Introduction:-
“Learning to learn,” i.e., the acquisition of knowledge and skills that make possible continuous
learning over the lifetime. “The illiterate of the 21st century,” according to futurist Alvin Toffler,
“will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”
The International Labour Organization defines the requirements for education and training in the
new global economy simply as “Basic Education for All”, “Core Work Skills for All” and
“Lifelong Learning for All”.
The term, information and communication technologies (ICT) refers to forms of technologies
that are used to create, store, share or transmit, exchange information. This broad definition of
ICT includes such technologies as: radio, television, video, DVD, telephone (both fixed line and
mobile phones), satellite systems, computer and network hardware and software; as well as the
equipment and services associated with these technologies, such as videoconferencing and
electronic mail. (UNESCO 2002)
Information and communication technologies (ICTs)—which include radio and television, as
well as newer digital technologies such as computers and the Internet—have been touted as
potentially powerful enabling tools for educational change and reform. When used appropriately,
different ICTs are said to help expand access to education, strengthen the relevance of education
to the increasingly digital workplace, and raise educational quality by, among others, helping
make teaching and learning into an engaging, active process connected to real life.
However, the experience of introducing different ICTs in the classroom and other educational
settings all over the world over the past several decades suggests that the full realization of the
potential educational benefits of ICTs is not automatic. The effective integration of ICTs into the
educational system is a complex, multifaceted process that involves not just technology—indeed,
given enough initial capital, getting the technology is the easiest part!—but also curriculum and
pedagogy, institutional readiness, teacher competencies, and long-term financing, among others.
This primer is intended to help policymakers in developing countries define a framework for the
appropriate and effective use of ICTs in their educational systems by first providing a brief
overview of the potential benefits of ICT use in education and the ways by which different ICTs
have been used in education thus far. Second, it addresses the four broad issues in the use of
ICTs in education—effectiveness, cost, equity, and sustainability. The primer concludes with a
discussion of five key challenges that policymakers in developing countries must reckon with
when making decisions about the integration of ICTs in education, namely, educational policy
and planning, infrastructure, capacity building, language and content, and financing.
ICTs help expand access to education
ICTs are a potentially powerful tool for extending educational opportunities, both formal and
non-formal, 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 any time 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.1,2,3
The ICT brings more rich material in the classrooms and libraries for the teachers and students. It
has provided opportunity for the learner to use maximum senses to get the information. It has
broken the monotony and provided variety in the teaching – learning situation. The ICT being
latest, it can be used both at school and higher education levels in the following areas:
Teaching
Diagnostic Testing
Remedial Teaching
Evaluation
Psychological Testing
Development of Virtual Laboratory
Online Tutoring
Development of Reasoning &
Thinking
Instructional Material Development
ICT to improve student learning
ICT should be utilized selectively within the learning context and should focus upon improving
students’ understanding and enthusiasm. The prime goal must reside with effective teaching and
learning with ICT contributing to such a dynamic process. It is important to remember that ICT
is not a tool for learning but a medium for delivering pre-determined content. Lessons must be
avoided where students simply search for and retrieve information with no prior learning
outcomes being set by the teacher.
ICT allows the teacher to reconsider teaching and learning and frees the teaching from the
constraints of the classroom and traditional teaching strategies. ICT is appealing to students and
must surely be the preferred learning mode, given that the computer is often viewed as the
‘child’s machine’. If learning materials are designed around technologies, the student should be
motivated by such opportunities.
The integration of ICT should promote and enhance learning by:
• Accessibility – bringing the world to the classroom.
• Involvement with technologies distinct from conventional methods.
• Accommodating the various paces of learning.
• Encouraging students to access and evaluate information from various sources.
ICT offers a range of tools so that pupils can analyse, evaluate, and compare performance. This
includes:
using performance analysis software and hardware
using ICT to record and analyse performance
using ICT to track participation, involvement and improvement in physical activity
creating multimedia films and productions in conjunction with other curriculum
areas.
Using ICT can help pupils to:
access, select and interpret information
recognise patterns, relationships and behaviours
model, predict and hypothesise
test reliability and accuracy
review and modify their work to improve the quality
communicate with others and present information
evaluate their work
improve efficiency
be creative and take risks
gain confidence and independence.