ICT in the field of Education

Introduction:

Information and communication technology (ICT) is a diverse set of technological tools

and resources used to communicate and to create, disseminate, store and manage

information. ICT has become part of everyday life and all sectors from banking to tourism now depend heavily on ICT for carrying out their transactions. The National curriculum framework 2005 (NCF 2005) has highlighted the importance of ICT in school education.

ICT is the integration of information processing, computing and communication technologies. ICT is changing the way we learn, work and live in society and are often spoken of in a particular context, such as in education, health care, or libraries.  A good way to think about ICT is to consider all the uses of digital technology that already exist to help individuals, businesses and organizations use information. ICT covers any product that will store, retrieve, manipulate, transmit or receive information electronically in a digital form and is concerned with these products. Importantly, it is also concerned with the way these different uses can work with each other. For example, personal computers, digital television, email, robots.  

A look at what we use at home, in the office, in school, or at any business or social function finds many devices equipped with computer chips. They include access cards, mobile phones, point of sales scanner, medical instruments, TV remote controls, microwaves ovens, DVD players, digital cameras, PDAs, etc. 

History:

IT defines as Information Technology, consists of study, design, advance development, accomplishment, support or administration of computer foundation information system, mostly software application and computer hardware. Information technology works with the use of electronic computers and computer software to renovate, defend, development, and broadcast and other information. 
Information technology has overstuffed to cover many features of computing and technology, and this word is more familiar than ever before. Information technology subject can be quite large, encompassing many fields. IT professionals perform different types of responsibilities that range from installing applications to designing complex computer networks.

IT professional's responsibilities are data management, networking, database, software design, computer hardware, management and administration of whole system. IT (Information Technology) is combined word of computer and communications or "InfoTech". Information Technology illustrates any technology which helps to manufacture, manipulate, accumulate, communicate or broadcast information.

Recently it has become popular to broaden the term to explicitly include the field of electronic communication so that people tend to use the abbreviation ICT (Information and Communications Technology).

The term "information technology" evolved in the 1970s. Its basic concept, however, can be traced to the World War II alliance of the military and industry in the development of electronics, computers, and information theory. After the 1940s, the military remained the major source of research and development funding for the expansion of automation to replace manpower with machine power. 
Since the 1950s, four generations of computers have evolved. Each generation reflected a change to hardware of decreased size but increased capabilities to control computer operations. The first generation used vacuum tubes, the second used transistors, the third used integrated circuits, and the fourth used integrated circuits on a single computer chip. Advances in artificial intelligence that will minimize the need for complex programming characterize the fifth generation of computers, still in the experimental stage.

The first commercial computer was the UNIVAC I, developed by John Eckert and John W. Mauchly in 1951. It was used by the Census Bureau to predict the outcome of the 1952 presidential election. For the next twenty-five years, mainframe computers were used in large corporations to do calculations and manipulate large amounts of information stored in databases. Supercomputers were used in science and engineering, for designing aircraft and nuclear reactors, and for predicting worldwide weather patterns. Minicomputers came on to the scene in the early 1980s in small businesses, manufacturing plants, and factories.

In 1975, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology developed microcomputers. In 1976, Tandy Corporation's first Radio Shack microcomputer followed; the Apple microcomputer was introduced in 1977. The market for microcomputers increased dramatically when IBM introduced the first personal computer in the fall of 1981. Because of dramatic improvements in computer components and manufacturing, personal computers today do more than the largest computers of the mid-1960s at about a thousandth of the cost. 
Computers today are divided into four categories by size, cost, and processing ability. They are supercomputer, mainframe, minicomputer, and microcomputer, more commonly known as a personal computer. Personal computer categories include desktop, network, laptop, and handheld. 

ICT In Education:

Nowadays the role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), in the education sector plays an important role, especially in the process of empowering the technology into the educational activities. Education sector can be the most effective sector to anticipate and eliminate the negative impact of ICT. Technology in another side can be the most effective way to increase the student’s knowledge.

The use of ICT in education adds value to teaching and learning, by enhancing the effectiveness of learning. It added a dimension to learning that was not previously available. After the inception of ICT in schools, students found learning in a technology enhanced environment more stimulating and engaging than in a traditional classroom environment

Talking about the presence of ICT in Education, Ashok Mehta, President- ICT and Skills, Smartclass Educational services Pvt Ltd, stretched out his views on the industry,” I am trying to work on relevant solutions particularly by integrating ICT.

 He  further added,” Looking at Pratham report highlighting the challenges in education, ICT has a pivotal role to play to address the issue of quality content and quality of teachers. Globally role of ICT has been acknowledged and appreciated. It's successful once teachers have appreciated. MHRD has already emphasised on the importance of ICT in education and there are some schemes already floated by the government where companies like Smartclass have made a huge contribution.

“ICT plays a catalytic role in enhancing learning in classroom and beyond. One needs to do a due diligence before a content provider is selected as content is the fulcrum”, said the President of Smartclass Educational pvt Ltd.

The founder of Kiwami, Ms Mitsuyo Tamai expressed her concern over the effectiveness of ICT on education. She said,” Looking at the present scenario of education, many changes have taken place especially in the teaching-learning to assessment and evaluation. Information and communication technologies are extremely influencing every discipline including Education. It is affecting every aspect of education from teaching-learning to assessment and evaluation. It improves the effectiveness of education. It aids literacy movements. It enhances scope of education by facilitating mobile learning and inclusive education. It facilitates research and scholarly communication. Impact of ICT and its potential for the education field is manifold. A judicious use of ICT technologies together with new functions and roles of education personnel can bring about more efficient and effective teaching learning-process.”

The main concern here is to bridge the differences amongst the students, parents and teachers leading to an effective interaction and a transparency between the three. An equal importance should also be given to promote the culture of learning at school and to support schools in sharing experience and information with others.

ICT in schools

Why do we need ICT in schools? Was education not happening before computers came into existence? Why is this paradigm shift necessary? The shift is necessary because this is the age of information and technology, an age that requires that teachers facilitate the gathering of this information and not merely teach.

Unfortunately, in India, ICT is largely associated with the use of computer and Internet. What one uses ICT for and how one uses it, is not addressed sufficiently. Schools and colleges acquire computers, Internet connection, LCD projectors and then send their teachers for crash courses that supposedly teach them to use technology. The trouble is this whole approach is devoid of focus. But, until teachers are made to realize the need of ICT, no amount of computerization can help.

What is ICT supposed to be used for in the class?    

 question I often hear teachers who are unwilling to take the ICT plunge is, ‘Can the student learn anything without the teacher explaining or intervening? And my answer to that is, ‘Students also have ideas of their own and knowledge that they gathered from daily life; this knowledge and ideas are not accepted or utilized by teachers. Using ICT this can be achieved in a big way.’

Training a teacher in using ICT is more crucial than acquiring a large number of computers. Teachers have to be trained to facilitate the learning process, make the process real, achievable, challenging, yet exciting and not intimidating. Reducing teacher talk and encouraging student discussion is extremely important. Everything need not be written on the blackboard to be considered as taught. Many teachers think the computer is used only to make the content look attractive! They need to know that in 21^st century, information is not difficult access, instead organizing, sharing, and collaborating become essential skills. Hence, ICT is not merely to portray information but to interact, share, and thus learn. ICT provides meaningful, absorbing media that makes teaching-learning more productive.

There are two main areas that we have to look at if a paradigm shift in the teaching process has to occur: the teacher’s role of teaching and the teacher’s role of helping the student learn.

 In the first one the teacher has to enhance teaching. Here, the teacher can ask himself or herself, ‘How will ICT enhance my teaching?’ The teacher should be aware of what lacunae exist in his/her teaching. The teacher should ask ‘Do I need to be empowered? ‘What more can be done?’ ‘What is the most effective way of teaching?’ ‘How will more students benefit from my teaching?’ ‘Will ICT help me?’

The second role of the teacher:  helping the student learn.

The Internet is full of information, textbooks are bursting with information. But this information can become true knowledge only when the teacher makes it meaningful. Here the teacher can use multimedia to make topics more comprehensible.

Think of a teacher showing large number of different flowers while reading out a poem on flowers, or teaching about the parts of a flower. Talking about the freedom struggle is one thing and seeing a 2 minute video on the same topic is altogether different. Preaching about rain water harvesting and showing a clipping while teaching is different. Showing how bunding is done, how crude oil is refined, gives students the correct idea. Instead of boring the students with a decade old chart on the respiratory system, showing a 1.5 minute video during teaching takes the students to a different level of understanding. Listening to the voice of Rabindranath Tagore while reading his stories, poems will help the students associate with the author. The entire teaching-learning process gets a boost with the appropriate use of ICT. It should be used to fill in the inadequacies that the teacher is facing. The problem of large numbers, students not showing interest can be tackled to some extent. Can use of ICT make teaching more meaningful, get rid of rote memorising?

The teacher needs to be fully aware of the fact that students can find information, they need proper instructions, they need scope for creativity, expectations of the teacher brings forth performance.

 The present generation is a multimedia generation. It is not their fault. They are numbed by too much of information and easy access to that information. How then can we expect our students to sit and listen to lifeless sermons in class. The information that is given in the classroom is redundant and presented in boring manner. NGC, Discovery, Fox History can take one to places and time in minutes. They show so much of the present and the past far and wide that one seems to learn unknowingly. One search on Google and lo and behold! The information at your fingertips will be difficult to assimilate. How does one harness this gargantuan accessibility of information? How to make students use it appropriately and avoid brazen plagiarism? Vague expectations, lack of innovation, poor scope for creativity make learning dull. Mere use of computer or Internet doesn’t improve the learning output.

Educational Challenges Facing ICT:

1. Lack of qualified teachers to teach ICT in schools; The demand for ICT learning has been tremendous and the number of teachers who are trained to teach ICT cannot meet the demand. There are more students willing to be taught computing skills than there are teaches to transfer the skills.
2. Lack of computers; Computers are still very expensive and despite spirited efforts by the government agencies, NGO, corporate organizations and individuals to donate computers to as many schools as possible, there still remains a big percentage of the schools unable to purchase computers for use by their pupils.
3. Lack of electricity; Many schools are still not yet connected to electricity; Kenya being a developing country, the government has not been able to connect all parts of the country to the national electricity grid. Consequently those schools that fall under such areas are left handicapped and may not be able to offer computer studies.
4. Computers are still expensive in Kenya, in a country with a GDP of $1600, majority of the individuals and schools cannot afford to buy a computer and consider it as a luxury item, more expensive than a TV. While 2nd hand computers cost as little as $150 and branded new computers being sold at $500 or higher.
5. Broken down computers; while a good number of schools have benefited from donated used computers, they have not been adequately equipped with the same on maintenance and repair, hence its very common to see a schools computer lab full of broken down computers, some repairable and some not. This has actually been a major problem, and the government has now put strict measures on any person, NGO or corporate bodies willing to donate 2nd hand computers. (It is seen as a dumping ground); e-waste management.
6. Burglary; the fact that computers are still very expensive in Kenya, makes them a target for thieves who usually have ready markets to another party at a much less figure. This has made many schools to incur extra expenses trying to burglar proof the computer rooms. This extra expense makes some schools shy away from purchasing computers for their students.
7. Fear by the administration; there is still a strong perception especially by the older generation that computers require highly skilled personnel to operate them, while this may not be the case, some school administrators also fear that their students will be exposed to adult sites and other undesired sites, through the use of the internet. Some also fear the infection of viruses to their computers leading to data loss, while this may be true to some extent, proper education on the safe use of computers and help alleviate some of this fears.
8. Fear by the teacher, the teacher may fear being rendered irrelevant by the introduction of computers in his/her class. The ‘feel’ that the teacher still remains an authority and a ‘know it all’ in class is something that most teachers cherish, and anything that makes them otherwise is deemed an enemy of the classroom.
9. Lack of internet or slow connectivity; most schools do not have Internet access, due to the high costs involved in the connectivity. On average, it may cost approximately $120 per month to connect to about 15 computers on a bandwidth of 128/64kbps. This is considered as very expensive for a very slow speed.
10. Lack of initiative by the community leaders; the community leaders who are charged with looking at the interests of a given community do not see the need to purchase and subsequent installations of computers to their schools as a priority. They consider health care, provision of water and other amenities as more important than buying computers for their schools.
11. Obsolete computers lower the morale of both the teacher and the student; it is very common to find some schools using very old computers running on win98 or win 95.
12. Increased moral degradation – internet pornography, cyber bullying and other anti-social behaviors is a worrying emerging problem.

Conclusion:

The timing has never been better for using technology to enable and improve learning at all levels, in all places, and for people of all backgrounds. From the modernization of E-rate to the proliferation and adoption of openly licensed educational resources, the key pieces necessary to realize best the transformations made possible by technology in education are in place.

Educators, policymakers, administrators, and teacher preparation and professional development programs now should embed these tools and resources into their practices. Working in collaboration with families, researchers, cultural institutions, and all other stakeholders, these groups can eliminate inefficiencies, reach beyond the walls of traditional classrooms, and form strong partnerships to support everywhere, all-the-time learning.

Although the presence of technology does not ensure equity and accessibility in learning, it has the power to lower barriers to both in ways previously impossible. No matter their perceived abilities or geographic locations, all learners can access resources, experiences, planning tools, and information that can set them on a path to acquiring expertise unimaginable a generation ago.

All of this can work to augment the knowledge, skills, and competencies of educators. Tools and data systems can be integrated seamlessly to provide information on student learning progress beyond the static and dated scores of traditional assessments. Learning dashboards and collaboration and communication tools can help connect teachers and families with instantaneous ease. This all is made more likely with the guidance of strong vision and leadership at all levels from teacher-leaders to school, district, and state administrators. For these roles, too, technology allows greater communication, resource sharing, and improved practice so that the vision is owned by all and dedicated to helping every individual in the system improve learning for students.

It is a time of great possibility and progress for the use of technology to support learning.