Education Projects

From APEC HRDWG Wiki

APEC Education Projects are administered primarily through the APEC Education Network (EDNET). These projects are a vital part of realizing the APEC Education Ministers' vision. EDNET projects are relevant to the Education Minister's priorities as stated in the 5th APEC Education Ministerial Meeting. The tables below list ongoing and completed projects:

Ongoing Projects

Topic	Project	Description
Open Education Resources	Building Open Education Resource (OER) Capability in APEC Economies	The purpose of this project is to begin building an APEC library of higher education courses as open education resources (OERs) in the priority areas of math and science, language learning, and vocational training. These resources are known as Open Education Courseware (OCW). Participating members must commit to developing three open courses or translating three existing open courses.
Mathematics	Classroom Innovations through Lesson Study	Aims to improve the quality of education in the area of mathematics. The project has produced useful papers describing mathematical thinking, lesson videos of classroom instruction.
Mathematics	Collaborative Studies on Innovations for Teaching and Learning Mathematics in Different Cultures (III) - Lesson Study focusing on Mathematical Communication	Using Lesson Study approaches, the project aims to: Collaboratively share the ideas and ways of Mathematical Communication which is necessary for science, technology, economical life and development on the APEC member economies, and Collaboratively develop the teaching approaches on Mathematical Communication through Lesson Study among the APEC member economies.
Mathematics	International Benchmarking to Improve Mathematics and Support Exemplary Practices in Travel-Eligible APEC Economies	The purposes of the project are to: Conduct APEC benchmarking studies for mathematics to identify and describe exemplary practices in the APEC region with respect to different key features of a mathematics education delivery system, including standards, assessments, teachers, and low-performing students and schools. Widely disseminate the findings with special focus on assisting the travel eligible Economies and incorporating the findings on the APEC Wiki.
Mathematics / Science	International Comparative Research to Identify Unique and Promising Practices in Mathematics and Science Teacher Preparation for APEC Economies	The four-year "International Comparative Research to Identify Unique and Promising Practices in Mathematics and Science Teacher Preparation for APEC Economies" project will analyze secondary school mathematics and science teacher preparation in each participating economy to generate informed and detailed hypotheses about how to improve teacher preparation. The ultimate goal is to identify unique and promising teaching practices, as well as approaches to meeting key challenges in each economy using standardized research protocols that facilitate comparative analysis. The primary audience for the work are policymakers and research institutions in each economy.
Mathematics / Science	APEC 21st Century Mathematics and Science Education for All in the APEC Region: Strengthening Developing Economies and the Gender Equity Through Standards, Assessments and Teachers	The project will achieve this through online resources, a Conference on 21st Century Mathematics and Science Education for All in the APEC Region, an APEC-wide Practice Guide on Encouraging Girls in Mathematics and Science, and a network of universities in the APEC region to support the math-science priority area through research-based and applied activities.
Mathematics / Science	Best Practices in Human Resource Capacity Building in Science and Mathematics	This project builds up the capacity of economies to succeed in the 21st century knowledge-based economy through evidence-based enhancement of teaching capabilities which in turn will lead to better competencies that meet the challenges of the 21st century. It will also help bridge the development gap by allowing member economies to learn from the experiences of each other and adopt best practices in their own economies.
Language	Strategic Action Plan for English and other Languages in the APEC Region	The Strategic Action Plan undertakes research and information-sharing activities to help students and teachers build the 21st century skills of learning more than one language.
Language	Study of Best Practices in Teaching and Learning Languages in APEC Economies: Lesson Study Applications	This project aims to: Share the concept and examples of Lesson Study, through a DVD Workshop, as a realistic and effective approach for school teachers’ professional development in the area of language teaching in order to promote higher proficiency in shared languages for the good of economic life and development among the APEC member economies Collaboratively apply and evaluate the Lesson Study approach for the pragmatic teaching of languages among the APEC member economies.
Information Technology	APEC Learning Community for Shared Prosperity	Aims to promote Learning Communities to share information to overcome the knowledge and digital divide in hopes of increasing knowledge building capacity.
Information Technology	APEC Information and Communication Technology for Education Exposition (ICT4E)	The Expo aims to widen dissemination and involvement in APEC ICT4E initiatives, facilitate sharing of experiences and best practices to directly support the 4th AEMM Joint Statement and EDNET Strategic Action Plan for ICT and Systemic Reform, gain support for upcoming ICT4E projects of developing economies and provide a venue to reconvene the APEC Cyber Education Network. The APEC ICT Expo is scheduled to be held in Manila in March 2009.
Systemic Reform	Higher Education Diploma Supplement	The Diploma Supplement (DS) is a tool used to facilitate qualifications recognition and improve understanding of education systems. Wide-spread adoption of a DS in the Asia-Pacific region would promote student, academic and provider mobility through improved transparency and reliability of information about higher education qualifications and would be consistent with the European Bologna process and UNESCO regional recognition conventions. The project will survey existing practices, identify different approaches and issues in developing and implementing the DS, and convene a seminar in Australia to progress developments. Specific outcomes of the seminar would include: Sharing and developing information on standards upon which national DSs can be based Identification of the capacity building needs of individual APEC economies to develop and implement a DS.
Systemic Reform	Lesson Study for Implementing Curriculum: Developing Innovative Assessment Problem	Through engaging lesson study in each economy, the aims of the project in the year 2010 are; To compare mathematics textbooks and achievement tests of participating APEC member economies. To develop innovative assessment problems for improvement of the mathematics lesson. To share the software in order to develop digital textbooks, which will be shared among APEC economies. To report the developed lessons in relation to assessment problems and enable to share the economies.
Systemic Reform	Mapping of Qualifications Frameworks Across APEC Economies	The project will identify formal and informal qualifications frameworks systems, associated descriptors and quality assurance frameworks, and recognition agencies across APEC economies.
Systemic Reform	Measures Affecting Cross Border Exchange and Investment in Higher Education in the APEC Region	This project will increase transparency, offering a comprehensive, updated assessment of barriers to trade and investment in higher education services to increase levels of economic activity for economies and for the region.
Systemic Reform	Comparability and Benchmarking of Competencies and Qualification Frameworks in APEC Region (Pilot Area: Construction/Welding)	This project contributes to the achievement of HRDWG’s mission of sharing experiences and skill by addressing its objectives of building 21st century Career and Technical Skills, developing common understandings about qualifications, skills, and professional recognition in order to facilitate the mobility of persons in a more competitive global skilled labor market, and enhancing employment creation and alleviating poverty.
Systemic Reform	Education to Achieve 21st Century Competencies and Skills for All: Respecting the Past to Meet the Future	Key 21st Century outcomes for being competitive in the global economy, whether through college-prepatory or career and technical education curricula, are built through the integration of core subjects with 21st Century themes and 21st Century skills. The 21st Century core subjects and themes to be focused on are: Identifying the core content knowledge and skills in math, science, and languages all students must master; Identifying the career and technical knowledge and skills needed in the 21st Century workplace; and Identifying the tools (ICT) and policy supports (new ways of teaching; assessment and accountability) necessary to ensure 21st Century Skills for All.
Other	Human Capital Policies for Green Growth	This project examines the status of policies within APEC economies regarding training, education, and development policies in order to develop thriving sustainable industries. Through a survey of member economies, it will be determined what APEC economies are doing to develop sustainable industries. In addition, a project symposium will be held in 2011 for further discussion of member economies' practices, particularly as they relate to energy efficiency in developing economies.

Completed Projects

Topic	Project	Description
Mathematics	Seminar on the Best Practices and Innovations in the Teaching and Learning of Science and Mathematics at the Primary School Level	This seminar brought experts and specialists in science and mathematics education from APEC member economies to present their thoughts and ideas about improving educational practices at the primary school level.
Mathematics	International Seminar on Best Practices in Science and Mathematics Teaching and Learning	This seminar was a follow-up to the seminars on “Best Practices and Innovations in the Teaching and Learning of Science and Mathematics” in primary and secondary level schools held in Malaysia in 2003 and 2004 respectively, and the NIER Regional Workshop on “Enhancing the Quality of Science and Technology Education in Asia and the Pacific” in 2003 and aimed to respond to the challenge to identify innovative teaching and learning strategies for capacity building in science and technology education while taking account of traditional teaching methods encouraging rote learning.
Mathematics	A Collaborative Study on Innovations for Teaching and Learning Mathematics in Different Cultures among APEC Member Economies	This conference focused on teacher education in mathematics and particularly on the use of ‘lesson study’ as a means for developing both the theory and the practice of mathematics teacher education.
Systemic Reform	Towards Mutual Recognition of Qualifications for Stage 3-Engineering	Meant to facilitate the mobility of qualified persons in the Asia-Pacific region through bilateral agreements between interested APEC member economies for the mutual recognition of professional qualifications.
Language	Seminar on Learning Standards for English and Other Languages	This seminar focused on analyzing and comparing the language learning standards being used in APEC economies and work toward reaching an agreement of common standards and the best practices to promote them.
Information Technology	APEC 2003 eLearning Summit	This summit participants explored emerging application strategies and possible cooperation in integrating technology into education.
Information Technology	APEC Symposium on Open Source and Open Course for E-Learning	This symposium explored methods to enhance learning by means of personal computers, CDROMs, and the Internet and open sources that allow individuals to change the behaviours of software to address their own particular needs.
Information Technology	e-Learning Strategic Plan (Cyber Academy)	This project expands access to the Internet infrastructure throughout the APEC regions and reduces the access gap among different student groups.
Systemic Reform	APEC Conference on Evaluation as a Tool in Educational Planning: Best Practices in Evaluation of Educational Programs	This conference was designed to promote evaluation as an indispensable tool in the planning and implementation of projects and programs.
Systemic Reform	Colloquium on the Future of Educational Assessment: East Meets West	This project discussed recent issues pertaining to concepts, theories and best practices in educational assessment, and implementation of assessment in the APEC region.
Systemic Reform	Enhancement of Quality Assurance Systems in Higher Education in APEC Member Economies	A report on quality assurance systems in APEC economies based on a survey of these economies conducted by the Australian Universities Quality Agency, with the support of the Asia-Pacific Quality Network, on behalf of the Australian Department of Education, Science and Training.
Other	APEC Architect	This project aimed to establish a mechanism to facilitate mobility for architects for the provision of professional architectural services in participating APEC economies.
Other	APEC International Youth Camp	An on-line and in-person opportunity promoting international exchange and to provide a cooperative-learning forum for APEC member youths.
Other	APEC Links	An effort by Singapore to compile links to APEC members' education technology plans, reports on educational technology implementation projects, and research and evaluation of education technology.
Other	APEC Youth Internet Volunteers	A Korean-led project seeking to reduce the digital divide by providing Youth Internet Volunteers (YIV) to provide ICT-skill training for local schoolteachers and students in the APEC region, as well as volunteers to help translate ICT advice into local languages.
Other	Asia-Pacific Cybereducation Journal	A refereed online journal published semiannually by the APEC Cyber Education Cooperation in collaboration with Indiana University, focusing on information and communication technologies and their integration into education and training, particularly in the Asia-Pacific Rim regions.
Other	Education to Achieve 21st Century Competencies and Skills for All: Respecting the Past to Move Toward the Future	This symposium was held to prepare topics and content for the 4th APEC Education Ministerial Meeting, focusing on combining knowledge and skills for success in the 21st Century.
Other	Improving Institutional Capacity in Joint Schools	A joint research project, led by China, examining experiences of cooperation among higher education institutions in the APEC economies. Case studies are being developed analyzing present barriers and potential solutions to improve the capacity of higher education institutions to cooperate.
Other	Improving the Understanding of Culture in APEC--We Are APEC	This e-project involved producing a presentation kit that included profiles of participating APEC member economies for project use by Year 6 school children in the APEC region. The project aimed to advance mutual understanding of member economies & increase awareness of APEC's role & functions among young people.
Other	Institute of APEC Cyber Education (IACE)	The IACE is designed to construct the APEC Learning Community, research international cooperation in education between APEC economies, and support the Secretariat of the APEC consortium.
Other	Learning About Each Other	An educational web resource introducing 10-15 year old students and their teachers, to the people and places of the Pacific Rim.
Other	University Mobility in Asia and the Pacific	A voluntary association of government and non-government representatives of the higher education sector in the Asia-Pacific region, seeking to enhance international understanding through increased mobility of university students and staff.
Other	APEC Workshop on Embedding Entrepreneurship in University Curriculum	Entrepreneurship is increasingly becoming recognized as a key component of education and practice today and every learner should be given the opportunity to acquire the skills required to make an innovative and creative contribution within their working practices.
Other	APEC Workshop on Strengthening Youth Work in the APEC Region	This project aims to enable an exchange of experience and develop sustainable contacts and networking between youth organizations of APEC member economies with the perspective of enhancing cooperation for promoting youth participation and non-formal education, especially voluntary work.
Other	APEC and International Education	This project analyzed the ways in which education contributes to economic outcomes and the ways in which APEC wide cooperation in education exchange can enhance both educational outcomes and economic and social outcomes for all member economies. The report was prepared for the 2nd APEC Symposium on Education Reform, held in Xi’an, China, from January 15-17, 2008.
Other	Quality in Higher Education: Identifying, Developing, and Sustaining Best Practices in the APEC Region	This is the first project of its kind for APEC HRDWG because it is looking exclusively at the quality of Higher Education. It was set up in response to an APEP priority expressed at the 2008 Joint Statement of Education Ministers at the 4th APEC Educational Ministerial Meeting in Lima, Peru that, “quality education for all is our common goal.” The project aims to begin a dialogue among the economies through which a common understanding of the aspects of quality of higher education will be reached. This information can then be used to inform future projects and policy suggestions. The conference will take place August 4-6 2011 in Honolulu, Hawai'i.