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Education leaders need the results of focused research and evaluation to provide the information, knowledge, and ideas needed for successful planning implementation. They also need research programs around their own plans as feedback must be provided on progress made, and to evaluate success. Without such research, you will not know what is possible, what is credible, what is failing, and what the full value is of the work you have done. Moreover, others need to know about what you have done so they can build on your successes.
 

As a leader in producing innovative software and technology, Microsoft knows the full value of research. We are uniquely placed to see worldwide studies that accelerate progress through understanding the results of research. The projects at Microsoft Research range from improving people’s everyday lives to presenting theories and findings that will enhance educational and societal change. We share here the best of Microsoft’s research in Latin America, supporting both the rationale and the success of digital learning in the classroom and beyond:
• Research Evaluation, where you can find the best way to monitor and evaluate the impact of your ICT plans through examination of past efforts and achievements.
   
Brazil has 14 studies on Research Evaluation, in partnership with the Catholic University of Sao Paulo, focusing on the ICT for Principals programs. In addition, the ICT for Principals Program inspired 12 master degree theses and doctoral degree dissertations, with topics ranging from the contribution of technology within the school administration to the challenges of project management and distance learning.

The Carlos Chagas Foundation in Brazil has prepared an assessment of the Help Desk Student Program. The assessment was conducted in 12 states and 159 predominantly medium- and large-sized cities with high or very high HDI scores for cities, income and education. Several aspects are highlighted in terms of the benefits achieved through the actions of the Help Desk Student Program with the integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into school practices.

For instance 96% of respondents used technology in their day-to day activities to conduct research and deepen their knowledge, while 89% used it to search information about topics of personal interest. The study also found that including ICT in schools integrated the schools because people from different places attended the courses. The study also found that after training, students were able to make various suggestions for the use of ITC in the classroom when asked by teachers. Finally, the study found that training has contributed in the following ways:
77% - getting participants ready for the market;
76% - integration of technology into various aspects of the school day-to-day operations (administrative, pedagogical, etc);
83% - identification of strategies that allow the integration of technology to improve students’ learning process.

The Carlos Chagas Foundation in Brazil also prepared an assessment of the Partners in Learning program in 2005 to study its impact. The results showed that training the management team to use information technologies is relevant because surveys revealed that without training, many schools fail to use the IT lab either for school management or for pedagogical activities. Also, the program structure allows for both direct beneficiaries, such as principals, vice-principals, pedagogical coordinators, supervisors and ATPs, and indirect beneficiaries such as interns and graduate students. Finally, the preliminary results from internal program assessments suggest that school management teams applied the technology to their work after the course ended.

An assessment of the Peer-to-Peer Coaching in Brazil was also prepared by the Carlos Chagas Foundation. The study found that those who participated in the Peer Coaching program increased the impact of the Partners in Learning program in areas of performance, teaching ability, and replication of the content. Case studies also indicated that there is a high demand for such teacher training and that the Peer Coaching Program was positively assessed by its users. The results indicate that this new and innovative methodology can be replicated in countries as large or economically-challenged as Brazil and implemented in countries with poverty and technological challenges that are similar to those found in Brazil.

An analysis of these studies supports the important social role of the Partners in Learning initiative because although it requires a technology that is not accessible to lower social and economic classes, it reaches about 50% of the needy population of the participating municipalities (districts). This is valid for all city and population profiles, allowing access and use of technological resources to a population that would hardly have access to those resources elsewhere.

The Carlos Chagas Foundation in Brazil prepared an assessment of the ICT for Principals program in 2006 and found that 81% of school leaders stated that the training program has led them to identify strategies to improve students’ learning through the integration of technology. The same percentage stated that attending the training program with a school team is beneficial for the integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into the school’s daily routine. They also felt capable of implementing strategies that provide integration of ICT into management practices and pedagogical programs and, most important, 83% of school leaders believed that new management procedures, allied to the use of technologies, can contribute to the identification of strategies that allow the integration of technology to improve students’ learning, which is the ultimate goal of our project.

     
  Microsoft IT Academy Center: The Microsoft IT Academy Center in Brazil is a research and training facility designed to support the Microsoft Educational Programs. This facility is used for many trainings and meetings about the Programs, such as Help Desk Student and Peer Coaching training, or 1:1 Collaborative Learning Experience Latin America meeting. Almost all the Microsoft education studies are developed and validated in this research center.
   
•   External Analysis to read about external methods to analyze the effectiveness of a program.
   
The Classroom Orchestration (CRO) program in Costa Rica is a new technology to further improve the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in class in partnership with Fundacion Omar Dengo. The pilot experience will include CRO and other Microsoft educational products such as Student 2007, Math, Grava, Learning Essentials, Photo story, Movie Maker, Producer, Virtual Earth, Polling and Multipoint. The objectives for this initiative are: 1) to test new Microsoft technologies in classrooms with13 year old students, considering scenarios for 1 PC in class, a shared PC in class (carts, labs, etc.) and Anytime, Anywhere learning experiences, providing feedback on IT products; 2) to evaluate and document the main impact of this experience, with recommendations for implementation of other pilot projects; 3) to build guidelines for broader scale implementations; and 4) to communicate the results and share with the educational community and government leaders. For more information or to replicate this experience in another Latin American country contact Claudia Toledo at ctoledo@microsoft.com.
•   Internal Readiness to understand training and professional development requirements, to help you prepare for a 21st Century Classroom and Institution.
•   Local and Global Benchmarking Studies that show how and why benchmarking programs are vital to success in 21st Century Learning.
•   Quality Assurance Plans to maintain the same level of quality from Day One once your new program is in place.
   
  El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Panama, Costa Rica have each implemented an external analysis in partnership with the Organización de Estados Iberoamericanos (OEI). Their research focused on the impact of the Partners in Learning initiatives, the identification of actions necessary for the program’s success, or changes needed and the learned lessons about the incorporation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education. The complete version of the evaluation performed by OEI for the CCA region is available here. Trinidad and Tobago outlined a Baseline Draft report.
     
  Argentina has also completed an external analysis of the impact of their program. The findings of the research concluded that the program is recognized as the model for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) training and that the inclusion of the school as a training unit is recommended. In addition, the ICT for Principals is recommended as a next step.
   
   
   
   
Global / National / Local Issues
Planning for Digital Inclusion
 
 

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