Teachers' perspectives for a critical agenda in media education post COVID-19. A comparative study in Latin America

The COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America forced a transition from a face-to-face educational model to a distance model affected by emergencies, technological precariousness, and lack of planning. This has heightened the need for media literacy in the region. In this context, the changes that have occurred were analyzed in order to propose a critical agenda from the perspective of teachers. First, a desk research of official sources was carried out to learn about the strategies of the four countries under study: Argentina, Ecuador, Chile, and Peru. Secondly, eight focus groups were conducted with primary school teachers from public and private institutions to learn about their perception of their own and their students' media competencies, the impact of the pandemic on their practices and needs, and the emerging challenges in this crisis. The results shed light on the need for relevant ICT training from a media literacy perspective, and strategies to address connectivity gaps, lack of adequate environments and work overload. The specific results per country and the differences and demands of each context are discussed in this work as contributions to the development of a critical agenda in media education. La pandemia causada por la COVID-19 en América Latina obligó a transitar de un modelo educativo presencial a uno a distancia atravesado por la emergencia, las precariedades tecnológicas y la falta de planificación. Esto ha agudizado las necesidades de educación mediática en la región. En ese contexto, se analizó los cambios ocurridos para proponer una agenda crítica desde la perspectiva de los docentes. En primer lugar, se realizó una revisión documental de fuentes oficiales para conocer las estrategias de los cuatro países de estudio: Argentina, Ecuador, Chile y Perú. En segundo lugar, se llevaron a cabo ocho grupos focales con docentes de primaria de instituciones públicas y privadas para conocer su percepción sobre sus competencias mediáticas y las de sus estudiantes, el impacto de la pandemia en sus prácticas y necesidades, y los retos emergentes en esta crisis. Los resultados apuntan a la necesidad de capacitaciones pertinentes en el manejo de las TIC, así como estrategias que atiendan las brechas de conectividad, la falta de ambientes adecuados y la sobrecarga laboral. Los resultados específicos por país, las diferencias y demandas propias de cada contexto, se discuten en este trabajo como aportes al desarrollo de una agenda crítica en educación mediática.

Disability, Culture, and Technology

Ghana has many interventions or systems to eradicate poverty among vulnerable people, especially those with disabilities. Ghana's Parliament launched the Social Protection Program in conformity with the United Nations Convention on the Right of People with Disabilities (UNCRPD) as well as the Disability Law of Ghana. One of these programs is the Social Protection Program, under which rehabilitation and RLG ICT training of People with Disabilities (PWDs) have been implemented in the classroom. The main goal of this program is to educate PWDs, granting them employable skills and thereby enabling them to become independent citizens. This chapter, which is related to one of the recommended topics, “Issues and Challenges of Digital Tools and Applications in the Classroom,” draws on and employs a phenomenological approach to confirm the lack of culturally responsiveness of technology to the Ghanaian disability community. Participants indicated they were disconnected from the program because the technological devices were foreign and not connected to their indigenous culture.

Peran Kepala Sekolah Sebagai Educator dalam Meningkatkan Kompetensi Teknologi Informasi dan Komunikasi

This research is a research on the role of school principals in improving the competence of Information and Communication Technology teachers which will discuss how the role of principals in improving teacher ICT competencies, how the competence of teachers' ICT and supporting and inhibiting factors in increasing Information Technology competence Teacher communication at SMP Negeri 10 Palembang. The method used in this study uses a qualitative type, and a phenomenological approach. Data research techniques use observation, interviews and documentation through data analysis. In validating the data found in the research field the results use source triangulation and technical triangulation. The research results: first The role of the head schools as educators in improving teacher ICT competence are implementing strategies such as holding training, creating a conducive work climate such as providing ICT facilities, always reminding teachers of the importance of ICT in the present and providing motivation in the form of praise and reprimands. Second, the ICT competence of teachers includes computers, the use of software based on the child's condition, the ability of the teacher, software that is practical, simple, efficient, and multifunctional and applies techniques online and offline. Third, supporting factors include teachers' awareness of learning, adequate equipment, and teacher educational background. Barring factors include the limited capacity caused and the budget for ICT training that has not been included in the school budget at the beginning of the year

Trainees’ Personal Characteristics in the Learning Transfer Process of Permanent Online ICT Teacher Training

The aim of this study was to identify any personal factors that may facilitate the initial transfer of learning among students taking a permanent online ICT training course for teaching staff. Some deductive categories were created based on previous studies, and with the help of the NVivo software and its triangulation, a qualitative analysis of the three data sources—two reflective training activities completed by the subjects and an interview—was used to determine the relevance of some of the identified personal characteristics in the transfer process occurring within the context of distance techno-pedagogical training. Among them, we highlight four relevant ideas for transfer in the context: participants’ motivation to innovate in their classes with the use of technologies; self-efficacy, characterized as confidence acquired by the subjects to carry out online training; previous training and professional experiences; and the analysis of their training needs in relation to the critical and reflective use of ICT. We also confirmed that the favourable reaction of the subjects to these factors can serve as an indicator of a possible transfer and that online ICT training should continue to seek to design activities that have positive results in relation to these aspects.

Analisis Kompetensi Guru Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Dalam Pemanfaatan Teknologi Informasi Dan Komunikasi Pada Pembelajaran (Studi Kasus Pada MIN 4 Langkat)

This study discusses the competence of Madrasah Ibtidaiyah teachers in the use of technology and information in learning with competency indicators being the ICT training curriculum for madrasa teachers compiled by the Jakarta Education and Religious Technical Training Center. This study aims to determine the competence and problems of Islamic boarding school teachers in the use of information and communication technology in online learning during this covid 19 period. This study uses a case study with all teachers as respondents at MIN 4 Langkat. The research method used in this research is a survey method using a questionnaire that is shared via a google form. Analysis of the data used is a descriptive analysis that describes the qualifications of teacher competence in the use of ICT into four levels, namely very low, low, medium, and high. From the results of the data that has been analyzed, it was found that the competence of teachers in ICT is very low in the ability to use and utilize applications, which is 52%. Furthermore, a very low indicator is found in the experience aspect of participating in training at 57%. This shows that training activities are the most dominant factor causing the low competence of teachers in the use of ICT in learning and therefore the most effective solution to overcome them.

A Technology Training Program to Alleviate Social Isolation and Loneliness Among Homebound Older Adults: A Community Case Study

Despite substantial evidence of the negative health consequences of social isolation and loneliness and the outsized impact on older adults, evidence on which interventions are most effective in alleviating social isolation and loneliness is inconclusive. Further complicating the translation of evidence into practice is the lack of studies assessing implementation and scalability considerations for socialization programs delivered by community-based organizations (CBOs). Our primary objective was to describe the implementation barriers, facilitators, and lessons learned from an information and communication technology (ICT) training program aimed at reducing social isolation and loneliness for homebound older adults in a home-delivered meals program. Participants received in-home, one-on-one ICT training lessons delivered by volunteers over a 14-week period with the goal of increasing social technology use. To assess implementation facilitators and barriers, 23 interviews were conducted with program staff (n = 2), volunteers (n = 3), and participants (n = 18). Transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. Aspects that facilitated implementation included the organization's existing relationship with clientele, an established infrastructure to deliver community-based interventions, alignment of intervention goals with broader organizational aims, and funding to support dedicated program staff. Challenges to implementation included significant program staff time and resources, coordinating data sharing efforts across multiple project partners, participant and volunteer recruitment, and interruptions due to COVID-19. Implications of these facilitators and barriers for scalability of community-based ICT training interventions for older adults are described. Lessons learned include identifying successful participant and volunteer recruitment strategies based on organizational capacity and existing recruitment avenues; using a targeted approach to identify potential participants; incorporating flexibility into intervention design when working with the homebound older adult population; and monitoring the participant-volunteer relationship through volunteer-completed reports to mitigate issues. Findings from this formative evaluation provide insight on strategies CBOs can employ to overcome challenges associated with implementing technology training programs to reduce social isolation and loneliness for older adults, and thus improve overall well-being for homebound older adults. Recommendations can be integrated into program design to facilitate implementation of ICT programs in the community setting.

The Role of Tolerance Education in Diversity Management: A Cultural Historical Activity Theory Perspective

Tolerance education aims to promote the culture of peace and acceptance of others for well-being and diversity management. Therefore, it is important to create learning environments, content, and facilities for tolerance education in line with the universal values in education. However, little is known about how the literature investigated and summarized the findings related to tolerance education. Therefore, this study conducts a systematic review about this topic, where 75 reviewed studies were analyzed according to the Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) components. Findings highlighted that: (1) from the subject component, future research should involve more stakeholders, like parents and policymakers, when discussing tolerance education; (2) from the object component, tolerance education should not only focus on the physical environment, but also on the virtual environment; (3) from the tools component, limited digital tools and technology have been used to promote tolerance education; (4) from the community component, more investigation of tolerance education should be outside of school contexts; (5) from the rules component, more ICT training should be provided. The use of big data and learning analytics could be one of the potential methods to assess students in tolerance education; (6) from the labor division component, school family interaction role is very important to manage risks and diversities through tolerance education; and (7) from the outcomes component, tolerance education studies should go beyond simply investigating the awareness and attitudes of learners, and investigate, for instance, the behavioral changes of learners. Finally, recommendations were made under each CHAT component.