MIT-Haiti Symposium summary presentation. Presented by Vijay Kumar, MIT Senior Associate Dean and Director of the Office of Educational Innovation and Technology, at the MIT-Haiti Symposium, Cambridge, MA, October 21-22, 2010.

1. MIT-Haiti Symposium
MIT-Haiti Symposium :: October 21-22, 2010

2. The MIT Haiti Symposium
For Haiti, Open Educational Resources, along with
the affordances of a robust educational technology
infrastructure, could present significant opportunity to
address several interrelated dimensions of its
aspirations.

3. Possibility Rating
Project needs to include pedagogical assistance (teach the teacher) so that
Haitian teachers can be developed in terms of not just subject expertise but
how to teach.
4.25
Distribute hard drives with OCW content to Haitian partner universities 4.16
Students get immersion in technical environments through a) iLabs, b) basic
physics demonstration labs that can move around, and/or c) for a few students
through coming to MIT in summers.
4.12
Identify courses from OCW that are most needed and adapt to Haitian needs.
Priorities are mathematics, geology, science courses, basic applied engineering
courses, courses related to infrastructure.
4.00
Workshop in Haiti to share this with a larger audience including teachers and
faculty members.
4.00
Translation of selected video and related print content from OCW followed by
related on-site teacher training
3.91
National library of digital educational resources. 3.83
Ship hard drives of all MIT OER content (e.g., mathlets, BLOSSOMS, OCW) to
Haitian universities
3.83

4. Enhance the teaching
capability of faculty
Distribute MIT OER to Haitian
partner universities with
appropriate technology
Create the opportunity for
students to be immersed in
technical environments
Create a national library of
digital educational resources
iLabs
Basic physics demonstration
labs that can move around
A few students come to
MIT in summers
Identify and adapt most
needed courses from OCW
Symposium workshop for
teachers and faculty in Haiti
Translation of selected video
and related print content
Ship hard drives of all
MIT OER content
Need support resources (people.
The School of Engineering of
UEH is willing to participate.
On-site teacher
training with OCW
Translation crowdsourcing
=> quality control)
Learning Bus filled with
content, engaging even
remote areas
Create new Blossoms by
Haitian scholars
Get access to all software tools
for use on local intranet.
Use the diaspora to help
with translation
iLab project (like Makarere) at
State University of Haiti
Expert guest lecturer
to work with faculty
and students
Bring key faculty in
STEM to MIT to learn
about resources
Extend existing exchange
programs to MIT
Teacher training with
interactive component
Localization needs for courses
Identify 5 mathlet modules
that could be translated and
integrated

5. Enhance the teaching
capability of faculty
Distribute MIT OER to Haitian
partner universities with
appropriate technology
Create the opportunity for
students to be immersed in
technical environments
Create a national library of
digital educational resources
iLabs
Basic physics demonstration
labs that can move around
A few students come to
MIT in summers
Identify and adapt most
needed courses from OCW
Symposium workshop for
teachers and faculty in Haiti
Translation of selected video
and related print content
Ship hard drives of all
MIT OER content
Need support resources (people.
The School of Engineering of
UEH is willing to participate.
On-site teacher
training with OCW
Translation crowdsourcing
=> quality control)
Learning Bus filled with
content, engaging even
remote areas
Create new Blossoms by
Haitian scholars
Get access to all software tools
for use on local intranet.
Use the diaspora to help
with translation
iLab project (like Makarere) at
State University of Haiti
Expert guest lecturer
to work with faculty
and students
Bring key faculty in
STEM to MIT to learn
about resources
Extend existing exchange
programs to MIT
Teacher training with
interactive component
Localization needs for courses
Identify 5 mathlet modules
that could be translated and
integrated

6. Need funding – capital support
Building educational buildings and
infrastructure may be more
immediate priority
Teacher training is critically neededAccount for instability of the
internet in Haiti
May be a new administrative
model for higher education
Leadership training
Lack of native Haitian
scientific expertise
Need a clear project
management and coordinating
structure
National Science Advisory
Committee
Establish Conseil des
Recteurs
Lack of specialized
skills/knowledge/training
Must develop knowledge base to
inform decision-making

7. Priorities for Action
Projects
• Open Educational Resources
• Immersion in Technical
Environments
• National Library of Digital
Educational Resources
Process
• Faculty Development
• Policy, Governance,
Infrastructure
Platform for Engagement: MIT/Haiti

8. Open Educational Resources
Share the complete library of OER content and software in
conjunction with a faculty development and support plan
Immersive Technical Environments
Form a network of partnerships that will create a science and
technology immersion infrastructure in Haiti
National Library of Digital Educational Resources
Create a national library of digital educational resources for open
educational content and build that is openly accessible and free to
users

9. MIT-Haiti Symposium
MIT-Haiti Symposium :: October 21-22, 2010