USE OF ICT IN TEACHING AND LEARNING

 

 What is ICTs  and what types of ICTs are commonly used in 
education. 

  ICTs stand for information and communication technologies and are defined, for the 

purposes of this primer, 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 settings. 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 access. 

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. 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, evaluation 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 mainly using a browser 

(such as Chrome or Firefox or Internet Explorer). 

ICT for lifelong learning 

Role of ICT in learning 

We are living in a constantly evolving digital world. ICT has an impact on nearly every aspect of 

our lives - from working to socialising, learning to playing. The digital age has transformed the way 

young people communicate, network, seek help, access information and learn. We must recognise 

that young people are now an online population and access is through a variety of means such as 

computers, TV and mobile phones.  

As technology becomes more and more embedded in our culture, we must provide our learners with 

relevant and contemporary experiences that allow them to successfully engage with technology and 

prepare them for life after school. 

It is widely recognised that learners are motivated and purposefully engaged in the learning process 

when concepts and skills are underpinned with technology and sound pedagogy. Learning and 

Teaching Scotland aims to provide resources for practitioners, parents and pupils to engage with 

these technologies in order to inform and enhance the learning experience. 

 Impact of ICT on student achievement 

 

1. The positive impact of ICT use in education has not been proven.

2. Positive impact more likely when linked to pedagogy.

3. ‘Computer Aided Instruction’ has been seen to slightly improve student performance 

on multiple choice, standardized testing in some areas.

4. Need for clear goals.

5. There is an important tension between traditional versus 'new' pedagogies and 

standardized testing.

6. Mismatch between methods used to measure effects and type of learning promoted.

7. ICTs are used differently in different school subjects.

8. Access outside of school affects impact.

9. Users believe that ICTs make a positive difference.

Impact of ICT on student motivation  

1. ICTs motivate teachers and students.

2. Access outside of school affects user confidence.

3. Where to place computers has an impact. 

4. Models for successfully integrating ICT use in school and after school hours are still 

emerging. 

5. The appropriate ages for introducing computers to students are hotly debated.

6. ICTs can promote learner autonomy.  

7. Gender affects impact.

8. The ‘pilot effect’ can be an important driver for positive impact.

Ict for lifelong learning (promote lifelong learning by ict ) 

 ICTs are a potentially powerful tool for extending educational opportunities, both formal and non

formal, to previously underserved constituencies—scattered and rural populations, groups 

traditionally excluded from education due to cultural or social reasons such as ethnic minorities, 

girls and women, persons with disabilities, and the elderly, as well as all others who for reasons of 

cost or because of time constraints are unable to enroll on campus. 

•  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 (e.g., educational 

programming broadcast over radio or television) 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 (i.e., synchronous learning). 

•  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 (and available in limited 

quantities) 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. 

•  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, thereby helping to enhance learners’ teaming and communicative skills as 

well as their global awareness. It models learning done throughout the learner’s lifetime by 

expanding the learning space to include not just peers but also mentors and experts from 

different fields. 

•  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. 

Advantages of ICT tools for education 

 1‧ Through ICT, images can easily be used in teaching and improving the retentive memory of students.

 2‧ Through ICT, teachers can easily explain complex instructions and ensure students' comprehension.

 3‧ Through ICT, teachers are able to create interactive classes and make the lessons more enjoyable, which could improve student attendance and concentration. 

 Furthermore, when ICT is successfully integrated into teaching and learning, it can ensure a 
more meaningful interaction of learners with information. ICT can promote the development 
of advanced cognitive skills such as comprehension, reasoning, problem-solving and creative 
thinking, as well as the ability of learners to: 

• identify and solve problems and make decisions using critical and creative thinking strategies; 

• work effectively with others as members of a team, group, organisation and community; 

• organise and manage themselves and their activities responsibly and effectively; 

• collect, analyse, organise and critically evaluate information; 

• communicate effectively using visual, symbolic and/or language skills in various modes; 

• use science and technology effectively and critically, showing responsibility towards the 

environment and the health of others; and 

• demonstrate an understanding of the world as a set of related systems by recognising that 

problems cannot be separated from their contexts. 

Teacher ICT has knowledge, skills, values and attitudes.