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Ministry ofd Education
July 1, 2012

The National Education Strategic Plan takes into account much of the policies that have been developed or implemented before my appointment as Minister of Education in January, 2012. A renewed emphasis on accountability, security and safety in schools, early childhood development, information and communication technology ( ICT) and media in education, and national literacy and numeracy thrusts are among the main elements of this plan. I must also acknowledge that this document takes into account the recommendations of the 2004 Task Force on Educational Reform, Jamaica. Some of the recommendations have already been implemented, while others are at varying stages of implementation. Th e modernisation of the Ministry of Education is advanced and generally in keeping with the Public Sector Modernisation Programme.


Our educational institutions must deliver better results, and to achieve this we need all stakeholders, including the Ministry of Education, our educators, students and parents to fulfi ll their responsibilities. Th e Ministry of Education must lead the process and has identifi ed the strategic priorities which will guide our eff orts. The priorities are:

  1. Improvement in processes and systems to enhance efficiency and service delivery
  2. Enhancement of educational outcomes
  3. Building leadership capacity at all levels of the system
  4. Creating an environment which fosters positive social interactions
  5. Improvement in facilities and infrastructure
  6. The strengthening and expansion of partnerships
  7. Strengthening the policy, legislative and regulatory framework
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April 27, 2016

 

Given that almost all our activities relate in some way to climate change, whether addressing drought, flooding, erosion or other issues, we have selected only those that have climate change as their main focus. 

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Marcia Nathai-Balkissoon and Sean Balkissoon
November 1, 2014

This paper reports on the challenges and benefits experienced by undergraduate Production and Operations Management students who were required to develop their own WebQuests focused on one topic within the course scope. The research evaluates how student attitudes/perceptions, experiences and learning were affected as a result of their exposure to the development of a WebQuest. The project was a departure from typical WebQuest applications in that it is usually preservice or in-service teachers who are required to develop their own WebQuests. Student groups were asked to select a topic from the course syllabus and develop a WebQuest which they would share with the class. Students had high initial resistance to the project, but by the end of the course, many students reported satisfaction with the depth and breadth of exposure, entertainment and variety that supplemented in-class coverage, materials to aid revision for final exams, improved time management and teamwork capabilities, enhanced information technology competencies, improved research skills, and a newfound confidence and excitement about learning. Furthermore, based on student self-reports it appears that the project also supported the development of several university defined distinctive graduate competencies. The paper’s recommendations include measures to promote exploration of additional non-traditional elearning modalities as substantial benefit could be derived by all involved. 

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Jade Achoy
November 1, 2014

As graphic design continues to develop in the Caribbean, design educators need to reflect on what the best practices for teaching and learning might be in regards to professional practice. This paper focuses on project-led problem-based learning and addresses the best practices in graphic design education. The paper examines the theoretical underpinnings that support the method as a strategic pedagogical tool conducive for meaningful educational experiences. This research recognizes the links between project-led problem-based learning and the development of the three domains of knowledge. The project-led problem-based approach bridges theory and practice and provides a useful vehicle to enhance and direct learning in theory and inquiry, as it involves practical skills in situations similar to the “real world” application. This paper proposes eight phases and organizational principles as a framework for implementing the project-led problem based method of teaching and learning in the classroom. Using a case study of a graphic design course at a Caribbean university, the paper addresses considerations in the planning and implementation process of the project-led problem-based approach.

 

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Kara Enightoola
November 1, 2014

E-learning is the use of information and communications technologies to support teaching and learning. This study sought to determine students’ attitudes toward e-learning as it is used at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. Garrison’s (2000) Community of Inquiry model was used to evaluate how students viewed teaching presence, cognitive presence and social presence impacting on their satisfaction and learning outcomes. This research used a mixed-methods approach and used factor analysis, structured equation modelling and thematic content analysis. The findings indicate a statistically significant relationship between the dependent and independent variables in three hypotheses relating to satisfaction and two hypotheses relating to learning.

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Jorge Luis Morejón
November 1, 2014

This study considers the implementation of the arts, particularly dance, across higher education curricula as a way to improve communication between fields of study and professional environments. Thus, the paper suggests the creation of ateliers, dance studios and/or multipurpose activity centres to allow the academic community, lecturers and students alike, to create a space for art, the humanities, science and technology to merge through collaborative projects. The study uses the art of dance as a theoretical basis to reflect upon the proposed changes in higher education paradigms in order to improve students’ educational experience.

The sources referenced allow for the examination of the data available on scientific research in the arts in relation to the Science of Learning. Based on the results of the comparative analysis of brain activation patterns, it might be suggested that a more effective network of cognitive processing takes place in the brain of the artist than in the brain of a regular human being. The study concludes that the arts and dance in particular, enhance learning, since the arts improve thinking ability, development of self-esteem and confidence and higher order skills as well as cognitive, affective, and kinaesthetic domains of learning.

 

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Ministry of Health
November 25, 2014

 

The Ministry of Health (MOH) has ultimate oversight for the surveillance and response strategies to any possible cases of the virus in Jamaica. To this end the MOH has published the following Information:

Ebola Key Facts and Answers   

 

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School of Education
July 9, 2014

This instructional guide will assist you if you need to do one of the following questions related to this website:

- How do I register?

- How do I 'log in'?

- How do I change my password?

- I Lost my password - How do I request a new one?

- How do I post a new comment?

- How do I reply to a comment?

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Jerome DeLisle

This final report describes a theory-driven evaluation of the Trinidad and Tobago Continuous Assessment Programme (CAP) implemented in the primary school system. Evidence was collected using a multiphase mixed methods research design, with information gathered on the fidelity and strength (intensity) of the programme in a sample of 60 schools in the seamless project and 40 schools in the original CAP pilot project. 

Phase I was an exploratory qualitative study of eleven sites, Phase II was a quantitative modelling study based on a multi-instrument survey of 378 teachers in 35 schools, and Phase III was an explanatory qualitative study of two schools with different levels of implementation and two principals at relatively high implementation sites. 

The evidence collected suggests that programme strength was variable across sites. In schools reporting high programme strength, most of the original CAP activities were still being done. These schools usually had strong leadership by principals who were originally trained under the CAP Pilot programme. However, in schools with low programme strength, some teachers were not even aware of the CAP. 

Overall, the concerns based profiles suggest that the system was dominated by nonusers of CAP, although there might be lower resistance in schools that reported high implementation. 

The most frequently implemented activity was the CAP project, but this activity was not conducted in a way that provided the full benefits of formative assessment. Neither was there efficient use of the data collected even at high implementation sites. Thus, programme fidelity was judged to be universally low, with inadequate formative assessment, a lack of feedback to students, and poor or inappropriate data use. The quantitative modelling study confirmed that fidelity outcomes, such as providing feedback and using multimodal assessment, were very different to ?doing? CAP and, as such, the independent variables in the model were much less predictive of fidelity measures. 

The integrated meta-inferences confirmed that several contextual, organizational, and teacher variables were important, with user variables more important in fidelity. 

Most students in schools had very positive views of assessment, but tended to see classroom assessment as a mechanical recording of grades or used as an accounting procedure, rather than as a tool for improving learning in the classroom. 

The key recommendations focused on the need to develop a coherent and balanced comprehensive assessment policy and a simplified, targeted and restructured CAP, with an emphasis on formative assessment.

Caution should be exercised when developing new policy that seeks to integrate classroom assessment with the placement function currently held by the SEA. The wide variation in practice, universal absence of training, and general lack of support at building sites suggested that teacher measurements and judgements would lack validity and integrity within a high stakes context. 

 

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