Articlepedia: Importance of ICT in Teaching Methodology and Student Achievement

What is ICT?

ICT is all around the Globe

ICT (information and communication technologies) is a generic term referring to technologies which are being used for collecting, storing, editing and passing on information in various forms. A personal computer is the best known example of the use of ICT in education, but the term multimedia is also frequently used. Multimedia can be interpreted as a combination of data carriers, for example video, CD-ROM, floppy disc and Internet and software in which the possibility for an interactive approach is offered.

Information and Communication Technologies have recently gained groundswell of interest. Use of ICT in education is basically our society’s efforts to teach its current and emerging citizens valuable knowledge and skills around computing and communications devices, software that operates them, applications that run on them and systems that are built with them. 

ICT in education is the key to unlocking the skills and knowledge of our future generations of young people. It is the tool for learning for the 21st century.

 Importance of ICT in Teaching Methodology

ICT in Education is important! Information and communication technology (ICT) has quickly become one of the basic building blocks of modern society. ICT supports learners but more importantly, it extends the reach of the population in ways we have yet to imagine. It's all about communication, and in the world in which we are growing up, it is vital: whatever we do, we will have to be ICT-literate. ICT connects all areas of the curriculum. The internet can be a powerful resource; if children aren't connected at home school provision becomes even more important. Generally, the following important functions of the use of ICT in education are described in literature.

ICT and Teaching Methodology (1)

By virtue of government Interventions and training seminars organized in this regard, ICT tools stimulate teachers. Indeed, an absolute majority of teachers in Europe (90 %) claim to use ICT to do tasks, such as preparing lessons, sequencing classroom activities, etc. Therefore, teachers plan their lessons more efficiently. ICT also help teachers to work in teams and share ideas related to schools curriculum. Many teachers use ICT to support traditional learning methods, for example, information retrieval in which students are ‘passive learners of knowledge instead of ‘active producers able to take part in the learning process.

In South Asian and African countries, research consensus holds that the most effective uses of ICT are those in which the teacher, aided by ICTs, can challenge pupil’s understanding and thinking, either through whole-class discussions and individual/small group work using ICTs. ICTs are seen as important tools to enable and support the move from traditional 'teacher-centric' teaching styles to more 'learner-centric' methods.

ICTs can be used to support change and to support/extend existing teaching practices. It can range from only small enhancements of teaching practices using what are essentially traditional methods, to more fundamental changes in their approach to teaching. ICTs can be used to reinforce existing academic practices as well as to change the way teachers and students interact.

Using ICTs as tools for information presentation is of mixed effectiveness. The use of ICTs as presentation tools (through overhead and LCD projectors, television, electronic whiteboards, guided "web-tours", where students simultaneously view the same resources on computer screens) is seen to be of mixed effectiveness. While it may promote class understanding of and discussion about difficult concepts (especially through the display of simulations), such uses of ICTs can re-enforce traditional educational practices and divert focus from the content of what is being discussed or displayed to the tool being utilized.

ICT is used as a tool, for example while making assignments, collecting data and documentation, communicating and conducting research. Typically, ICT is used independently from the subject matter. ICT is a tool for teaching and learning itself, the medium through which teachers can teach and learners can learn. It appears in many different forms, such as drill and practice exercises, in simulations and educational networks.

ICT and Teaching Methodology (2)

Impact of ICT on student achievement

The positive impact of ICT use in education has not been proven In general, and despite thousands of impact studies, the impact of ICT use on student achievement remains difficult to measure and open to much reasonable debate. Positive impact more likely when linked to pedagogy, it is believed that specific uses of ICT can have positive effects on student achievement when ICTs are used appropriately to complement a teacher’s existing pedagogical philosophies.

ICT and Student Achievement

ICT allow for a higher quality lessons through collaboration with teachers in planning and preparing resources. Students learn new skills: analytical, including improvements in reading comprehension. ICT also develop some writing skills: spelling, grammar, punctuation, editing and re-drafting. ICT proves that students who used educational technology felt more successful in school they are more motivated to learn more and have increased self-confidence and self-esteem. It is also confirmed that many students found learning in a technology-enhanced setting more stimulating and much better than in a traditional classroom environment.

An ICT-based Classroom

ICT has positive impact on student's performances in primary schools particularly in English language and less in science.  Schools with higher level of e-maturity show a rapid increase in performances in scores compared to those with lower level. In addition, schools with sufficient ICT resources achieved better results than those that are not well-equipped. There is a significant improvement on learners’ performances.  Finally, teachers become more convinced that educational achievements of pupils are due to good ICT use. In fact, high percentage of teachers in Europe (86%) states that pupils are more motivated when computers and Internet are being used in class.

Many pupils consider ICT tools very helpful in that it helps them to do assignments that enable students to cope with special needs or difficulties. It also helps to reduce the social disparities between pupils, since they work in teams in order to achieve a given task. Students also assume responsibilities when they use ICT to organize their work through digital portfolios or projects. “Computer Aided Instruction” has been seen to slightly improve student performance on multiple choice, standardized testing in some areas, which refers generally to student self-study or tutorials on PCs, has been shown to slightly improve student test scores on some reading and math skills, although whether such improvement correlates to real improvement in student learning is debatable.

ICT Result on Student Achievement

Students are more sophisticated in their use of technology than teachers in Asian and African countries. There appears to be a great disconnect between student knowledge and usage of ICTs the knowledge and abilities of teacher to use ICTs. This suggests that teacher inexperience and skill deficiencies may often be an important factor inhibiting the effectiveness of ICT use in education by students. Most students feel that using ICTs make them more effective learners.

Conclusion

We are living in a constantly evolving digital world. ICT has an impact on nearly every aspect of our lives - from working to socializing, learning to playing. The digital age has transformed the way young people communicate, network, seek help, access information and learn. We must recognize that young people are now an online population and access is through a variety of means such as computers, TV and mobile phones. As technology becomes more and more embedded in our culture, we must provide our learners with relevant and contemporary experiences that allow them to successfully engage with technology and prepare them for life after school.