🌇【文章】聯合國教科文組織（UNESCO）和聯合國亞洲及太平洋經濟社會委員會（UNESCAP）支持教育數位創新彌合教育落差。
第80屆亞太經社會大會上舉辦聯合展覽， 聯合國教科文組織（UNESCO）和聯合國亞洲及太平洋經濟社會委員會（UNESCAP）支持教育數位創新彌合教育落差。
圖文來源：聯合國教科文組織保留所有權利。
2024年5月14日
教育是一項基本權利，適用於所有人，無論背景、能力或環境。聯合國教科文組織曼谷辦事處（UNESCO Bangkok）與聯合國亞洲及太平洋經濟社會委員會東南亞區域辦事處於2024年4月22日至26日舉行第80屆亞太經社會（ESCAP）期間，數位創新展覽會十分成功。聯合國教科文組織（UNESCO）和聯合國亞洲及太平洋經濟社會委員會（UNESCAP）為該展覽會設立的聯合展位，突顯了教育平等和包容性的關鍵作用。在“利用數位創新促進亞太地區持續發展”主題下，展示了針對該地區弱勢和邊緣化學習者所確立需求的創新解決方案。
聯合UNESCO-UNESCAP展覽提醒人們，永續發展中優質教育之第五項目標消除教育中的一切歧視；該目標宗旨確保各級教育的平等性。對於面臨各種挑戰，如殘疾或來自非主流語言群體的學習者來說，教育之路充滿障礙。在這方面，教科文組織強調，解決這些挑戰對於亞太地區持續發展和教育體系轉型至關重要。
日本東北大學教授-小島英樹，展示創新之一，突顯利用技術促進公平性與包容教育的例子，特別是針對發展遲緩和學習障礙的兒童。來到展位前的訪客會見到“Keepon”，一個被設計來與不同發展階段的兒童進行自然、非語言交流的小型機器人。通過提供參與和學習的平台，Keepon為那些可能因為兒童的生理、心理或社交限制而難以應對傳統教學方法的孩童“搭起了橋梁”。
展覽會場上其他亮點是由國際語言學協會（SIL International）在展場上代表的多語言識字平台Bloom Library和Keyman。由SIL代表的訪問，識字資源證明了教育技術在服務非主流語言的兒童。Keyman的基礎鍵盤技術使非主流語言的孩子可以參與我們的數位世界。在像亞太地區“超級多元”的環境，語言多樣性是常態，Bloom提供了一種簡單的方法來編寫、翻譯和分發數位書籍和數位資源，以確保每個孩子都能接觸到他們的語言材料。這不僅增強了他們的學習經驗，保護了傳統和弘揚文化遺產。
聯合國教科文組織（UNESCO）與聯合國亞太經社會委員會（UNESCAP）在展場上再次肯定了這些組織在推廣包容性和平等教育以及通過數位創新轉變教育方面的承諾。根據2030年議程，這兩個組織力求促進區域永續發展而努力，確保不讓任何學習者感到落後。
Bridging Educational Gaps through Inclusive Innovation
A joint exhibition by UNESCO and UNESCAP at the 80th Session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific supports digital innovation in education.
14 May 2024
Education is a fundamental right that should be available to all, regardless of their background, abilities, or circumstances. Recognizing this, UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok (UNESCO Bangkok), together with UNESCAP Subregional office for SEA, made a significant impact at the Digital Innovations Fair held during the Eightieth Session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) from 22 to 26 April 2024. A joint exhibition booth by UNESCO and UNESCAP for the Fair highlighted the crucial role of equity and inclusion in education. Under the theme, ‘Leveraging digital innovation for sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific’, the booth showcased innovative solutions aimed at addressing the identified needs of disadvantaged and marginalized learners in the region.
The joint UNESCO-UNESCAP exhibition booth served as a reminder that quality education goes beyond mere access; moreover, it encompasses equity and inclusion considerations in line with Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), Target 5, which aims to ensure equal access at all levels of education. For learners facing various challenges such as disabilities or originating from non-dominant language groups, the path to education can be lined with obstacles. In this regard, UNESCO underscored that addressing these challenges is critical for sustainable development and the transformation of education systems in Asia-Pacific.
One of the innovations showcased at the booth, by Professor Hideki Kozima, of Tohoku University, stood out as an example of leveraging technology for equitable and inclusive education, particularly for children with developmental delays and learning disabilities. Visitors to the booth were met by ‘Keepon’, a diminutive robot designed to facilitate natural, nonverbal interactions with children across different developmental stages. By providing a platform for engagement and learning, Keepon ‘bridged the gap’ for children who may struggle with conventional teaching methodologies due to a child’s physical, mental, or social limitations.
Other highlights of the exhibition booth were the multilingual literacy platforms Bloom Library and Keyman, which were represented at the Fair by SIL International, an institutional member of the Asia-Pacific Working Group on Multilingual Education. These open-access literacy resources represented by SIL testified to the power of educational technology in serving ethnolinguistic minority children. Keyman’s foundational keyboarding technology enables minority languages to participate in our digital world. In a ‘super diverse’ region like Asia-Pacific, where linguistic diversity is the norm, Bloom offers an easy way to author, translate and distribute digital books and digital resources to ensure that every child has access to materials in their language. This not only enhances their learning experience but also preserves and celebrates tradition and cultural heritage.
