Careers In ICT

Over the last thirty years ICT has changed the world of work beyond recognition. Some industries have practically ceased to exist, some have had to change and adapt to take on board new technology and some brand new industries have developed. 

These are few reasons to choose ICT field

• Good job opportunities

• Demand across the world

• Higher economic benefits

• Different career development paths

• Traveling opportunities to other countries

ICT Career in Education Industry :Previously Education Industry was fairly low technology places. Everything was paper based and equipment was mainly the blackboard, chalk and a rather battered set of old textbooks. But with computers and electronic equipment appearing over the last thirty years or so, schools have become major users of ICT.  This has happened in all aspects of school life including Administration, Classroom teaching, Networking, e-Learning, Examinations, Distance learning and collaboration

Information and Communications Technologies include some of the fastest growing jobs and careers in the U.S. and in the world, although ICT is not a term used frequently in the U.S. to categorize or quantify industries or jobs. ICT careers include job titles like:

Computer Programmers Computer Scientists Computer/Information Systems Analysts Data Communications Analysts Database Programmers and Analysts Desktop/Application Support Specialists Digital Home Technology Integration Techs Help Desk Technicians Mobile Application Developers Network and System Security Specialists Network Managers and Administrators Sales Engineers Software Engineers Technical Sales Specialists Technical Trainers Technical Writers Telecom Managers Telecommunications Line Installers Website Developers Wireless Network Technicians

Approaches to integrating ICT in teaching.

The Initial Approaches to integrate the ICT in teachings:

The Initial Approaches to integrate the ICT in teachings are Porting the classroom to the Internet – making notes available for download via the Internet,  “putting their lectures” on the Web by just transferring their existing materials to the Internet. Although this first stage adoption can be seen as a first step in the right direction but if technology is used unreflectively as a delivery tool to transport the classroom to theInternet, outmoded approaches to learning (teacher-centred information transfer, instruction paradigm, transmission model) are enforced. As a consequence, the real transformative opportunities offered by technology will not be utilised and lecturers will not become “reflective practitioners”.

Three phases in the successful integration of ICTs

To determine the current status of the transformation of the learning process as a result of the integration of ICTs, it is useful to distinguish between three phases in the successful integration of ICTs into teaching and learning:

1. The establishment of institution-wide technological infrastructure and the bottom-up institution-wide adoption of ICTs in teaching and learning activities (mostly experimentation, often without real reflection on the impact of ICTs on student learning).

2. The pedagogical use of the infrastructure and the effective integration of ICTs into teaching and learning activities to improve learning (reflection on the entire teaching and learning process with an emphasis on student learning).

3. The strategic use of ICT with a view to the different target groups of higher education. The goal in this stage is to integrate the different elements of the technological enterprise into a “seamless educational enterprise”

                                   Use of ICT within teacher-training programs around the world is being approached in a number of ways with varying degrees of success. These approaches were subsequently described, refined and merged into four primary approaches as follows.

1. ICT skills development approach: 

Here importance is given to providing training in use of ICT in general. Student-teachers are expected to be skilled users of ICT in their day-to-day activities. Knowledge about various software, hardware and their use in educational process is provided. about various software, hardware and their use in educational process is provided.

2. ICT pedagogy approach: 

This approach emphasizes on integrating ICT skills in respective subjects, drawing on the principle of constructivism, pre-service teachers design lessons and activities that centre on the use of ICT tools that will foster the attainment of learning outcomes. This approach is useful to the extent that the skills enhance ICT literacy skills and the pedagogy allows student to further develop and maintain these skills in the context of designing classroom-based resources. Students who have undergone this type of training have reported significant changes in their understandings associated with effective implementation strategies, as well as their self-efficacy as to their ICT competencies.

3. Subject- specified approach: 

Here ICT is embedded into one’s own subject area. By this method teachers not only expose students to new and innovative ways of learning, but also provide them with a practical understanding of what learning and teaching with ICT looks and feels like. In this way, ICT is not an ‘add on’, but an integral tool that is accessed by teachers and students across a wide range of the curricula.

4. Practice-driven approach: 

Here the emphasis is on providing exposure to use of ICT in practical aspects of teacher-training also. Emphasizing on developing lessons, assignments etc. using ICT and implementing these in their practical work experience at various levels, the students are provided with an opportunity to assess the facilities available at workplace and effectively use their own skills to manipulate these facilities. Based on the concept that the pre-service teacher is a learner, manager, designer and researcher, he is expected to research their practicum school’s ICT facilities, design ICT activities with their tutor-teacher, manage those activities in the classroom, and evaluate their effectiveness in terms of student learning  Ideally, an integrated approach is to be followed for developing ICT skills in teaching. Whatever may be the approach followed in the institutions to develop knowledge about ICT, it has its own limitations and coupled with other reasons, they are not making student-teachers fully confident of using ICT in their day-to-day classrooms and other situations. In the opinion of authors, all the four approaches are required to develop awareness of expert level skills in student-teachers.

Role of ICT in lifelong learning

Lifelong Learning(LLL)

 lifelong learning includes all forms of learning which are formal, non-formal and informal learning. includes Learning situation where courses and examinations are conducted falls in formal learning category, non-formal learning includes learning without examinations while informal learning is kind of learning without either courses or examinations. According to European Commission All learning activity undertaken throughout life, with the aim of improving knowledge, skills and competences within a personal, civic, social and/or employment-related perspective are called lifelong learning(LLL).

Role of ICT in lifelong learning

Technology can make lifelong learning a reality. All-encompassing learning environment requested by the knowledge society cannot become true without ICT.  The European Commission has already identified “digital competence” as a “key competence” that individuals need to acquire for personal development, active citizenship, social inclusion and employment. ICT-enabled lifelong learning thus embraces two perspectives: ICT for learning and learning to use ICT.

Ambient technologies and ubiquitous computing appear to be the “natural” technological components of ICT for lifelong learning because they have certain benefits like user-centeredness (hence supporting learner centric approaches and links between learners), interactivity (anytime, anywhere) and userfriendliness (anyhow). These raise technological issues such as how to realise these benefits for broadband learning, mobile learning and multimodal learning.   There is no single concept of learning through the use of ICT. Many different types can be envisaged: computer-assisted learning, web-learning, computer-classes, online training, distance education, eLearning, virtual learning, digital training, etc. 

Thinking about the future of learning in the knowledge-based society needs to be holistic as learning will become a lifelong activity that cuts across different learning generations and life spheres such as private, public and work. The focus should therefore be not only on traditional formal learning institutions such as schools and universities; and existing training organisations and training practices for both the unemployed and employed, but it should also embrace other forms of adult education, informal learning and also learning to use ICT.

It is important to acknowledge this and to confirm that it is not only about “ICT literacy”, i.e. learning to operate the technology, but also about higher-order skills such as knowing and understanding what it means to live in digitalized and networked society. This applies not only to learners but also to teachers and training staff. Innovation, competitiveness and inclusion become main foci of ICT for learning in general and of ICT for lifelong learning in particular.

 This requires going beyond the classical views on eLearning (i.e. learning at a distance using the Internet, mainly to fulfil curricula requirements) to encompass ICT for lifelong learning functions that enable lifelong processes, including keeping up the momentum of motivation to learn at any age. The motivational role that ICT could play is seen as particularly important in a “learning anywhere, any time” context.

Applications of ICT in Life-Long Learning

Due to the shift towards knowledge-intensive economies, creative industries and ICT a new set of learning paradigms have evolved around the concept of incidental learning:

1. Embedded, problem-based and learning by doing, the main contribution of which is the acknowledgement that learning in isolation makes application in real life situations unnecessarily problematic (Kommers et al., 2004).
2. Distributed cognition is the notion that human expertise manifests between- rather than in persons. Many jobs demand team work and rely on several disciplines to merge before optimal solutions can be reached.
3. Collaborative- and constructivist learning methods have complemented the instructional repertoire. It implies a sharper focus on learning competences rather than ‘following’ predefined curricula. The core idea in constructivist learning is that understanding and application of skills and complex conceptual domains need a highly active and individualized process or mastery. Subsequently the role of the instructor differentiates in subject matter expert, diagnostic coach and facilitator. Cognitive learning tools are indispensible in this regard
4. Blended learning, based on the fact that both face-to-face and remote presence is needed in order to offer flexibility to the learner and its coach. Instead of uniform assessments the situation of blended learning will be evaluated with a learner’s unique portfolio that demonstrates all competencies required in order to function adequately in a certain professional layer.

Meaning of ICT and Different Types of ICT/ Media Technologies

ICT Print Stands for "Information and Communication Technologies." ICT is often used as an extended synonym for information technology (IT) but It focuses primarily unified communications(UC) with communications Technologies.

UC is set of products that provides a consistent unified user-interface and user-experience across multiple devices and media-types. UC is the integration of real-time communication services such as instant messaging (chat), presence information, telephony (including IP telephony), video conferencing, data sharing (including web connected electronic whiteboards interactive whiteboards), call control and speech recognition with non-real-time communication services such as unified messaging (integrated voicemail, e-mail, SMS and fax).

ICT covers any product that enable unified communications with the help of communication technologies such as Internet, wireless networks, cell phones, and other communication mediums. that will store, retrieve, manipulate, transmit or receive information electronically in a digital form. For example, personal computers, digital television, email, robots.

The term Infocommunications is sometimes used interchangeably with ICT. In fact Infocommunications is the expansion of telecommunications with information processing and content handling functions on a common digital technology base.

In business, ICT is often categorised into two broad types of product: -

(1) The traditional computer-based technologies (using computers at home or at work); and

(2) The more recent, and fast-growing range of digital communication technologies (which allow people and organizations to communicate and share information digitally)

In the past few decades, information and communication technologies have provided society with a vast array of new communication capabilities such as instant messaging, voice over IP (VoIP), and video-conferencing. Social networking etc. Modern information and communication technologies have created a "global village," in which people can communicate with others across the world as if they were living next door. For this reason, ICT is often studied in the context of how modern communication technologies affect society.

Different Types of ICT/ Media Technologies

ICT/ Media Technologies can be classified in terms of the technologies that are the delivery systems or in terms of their content.

 Delivery systems: Based upon their characteristics, media technologies can be grouped into two categories, namely, synchronous and asynchronous (See Table 13.1). Synchronous media require all participants to be together at the same time even though in different locations. Asynchronous ICTs allow for participants in the learning process to be at “different times” and “different places”

Synchronous Media	Asynchronous Media
Audio-graphics Audio conferencing, as in a telephone conference Broadcast radio and television Teleconferencing Computer conferencing such as chat and Internet telephony	Audio and video tapes and CDs  E mail   Computer file transfers Virtual conferences Multimedia products, off line Web based learning formats

 Types of Media /ICT Content: Just as we can divide ICT technologies into two types, educational content is also categorized into two different types of educational content - general awareness and instructional content.

Educational	Instructional
Broad audiences awareness orientation Nature of learning is broad Multidimensional, even incidental process, and summative methods	Clearly defined target E n r i c h m e n t Clear Objectives  Target related format and treatment  Evaluation critical, through formative

Information and communication technologies in education refers to teaching and learning the subject matter that enables understanding the functions and effective use of information and communication technologies (ICTs). As of 2004, a review and contexualization of the literature on teaching ICT as a subject implied that there was limited, systematically-derived, quality information

http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/usingglowandict/roleofictinlearning.asp

http://www.mpict.org/ict_education_defined_importance.html

http://www.unescobkk.org/education/ict/online-resources/portal-for-teachers/i-the-role-of-ict-in-education/

The Role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in Education

 The main purpose of the Strategy for Information and Communication Technology Implementation in Education is to provide the prospects and trends of integrating information and communication technology (ICT) into the general educational activities. The role of ICT in education is to empower the technology into present educational activities. ICT allows open source learning rather than manual source, hence encouraging students to learn new ideas. ICT also brings about active learning, collaborative, creative, integrative and evaluative aspects to the education sector. The following points implicates the role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in Education

1. Enabled Personalized Learning: Learning is not a one size fits all. Technology can offer a personalized learning environment that is tailored to students’ individual differences: progression level, pace, interests, learning style, and background. Technology provides the support and challenge required to keep students engaged and motivated and empowers them to reach their potential
2. Sound Educational Investment: ICT Increases Productivity and Promotes Conducive Teaching and Learning Environments. Given scarce budget dollars of most schools, districts, and ministries of education, ICT is one of the key investments that should be made that benefits teachers and students. 
3. Increased Global Collaboration: ICT tools allow students to connect and communicate with classrooms all over the world, resulting in increased global awareness and a sense of cultural identity means ICT can be a way to Promote Global Citizenship.
4. Measurable Teacher Outcomes: ICT has brought about many dramatic changes in how teachers teach and how students learn. Educators use ICT to design and assess learning activities, to communicate with students, parents, and community members, as well as to participate in professional development experiences. 
5. Bridging the Gender Gap:  ICT can be used as a Tool to Improve the Gender Balance. ICT has minimized gender differences in academic achievement. Lower achieving boys have improved performance and higher test scores with ICT. Other studies recognize that ICT helps improve the performance and attitudes of female students in traditionally male-dominated fields. 
6. Enriched STEM Learning : The products and services of the future will depend on engineers, scientists, and technology experts to create them. ICT assists students in collaborating with peers and experts, designing products, collecting and analyzing performance data, and, in many cases, actually helping them build products.
7. Increased Global Competition:  Investing in technology helps schools perform better. The increasingly important role ICT plays in economic development and the rapid rate at which it changes makes it difficult for schools and countries which do not invest in technology to complete globally.
8. Supporting Economic Development: Research suggests that implementation of ICT in the classroom, along with the transformation to learner-centered instruction, supports economic and social benefits throughout a country.
9. Greater Community Involvement : Technology can help support parent and community member involvement in student learning by using methods such as school websites, email, blogs, text-messaging, etc. to help keep interested parties aware and engaged in their local education system.
10. Improved Academic Reporting : Effective ICT integration provides educational institutions with a variety of tools that community members and educators can use to analyze data such as demographics, achievement, and budgets. This feedback and analysis loop helps keeps schools accountable to their community. 
11. Fostering Workforce Development:  In both developed and developing countries, non-skilled jobs are disappearing. The rapid changes brought about by technology demand that workers learn not only how to use specific tools, but also how to implement strategies for lifelong learning in the workplace. 
12. Enhanced Teamwork & Cooperation: ICT tools foster an anytime, anywhere environment of increased student cooperation and teamwork. Similarly, technology implementation leads to increased collaboration and teamwork among teachers who are planning ICT integration in their curriculum.

Source:  http://www.intel.ie/content/www/ie/en/education/education-ict-benefits-infographic.html