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THE ROLE OF ICT IN HIGHER EDUCATION 21ST

CENTURY

V. Komail1, V. Malini

2, V. Nalini

3

1,2,3Department of Computer Applications,

Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan College of Arts and Science for Women, Perambalur (India)

ABSTRACT

This paper attempts to highlight the role of ICT in higher education for the 21st century. Education is becoming

more and more important and this importance will continue to grow and develop in the 21st century.

Information and communication technologies (ICT) have become commonplace entities in all aspects of life.

Across the past twenty years the use of ICT has fundamentally changed the practices and procedures of nearly

all forms of endeavour within business and governance. Education is a very socially oriented activity and

quality education has traditionally been associated with strong teachers having high degrees of personal

contact with learners. The use of ICT in education lends itself to more student-centred learning settings and

often this creates some tensions for some teachers and students. But with the world moving rapidly into digital

media and information, the role of ICT in education is becoming more and more important and this importance

will continue to grow and develop in the 21st century. This paper highlights various impacts of ICT on

contemporary higher education and also discusses potential future developments. The paper argues the role of

ICT in transforming teacher-centred learning to competency based learning. It also explores some challenges in

higher education like cognitive tutors, need for developing a model, collaborative authoring etc. Thus, the paper

suggests that ICT in higher education is not a technique for educational development of the nation.

Keywords: Higher Education, ICT, Society Development.

I. INTRODUCTION

Information and communication technology (ICT) is a force that has changed many aspects of the way we live.

If one was to compare such fields as medicine, tourism, travel, business, law, banking, engineering and

architecture, the impact of ICT across the past two or three decades has been enormous. The way these fields

operate today is vastly different from the ways they operated in the past.

Computers can be used extensively for educational administration. The following are some of the areas where

computers can be used for effective educational administration (Ben-Zion Berta et. al. 1995):

• General Administration

• Pay Roll and Financial Accounting

• Administration of Student Data

• Inventory Management

• Personnel Records Maintenance

• Library System.

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During the past 20 years, the use of ICT has fundamentally changed the working of education. In the current

environment-conscious world, the importance of education and acceptability of ICT as a social necessity has

been increasing. Social acceptability of information and communication tools is necessary to improve the

mobility in the society and increase the pitch for equity and social justice (Shah Md. Safiul Hoque, S. M.

Shafiul Alam).

The Indian higher education system is one of the largest in the world. With only 20 universities and 500

colleges with 0.1 million students at the time of independence, we now have about 611 universities and

university-level institutions and 31,324 colleges as of August 2011.

According to a report from Springboard Research, India’s education sector will increase its IT spending to $704

million in 2012. Despite the significant rise in numbers, when it comes to IT solutions in the education market,

there is significant scope for improvement in India (Milind) Integration of ICT in Indian universities and

colleges would respond to the twenty-first century demands.

It has been suggested that information and communication technologies (ICTs) can and do play a number of

roles in education. These include providing a catalyst for rethinking teaching practice (Flecknoe, 2002;

McCormick & Scrimshaw, 2001); developing the kind of graduates and citizens required in an information

society (Department of Education, 2001); improving educational outcomes (especially pass rates) and enhancing

and improving the quality of teaching and learning (Wagner, 2001; Garrison & Anderson, 2003).

II. WHAT IS ICT?

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are referred to as the varied collection of technological

gear and resources which are made use of to communicate. They are also made use of to generate, distribute,

collect and administer information. ICT is a force that has changed many aspects of the way we live.

Information and Communication Technologies consist of the hardware, software, networks, and media for

collection, storage, processing, transmission and presentation of information (voice, data, text, images), as well

as related services. ICTs can be divided into two components, Information and Communication Infrastructure

(ICI) which refers to physical telecommunications systems and networks (cellular, broadcast, cable, satellite,

postal) and the services that utilize those (Internet, voice, mail, radio, and television), and Information

Technology (IT) that refers to the hardware and software of information collection, storage, processing, and

presentation. When looking at the integration of ICT to support the achievement of educational objectives, it can

be found that after almost a decade of using ICT to stimulate development, it is not yet fully integrated in

development activities and awareness raising is still required. The main objectives of the paper are to evaluate

the importance of ICT in higher education and to analyse the government initiatives for development of ICT in

higher education.

III. USES OF ICT IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Education is important for social and economic development, and higher education is a key area to maintain a

country’s competitiveness in the global economy. As proclaimed in the Communiqué adopted by the

participants of World Conference on higher Education in July 2009.

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The demand for higher education has accelerated worldwide. Between 1999 and 2008, the number of students

enrolled in higher education institutions (HEIs) increased by 65 million, with much of the growth being seen in

East Asia and the Pacific (UNESCO, 2011). In fact, the global demand for higher education is predicted to

expand from less than 100 million students in 2000 to over 250 million in 2025 (UNESCO, 2011a).

The prevalence of information and communication technology (ICT) and the impact it has made in all aspects of

our lives are compelling reasons for hEIs to try to capitalize on 21st century tools and technologies to address

21st century issues and challenges. This has motivated some hEIs in taking the lead to reshape the landscape of

their educational systems as well as teaching and learning practises. Over time, the number of universities

embracing new technologies to conduct the business of education is expected to soar. However, many hEIs may

require guidance and assistance in their change process to minimize their teething problems, reduce costs, utilize

appropriate technology and tools, and engage staff with proper knowledge and skills.

Higher education and ICT providers, the objective of the study was to increase understanding of how ICT can be

used to:

design and develop curricular contents;

Deliver higher education programmes and courses.

Enhance the learning process; and• increase the efficiency of the administration and management of

educational systems.

3.1 Current Higher Education Partner

The California state university.

Oklahoma state university.

Portland state university.

University of Louisville.

University of Memphis.

IV. BENEFITS OF ICT IN EDUCATION

1. Student -Increased access, Flexibility of content delivery, Combination of work and education, Learner-

centred approach, higher quality of education and new ways of interaction.

2. Employer- High quality, cost effective professional development in work place, upgrading of employee

skills, increased productivity, developing of a new learning culture, sharing of costs and training time with the

employees, increased portability of training

3. Government- Increase the capacity and cost effectiveness of education and training systems, To reach

target groups with limited access to conventional education and training, To support and enhance the quality and

relevance of existing, educational structures, To ensure the connection of educational institutions and curricula

to the emerging networks and information resources, To promote innovation and opportunities for lifelong

learning.

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V. ICT IN RESEARCH

Applications of ICTs are particularly powerful and uncontroversial in higher education's research function.

Four areas are particularly important:

The steady increases in bandwidth and computing power available have made it possible to conduct

complex calculations on large data sets.

Communication links make it possible for research teams to be spread across the world instead of

concentrated in a single institution.

The combination of communications and digital libraries is equalizing access to academic resources, greatly

enriching research possibilities for smaller institutions and those outside the big cities.

Taking full advantage of these trends to create new dynamics in research requires national policies for ICTs

in higher education and the establishment of joint information systems linking all higher education

institutions.

The application of ICTs in academic research has grown steadily in the past 10 to 15 years in both developing

and developed countries, although there are wide variations in usage both within and between countries and

regions.

The most straightforward use of ICTs in research is in data processing. The unprecedented growth in bandwidth

and computing power provide opportunities for analysing/processing huge amounts of data and performing

complex computations on them in a manner that is extremely fast, accurate and reliable. Computer data

processing not only frees researchers from the cumbersome task of manually analysing data but more

importantly facilitates quick and accurate analysis of huge amounts of data from national samples or even multi-

national samples covering tens of thousands of respondents.

VI. ICT IN TEACHING

Academics have taken to the use of computer in teaching much more readily than they adopted earlier audio-

visual media. This is because the strength of computers is their power to manipulate words and symbols - which

is at the heart of the academic endeavour. There is a trend to introduce eLearning or online learning both in

courses taught on campus and in distance learning. Distance education and eLearning are not necessarily the

same thing and can have very different cost structures. Whether eLearning improves quality or reduce cost

depends on the particular circumstances. ICTs in general and eLearning in particular have reduced the barriers

to entry to the higher education business. Countries and those aspiring to create new HEIs can learn from the

failures of a number of virtual universities. They reveal that ICTs should be introduced in a systematic manner

that brings clarity to the business model through cost-benefit analyses.

ICT according to a number of commentators, enhance teaching, learning, and research, both from the

constructivist and instructive theories of learning. Behind this increasing faith in the role of technology in higher

education however, lies implied acceptance of technology by various commentators, either as neutral and

autonomous, neutral and human controlled, autonomous and value laden, or human controlled and value laden.

In many countries, demand for higher education far outstrips supply and Governments and institutions are

turning more and more to the use of ICTs to bridge the access gap. It is too early to say whether the role of ICTs

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in the teaching function of higher education is truly transformative, or whether it is simply a repackaging of

previous pedagogy.

VII. ICT AND TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY SKILLS

Information & Communication Technologies (ICTs) comprise many technologies for capturing, interpreting,

storing and transmitting information

7.1 Learning and Innovation Skills

Students need to be prepared for increasingly Complex life and work environments in the 21st century.

Creativity and Innovation

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

Communication and Collaboration

7.2 Life and Career Skills

Flexibility and Adaptability

Initiative and Self-Direction

Social and Cross-Cultural Skills

Productivity and Accountability

Leadership and Responsibility

7.3 Information, Media & Technology Skills

To be effective in the 21st century, citizens must be able to exhibit functional & critical thinking skills:

Information Literacy

Media Literacy

ICT Literacy

VIII. PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS OF ICT IN HIGHER EDUCATION

8.1 Problems

a) Implementation of ICT in educational institutions is one of the big challenge due to high cost incurred for

acquiring, instilling and replace of latest software and addition to that various opportunity cost to

institutions for infrastructure development. This is not possible to tire 3 or self-financing institutions until

unless they have financial aid from government and sponsors etc.

b) Speed of change reduces the comprehensive planning and researches the effects of new technologies in the

education and society. And it is one the drawback for the successful implementation of the ICT in education

in the initial periods because the stakeholders are not trained to accept the change.

c) Establishment of ICT infrastructure is not sufficient to achieve the goals of successful integration of ICT in

educational institutions. However the development of e-content , its dissemination, selection and

evaluation requires large scale networking among the users and producers and intellectual property rights

among the stake holders is the major concern for the holistic integration ICT in education.

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d) Besides the lack infrastructure to accommodate the technology, problems in electricity, network

availability, lack of awareness towards technology and utilization technology with improper knowledge

were adding complexities for the successful implementation of ICT in educational institutions.

e) Despite of increase access the availability of advance technology and various opportunities to educational

institutions to move forward in a competitive environment but many institutions are still in a nascent stage

in the integration of ict in education because many institutions are still accustomed with traditional learning

practices and lack of motivation and knowledge among teachers to adopt ICT in teaching tool are the other

challenging factor for the potential benefit of the ICT in higher education.

8.2 Prospects

a) The increasing use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has brought changes to teaching

and learning at all levels of higher education systems (HES) leading to quality enhancements.

b) ICT change the concept of learning within the four walls as the introduction of technology learning breaks

the boundaries of universities and colleges and offers the learners can learn irrespective of place and time.

The individuals can accesses the data whenever they want and from where ever they may be learning

occurs.

c) The change in professional practice in which teachers are now enabled to design to incorporate the more

complex real world projects by using ICT tools and resources and develops new educational approaches .

d) It provides a new concept of learning environment in the institutions and enhances the quality of education

to produce a quality products.

e) During the last decade, higher education has gained importance in India’s changing policy landscape as the

government realizes that India’s strength lies in education. The gap between demand and supply of higher

education has necessitated the governments and institutions to formulate the policies for the better use of

ICT. And, in order to bridge the gap, it is necessary to evolve the cooperation between the public and

private sectors for the successful implementation of ICT in higher education (R. Nayak Indian Express,

2011).

IX. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

This paper has sought to explore the role of ICT in education as we progress into the 21st century. In particular

the paper has argued that ICTs have impacted on educational practice in education to date in quite small ways

but that the impact will grow considerably in years to come and that ICT will become a strong agent for change

among many educational practices. Extrapolating current activities and practices, the continued use and

development of ICTs within education will have a strong impact on:

• What is learned?

• How it is learned;

• When and where learning takes place;

• Who is learning and who is teaching.

The upshot of all this activity is that we should see marked improvements in many areas of educational

endeavour. Learning should become more relevant to stakeholders’ needs, learning outcomes should become

more deliberate and targeted, and learning opportunities should diversity in what is learned and who is learning.

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At the same time, quality of programs as measured by fitness for purpose should continue of grow as

stakeholder groups find the offerings matched to their needs and expectations.

To ensure that the opportunities and advantages are realized, it will be important as it is in every other walk of

life to ensure that the educational research and development dollar is sustained so that education at large can

learn from within and that experiences and activities in different institutions and sectors can inform and guide

others without the continual need for re-invention of the wheel. Once again ICTs serve to provide the means for

much of this activity to realize the potential it holds.

REFERENCE

[1] ICT for higher education case studies from Asia and the Pacific.” Gwang-Jo Kim”-use of higher

education.

[2] http://www.ets.org/ictliteracy- “r.katz”current higher education partner.

[3] Sukanta Sarkar**Lecturer of Economics, Faculty of Management Studies, ICFAI University Tripura,

Agartala , The Science Probe, Vol. 1 No. 1 (May 2012) Page No- 30-41.

[4] Shaheed a Jaffer, Dick Ng’ambi and Laura Czerniewicz University of Cape Town, South Africa,

International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology

(IJEDICT), 2007, Vol. 3, Issue 4, pp. 131-142.

[5] ICT as a Change Agent for Higher Education and Society. Annapurna PylaPh.D. Research Scholar

Gitam Institute of Management Gitam University Visakhapatnam, International Conferenece on

EGovernance & Cloud Computing Sevices (EGov ’12). Proceedings published by International Journal

of Computer Applications® (IJCA).

[6] National Seminar on Governance of Higher Education. “Prof. Vasudha Kamat .” Vice Chancellor SNDT

Women’s University.

[7] Information and Communication Technology in Higher Education in India: Challenges and Opportunities

“Uttam Kr Pegu ” International Journal of Information and Computation Technology . ISSN 0974-2239

Volume 4, Number 5 (2014), pp. 513-518 © International Research Publications House http://www.

irphouse.com /ijict.htm