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Photo courtesy of Amcham Colombia
The challenge of providing high-quality and entertaining multimedia educational resources to remote schools or schools with poor internet connectivity requires developing innovative and flexible solutions to support the development of students and their teachers. In the context of Latin America, this is no small challenge. Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) account for 11 percent of the world's unconnected population, representing only 8.4 percent of the world's population, and most Latin American countries do not meet the basic conditions to ensure meaningful connectivity for educational purposes.
The connectivity deficit is even greater in rural areas than in urban centers. The index of meaningful connectivity - an indicator designed to measure a set of variables, including regular access to the internet, to an appropriate device to connect, to sufficient data to carry out daily activities, and to the connection speed needed to meet demand - shows not only a very low level of connectivity in Latin American countries but also a significant gap between rural and urban areas. In other words, there is an overrepresentation of schools with little or no internet connectivity in Latin America and a significant gap that demands innovative solutions.
In this context, the Escuela Plus program, promoted by the Leo Werthein Foundation, responsible for the sustainability area of Vrio Corp., the parent company of DIRECTV Latin America, SKY Brazil, and its streaming and live TV platforms DGO and SKY+, offers a solution through a satellite connection to its educational channel grid. This allows teachers and students to access quality educational programming without relying on the infrastructure and costs associated with the permanent installation of internet connectivity. The program, known as Escola Plus in Brazil, is present in eight Latin American countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
In this report, the Inter-American Dialogue presents the results of its study on the Escuela Plus program experience. The study included a systematic review of information generated by the program itself (including previous evaluations), a survey of teachers in participating schools, and interviews with teachers, principals, and educational authorities. The study's main objective was to systematize the lessons learned in the program's implementation and offer strategic reflections that will help Escuela Plus and Vrio Corp improve their operation, orientation, and results in the future.
The Working Group on Technology and Innovation in Education presents the key areas Latin America has to improve upon in order to effectively incorporate technology in the classroom.
On June 24, 2020, the Working Group on Technology and Innovation in Education met to discuss the challenges presented by closing schools and the opportunities that educational technology can provide.
The following report summarizes the main initiatives implemented during the pandemic that utilize a multi-channel strategy alongside their challenges.
