Information and Communication Technology is defined in the document "Interactive Education: An Information and Communication Technologies Strategy for Schools" (Ministry of Education, 1998) as:
"Information Technology (IT) is the term used to describe the items of equipment (hardware) and computer programs (software) that allows us to access, retrieve, store, organise, manipulate and present information by electronic means…". Examples include: scanners, computers, projection equipment (hardware) and database, spreadsheet, and multimedia software programs (software).
"Communication Technology (CT) is the term used to describe telecommunications equipment through which information can be sought and accessed…". Examples include; facsimile (fax) machines, teleconference phones, and modems.
Ways in which ICT can be integrated into learning and teaching.
One key function of ICT in teaching and learning is to enhance the development of student information literacy. An information literate student is able to gather information, process information, publish information and communicate information within a range of contexts across all learning areas. This inquiry process (or information development process or action learning – it has many names) is similar across all learning areas and is the same, no matter what achievement level the student is working at. What changes is the degree of complexity at which students operate at each of its four stages. For example, a student just starting school might be expected to find out about the work people do during social studies, by sending a fax with three questions that they have prepared with support from a teacher’s aide. Meanwhile a student in year eight could be expected to have independently developed a range of questions, and be required to use email, fax and a recorded audioconference to find out the same kind of information from a range of people.
Teachers can assist students to enhance the development of their information literacy by providing opportunities for them to use a range of information and communication technologies during all four stages of the inquiry process. Technologies such as the internet, cdroms, audioconferencing, faxes, library catalogues, videos, etc can be used to gather information. Technologies such as spreadsheets, databases, wordprocessors, video editing, etc can be used to process information. Technologies such as publishing software, drawing programmes, photo editing, etc can be used to publish information. Technologies such as ohps, videos, multimedia presentations, etc can be used to communicate information. Wherever possible the development of skills in the use of ICT should be undertaken within the context of the classroom programme as opposed to developing these as a ‘learning area’ in their own right.
The Information Development Process diagram shows the stages students may go through when using ICT to develop information. Students need to be taught within relevant classroom contexts how to:
- Ask questions to meet their research needs;
- Decide what information is required;
- Select the most appropriate resources and tools;
- Sort, manipulate and interpret the relevant information to meet their learning needs;
- Present and communicate the new information; and
- Reflect on the process and findings for future modification.
A second key function of ICT in teaching and learning is to enhance the development of student problem solving capability. A student who is capable of solving problems can identify potential problems or issues, can conceive of a range of possible solutions, can design the most appropriate solution, and can implement and evaluate its effectiveness. As with the inquiry process, problem solving can be developed across all learning areas, and the core elements of the problem solving process remain the same irrespective of the achievement level at which students are operating. For example, a year two student working on a technological problem might use a draw programme to draw a one dimensional depiction of their solution to a technological problem, while a year seven student might be expected to use a CAD programme to create a three dimensional electronic model of their design. The process remains the same but the complexity of the outcome increases as students move through the achievement levels.
As with the inquiry process, teachers can enhance the capability of students to solve problems by providing opportunities for them to use a range of information and communication technologies during all four stages of the problem solving process. Technologies such as the internet, cdroms, audioconferencing, video, etc can be used to identify problems or issues. Technologies such as databases, mind mapping software, spreadsheets, etc can be used to develop possible solutions to the problems or issues. Depending on the learning area, technologies such as CAD, drawing programmes, publishing software, video recording, etc can be used to design possible solutions. Technologies such as databases, multimedia presentation software, publishing software, etc might be used to implement, evaluate and present a report regarding the effectiveness of a chosen solution. Once again the focus should not be on teaching students to use various information and communication technologies. The teaching focus should be on facilitating students to develop ICT skills whilst they solve authentic problems within the context of learning across the curriculum.
Information and communication technology has a role in the learning and teaching process as a teaching tool. This role is of less significance than the potential of ICT to enhance the inquiry and problem solving processes, and should be transparent to the learner in much the same as the whiteboard or chalk is. Never the less ICT can be a powerful teaching tool. For example, the concept of how data can be represented in different ways can be easily taught by using graphing software. By making a pie graph and a bar graph linked to the same data, a teacher can change the values for different data categories and ask students to predict what will happen to each graph. The outcome is instantaneous and the concept is grasped with comparative ease. Similarly interactive cdroms, such as the PM range of talking books add another dimension to a classroom’s reading programme, while contemporary distance education initiatives would be unfathomable without powerful teaching tools such as audiographics and the Internet. These are only some of the many ways in which ICT can be used as a teaching tool.
ICT can also enhance the administrative functions of learning and teaching, which in turn has a direct impact on pedagogy. One key administrative area in which ICT is becoming more and more important is recording and analysing student achievement. The process from planning classroom programmes, through to implementation, through to assessment, through to planning again can all be managed effectively with ICT. Schools can either create their own databases or use commercial software, which allows teachers to plan their classroom programmes, design their assessment tasks and then record student achievement against their chosen criteria. The identification of next learning steps for individual students or cohorts of students then becomes easier and more efficient, leading to more effective decision making about individual, class and school wide initiatives.
One further key use of ICT at an administrative level is resourcing the learning process. More and more resources are becoming available to teachers through initiatives such as Te Kete Ipurangi. Teachers can utilise the Internet to access resources in support of their classroom programmes, such as graphic organisers available through Curriculum Integration Online, or assessment exemplars from the NZCER assessment resource bank, or English units available through English Online, or problem solving activities from NZ Maths. Teachers into the future will use the Internet for resource based learning in the much the same way as they currently use services such as the National Library interloan programme.
Reference:
http://www.lea.co.nz/ICT/eResources/What_is_ICT.asp
Posted by: Hong Shu Hui
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