Analog Education, Digital ENEM – The Challenges for Screen Proof.

In early July, the Federal Government announced the plan to modernize the largest test in the country. The National High School Exam, applied to young high school graduates interested in applying for a place in Universities. As early as 2020, one percent of those enrolled will take the digital version in a pilot application, and by 2026, 100% of the tests will be screened. In today’s post, we will understand what this change is about, as well as seek to present an overview of the situation of the use of Information and Communication Technologies in Brazilian schools.

The proposal

At the press conference where the Ministry of Education presents the project for the modernization of the National High School Examination (ENEM), the president of Inep, Alexandre Lopes, highlights the economic and logistical advantages of the digitization of ENEM. The process tends to be cheaper, relying on a smaller team, avoiding printing a large volume of paper and test books, and providing the use of alternative resources (such as videos and games), making it easier to plan and move candidates who make the test in a different city from where they live. The program also offers more than one date for its realization, besides facilitating the organization of the test books according to the formative itinerary chosen by the student – after the consolidation of the high school reform. 

The Minister of Education explained that the agency will not buy new machines. The contractor responsible for applying the test will be in charge of mapping the structure of computer labs available in public and private spaces. 

In the pilot project, to be implemented in 2020, 50,000 students in 15 capitals of the country will take the same test as the other participants, but in its digital version. By 2021 the goal is to have two digital proofing dates, increasing in subsequent years until the end of the transition process, in 2026, when the government is to promote four proofing applications during the year. The whole process will then be digitized, from the identification of the candidate to the writing test.   

Do we have a digital education? 

In July 2019, the Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society (Cetic), released data from the latest research on the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in education, in Brazilian schools and among teachers and students. The study presents a series of indicators that seek to understand how ICTs have been inserted in learning processes, as well as access to ICTs between teachers and students and the availability of digital learning infrastructure.

Among the main results presented is information on the use of phones, internet, tablets and other devices and resources applied to the administrative and educational activities of the institutions. 

When asked about the availability of desktop computers for educational activities, it was observed that 31% of private schools in urban areas do not have the computer lab structure, among public units the number rises to 58%. This shortage is concentrated in the Northeast region, with 55%, while in the South 20% of schools do not have this infrastructure. 

Among urban school students, 52% of private school students have a desktop computer at home and 72% have a laptop computer. While among public school students the numbers are 36% and 38% respectively. 

In the rural context, 45% of private schools have some infrastructure and computers available for student use, while public schools have 18%. Other important information provided by the site says that 52% of school directors interviewed said that it is usual for teachers to bring their own devices to develop pedagogical activities. 

The foreign example

At the government press conference, Education Minister Abraham Weintraub cited the example of other tests that are already applied on digital models, such as the TOEFL English Proficiency Exam. He also argued that in other countries such big tests are already taking place through computers. 

In the United States, for example, exams equivalent to our ENEM, American College Testing (ACT), and(SAT Scholastic Aptitude Test) have the potential to be done digitally, but a story New York Times presents the challenges of applying it. and logistics, even located in a socio-economically remarkable country like the US, still bumps into issues such as infrastructure and power outages. In another informative text on the same site about the online tests, it is pointed out that the choice between digital or printed format is a choice of schools. In 2017, the ACT exam, for example, had only 8% of the one million exams taken in digital format. And, according to ACT Vice President Research, Angie McAllister, the recurring problems encountered are enough infrastructure to meet candidates, such as computer availability, and most of the demand is still for exams. paper. 

Conclusion

If we look at the data on Digital Inclusion and the diffusion of ICTs in Brazil, we come across a reality that has significantly improved over time, but it´s still essentially uneven and marked by geographical and class cuts. Is it consistent to make ENEM a digital test without digital education being a reality for all applicants? The number of students who have no access to computers at school or at home is significant, especially if we consider the scenario of schools located in rural areas. Many of the candidates are not familiar with the interface or the accessories, there is a substantial difference between writing a handwriting or typing. What will be the initiatives to overcome this shortage? And how to ensure that the exam is equivalent between its digital and print version especially in the transitional period, considering the different skills committed to the accomplishment of each of them? 

When thinking about information security, there must be a concern with the use of reliable programs. Renato Leite, from Data Privacy Brasil, emphasizes in a story for Agência Brasil the importance of the commitment to an encrypted system that ensures that only the candidate can access his exam. Bruno Bioni, professor and founder of Data Privacy Brasil, also warned of the need to be careful about candidates personal data, with a robust, secure and transparent system for handling personal information.

“Every time the government proposes to computerize itself, to be a more electronic government, and this involves a significant amount of data processing, it must be carefully monitored. As important as advancing these digitization agendas is showing concern for citizen data ” – Bruno Bioni.

The Federal Government’s proposal to digitize the largest and most relevant national exam is ambitious. The modernization of institutions and processes seems  to be for us more than a trend, but a natural path which the highly computerized society we share, has taken. However, after the Government launches this plan, there are more questions than answers. There will be many challenges for the implementation of this model, and the concern about equal conditions and the promotion of digital education for all adolescents must be a priority, otherwise it will be another way of reproducing the country’s social inequalities.