can influence stock market behavior.
• 📉 A real-time example of information's impact on the economy was observed during a Senate hearing in the Philippines, where the stock exchange index fluctuated with the testimony and questioning.
• 💡 The foundation of the information society discourse is the idea that information is a commodity with value and should be incorporated into economic equations.
• 🔓 The open access movement and Creative Commons promote the concept of freely accessible knowledge, contrasting with the idea of information as a commodity.
• 🏛 The UK Open University's success demonstrates the potential of open and distance learning institutions, which are part of the trend towards mega-universities with large enrolled student populations.
• 🔑 ICT for education (ICT 4e) is seen as a key component in meeting the challenges of scale and quality in education, as emphasized by the Paris message and the sustainable development goals for 2015 to 2030.

Q & A

What does ICT 4e stand for and what is its significance?

ICT 4e stands for Information Communications Technology for Education. It signifies the application of ICT in the educational sector to enhance teaching, learning, and management processes.

What is the origin of the concept of the information society?

The concept of the information society traces its roots back to the 1930s, with Austrian economists like Friedrich Hayek, who introduced knowledge economics, and Fritz Machlup, who introduced the trichotomy of agricultural, industrial, and information societies.

How did Germany recover economically after World War II?

According to Friedrich Hayek, Germany's economic recovery was attributed to Science and Technology, and the knowledge that was gained, rather than economic policies or the actions of political figures like Hitler.

What is the significance of the volatility index graph mentioned in the script?

The volatility index graph shows periods of high market volatility, indicating a loss of trust in the stock market leading to people selling their stocks. It illustrates the influence of information and communication on economic behavior.

What is the impact of media coverage on the stock market as illustrated by the 2016 Senate hearing example?

Media coverage can significantly impact the stock market. During the 2016 Senate hearing, the Philippine Stock Exchange index dropped drastically as the media covered the testimonies, showing how information dissemination can dictate stock values.

What is the Paris message and its relevance to ICT in education?

The Paris message, delivered in 2015, calls on governments to recognize the contribution of online, open, and flexible systems in addressing the challenges of scale and quality in higher education and lifelong learning from 2015 to 2030.

What is the role of open educational resources in the information society?

Open educational resources are part of the open access movement within the information society, advocating for the free and accessible dissemination of knowledge and information to all users.

What is the concept of a mega university and how does it relate to ICT for education?

A mega university is an institution with a minimum of 100,000 actively enrolled students. The concept is related to ICT for education as it represents the trend towards large-scale online learning platforms that can accommodate a vast number of students, leveraging ICT to deliver education.

What were the structural issues identified in the Philippine education system regarding ICT integration?

Structural issues included a lack of organizational readiness, stymied information and communication flows, excessive channels and paperwork, and a culture possibly averse to knowledge sharing and reuse.

What policy instruments were proposed to improve ICT integration in the Philippine education system?

Proposed policy instruments included defining the coverage of ICT to include traditional media, establishing an appropriate use policy, and promoting donor coordination, harmonization, and public-private sector partnerships.

What is the significance of the quote by T.S. Eliot in the context of the script?

The quote by T.S. Eliot reflects on the paradox of gaining knowledge through technology and information, yet potentially losing wisdom and deeper understanding. It serves as a reminder to balance technological advancements with the pursuit of wisdom in the educational sector.

Outlines

00:00

📚 ICT 4e: Origins and Impact on Education

The speaker introduces the concept of ICT 4e, which stands for Information Communications Technology for Education. The term is rooted in the larger discourse of the information society, tracing back to the 1930s and the works of Austrian economists like Friedrich Hayek, who introduced knowledge economics. The speaker discusses how the information society is characterized by a workforce primarily consisting of information workers, as opposed to agricultural or industrial workers. The Philippines' transition from an agricultural to an information society is highlighted, particularly due to the classification of overseas Filipino workers as service or information workers. The importance of understanding the information society is tied to the role of ICT in education, suggesting that knowledge and technology play a significant part in shaping economies and educational policies.

05:03

📉 The Influence of Information on Economic Volatility

This paragraph delves into the impact of information and communication on economic markets, using the volatility index graph from the Chicago Board of Economics as a reference. The speaker illustrates how high volatility periods, marked by significant peaks in 1987 and 2007, are influenced by media coverage and public trust in the stock market. Two examples are provided: the 2007 financial crisis and a specific event in 2016 where the Philippine Stock Exchange index reacted to live media coverage of a Senate hearing. The speaker emphasizes the power of information in shaping market behavior and the value of stocks, thereby demonstrating the essence of an information society where media coverage can dictate economic outcomes.

10:05

🎓 Information Society and Its Relevance to Education

The speaker explores the foundational concepts of the information society, such as the commodification of information and the contrasting open access movement, which advocates for free and accessible knowledge. The paragraph discusses the rise of open educational resources and the significance of institutions like the UK Open University, which ranks highly in research despite being an open institution. The concept of mega-universities, with at least 100,000 enrolled students, is also introduced, highlighting the growth and importance of online, open, and flexible learning systems. The speaker connects these concepts to the educational sector, emphasizing the need for ICT in education to meet the challenges of scale and quality in education, as outlined in the Paris message of 2015.

15:05

🌐 ICT in Education: Development and Challenges

The speaker discusses the integration of ICT in education, starting from the pioneering efforts of the University of the Philippines Open University and the influence of international figures and organizations like UNESCO. The paragraph outlines the ICT for Education (ICT4E) strategy in the Philippines, which was developed to address the need for technology in education. It also touches on the challenges faced, such as technology-driven programs, donor-driven initiatives, and the need for social relevance. The speaker mentions various projects and databases that were part of the ICT4E initiatives, as well as the structural and political issues that needed to be addressed for effective implementation.

20:05

🛠️ Structural and Programmatic Issues in ICT for Education

This paragraph examines the structural and programmatic issues within the Department of Education in the Philippines regarding ICT integration. The speaker points out the lack of organizational readiness, the issue of independent databases that do not communicate with each other, and the absence of a culture that supports knowledge sharing. The paragraph also addresses the programmatic issues, such as the lack of appreciation for the impacts of ICT and the tendency for program design to be driven by assessment needs or external agendas rather than real needs. The speaker concludes by highlighting the policy instruments and proposals that were introduced to improve the situation, such as defining the scope of ICT, promoting appropriate use policies, and encouraging donor coordination and public-private partnerships.

25:07

🌱 Reflections on Knowledge, Wisdom, and Information

In the concluding paragraph, the speaker reflects on the broader implications of the pursuit of knowledge and information in society. They quote a passage from T.S. Eliot's poem 'The Rock,' written in 1934, which questions the loss of wisdom in the quest for knowledge and the loss of knowledge in the abundance of information. The speaker uses this to provoke thought on the educational sector's role in balancing the acquisition of knowledge with the deeper understanding of wisdom and the essence of learning. The paragraph serves as a poignant reminder of the human element in education amidst the technological and informational advancements discussed throughout the script.

Keywords

💡ICT 4e

ICT 4e stands for Information and Communication Technology for Education. It is a key concept in the video that refers to the integration of information and communication technologies into the educational sector to enhance teaching, learning, and management processes. The video discusses the evolution of ICT's role in education and its significance in the broader context of the information society.

💡Information Society

The term 'Information Society' refers to a society where the creation, distribution, and utilization of information are significant economic, cultural, and social activities. In the video, it is traced back to the 1930s and associated with economists like Friedrich Hayek, who emphasized the importance of knowledge and technology in economic development. The concept is foundational to understanding the role of ICT in modern economies and education.

💡Knowledge Economics

Knowledge Economics is the study of how knowledge and information contribute to economic growth and development. The video mentions Friedrich Hayek as a pioneer in this field, advocating for the importance of knowledge in economic progress. This concept is integral to the discussion on how ICT can drive economic transformation and educational advancement.

💡Information Workers

Information Workers are individuals whose primary job involves the creation, processing, distribution, and management of information. The video uses this term to describe a significant workforce characteristic of an information society or economy. It also discusses how the classification of overseas Filipino workers as information workers contributed to the Philippines' reclassification from an agricultural to an information society.

💡Volatility Index

The Volatility Index, specifically mentioned as the CDO (Chicago Board of Economics) index in the video, measures the market's expectation of future volatility. It is used as an example to illustrate the impact of information and communication on economic behavior, such as stock market fluctuations in response to media coverage and public sentiment.

💡Open Access Movement

The Open Access Movement advocates for the unrestricted availability of information and scholarly research, typically through the internet. It is presented in the video as a counterpoint to the view of information as a commodity to be bought and sold. The movement promotes the idea that knowledge should be freely accessible to all, influencing the creation and use of open educational resources.

💡Creative Commons

Creative Commons is a non-profit organization that offers a range of copyright licenses to creators to facilitate the sharing and use of their works. The video mentions the Creative Commons stamp as a symbol of the broader movement towards openness in knowledge sharing within the information society, which has implications for educational content and resources.

💡Mega Universities

Mega Universities are institutions with a minimum of 100,000 actively enrolled students. The video discusses the rise of mega universities as part of the trend towards open and flexible learning systems, which are seen as necessary to accommodate the growing demand for higher education in an information society.

💡ICT for Development (ICT4D)

ICT for Development (ICT4D) is a field of study and practice that focuses on using information and communication technologies to promote social and economic development. The video explains that ICT4D originated within the World Bank and was later adopted by organizations like UNESCO. ICT4E, or ICT for Education, is a subcategory of ICT4D, emphasizing the role of technology in educational development.

💡Paris Message

The Paris Message is a declaration made by 49 countries in 2015, emphasizing the importance of online, open, and flexible learning systems in addressing the challenges of scale and quality in higher education. The video mentions this message in the context of the anticipated deficit in educational institutions' capacity to accommodate the growing number of college enrollees by 2030.

💡UP Open University

The UP Open University is highlighted in the video as a pioneering institution in the Philippines that offers 100% of its courses online. It is presented as an example of how ICT is being used to innovate and expand access to education within an information society, aligning with global trends towards open and flexible learning systems.

Highlights

Introduction of ICT 4e, which stands for Information Communications Technology for Education.

The roots of the information society concept trace back to the 1930s and the works of Austrian economists like Friedrich Hayek.

Hayek's introduction of knowledge economics as a discipline, highlighting the impact of science and technology on economic growth.

Fritz Machlup's contribution to knowledge economics and the concept of the information society.

Mark Pora's 1976 dissertation on the information economy of the US, discussing different types of economies.

The Philippines' shift from an agricultural to an information society due to the classification of overseas Filipino workers.

The Volatility Index graph illustrating the influence of information and communication on economic markets.

The impact of media coverage on stock market behavior, as exemplified by the 2007 financial crisis.

The correlation between media coverage of a Senate hearing and the fluctuations of the Philippine Stock Exchange index.

The foundational assumption of the information society discourse that information is a valuable commodity.

The open access movement advocating for the free and accessible nature of information and knowledge.

The rise of open educational resources and the Creative Commons movement within the information society.

The success of the UK Open University as a model for open and flexible learning systems.

The concept of mega universities and their role in accommodating the increasing demand for higher education.

The establishment of the UP Open University and its pioneering role in ICT for education in the Philippines.

The Paris Message of 2015 emphasizing the importance of online, open, and flexible systems in higher education.

The challenges faced by educational institutions in accommodating the projected increase in college enrollees by 2030.

The structural, political, and programmatic issues affecting the implementation of ICT in Philippine education.

Policy instruments proposed to address the challenges in ICT for education, including defining coverage and appropriate use policies.

The creation of the ICT for Education (ICT 4e) strategy by the Department of Education in the Philippines.

TS Eliot's poem 'The Rock' reflecting on the relationship between knowledge, information, and wisdom.

Transcripts

today I would like to talk about ICT 4e

the back story ICT 4e meaning

information communications technology

for education and this is the back story

sort of a background er of other

sessions that would follow on ICT for a

policy and standards now the ICT for a

discourse is actually based or it's an

offshoot of a larger discourse on the

information society now many of us think

that this discourse started very

recently maybe around 10 or 15 or 20

years ago but actually the information

society traces its roots in economics

actually during the thirties no post

depression thirties we could trace it to

three Austrian economists Friedrich

Hayek was the first one if you google

his name you will be provided with a

link which leads to this information

that is more in austria-hungary spree

Drake August von Hayek and he's

frequently referred to as FA Hayek an

Austrian economist and philosopher best

known for his defense of classical

liberalism but actually he was the

person who introduced knowledge

economics to the discipline the

economics discipline now again the

background er consider Germany during

the Depression it just

it was being humiliated by the allies

and it lost during the Second World War

and it had to pay outrageous reparations

to the allied countries but then just

prior to the war it became one of the

top ten economies now how did that

happen was it because of economic

policies or Hitler no this fellow

Friedrich Hayek submitted that it was

because of Science and Technology it was

because of knowledge that Germany earned

its place in well in in as one of the

major economies in the world and one of

his associates Schumpeter's also from

Austria another one of his associates or

actually students is a person by the

name of fritz machlup now fritz machlup

emigrated to the United States and at

the United States knowledge economics

began to be referred to as information

economics now he was the person who

introduced the trichotomy of the

agricultural society the industrial

society the information society the term

information society actually came from

him but it was one of his students

mark pora whose 1976 dissertation a 20

volume dissertation described

information the information economy of

the US during for its time he talked

about information economics information

based economies

Industrial based economies agricultural

based economies okay now how is this

related this concept of information

society how is this related to ICT for

II well as I said the ICT for II

discourse is an offshoot of this larger

discourse called information society

what makes society and information

society what makes a country and

information based economy well according

to Bora if the larger number of your

workforce are information workers then

your country is an information-based

economy it's an information society if

you're if the larger portion of your

workforce are agricultural workers or

farmers than your countries and have

your cultural society okay now it's the

Philippines and information society well

that just happened to be the subject of

my dissertation in 1983 when I found of

course given secondary data as well as

other sources that the Philippines is an

agricultural society but in 2007 somehow

our classification was changed from an

agricultural to an industrial to an

information society that is because our

overseas Filipino workers were

classified as we were classified service

workers many of them were put into the

category of information workers for one

reason or another now again what is what

makes an information society I will show

you a graph now this graph is called the

volatility index the CDO

the volatility index see the OE meaning

the Chicago Board of Economics if I'm

not mistaken now this graph shows times

when volatility is very high volatility

meaning markets economic markets tend to

sell ok to sell people have lost trust

in their stock so they sell their stocks

okay in this graph you would see Peaks

in 1987 and 2007 or 2008 now a large

part of that picking up was due to media

coverage of this behavior in the stock

market in 2007 if you're not too young

to remember people watched as their

people watched CNN or A&C while there

the value of their stocks fell and as

this was being covered by media they

started selling selling selling so this

is you know the influence of information

and communication in our economy another

example a more recent one in 15

September 2016 I was on my way to Los

Banos along Adso I was caught in a

traffic and so I switched on the radio

this is at around 10 a.m. and lo and

behold the voice that I heard was the

voice of Lila de Lima and Edie our motto

motto J and the resource person it was a

Senate hearing the resource person was

giving out details of heinous crimes in

the bowel and at that time I was

checking the Philippine Stock Exchange

index on my phone ok so this is a

picture of the Philippine Stock Exchange

index at 10 to

10:38 10:00 to 10:30 now at around 10:00

the witness was giving his testimony and

at that time the PSA index dropped

drastically okay not around 10:30

he was interpolated by senator Tito

sotto and at that time when a Tito sort

of started putting or was punching holes

into his testimonies it was that the

stock index was going higher it went a

bit higher and then the Lima interjected

and served lawyer to hook a witness

again it went down now immediately after

that I got home I watched TV and then

also monitored the pse index on my phone

and this is the image that I got okay

now if you look closely the ebbs and

flows the speaking and diving of our

index coincides with interpretations of

Senators and and gara

and Senator cotton actually ending with

cayetano's interpretation after his

after his questioning the witness the

index was at the same level as it was

before 10 so you could just imagine how

coverage how media coverage how

information and communication could

actually dictate no are the value of

your stock such is an information

society how is this relevant to us in

the education sector now one of the

foundations one of the found or the

basic assumptions of the information

society discourse is that information is

a commodity that has value it should be

factored into our economic equations

information is something that can be

sold or bought counterpoint to that is

the open access movement now what you

see is the universal symbol for open

access how does it look like it looks

like a bad lock doesn't it okay an open

padlock with an O in the middle and an A

so that's for open access open access

submits that information is free

knowledge is free okay it should be

accessible to all its users along that

comes the open educational resources

along the same line this is what is

known as the Creative Commons stamp okay

the universal symbol for Creative

Commons if you have copyright then you

would have copy left within the

information society discourse is the

concept of yeah openness in sharing

knowledge and what you see now is the

coat of arms of the Open University

which refers to the UK Open University

okay note that it's motorists learn and

live in 2011 a ranking was made to

determine the top 10 research

universities at the UK and according to

Sir John Danielle the UK Open University

was ticked in that Frank

number one was Cambridge number three

was the London School of Economics the

fifth was the UK Open University it

without ranked even Oxford which was

number six okay and this Open University

actually it's becoming a trend

what you see is the serial of the

University of Michigan the University of

Michigan all right the University of the

Philippines has its Open University okay

and they call their Open University Open

Michigan okay so perhaps we should call

ourselves open to the people or open U P

there is also this Nottingham University

has it's open

Nottingham now these chains are all

offshoots of an information society you

must have heard of the concept of mega

universities a mega university is a

university with a minimum of 100,000

actively enrolled students okay this

term was again coined by Sir John Daniel

in 1995 only 11 such institutions

existed by 2011 there were almost 50

mega universities worldwide and an

example of an open of a mega university

is the University of Phoenix in Phoenix

Arizona are perhaps or arguably the most

successful open university in the United

States

and of course we have our upo pin

universities fifth constituent unit of

the University of the Philippines system

it's U P cyber campus and we believe

strongly that we pioneered an ICT for

education we established a faculty of

information and communication studies in

2004 ok and 100% of our courses are

offered online also as educators we

should be aware of what is known as the

Paris message in 2015 49 countries

converged in Paris to deliver

this so-called Paris message to agree

first and then deliver part of the Paris

message reads we call on governments to

recognize the important contribution of

online open and flexible systems to meet

the challenge of scale and quality in

the provision of higher education and

lifelong learning for the period 2015 to

2030 consider that this was the Paris

message was drafted the same month as

the release of the sustainable

development goals 2015 2030 which has as

one of its major goal lifelong learning

and education for all the countries who

participated in drafting the Paris

message believed that higher educational

institutions will not be able to

accommodate the uptake of college

enrollees by 2030 or even the years

towards 2030 there will be a deficit of

something like 13 million our students

would want to take college they will not

be able there our educational

institutions will not be able to

accommodate them because of the lack of

facilities the lack of space and this is

the reason why we have to go online we

need to explore or mainstream

online open and flexible systems yes ICT

is an offshoot of the information

society ICT meaning information and

communication are they say

communications technology or

technologies information and

communications technologies it's a new

generation of technologies brought about

by the merger of computers and

telecommunications a internet the world

wide web so on multimedia now

in the late 90s somebody felt that it

should be applied for the development

agenda and so we have ICT 4d meaning

information and communication technology

for development this was this movement

originated in the World Bank and

eventually UN agencies adopted it such

as UNESCO and UNESCO and as a

subcategory or sub field under ICT 4d

ICT for e information and communication

technology for education in the

Philippines the pioneering institution

that went into this is it edy

now the U P Open University was quite

fortunate that to up it adds thought

leaders in the early part of the 21st

century were actually part of our

faculty I'm referring of course to dr.

loaded soup Lidl who introduced

eLearning to you pou and dr. Patel intro

who is now the Dean of the Faculty of

Education okay at around the same time

the CIC tea was stablished by the

Philippine government now how did ICT

for e get into the Philippine education

scene since the time of fit ed and C ICT

among the intentions of the basic

education sector reform agenda in 2006

was to develop an ICT for East strategy

for the Philippines and there were a

number of studies that were conducted

that led to this ICT 4G strategy some of

which assumed these propositions that

ICT 40 programs in the Philippines

during that time tended to be technology

driven ICT 40 programs tended to be

donor driven

and social realities necessitate the

appropriate use of ICTs for education ok

then I see t4e had three functional

areas ICT for pedagogy okay there was a

deathbed computerization program the DTI

pieces for public schools project high

schools escuela community centers ok the

asean Schoolnet considered this was from

the period of 2004 to 2007 the APEC ICT

model school project and so on and so

forth

there was systematic exploration of the

feasibility of e-learning for basic ed

which was yet to be initiated the next

functional area was ICT for teacher

development okay there was the Chad

initiative on standards for ICT teacher

competencies I think which is part of

this of this program that is developing

this open educational resource intel's

teach to the future

it adds instructional design workshops

etc etc a third functional area is ICT

for governance and management a debt ed

then had a number of databases the basic

education information system and others

now there were structural issues then

that had had no organizational readiness

the current organizational structure of

debt and may not be very conducive to

networking information and communication

flows were stymied instead of flowing

freely horizontally vertically and

radially I understand that nowadays

there is a move to improve this the

internal communications within

that edy and the symptom was that there

were too many channels for too much

paperwork the organizational culture of

the department was possibly averse to

knowledge sharing and reuse

there were also political issues such as

interfacing and coordination among the

different bureaus one project would

develop its own database another project

would develop its own database in this

database do not communicate with one

another they cannot exchange data they

cannot merge data there are also

programmatic issues there is very little

appreciation of primary secondary and

tertiary impacts of ICTs in the

developing development setting what

determines current ICT program design

it's actually assessment needs or donor

agendas it's based on social agendas or

technologies the relevance and

sustainability would be enhanced if

impetus for the project came from a real

and felt need the conclusion of these

different studies then among these

studies were one which was funded by CID

as the Center for Integrative and

Development Studies now is that in spite

of clear visioning among ICT for he

advocates probe programs tend to be

insensitive to social realities because

of the lack of proper appreciation of

higher order impacts of ICT donor agency

country agendas industry agendas

structural issues with independent

there were a number of policy

instruments that were introduced or

proposed the first one was defining the

coverage of ICT to include traditional

media not only those where computers and

telecommunications merge another policy

instrument was an appropriate use policy

they the rationale of which was that

with the adoption of the above

definition what follows is an

appropriate use policy that sets

efficient and effective utilization

guidelines the next policy instrument

that was proposed then was doner

coordination and harmonization and

public-private sector partnerships now

all of these studies these policy

options all contributed to an ICT for

East rata G of the Department of

Education which will be one of the

topics in a future session okay so I

will end with my favorite point or

stances from a very old point endless

invention endless experiment brings

knowledge of motion but not of stillness

knowledge of speech but not of silence

knowledge of words and ignorance of the

word or all our knowledge brings us

nearly to are ignorant all our ignorance

brings us nearly to death but nearness

to death no nearer to God where is the

life we have lost in living where is the

wisdom we have lost the knowledge where

is the knowledge we have lost in

information the cycles of heaven in

twenty centuries brings us nearer or

fiber from God and near to the dust TS

Eliot a poem which he wrote in the 1934

The Rock okay where is the wisdom we

have lost in knowledge where is the

knowledge we have lost information we

hope that the educational sector will

not be asking these questions to itself

thank you very much

the

you