Exploring Distance and Online Learning in Central Asia: What is happening with learning?

Exploring Distance and Online Learning in Central Asia: What is happening with learning?

Session 2. 

This online regional gathering represented an important step in the Torino Process, a participatory analysis of human capital development and vocational education and training (VET) in partner countries of the European Training Foundation (ETF). Over all, more than 35 countries are taking part in the Torino Process. In Central Asia, that includes Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Participants came from a broad spectrum of stakeholder groups, including practitioners of all stripes, students, and international organizations. It combined presentations, a panel, and breakout discussions.

It also served as a follow-up to a session last week based primarily on brainstorming in breakout groups. A review of key points from last week kicked off this session. They were presented by three participants: Akbota Akzhanova, vice-director, Temirtau Higher Polytechnic College, Karaganda region, Kazakhstan; Atabek Marasulov, vice-director, Kyzyl - Kyy Mining and Technical Industrial College, Kyrgyzstan; and Masuma Bashirova, Director, Association for the Development of Education in Kyrgyzstan.

They focused in large part on lessons that emerged about distance learning since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are some takeaways offered in the presentations:

• Self-development became a priority and worked well

• The rate of adoption of digital tools and online platforms was uneven because some people had already been using them, while others had to start from scratch

• Teamwork and the exchange of experience proved important

• Students, teachers and others generally adapted quickly and well, despite limitations that included technical issues, such as the lack of computers and poor Internet access

• Computer literacy training for teachers and students would be helpful going forward

• The workload for teachers increased, partly because parents could call them any time of the day or evening

• Assessment became problematic, especially for students in remote regions

• Practical training became difficult to provide, though this was partly mitigated by the use of videos and other tools

• Some social partners and companies were reluctant to take on students as interns and trainees

• With better foreign language skills, students can start participating in international events and exchanges as part of distance learning

Masuma Bashirova, also presented a mind map:

The panel discussion examined a series of key issues in digital and distance learning, and featured representatives from three countries:

• Kazakhstan: Gulvira Oshakbaeva, chief expert of the content and methodology department of technical and professional, post-secondary education of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan

• Kyrgyzstan: Irina Gordeeva, head of department, Agency of Primary Professional Education Department of Teaching and Educational Work and Social Partnership

• Uzbekistan: Shikhnazar Sharofaddinov, deputy director for Planning and Development of Vocational Education, Institute of Pedagogical Innovation, Retraining and Advanced Training of Management and Pedagogical Personnel of Vocational Education under the Ministry of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education

All three countries have national digitalization strategies. Digital Kazakhstan is a government initiative designed to help develop human capital. It features efforts to boost digital literacy in VET programmes. The government also wants to create better infrastructure and accelerate the digitalization of education and science. Basic modules of ICT are being introduced into the curriculum.

Kyrgyzstan’s current strategic plan is coming to an end. The new one will extend to 2040, with the first stage running through to 2023.

Goals include advances in e-learning, which involves ICT skills, distance learning and “the creation of an electronic environment for education,” as Gordeeva put it. “This was built into the strategy, but we never thought that we would have to introduce it so rapidly,” she added.

Uzbekistan has an official digitalization program that continues until 2030. While addressed to the entire population, it highlights secondary education and VET. Distance learning platforms, content for learning about IT, and teacher retraining rank among the priorities. The country also hopes to graduate two million programmers.

Before March 2020 and the lockdowns, examples of digital and distance learning were few and far between – though Uzbekistan had started working on a project with UNESCO last year, which provided a head start for some practicioners.

“In Kazakhstan, the lockdown started on 16 March, and it wasn't easy,” recalled Gulvira Oshakbaeva. “We were not really prepared, and we are not going to hide that fact.”

Governments and practitioners shifted into high gear after the lockdown. But they faced many of the challenges outlined in the bullet points above.

In Kazakhstan, decrees were passed and recommendations issued. Teacher training was beefed up. Early on, officials launched a weekly monitoring scheme to evaluate progress. Among other things, it looked at the availability of computers and adequate Internet access. When lacking, efforts were made to supply students and teachers with the necessary resources. Yet it is still a work in progress.

“We developed a road map, with about 25, different actions to fully implement this. Our ministry is still working on it.”   

In Kyrgyzstan, teachers developed video tutorials. Partly in response to their too-often poor technological quality, a training programme was launched. The tutorials have been compiled into a database that is accessible throughout the country. Monitoring was hampered at first by strict lockdown measures. Then the school year ended.

Launched more robustly in October, “the monitoring has shown that the work is going on and it's not going badly,” said Irina Gordeeva.

Uzbekistan cut Internet tariffs and boosted its speed. Video lessons were broadcast on television. A teacher upskilling initiative was launched. Monitoring was difficult at first but it is picking up.

International cooperation with peers around the world has been muted.

“Unfortunately, we have not been sharing experiences with other countries,” said Gulvira Oshakbaeva.

Indeed, the final section of the meeting, another round of breakout groups, featured regional collaboration. Reports back to the plenary revealed a number of interesting ideas on the topic:

• A single communication network could help practitioners share their experiences

• Some said that it might be best to NOT run such a communication network through governments “to side step or avoid some issues that might appear”; others called for an intergovernmental agreement to set it up, arguing that it would smooth the process

• Developing a new platform might be timely and costly, so it might be worthwhile to adapt an existing platform

• Practitioners in different countries might want to find ways to pool resources and content for distance learning

• Once travel is again possible, “methodology experts” and headmasters from different schools could be brought together to learn how to develop distance learning programs and lesson plans

• International organizations can use their existing collaborative platforms to focus more on these issues