A Covid-19 Response with Years in the Making: The Contribution of EAFIT University to Basic and Secondary Education in Colombia During the Pandemic

Abstract

During the health emergency generated by Covid-19, EAFIT University has worked closely with the National Ministry of Education (MoE) and its Vice-Ministry of Preschool, Basic and Secondary Education, providing ideas and guidelines to 96 certified Secretaries of Education (In Colombia, Secretaries of Education are responsible for managing resources and activities for the educational sector at the province and municipality level. Province governments coordinate educational service in all their municipalities except those over 100,000 inhabitants, which can apply to be certified and become autonomous in the management of their resources) in Colombia and strengthening their capacities to autonomously address the emergency in educational institutions. This work includes the development of a national project focused on collectively defining the actions needed for the successful return to academic activities.This experience is derived from the development, since 2012, of the UbiTAG (The name UbiTAG derives from “ubiquitous learning,” followed by tecnología–aprendizaje–gestión (“technology”–“learning”–“management”). The label was introduced in Zea et al. (2012)) model, a holistic approach to digital maturity and change management in schools that has been implemented through ongoing long-term projects in the Itagüí municipality (24 schools) and the Bogotá Capital District (383 schools). This case study will focus on the work that EAFIT has been doing during the emergency, supporting both the MoE and specific Secretaries of Education. In addition, the case will describe some aspects of the UbiTAG model that have helped to address the educational communities’ current challenges.