Цифровая школа и цифровая изоляция в Польше

«DIGITAL SCHOOL» PROJECT

«Digital school» project is a program introduced by the Council of Ministers of the Republicof Poland, serving for development of students and teachers in the use of information and communication technologies [1]. In other words, we assume that it is the process of forming a teaching staff, qualified in using tools of digital reality. Another goal of the project is providing schools with the essential infrastructure and up-to-date teaching materials. Due to the development of digital competencies, students and teachers will acquire qualifications needed to function in the information society. What is crucial in introducing this program are the conditions, which have to be fulfilled in order to make the program implemented in particular institutions. It is important because it is the first level of disqualifying institutions, in which such programs are the most important, namely on the areas digitally excluded [2]. As I mentioned, the aim of the program is developing competencies of students and teachers in the range of using information and communication technologies in the process of education. Main task is to support the model of education by ensuring the development of creativity, cooperation and critical thinking skills, as well as allowing the effective research and creative use of the available sources of knowledge. Unfortunately, for the time being, the idea encounter difficulties, mostly because of certain equipment requirements such as: constant access to the Internet, particular speed of sending and receiving data to and from the Internet etc. In the rural environments these requirements completely exclude them from taking part in the program. As a consequence, it promotes institutions from big cities, which are richer and one way or another actively participate in the virtual world. Next element is the number of students and specific computer sets equipped with required software. There is much more requirements and each of them, against our assumptions, deepen the sphere of digital exclusion. In practice, schools qualified to the program, have to invest in equipment and training of teachers on their own, in order to get through the program and have the costs refunded. However, it is not certain that they will be qualified at all [3]. The program is based on the assumption that one of the basic tasks of a contemporary school is to prepare the students to life in the information society, in other words – the students are supposed to acquire at school skills in the field of the use of new technologies. And who is responsible for the fulfillment of these assumptions? The teachers, who are able to consciously and competently use information and communication technologies in the process of education. Here we encounter another barrier for the possibility of the implementation of a program, namely lack of competencies among teachers in small schools in small towns. Research results indicate that in «Poland B» (eastern part of the country), students are ahead of teachers, as far as their competencies are concerned [4]. Research conducted in the European countries prove that computerization in education increases the degree of students’ active participation in learning and improves their results. The Program of International Assessment of Students’ Abilities exposed very weak result of Polish students regarding digital competencies. Research showed that every fourth 15-year-old in Poland has difficulties in searching for needed information in the Internet, and only 3% of them can be characterized by a high level of digital skills, particularly searching for and reading information online [5]. The project however didn’t take into consideration the level of abilities of the teachers in this area. While students naturally assimilate knowledge, teachers have to be specially trained. Governmental program «Digital school» is supposed to be realized in the period of 2012-2013. In return for the financial support for equipping schools and students with up-to-date teaching materials, the schools are obliged to conduct particular tasks during the program. These may be connected with perfecting teacher’s skills in the area of applying information and communication technologies in the process of education and taking classes with the use of them.

DIGITAL EXCLUSION

The access of Polish people to the Internet is gradually increasing, but according to the research the range of digital exclusion and division into «PolandA» and «Poland B» increase as well. The term «digital exclusion» defines differences between the access and use of computers and Internet among people of different sex, age, social and economic status or place of residence in the area economically excluded. In this case the digital exclusion practically coincide with economic exclusion. Poverty, no perspectives, social marginalization can serve as synonyms of digital exclusion. To be precise, we mean system exclusion, not self-exclusion, which can also be observed in these areas and is also characteristic for big agglomerations.

Everyday life is dominated by cyberspace, what is especially visible in the last research conducted by «Social diagnosis 2011». According to the data, the use of information and communication technologies went stale, even though they are still being described as «new technologies» – as long as someone propagates another name for that. 86% of Poles use mobile phones; almost all respondents in the up to 54 age bracket possess mobile phone [6]. The situation looks different in the group of people with lower income. Here we can speak of a certain exclusion. 63% of respondents declare the access to the Internet. The biggest group among them are active, young people in the 18 to 24 age bracket. 53% of Poles have a fixed-line computer and 35% - a laptop. Only few years ago these technologies were used by just a small amount of people.

In 2003 only 14% of households had computers, and the access to the Internet declared 61,1%. It is also necessary to stress that the majority of today’s mobile phones have access to the Internet [7] We can also notice the permanent growth (though slower recently) of the number of households connected to the Internet.

It doesn’t mean that the tendency is going to stop, only that the market is satisfied, on the other hand it is caused by the crisis weakening the consumer market. It is however quite probable that after limiting the buy of new technologies, it will increase. Still the increase in significance of such technologies in different spheres of life, is more important than popularizing ICT technologies, including economic and social transformations in Poland [8]. The availability of the Internet is growing and in the last two years the number of household with the access to the Internet increased by almost 10 percentage points. It is also connected with lowering the number of households, which possess computers, but without the access to the Internet. Currently only 8% of wired households doesn’t have Internet and this is the most common situation in «Poland B». It is also important to notice that having a computer has its scale as well. It is known among the IT specialists and those, who work on computers. Quality research conducted between 2009 and 2011 indicate that the term «computer» is not always received positively in the context of the quality of the equipment [9]. Most often households have very old computers, not connected to the Internet, moreover it is not used for educational purposes, but only for entertainment, and that is not what we mean in the program of digitalization.

We currently live in two worlds: digital and real. More and more often we choose one of them and it is not the real one. It also concerns contemporary schools in Poland. Students not connected to the Internet in the educational process perceive school as outdated. Introducing latest tools would not only motivate students to deepen their knowledge, but first of all, initiate interest in certain subjects providing them with the methods of observing and exploring the world, so well-liked by the contemporary youth. Currently, the youth participate in the social life mostly with the use of the Internet, social network websites, chats etc., this is where the interactions arise. Such interactions are then often transferred to the social sphere of real life. No online contact can deepen the exclusion. It also concerns the before mentioned division into «PolandA» and «Poland B». We can also observe interesting phenomenon among students of the first year of studies, that is people who were learning in primary and high school in the fully computerized towns and in those digitally excluded, more often participate in the cyber space. In the first months of academic education, we can observe among people from small towns, a process of getting accustomed to the latest technologies, the process is very fast, however it meets some delays. Today we can also separate a dangerous tendency of relying only on information gained via the Internet, which on no condition should be the grounds for taking conclusions. It is also true that intensification of actions with the use of the Internet is developing, including of course, control of quality of information and their proper use. At this moment we can recall a saying «science begins where Google doesn’t know what is meant», which is a synonym to appropriate selection of information, and stresses that knowledge is not located exclusively in the Internet. Unluckily, that is a common belief among young people. That is very important in the whole process of social space computerization in respect of very dangerous tendency of relying on the information found in the Internet only [10]. We function as a society in a global information network. Accessibility to the Internet implies efficient functioning of the information society. It becomes necessary for the whole community to have access to this sphere. «Digital school» project fit in the necessity of implementing of wide range of social and developmental actions. It should initiate serious reforms leveling out social exclusion in its whole range, including those connected with self-exclusion. Nowadays, the following groups are in the worst situation: farmers, pensioners, retired persons, persons professionally passive and unemployed. It’s symptomatic that in Poland these are most often persons economically excluded, what restrict their chances to leave the circle of exclusion. The situation is quite reverse as far as students are concerned, as well as people working in the public/private sectors and businessmen. We need to say that frequently Internet and computer are being used with a bias and selectively, not necessarily of benefit to the participant. In the context of the before mentioned digital division of Poland, it is crucial that the Internet is most often used by the inhabitants of the big cities (over 70%), inhabitants of smaller towns (200 000-500 000 people) – 50%, next inhabitants of towns with the population between 20 000 and 200 000 people. The worst situation is among rural commune – only 26% [11]. The extent of inequality in the access to the Internet and computers, between well educated, well-off and originating from bigger towns people and those on the opposite edge of the scale is a proof of the existence of digital exclusion. Thus, it questions the sense of the whole project. We need to check if, against the assumptions, the program doesn’t deepen the scale of diversity of participation in the contemporary IT sphere.

«DIGITAL SCHOOL» PROGRAM IN POLAND

To answer the doubts we need to consider if the whole project is important in the course of realizing tasks of contemporary digitalization? It certainly is an essential element of development in each country in the contemporary world. Each element of this program is the next step to the next stage of development. The biggest problem in the implementation of computerization inPoland, is irregular economic growth, resulting in the division into areas of participation in the process of digitalization and exclusion from it. In most cases economic marginalization corresponds with digital exclusion. The path to proportional arrangement of the participation in cyberspace have been opened. Economic crisis is an obstacle, however its possibilities are still visible. «Digital school» is a pilot project for now, the results will be seen in 2013, but we can already assume that the project of digitalization in Polish schools will not stop the gradual and natural process of entering into virtual world, even if it wasn’t an introduction to the wider program. It will only be a slower and more difficult to discern process.

[1] Resolution of the Counicl of Ministers from 3rd April on “Governmental program of developing competencies of students and teachers in the field of using information and communication technologies- Digital school” – Journal of Laws from 2004 No 256 item 2572 with later amendments

[2] R. Łukasiewicz, Cyfrowe wykluczenie, WSM, Warszawa 2012

[3] There have been 3 507 applications out of 13 000 public primary schools entitled to apply to the pilot program from the whole country. From this number 2 138 schools were from towns with population under 5 000 people (61%), meaning that the program aroused great interest in rural and small towns schools. Applications were made by 46,2% bodies governing public primary schools. According to the regulations the choice was made by provincial governors. In order to do that, they appointed teams to carry out formal analysis of the applications and qualifications of the schools interested in the program.

[4] Ibid.

[5] The Program of International Assessment of Students’ Abilities, results for Poland 2009, PISA The Ministry of National Education 2009

[6] Public Opinion Research Centre (CBOS). The survey realized between 3-9 March 2011 on the representative sample of 950 adults inPoland.

[7] J. Czapiński, T. Panek, Diagnoza społeczna, 2011, p. 306

[8] Diagnoza… 2011, pp. 306-312

[9] R. Łukasiewicz, Cyfrowe wykluczenie, WSM, Warszawa 2012

[10] R. Łukasiewicz, FaceBóg – czyli ekshibicjonizm współczesnego świata, Warszawa (in print)

[11] A. Soboń-Smyk, Wykluczenie cyfrowe w Polsce, CIvicpedia, http://civicpedia.ngo.pl/ngo/439524.html, access 2012-06-14