Austria Presentation of the UNESCO GEM-Report: "Technology in Education: A Tool On Whose Terms?"

11/16/2023

23. November 2023
09:30-16:00h
C3, Sensengasse 3, 1090 Vienna

Technologies play an essential role in achieving SDG4. Especially during the Covid 19 pandemic, the enormous potential, but also the limits and risks of technology use in education became clear. Consequently, the GEM Report 2023 is dedicated to the topic "Technology in education: A tool on whose terms?". On November 23rd, the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report will be presented in a hybrid format and then discussed in workshops with experts.

In its key messages, the Global Education Monitoring Report 2023 urges national governments to analyse and consider the forms, potentials, consequences and risks of technology use in education and to develop appropriate regulatory measures. Technologies must enable better learning experiences and increased well-being for students and teachers. They must not be detrimental to them: online connections are not a substitute for human interaction. The needs of learners and the support of teachers must remain of paramount importance.

The GEM Report 2023 explores the challenges in education for which appropriate use of technology can provide solutions. These include access, equity and inclusion; quality; technological advancement; systems management. At the same time, the report emphasises that many of the proposed solutions can also be detrimental. It is therefore essential to focus on three system-wide conditions, namely

equal access to technology,
appropriate regulation and
adequate teacher training and development.

Only when these are fulfilled can technologies in education develop their full potential

Aims and orientation of the event
The presentation of the GEM-Report in Austria is intended to prepare the international discussion around the implementation of SDG 4 and the related responsibilities, corresponding challenges and recommended strategies for an Austrian audience, to draw conclusions for the Austrian situation from it, to stimulate the critical examination of the topic and to promote the further development of the dialogue among Austrian actors. Furthermore, the event will build a bridge to educational issues on a global level, especially in the Global South, and thus contribute to discussing the Austrian situation in a global context.

Central questions:

What role do educational technologies play in the Austrian education system and worldwide? How are new (digital) tools changing teaching and learning and what is in store for the education sector until 2030?
What findings does research in the field of educational technologies provide?
What positive effects are associated with the use of educational technologies? In which areas are there opportunities to solve educational problems through technology?
What opportunities does technological progress open up in addressing individual educational challenges in terms of access, equity and inclusion, quality and technology development?
What technology-related challenges does education face?
What conditions must be in place for the integration of educational technologies into teaching and learning environments to succeed? What are the implications for curricula, teacher education and training, assessment of learning outcomes or quality assurance?
How can negative consequences of the use of technology in education be addressed?

National presentation in Austria
The Austrian Commission for UNESCO and the Austrian Foundation for Development Research are organising the presentation of the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report in Austria.

Programe
09.30 Etnrance
10:00 Welcoming and Introduction

Werner Raza, Austrian Foundation for Development Research
Martin Fritz, Austrian Commission for UNESCO
Representative of the Ministry of Education, Science and Research (tbd)

10.30 Presentation of the GEM Report 2023 | Q&A: Francesca Endrizzi, Reseracher GEM Report
11.30 Commentary on the global challenges in the Global South | Q&A: tba
12.30 Lunch break
13.30 Working Groups

Group I: Technology & fundamental tights
Group II: Technology & equitable access
Group III: Technology & education and further training

15.15: Panel discussion & discussion of the results from the working groups
16.00: End of the event

Moderation:
Margarita Langthaler (ÖFSE) & Stephanie Godec (ÖUK).

The event will be held in German and English with simultaneous translation and will be translated into Austrian Sign Language if needed.

Please register via the following link: Registration
If you have any questions about the event, please contact: godec@unesco.at