The demands of today's technology-driven world present a challenge to the Caribbean to invest in relevant development of its human resources. The Caribbean Examination Council (CXC), in response to this challenge, is launching the first CAPE Digital Media Syllabus to give students across the region the opportunity to develop skillsets necessary to create digital content and master digital media.
The Digital Revolution
We live in a world increasingly dominated by digital content. Television broadcasts are giving way to online videos. The publishing industry is being redefined by electronic books and websites. Mobile apps have transformed how people interact with their phones. The media, entertainment and creative arts industries have been totally revolutionised by the Internet, digital music, photography, videos, graphics and animation. The global public's appetite for digital content seems insatiable. As a region, the Caribbean's appetite is no less voracious.
All indicators point to continued explosive growth of digital content, fuelled by more powerful and increasingly affordable gadgets and technologies. Supporting this requires armies of digital content creators; digital workers armed with an understanding of the new media and skilled with the competencies to produce new digital products and services. These are the artisans of the technology era. They must be deliberately nurtured, trained and developed to take part in the constantly evolving digital landscape.
The seemingly endless buffet of digital content is creating real opportunities for businesses, innovators and entrepreneurs. After all, someone has to create � and benefit � from the mobile apps, electronic books, animations, websites and other digital media. But the capacity to effectively seize these opportunities, must be deliberately nurtured. In this regard, education is key.
CXC Responding to the Challenge
The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) is the regional body that provides primary, secondary and post-secondary examinations and other education services for Caribbean countries. The organization has publicly acknowledged that the region's education system needs to respond with alacrity to produce graduates with the requisite skills in digital media. Refreshingly, the Council has gone beyond just words.
Following a region-wide, multi-stakeholder process, the Council created history with its decision on 18th April 2013 to approve a new CAPE-level Digital Media Syllabus for implementation in schools in September 2013 and first examination in May/June 2014.
According to the Council's Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Didacus Jules, the syllabus will provide students with skills and competencies that allow for immediate entry into the world of work. He explained that the knowledge packaged into the program is intended to empower graduates to market their skills locally, regionally and internationally.
"The new Digital Media Syllabus offers a blend of technology, communications and arts, and is specially designed to appeal to students pursuing any cognate stream. Emphasis will be placed on project work and active participation to ensure that students have opportunity to develop both practical skills and a solid understanding of how digital media is applied in real-world scenarios."
The goal is to increase the cadre of digital media practitioners, such as content creators, animators, web developers, graphic artists and mobile app developers, and secure the skillsets and knowledge base to support the emerging Caribbean digital economy.
Breaking New Ground
The CAPE Digital Media Syllabus consists of two Units, Unit 1, Digital Media Fundamentals and Unit 2, Applied Digital Media. The syllabus breaks new digital ground for the Council as students will be allowed to share knowledge, review case studies; and create solutions; all using digital media. This requires the Council to take an innovative approach to using technology to facilitate interactions and to receive student submissions. The CXC External Assessment will also be delivered electronically for both the multiple choice and practical tasks components of the paper. This is another first for the Council.
Innovative Deployment Strategy
Dr. Jules indicated that the Council is fully conscious of the limited teaching expertise in the subject matter. However, given the broad interest in the syllabus and the limited time available the Council is embarking on a new, innovative approach that leverages the same digital media the syllabus promotes.
A special Accelerated CAPE Digital Media Implementation Strategy has been developed in collaboration with the CXC's civil-society partner Congress WBN. In 2012 CXC signed a memorandum of understanding with Congress WBN, a Trinidad-based international non-profit organization. Under the terms of the MOU the organizations have been collaborating on the application of information and communications technology to improve the delivery of education in the Caribbean. The accelerated implementation strategy is a direct product of this collaboration.
President of Congress WBN, Dr. Noel Woodroffe, explained that the strategy seeks to provide teachers and students with access to the underlying philosophy, objectives and learning outcomes of the CAPE Digital Media syllabus. "We wanted to ensure the same principles, tools and methods highlighted in the Digital Media syllabus were reflected in the approach to implementation."
The strategy entails development of Caribbean-centric reference texts, digital and physical teaching aids and a specially staged orientation video. Together, these resources will constitute a CAPE Digital Media Syllabus Resource Toolkit.
Positive Models
The development of the CAPE Digital Media syllabus initiative is certainly a major advance for the Caribbean. The Digital Media Syllabus Resource Toolkit is already being viewed as a model for syllabus orientation and resourcing that can be replicated across other subject areas. The collaboration between academia, private sector and civil society, not only in crafting the syllabus but also in shaping its implementation, is noteworthy. Now the onus will be on CXC's member countries, schools, teachers and students to take full advantage of the opportunity.
Still, we can celebrate the pioneering development of a significant educational resource through truly region-wide collaboration. We can also remind ourselves that we are still very capable of providing positive patterns for our youth, for the region and for the world.
Bevil Wooding is the Chief Knowledge Office of Congress WBN (www.congresswbn.org), a values-based international non-profit. He is also Executive Director of BrightPath Foundation, an education-technology non-profit (www.brightpathfoundation.org). Follow on Twitter: @bevilwooding or at: facebook.com/bevilwooding or contact via email at technologymatters@brightpathfoundation.org