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.