ICT
(Information and Communication Technologies) in Education
Ø Information and communication technologies
(ICT) include computers, the Internet, broadcasting technologies (radio and
television) and telephony. While the rise of computers and the Internet has
provoked great interest in the ways in which they can be applied in education
to improve its efficiency and effectiveness at all levels.
Ø As a
result of the increasing application of ICTs in education, a number of new
learning approaches have emerged. E-learning encompasses learning at all
levels, formal as well as non-formal, using information networks such as the
Internet, an intranet (LAN) or extranet (WAN) for course delivery, interaction
and facilitation. Blended learning refers to learning models that combine
traditional classroom practice with e-leaning solutions.
Ø Schools use a diverse set of ICT tools to communicate,
create, disseminate, store, and manage information. ICT has also become
integral to the teaching-learning interaction, through such approaches as
replacing chalkboards with interactive digital whiteboards, using students’ own
smartphones or other devices for learning during class time, and the “flipped
classroom” model where students watch lectures at home on the computer and use
classroom time for more interactive exercises.
Ø When teachers are digitally literate and trained to use ICT,
these approaches can lead to higher order thinking skills, provide creative and
individualized options for students to express their understandings, and leave
students better prepared to deal with ongoing technological change in society
and the workplace.
