Imagining the Future of Learning

Mexico’s Primary Education Meets Child-Center Technology

Mexico’s Basic Education System:

National  Public   Private  

  Students Teachers Schools   Students Teachers Schools  

                               

Pre-School 85 % 80 % 84 %   15 % 20 % 16 %  

Elementary (1-6) 92 % 91 % 93 %   8 % 9 % 7 %  

Middle School (7-9) 93 % 86 % 88 %   7 % 14 % 12 %  

                               

Total   91 % 87 % 89 %   9 % 13 % 11 %  

Source: INEE, National Institute for the Evaluation of Education, school cycle 2006/2007

                     

Elementary Public School enrollment (2006/2007): 14,585,804 studentsPrimary school attendance has gone from 65.7 percent to 97.2 percent between1970 and 2007.

INEE, 2007

Mexico’s Basic Educational Problems

• Low Reading Comprehension scores

• Low Science Scores

• High Repetition Rates • 23% of Sixth Grade students reported to have repeated

at least one grade. INEGI Encuesta Educativa, 2007

• Quality and Equity• Untrained Teachers• Traditional, Teacher-centered Methods• Teacher Union

Mexico’s Basic Educational Problems

Mexico´s Inequality and Poverty´s Problem

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Level I Level II Level III Level IV

Level of Achievement by type of primary school

In 2006:

Science Achievement in Mexico

Mean and Distribution of Student Performance in Science Literacy

-PISA 2006

Consequences and Prediction

If we don’t do anything about low achievement scores

Then the children of today will become the under educated and under paid adults of tomorrow.

• Technology• Revised Curriculum for 5th and 6th grade

– Enciclomedia Textbooks• Promotion of “child-centered” learning

process (active learning)– New Role for Teacher: Facilitator– Encouraging Student Creativity and Learning

New Learning Approach

What Can We Do?

Our Approach:

Interactive and Collaborative Science Education —To create an effective learning tool to improve science concept

acquisition and student collaboration around multimedia interactive lessons.

To break down some of the barriers that stall the learning in Mexican children today, going directly to the students.

Critical Factors

Learning From TV,

Radio, (Online)

School and outside school Learning with

Interactive Media Agent

Home Learning

with parents

Reading class with

paper-based

materials

Home School

Technology interaction

Teacher Interaction

Future Education

Cell Phone

Enciclomedia

Teachermate

Chumby

One Laptop Per Child

Our Inspiration

REFORZATECH

This gadget is great! Its helping the students work through math and reading comprehension activities

interactively, how fun!

Hmm, I still don’t know if I understand this, I wonder if

anyone else is having this problem?

In 2008 the Teachermate was introduced in selected Mexican locations

Wow, they really seem to like this experiment…I wish we had more

microscopes so more of then could practice with the technology! Wouldn’t it be great if

the Teachermate could help somehow

What do you see? Is it my turn yet?

Meanwhile…in a science class at the same school, children explore using a microscope

After the introduction of the ReforzaTech….

Tonight please check out the microscope activity on

the ReforzaTech, we will have a review tomorrow.

Oh good, I can look at ReforzaTech tonight because I don’t know If I’ll get a turn to

look for as long as I want

Clasifiqúelo ¡Ayuda! Compártalo

Soft, waterproof, changeable case

make device durable and

personalizable

Peer Networking Buttons:

Home ExperimentsInteractive Activities

http://vweb.enciclomedia.edu.mx/recursos/actividades/interactivos/c_naturales/microscopio/index.html

Whoa, this is even cooler than what we saw in class! I wonder if

Maria saw the butterfly under the microscope…I’m going to share it with her and rate this

activity so everyone knows how great it is!

Look at the lung cells under the microscope! I wonder if anyone

knows all the differences between plant and animals cells….

Good question, why don’t you post that question

with the ¡Ayuda! button

Later that evening….

Hey Maria, did you check out the microscope activity I shared with you? It

is like what we were doing in science class yesterday but there is more to see! I’m going to try the optional experiment

at home tonight!

Before class the next day….

Also before class, the science professor looks at what his students have used

Excellent, almost everyone looked at the activity last night! Oh it looks like there is still some confusion on how an animal cell differs

from a plant cell…I will revisit that in class again today to make sure I clear up their questions.

• Role of the Teacher as a “knowledgeable expert”

• Educational Policies• National Expenditure on Education• Teacher Union• Technological Literacy

Challenges to Adoption

Ethical Considerations

• The interactive components can be anonymous so that student privacy is protected in the ¡Ayuda! forums and in the statistics presented to the teachers

• The content is strictly educational and developed by the Secretary of Education.

• We are targeting 5th and 6th grade students only• Not translated in all +60 indigenous languages

Summary

• Widespread wireless internet has not yet reached Mexican schools

• Our product builds on current technology to connect students locally through the discussion of science activities

• Teachers benefit from students independently exploring the science content in the ReforzTech and posing questions anonymously highlighting what is still not well understood

• Future versions could include even more student interaction through individual wiki pages which post additional science related activities and information

References

• Heyneman & Loxley (1983)• UNESCO• World Bank 2007• INEE, National Institute for the Evaluation of

Education.• INEGI, National Institute for Statistics and

Geography.• Children's Issues in México, Reimers Fernando

2007