2013 - 2014

In 2013 -2014 ICHD was contracted by the Center for Education Projects to carry out capacity and needs assessment for the National Center for Education Technologies in order to understand the potential areas of improvement in the Center’s operation.  In addition, it designed and conducted a research study to identify the pertinent forms of social risks for children caused by the use of ICT and to develop ICT guidelines to address the identified risks. The scope of activities for these two studies included a desk review of official documents and relevant reports concerning NACET; study of the legal framework related to the use of ICT by children in Armenia and relevant international experience; semi-structured interviews with stakeholders (NACET, MoES, NIE, school teachers, parents, pediatricians; psychologists, etc.); focus group interviews with middle- and high-school students, teachers and parents and finally, a survey with the same participants. Based on the findings of capacity and needs assessment a report was prepared on the assessment of current NACET capacities and a general plan for its institutional strengthening. The findings of the study on ICT-related social risks undelay preparation of a list of the forms of social risks and development of ICT guidelines to address these risks. The guidelines included specific mechanisms for filtering adult websites and adult content for school children.