Commonwealth of Learning Competency Framework

for Teacher Development in ICT Integration

1. Background
1.1.

Introduction

The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) helps governments and

institutions expand the scope, scale and quality of learning by
developing and sharing open learning and distance education
knowledge, resources and technologies so that citizens of
Commonwealth countries can become and remain competitive in
a global economy. 1
In supporting efforts to understand and implement eLearning
strategies, COL builds communities of practice and facilitates
collaborative content development and sharing. COL supports the
development of open education resources, and approaches and
uses of technologies that facilitates open and distance learning
(ODL). 2
To be successful in this global economy which is characterised by
complex, information-rich and knowledge-based societies,
students must emerge from schools with well-developed 21st
century workplace skills. These include skills in being capable
information and communications technology (ICT) users,
information managers, problem solvers, critical thinkers,
communicators, collaborators, self-directed learners and
responsible, contributing citizens3. If teachers are able to use ICT
effectively and plan sound learning activities, the students will
find the opportunities to engage with ICT in developing these
skills. ICT on its own will never facilitate this skill development;
the classroom teacher needs the ability to orchestrate learning
that is supported by ICT as a resource. ICT capability is just one
of a range of skills that are essential in the knowledge-based
society. The integration of ICT in learning that engages in
meaningful real-world contexts gives the learners the best
preparation for succeeding in that real world. Classroom teachers
and school managers require the competencies to be able to
implement and support learning that effectively integrates ICT,
while deepening understanding and developing workplace skills.

1 Commonwealth of Learning, Three Year Plan 2009-2012, p3

2 Ibid, p26
3 Partnership for 21st Century Skills, http://ww.p21.org
1

In order to achieve this, teacher development in ICT integration is

critical.
This document describes a framework of teacher development in
ICT integration that outlines the skills, knowledge and
competencies that will help teachers prepare learners for the
knowledge society.
1.2.

Approach to Teacher Development in ICT

The COL approach to teacher development in ICT integration

views the teachers contexts in teaching content, selecting
pedagogical approaches and using ICT as an integrated whole.
When learning about any one of these the teacher does not lose
sight of the others. When training teachers in ICT integration
skills ICT integration is modelled so that the teachers are able to
experience how ICT can be used as a resource for teaching and
learning in the school and the classroom.
Successful integration of ICT in the classroom will depend on the
teachers ability to design and/or adapt engaging learning
activities and structure the learning environment in ways that
merge the pedagogy with the advantages that ICT offers.
COL recognises that teacher development in ICT embraces three
interrelated domains within the teachers contexts.
Content represents the skills and knowledge unique to a
subject. Good teachers have thorough content knowledge;
Pedagogy defines the way that the teacher leads learning
when delivering that content according to the curriculum.
Good teachers use a variety of teaching approaches to lead
learning;
Technology is a resource at the disposal of the teachers
and the learners. ICT can support and enhance learning.
The approach to ICT in teacher education focuses on
relationships within these domains rather than on any one in
particular. For instance, teachers are often sent on ICT skills
courses in which the focus has been purely on ICT skills. Many
will struggle to understand the link between the ICT skill and the
contexts of their subject area (content), or how it can help then
become better teachers (pedagogy). An ICT skills course based
on ICT use in teaching contexts would more effectively illustrate
the role between the skills and the context in which it is used.
In a holistic approach to ICT in teacher development, attention is
given to activities that combine two or more of these domains.
The combination of pedagogy and content develops a teachers
2

knowledge of how best to lead learning in a subject / lesson.

Invariably solutions to the challenge of how to achieve this
learning lies in what ICT resources are available to that subject
teacher, thus embracing the third domain (technology). Similarly,
combining technology and content leads to a knowledge of
technologies that support teaching of a subject. The challenge of
how to best use these technologies in the classroom lies in the
pedagogical approach that best suits that learning activity.
New technologies can potentially lead to a change in teaching
methods in a subject and the nature of the content within which
learners work.4 The combination of these three domains presents
an effective alternative to teaching teachers ICT skills in isolation.
The retention of learning ICT skills is much greater when
encompassed in the rich contexts of its pedagogical use in given
content areas.
While some teacher development interventions may focus on any
one of the above domains, COL recommends that the approach
to teacher development in ICT be holistic and encompass all
three domains as far as possible.
This framework outlines the competencies that teachers will
develop as they seek to integrate ICT so that they are able to
enhance learning and prepare students for the challenges of the
knowledge society.
1.3.

Areas of Teacher Development in ICT

ICT integration supports and enhances teacher efficiency and

effectiveness encompassing their multiple roles as teachers, viz.:
Administrative:
For teachers, ICT supports their roles as administrators of
learning, assessment and student management. ICT helps
teachers become more efficient at managing these tasks. For
schools, ICT supports management and administrators in the
administration of the school and analysis of student data, this
potentially making decision making more accurate and effective.
Teaching:
ICT supports teachers in preparing lessons that will deepen
conceptual understanding. ICT does not release the teacher from
teaching; it enhances the possibilities for the teacher being able
to teach well. Teachers are responsible for creating opportunities
for learners to develop their ICT skills within the broader context
of the curriculum in and beyond the classroom.
4 TPCK model, http://www.tpck.org
3

Learning:
Teachers design student-centred activities that engage the
students in developing the skills that prepare them for the
knowledge society and the 21st century work place, digital
literacy being one such skill. When the focus pedagogically turns
from teaching to learning, the learners across the curriculum
becoming more self-directed as they engage with ICT as a
resource for learning, helping them deepen their knowledge and
eventually become producers of knowledge.
Management:
In fulfilling their roles as ICT leaders within the school teachers
and education managers develop the skills to define and
implement educational ICT strategies in the school. Developing
staff development models of collaborative situational learning in
the school and classroom environment will be a critical part of
such a strategy.

1.4.

Teacher ICT Knowledge, Skills and Competencies

The holistic approach to teacher development in ICT integration

recognises the complexity of the teachers work as they integrate
ICT. Teachers need both the knowledge about ICT and the skills
of managing its use in the classroom before they can develop the
competencies that define their planning and decision making in
developing learning experiences that integrate ICT.
COL recognises the work of UNESCO in developing competency
standards for teachers.5 The UNESCO framework breaks skills,
knowledge and competencies down into six educational
components:
Policy:
Teachers develop a growing awareness of and adherence to
national policies, and how they align to district and school policy
contexts that spell out a vision for ICT in teaching and learning in
the classroom.
Curriculum and assessment:
While knowledge of their subject is paramount, teachers will grow
beyond this subject mastery and design learning that includes
the development of 21st century skills.
5 UNESCO, ICT Competency Standards for Teachers: Competency Standards Modules (2008)

Pedagogy:
Pedagogy drives learning and teachers will learn how ICT can
support new pedagogical approaches that will enhance learning
ICT:
Teachers gain confidence in acquiring ICT skills to support their
work as teachers and the competence of knowing when and
where the use of an ICT resource is most appropriate.
Organisation and administration:
Learning to manage the classroom learning environment when
ICT is used as a resource requires a range of competencies
ranging for ICT capability to the orchestration of learners and
learning.
Teacher professional development:
When teachers embark on individual learning pathways they
realise their own potential according to their needs and interests.
Teachers are also members of an organisation and contribute to a
school that becomes a collaborative, continuously improving
learning organisation.
Detail of the educational components of ICT integration and the
implications that each holds for the teacher are presented in the
ICT in Teacher Development Framework.

2. ICT in Teacher Development Framework

2.1.

Introduction

As a multinational body the COL has the advantage of being able

to draw from the Teacher ICT Competency frameworks from other
multinational bodies as well as the individual Commonwealth
countries. COL has investigated frameworks from different
Commonwealth countries such as the UK, Australia, South Africa,
including the framework for NEPAD. Country and regional
frameworks are customised for their local contexts. All
frameworks recognise and distinguish in some way between
technical skills development and the teaching contexts in which
ICT is used. Most frameworks refer to curriculum and
assessment, classroom management of ICT, leadership skills and
teacher professional development through the use of ICT
resources. Two of the most widely referenced sets of standards
are the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)
National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS-T)
and UNESCO ICT Competency Standards for Teachers (ICT-CST).

ISTE NETS-T standards6 have been widely accepted in the USA

and have been influential in the development of localised
standard sets in other countries. They have also been revised
recently, having first been published in 2000. 7
The UNESCO ICT Competency Standards8 were most recently
revised and published in 2008. UNESCOs partners in the
development of these standards include ISTE, Microsoft, Intel and
Cisco. They were developed as part of UNESCOs mandate as the
lead agency for this action as decided by the Geneva Plan of
Action adopted by the World Summit in the Information Society in
2003. UNESCO is also developing a mechanism to endorse
programs for compliance with UNESCO standards.
COL has adopted the principles of the UNESCO ICT Competency
Standards for Teachers which is situated in broader policy
context of educational reform and of sustainable development.9
This aligns well with the Commonwealth of Learnings mandate to
help developing nations improve access to quality education and
training by encouraging the development and sharing of open
learning/distance education knowledge, resources and
technologies.10
2.2.

Principles of Professional Development

This document incorporates key principles that reflect a holistic

approach to Teacher development in ICT Integration.
2.2.1.
Technology literacy forms the basis of a continuum
of professional growth phases that leads to greater
integration of ICT in knowledge deepening activities and
greater student self-management of ICT.
2.2.2.
Gender equity is integral to students use of ICT in
teaching and learning and student-driven contexts.
6 For a summary of these standards see
http://www.d214.org/assets/1/workflow_staging/Documents/231.PDF
7 http://www.iste.org
8 For full documentation on the policy framework and supporting
documentation see http://cst.unescoci.org/sites/projects/cst/default.aspx
9 UNESCO, ICT Competency Standards for Teachers: Policy
Framework(2008), p6
10 http://www.col.org/about/Pages/default.aspx
6

Recognising that boys traditionally are more engaged by

high-end technology, technology is not the focus in ICT
integration at any stage. The way in which ICT is used as
a resource for learning is determined by the pedagogical
approach, which does not offer any gender bias.
2.2.3.
Learning to use ICT to enhance teaching and
learning requires an approach that integrates content,
pedagogy and technology holistically. Teaching ICT skills
in isolation cannot impact on the classroom learning
unless the teacher is also shown how ICT can support
teaching of the curriculum and how it can be influential
in changing teaching approaches and enhancing
learning.
2.2.4.
Teachers acquire ICT skills best in situated
learning contexts. Situated learning theory and the
cognitive apprenticeship model based on it recommends
that skills be acquired through authentic contexts and by
communicating with peers and experts about those
contexts.11
2.2.5.
Educational goals in the school and curriculum
goals in the classroom drive decision-making about the
educational use of ICT in the school. Teacher
professional development is designed to enhance the
delivery of the curriculum in the school and classroom.
Infrastructure in schools is planned to support these
goals.
2.2.6.
Teacher professional development is needs-driven,
recognising that each teacher has individual needs and
interests. Modular learning pathways make is possible
for flexible access to teacher development content.
2.2.7.
Both teachers and schools operate most
successfully in a well-supported technical environment.
Teacher development strategies include the
development of technical support capacity for teachers
and schools.
2.2.8.
Learning networks add value by facilitating
collaboration within and between teacher during and
after professional development interventions. The ability
to create and participate in communities of practice will
11 Situated Cognition & Cognitive
Apprenticeshipshttp://www.edtech.vt.edu/edtech/id/models/powerpoint/cog.pdf

ensure that the teachers learning is ongoing and that

teachers develop a habit of mind as lifelong learners.
2.2.9.
Open and distance learning (ODL) in teacher
development provides all teachers with the opportunity
to access content and participate in professional
development activities within their local contexts.
2.3.

The Competency Framework

UNESCOs curriculum framework for competency standards maps

three overlapping, transitional phases (approaches) that most
teachers would experience moving through as they grow in
confidence and competence with ICT over a period of years.
Technology Literacy: The goal is to prepare students, citizens
and the workforce to use technology in order to support social
development and improve economic productivity. This approach
is focused on the teachers use of technology and its role in
supporting the learning environment. While teachers may be
providing learners with access to ICT and facilitating learner ICT
capability, the pedagogical context of learner access to ICT does
not represent a shift from the teachers current, predominantly
teacher-centred practice.
During this phase teachers make a connection with their current
practice and ICT resources at their disposal. These connections,
seeing the value of ICT for their work as teachers, are vital
because it provides the hook that engages the teachers and
launches them on learning pathways. Typically the teachers find
ways in which ICT can support their personal life, lesson planning
and administration. Whereas the long term benefit of this is
greater efficiency in their work, the short term experience will be
marked by a fixation on a small range of ICT skills, possible
despondency and a relative lack of confidence. This may lead to
a perception of time wasting.
As confidence and competence grows teachers will become more
efficient and start exploring new applications for existing skills,
and new contexts for using different ICT resources and gaining
new skills. Initially, teachers are not expected to change their
approach to teaching while still gaining confidence in using the
ICT resources. In terms of the Innovation Diffusion Theory the
teachers are moving through the Knowledge and Persuasion
levels, leading to a Decision12 about whether ICT is an asset to
their teaching. The teachers will move from a stage of lacking
information and not being inspired to find more information to a
12 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffusion_of_innovations
8

stage where they become interested and actively seek

information.
Knowledge Deepening: The goal is to increase the ability of
students, citizens and workforce to add value to society and the
economy. In the learning environment the teacher is designing
learning experiences that are student-centred. Units of work
involve students in project-based approaches in which the
students use ICT as a resource while engaging with realworld
issues.
In order to engage with the competencies in this phase teachers
will definitely have had to make a decision in favour of using ICT
and exploring new ways of teaching with ICT. How teachers
reach this decision is unpredictable and a very individual
response. Competencies in this phase shift the focus from
predominantly teacher use of ICT to the integration of ICT with
learning activities that are student-centred, with students using
ICT for seeking information, supporting information processing
and the production of knowledge gained. Pedagogically, the shift
is from a teacher-centred to a student-centred approach. Projectbased learning is an approach in which the teacher facilitates
collaborative groups studying real-world issues. Students are
challenged to think at high levels as they work on these
classroom projects
Knowledge Creation: The goal is to increase civic participation,
cultural creativity and economic productivity. This is
characterised by a greater degree of innovative use of ICT by the
teachers and students and self-direction by the students.
Knowledge production by students is enhanced by a range of
digital media and online resources.
The trend continues in this phase as one will now typically find
the students driving the use of ICT using tools to communicate
and collaborate online, engaging in complex thinking, designing
their own learning experiences, being innovative and creating
and sharing knowledge. The teacher is the facilitator, but is also
required to be innovative in designing new learning experiences
and challenges for the students. The teacher is also more likely
to be an ICT leader in the school or the school district.
In the teaching world one could interpret these approaches as three
phases or levels of development, even though they are meant to be
complimentary, somewhat overlapping approaches that connect
education policy with economic development.13 Knowledge of
13 UNESCO, ICT Competency Standards for Teachers: Policy
Framework(2008), p8
9

technology adoption research14 conducted since the introduction of

technology into schools suggests that teachers do typically evolve
through several stages of technology adoption which do closely
match these approaches. Starting at Technology Literacy, a phase in
which the technology enjoys a relatively greater focus, new teachers
are introduced to and grapple with gaining confidence and seeing
technologys relevance to their contexts. The role of ICT is largely to
support existing practice and make teachers more efficient in their
roles as educators. Technology adoption research and models such
as Cognitive Apprenticeship15 suggest that teachers will take time to
master technology in their known contexts before exploring new
uses for technology and new pedagogical approaches that may best
suit those technologies. This transformation from Technology
Literacy is replicated in the overlapping Knowledge Deepening and
Knowledge Creation phases.
The UNESCO curriculum framework forms a matrix as these three
approaches are examined in relation to the 6 educational
components. The resulting matrix (Table 1) consists of 18 cells or
modules. Within each module there are specific curricular goals and
teacher skills which have been identified and provide the basis of
the competency standards.
Technology
Literacy

Knowledge
Deepening

Knowledge
Creation

Policy
Curriculum and
Assessment
Pedagogy
ICT
Organisation and
Administration
Teacher
Professional
Development

Table1: UNESCO matrix of 3 approaches and 6 educational

components (omitting the titles of the 18 modules (blank cells)
14 Research on educational technology adoption was influence by
the technology adoption lifecycle, a sociological model for
innovation diffusion developed by Joe M. Bohlen, George M. Beal and
Everett M. Rogers at Iowa State College. Apple Computers Inc. were
pioneers in researching educational technology adoption in the
ACOT project starting in the late 1980s. Much subsequent research
has been conducted, notably by Moersch (1995) and Sherry (1997).
15 Cognitive Apprenticeship: Making Thinking Visible (J S Brown et
al)
http://www.21learn.org/site/archive/cognitive-apprenticeshipmaking-thinking-visible/
10

11

In the competency framework teaching skills are identified that

typify the competence of teachers in each module.
Technology
Knowledge
Knowledge
Literacy
Deepening
Creation
Policy

Teachers should be
able to:
Identify how classroom
practice supports
policies

Teachers should be
able to:
Design classroom
activities that support
school and national
policies

Curriculum
and
Assessmen
t

Describe how
curriculum standards
are supported by ICT
resources

Identify key concepts

and processes in
subject areas and how
ICT resources can
deepen student
understanding of these

Help students acquire

ICT skills in curricular
and extra curricular
contexts
Use ICT to support
formative and
summative
assessment

Pedagogy

Describe how didactic

teaching supports
students acquisition of
subject knowledge
Integrate ICT into
lesson plans
Use ICT to support
teaching and learning

Help students develop

skills to find and
evaluate information
Include students in
assessment tool
development

Describe how ICT can

be used to support
collaborative, projectbased learning,
challenge thinking and
support social
interaction while
engaging with realworld issues
Design and implement
project-based units
that align to
curriculum standards
while dealing with realworld issues
Help students reflect
on their own learning

12

Teachers should be
able to:
Design / Modify and
implement school
reform programmes
aligning with national
policies
Incorporate complex
cognitive skills such as
information
management, problem
solving , collaboration
and critical thinking in
lesson activities
Design learning
activities in which
students use ICT to
acquire skills of
reasoning, planning ,
reflective learning,
knowledge building,
collaboration and
communication
Model reasoning,
problem solving and
knowledge creation
Design activities that
require students to use
online resources for
collaborative problem
solving, research and
artistic creation
Help students design
project plans that
integrate ICT and
engage them in
collaborative problem
solving, research and
artistic creation

ICT

Describe the purpose

and basic function of
ICT resources in the
context of their subject

Use interactive
software appropriate
to the curriculum
standards

Use the Internet for

information retrieval,
collaboration and
communication in the
context of their subject

Use networked
resources

Evaluate the accuracy

and usefulness of Web
resources

Organisatio
n and
Administrat
ion

Select and evaluate

digital educational
content and software
in alignment with
curriculum needs
Integrate the use of
the computer room
with ongoing teaching
and learning in
meaningful contexts
Manage supplemental
ICT resources with
individuals and small
groups in the
conventional
classroom

Teacher
Professiona
l
Developme
nt

Find and use ICT

resources to support
own content and
pedagogical
knowledge

Use ICT resources to

support their own and
students innovation
and knowledge
creation

Use ICT to
communicate and
collaborate with the
larger community of
peers and experts in
order to enhance
learning

Place and organise ICT

in the classroom
context to reinforce
learning activities
Manage project-based
learning in a
technology-rich
environment

Use ICT to access and

share professional
development
resources
Use ICT to access
outside experts and
learning communities
Continually evaluate
and reflect on teaching
practice and plan
improvement
Use ICT resources to
participate in
professional
communities

Use virtual and

knowledge building
environments to
develop learning in
face-to-face and online
communities
Use planning and
thinking tools to
support students
creation of own
learning activities and
continuous learning
Play a leadership role
in creating a vision for
curriculum ICT
integration in the
school
Play a leading role in
supporting innovation
in the school
Play a leading role in
supporting continuous
learning among
colleagues
Continually evaluate
and reflect on teaching
practice to engage
ongoing innovation
and improvement

Table 2: Curriculum Framework adapted from UNESCO ICT Competency Standards

for Teachers

13

3. Guidelines for Implementation

3.1.

Learning Pathways

A competency framework is applicable to the contexts of all

teachers who want to use ICT for the benefit of teaching and
learning, whether they are new teachers, well-established
teachers, well or poorly qualified, established ICT users or
beginner users of ICT. Each individual teacher engages in a
unique pathway of learning and experiences based on that
teachers context.
A learning pathway is a unique selection of professional
development interventions that an individual teacher
systematically participates in over a period of time as he/she
grows professionally. It is usually not a pre-selected schedule of
courses, but more likely a succession of courses, workshops and
conferences that the teacher attends as and when the need
arises and the self-motivation and funding (if necessary) to
participate is present.
Table 1: Summary of a generic learning pathway for teachers
Technology

ICT skills focused courses

Literacy
with teacher contexts

Knowledge
Deepening

Knowledge
Creation

Focus on student information

management skills
Explore curriculum
resources collaborating with other teachers
Simple resource creation using ICT

Introduction to project-based learning

Designing student-centred, enquiry-based classroom projects integrating ICT

Sharing classroom resources online and collegially

Greater independence in seeking communities of learning and exploring new ideas in practice
14
Specialised study .e.g. leadership, action
research, higher qualification

A framework maps the generic pathway for a country. Public and

privately funded professional development resources determine
the assets available for teacher training and how they map to the
countrys framework. Table 1 maps a generic pathway that aligns
to the COL framework. Schools could embark on such a pathway
as an organisation, but risk alienating teachers that do not
perceive all resources as useful. How individuals progress along a
pathway depends on whether there are resources to satisfy each
individuals need at the time.
The learning pathway in Table 1 is simply an example of how a
teacher might progress through the various approaches, while
recognising that adult learning is driven by needs and interests
and that each teacher would make a personal decision about
which interventions and professional development activities
he/she would want to engage. However, at an institutional level, it
is recommended that interventions that cater to this kind of
professional development learning pathway be made available to
practitioners.
Initial courses in a learning pathway tend to be similar for most
teachers. They help teachers find the connection between the
technology and their contexts as teachers. The teachers contexts
define the ICT content of such courses it is a needs-driven
decision. Because teachers have different needs and experience
individual learning pathways could be diverse for teachers of the
same subject.
As teachers progress along the continuum of overlapping
approaches their focus on learning about how to integrate ICT will
shift from the technology skills to the pedagogical skills.
Once teachers feel a sense of mastery of the basic skills they
need in their contexts they will focus their attention on the use of
ICT to engage students in simple research, responding to
relatively simple challenges, representing a departure from
conventional teacher-centred learning activities. Teaching
students information management skills will become necessary as
they engage with online information resources. Teachers will
explore educational software and subject-specific content
resources, being mindful of the need to also develop learners ICT
15

skills as they, the students, use a wider range of application

software in teaching and learning activities.
Learning challenges and learning activities will develop greater
complexity as teachers become more aware of a greater range of
ICT resources and ideas about how to integrate ICT and
orchestrate learning to extract the best benefits from what the
resources offer. This will be a dominant feature of growth in the
Knowledge Deepening phase. It is a natural transition from this
phase for teachers to become more innovative, although, given
the nature of innovation and creativity, some may be more at
ease with pushing the bar while others will settle for the comfort
of routine expertise.
Because learning pathways are catered to largely through courses
one will find most teachers following a similar generic pathway,
but with unique appended experiences as they engage in other
supplementary learning experiences.
A subject teacher may progress along a learning pathway as
follows:
1. Teacher has no prior experience of ICT - attends training that
aligns ICT skills to the context of teaching sees value in ICT
for processing assessment and setting up worksheets
2. Months later the teacher attends a study group for subject
teachers hears about useful educational software explores
and decides not to adopt this resource
3. The following year the teacher reads about classes
collaborating online and becomes interested in this idea
realises he/she has a lack of experience in designing such
learning activities this need is not met for a while
4. A few weeks later the school announces that there is a course
on designing projects teacher perceives this as suiting
his/her needs attends the course
5. Teacher realises that he/she does not know enough about
digital media asks a colleague peer-to-peer sharing takes
place
6. Teacher becomes enthusiastic after successfully implementing
a classroom project and integrating ICT and has many
questions about ICT in the classroom pursues these by
joining an online community for subject teachers
7. The following year a national conference for educational ICT is
announced teacher registers at the conference the teacher
is exposed to a multitude of ideas
3.2.
Aligning courses and interventions to the
competency framework

16

The individual modules that constitute the matrix of cells in the

competency framework cannot be seen in isolation; they are
deeply interrelated, thereby replicating the complexity of any
learning situation. Furthermore most existing courseware is
developed outside the parameters of the framework and before
the framework was developed. It is therefore rare that you will
find one intervention specifically focussed on one module. Quite
often existing interventions will cater not only for more than one
educational component under one approach on the matrix, but
may cater for a range of competencies spanning more than one
approach. It is therefore hard to recommend one specific course
for one specific competency or module of competencies. The
following recommendations are therefore made recognising the
limitations and complexities of such a process.
Major providers of open educational resources offer a range of
teacher professional development resources in ICT integration,
most as part of worldwide programmes, but some specific to
some countries.
The Commonwealth Certificate for Teacher ICT Integration
(CCTII) is a distance qualification that can be offered in blended
mode or as a distance learning course. It can also be offered as a
qualification or module by module as a range of short courses.
Teacher education institutions can adopt and use this resource.
The courseware is available for viewing at
http://www.schoolnet.org.za/CoL/ACE
The Microsoft Partners in Learning (PiL) programme is a
worldwide initiative with a significant teacher development
component that takes on a different format in each partner
country. Materials recommended here have been developed in
South Africa and used in Africa, while some components were
developed in the USA and localised for South Africa. The world
renowned Peer Coaching course is an example of this. While the
Partners in Learning programme in a specific country is
established with government endorsement, the teacher
development materials may be used anywhere in educational,
non-profit programmes. For more details about the international
programme see
http://www.microsoft.com/education/pil/partnersinlearning.aspx
To view the South African programme materials see
http://www.schoolnet.org.za/PILP
The Intel Teach programme is similarly a worldwide
programme which is part of a broader Intel educational initiative.
A range of materials have been developed centrally and adapted
locally in countries under Intel supervision. The courses are only
recognised in countries with an established Intel Teach
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programme, but may be delivered in other countries by Intel

Teach partners from Intel Teach countries. For more details about
the programme see http://www.intel.com/education/teach/. These
materials are not in the open education resources domain but the
programme is sponsored in member countries.
Intel Elements is a series of self-study courses on CD that
could be facilitated if necessary. This series can be used in
countries not offering Intel Teach.
Oracle Foundation ThinkQuest Projects is an integrated
project with some courseware preparing teachers specifically for
managing the ThinkQuest Projects programme. ThinkQuest is a
competition for students to collaboratively develop learning
materials in a safe interaction environment. To read more about
this programme see
http://www.slideshare.net/technoman222/think-quest-projectand-21st-century-learning
Courses or modules that can be offered to align with various
phases in the competency framework are included below. This is
by no means an exhaustive list and this list could be updated
periodically.

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Technology Literacy
ICT skills focus with teacher contexts
PiL: ICT Skills for Teachers / Principals (2 separate courses)
Intel Teach: Getting Started
CCTTI module: ICT and the Roles of the Educator
CCTTI module: Designing and creating websites
Information skills and simple resource creation
PiL One Step Further
CCTII module: ICT Maths Resources for Educators
CCTII module: ICT Science Resources for Educators
CCTII module: Developing Classroom Resources for Maths
CCTII module: Developing Classroom Resources for Science
Using educational software
CCTII module: Choosing and evaluating Educational Software
Learning Theory (foundational)
CCTII module: Learning, teaching and thinking with ICT

Knowledge Deepening
Project-based learning

Intel Elements: Project-based Approach

PiL: ICT Integration (WebQuests)

Intel Teach: Essentials Course

Intel Teach: Thinking with Technology

CCTII module: Learning with Projects

CCTII module: Working with Information

Oracle Foundation ThinkQuest Projects

Assessment

CCTII module: Assessing ICT Integration

Collaborative Professional Development

PiL: Peer Coaching

ICT in schools

CCTII module: ICT in Schools

Knowledge Creation
ICT Leadership

CCTII module: ICT Leadership in Schools

CCTII module: ICT Planning in Schools

NCERD Guyana: ICT module in Course for Principals

PiL: ICT Leadership for Education Managers

PiL: 21st Century School Leadership

PiL: Assessing 21st Century Learning

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3.3.

Suggested Implementation Strategy

3.3.1.

Pre-service teacher training

Given the relative lack of a cohesive strategy for both preservice and ongoing (in-service) teacher development in ICT
integration in most Commonwealth countries, it is probable
that the early stages of a strategy for implementation would
look similar for both sectors. Given that teachers will take time
to grow in confidence and competence as they gain
experience of teaching with ICT it can safely be assumed that
teachers could take several years to develop along the
pathway of overlapping approaches referred to in the above
curriculum framework (Table 2).
Pre-service training varies from country to country and may
take from 3 to 7 years. In some cases the teaching practice is
integrated throughout the course and in other cases it is
confined to a post graduate teacher diploma course.
COL recommends that:
teachers leaving pre-service level training in which
teaching practice is integrated throughout large portions
of the course be able to achieve the competencies listed
in the Technology Literacy and Knowledge Deepening
columns;
teachers qualifying with one year post-graduate
professional qualifications be expected to be proficient
in Technology Literacy and at least have knowledge of
Knowledge Deepening competencies;
teacher trainers at teacher training institutions acquire
and model ICT integration competencies;
teacher training institutions plan/adopt and integrate
courseware for students that aligns with the required
competencies.
3.3.2.

Inservice teacher training

In-service teachers have busy schedules and are

geographically dispersed over large areas, posing logistical
challenges to their ongoing professional growth. Open and
distance learning particularly suits their need for flexibility in
time, location and access to teacher professional development
content. These teachers are also more discerning about the
time they spend on professional development and are more
likely to prefer needs-driven interventions.
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COL recommends that:

open and distance learning courses that align to the
framework be made available to in-service teachers;
courses have a modular structure in order to offer
teachers with varying needs a range of learning options;
teachers join online communities of practice and share
their experience and resources.
If pre-service and in-service teachers collaborate with each
other in the acquisition of ICT integration competencies they
stand to benefit from the unique experience that each can
bring to the partnership. For instance, practicing teachers
have content mastery and classroom management
experience, but may not have the opportunities to learn new
ideas about integrating ICT. Pre-service teachers may lack the
classroom experience but have fresh ideas about new
pedagogical approaches using ICT resources to enhance
learning. Peer coaching in this situation will grow a
collaborative professional development model in both the
school and the teacher training institution.
3.3.3.

Whole school professional development

COL recommends building a broad base of capacity in ICT

integration at school level. This is based on several key
developments taking place simultaneously:
ICT leadership:
COL recognises the key role that school management plays in
successful ICT implementation in schools. Professional
development for this specialist group focuses on ICT
leadership, shared vision and development of ICT plan and
implementation of ICT in the school.
Technical support:
The lack of a technical support strategy places school ICT
implementation at risk. In some countries and country regions
technical support is provided by the government or local
government. Where such a strategy is not in place it is
incumbent on the school to secure its own technical support.
Teachers who receive specialist training in technical support
often see this as an opportunity to leave the profession,
thereby depleting the school support team and jeopardising
the schools ICT implementation. The same applies to the
school ICT champions. COL recommends developing a
technical support team at school or community level,
coordinated by a teacher. In many countries such a team
consists of students from several grades.
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Peer-to-peer collaboration:
Research has shown that teacher professional development
that is based on collaboration, coaching, study teams and
peer visits results on a high degree of application of learning
in the classroom.16 A peer coach programme is designed to
build a school-wide culture of peer-to-peer collaboration
focusing on coaching skills, lesson enhancement and ICT
integration. COL recognises the impact that such broad-based
development of ICT champions has on the sustainability of ICT
implementation at the school, and quality teaching and
learning with ICT in the classroom.
3.3.4.

Education managers

Most countries have a system of district management and

support personnel who administer schools on behalf of the
state/province/region. While these officials are not directly
involved with ICT in the classroom or even at the school, their
awareness and understanding of the role of ICT in education is
critical if systemic change focused on ICT implementation is to
be successful. Managers who are not aware of the benefits of
ICT might place restrictions on teachers in the classroom
adopting new pedagogical approaches with new technologies.
Similarly assessment of learning needs to reflect the nature of
the learning and new assessment strategies may need to be
employed. Professional development for education managers
will equip education managers with the knowledge, skills and
attitudes to support innovative uses of ICT in the school and
the classroom. Furthermore, training in pedagogical
approaches that integrate ICT will allow curriculum support
personnel to play leadership roles in facilitating the
development of these skills in teachers.
3.3.5.

Country implementation strategy.

COL recommends the following principles for countries

implementing a teacher development strategy in ICT
integration:
A customised framework will afford the country the
opportunity to align the framework with local e-learning
policy. Countries may also wish to align the framework with
existing successful professional development interventions.
A customised framework will allow specific learning pathways
to be identified for teachers in that country.
16
Joyce, B., & Showers, B. (1996). The evolution of peer coaching. Educational Leadership,
53(6), 1216.

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A roadmap for implementation of teacher professional

development in ICT integration will help to identify what
capacity exists or needs to be developed in the provision of
professional development interventions and facilitators.
A roadmap will help identify the areas where public-private
partnerships can be explored and provide clarity on what
funding for implementation is required.
A roadmap will clearly define delivery targets within a
timeframe, and identify outputs and indicators for monitoring
and evaluation.
Recommended learning pathways will guide teachers in
specific interest groups through recommended professional
development interventions in a systematic way.
Educators at teacher training institutions will benefit from
following pathways specific to their niche so that they will be
able to fulfil their responsibility to train pre-service teachers
in competencies aligned with the Knowledge Deepening
approach.
Internet connectivity in schools will enable teachers to
participate in open and distance learning, this benefitting
from the flexibility and situational training that this affords.
The Internet connectivity will also facilitate the establishment
of communities of practice online, ensuring that teachers
remain supported as lifelong learners.
Education support personnel will benefit from training unique
to their niche as potential ICT leaders and facilitators of
training in ICT integration for teachers in their care.
A technical support strategy based on broad-based capacity
building in technical skills will ensure the sustainability of ICT
in the school and the classroom.

23

References:
Brown, J S, et al, Cognitive Apprenticeship: Making Thinking Visible
(1991)
http://www.21learn.org/site/archive/cognitive-apprenticeshipmaking-thinking-visible/
ISTE, ISTE National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers
(2008)
http://cnets.iste.org/teachers/t_stands.html
Oliver, K, Situated Cognition & Cognitive Apprenticeships (1999)
http://www.edtech.vt.edu/edtech/id/models/powerpoint/cog.pdf
Joyce, B., & Showers, B. (1996). The evolution of peer coaching.
Educational
Leadership, 53(6), 1216.
Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge
http://www.tpck.org
The Journal, New Insights on Technology Adoption in Schools,
February 2000
UNESCO, ICT Competency Standards for Teachers: Policy Framework
(2008)
http://cst.unesco-ci.org/sites/projects/cst/default.aspx
UNESCO, ICT Competency Standards for Teachers: Competency
Standards Modules (2008)
http://cst.unesco-ci.org/sites/projects/cst/default.aspx
UNESCO, ICT Competency Standards for Teachers: Implementation
Guidelines (2008)
http://cst.unesco-ci.org/sites/projects/cst/default.aspx

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