ICT-supported Networks of Innovation: a lever for sustainable educational transformation

Abstract

One of the major themes in education policy recommendations from international organizations such as UNESCO and OECD, and national policy initiatives in developing and developed countries alike, is the importance of using education to prepare its citizenry for life in the 21st century. In many cases, such policies have brought about changes in school curriculum as well as strategic plans on ICT in education. From a policy perspective, the best scenario is for ICT integration to support the desired ational/regional educational transformations. International studies of ICT adoption and integration in teaching and learning across school curriculum have been able to identify transformative uses of ICT associated with outstanding exemplars of curriculum and pedagogical innovation emerging from diverse socio-economic and cultural contexts. However, many of these exemplars fail to become sustainable practices with a lasting impact on the educational scene at large. Transformative uses of ICT are difficult to sustain as they are intrinsically disruptive. They require changes in roles, practices and power relationships within different levels of the institutional hierarchy, which often challenge established values and beliefs. This presentation puts ICT-supported networks of innovation forward as a viable model for sustainable educational transformation. This is illustrated through the examination of one such international network, which comprises a nested network of multisite networks of innovation distributed over several continents.