Examples of ICT-based activities

What kind of classroom activities are suited to the use of ICT? The following is a brief guide to some of the most common uses of ICT in teaching and learning.

Finding out

Students can use ICT to find out information and to gain new knowledge in several ways. They may find information on the Internet or by using an ICT-based encyclopedia such as Microsoft Encarta. They may find information by extracting it from a document prepared by the teacher and made available to them via ICT, such as document created using Microsoft Word or a Microsoft PowerPoint slideshow. They may find out information by communicating with people elsewhere using email, such as students in a different school or even in a different country.

Processing knowledge

Students can use ICT as part of a creative process where they have to consider more carefully the information which they have about a given subject. They may need to carry out calculations (eg. by using Microsoft Excel), or to check grammar and spelling in a piece of writing (perhaps using Microsoft Word), or they may need to re-sequence a series of events (for example by re-ordering a series of Microsoft PowerPoint slides).

Sharing knowledge

Students can use ICT to present their work in a highly professional format. They can create documents and slideshows to demonstrate what they have learned, and then share this with other students, with their teacher, and even via email with people all around the world.

Computers and the Internet use 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.

Learn about computers and the Internet

Learning about computers and the Internet focuses on developing technological literacy. It typically includes:

•        Fundamentals: basic terms, concepts and operations

•        Use of the keyboard and mouse

•        Use of productivity tools such as word processing, spreadsheets, data base and graphics programs

•        Use of research and collaboration tools such as search engines and email

•        Basic skills in using programming and authoring applications such as Logo or HyperStudio

•        Developing an awareness of the social impact of technological change.

 

Learning with computers and the Internet

Learning with the technology means focusing on how the technology can be the means to learning ends across the curriculum. It includes:

•Presentation, demonstration, and the manipulation of data using productivity tools

•Use of curriculum-specific applications types such as educational games, drill and practice, simulations, tutorials, virtual laboratories, visualizations and graphical representations of abstract concepts, musical composition, and expert systems

•Use of information and resources on CD-ROM or online such as encyclopedia, interactive mapsand atlases, electronic journals and other references.

Technological literacy is required for learning with technologies to be possible, implying a two-step process in which students learn about the technologies before they can actually use them to learn.

 

Learning through computers and the Internet mean

Learning through computers and the Internet combines learning about them with learning with them. It involves learning the technological skills “just-in-time” or when the learner needs to learn them as he or she engages in a curriculum-related activity.

Computers and the Internet used in distance education

Many higher educational institutions offering distance education courses have started to leverage the Internet to improve their programme’s reach and quality.

ICT - Raising Standards and improving the quality of education

ICT and Raising Standards

Recent research also points to ICT as a significant contributory factor in the raising of standards of achievement in schools.

• Schools judged by the school inspectors to have very good ICT resources achieved better results than schools with poor ICT.
• Schools that made good use of ICT within a subject tended to have better achievement in that subject than other schools.
• Socio-economic circumstances and prior performance of pupils were not found to be critical.
• Secondary schools with very good ICT resources achieved, on average, better results in English, Mathematics and Science than those with poor ICT resources.

A range of research indicates the potential of ICT to support improvements in aspects of literacy, numeracy and science.

• Improved writing skills: grammar, presentation, spelling, word recognition and volume of work .
• Age-gains in mental calculations and enhanced number skills, for example the use of decimals .
• Better data handling skills and increased ability to read, interpret and sketch graphs Improvements in conceptual understanding of Mathematics (particularly problem solving) and Science (particularly through use of simulations)

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 to listen and become involved in the lessons being delivered. More so than any other type of ICT, networked computers with Internet connectivity can increase learner motivation as it combines the media richness and interactivity of other ICTs with the opportunity to connect with real people and to participate in real world events.

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. Most of the early uses of computers were for computer-based learning (also called computer-assisted instruction) that focused on mastery of skills and content through repetition and reinforcement.

Enhancing teacher training.

 ICTs have also been used to improve access to and the quality of teacher training. For example, At Indira Gandhi National Open University, satellite-based one-way video- and two-way audio-conferencing was held in 1996, supplemented by print-materials and recorded video, to train 910 primaryschool teachers and facilitators from 20 district training institutes in Karnataka State. The teachers interacted with remote lecturers by telephone and fax

Benefits of ICT in Education - General benefits, Benefits for teachers, students and parents

Benefits which ICT brings to education according to recent research findings

General benefits

·         Greater efficiency throughout the school.

·         Communication channels are increased through email, discussion groups and chat rooms

·         Regular use of ICT across different curriculum subjects can have a beneficial motivational influence on students’ learning.

Benefits for teachers

·         ICT facilitates sharing of resources, expertise and advice

·         Greater flexibility in when and where tasks are carried out

·         Gains in ICT literacy skills, confidence and enthusiasm.

·         Easier planning and preparation of lessons and designing materials

·         Access to up-to-date pupil and school data, any time and anywhere.

·         Enhancement of professional image projected to colleagues.

·         Students are generally more ‘on task’ and express more positive feelings when they use computers than when they are given other tasks to do.

·         Computer use during lessons motivated students to continue using learning outside school hours.

Benefits for students

·         Higher quality lessons through greater collaboration between teachers in planning and preparing resources .

·         More focused teaching, tailored to students’ strengths and weaknesses, through better analysis of attainment data

·         Improved pastoral care and behaviour management through better tracking of students

·         Gains in understanding and analytical skills, including improvements in reading

·         Comprehension.

·         Development of writing skills (including spelling, grammar, punctuation, editing and re-drafting), also fluency, originality and elaboration.

·         Encouragement of independent and active learning, and self-responsibility for learning.

·         Flexibility of ‘anytime, anywhere’ access (Jacobsen and Kremer, 2000)

·         Development of higher level learning styles.

·         Students who used educational technology in school felt more successful in school, were more motivated to learn and have increased self-confidence and self-esteem

·         Students found learning in a technology-enhanced setting more stimulating and student-centred than in a traditional classroom

·         Broadband technology supports the reliable and uninterrupted downloading of web-hosted educational multimedia resources

·         Opportunities to address their work to an external audience

·         Opportunities to collaborate on assignments with people outside or inside school

Benefits for parents

·         Easier communication with teachers

·         Higher quality student reports – more legible, more detailed, better presented

·         Greater access to more accurate attendance and attainment information

·         Increased involvement in education for parents and, in some cases, improved self-esteem

·         Increased knowledge of children’s learning and capabilities, owing to increase in learning activity being situated in the home

·         Parents are more likely to be engaged in the school community

·         You will see that ICT can have a positive impact across a very wide range of aspects of school life.

Role of ICT in Professional development

Meaning of  Professional development

Professional development refers to skills and knowledge attained for both personal development and career advancement. Professional development encompasses all types of facilitated learning opportunities, ranging from college degrees to formal coursework, conferences and informal learning opportunities situated in practice. 

Approaches to professional development and Role of ICT

There are a variety of approaches to professional development, including consultation, coaching, and communities of practice, lesson study, mentoring, reflective supervision and technical assistance.

• Case Study Method - The case method is a teaching approach that consists in presenting the students with a case, putting them in the role of a decision maker facing a problem Here engagement process is implemented through viewing texts and simple graphics, and audio visual means and research process can be accomplished by searching and accessing the materials.
• Consultation - to assist an individual or group of individuals to clarify and address immediate concerns by following a systematic problem-solving process. Networked computing facilities create a distributed environment where learners can share work spaces, communicate with each other
• Coaching - to enhance a person’s competencies in a specific skill area by providing a process of observation, reflection, and action. ICT coaches play Role in the development of knowledge through networking, both virtually and face-to-face in your workplace and at less cost.
• Communities of Practice - to improve professional practice by engaging in shared inquiry and learning with people who have a common goal. Networked computing facilities create a distributed environment where learners can share work spaces, communicate with each other
• Lesson Study - to solve practical dilemmas related to intervention or instruction through participation with other professionals in systematically examining practice through LiveJournals,
  Web Group, Media-sharing services, Blogs, wikis,etc
• Mentoring - to promote an individual’s awareness and refinement of his or her own professional development by providing and recommending structured opportunities for reflection and observation.
• Reflective Supervision - to support, develop, and ultimately evaluate the performance of employees through a process of inquiry that encourages their understanding and articulation of the rationale for their own practices.
• Technical Assistance - to assist individuals and their organization to improve by offering resources and information, supporting networking and change efforts.

Key Principles for Teachers professional development programmes

 The following are key principles to be followed in the professional development programmes for teachers:

• Educational goals should be primary. The focus should not be on providing technical ICT skills only, but on the use of ICT to achieve learning outcomes.
•  Teacher development programmes should provide teachers with situated/contextualised learning experiences. Programmes should be subject-specific and relevant to the learning areas.
•  Teacher development programmes should be needs driven. Programmes should respond to the requirements of subjects such as Computer Application Technology, Information Technology, Geography, Design and Accounting.
•  Ongoing support should be consistently available. This includes pedagogic support (particularly from subject advisers), technical support and creating communities of practice.
•  Teacher development should be ongoing, due to the changing nature of ICT. Programmes should reflect new technologies and applications.

Disadvantages of ICT

One of the major barriers for the cause of ICT not reaching its full potential in the foundation stage is teacher’s attitude. According to Hara (2004), within the early years education attitudes towards ICT can vary considerably. Some see it as a potential tool to aid learning whereas others seem to disagree with the use of technology in early year settings. Blatchford and Whitebread (2003:16), suggests that the use of ICT in the foundation stage is “unhealthy and hinders learning”. Other early years educators who are opposed to offering ICT experiences within the educational settings take a less extreme view than this and suggest that ICT is fine, but there are other more vital experiences that young children will benefit from, (Blatchford and Whitebread, 2003). In theory some people may have the opinion that the teachers who had not experienced ICT throughout their learning tend to have a negative attitude towards it, as they may lack the training in that area of the curriculum.

               Another important drawback to using ICT in schools is the fact that computers are expensive. According to the IT learning exchange (2001), in most schools ICT will be the single largest curriculum budget cost. This may be seen as a good thing but on the other hand there will be little money left over for other significant costs.

The Effectiveness of ICTs in Education

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

·         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.

ICT for administration: record keeping,reporting & transfer of information, attendence,

1. ICT for Administration:

A Student Administration

• Usage of electronic media by students to apply for admissions
• Usage of computers for student registration / enrolment
• Availability of timetable / class schedule in electronic form
• Usage of computers for maintenance of attendance of students
• Communication of academic details of students to their parents / guardians through e-media
• Usage of e-media for notifications regarding hostel accommodation
• Usage of e-media for notifications regarding transportation

B Staff Administration 

• Usage of computers for recruitment and work allotment of staff in the institution
• Automation of attendance and leave management of staff members in the institution
• Usage of electronic media for performance appraisal
• Communication with staff using e-media
• e-circulars from the institution regarding official matters
• e-kiosks are available in the institution

C General Administration Usage of e-media for scheduling / allocation of halls for examinations

• Dissemination of information in the institution through e-kiosks
• Usage of e-media by students to apply for university examinations
• Usage of e-media for the processing and display of results of students
• Facility for students to make fee payments electronically

ICT in Record Keeping: 

The most important advantage of using the computer is the speed with which we can get Accounting done.The traditional books are being replaced by computers. Accounting staff are required to be computer literate and spend more time in front of a computer screen than writing on papers and in books. This is because information and communications technology brings lots of benefits to accounting, among which are:

A. STOCK CONTROL : 

Computerized stock control systems run on similar principles to manual ones, but they are more flexible and information is easier to retrieve. You can quickly get a stock valuation or find out how well a particular item of stock is moving.

B. High Speed of processing information with Accuracy 

Apart from being accurate, computers have the ability to process huge volumes of data very rapidly. Reports such as account balances, control accounts, trial balance, income statement and balance sheet can be obtained at few clicks. Also, reports can be processed in different formats to suit the needs of the users.

C. Ability to process high volumes of information

Computers have the ability to do the jobs that would require several workers had a manual system been used. Examples include preparation of control accounts, financial statements and preparing payroll. It only requires the right software to be used.

D. Performing reconciliations

Accounting software allows reconciliations to be performed automatically and rapidly. These include reconciling cash book balance with balance on bank statement and reconciling control account balances with balances from sales ledger and purchases ledger.

E. Ease and capacity of information storage

ICT Enables overwhelming volumes of information storage and Analysis Capacity. It also enable quick retrieval of information for administrative puposes such as Personal information, Results, salary of staffs and Teachers professional Information 

F. Security of Information

Information on computers are considered to be safe. This is because access to information can be restricted by using passwords. Also, in some accounting software which allows multi-users, it is easy to trace which user has performed what transaction. Besides, information can be safeguarded by making backups (keeping same information on different disks).

Transfer of information:

• Reduce the administrative burden on teachers by using transferable data
• Enable communication within school and beyond, one to one, one to many, or many to many • increase communication with parents.
• The modernization of libraries and information centers enabled information transfer and access, there by establishes a network of libraries and information centers
• Easy transfers of Time table, attendance, Results information exchange with students and staffs
• E-materials, digital documents lectures and be shared with the help of internet.

ICT Role in Collecting, Processing and Transferring attendance

• May be collected automatically when each student uses a Student ID swipe card to record attendance or sometimes a fingerprint recognition system is used.
• Attendance may be recorded on a paper form filled out by the teacher who then feeds it into an OMR (Optical Mark Reader) to upload daily attendance records into the system
• Systems may send an automated email or SMS message to parent if the student is absent
• Calculates average attendance of c lasses within the school over time
• Records can be used to identify if a particular student has poor attendance and to track their attendance in the future
•  It can also be used to populate the annual school reports that are sent home to parents.

ICT Role in  Reporting: