By Hassan Ndahi, Senior Specialist, Skills and Employability, ILO Caribbean
Rapid advances in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the 1990s have created both opportunities and challenges for the design and delivery of quality education and training in member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). This policy issue was articulated in the 1990 CARICOM Regional Strategy for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) revised in 2014. The development and use of ICTs for the delivery of instruction in education and training in a face-to-face classroom setting or at a distance is aimed at improving the quality and access to education and training.
Thirty years after the regional TVET policy recommendation on the use of ICT in TVET, the COVID-19 pandemic brings into focus the challenges vocational training systems are facing as they seek to maintain continuity of programme design, delivery, student/trainee assessment and certification, and instructor professional development.
A 2020 survey of national training agencies and TVET councils in the Caribbean showed 53% of the respondents indicated that their institutions do not use any form of ICT for distance delivery of instruction, while 47% of the respondents indicated moderate use of different types ICTs to deliver instruction at a distance in Vocational training.
Thus, within the Caribbean region the following issues must be addressed as the region seeks to change the status quo of TVET provision, relevance, access and quality; ensuring educational quality and the resilience of the sector.
1. Learning platform, financing and partnership Delivery of instruction at a distance requires a Learning Management System (LMS), and financial partnerships to maintain continuity and access to all learners.
2. Instructor training on the use of ICT for delivery of instruction The quality and success of the use of ICT for distance delivery in vocational training is dependent on continuous professional development for instructors on the use of a Learning Management System (LMS) and instructional design and delivery methodology.
3. Resources and support services for instructors and learners The availability of learner support services and online learning resources are critical to facilitating and enhancing the learning environment. Instructors and students should be provided and have access to resources and services for effective instruction and learning.
4. Programmes delivered via distance platform The practical nature of vocational programmes has been the impeding factor for the institutions to engage in distance learning. Exploring innovative ways to deliver both theoretical and practical hands-on courses, including assessing/validating competencies via digital/online modalities would facilitate the use of digital tools for instruction.
5. Challenges associated with distance learning delivery Teaching in a face-to-face environment is associated with instructional and pedagogical challenges. These challenges are compounded in vocational training due to the practical nature of the programmes. Addressing the challenges of distance delivery of instruction would require the adoption of digital technologies by instructors and students.
The capacity of technical and vocational education and training to adapt how it designs, delivers, and assesses student learning during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond is critical to maintaining continuity of skills development in the region.
