What are ICTs and what types of ICTs are commonly used in

education?
ICTs stand for information and communication technologies and are
defined, as a “diverse set of technological tools and resources used to
communicate, and to create, disseminate, store, and manage information.”
These technologies include computers, the Internet, broadcasting
technologies (radio and television), and telephony.
In recent years there has been a groundswell of interest in how computers
and the Internet can best be harnessed to improve the efficiency and
effectiveness of education at all levels and in both formal and non-formal
But ICTs are more than just these technologies; older technologies such as
the telephone, radio and television, although now given less attention, have a
longer and richer history as instructional tools.
For instance, radio and television have for over forty years
been used for open and distance learning, although print remains the
cheapest, most accessible and therefore most dominant delivery mechanism
in both developed and developing countries.The use of computers and the
Internet is still in its infancy in developing countries, if these are used at all,
due to limited infrastructure and the attendant high costs of ccess.Moreover,
different technologies are typically used in combination rather than as the
sole delivery mechanism. For instance, the Kothmale Community Radio
Internet uses both radio broadcasts and computer and Internet technologies
to facilitate the sharing of information and provide educational opportunities
in a rural community in Sri Lanka. The Open University of the United
Kingdom (UKOU), established in 1969 as the first educational institution in
the world wholly dedicated to open and distance learning, still relies heavily
on print-based materials supplemented by radio, television and, in recent
years, online programming.8 Similarly, the Indira Gandhi National Open
University in India combines the use of print, recorded audio and video,
broadcast radio and television, and audio conferencing technologies.

What is e-learning?
Although most commonly associated with higher education and corporate
training, e-learning encompasses learning at all levels,both formal and non-
formal, that uses an information network—the Internet, an intranet (LAN) or
extranet (WAN)—whether wholly or in part, for course delivery, interaction
and/or facilitation. Others prefer the term online learning. Web-based
learning is a subset of e learning and refers to learning using an Internet
browser.
What is blended learning?
Another term that is gaining currency is blended learning. This refers to
learning models that combine traditional classroom practice with e-learning
solutions. For example, students in a traditional class can be assigned both
print-based and online materials, have online mentoring sessions with their
teacher through chat, and are subscribed to a class email list. Or a Web-
based training course can be enhanced by periodic face-to-face Instruction
“Blending” was prompted by the recognition that not all learning is best
achieved in an electronically-mediated environment, particularly one that
dispenses with a live instructor altogether. Instead, consideration must be
given to the subject matter, the learning objectives and outcomes, the
characteristics of the learners, and the learning context in order to arrive at
the optimum mix of instructional and delivery methods.

What is open and distance learning?

Open and distance learning is defined by the Commonwealth of Learning as
“a way of providing learning opportunities that is characterized by the
separation of teacher and learner in time or place, or both time and place;
learning that is certified in some way by an institution or agency; the use of
a variety of media, including print and electronic; two-way communications
that allow learners and tutors to interact; the possibility of occasional face-
to-face meetings; and a specialized division of labor in the production and
delivery of courses.”

What is meant by a learner-centered environment?

The National Research Council of the U.S. defines learner-centered
environments as those that “pay careful attention to the knowledge, skills,
attitudes, and beliefs that learners bring with them to the classroom.” The
impetus for learner-centeredness derives from a theory of learning called
constructivism, which views learning as a process in which individuals
“construct” meaning based on prior knowledge and experience. Experience
enables individuals to build mental models or schemas, which in turn
provide meaning and organization to subsequent experience. Thus
knowledge is not “out there”, independent of the learner and which the
learner passively receives; rather, knowledge is created through an active
process in which the learner transforms information, constructs hypothesis,
and makes decisions using his/her mental models. A form of constructivism
called social constructivism also emphasizes the role of the teacher, parents,
peers and other community members in helping learners to master concepts
that they would not be able to understand on their own. For social
constructivists, learning must be active, contextual and social. It is best done
in a group setting with the teacher as facilitator or guide.
PROMISE OF ICT IN EDUCATION:

For developing countries ICT have the potential for increasing access to and
improving the relevance and quality of education. It thus represents a
potentially equalizing strategy for developing countries.
ICT greatly facilitate the acquisition and absorption of knowledge, offering
developing countries unprecedented opportunities to enhance educational
systems, improve policy formulation and execution, and widen the range of
opportunities for business and the poor. One of the greatest hardships
endured by the poor, and by many others who live in the poorest countries,
is their sense of isolation. The new communications technologies promise to
reduce that sense of isolation, and to open access to knowledge in ways
unimaginable not long ago.
However, the reality of the Digital Divide—the gap between those who have
access to and control of technology and those who do not—means that the
introduction and integration of ICTs at different levels and in various types
of education will be a most challenging undertaking. Failure to meet the
challenge would mean a further widening of the knowledge gap and the
deepening of existing economic and social inequalities.

How can ICTs help expand access to education?

• Anytime, anywhere:-One defining feature of ICTs is their ability to
transcend time and space. ICTs make possible asynchronous learning, or
learning characterized by a time lag between the delivery of instruction and
its reception by learners. Online course materials, for example, may be
accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. ICT-based educational delivery also
dispenses with the need for all learners and the instructor to be in one
physical location. Additionally, certain types of ICTs, such as
teleconferencing technologies, enable instruction to be received
simultaneously by multiple, geographically dispersed learners

• Access to remote learning resources. Teachers and learners no longer

have to rely solely on printed books and other materials in physical media
housed in libraries for their educational needs. With the Internet and the
World Wide Web, a wealth of learning materials in almost every subject and
in a variety of media can now be accessed from anywhere at anytime of the
day and by an unlimited number of people. This is particularly significant
for many schools in developing countries, and even some in developed
countries, that have limited and outdated library resources. ICTs also
facilitate access to resource persons— mentors, experts, researchers,
professionals, business leaders, and peers—all over the world.

How does the use of ICTs help prepare individuals for the workplace?
One of the most commonly cited reasons for using ICTs in the classroom
has been to better prepare the current generation of students for a workplace
where ICTs, particularly computers, the Internet and related technologies,
are becoming more and more ubiquitous. Technological literacy, or the
ability to use ICTs effectively and efficiently, is thus seen as representing a
competitive edge in an increasingly globalizing job market. Technological
literacy, however, is not the only skill well-paying jobs in the new global
economy will require. EnGauge of the North Central Regional Educational
Laboratory (U.S.) has identified what it calls “21st Century Skills,” which
includes digital age literacy (consisting of functional literacy, visual literacy,
scientific literacy, technological literacy, information literacy, cultural
literacy, and global awareness), inventive thinking, higher-order thinking
and sound reasoning, effective communication, and high productivity. The
potential of ICTs to promote the acquisition of these skills is tied to its use
as a tool for raising educational quality, including promoting the shift to a
learner-centered environment.
How can the use of ICTs help improve the quality of
education?
ICTs can enhance the quality of education in several ways: by increasing
learner motivation and engagement, by facilitating the acquisition of basic
skills, and by enhancing teacher training. ICTs are also transformational
tools which, when used appropriately, can promote the shift to a learner-
centered environment.
Motivating to learn. ICTs such as videos, television and multimedia
computer software that combine text, sound, and colorful, moving images
can be used to provide challenging and authentic content that will engage the
student in the learning process. Interactive radio likewise makes use of
sound effects, songs, dramatizations, comic skits, and other performance
conventions to compel the students
.
Facilitating the acquisition of basic skills. The transmission of basic skills
and concepts that are the foundation of higher order thinking skills and
creativity can be facilitated by ICTs through drill and practice. Educational
television programs such as Sesame Street use repetition and reinforcement
to teach the alphabet, numbers, colors, shapes and other basic concepts.
Enhancing teacher training. ICTs have also been used to improve access
to and the quality of teacher training. The government-funded CTTC,
established in 1997, offers self-directed, self-paced Web-based courses for
primary and secondary school teachers. Courses include “Computers in the
Information Society,” Education Reform,” and “Future Society and
Education.”

How can ICTs help transform the learning environment into one that is
Learner-centered?
Research has shown that the appropriate use of ICTs can catalyze the
paradigmatic shift in both content and pedagogy that is at the heart of
education reform in the 21st century.If designed and implemented properly,
ICT-supported education can promote the acquisition of the knowledge and
skills that will empower students for lifelong learning.When used
appropriately, ICTs—especially computers and Internet technologies—
enable new ways of teaching and learning rather than simply allow teachers
and students to do what they have done before in a better way. These new
ways of teaching and learning are underpinned by constructivist theories of
learning and constitute a shift from a teacher-centered pedagogy—in its
worst form characterized by memorization and rote learning—to one that is
learner-centered.
• Active learning. ICT-enhanced learning mobilizes tools for examination,
calculation and analysis of information, thus providing a platform for
student inquiry, analysis and construction of new information. Learners
therefore learn as they do and, whenever appropriate, work on real-life
problems in-depth, making learning less abstract and more relevant to the
learner’s life situation.In this way, and in contrast to memorization-based or
rote learning, ICT-enhanced learning promotes increased learner
engagement. ICT-enhanced learning is also “just-in-time” learning in which
learners can choose what to learn when they need to learn it.
• Collaborative learning. ICT-supported learning encourages interaction
and cooperation among students, teachers, and experts regardless of where
they are. Apart from modeling real-world interactions, ICT-supported
learning provides learners the opportunity to work with people from
different cultures, there by helping to enhance learners’ teaming and
communicative skills as well as their global awareness.
• Creative Learning. ICT-supported learning promotes the manipulation of
existing information and the creation of real-world products rather than the
regurgitation of received information.
• Integrative learning. ICT-enhanced learning promotes a thematic,
integrative approach to teaching and learning. This approach eliminates the
artificial separation between the different disciplines and between theory and
practice that characterizes the traditional classroom approach.
• Evaluative learning. ICT-enhanced learning is student-directed and
diagnostic.Unlike static, text- or print-based educational technologies, ICT-
enhanced learning recognizes that there are many different learning
pathways and many different articulations of knowledge. ICTs allow
learners to explore and discover rather than merely listen and remember.

The Uses of ICTs in Education

Education policymakers and planners must first of all be clear about what
educational outcomes are being targeted. These broad goals should guide the
choice of technologies to be used and their modalities of use. The potential
of each technology varies according to how it is used. Haddad and Draxler
identify at least five levels of technology use in education: presentation,
demonstration, drill and practice, interaction, and collaboration.
Each of the different ICTs—print, audio/video cassettes, radio and TV
broadcasts, computers or the Internet—may be used for presentation and
demonstration, the most basic of the five levels. Except for video
technologies, drill and practice may likewise be performed using the whole
range of technologies.
On the other hand, networked computers and the Internet are the ICTs that
enable interactive
and collaborative learning best; their full potential as educational tools will
remain unrealized if
they are used merely for presentation or demonstration.
How have radio and TV broadcasting been used in education?
Radio and television have been used widely as educational tools since the
1920s and the 1950s, respectively. There are three general approaches to the
use of radio and TV broadcasting in education:21
1) Direct class teaching
2) School broadcasting,
3) General educational programming over community
Radio Instruction (IRI).This consists of “ready-made 20-30 minute direct
teaching and learning exercises to the classroom on a daily basis

What is teleconferencing and what have been its educational

uses?
Teleconferencing refers to “interactive electronic communication among
people located at two or more different places.”There are four types of
teleconferencing based on the nature and extent of interactivity and the
sophistication of the technology: 1) audio conferencing; 2) audio-graphic
conferencing, 3) videoconferencing; and 4) Web-based conferencing.
Audio conferencing involves the live (real-time) exchange of voice
messages over a telephone network,Videoconferencing allows the exchange
not just of voice and graphics but also of moving images.
Web-based conferencing, as the name implies, involves the transmission of
text, and graphic, audio and visual media via the Internet; it requires the use
of a computer with a browser and communication can be both synchronous
and asynchronous, teleconferencing is a useful tool for providing direct
instruction and learner support, minimizing learner isolation.

How have computers and the Internet been used for teaching
and learning?
There are three general approaches to the instructional use of computers and
the Internet, namely:
1) Learning about computers and the Internet, in which technological
literacy is the end goal;
2) Learning with computers and the Internet, in which the technology
facilitates learning across the curriculum; and
3) Learning through computers and the Internet, integrating technological
skills development with curriculum applications.

What is telecollaboration?
Online learning involving students logging in to formal courses online is
perhaps the most commonly thought of application of the Internet in
education. However , it is by no means the only application
The organized use of Web resources and collaboration tools for curriculum
appropriate purposes is called telecollaboration. Judi Harris defines
telecollaboration as “an educational endeavor that involves people in
different locations using Internet tools and resources to work together. Much
educational telecollaboration is curriculum-based, teacher-designed, and
teacher-coordinated.

Issues in the Use of ICTs in Education

Effectiveness, cost, equity, and sustainability are four broad intertwined
issues which must be addressed when considering the overall impact of the
use of ICTs in education.
Does ICT-enhanced learning really work?
The educational effectiveness of ICTs depends on how they are used and for
what purpose. And like any other educational tool or mode of educational
delivery, ICTs do not work for everyone, everywhere in the same way.
Enhancing access, It is difficult to quantify the degree to which ICTs have
helped expand access to basic education since most of the interventions for
this purpose
Raising quality-The impact of educational radio and television broadcasts on
the quality of basic education remains an under-researched area, but what
little research there is suggests that these interventions are as effective as
traditional classroom instruction. Of the many educational broadcast
projects, the Interactive Radio Instruction project has been the most
comprehensively analyzed.

Will ICTs Replace the Teacher?

The answer is a resounding NO! In fact, with the introduction of ICTs in the
classroom, the teacher’s role in the learning process becomes even more
critical.What can and should change is the kind of role that the teacher plays.
The role of students, in turn, also expands. And since ICTs can open up the
classroom to the outside world, the community can also play a new role in
the classroom. As learning shifts from the “teacher-centered model” to a
“learner-centered model”, the teacher becomes less the sole voice of
authority and more the facilitator, mentor and coach—from “sage on stage”
to “guide on the side”.
Barriers
Teacher-level barriers: Teachers’ poor ICT competence, low motivation
and lack of confidence in using new technologies in teaching are significant
determinants of their levels of engagement in ICT. These are directly related
to the quality and quantity of teacher training programmes.
School level barriers: Limited access to ICT, poor quality and inadequate
maintenance of hardware their limited experience.
System-level barriers: In some countries it is the educational system itself
and its rigid assessment structure that impede the integration of ICT into
everyday learning activities.

ICT facilitates:
Independent learning
 I CT allows for greater differentiation (especially in primary schools), with
programmes tailored to individual pupils’ needs .
Pupils state that they do assignments more their own way when using a
computer and their parents consider that they solve assignments more of
their own
Teachers consider that pupils work more in cohesion with their own
learning styles, resulting in a favourable impact on both academically strong
and weak students
Pupils with special needs or behavioural difficulties gain in different ways
from the use of ICT
ICT use at schools can help to minimise the social divide by reducing the
digital divide.
Students assume greater responsibility for their own learning when they
use ICT, working more independently and effectively
ICT offers learners assignments better suited to individual needs and
makes it easier to organize their own learning, through the use of, for
example, digital portfolios.
Teamwork
Collaboration between students is greater when they use ICT for project
work
Impact on teachers and teaching
There is considerable evidence of the impact of ICT on teachers and
teaching.
Increased enthusiasm
Government interventions and training programmes result in positive
attitudes towards ICT in teachers
Issuing teachers with their own laptop computer increases positive
attitudes towards their work

Increased efficiency and collaboration

An overwhelming majority of teachers use ICT to prepare their
lesson .
Teachers use ICT to plan lessons more efficiently and more effectively.
ICT increases efficiency in planning and preparation of work due to a more
collaborative approach between teachers. ICT enables teachers to cooperate
more and share curriculum plans with colleagues and managers
Primary teachers consider ICT to have more impact than secondary
teachers.
Effective exploitation of Information Management systems leads to
increased and formalised cooperative planning between teachers, and this
has a positive impact on teaching practices.
Specific ICT uses
Providing structured approaches to Internet research develop students’
search and
research skills which are transferable across the curriculum (1).
Broadband is a major factor in increasing collaboration between teachers.
Embedded, reliable and high-capacity broadband in the classroom increases
the quality and quantity of educational activities that can be undertaken
Interactive whiteboards make a difference to aspects of classroom
interaction
Government interventions have impacted on ICT on teaching and have led
to a‘routine’ use of embedded ICT
Teachers’ competencies and use of ICT
Teachers’ basic ICT skills have increased dramatically
Teachers use ICT to support existing pedagogies. ICT is used most when
it fits best with traditional practices
National competence development programmes have had limited impact
on teachers’ pedagogical competences. School leaders estimate that the
impact of ICT on teaching methods in their school is low
Teachers teaching science, mathematics and computer science and active
in vocational education are the most intensive users of the computer in class
using it in more than 50% of their lesson
The greatest impact is found in relation to teachers who are experienced
users and who from the start had already come far with the integration of
ICT in their teaching. Teachers who perceive a highly positive impact of
ICT use ICT in the most project-oriented, collaborative and experimental
way. With ICT, the teacher tends to become more of an advisor, critical
dialogue partner and leader for specific subject domains
The impact of ICT is highly dependent on how it is used.
The impact of a specific ICT application or device depends on the capacity
of the teacher to exploit it efficiently for pedagogical purposes. Factors
beyond the teacher’s control influence
ICT can enhance teaching by enhancing what is already practiced or
introducing news and better ways of learning and teaching
Teachers do not yet exploit the creative potential of ICT and engage
students more actively in the production of knowledge. Teachers’ use of ICT
for communication ith and between pupils is still in its infancy. ICT is
underexploited to create learning environment where students are more
actively engaged in the creation of
knowledge rather than just being passive consumers.

Will ICT use be the silver bullet that will rid a developing country of all
of its educational problems?
If there is one truism that has emerged in the relatively brief history of ICT
use in education, it is this: It is not the technology but how you use it
Technology then should not drive education; rather, educational goals and
needs, and careful economics, must drive technology use. Only in this way
can educational institutions in developing countries effectively and equitably
address the key needs of the population, to help the population as a whole
respond to new challenges and opportunities created by an increasingly
global economy. ICTs, therefore, cannot by themselves resolve educational
problems in the developing world, as such problems are rooted in well
entrenched issues of poverty, social inequality, and uneven development