ICT (education)
Encyclopedia
Information and communication technologies in education deal with the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) within educational technology
.
The purpose of ICT in education is generally to familiarise students with the use and workings of computer
s, and related social and ethical issues
.
ICT has also enabled learning through multiple intelligence as ICT has introduced learning through simulation games; this enables active learning through all senses.
, ICT is a course which students can select for their second year of upper secondary school
. From pre-school to Year 10, ICT is interwoven throughout the curriculum as part of the Essential Learning of Communication.
, also have integrated ICT
in their curriculum. As early as pre-elementary education in some schools, pupils are having their computer subjects. Other non-computer degree courses in tertiary also incorporated Computer Technology as part of their curriculum.
, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is a subject in education, and a part of the National Curriculum. Most students can choose to study Information and Communication Technology to GCSE level.
The ICT programme in the United Kingdom is co-ordinated by Becta
. A major initiative was the Curriculum Online
scheme, which was closed in 2008 and which was produced to accelerate the uptake of technology amongst schools. Becta took over the running of this scheme from the Department for Education and Skills in 2005. Becta worked closely with the Joint Information Systems Committee
to develop strategy.
Students are taught to use software such as office suite
s, desktop publishers
; they are also taught about ICT theory, and how ICT can be used to solve problems. Computer programming
is not taught at GCSE level.
Students also study the Data Protection Act, the Computer Misuse Act, and other legal and ethical issues related to ICT.
Many schools have specialist school
status in technology
and, more recently, in maths and computing
, and these schools champion the use of ICT to enhance teaching and learning.
Within Scotland and the North East of England a pilot enterprise in education initiative aims to use ICT as a vehicle to encourage creative thinking within the youth demographic. Tapping into the 'unconstrained' minds of the region's young people, the programme simulates the process of taking a new innovative ICT idea through the commercialisation process. The competition is sponsored by Microsoft
and BT
and hopes to expand its reach throughout the UK in 2009/10.
Educational technology
Educational technology is the study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving performance by creating, using and managing appropriate technological processes and resources." The term educational technology is often associated with, and encompasses, instructional theory and...
.
Purpose
The main purpose of ICT in education means implementing of ICT equipment and tools in teaching and learning process as a media and methodology.The purpose of ICT in education is generally to familiarise students with the use and workings of computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
s, and related social and ethical issues
Computer ethics
Computer Ethics is a branch of practical philosophy which deals with how computing professionals should make decisions regarding professional and social conduct....
.
ICT has also enabled learning through multiple intelligence as ICT has introduced learning through simulation games; this enables active learning through all senses.
Categories
ICT in education can be broadly categorized in the following ways as- ICT as a subject (i.e., computer studies)
- ICT as a tool to support traditional subjects (i.e., computer-based learning, presentation, research)
- ICT as an administrative tool (i.e., education management information systems/EMIS)
Australia
In all of Australia, ICT is not a subject until the final two years of schooling, despite similar subjects being available before VCE or equivalent. In Victoria, children start ICT in Prep but are not reported upon until they are in Year 1. They undertake a wide range of activities using technology to learn in all curriculum areas.Kenya
In Kenya, ICT is not taught as a subject in primary school. It is taught as an added advantage to some schools. In high school, the ICT is an optional subject. In the university level students are offered several options to choose from. One may either take Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, Bachelor of Business Information Technology or Bachelor of Science in Computing Technology. All these courses are inter-related in terms of course work but differ in the majors that a student wants to take or Master.Norway
In NorwayNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, ICT is a course which students can select for their second year of upper secondary school
Education in Norway
Education in Norway is mandatory for all children aged 6–16. The school year in Norway runs from mid August to late June the following year. The Christmas holiday from mid December to early January historically divides the Norwegian school year into two terms...
. From pre-school to Year 10, ICT is interwoven throughout the curriculum as part of the Essential Learning of Communication.
Philippines
Other countries, such as the PhilippinesPhilippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, also have integrated ICT
Information and communication technologies
Information and communications technology or information and communication technology, usually abbreviated as ICT, is often used as an extended synonym for information technology , but is usually a more general term that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of...
in their curriculum. As early as pre-elementary education in some schools, pupils are having their computer subjects. Other non-computer degree courses in tertiary also incorporated Computer Technology as part of their curriculum.
United Kingdom
In the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is a subject in education, and a part of the National Curriculum. Most students can choose to study Information and Communication Technology to GCSE level.
The ICT programme in the United Kingdom is co-ordinated by Becta
Becta
Becta was a non-departmental public body ] funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, in the UK It was a charity and a company limited by guarantee. In the post-election spending review in May 2010, it was announced that Becta was to be abolished...
. A major initiative was the Curriculum Online
Curriculum Online
Curriculum Online was part of the UK government's drive to get more ICT and multimedia resources in classrooms across the country. This was done primarily through the eLearning Credits scheme, which was operated by Curriculum Online. The project was closed down in the autumn of 2008, when the ELC...
scheme, which was closed in 2008 and which was produced to accelerate the uptake of technology amongst schools. Becta took over the running of this scheme from the Department for Education and Skills in 2005. Becta worked closely with the Joint Information Systems Committee
Joint Information Systems Committee
JISC is a United Kingdom non-departmental public body whose role is to support post-16 and higher education and research by providing leadership in the use of ICT in learning, teaching, research and administration...
to develop strategy.
Students are taught to use software such as office suite
Office suite
In computing, an office suite, sometimes called an office software suite or productivity suite is a collection of programs intended to be used by knowledge workers...
s, desktop publishers
Desktop publishing
Desktop publishing is the creation of documents using page layout software on a personal computer.The term has been used for publishing at all levels, from small-circulation documents such as local newsletters to books, magazines and newspapers...
; they are also taught about ICT theory, and how ICT can be used to solve problems. Computer programming
Computer programming
Computer programming is the process of designing, writing, testing, debugging, and maintaining the source code of computer programs. This source code is written in one or more programming languages. The purpose of programming is to create a program that performs specific operations or exhibits a...
is not taught at GCSE level.
Students also study the Data Protection Act, the Computer Misuse Act, and other legal and ethical issues related to ICT.
Many schools have specialist school
Specialist school
The specialist schools programme was a UK government initiative which encouraged secondary schools in England to specialise in certain areas of the curriculum to boost achievement. The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust was responsible for the delivery of the programme...
status in technology
Technology College
Technology College is a term used in the United Kingdom for a secondary specialist school that focuses on design and technology, mathematics and science. These were the first type of specialist schools, beginning in 1994. In 2008 there were 598 Technology Colleges in England, of which 12 also...
and, more recently, in maths and computing
Mathematics and Computing College
Mathematics and Computing Colleges were introduced in England in 2002 as part of the Government's Specialist Schools Programme which was designed to raise standards in secondary education. Specialist schools focus specifically on their chosen specialism but must also meet the requirements of the...
, and these schools champion the use of ICT to enhance teaching and learning.
Within Scotland and the North East of England a pilot enterprise in education initiative aims to use ICT as a vehicle to encourage creative thinking within the youth demographic. Tapping into the 'unconstrained' minds of the region's young people, the programme simulates the process of taking a new innovative ICT idea through the commercialisation process. The competition is sponsored by Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
and BT
BT Group
BT Group plc is a global telecommunications services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is one of the largest telecommunications services companies in the world and has operations in more than 170 countries. Through its BT Global Services division it is a major supplier of...
and hopes to expand its reach throughout the UK in 2009/10.
Further reading
- Buckleitner, W. (2008), "So young, and so gadgeted".
- Children Now. (2007). The effects of interactive media on preschooler’s learning: A review of the research and recommendations for the future.
- Harlen, W. & James, M. (1996). Creating a positive impact of assessment in learning. Paper presented American Educational Research Association, New York, April 1996, ED 397 137.
- Hawisher, G. & Selfe, C. (1999). Conclusion: Hybrid and transgressive literacy practices on the web. In Hawisher & Selfe (Eds.), Global literacies and the World Wide Web (pp. 279–291). New York: Routledge.
- Hsi, S. (2006). Digital learning and play: A synthesis and elaboration from a CILS Bay Area Institute Roundtable. San Francisco: The Center for Informal Learning and Schools.
- International Society for Technology in Education. (2007). The ISTE national educational technology standards (NET-S) and performance indicators for students. Eugene, OR: ISTE.
- Jenkins, H. (2006). Confronting the challenges of participatory culture: Media education for the 21st century.
- The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. (2005). Digital media and learning fact sheet.
- Mizuko I., Horst, H., Bittanti, M., Boyd, D., Herr-Stephenson, B., Lange, et al. (2008). Living and learning with new media: Summary of findings from the Digital Youth Project.
- The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Reports on Digital Media and Learning.
- National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education (NAECS/SDE). (2002). Early learning standards: Creating the conditions for success. Washington, D.C.: Authors.
- National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2008). Technology and young children – ages 3 through 8.
- National Institute for Early Education Research. (2009). Are new media a boon to young children’s education?
- Rideout, V., Vanderwater, E. & Wartella, E. (2003). Zero to six: Electronic media in the lives of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Menlo Park, CA: The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.
- Rogow, F. (adapted from). Choosing media for children checklist. San Francisco: Kids Watch Monthly.
- Scarr, S., & K. McCartney. (1983). How people make their own environments: A theory of genotype—environment effects. Child Development, 54(2), p. 425–35. Seasame Workshop. (2007).
- Shore, R. (2007). The power of Pow! Wham!: Children, digital media & our nation’s future. New York: The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop.
- Speer, N., Reynolds, J., Swallow K. & Zacks, J. (2009). Reading stories activates neural representations of visual and motor experiences.
- Swisher K. & Mossberg, W. (2009). All things digital. The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company, 6/2/09.
- Taffel, R. (2009). Childhood unbound: Saving our kids’ best selves – confident parenting in a world of change. New York: Free Press. US Census Bureau. (2008). US Census Bureau releases TV stats.
- Zacks, J. (2009). Reading creates simulations in minds. Science out of the Box [radio broadcast]. Washington DC: National Public Radio.
External links
- UNESCObkk.org, ICT in Education website of UNESCOUNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
Bangkok - Youth-Challenge.co.uk, ICT Youth Challenge UK Schools program
- EduTechBlog.com, daily blog on ICT in Education
- European Schoolnet: ICT innovations for teaching