File:DigitalLearning Z COMP.pdf

Summary

This chapter aims to compare the contexts, features, trends, and issues of digital learning (DL) in K-12 education among 11 high-digital-competitiveness countries. Based on the country-specific reports in previous chapters, the following findings about DL are presented: (1) Most countries claim to be in the second stage of digital transformation (digitalization), while three countries claim to have reached the third stage of digital transformation. (2) The governments of these countries have launched policies promoting DL, incorporating long-term strategies that involve investments in DL facilities and resources. Countries that consistently implement policies across their education systems are more likely to progress in developing DL, while others encounter challenges in allocating funding and ensuring equitable access to DL. (3) DL implementation across K-12 schools varies in degree. Secondary education (ISCED 2 and 3) offers more opportunities for using digital tools to support learning than younger age groups. Some countries restrict the use of DL in pre-school education (ISCED 0). (4) The COVID-19 pandemic has yielded both positive and negative impacts on DL. Countries with long-standing DL policies have effectively adjusted to distance/online learning in response to the pandemic. (5) Significant funding has been allocated to DL, focusing on DL infrastructure, teaching, and learning resources. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a notable increase in investments in DL across these countries. (6) Most countries have well-established school infrastructure to support DL. However, in some countries, variations in DL infrastructure exist among different school types, districts, and households. (7) Learning management systems (LMSs) providing diverse functions for digital learning and assessment are widely used. (8) Most countries emphasize teachers’ professional development in digital teaching by providing support on online training courses, teacher communities, and hubs for digital teaching resources. (9) Some common DL features shared by these countries include significant and comprehensive government investments in DL, a focus on fostering students' and teachers' digital literacy, and the enhancement of personalized and adaptive learning using DL resources. (10) Several significant trends in these countries encompass the widespread use of AI in education, an emphasis on enhancing teachers' digital teaching skills, and the development of students' DL proficiency through courses on computational thinking, coding, and programming. (11) Common issues have been identified, including a lack of clear guidance or planning, insufficient funding for improving and maintaining DL facilities, disparities in students' access to DL devices both at school and at home, concerns for DL security, and more. These trends and issues could serve as a foundation for proposing future research and development directions that aim to enhance DL for sustainable development.

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