Over 240 delegates from educational sectors, higher education institutions, and research organisations across 35 countries and regions convened in the parallel session titled "Education Digitalisation and Learning Society Construction" at the 2024 World Digital Education Conference on 30th January 2024.
These representatives engaged in comprehensive discussions to explore theories and practices related to the construction of learning societies in the digital age, focusing on the theme of "Digital Education: Application, Sharing, Innovation.”
Wu Yan, Vice Minister of China’s Ministry of Education, highlighted that constructing a learning society is a critical agenda with significant international interest. With the expansion and increasing popularity of higher education, especially with the rapid advancement of information technology, the vision of " everyone can learn whenever and wherever they want" has become achievable.
Camelia Ntoutoume Leclercq, Minister of Gabon’s Ministry of Education, and Erica Stanford, New Zealand’s Minister of Education and Minister of Immigration, introduced policies and measures for promoting digital education and lifelong learning in their respective countries. Mohammed Belhocine, Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation (ESTI) at the African Union Commission, discussed the role of the African Union in coordinating African countries to advance lifelong learning. Isabell Kempf, Director of the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, presented UNESCO’s concepts and initiatives for creating societies that embrace lifelong learning for inclusive digital education. Torunn Gjelsvik, Secretary General of the International Council for Open and Distance Education, emphasised that the foundation of global learning societies lies in digitalisation, with quality and inclusivity being paramount. Representatives from the Asian Association of Open Universities and the African Council for Distance Education shared innovative concepts and strategies from their organisations on learning societies. Additionally, some research institutions and universities shared practical cases and successful experiences in fostering learning societies driven by digitalisation from their respective countries and schools.
Guests from both domestic and international backgrounds unanimously agree that the rapid evolution of the digital technology revolution and the surge in digitalisation will profoundly transform education. This transformation requires nations and international organisations to share high-quality resources and effective solutions. Moreover, there is a need for stronger global governance in digital education to tackle the considerable challenges presented by technologies such as AI to education and humanity as a whole. Government departments, educational institutions, and businesses worldwide should intensify their cooperation to jointly create a 24/7 digital learning platform, providing continuous support for learners everywhere. They should also work together to build an extensive digital learning environment and develop smart, portable learning devices, enabling learners to start their "learning journeys" with just a simple click, no matter their location. Additionally, it's crucial to establish a comprehensive digital education space and community, prioritizing the enhancement of data security, digital ethics, and privacy protection. The goal is to offer learners more personalised and user-friendly educational services, heralding the dawn of a new era in learning societies.
Reprinted by OUC News Network from Economic Information Daily