Article on ICT.docx

7/31/2019 Article on ICT.docx

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Will ICTs Replace the Teacher?

Globalization and technological change have created a new global economy powered by

technology, fueled by information and driven by knowledge. The emergence of this new

global economy has serious implications for the nature and purpose of educational

institutions. Schools must promote 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.

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) which include computers and the

Internet have been believed as potentially powerful enabling tools for educational change and

reform.When used appropriately, different ICTs can help expand access to education,

strengthen the relevance of education to the increasingly digital workplace, and raise

educational quality by helping make teaching and learning into an engaging, active process

connected to real life.

a. The Definition of ICTs

ICTs stand for information and communication technologies and are defined, for the

purposes of this primer, as a diverse set of technological tools and resources used to

communicate, and to create, disseminate, store, and manage information. These technologies

include computers, the Internet, broadcasting technologies (radio and television), and

telephony.


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b. How can ICTs help expand access to education?

ICTs are a potentially powerful tool for extending educational opportunities, both formal

and non-formal, for those who 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.

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 anytime 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 personsmentors,

experts, researchers, professionals, business leaders, and peersall over the world.


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c. How can the use of ICTs help improve the quality of education?

ICTs can enhance the quality of education in several ways: by increasing learner

motivation and engagement,by facilitating the acquisition of basic skills, and by enhancing

teacher training. ICTs are also transformational tools which, when used appropriately, can

promote the shift to a learner-centered environment.

1. Motivating to learn. ICTs such as videos, television and multimedia computersoftware that combine text, sound, and colorful, moving images can be used to

provide challenging and authentic content that will engage the student in the learning

process.

2. Facilitating the acquisition of basic skills. The transmission of basic skills andconcepts that are the foundation of higher order thinking skills and creativity can be

facilitated by ICTs through drill and practice.

3. Enhancing teacher training. ICTs have also been used to improve access to and thequality of teacher training. For example, institutions like the Cyber Teacher Training

Center (CTTC) in South Korea are taking advantage of the Internet to provide better

teacher professional development opportunities to inservice teachers.

d. Will ICTs Replace the Teacher?

The answer is a resounding NO! In fact, with the introduction of ICTs in the classroom,

the teachers role in the learning process becomes even more critical.What can and should

change is the kind of role that the teacher plays. The role of students, in turn, also expands.

And since ICTs can open up the classroom to the outside world, the community can also play

a new role in the classroom.

As learning shifts from the teacher-centered model to a learner-centered model, the

teacher becomes less the sole voice of authority and more the facilitator, mentor and coach.


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The teachers primary task becomes to teach the students how to ask questions and pose

problems, formulate hypotheses, locate information and then critically assess the information

found in relation to the problems posed. And since ICT-enhanced learning is a new

experience even for the teachers, the teachers become co-learners and discover new things

along with their students.

Adapted from: ICT in Education by Victoria L. Tinio, ICT for Development, United

Nations Development Programme, Bureau for Development Policy, 304 E. 45th Street New

York,NY 10017

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