general information about the ict program in israel · 2. health aspects – the program provides,...

מינהל תקשוב טכנולוגיה ומערכות מידע אגף טכנולוגיות מידע

The National ICT Program in Israel - "Adapting the Education System to the 21st Century" aims to promote technological innovation in Israeli schools. The program is implemented in 1,584 primary schools in 200 junior high schools, and since the year 2017 it has also been implemented in 121 high schools.

The main goal of the program is to promote innovative pedagogy, which includes teaching and learning processes, emphasizing concepts and principles that are relevant to the changing reality. Students are also expected to acquire essential skills for optimal functioning in the 21st century (21st century skills). In order to achieve this goal, the National ICT Program encourages teachers to intelligently implement tools and digital environments, thereby contributing to the improvement of pedagogical and educational processes.

General information about the ICT program in Israel

Ministry Of Education IsraelICT AdministrationInformation System & Technology

1. Various Programs aimed at Achieving Technological and Digital Literacy

The following is a description of various programs, with emphasis on their contributionto students in Israel.


A. Computer science and robotics in elementary schools and junior high schools

In Israel there is a unique national curriculum on computer science and robotics for young students in elementary schools (grades 4-6) and even for junior high school students (grades 7). The program emphasizes computational thinking, algorithmic and logical thinking, and writing an ethical code. The work environment of the program enables collaborative group work, based on problem solving and creative thinking.



Program goals:

• Exposure of students from an early age to technology in order to enable them to learn and become familiar with new interests such as computer science, electronics, physics and mechanics.• Students will develop technological and digital literacy.• Early detection of outstanding students in the field.• Familiarity with the world of computer science, at the center of which is solving problems and implementing solutions through algorithmic thinking.• Exposure to basic concepts relating to logical thinking and algorithmic thinking in an experiential way, combining many digital and non-digital activities. Emphasis is placed on experiential activities along with integrated programming activities with the robot system. All activities are tailored to the different age groups.• Understanding problem-solving processes (use of computer language) using planning stages; Building and testing a general algorithm; writing a verbal algorithm; Design application components (using various tools) and implement the robot system solution.• Interdisciplinary integration - the use of computer science as a tool for learning other areas of knowledge.• Developing reflective thinking skills to understand the problem-solving process and strengthen critical thinking to assess the effectiveness of the solution.• Developing teamwork skills in the process of solving complex problems and executing projects of various sizes.



B. Other successful courses and programs - MOOC courses

The Ministry of Education began to develop MOOC courses for students, teachers and principals.A unique course was designed for students participating in overseas missions. More than 10,000 students successfully completed the course while pursuing independent learning processes. This course is one of the largest Mooc courses with a success rate of 98%.

How2MOOC - Students are studying MOOC academic courses from around the world. It's important to note, that the courses are taught in English. Learning is based on a unique model developed in Israel called the "team model". In this model, students learn together as a team, setting goals for collaborative learning and mutual responsibility. Responsibility for the learning process is transferred to the students. In the program "How2MOOC" more than 15,000 students in grades 8-12 successfully completed courses on various subjects.

In addition, short online courses were developed on various subjects for teachers. The courses provide a response to teachers' needs.

The advantages of these courses are:• The courses are personal, short and flexible.• The courses include self-learning processes shared by thousands of teachers.• The courses focus on practice as a response to students' needs.• The courses combine learning, implementation, documentation and peer assessment.



C. Learning and Assessment Processes in Digital Environments - In Israel, innovative digital environments for implementing learning and assessment processes are being developed in all disciplines. Special emphasis is placed on alternative assessment methods that promote collaborative learning. One of the main goals in introducing digital environments in teaching, learning and assessment processes is to prepare graduates of the education system for optimal functioning in the academic world and in the future employment world. The continuous development of technology in the information age requires the adoption of learning and assessment methods, in which the students' personal construction of knowledge is constantly taking place. The integration of digital environments may support the application of assessment processes guided by constructivist principles, thus enriching the prevailing assessment methods.According to constructivist principles, emphasis is placed on students' ability to be autonomous learners who use new knowledge in problem-solving processes by developing awareness of their strategies and demonstrating reflective and metacognitive thinking.Digital environments enable:• Building personal and collaborative knowledge through online tools and the routine use of digital information accessible to any learner at anytime and anywhere.• Intelligent use of digital communication between learners and between themselves and the teacher. For example, they enable learning colleagues to add, edit, comment and respond to the information presented by other learners through collaborative processes.• Digital tools enable learners to share information in a variety of textual, visual and auditory media.• The digital environment invites an in-depth dialogue between learners on learning contents. In this way, the assessment becomes updated, authentic and more relevant to the learner's life.

The application of diverse assessment alternatives in digital environments contributes to the creation of an assessment culture in which teaching, learning and assessment processes are integrated. The digital environment may also assist in the process of defining expectations from learners as well as the criteria for success, and may also contribute to the development of learners' awareness of how they are supposed to act in order to improve their achievements and the outcomes they produce.


D. The development of game-based learning Processes - The Information Age was enabled by technology developed in the Digital Revolution. The developed countries understood this and began investing heavily in technology education. Israel, the start-up nation, must also lead in this field. Israel needs more engineers! This is a national strategic goal. The Cyber Championship is a collection of national competitions in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), held in Israel for grades 1-12. Competitions are held in these areas: programming, mathematics and robotics.The goal of the championship is to expose mathematical, scientific and technological content in an experiential and challenging way, while increasing students' motivation and desire to learn. The championship also aims to make technological knowledge accessible to all Israeli students and to enable them to excel in these fields, with an emphasis on practical knowledge in computer science, mathematics, English and technology through fun activities, games and competition.

The competitions include programming contests, mathematics and robotics. The Cyber Championship is one of Israel's major competitions involving computer skills, and has been held continuously every year since 2015. This initiative is the result of the cooperation of the Ministry of Education, the Israel Advanced Technology Industries (IATI) and the Rashi Foundation, which also operates the Cyber National Youth Program, the"Magshimim" Program.

The program also encouraged girls to take part in the intensive study of cyber subjects.As part of the national cyber championship, there is also a quadcopters competition for students. In addition, a curriculum for the academic year 2017 was developed in the field of electronics and programming using quadcopters. The program includes: physics and mechanics, electricity and electronics, flight controller, and control.



1. IATI is Israel’s umbrella organization of the high-tech, life science and other advanced technology industries.

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The Cyber Championship helped attain the following goals: Discover new talent: faster, anywhere, and from all sectors Bring children closer to the high-tech worldOpen a new world for children, and prepare them better for the future Establish a national project that will mobilize every school to excellence. Project Objectives:Give equal opportunity to every child: of any population, religion and city!Enable each child to fully realize his potential, to excel and starGive every child an opportunity for social mobility

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E. Ethics and network safety - In the 21st century, the Internet has become an inseparable part of our lives. As educators, we are familiar with the many opportunities available on the web for learning and developing social relationships, as well as challenges in this area, such as over-exposure to screens, exposure to inappropriate content, violence and cyberbullying. In order to develop and make the most of the many opportunities on the Internet and reduce the risks, the education system in Israel implements a program called "Live on the Net" to promote safe web-surfing on the Internet.

The main goals of the program are:• Raising awareness to the characteristics of the network and their impact on students in different age groups.• Developing training activities aimed at promoting intelligent and responsible behavior on the Internet.• Providing knowledge to deal with cyberbullying.• Providing knowledge regarding the intelligent use of technological tools in order to avoid risk situations and to deal effectively with them.

The program includes social and emotional aspects as well as aspects of information security and health issues related to the use of computers, in order to promote optimal network behavior among students, while raising awareness of the dangers and prevention of harm.



1. Social and emotional aspects - The growing use of the Internet, in applications and social networks among the general population and among children and youth in particular has led to a significant rise and radicalization of anti-social phenomena, violence and crime. The Ministry of Education leads a long-term educational program to promote optimal conduct on the Internet. The program includes educational components, with an emphasis on the parents' population, educational programs for safe web-surfing, including identification and treatment of exceptional events, and community interventions for social change. Emphasis is placed on developing empathy and sensitivity towards the other on the Internet. This is in order to help students expand the communication skills they use in the virtual world, to develop empathy and to promote sensitive and close interpersonal communication that sees the other and takes into account their needs.2. Health aspects – The program provides, among other things, a response to the health aspects (such as radiation and ergonomics) related to the use of digital devices. As part of the program, the schools provide information tailored to the students' age and their conceptual world, with the goal of imparting correct and intelligent usage habits of cellular devices, and includes a series of principles: • Digital citizenship education for all ages and sectors includes desirable network behavior while imparting correct and intelligent usage habits of cellular devices.• Programs and various materials for schools are adapted to the students' age and their conceptual world. 3. Information security and cyber protection - In Israel and around the world there is a trend of increasing the use of information technologies in education. This trend causes an increase in cyber risks. Cyber-attacks can harm organizations and individuals, disrupt business processes, damage reputation, and leak sensitive information. The Ministry of Education in Israel sees great importance in taking the utmost measures to protect students from cyber threats and to educate them to correct habits in technological environments.

2. Future goals: What kind of future classrooms do we envision? Our program was established on the basis of the basic assumption that the State of Israel has high quality human capital that can be led to excellence. The development of human capital will lead to economic and social growth in the State of Israel.



The ICT program is a national and social interest designed to prepare graduates of the education system for the challenges of the 21st century. Since Israel's economy is constantly growing in the various industries and there is an increase in the number of jobs requiring excellence in technology, the concept of the program is that "today's high school students are the high-tech, science and research people of tomorrow."

The ICT program in Israel has several main objectives:

The National ICT Program (also called the "Program for Adapting the Education System to the 21st Century") is a program formulated by the Ministry of Education with the aim of promoting new pedagogy and learning methods in schools, using information and communication technologies and assimilating them into the curriculum. The program began in elementary schools, and gradually went on to junior high schools and eventually reached secondary schools. Geographically, the program began in the periphery in the northern and southern regions, and gradually spread to the center of the country.

The program strives to develop technological and digital literacy through a wide and rich array of programs, projects, online activities and alternative learning frameworks in the distance learning approach that is freed from time and place constraints. Technological and digital literacy is a comprehensive name for a specific set of skills and knowledge bodies that each person needs to develop in order to participate actively in a high-technology world.

The ICT program was also designed to implement high-level online matriculation examinations. These exams combine videos and audio clips, layered maps and simulations, and encourage multi-sensory, experiential and relevant learning. The computerized assessment processes enable optimal use of technology as part of the adaptation of the education system to the 21st century.

In addition, the ICT program strives to promote and expand the use of advanced technology-based digital management systems as part of establishing an online organizational culture and transforming the chool into a high-level computerized organization.


As of the years 2011-2012 RAMA (the National Authority for Measurement and Evaluation in Education) is conducting research on the national ICT program and its impact on schools. Sixty schools from around the country participated in the study. In order to make this program more efficient, schools have also been chosen to serve as a role model in implementing technology in education in the future.

Additional goals of the program are assimilation of technology in the various curricula, improving teachers' skills, adapting the teaching to heterogeneity and the diversity of students, and creating a continuum of learning in the classroom and at home. These skills are designed to prepare Israeli students to cope with future challenges: local and global, economic and cultural.

Among other things, the national ICT program is intended to reduce the digital gap between Israel and the rest of the developed countries. For example, in 2016, a study was conducted in 14 countries, including the State of Israel. The students in these countries participated in two tests: PIRLS, which examined the reading skills from printed texts and ePIRLS which assessed Reading skills of digital texts in a computerized environment that simulates the Internet environment. Some countries had relatively higher achievement on ePIRLS than PIRLS. Singapore, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, the United States, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates had higher achievement on ePIRLS. In Israel, the average achievement in a computerized environment was higher by 4 points than the average achievement in reading of printed texts. This gap, though small in size, was statistically significant. It can be concluded that Israel's students are relatively more successful in reading of digital texts in digital environments than in reading of non-digital texts. The program strives to continue promoting these skills.



The program also aims to continue reducing the gap between the school environment and the outside world, where students use advanced technologies in many areas of life that are not related to learning, such as social and recreational activities.

Another important goal of the program is to prepare students for academic and labor market requirements while acquiring technological and digital literacy, adapted to the 21st century, with an emphasis on nurturing independent learners. The program strives to continue promoting this goal.



general information about the ict program in israel · 2. health aspects – the program provides,...

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