Information & communication technology

1. Information Communication Technology
- Omkar Rane
Std:10 div: B
Roll no: 21

3. Index
 Introduction.
 ICT tools and communication technology.
 Ict integrated curriculum.
 Impact on learning process.
 Integrative impact on student and teachers .
 Enhancement in communication skills .
 Ict enabled asynchronous teaching.
 Ict enabled teacher’s self improvement.
 Changing role of teachers to mentors.
 Impact on new education system .
 ICT’s impact on research and Development .
 ICT’s impact on school management .

4. INTRODUCTION
ICT (information and communication technologies) in education lives a life at the crossroads between evidence-
based policymaking, learning and the fast-changing world of technology. Key stakeholders (politicians, parents,
teachers, school leaders) demand evidence of the impact of ICT derived from research, monitoring and
evaluation. The challenge for policymakers is (in collaboration with the research community and the educational
com- munity) to develop a sustainable knowledge base for ICT in education, in which key indicators and other
sources of information are identified, which enables better insight into the use and effects of ICT for learning. I
have chosen to discuss the issue of developing benchmarks for ICT in education, because benchmarks are
embedded in the evolving knowledge base in this field.
This article is structured in four parts. In the first part, I describe the policy backdrop, within which the issue of
developing a sustainable knowledge base should be discussed. The second part focuses on the issue of what
we have learnt from R & D with regard to the effects of ICT in education. In the third part, I describe the concept
of the multi-channel and multi-method knowledge base, before I finish with some remarks on the issue of a
systemic approach to benchmarks and other critical components of a knowledge base for ICT in education.
This article is written from the point of view of a policymaker.

5. Technology changes rapidly – and so do the specific tools available for education. As new technologies are
introduced, it is critical that their cost and impact in various educational situations is thoroughly examined.
While evidence shows that it is the actual application of the ICT tool that is the most important determinant of
its effectiveness for educational purposes, the choice of tools is quite large, and each tool has its own
advantages and disadvantages. Policymakers and donor groups are often bombarded with information and
studies from vendors on the suitability of their particular products or services. As a result, there is a great
need for independent research on the appropriateness of specific ICT tools to help meet educational goals.
Radio and TV have been providing educational programming in some countries for many years. Many
related new technologies, including satellite broadcasting and multi-channel learning, have the potential to
greatly increase access to education. Today, the Internet is not widely available in most developing
countries, but new Internet technologies and mobile Internet centers hold promise for “connecting”
teachers, learners, and communities.

6. Ict integrated curriculum.
Accessing information is the main use of ICTs in education. While ICTs, and the Internet in particular, provide access to
a world of educational resources, those resources are rarely in a format that makes them easily accessible and relevan
to most teachers and learners in developing countries. Simply importing educational content through ICTs is fraught
with difficulties, as well as questions of relevance to local needs. Experience shows that unless electronic educational
resources are directly related to the curriculum, and to the assessment methods used to evaluate educational
outcomes (especially standardized testing), ICT interventions may not have positive educational impacts.

7. IMPACT ON LEARNING PROCESS.
It is generally believed that ICTs can empower teachers and learners, making significant contributions to learning and
achievement. However, current research on the impacts of ICTs on student achievement yields few conclusive statements,
pro or con, about the use of ICTs in education. Studies have shown that even in the most advanced schools in industrialized
countries, ICTs are generally not considered central to the teaching and learning process. Moreover, there appears to be a
mismatch between methods used to measure effects and the type of learning promoted. Standardized testing, for
example, tends to measure the results of traditional teaching practices, rather than new knowledge and skills related to
the use of ICTs. It is clear that more research needs to be conducted to understand the complex links between ICTs,
learning, and achievement.

8. ENHANCEMENT IN COMMUNICATION
SKILLS .
Impact on communication with others :
between schools and with the
wider community Almost all schools are networked internally and linked to the internet, increasingly by
broadband. Much of the literature is concerned with how schools were using these. Improved communication
within schools has led to centralised attendance, assessment and recording systems, while links with the
external world can support communication with parents and others within the local community as well as
contact with schools and agencies in other countries.
Communication at school and home:
Improving communication with parents is considered to be important in reducing the home–school divide in
that parental attitudes to schools and their support for the work of the school are viewed as critical factors in
ensuring that pupils gain as much as they can from the
learning opportunities provided. While much is written about the potential for using ICT to bridge the gap
between in-and out-of-school learning and to gain parental support, improved home–school links are as yet
unrealised in many
instances. This is an aspect that has developed relatively slowly, although there is evidence of the benefits
to be gained if it can be realised, and studies are under way of alternative technologies, such as using PDAs
to compensate for lack of access to a computer out of school. Other obstacles identified include limitations
on the networks and connectivity as well as a lack of interoperability across systems.

9. Ict enabled asynchronous teaching.
Same time, Same place – This is a traditional face-to-face approach where the instructor and learners
are in the same geographical location at the same time. However, today some people might consider
using synchronous technology tools such as blog , or Skype to interact with others at
the same time in the same virtual space. This virtual space replicates many aspects of face-to-face
spaces with all participants having access to the same resources, files and synchronous discussion at the
same time.
Different time, Same place – Participants in the learning and teaching process interact in the same
space but at a time they choose; for example, in asynchronous online discussions.
Same time, Different place – This could be viewed as individual students working independently but at
the same time, not located at the same place. Or today, it might be considered to be parallel to Same
time, Same place where students from geographical different places connect synchronously using
different mediums, such as video conferencing, phone ,computer with web camera or Skype.
Different time, Different place – Learners and instructors are separated geographically and also by
time. Email is an example of this, where the participants choose the time and place of the
asynchronous interaction.

10. Interactive impact on student and teachers .
Students’ mathematics learning is influenced by school factors (i.e., teachers’ knowledge of content, pedagogy,
students, and curriculum) and non-school factors (parental involvement, expectations, and teaching techniques). This
study looks holistically at the way these factors impact the learning of mathematics of first-grade Romanian students,
examining the interactions between teachers, students, and their parents, as well as the interactions between parents
and their children. Findings reveal that successful mathematics learning occurs when teachers and parents meet
frequently to discuss the mathematics teaching and learning that takes place at school and at home. The positive
impact of the interactive whiteboard does not end at the student level. Teachers found that instruction delivered
using the interactive whiteboard was interesting, relevant, appealing and involving (Students were focused on the
lesson 84% of the time, contributed to classroom discussions 78% of the time, and enjoyed learning (by self report)
100% of the time when the SMART Board was used causing less time spent on classroom management. Interactive
whiteboards have shown a positive impact on the facilitation of classroom discussion in a whole group setting
.Students with special educational needs were shown to have a marked impact in the engagement of their attention
and behaviour improvement when interactive whiteboards were in use in the classroom .All research studies
investigated found that interactive whiteboards had a positive impact on teaching and learning, though the degree to
which this impact occurred has varied. No studies were discovered in which the interactive whiteboard negatively
affected instruction. Some evidence suggests that teachers may be hesitant in changing pedagogy or embracing
technology with the introduction of the interactive whiteboard (Glover, 2002), which is why CCS recommends a
comprehensive professional development plan with the implementation of IWB technology.

11. ICT ENABLED TEACHER’S SELF
IMPROVEMENT.
The use of ICTs in the classroom or in distance education does not diminish the role of the teacher; neither does it
automatically change teaching practices. Experience has shown that a variety of support and enabling mechanisms must
be implemented to optimize teacher use of ICTs. While traditional teacher leadership skills and practices are still
important, teachers must also have access to relevant, timely, and on-going professional development. They must have
the time and resources to explore this new knowledge base and develop new skills.
Support of school administrators and, in some cases, the community, is critical if ICTs are to be used effectively. In
addition, teachers must have adequate access to functioning computers (or other technologies) and sufficient technical
support. Shifting pedagogies, redesigning curriculum and assessment tools, and providing more autonomy to local schools
all contribute to the optimal use of ICTs in education.

12. Changing role of teachers to mentors.
Monitoring and evaluation
Many of the issues and challenges associated with ICTs in education initiatives are known by
policymakers, donor staff, and educators. However, data on the nature and complexity of these
issues remains limited because of the lack of good monitoring and evaluation tools and processes.
Where evaluation data is available much of the work is seen to suffer from important biases.
Another problem in this area is the lack of a common set of indicators for ICTs in education. And,
where data has been collected, it is often quantitative data related to infrastructure (number of
computers, for example) rather than data that can help policymakers gauge the impact of ICT
interventions on student learning.
If ICTs are to become effective and integral tools in education, and if accountability is to be
demonstrated to donors and stakeholders, monitoring and evaluation must be a priority area of
focus.
Hence we can see the role of teachers changing from teachers to mentors.

13. Impact on new education system .
It is generally believed that ICTs can empower teachers and learners, making significant contributions to learning
and achievement. However, current research on the impacts of ICTs on student achievement yields few conclusive
statements, pro or con, about the use of ICTs in education. Studies have shown that even in the most advanced
schools in industrialized countries, ICTs are generally not considered central to the teaching and learning process.
Moreover, there appears to be a mismatch between methods used to measure effects and the type of learning
promoted. Standardized testing, for example, tends to measure the results of traditional teaching practices,
rather than new knowledge and skills related to the use of ICTs. It is clear that more research needs to be
conducted to understand the complex links between ICTs, learning, and achievement.

14. ICT’S IMPACT ON RESEARCH ANDICT’S IMPACT ON RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT .DEVELOPMENT .
We have been through a period in which politicians and policymakers have focused on the need for establishing credible
proof for the return on investments in ICT. This has resulted in a search for causal relationships between ICT and
educational quality, i.e. learning outcomes. As the OECD (2008) has pointed out, this has been difficult to achieve
because of the lack of large-scale, longitudinal studies and a lack of methodologies that can capture the complexity of
ICT and other elements influencing educational quality.
One of the most significant studies to date is the Impact report from 2002 (Harrison et al., 2002). The study shows that
ICT leads to statistically significant improvements in some subjects, whereas there are no significant improvements in
other studies. OECD, through its work on the PISA studies, has been able to demonstrate interesting correlations
between home access and use of ICT on the one hand and PISA score on the other hand. The relation between ICT use
at school and PISA score is fare more complex. So far, these correlations have not been explained. The study ‘E-
learning Nordic’ (Ramboll Management, 2006), which looks at the perceived impact of ICT, shows that all stakeholders
(stu- dents, parents, teachers, principals) believe that ICT can have a positive impact on teaching and learning.
The studies and reports mentioned above represent a plethora of studies. The European Schoolnet shows in its
metastudy on impact studies (EUN, 2006) that there are a number of stud- ies, also related to patterns of use across the
technological spectrum. Impact studies cover a wide spectrum between the search for causal relation- ships between
ICT and educational attainment on the one hand and stud- ies looking at the perceived impact of ICT on the other hand.
The focus of some studies has been on causality and on quantitative issues regarding ICT use. It is time to review
critically whether we have been asking the right research questions. In its fi rst report on ICT and PISA score (OECD,
2004), the OECD states:
‘It is the quality of ICT usage, rather than necessarily the quantity, that will deter- mine the contribution that these
technolo- gies make to students’ outcome.’
Instead of looking for causality, we need to ask how we can improve and optimise the use of ICT in teaching and
learning, and in doing so we also need to listen to the voices of the learners and the practitioners.

15. COST-EFFECTIVENESS
Little is known about the true costs of ICTs in education. There have been few rigorous costs studies, particularly
in developing countries. Given current budgetary and resource constraints, a widespread investment in ICTs in
education is probably not possible in most developing countries. It is, therefore, critically important to better
understand the costs and benefits associated with ICT types and uses in various educational situations in order to
effectively target scarce resources. There is some evidence, for instance, that computers may be most cost-effective
when placed in common areas such as libraries and teacher-training institutes. One of the most cost-effective uses
of ICTs in education may be their role in improving organizational and systemic efficiencies, including combating
corruption.
Distance education is often cited as a cost-saving investment. Indeed, economics of scale are achievable in distance
education, although such programs typically require large up-front investments. Some of these costs may be shifted
from the public sector to the individual users, but this in itself raises significant equity and access issues. Again, a
thorough examination of the true costs and benefits of distance education is required.
Financing mechanisms for ICTs in education initiatives are quite varied. Due to the high up-front costs and large
recurrent costs, countries and communities typically employ a great variety of financing and cost recovery
mechanisms. Public-private partnerships and user fees are important components of financing ICTs in education in
many countries, although more research is needed to determine the impact and effectiveness of these mechanisms.

16. Intranets are being used by schools, primary and secondary, to support a range of administrative activities including
attendance monitoring, assessment records, reporting to parents, financial management and the sharing of information
amongst staff. In addition, some are used as repositories for learning resources. Increasingly, albeit slowly, schools are
extending their use of ICT through the introduction of learning platforms in order to meet various learning and teaching
and communication objectives. Better management systems usually mean more data-gathering procedures. There is
evidence that schools are becoming better at identifying the data to be gathered and in using it strategically, for self-
evaluation and monitoring purposes. Most schools are linked to the wider community and beyond through the internet,
providing a rich source of resources for teachers and learning opportunities for pupils. Schools are developing links with
schools in other countries through videoconferencing, and with other services and agencies such as libraries and the
careers services. However, as ICT becomes an everyday experience for pupils in classrooms, schools also have to consider
how they ensure that all pupils have similar learning opportunities and the ‘digital divide’ does not develop into a system-
wide disadvantage for those who have limited or no access to ICT out of the school. Pupils, teachers and parents seem to
benefit from good home–school links using ICT and the newer, cheaper, mobile technologies might go some way to
providing a solution.