Modern Educational Systems

An Interdisciplinary Perspective

Professor Fred Mednick

Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences
VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT BRUSSEL
Phone: +1 206-356-4731/ Skype: twbfred
E‐mail: fred@twb.org

Spring, 2018

FACE-TO-FACE AT VUB
ONLINE ONLY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
Monday, 19 February: 14:00-16:30 Course platform: Canvas
Tuesday, 20 February: 14:00-16:30
MAY
Thursday, 22 February: 14:00-16:30 Course platform: Canvas
APRIL
Monday, 16 April: 14:00-16:30 ONLINE OFFICE HOURS
Tuesday, 17 April: 14:00-16:30 (posted on Canvas)
Thursday, 19 April: 14:00-16:30
 Table of Contents

Access to Canvas: Course Platform ............................................................................................. 2

Background: Modern Education Systems | Comparative Education ..................................... 2
Exploring Central Questions ......................................................................................................... 4
Course Structure .............................................................................................................................. 5
Course Lenses and Readings ......................................................................................................... 6
Weekly or Bi-weekly Discussions on Canvas ........................................................................... 22
Physical Poster Session (Live) ..................................................................................................... 22
Panel Discussion (Live) ................................................................................................................ 22
Research Paper............................................................................................................................... 23
Pairings of Lenses for Research Paper ....................................................................................... 23
Plagiarism: Your Reputation at Stake ........................................................................................ 29
Grading ........................................................................................................................................... 29
Appendix 1: Global Innovations in Education......................................................................... 31
Appendix 2: Resource Library.................................................................................................... 39

Access to Canvas: Course Platform

This course will be conducted face-to-face and online (primarily). All announcements,
assignments, discussions, assignments, and more will be made on Canvas. It is your
responsibility to register for the course. It will not be done automatically through Pointcarré.
Here is how to access the account.

1. If you don’t have one already, please register for a free student Canvas account:
https://canvas.instructure.com/register

2. Once registered, please enroll in the course:

https://canvas.instructure.com/enroll/7GKEGJ

Background: Modern Education Systems | Comparative Education

This course examines the complex dimensions of what undergirds and drives a country's
commitment to education through a series of eight lenses that reflect perspectives on education
and global development:
1. The Global Agency (United Nations, EU) Lens
2. The Organization for Economic and Cooperation and Development Lens
3. The NGO or Civil Society Lens
4. The Ministry of Education Policy Lens

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 5. The International Donor (World Bank, et al) Lens
6. The Higher Education Lens
7. Equality Lens
8. Network and Disruptive Technology Lens
These lenses or perspectives have their own distinct components, though research has shown
that they work best when they work in an interdisciplinary fashion—in other words, with each
other. I have chosen lenses over contexts (political context, economic context, social context,
cultural context), though either approach would do. I chose lenses because I would rather you
looked at modern educational systems through the eyes of its actors, rather than as a purely
academic enterprise. After all, “context” is often not precise enough a term; it is often
patronizing (“In implementing our program, we considered the cultural context”), and can even
serve as an excuse to avoid taking a position or advocating for an approach.

Traveling Ideas
At first glance, the study of modern education systems and comparative education feels like an
arcane subject limited to a small group of academicians. It is, however, nerdy no longer; it's
front-page news. Today, it has turned into a heated global conversation, a political football, a
global development agenda, an economic yardstick, and a cultural trophy—because education is
unquestionably a global enterprise. We gaze upon global faces in our classrooms. The study of the
"foreign" or "distant" is as familiar as one's back yard. Climate change is no longer someone else's
problem. Diseases hitch a ride in carry-on luggage or through casual contact. Online, we hold
casual conversations with people we've never physically met, living in countries we have never
visited.

Comparative Education
Comparative Education is about traveling ideas, and is as old as curiosity itself,
through campfire tales, oral tradition, Biblical stories, Silk Road narratives, Bedouin scrolls, and
missionary journals, fourteenth century plates of moveable type, seventeenth century grand
tours” (exclusively for European men of means), letters, aerograms, faxes, email, tweets, Skype,
multi-player games, blogs, TED talks, global student exchange programs, big data sets, social
media.
In the field of comparative education, international assessments, published on the internet for
the world to see, raise the stakes for the quality of student performance and teacher professional
development. Whole policies or curricula are borrowed, adapted, stolen. Heads of state,
legislators, professional associations, and policymakers are hypersensitive to global rankings and
how to rise on them; how to educate their citizenry for the skills necessary for jobs not yet
invented; how to keep pace with a dizzying rate of change; how to engage communities of
diverse backgrounds; how their nation can redefine their unique cultures in a world in which
Facebook claims more members than most religions.

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These challenges can be addressed, in part, by examining fundamental values and orientations
about education itself. Is it about a country’s moral commitment to human welfare?
Participation in civil society? Economic development and global competitiveness?
In an information age, questions like these include new dimensions worthy of
examination. Who are the stakeholders and the new actors? Does our current policy reflect
research or political whim? There’s a lot more where that came from.

Exploring Central Questions

 Does education mirror a larger society, manifested by its structure, its school culture,
its curriculum, its ability to consider challenges, its widely-used pedagogies, its
approach to change?

 What does it mean to compare educational systems? How is it done? Given the
infinite variations and dependencies (described above), is it even possible?

 In the last twenty years, what major themes have emerged from comparative
education system analysis? What are the biases? Inclinations?

 How have comparative education analyses informed educational quality, standards,

and accountability?

 What makes an idea travel well across borders? Following, what is the Finland
“miracle?” Can it travel? Why or why not?

 How do we make the distinctions between good ideas executed badly or not suited for
one’s context? Can we predict whether an idea will work? If so, what must be in
place?

 How might cultural values of ethnically diverse students navigate through the
dominant values or social norms of a school?

 What is the connection between education and power? What happens when a country
develops a critically-thinking citizenry?

 What are the implications of the growth of global networks for curriculum?

 How has the international community looked at the goals of education?

 If Facebook claims more users than most religions, what role does it play in the daily,
even spiritual, life of its users?

 How has global technology changed local education? Or changed the culture in which
education takes place?

 What have been the benefits? Unintended consequences?

 What role does "fake news" play in modern educational systems?

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  How have international comparisons been used in debates about school reform
worldwide and in policy change? Have they worked?

 How have global NGOs influenced the development of education globally?

 Does size of an NGO and/or civil society organization matter?

 What are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of NGO influence?

 How do NGOs replicate, scale, and sustain educational change when political
administrations change every few years?

 Who are the other important actors in international education?

 How have measurements of inequality influenced, or even driven, educational

attainment?

 What is the connection between education and economic development? Is it an inverse

relationship? Proportional?

 What are the blessings and curses of global aid?

 What has been the success rate of "celanthropists"? (celebrity philanthropists)

 What are the connections between the international donor community and
governments? Are they working? If so, how? If they are not, why not?

 Why enlist higher education in the service of reform in a country located thousands of
miles away?

 What can we learn from the successes of higher-education intervention in a country’s

education system?

 What values does higher education bring to the table?

A well-informed policy may catalyze a substantial, sustainable change and measurable results.
A misinformed, irrelevant, or poorly-led policy change may become a cancer capable of
metastasizing to other parts of the body politic.

Course Structure
This is a seminar-style course, requiring individual engagement, solo or group research,
contributions to discussions, and the preparation of a poster, participation on a panel, and a
thorough research paper. We will explore central questions these lenses evoke in the following
ways. We will (a) hold online and face-to-face discussions (b) prepare for a series of live panels
(c) present a formal poster, and (d) complete a research paper based upon our assigned lens, as
applied to one of four case studies in modern education systems and comparative education.
 We will explore these questions by working through a set of lenses (defined below), as
well as online and face-to-face discussions
 One lens will be assigned randomly to each student, responsible for full immersion

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  Each lens will require substantial reading and the development of an annotated list of
eight substantial documents related to that lens
 The student shall apply that lens to a particular case. Two different lenses will approach
the same case so that our panel discussions can represent diverse points of view
 Students will prepare for a series of live panels and a physical poster session in April
 Students complete a research paper and, if need be, a revised digital poster

Course Lenses and Readings

You may wonder, if I have made a case that the study of modern educational systems and
comparative education is, by nature, interdisciplinary, then why study the field from a single
lens? You have a good point. My answer is this: you have to start somewhere. Once you
understand a single perspective you are grounded enough to how they intersect.

GLOBAL AGENCY (UNITED NATIONS) LENS

“It is education that sustains one’s future.

It cannot be forcibly taken away by enraged kings and ministers.
It cannot be plundered by robbers
Nor can it be carried away by rolling floods.”
— Poem sung by generations of Sri Lankans

Since World War II, the drive for a consensus that global compacts can provide a reasonable
framework for countries to collaborate and set standards for human welfare. The United
Nations is its symbol. The United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs: 2000-2015)
and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs: 2015-2030) is its charter.
The United Nations also recognized that economic and social development, as well as the health
of our planet, requires consistent and steady collaboration across borders, and a cross sector
approach. The United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), adopted formally by
189 member states and 23 international organizations in September 2000, set out to enlist
governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and global agencies to accomplish
targets established in eight broad categories: (1) eradicate extreme poverty and hunger (2)
achieve universal primary education (3) promote gender equality and empower women (4)
reduce child mortality (5) improve maternal health (6) combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other
diseases (7) ensure environmental sustainability, and (8) build global partnerships for
development. These goals were to be accomplished in fifteen years.

The Good News

At the close of the MDGs in 2015, proponents claimed that the MDGs catalyzed a global
conversation about the responsibilities of the state, popularized pressing issues and global

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interdependence, and inspired action by using comparative data to measure progress. The
United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, pointed to evidence that the number of those
living in extreme poverty had been halved. Credible experts have claimed that targets to provide
access to clean drinking water had been met in dozens of countries; that efforts to stem
malnutrition, remove barriers to school enrollment, curtail unsanitary conditions leading to child
mortality, and combat malaria and tuberculosis had succeeded ; and that public-private
partnerships, increased government transparency, and rapid advances in technology had
accelerated progress toward universal education and enabled millions to access the internet,
resulting in positive impacts across all MDG goals.
In terms of the education of girls and women, the MDGs are credited with using compelling
social statistics to grab attention. An educated mother is 50% more likely to immunize her child
than a mother without an education; that with an extra year of education, a girl can earn up to
20% more as an adult and often reinvest 90% of her income into her family; that children born to
literate mothers are far more likely to survive past the age of 5; that, in an ever-swooping curve,
women’s education has prevented more than 4 million child deaths.

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A Less Enthusiastic Perspective
Critics have claimed that the MDGs have been aspirational, shallow, hyperbolic, and
unenforceable, nothing more than a public-relations stunt designed by rich countries to
demonstrate their largesse or, more cynically, to mold the world in their image so that they may
expand markets or exert political influence. Equally credible experts point to doctored statistics;
faulty evaluation design, data collection, validity reliability indices, and under-trained
monitoring capacity.
Others point out compelling evidence that the countries in greatest need of progress toward the
Millennium Development Goals did not meet their targets, that fragile or marginalized countries
were consistently incapable of building the resources they needed to address the fundamentals
of human welfare and chose, instead, to suck at the teat of donor-country charity, take advantage
of do-gooder NGOs, pile on loans to take care of these essential services, or abdicate their
responsibility entirely.
Some heads of state pledged their allegiance to the MDGs, but had no intention of addressing
corruption or promoting transparency other than a tokenistic photo-op in a village, distributing
textbooks or visiting a hospital.
Some took direct aim at the goals themselves. The right to water and sanitation as a human right
was only recognized by the United Nations in 2010; that halving poverty was hardly ambitious
enough; that in 47 out of 54 African countries, girls had less than a 50% chance of completing
primary school; that in the least developed countries overall, more than a third of young women,
15–24 years old, still cannot read; that in several countries rated at the bottom of the United
Nations Development Index, the pace of progress toward equity and human rights has not only
slowed, but also gone backward.

Required Reading
 UNESCO Education Strategy: 2014-2021. Retrieved from:
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0023/002312/231288e.pdf

 International Commission on Education for the Twenty-first Century. (ND). “Learning:

The Treasure Within – Report to UNESCO.” Retrieved Feb. 7, 2013, from:
http://www.unesco.org/delors/delors_e.pdf

 Miller, K. (Feb. 9, 2015). Putting the Challenge of Achieving International Education

Goals into Context: An Examination of the Institutional Determinants of Educational
Attainment. (Access file here: Miller.pdf)

Recommended Reading
 UNESCO Themes (drop-down from UNESCO site)
o Countries
o Partnerships
o Statistics (on Sustainable Development Goals)

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  Site for European teachers, students, and school administrators, sponsored by 30
European Ministries of Education, with much information about education in Europe to
serve as "a gateway to national and regional school networks." Posts analysis of trends,
country studies, briefing papers, blog, and more.
 Eurydice-- The official information network about national education systems in Europe,
part of the EU's Socrates Project. Posts studies and descriptions of national education
systems, comparative studies devoted to specific topics, and indicators and statistics.
Note especially the Eurypedia, "the most comprehensive description of education
systems in Europe."Shiotani, A., Hathaway, R., Hollett, M. Special Symposium
Issue: Aid, development, and education. Current Issues in Comparative Education Vol 13,
Issue 1 (Fall 2010). ISSN: 1523-1615. Retrieved from:
http://www.tc.columbia.edu/cice/pdf/25596_13_01_Klees.pdf

ORGANIZATION FOR ECONOMIC COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT

(OECD) LENS

“Traditional is the dead ideas of the living.

Tradition is the living ideas of the dead.”

— Alfred North Whitehead

Here is the mission statement from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD):
The mission of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is to promote
policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world.
The OECD provides a forum in which governments can work together to share experiences and seek
solutions to common problems. We work with governments to understand what drives economic, social
and environmental change. We measure productivity and global flows of trade and investment. We
analyse and compare data to predict future trends. We set international standards on a wide range of
things, from agriculture and tax to the safety of chemicals.
We also look at issues that directly affect everyone’s daily life, like how much people pay in taxes and social
security, and how much leisure time they can take. We compare how different countries’ school systems
are readying their young people for modern life, and how different countries’ pension systems will look
after their citizens in old age.
Drawing on facts and real-life experience, we recommend policies designed to improve the quality of
people's lives. We work with business, through the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the
OECD (BIAC), and with labour, through the Trade Union Advisory Committee (TUAC). We have active
contacts as well with other civil society organisations. The common thread of our work is a shared
commitment to market economies backed by democratic institutions and focused on the wellbeing of all

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citizens. Along the way, we also set out to make life harder for the terrorists, tax dodgers, crooked
businessmen and others whose actions undermine a fair and open society.
The OECD claims to take an “objective” look at the field of modern and comparative education
through an assessment lens. The premise here most is that education systems can be compared
and measured against a global standard, and that such measurement can serve as a diagnostic
tool or a critical factor in policy-making.

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The PISA Exam
Led by the OECD, the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) has grabbed
many a headline and has emerged as a benchmark for a society’s educational performance
compared with other countries. Offered every three years, the PISA exam measures how fifteen-
year-old pupils perform in mathematics, science, and reading. The two-hour exam assesses the
degree to which classroom learning leads to (a) the capacity of students to solve problems, and
(b) their subsequent odds of meeting the global demands of a 21st century workforce.
Some countries view the PISA exam as a snapshot of a work in progress or a blood-pressure
reading, merely a diagnostic tool helpful to gain perspective on current curriculum approaches,
policies, and teaching practices. They note the results, gather up the comparative data, evaluate
inconsistencies in policies or their implementation, and may (or may not) introduce a change
before taking another stab at it. If the scores have dropped, they assure themselves there is no
cause for panic.
Many Ministers of Education shudder when international scores are published. If their country
falls in the rankings, they feel the heat from above. PISA envy takes over and, correspondingly, a
hefty amount of impulsive policy making. Teachers may have been reporting symptoms of a
larger set of pathogens playing havoc with their country’s educational vital signs they believe
have been ignored for far too long: disrespect for teachers, student disaffection, a growing drop-
out rate, a steady of pattern of decline in student achievement in the subjects and teaching
quality or methods since the last policy was introduced.
Viewed in this light, a country may conclude that a poor PISA score is a sign of cancer. They
realize that their term in office is temporary. They long for a magic bullet or killer app. They
import solutions, fly in consultants, and buy gadgets. They all beg for more money. The stakes
are that high.
The designers of the PISA exam argue that the comparative data gathered is bound up with
hundreds of variables and deeply nuanced cultural references. They remind countries that the
PISA exam is only a report card and a set of helpful tools worth of consideration as they go
about enhancing their education systems. They keep an arm’s distance from telling countries
what to do.
Like all global standards, the PISA exam has no small share of critics. Some countries feel
pressured to participate. Others view the PISA exam even less charitably. They cite research
about how such a small sample size or cross-section of students cannot truly reveal enough
credible data to characterize a country’s educational progress. Some argue against the validity of
any global standardized tool. They focus on the holes, rather than on a holistic vision: and that
not all countries provide school location data; that dropouts are not calculated; that one cannot
simply reduce culture and context to a variable in academic performance, but as an ineffable
driver impossible to measure.
After the 2009 PISA exam results were released, two of India’s states (Himachal Pradesh and
Tamil Nadu) scored at the bottom of the list of participating countries. The government claimed

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that the PISA exam could not possibly reveal any data of value, given India’s unique “socio-
cultural milieu.” Some would say they were simply embarrassed by the results. India boycotted
the exam for ten years. In 2018, they will dip their toe in the water again by re-entering with a
small sample size, to be increased by 2021.

Required Reading
 OECD Education Page-- Provides online access to much internationally comparable data and
analysis of key aspects of the education systems of OECD member countries, mainly all the
Western democracies.
 Explore the Online Education Database, the Programme for International Student
Assessment, and the annual report Education at a Glance.
 The Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) provides data and analysis from
"teachers and schools about their working conditions and the learning environments [that]
covers important themes such as initial teacher education and professional development;
what sort of appraisal and feedback teachers get; the school climate; school leadership; and
teachers’ instructional beliefs and pedagogical practices.

Recommended Reading
 Edvocate. The Edvocate’s list of the 20 best education systems in the world. Matthew Lynch.
20 January, 2017. http://www.theedadvocate.org/the-edvocates-list-of-the-20-best-
education-systems-in-the-world/
 PISA 2015 Results: Excellence and Equity in Education, Volume 1: OECD

NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS AND CIVIL SOCIETY LENS

"Whatever you do for me, without me, you do against me."

-Gandhi

Clearly, a global NGOs and local civil society organizations are two different animals. NGOs are
often outsiders. Civil society organizations are almost always insiders. Insiders or outsiders,
NGOs and civil society organizations have a demonstrable effect on educational development.
This is the classic “bottom-up, ear-to-the-ground” perspective. Underlying premises for NGO
intervention include: (1) to fulfill their vital role of filling gaps (or introducing an alternative)
when governments cannot possibly meet all the needs of its people, (2) to support education
when government actions run counter to—or even conspire against—the educational
development of its people, often in faltering or failed states (3) to enhance the quality of
education in addition to, or beside, the formal education structure by providing non-formal
education opportunities.

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Global NGOs are embraced in some places, and viewed with suspicion in others. In the former
case, their work is seen as charitable, selfless, critically important. In the latter case, they are
dismissed as drive-by do-gooders or those who throw a bone to the masses and attempt to put a
sympathetic face on an attempt, considering their funding sources, to expand corporate self-
interest.
It is a tangled web we weave, indeed.

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Required Reading
 Global Education Monitoring Report. (2 December, 2015). Education, a powerful response to
climate change. World Education blog. Retrieved from:
https://gemreportunesco.wordpress.com/2015/12/02/education-a-powerful-response-
to-climate-change/
 Golini, R., Landoni, P., & Mozzi, D. (2012). International development projects by non-
governmental organizations: peculiarities and methodologies. Paper presented at PMI®
Research and Education Conference, Limerick, Munster, Ireland. Newtown Square, PA:
Project Management Institute. Retrieved from:
https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/id-projects-ngos-peculiarities-methodologies-
6368.
 Mednick, F. (2018). "Noblesse Oblige: the cologne of colonists." From Outside my
window: my eyewitness account of teacher leaders changing the
world. Medium. Retrieved from: https://medium.com/teachers-without-
borders/letting-go-17eda0f54468. Publisher pending.
 Ruggero, G., Landoni, P., Mozzi, D. (2012). Project Management Institute. “International
development projects by non-governmental organizations: peculiarities and
methodologies. Conference paper. Retrieved from:
https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/id-projects-ngos-peculiarities-methodologies-
6368
 School of International Service. (September 12, 2014). "Ten Innovative NGOs in
Education" American University. Retrieved from: https://ironline.american.edu/ten-
innovative-ngos-in-education

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION LENS

"Don't raise the bar and lower the gap, but narrow the gap to raise the bar."
-Andy Hargreaves

In short, the “policies” (and their consequences) of decision-makers. Such policies can be driven
by election politics, a push toward economic development, a response to global education
rankings, the legacy of colonialism, the whim of the head of state. Whatever the driver, it is a
standardized approach and the law of the land, whether or not it is carried out, evaluated, or
managed.
In the end, the Ministry of Education must embrace any effort to adopt, adjust, or accept an idea
borrowed, stolen, or adapted from somewhere else. The OECD can encourage a country to
engage with PISA. A donor agency may fund an educational transformation. A United Nations
task force may fan out across the country to collect data on educational performance. A higher-
education institution may engage in a textbook revision project. A study on inequalities may

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point to an educational intervention they believe can bridge the inequality divide. A techno-
evangelist might introduce a smart-phone application to facilitate networks of teachers and
assess student learning.
But without the Ministry of Education, anything started will evaporate.

Required Reading
 Mednick, F. (14-15 2014). Briefing book for Ministers of Education. Inter-American
Meeting of Ministers of Education in the Framework of the CIDI. Retrieved
from: http://bit.ly/briefingMOEs
 Mednick, F. (2018). Outside My Window: “Take Your Excellency to Lunch Day.”
Retrieved from: https://medium.com/teachers-without-borders/an-open-letter-to-
ministers-of-education-81c0214b25e5. Publisher pending
 Sen, A, (May 27, 2002). “To build a nation, build a schoolhouse” New York Times.
Retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/27/opinion/to-build-a-country-
build-a-schoolhouse.html

Recommended Reading
 Cooper, A. (2015). “A Tool to Assess and Compare Knowledge Mobilization Efforts of
Faculties of Education, Research Brokering Organizations, Ministries of Education,
and School Districts.” Brock Education Journal. Vol 25, No 1. Queens University.
Retrieved from:
https://brock.scholarsportal.info/journals/brocked/home/article/view/441/281
 Council of Ministers of Education, Canada-- Information about all levels of the
Canadian educational system, from the "national voice for education" in that country.

DONOR LENS

"My giant goes with me wherever I go."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Basically, an “outside in” perspective. Rich countries donating either to the country itself in the
form of a loan or rich donors keen to support a particular education reform. The largest
foundations hold in their hands the ability to support large-scale change. However, they may
have their own agendas in mind, such as a neo-liberal approach at odds with the country they
wish to assist...or a desire to create a more business-friendly environment for their corporate
funding source... or even a megalomaniacal belief that their form of "philanthropic governance"
is far more effective than the existing government.
Additionally, a hefty body of evidence has shown that, unless donors build local capacity, the
money will evaporate and the country will be no better off. Even worse, the dependencies

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created undermine self-reliance. Big donor money opens the door for corruption. Many
countries may reduce their level of responsibility for taking care of the educational needs of their
people. And at worst, failed states may abdicate their responsibility entirely!
A smaller foundation or a church group may be so moved by the need for a school, for example,
that they build one on their own. No one can argue against more schools, but what about
quality? What about the community next door to the lucky one?
So, like everything else, blessings and curses.

Required Reading
 Learning to Realize Education’s Promise. World Bank. 2018 Report:
http://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/wdr2018
 Mednick, F. (2018). Outside My Window: “Noblesse Oblige: The Cologne of Colonists.”
Retrieved from: https://medium.com/teachers-without-borders/letting-go-
17eda0f54468. Publisher pending

Recommended Reading
World Bank Data Catalogue: (sortable)
 AidFlows
 World Development Indicators
 Country Profiles
 Education Statistics and Education Tables
 Global Economic Monitor and All the Ginis Dataset
 Gender Statistics
 Research Datasets and Analytical Tools
 Poverty and Equity Database

World Bank Development Priorities

 Projects
 By Country
 By Sector
 By Theme

 Brehm, W. and Silova, I. The ignorant donor: a radical reimagination of international aid,
development, and education. Fall 2010. Volume 13, Issue 1. Current Issues in Comparative
Education: Retrieved from:
http://www.tc.columbia.edu/cice/pdf/25597_13_01_Brehm_Silova.pdf
 Inter-American Development Bank-- The education section of the website of this
international organization posts information and analysis on educational matters in Latin
America.

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 Systems Approach for Better Education Results (SABER)-- From the World Bank, "an
initiative to produce comparative data and knowledge on education policies and institutions,
with the aim of helping countries systematically strengthen their education systems. SABER
evaluates the quality of education policies against evidence-based global standards, using
new diagnostic tools and detailed policy data collected for the initiative." Includes country
reports.

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 HIGHER EDUCATION AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION LENS

“If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time,
but if you come here because your liberation is bound up with
mine, then let us work together.”

— Australian Aboriginal Elder Willa Watson

Universities and think tanks have been enlisted to make policy recommendations to Ministries of
Education, even rewrite curriculum or design an entire educational strategy. This perspective is
based upon the assumption that, like OECD, empirically-driven view can provide the necessary
objectivity and tools to help make the right choices. The strength of this perspective lies in its
capacity to enlist collaborative networks. The weaknesses include a disengagement from in-
country stakeholders or an agenda driven by prior research applied inaccurately to the country
under study.
Higher education institutions can serve as objective think-tanks, act as NGOs, provide the
research basis in the development of a Ministry of Education or global agency reform strategy.
Higher education institutions today have often led efforts to establish collaborative networks of
scholars in order to provide a reasonable perspective for such recommendations. They have
often found themselves in a position of advocacy and have been caught up in civil disturbance.
In times of crisis, universities often shut down. Global universities end up ramping up their
efforts to fill the gap.
An interesting new development is the ubiquitous reach of technology and the rise of Massive
Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Cash-strapped universities may find themselves incorporating
global perspectives to meet basic requirements. This raises a host of issues about whether the
allure of low-cost courses can replace existing offerings in brick and mortar classrooms and
therefore raise new issues about cultural independence or interdependence, the language of
instruction, and the values inherent in global transmission of knowledge.

Required Reading
 Mednick, F. (2018). “Outside My Window. My eyewitness account of teachers as change
agents.” Medium (publisher pending).
 Reimers, F. and Villegas-Reimers, E. (1996). “Where are 60 million teachers? The missing
voice in educational reforms around the world.” Prospects, 25, 3, Pp. 469-492. Publisher's
Version.

Recommended Reading
 Adolphus, M. (2016). The internationalization of higher education. Emerald Group
Publishing. Retrieved FROM:
http://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/teaching/issues/global_1.htm

18
  Center for Higher Education Policy Studies-- At the University of Twente in the
Netherlands, "produces and disseminates knowledge with respect to higher education
policy, especially at the system and institutional levels." Offers many free insightful
publications on higher education issues.
 Universitas 21-- "International network of 25 leading research-intensive universities in
fifteen countries." Produces and posts a global ranking of national higher education
systems, "based on resources, environment, connectivity, and output."
 Universities Worldwide-- Searchable database of links to thousands of universities in
over 200 countries.
 University World News-- "The global window on higher education... reports on "the
whole gamut of higher education from top world-ranking universities to institutions in
more marginalised parts of the globe... news reports, analysis, features, global round-ups
on key issues, plus links to interesting stories from other leading newspapers and
journals around the world."

EQUALITY LENS

“An imbalance between rich and poor is the oldest and most
fatal ailment of all republics”
— Plutarch

The orientation here is that economic and social inequalities drive educational progress, and that
stark imbalances between haves and have nots must be addressed or countries will wallow in a
protracted, disheartening narrative of failure. The challenge, however, is how to create policies
(and, of course, implement them effectively) that nurture an equitable society.
The debate, like much in our globalized world, is around the interpretation of data to bring this
about. Should decision-makers simply focus on economic development and let market forces be
enough to inspire a natural need for trickle-down educational growth? Or should they balance
investments between economic and education in order that each keeps pace with the other? Or,
in light of substantial evidence that young people do not have the skills to meet tomorrow’s
global economy, should countries accelerate spending on education at a rate much higher than
they do providing tax relief for companies?
Academics, UN agencies, foundations, and think-tanks are hard at work developing formulas to
calculate standards that incorporate multiple factors—levels of education, mobility, access to
basics like schooling, water, electricity. They are guided by the premise that the capacity of a
country to move forward economically and educationally is directly related to issues
surrounding inequalities. The decision to create, borrow, or steal ideas from around the world
often reflects this approach.

19
It’s a tall order. First, there are implicit inequalities (hiring discrimination, for one) that are easy
to identify and hard to overcome. Second, for those with power, money, and influence, the
impulse to educate for equality is not a high priority. They claim that all societies, especially
those with strong capitalistic orientations, have baked into their fabric a class system. Many
argue that an education should be “good-enough” to work the machines that power the
economy. Further, raising the standard of education for the working class does not necessarily
yield financial rewards for the upper class. Third, post-colonial societies are rarely free of
systemic racism and injustice that have for generations defined the difference between rulers and
the ruled.

Required Reading
 Cowen, Tyler. July 19, 2014. Income inequality is not rising globally. It's falling. Economic
View, The Upshot. The New York Times. Retrieved
from: https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/20/upshot/income-inequality-is-not-rising-
globally-its-falling-.htm
 Mednick, F. 2018. Why inequality should piss you off. Outside my window: my eyewitness
account of teacher leaders changing the world. Medium. Nov. 16, 2016. Retrieved
from: https://medium.com/teachers-without-borders/the-inequality-of-quality-
8c4a2e246222
 Organization of American States. (2014). Inequality and social inclusion in the Americas: 14
essays. Second Edition. Retrieved from: http://www.oas.org/docs/desigualdad/libro-
desigualdad-ingles.pdf

Recommended Reading
 Cowen, Tyler. July 19, 2014. Income inequality is not rising globally. It's falling. Economic
View, The Upshot. The New York Times. Retrieved from: http://bit.ly/facts-inclusion
 Walsh, J. and Hoff, K. May 19, 2015. Bringing behavioral economics to development. Brookings
Institution [online]. Retrieved from: https://www.brookings.edu/blog/future-
development/2015/05/19/bringing-behavioral-economics-to-development/
 Yale University. Faculty resources for diversity and inclusion. Retrieved from:
https://ctl.yale.edu/FacultyResourcesDiversity

GLOBAL NETWORKS AND TECHNOLOGICAL LENS

Q. “What's your definition of the internet?"

A. It's an equalizing vehicle that accelerates both intent and capacity."

— Google Executive

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A global sensibility is, by no means, new. The global reach of the internet is relatively new, and
it's not going away anytime soon, even though nationalistic right-wing groups make strident,
xenophobic calls for a return to a “my nation only” mentality, and left-wing movements attempt
to gain equal rights for those victimized by the excesses of multinational companies.
Technology is at the center of the globalism debate. The internet toothpaste cannot be forced
back into the tube, Facebook has more users combined than every religion except Christianity. It
enables unprecedented access to a network of people, a storehouse of information, and a
platform for entrepreneurism. It's also a network of dark forces: terrorism, sex-trafficking, fake
news, cyber-crime. I once asked a Google executive to define the internet. His answer: "An
equalizing vehicle that accelerates both intent and capacity." It cuts both ways: intent and
capacity for good...and for evil. In real time, we can report transgressions against humanity and
enable others to commit atrocities.
Technology and mass communication represent a range of challenges to national boundaries and
economic relationships, even a challenge for citizens to reconsider or redefine their national
allegiances and identities. We can no longer think of modern educational systems or
comparative education without integrating the network and disruptive technology lens.

21
Required Reading
 Education and Technology Overview – The World Bank Group
 ICT in Education: UNESCO
 Kelly, A. (17 June, 2013). Technology can Empower Children in Developing Countries —
if it’s Done Right. The Guardian

Recommended Reading
 Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Intel, USAID, European Commission global initiatives
involving technologies as disruptive innovations.
 Park, J. and Wen, R. A comparative framework for culturally differentiated digital game-
based learning (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. Jae Park and Run Wen.
International Journal of Comparative Education and Development 2016 18:3, 138-149

Weekly or Bi-weekly Discussions on Canvas

8 points | Check due dates
1 per lens, 1 point each, 8 in total. See Canvas for discussion topics, offered every one or two
weeks, depending upon workload and schedule. I will review them all, but not comment on
each one. I will likely provide a summary of themes and patterns I recognize from the sum total
of all comments.
Please post discussion topics, as per instructions, and respond to at least 3 others, taking into
consideration proper discussion protocol described in Canvas.

Physical Poster Session (Live)

10 points | Due for 16th, 17th, and 19th April face-to-face sessions

A physical poster session (and digital photograph of it, uploaded to the assignment page)
designed to communicate your research paper and panel orientation.
 Physical and digital posters must be submitted by 16 April.
 Should your thesis change, the digital version may be revised and resubmitted a second
time, after the April poster sessions, for a possible higher grade.
 Photographs cannot exceed 1 megabyte
A good guide to poster presentations can be found at: https://guides.nyu.edu/posters.

Panel Discussion (Live)

10 points | Due for 16th, 17th, and 19th April face-to-face sessions
A panel discussion in which you are given an opportunity to make your case, supported by
extensive reading and a clear position reflecting a comparative education and/or education
systems analysis.

22
  All students need to be prepared for any 1 of the 3 days we meet in April
 All assigned to that lens need to appear at the panel with visible nametag

Format
 Students will be given access to an online evaluation form, made public daily
 Your professor will read the lens out loud for the class to recognize
 Each panelist is given two minutes to present findings
 Professor will query individuals or panel from central questions or elsewhere
 Students in attendance will be given a chance to ask a question
 Professor will summarize the panel

Research Paper
10 points | Due for 16th, 17th, and 19th April face-to-face sessions

Template can be found at: http://bit.ly/MEStemplate. This research paper is based upon a
template (to be provided on Canvas)
 20 pages maximum
 Cite sources using APA style in the document and in a separate bibliography (not
counted in your 20-page total)
 Annotated bibliography of at least 8 substantial research articles
 Your paper will be evaluated upon the extent of your reading, the distillation of reading
into scholarship at this level, your respect for the forms of language and presentation,
and your humility. Why humility, you may ask. I would define humility here as the
degree to which you do not condescend to the reader with biases for which your paper is
a justification. In other words, avoid:
o Confirmation bias: selecting only the facts that fits your predetermined theory,
rather than ensuring that the theory is built from the facts.
o Present bias: undervaluing the future because it is too unpredictable
o Hindsight bias: look at the outcome and assume it is predictable, or a bit of “I told
you so” syndrome

Pairings of Lenses for Research Paper

Two separate approaches to the same challenge

OECD Lens | Higher Region: A country in Australia

Education Lens As a field worker from OECD or as a principal investigator for a
higher education institution, you have been dispatched to Australia to

23
 explore the factors behind why their PISA scores or academic scores
(for math and science) have slipped. There is a credible body of
evidence about, and emphasis on, the need to support the teaching
corps. Is it about an outdated curriculum? A lack of teacher
preparation or professional networks? A lack of resources or outdated
technology and/or an inability to keep pace with the dizzying rate of
change? A change of policy that may not have taken hold yet…or a
misguided policy? Politics? The teachers’ union?
You will need to catalogue these changes (and others that research
reveals) , and rank them. But that is clearly not enough. Your job is
more complex than simply filing a generic report describing the range
of factors that could contribute to the lower scores. They want
something more specific and strategic.
Pick a particular country (after all, Australia is a continent with 14
countries) and narrow your research to a region for your study
Provide a research-based rationale for your choice, based upon your
study of the ideologies and philosophies of teacher education, teacher
education structure (induction, professional development,
mentorship), teaching methodologies, assessment and evaluation, and
trends in teacher education
Cite research from different education systems around the world that
may have bearing on an analysis of the problem you have discovered,
and both why and how it could work in Australia.
Select one or more cost-effective, evidence-based recommendation of
an innovation (see Appendix 1) you believe could catalyze a
measurable improvement within three years. Provide your rationale
for your choice (cost, successes from other similar contexts,
willingness)
Your report must consider, for example, the realistic capacity of the
region to implement this change. In studying country reports and its
financial capacity, consider levels of education, institutional structure,
themes in—and theories of—comparative education and modern
education reform, and efforts conducted in the past.

NGO Lens | Global Country: Suriname

Agency Lens The Paris accords on climate change reflect a mountain of research and
affirm what many communities worldwide have known all along—

24
 that climate change is one of the world's most pressing and predictable
challenges facing the global community.
Scientists may have made a compelling case, on a global scale, but
their voice may not yet be heard at the local or national level. Many
educational systems in developing countries especially vulnerable to
the ravages of climate change may not be equipped to address the
issue in the education system.

 From your lens (NGO or Global Agency), research proposals

on educational disaster risk mitigation.

 Study the efforts (if any) of environmental education in

Suriname, as well as research done by NGOs, think tanks,
higher-education consortia, and donor communities. The
InterAmerican Development Bank and other regional
associations may provide you with some of the clues you need.

 Provide a research-based rationale for your choice, based upon

your study of the ideologies and philosophies of teacher
education, teacher education structure (induction, professional
development, mentorship), teaching methodologies,
assessment and evaluation, and trends in teacher education

 Cite research from different education systems around the

world that may have bearing on an analysis of the problem you
have discovered, and both why and how it could work in
Australia.

 Choose one or more educational innovations (See Appendix I)

that could be integrated into the school system (or non-formal
sector) to address the issue of how to mitigate climate change.
OR
 Identify and outline a policy that can be realistically
implemented in the country, given its unique geo-physical and
cultural landscape

Country: Zambia
For purposes of this exercise, let us imagine that the Minister of
Technology Lens |
Education has risen to popularity on a campaign stressing 21st century
MOE Lens technology for schools in order to advance the capacity of the country
to participate more productively in the knowledge age and to
accelerate job readiness.

25
 The Minister is especially interested in artificial intelligence, social
networking, resource sharing sites, online courses, and certainly the
potential of mobile phones in teacher professional development.
The evidence, however, is scarce about whether the expenditure of
these kinds of educational technologies will result in measurable
student achievement gains or enhanced teaching practices, the issue of
purchasing the right equipment, distribution, maintenance, repair,
ongoing training, and pressures from teachers’ unions, the techno-
phobic, the Ministry of Finance.
Aware that you cannot introduce all such innovations at once, a
strategy is necessary. You will approach the recommendation of a
strategy by preparing a systematic approach to the challenge:
From your lens, research past efforts in technology penetration in the
country, along with information and communications technology
(ICT) policy development and implementation

MOE Lens: research how Ministries of Education have gone about

creating policies on ICT development for teachers (and students)

Technology Lens: research how technology companies have

transformed the education space and how they brought about the
diffusion of their innovation.
 Examine current practices in teacher education, teacher
education structure (induction, professional development,
mentorship), teaching methodologies, assessment and
evaluation, and trends in teacher education in that country
and elsewhere
 Provide a research-based rationale for the feasibility of which
major technology innovation of the past 5 years could best be
executed, sustained, and scaled.
 Cite research from different education systems around the
world supporting your argument for such a strategy.
 Consider one or more educational innovations (See Appendix
I) or others, based upon your assessment of accessibility,
availability, affordability, and acceptability that could be
introduced and integrated into the school system.

Donor Lens | Equality

Country: Bangladesh
Lens

26
A compelling case can be made for each of the four themes in
effective international development (and there are many more):

 Provide economic incentives for families to keep children

in school, along with opportunities for jobs

 Focus on a success story of public health, such as pervasive

vaccinations, local clinics, hygiene education (particularly
around girls, water)

 Reallocate resources to early childhood education,

particularly literacy.

 Focus on girls and everything else will follow (income

rises, more stability…)
You will need to know the country – its relationship with outside
funding, its history of inequality, its current economic and
educational class system.

Donor Lens: You represent a foundation that has just allocated $5

million US dollars for two years to one NGO, global agency, or
Ministry of Education based upon well-defined criteria and
evaluation metrics. At the end of those two years, you will require
evidence of how such an intervention was of value (as well as how
much value you expect).
Let’s say you decide on an NGO: What are their policies? Their
record of transparency? Track record? Capacity for sustainability
and scale? Community support? Have they demonstrated a
breakthrough on a consistent barrier that others have not managed
to accomplish? Have they extended their capacity to collaborate and
pool resources with other civil society organizations?
You will also need to keep in mind historical responses to outside
intervention and celebrity philanthropists from the west
(“celanthropists”); your relationship with the Ministry of Education,
the capacity of the country to take on a heavily-funded project.
If you pick a Ministry or global agency, similar questions are in
order. Follow the same line of logic.
Take a look at The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation or the Ford
Foundation for some criteria, but you will need to establish your
own.
You not only need to research best practices, worldwide, in
addressing funding allocations. Feel free to read widely in all the

27
other lenses, but keep in mind that you have been assigned ONE
lens. Therefore, it is essential that you represent that lens in your
panel and certainly in this paper.
Provide a research-based rationale for one of the four choices above,
and cite research from different education systems around the world
(policies, pedagogical practices, whatever is best) that may have
bearing on an analysis of the problem you have discovered, and both
why and how it could work in Bangladesh. Consider the
innovations in Appendix 1.

Equality Lens: Frame ONE of the four choices above through your
lens of addressing inequality. Read through all the criteria above
(for Donor Lens) and design an education policy program, based
upon success stories from neighboring countries (or elsewhere, if the
occasion warrants) that would be implemented in Bangladeshi
schools.

28
Plagiarism: Your Reputation at Stake
I don’t want to chase after you with reminders or warnings about the lack of integrity in using
others thoughts as your own. After all, plagiarism is theft. On occasion, I will spot-check for
plagiarism and even reserve the right to scan your papers through a software program designed
to detect plagiarism.
So, please…don’t copy and paste the work of others without proper attribution in my course or
anywhere else; someone will notice. Your grade will—and your reputation and your job could—
be at stake. As U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis famously observed, “Sunlight is said
to be the best of disinfectants.” Your reputation should be the biggest motivator for doing one’s
best.

Grading
Preparedness and participation: Regular attendance, preparedness, and contribution to class
discussions and activities are necessary (but not sufficient) conditions for a passing grade in this
course. Absences, lack of preparation, or failure to contribute will be taken into account in the
final course grade.

Online discussions (one per lens) 1 point each (8 points total)

April panel 10 points

April poster presentation 10 points

May research paper 12 points

Professor reserves the right to reduce or increase a score based upon participation

TOTAL SCORE = 40 points, divided by 2 for 20 (total)

February Sessions (2.5 hours, 3 sessions)

19 Monday
 Introduction: perspectives to Modern Education Systems, pressing issues, country-
studies, fact-checking, central questions in envelopes
 How did you get here?
 http://bit.ly/kahoot-MES
 Course structure and lenses
 Global Agency lens
 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) lens

29
 20 Tuesday

 Non-governmental organization (NGO) lens

 Ministry of Education lens
 Donor lens

22 Thursday

 Higher Education lens

 Inequality lens
 Network and Technology lens

April Sessions (2.5 hours, 3 sessions)

(subject to revision; details on Canvas)

16, 17, 18 April, 2018

 Poster presentations (1 hour)

 Panel discussions (randomly selected)

30
Appendix 1: Global Innovations in Education
The innovations listed below are far from comprehensive. They do not discuss learning styles,
multiple intelligences, or schools such as military academies, Montessori or Waldorf education—
all valid subjects of comparative education analysis. One might argue, however, that they are
functions of other movements and concepts, below, such as lesson study, personalized learning,
and problem-based learning.

Navdanya, an organization that promotes self-reliance and earth

Navdanya democracy. The leaders of the organization are women who find
Education strength in women’s movements and give women a voice. Earth
democracy developed from the idea of seed saving helping local
communities become self-reliant.

Underground According to John Taylor Gatto, teachers should choose the real world
Education over the classroom.

Educators believe using talking or videos to review lessons and teach

Talking Education concepts helps students learn and retain more. See
TedEd and TeacherTube, et al

Imagine a world in which education is customized around how the

Artificial learner grapples with structured and unstructured information and
Intelligence develops a plan of learning and formative assessment according to the
Education insights of artificial (or augmented) intelligence

Ground Up People, students, and teachers should create the change, not the
Diversity administrators or the executives. Big proponent: Sir Ken Robinson

Social networking can teach any subject. Many educators believe this
Social is the route to engaging students in learning all the basic skills they
Networking need

Originating in Japan, lesson study applies to style of teaching.

Conceptually, lesson study promotes the idea that teachers constantly
improve and change their style of teaching based on students’
Lesson Study performance and reaction to it. It sounds like what we already do but
not exactly. Collaboration between teachers is paramount and so is
change. Combining these two factors with constant change means
students never stop learning.

31
 In regards to tertiary education, problem-based learning is gaining
popularity in Australia. Students are given a real-world problem then
they work together to find a solution to this. In Australia, nursing
Problem Based programmes have begun to embrace this style of teaching and
Learning learning because it challenges the students to work as if they’re
dealing with real problems they’ll encounter in the workplace.
Teachers find it invaluable because students learn more with this
method.

According to Dimitrios Thanasoulas of Greece with relation to

philosopher Giambattista Vico, humans only understand what they
construct. This concept runs on the idea that students create their own
Constructivism learning environments, actively participating in the knowledge they
ingest. Creating your own learning involves making mistakes with no
preset agenda in place. Constructive learning is not stable so many
educational systems reject it.

Another Japanese form of teaching is to allow students to struggle

through a lesson with guidance from their teacher. In other words, the
Constructivist student shouldn’t be embarrassed about failing the first time around,
Struggling not even the second or third time. The instructor should actually
encourage students to learn from that failure.

After experimenting with a computer in a wall where poor children

basically found a way to learn without a teacher, Sugata Mitra won
the Ted Prize of $1 million in 2013. He wrote an ebook named Beyond
School in the the Hole in the Wall offering an ideal for education based on a very
Clouds real premise that students learn no matter what social status or
economic background. They simply need the tools with which to do
so.

Free education has materialized in the form of eLearning and Massive

MOOCs and Open Online Courses as a direct result of students wanting to learn
eLearning but not having the resources to do so whether that means they don’t
have the money or the background to achieve their learning goals.

Competency based education says that regardless of the length of

time it takes for a student to complete a course, the student completes
Competency- it based on what they know already. The only factor in determining
Based Education how or when the student completes the course is the mastery of
knowledge within the subject.

The Bologna More an agreement than a concept, the Bologna Process is an agenda
Process bent on responding to the changing landscape of education. Higher
education systems in European countries organize themselves to

32
 create a more modern, advanced system of higher education for the
incoming students.

The Lumina Foundation argues that degree programs need to set

Degree benchmarks for students that prepare them for an ever-changing
Qualification workplace. These degrees then aren’t simply meant for study but give
Alignment students goals and skills that will help them find and maintain jobs
once they enter the workforce.

Herbert Stein’s Law states, “If something can’t go on forever, it will

stop.” Many within and outside of the field of education have latched
Herbert Stein’s onto this law as a wake-up call to educators. It shows its presence
Law with the advent of so many changes actively taking place and being
embraced throughout every educational environment.

Some see online education as a disruptive process in the clean line

that traditional education has managed to stronghold, which links to
Herbert Stein’s law in the sense that online education is putting an
Disruptive end to this stronghold. Americans see this as a crisis because of the
Education unemployment rate and the competition from China and India. In
response, disruptive innovation means the expense and elitism of
education is changing to provide an affordable alternative.

Open innovation promotes the idea of competition. In the business

world this means opening up platforms for companies in the form of
contests. In higher education, this means bringing together various
Open Innovation institutions for competitions locally and globally. It means not
confining it to only a select few but opening up to as many contestants
as possible.

Another view and criticism of education puts the success or the blame
on the teachers’ low salary. Respect for the teaching profession should
be shown monetarily then creating high-quality teachers. Finnish
In the end, “it’s educator Pasi Sahlberg believes that educators should be paid more
the teacher!” and for good reason. In Finland, receiving placement in a master’s
programme for teachers is harder than getting a law or medical
degree.

Instead of focusing on meeting standards and racing to the

top, Finland focuses on providing a quality education to everyone.
The Finland Contrary to many of the other views in this list, Finland doesn’t
Miracle believe in competition or even giving grades until fifth grade. The
system also doesn’t believe in punitive measures but encourages trust
and equality.

33
 Organizations such as The Adolescent Girls’ Advocacy and
Leadership Initiative (AGALI) use social support strategy to ensure
Social Support young women learn about themselves beyond social norms. Realizing
and School as that the institutionalization of education can only go so far, these
Village organizations provide education in other, far-reaching ways that give
people a sense of confidence and self-worth necessary to finding
success in life.

Elevating the teacher as the key to changing the groaning educational

Teachers as system, change agents are teachers who not only embrace the notion
Decision-Makers of change but simply make change happen. They don’t wait for a law
and Change to pass or a standard to take effect, they just take the initiative to
Agents ensure students learn no matter what the circumstances or limitations.

In the United States, the implementation of common core standards is

Common Core meant to support higher education, which has reported a lower
Standards-Based standard in educational abilities than in years before. It’s also meant
Education to challenge students more by forcing education to enter the 21st
century with more student-driven learning.

Start-ups and education are slowly finding each other and attempting
to link up with one another. The only problem is that bureaucracy in
education creates slow change. But, when that change does occur, fast
Start-Up change and innovation give students and educators an ecosystem in
Education which to thrive and learn. LearnLaunchX showcased startups’
products to educators creating enthusiasm in hopes of changing
educational sloth.

We move as a global society so that where ever we go, we carry our

smart phones with us. Between conversations, we look down and tap
away at whatever our minds fancy necessary or entertaining. So
Mobile Education education, at least in the most cognizant facets, says it will be there
too. It will walk with us on our journeys, our whims, our detours, and
our desires. If we take our laptops around the world, education will
walk with us according to mobile educational theories.

On that same note, why place a student in a box? If a student prefers

to learn while traveling the world, then so be it. Breaking down the
Invisible walls of education doesn’t simply mean creating online classrooms
Structures but encouraging students to meet in open spaces and learn outside
the confines of the institution. Teaching outside the classroom should
be a source of inspiration, not a strange phenomenon.

“It’s the Economy” Giving students the ability to control their economic status through
teaching them skills and economic value systems around the world

34
 helps them become leaders and innovators but also helps them find a
basis for earning an income in a fluctuating economy.

Whether students are seeking a specialized higher education or a

specific skill in order to further a career path, vocational training has
Transformational become a more popular avenue and view of education in general.
Vocational Often used by governments to train displaced workers, it can be a
Education valuable source of study for anyone wanting to specialize in areas
such as various types of medical technicians or even graphic arts.

The concept of gamification basically means introducing the gaming

experience to environments where gaming would normally be
unacceptable: Education. The word gamification was actually coined
Gamification by an English programmer, Nick Pelling, in 2004. Adding gaming to
education means simply enough that the user completes certain tasks
for rewards just like in a video game.

Smart capital involves placing funds exactly where they should be.
Instead of handing funds over to an entire community or country
Appropriations based on need, the money flows into the hands of those that need it
and Smart Capital but will also use it effectively then share their ideas and funds with
others so that we eliminate mediocre use or even no use of technology
and funds.

Many foundations or organizations play a catalytic role in

advancements in education such as the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation. They help innovators change the dynamics of education
Outsider Funders by providing monetary and other resources as support through
as Catalysts college-ready education and post-secondary success. The main idea is
to strengthen the relationship between teacher and student so that the
learning process progresses to the point at which students not only
learn but apply what they learn.

Blending learning and technology gives students an advantage over

others. It’s one thing to move along at one’s own pace. It’s another to
Blended Education learn at one’s own pace. Linking the two makes a difference worth
noting. Teachers don’t have to be breathing over the neck of the
student. Guiding the student is often quite enough.

The individual takes the back seat when it comes to the idea
of collectivist education. Students learn in groups and more
importantly with each other better and more effectively than alone.
Collective This doesn’t mean that we disregard the individual online learner, but
Education it means that the online learner will learn better when exposed to a
group of learners with similar interests who can offer insight and
questioning into the process of learning any particular subject.

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 Ironically enough, personalized education holds even more value
than ever. The difference is that personalized education doesn’t mean
Personalized there isn’t collective education. It just means that the education is
Education given importance to personalized needs and desires, that the
individual should mean something within the collective forum.

With the personalized education, the value of flexible learning needs

to be addressed. Flexible learning offers students choices,
Flexible Learning convenience, and a personal approach to learning any given subject.
Because we are individuals, learning and teaching should entail some
form of flexibility within the realm of standardization.

As bluntly put as possible, a “flipped classroom” means turning

learning on its head. Take the learning environment and flip it around
so that students do the nitty gritty of learning with their teachers or
Flipped Learning professors as opposed to studying for exams alone in a dark room
with only a bright lamp to guide them. The fun part happens at home
with a link to a short article or a video. The tough part happens in
school where the teachers can help students fill in the blanks.
Lectures make a comeback, classical education style. Gone are all the
bells and whistles of contemporary pedagogy – group work,
Return to collaboration. The rationale is that students are being indulged by
Classical these tricks. Instead, they should experience the beauty of
Education Shakespeare at any age because they see it like it was and is, in a
theater, no matter how small or large. Students at Oxford, in an online
class, or students at a small school experience classical education
because it’s handed to them by teachers who deliver it in motion.
Religious education exists because communities and cultures give it
Religious
an importance beyond knowledge. Linking them together with time
Community
Education and presence, students learn the nature of who their families and
communities believe they are as well as how to deal with a changing
world full of disappointments and violence.

Moral education involves many religions and many insights into the
way humans interact with one another. How we manage our way
Moral Education
through difficulties is just as important as how we maneuver through
technological advances, at least to our ancestors and their views of
right and wrong.

Countries all over the world offer free post-secondary

Free Post- education giving students in those countries an obvious advantage
Secondary over other students who may or may not receive any education at all.
Education Students might be able to pay for their education if they work while
they’re putting themselves through school and if they’re lucky

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 enough maybe they have a resource providing them with funds for
their education, but free resources guarantee an education that adds
value to whatever they want to become.

Within the realm of creating morality, there’s character standing right

next to it. Character may even be a stronger element of education than
Character
morality. With students so quickly exposed to violence and sexism
Education
throughout the Internet, character development takes effort and
awareness. At every level of education, students should be exposed to
it and given a chance to exercise their understanding of it.

Associated with Paulo Freire of Brazil, a progressive educator devoted

to the connection between education and liberation, an active
opponent of the “banking” theory of education, in which students are
Freirean Education empty vessels, to be filled up by the dominant force running the
country. His focus on praxis (action and reflection) is designed to
mobilize communities to take education into their own hands.

Readiness Testing points educator and students in the right direction

according to the people who view it as necessary. It allows
Readiness Testing
educational systems to decide whether students can perform various
tasks at a particular level therefore giving everyone insight into where
and how students should move forward.

Expeditionary learning brings the learning out into the world

expediting the need to learn more than what’s confined inside the
Expeditionary classroom walls but even more so using the world to learn. Students
Learning feel engaged in learning while achieving goals and accomplishing
character development when exposed to learning outside.

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 In New Zealand, students are encouraged to use online tools in order
to tell their own stories and have their voices heard throughout their
Shared Voices
own communities and their country. In fact, the Ministry of
Education’s goal is to have students express themselves and take
responsibility of their own learning.

According to renowned educator Yong Zhoa, high-stakes testing

creates more problems than provides answers and it doesn’t match
success in the world today. Educating creative, entrepreneurial
Global Education students should be the focus of education with what he calls world-
class learners in his latest book. Zhoa believes there needs to be a
paradigm shift in education that builds on students’ strengths and
gives them a format where their talents flourish and take shape
instead of education shaping them

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Appendix 2: Resource Library

Boston College Center for International Higher Education-- "Dedicated to research and service
in international higher education," to serve as a "focal point for discussion and thoughtful
analysis of higher education." Posts the "International Higher Education" quarterly (with
archives) and publications on higher education around the world from Center faculty and
programs.
Canadian Education Association-- Information and publications about Canadian education and
Canadian research on education.
Center for Higher Education Policy Studies-- At the University of Twente in the Netherlands,
"produces and disseminates knowledge with respect to higher education policy, especially at
the system and institutional levels." Offers many free insightful publications on higher
education issues.
Center for World University Rankings-- "Publishes the only global university ranking that
measures the quality of education and training of students as well as the prestige of the faculty
members and the quality of their research without relying on surveys and university data
submissions."
Consortium for Research on Educational Access, Transitions and Equity-- Co-ordinated from
the Centre for International Education, University of Sussex "to develop and encourage the
application of knowledge to improve access to basic education... [with] a programme of
research focused on countries in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa to analyse policy and
practice designed to reduce exclusion." Offers reports, information, bibliographic database, and
more. Note especially the CREATE Gateway that "provides links to resources related to access
issues in education."
Council of Ministers of Education, Canada-- Information about all levels of the Canadian
educational system, from the "national voice for education" in that country.
Current Issues in Comparative Education-- From Teachers College, Columbia University, a free
online international journal for debate of issues in comparative and international education.
Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC)-- "The world’s premier database of journal
and non-journal education literature," offering access to an extensive body of cost-free
education-related literature, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education and the National
Library of Education.
European Schoolnet-- Site for European teachers, students, and school administrators,
sponsored by 30 European Ministries of Education, with much information about education in
Europe to serve as "a gateway to national and regional school networks." Posts analysis of
trends, country studies, briefing papers, blog, and more.
Eurydice-- The official information network about national education systems in Europe, part of
the EU's Socrates Project. Posts studies and descriptions of national education systems,
comparative studies devoted to specific topics, and indicators and statistics. Note especially the
Eurypedia, "the most comprehensive description of education systems in Europe."
Global Teacher Status Index-- "The world's first comprehensive attempt to compare the status of
teachers across the world. It is based on in-depth opinion by Populus in 21 countries that
explores the attitudes on issues ranging from what is a fair salary for teachers to whether they
think pupils respect teachers to how highly people rank their own education system."
IDP Database of Research on International Education-- "This searchable database is managed by
the Australian Council for Educational Research and contains details of more than 13,800 books,
articles, conference papers and reports on various aspects of international education from
publishers in Australia and abroad. The database houses material published from 1990
onwards..." Many of the documents are available cost-free online.
Institute of International Education-- A world-class source on study abroad, IIE conducts and
posts statistical and policy research and provides information on international study and work
opportunities. including about the Fulbright Program. Their Open Doors section contains much
online information about international student mobility in the United States and the
world. Project Atlas "is a collaborative global research initiative that provides a comprehensive
picture and analysis of international student mobility in higher education."
Inter-American Development Bank-- The education section of the website of this international
organization posts information and analysis on educational matters in Latin America.
International Institute for Educational Planning-- A part of UNESCO whose mission is "to help
Member States improve the quality and effectiveness of their education systems." Site offers
information on IIEP services and contains a large archive of free online IIEP publications on a
broad range of education issues.
(The) Learning Curve-- From Pearson International and developed by The Economist's
Intelligence Unit, a databank, reports, articles, country studies, case studies, videos, and more
about learning outcomes worldwide, to advance "the global conversation on learning outcomes;
to help positively influence education policy at local, regional and national levels. The data and
analysis on this website will help governments, teachers and learners identify the common
elements of effective education."
National Center for Educational Statistics-- The purpose of this Center, in the U.S. Department
of Education, is to collect and report "statistics and information showing the condition and
progress of education in the United States and other nations in order to promote and accelerate
the improvement of American education."
The National Assessment of Educational Progress is "the largest nationally representative and
continuing assessment of what America's students know and can do in various subject areas."
Visit the International Activities Program section to "learn more about how U.S. education
compares with education in other countries." The Program for International Student
Assessment is "an assessment (begun in 2000) that focuses on 15-year-olds' capabilities in
reading literacy, mathematics literacy, and science literacy." International comparisons of
education are given in the yearly Digest of Education Statistics. Also see the Trends in
International Mathematics and Science Study that "provides reliable and timely data on the
mathematics and science achievement of U.S. students compared to that of students in other
countries."
Nigeria Education-- "Aims to provide access to a range of information on basic education in
Nigeria, including research, researcher profiles, journals and institutions." Also see
the Education Data, Research and Evaluation in Nigeria initiative, "a four year initiative funded
by the United Kingdom Department for International Development. It is designed to generate

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new evidence and understanding of how best to support equitable access and improved
learning outcomes for all Nigerian children through innovation and the sustainable
development of basic education systems."
OECD Education Page-- Provides online access to much internationally comparable data and
analysis of key aspects of the education systems of OECD member countries, mainly all the
Western democracies. See especially the Online Education Database, the Programme for
International Student Assessment, and the annual report Education at a Glance. The Teaching
and Learning International Survey (TALIS) provides data and analysis from "teachers and
schools about their working conditions and the learning environments [that] covers important
themes such as initial teacher education and professional development; what sort of appraisal
and feedback teachers get; the school climate; school leadership; and teachers’ instructional
beliefs and pedagogical practices.
QS World University Rankings-- "The most trusted university ranking in the world, [now
including] university fees information," from Top Universities, a study abroad service.
Systems Approach for Better Education Results (SABER)-- From the World Bank, "an initiative
to produce comparative data and knowledge on education policies and institutions, with the
aim of helping countries systematically strengthen their education systems. SABER evaluates
the quality of education policies against evidence-based global standards, using new diagnostic
tools and detailed policy data collected for the initiative." Includes country reports.
Times Higher Education World University Rankings-- "The only global university performance
tables to judge world class universities across all of their core missions - teaching, research,
knowledge transfer and international outlook. The top universities rankings employ 13
carefully calibrated performance indicators to provide the most comprehensive and balanced
comparisons available, which are trusted by students, academics, university leaders, industry
and governments."
United Nations Children's Fund-- UNICEF works for children's rights, protection, and sound
development and produces some reports on education and children. The best sources relating
to education are the annual State of the World's Children reports.
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization-- One of the best sources
worldwide for comparative education analysis. The Open Access search portal provides easy
and free downloads of thousands of UNESCO publications. Note: Education for the 21st
Century, with a wide variety of documents, statistics, IGO and NGO links, and contact points.
The UNESCO Institute for Statistics posts "global and internationally comparable statistics on
education, science, technology, culture and communication," including the Global Education
Digest. The International Bureau of Education is the center for information and research in the
field of comparative education, with publications online. Check out the Education for
All section and the Global Monitoring Report for in-depth country information on the status of
basic education in over 150 countries. Look for the annual Global Education Digest that
"presents the latest available data for more than 200 countries and territories."
Universitas 21-- "International network of 25 leading research-intensive universities in fifteen
countries." Produces and posts a global ranking of national higher education systems, "based on
resources, environment, connectivity, and output."

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Universities Canada-- Information on the Canadian higher education system and exchange and
study abroad opportunities in that country.
Universities Worldwide-- Searchable database of links to thousands of universities in over 200
countries.
University World News-- "The global window on higher education... reports on "the whole
gamut of higher education from top world-ranking universities to institutions in more
marginalised parts of the globe... news reports, analysis, features, global round-ups on key
issues, plus links to interesting stories from other leading newspapers and journals around the
world."
World Bank Education Page-- Wide variety of authoritative data, statistics, documents, reports,
and links on education worldwide from this IGO.

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