INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION

TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION
TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION

Dr. G. R. Angadi

A.P.H. PUBLISHING CORPORATION

4435–36/7, ANSARI ROAD, DARYA GANJ,
NEW DELHI-110002
Published by
S.B. Nangia
A.P.H. Publishing Corporation
4435–36/7, Ansari Road, Darya Ganj,
New Delhi-110002
Phone: 011–23274050
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FOREWORD

For India to emerge as a knowledge super power of the world in the shortest
possible time it is imperative to convert our demographic advantage into knowledge
powerhouse by nurturing and honing our working population into knowledge or
2015 knowledge enabled working population (NMEICT). Three decades after the first
mainstream rollout of computers in schools (CLASS Project-1984) we have learned
many significant lessons about ICT in Education and their potential transforming
impact on national education systems. Yet, countries around the world face urgent
challenges in this respect due to the rapid development of technologies, the required
financial investments and the need to have a clear vision of the role that teachers
have to play in harnessing the power of ICT in the classroom and beyond.
© Editor
One key lesson is to acknowledge the many facets that ICT in Education
policies have to tackle such as teacher competencies, learning materials, ICT
equipment, student and teacher motivation, as well as the linkages to other areas
of national policy and socio-economic development. Adopting a cross-sectored
approach through an ICT in Education can help countries to successfully address
all relevant dimensions.
Educational systems around the world are under increasing pressure to use
Typeset by the new information and communication technologies (ICTs) to teach students
Ideal Publishing Solutions the knowledge and skills they need in the 21st century. With the emerging new
C-90, J.D. Cambridge School, technologies, the teaching profession is evolving from an emphasis on teacher-
West Vinod Nagar, Delhi-110092 centered, lecture-based instruction to student-centered, interactive learning
environments. Designing and implementing successful ICT-enabled teacher
education programmes is the key to fundamental, wide-ranging educational reforms.
Teacher education institutions may either assume a leadership role in the
transformation of education or be left behind in the swirl of rapid technological
change. For education to reap the full benefits of ICTs in learning, it is essential that
pre- and in-service teachers are able to effectively use these new tools for learning.
Teacher education institutions and programmes must provide the leadership for
pre- and in-service teachers and model the new pedagogies and tools for learning.
Printed at
In this context, the BLDEA’s JSS College of Education, Vijayapur has planned
BALAJI OFFSET and organized the National Conference on ICTE-2015 with five sub-themes, which
Navin Shahdara, Delhi-110032

v
vi  Foreword
♦
addresses the theory, research and applications as well as innovative practices for
improving the quality of education through the diversification of contents and
methods and promoting experimentation, innovation, the diffusion and sharing of UGC SPONSORED
information and best practices as well as policy dialogue are strategic objectives
in education. NATIONAL CONFERENCE
Some theoretical and practical answers to the increasing challenges posed
by the new technologies to the teaching profession are offered in the present
edited publication, entitled Information and Communication Technology in ON
Education-2015. The resources were contributed by a national group of Teacher-
educators, teachers and experts with extensive experience in the integration of
ICTs into teacher preparation. The edited book provides resources to help teacher
educators, administrators and policy-makers better apply ICTs to teacher education Information and Communication Technology
programmes. in Education-2015
As a result of deliberations during the conference, several Action Points have (ICTE-2015)
emerged. I assure you all that necessary actions will be taken on the recommendations
of the Conference within the shortest possible time in RCUB Jurisdiction.
I wish all the participants to adopt more and more innovative methodology in
their approach to technology assessment, refinement and demonstration. I appreciate
24th & 25th July 2015
the effective sponsorship of UGC and Alumni Association of JSS College of
Education, Principal, Dr. V. D. Aiholli, my student Dr. G. R. Angadi Org. Secretary
ICTE-2015 and Editor of this book and their team for successfully organizing
the Conference and bringing out the edited book, and all the participants for their ORGANISED BY
valuable contribution to this book, which we hope it, will generate great interest
in teachers and teacher-educators.
On behalf of School of Education, RCUB I would like to thank the BLDEA’s BLDEA’s JSS College of Education,
management support for effectively organizing the ICTE-2015 National conference. PG and Research Centre in Education, Vijayapur (Bijapur)-586101 Karnataka

Prof. H. M. Shailaja
Director, with Support from
School of Education
Vidyasangama Alumni Association
Rani Channamma University, Belagavi BLDEA’s JSS College of Education, Vijayapur.
Belagavi-591156 Karnataka

B.L.D.E. Association’s
Jnanayogi SriSiddheshwar Swamiji College of Education, P.G. and
Research Centre in Education, Vijayapur (Bijapur)-586101, Karnataka
(Govt. Aided and Affiliated to Rani Channamma University, Belagavi)
Reaccredited with “B” Grade by NAAC (CGPA-2.61)
E-mail: bldeajssbedcb@gmail.com, Website: www.bldeajddbed.org Tel No:
08352-223290, Fax No: 08352-223324

vii
 Chief Editor
Dr. V. D. Aiholli
Principal, BLDEA’s JSS College of Education, PG and Research Centre in
Education, Vijayapur (Bijapur)-586101 Karnataka
Editor
Dr. G. R. Angadi
Assistant Professor, BLDEA’s JSS College of Education, PG and Research
Centre in Education, Vijayapur (Bijapur)-586101 Karnataka
Editorial Committee
Dr. A. M. Ajath Swamy
Director, BLDEA’s Research Centre in Education, JSS College of Education & PG
Studies in Education, Vijayapur (Bijapur)-586101 Karnataka
Dr. M. S. Hiremath
Assistant Professor, BLDEA’s JSS College of Education, PG and Research Centre in
Education, Vijayapur (Bijapur)-586101 Karnataka
Dr. B. Y. Khasnis
Assistant Professor, BLDEA’s JSS College of Education, PG and Research Centre in
Education, Vijayapur (Bijapur)-586101 Karnataka
Dr. A. V. Bomagond
Assistant Professor, BLDEA’s JSS College of Education, PG and Research Centre in
Education, Vijayapur (Bijapur)-586101 Karnataka
Dr. M. B. Kori
Assistant Professor, BLDEA’s JSS College of Education, PG and Research Centre in
Education, Vijayapur (Bijapur)-586101 Karnataka
Sri. B. B. Mulawad
Physical Education Director, BLDEA’s JSS College of Education, PG and Research
Centre in Education, Vijayapur (Bijapur)-586101 Karnataka
Dr. J. Y. Pattanshetti
Lecturer, BLDEA’s PG Studies in Education, JSS College of Education,
Vijayapur (Bijapur)-586101 Karnataka
Sri. Vijayakumar Palled
Lecturer, BLDEA’s PG Studies in Education, JSS College of Education,
Vijayapur (Bijapur)-586101 Karnataka
Sri. B. S. Hiremath
Lecturer, BLDEA’s PG Studies in Education, JSS College of Education,
Vijayapur (Bijapur)-586101 Karnataka
Sri. S. S. Patil
Lecturer, BLDEA’s PG Studies in Education, JSS College of Education,
Vijayapur (Bijapur)-586101 Karnataka
viii
PREFACE
Over the years in the history of Education, Educational Technology has taken
New Avatars from the Programmed Learning Movement to the present era of
Web 2.0 Technologies and Social Media. By using Social Media Platforms such
as Wikis, Blogs, WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter in the classroom, teachers have
seen an increase in achievement and classroom participation – even less sociable
students have become more participatory. Tablets not only offer the present digital
learners the chance to browse for information in quick fashions, but they also
allow them to more easily collaborate on projects and become more engaged
in their learning process. They have become exceptional tools that soon every
classroom will strive to have. The Smartphones, like the tablet, have had different
receptions. In addition to providing access to social media platforms which allow
students to more freely interact, the Smartphones also provide easy access to useful
information which betters a child’s overall learning experience. They also offer
numerous apps designed to help students better budget their time and create more
efficient schedules to complete their school work. Like never before, students are
able to access any type of information about any subject matter through free web
resources. They choose Khan Academy, YouTube, NROER, OER and numerous
other forums which have bettered the learning experience and allowed student
access to resources necessary to supplement their own education. Since the start
of online programmes, anybody is able to pursue education anytime, anywhere.
“With the emerging new technologies, the teaching profession is evolving from
an emphasis on teacher-centered, lecture-based instruction to student-centered,
interactive learning environments” (John Daniel, 2002). Today, the world of
education stands loaded with unprecedented hope for a new paradigm of ‘anybody,
anytime, anywhere learning’ through collaborative and constructive pedagogical
models, thanks to the all-new web technologies. According to Douglas Kellner
(2008), this technological revolution will have a greater impact on society than
the transition from an oral to a print culture. George Siemens (2009) observed,
“Technology is altering (rewiring) our brains. The tools we use define and shape
our thinking”. Today’s teachers, whether in school or college are working with
students whose entire lives have been immersed in the 21st century media culture.
ix
x  Preface Preface  xi
♦ ♦
“The previous teaching practices of teacher directed, ‘chalk and talk’ no longer encouragement and support throughout the conference and bringing out the
can engage the learner, nor can it provide the learner with the knowledge needed conference articles in the form of edited book, I take this opportunity to dedicate
to connect and stay connected in this digital era (Siemens, O’Neill & Carr, 2008). this edited book to Sri. G. K. Patil Sir.
The New York Times (2011) observed, “Learning, like culture, is a dynamic I am very happy to express my heartfelt gratitude to Prof. B. G. Mulimani,
thing. It was an oral thing once, then it became a printed thing and is becoming Chief Administrative Officer and Prof. S.H. Lagali, Administrative Officer, who
a digital thing.” The much-hyped 21st century education is bold. It breaks the were the sources of continuous untiring guidance, encouragement and help of
mold. It is flexible, creative, challenging, and complex. To this backdrop, the both Officers of the BLDE Association.
college has initiatives to planned National Level Conference on ‘Information I extend my thanks to our Principal, Dr. V. D. Aiholli, all my beloved Colleagues
and Communication Technology in Education (ICTE-2015)’ and Students of JSS College of Education, Vijayapur who have contributed directly
This UGC Sponsored National Conference ‘ICTE-2015’ was organized and indirectly support and engaged in the success of the conference and bringing
on 24th and 25th July 2015 by the BLDEA’s JSS College of Education, PG and out this book.
Research Centre in Education, Vijayapur. Over 150 participants from more than I wish to thank all those who have supported us in the successful completion
7 States attended the event, in this conference more than 120 Teacher Educators, of the conference and bringing out this edited book. I record my sincere thanks to
Academicians, Fellows, Scholars, Researchers and Practiceners contributed their Dr. K.B. Nangia, APH Publications Corporation, New Delhi, for timely publishing
perceptions, views, ideas, plans and experimental results, which addresses the the book with ISBN.
theory, research and applications as well as innovative practices in the form of Dr. G. R. Angadi
article on the theme and sub-themes Viz., ICT in Teacher Education (Pre and
In-service), ICT in School Education (Primary and Secondary), ICT in Higher
Education, ICT in Faculty and Staff Development. It became an intellectual platform
for open dialogue between policy makers, teachers, practitioners and experts
from teacher education field and ICT in Education. The Conference pursued the
following major aim: The conference was planned as a consultative process and
forum for discussion and collaboration among the state and national participants
involved in ICT Education activities. Objectives of the Conference are: To provide
a platform for participants to share knowledge and ideas, enabling them to develop
multinational, cross-cultural and cross-institutional contacts and partnerships, as
well as to enhance their knowledge, expertise, and abilities with regard to recent
advances in ICT in Education, To showcase the best practices of ICT in Teacher
Education, To establish a comprehensive picture of the recent advances in ICT in
Education, To identify gaps in current research related to ICT Enabled Learning
and Teaching and To give policy recommendations for future directions in the
light of the recent advances in ICT.
The edited book of proceedings includes the papers presented in the National
Conference on ICTE-2015. The authors of the papers are responsible for the choice
and presentation of the facts contained in this book and for the opinions expressed
therein, which are not necessarily those of editor or publishers.
I would like to express my gratitude to the Participants, Resource persons,
Key-note Addressee, Alumni Association of JSS College of Education and UGC
sponsorship of the National Conference for their contribution.
I express my sincere gratitude to Dr. M. B. Patil, Minister for Water Resource,
Govt. of Karnataka, President of BLDE Association and Chancellor of BLDE
University, Vijayapur who has great-source of inspiration to organise this conference.
It gives me great pleasure to express my gratitude to Sri. G. K. Patil, General
Secretary and Treasurer, BLDE Association Vijayapur, who has given their constant
CONTENTS
CONTENTS

Prefaceix

1 Information Communication Technology 1

Dr. M. A. Sudhir

2 Use of ICT in School Education 8

Dr. (Capt) C. M. Chitale and Mr. Shrikant S. Thakar

3 ICT in Teacher Education 19

Dr. S. S. Patil

4 Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

and Teacher Education - Some Focal Considerations 25
Dr. Mohammad Iqbal Mattoo and Muzamil Masood Mattoo

5 Technology for Learning in Teacher Education 29

Prof. H. M. Shailaja and Kanakappa Pujar

6 Virtual Class Room: A Revolutionary Teaching Method in India 35

Sushant Kumar Mishra

7 E-Teacher Education: Integration of ICT in Teacher Education 43

Dr. Haseen Taj and Kalyani K.

8 A Plan for Integrating ICT in Teacher Education

Based on TPCK Framework 49
Dr. V. V. Malagi

9 Role of ICT in Enhancing the Quality of Higher Education

in India 59
Dr. U. K. Kulkarni

10 Role of ICT in Promoting Visual and Hearing Impaired Students 67

Dr. Haseen Taj and Nandini N.

11 A Study of Awareness and Use of Information Communication

xiii
xiv  Contents
♦ ♦
Technology among Headmasters of Vijayapur 78
Dr. Vishnu M. Shinde
12 ICT Empowered Teacher Education 84
Dr. G. R. Angadi
13 Road Map of ICT 93
Prof. S. M. Joshi
14 Information and Communication Technology in
School Education 103
H. N. Narasingappa
15 ICT Professional in Faculty and Staff Development 107
Mrs. Roopa B. Bidnalamath and Dr. Meena R. Chandawarkar
16 ICT in Teacher Education 108
Nataraja R.
17 ICT Enabled Teacher Education 114
Smt. Rukshinda Hena Akbari
18 Internet and Social Media in Education 120
Dr. B. B. Policepatil
19 Basic Bachelor Degree Students Attitudes towards ICT 125
Shankrappa H. Chalawadi
20 ICT and in-Service Teacher Training Programmes 131
Prakash Sannakkanavar
21 Social Media in Education 138
Smt. Jyothi. B. Panth and Dr. Shanthamma
22 ICT in Faculty and Staff Development 144
Prof. I. D. Mulla
23 Social Media in Education 149
Narendra Babu N. V.
24 Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, Blogs WhatsApp etc.) 153
Smt. S. M. Tawadare
25 Strategies which Enhances Potential of Students
Contents  xv
through Co-operative Learning 158
K. C. Kulkarni
26 Information and Communication Technology
in Teacher Education 166
Dr. G. N. Ashoka
27 Teachers’ Pedagogies and Pedagogical Reasoning
Influence the Uses of ICT 171
Vanishree Danagoudar
28 Integrating ICT at the Faculty Level 180
P. U. Pujari
29 Effectiveness of Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI)
and Traditional Method in Learning Biology at PUC Level. 191
Mr. Anil Rathod
30 Education with Social Media 196
Basavaraj S. Hiremath
31 ICT in Teacher Education 202
Prof. D. S. Jadhav
32 ICT in Teacher Education (Pre and in-Service) 207
P. S. Upadhye
33 Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
in School Education 212
Vishwanath S. Toti and Mallikarjun M. Belagall
34 Information and Communication Technology in
Higher Education in India: Challenges and Opportunities 218
Prof. S. G. Shrouti
35 ICT in Teacher Education Programme 222
Smt. Vijayalaxmi R. Kore (Hosakeri)
36 Role of Facebook in Education 229
Smt. Geeta G. Mattikalli
37 Impact of Internet on Adolescents
in Global Scenario 236
Dr. Rajeshwari Chanda
xvi  Contents
♦ ♦
38 Role of ICT in Promoting Social Equity in Higher Education 240
Kallyanakumar Rathod
39 The Potential Role of ICT in Transforming Teaching and
Learning of Science 247
Mrs. Bibisadiqa A. Dafedar
40 ICT in Teacher Education (Pre & in-Service) 255
Hussainmiya D. H.
41 ICT in Higher Education 263
N. B. Naganur
42 Investigating Mathematics Trainee-Teachers’
Capability in Using ICT 270
Smt. Nagaratna S.
43 Social Media in Education 275
Ms. Jayashree K. Badiger
44 ICT in School Education 281
Mrs. G. V. Hadapad
45 ICT in Higher Education 286
A. S. Amoghimath
46 E-Resources for Effective Learning 291
Smt. Shashikala B. Karadiguddi
47 Use of Social Networking (Facebook, Twitter, Blogs
and WhatsApp) Technologies Higher Education in India 296
Dr. Raghavendra Raju Gurujaland Mrs. Roopa B. Bidnalamath
48 Social Networking: A Key to Tool for
Communication & Practice 304
Shashirekha S. M.
49 ICT for Teachers 309
Sandur Prasad
50 Role of ICT in Teacher Education 316
Santhosh Kumar R.
Contents  xvii
51 ICT in Higher Education 321
Savita S. Patil
52 ICT in School Education (Primary and Secondary) 326
Mrs. Nilofar
53 Advantage of ICT in Social Work 331
Rajkumar Rathod
54 ICT Education in School 337
Surekha K. Bandi
55 Role of Technology in Future Education 341
K. P. Nagabhushan Setty
56 Community Based Information Technology for
Poverty Reduction 347
Dr. T. M. Geetha and Roopa K. Nayakodi
52 Use of ICT in Higher Education 352
Dr. Rajeshwari G. Teggi and Ramesh C Yanamashetti
58 ICT in School Education in India 363
Vijaylaxmi S. Pawar and Prof. V. V. Malagi
59 Blended Learning Approach: Using Technology in
and beyond the Classroom 370
Asha Kumari B.
60 Awareness of Information and Communication
Technology among the Secondary Students 382
Dr. B. L. Lakkannavar
 CONTRIBUTORS

A. S. Amoghimath, Principal, B. F. Yaligar College of Education, Munavalli

(Belagavi).
Anil Rathod, Research scholar, School of Education, Rani Channamma University,
Belagavi.
Asha Kumari B., Doctoral Research Scholar, Department of Education, Regional
Institute of Education, Mysore E-mail: kotraiah.asha@gmail.com
B. B. Policepatil, Principal, Karnataka Teachers B.Ed. College, Indi Vijayapur
District.
B. L. Lakkannavar, Assistant Professor, Dept of Education Karnataka State Women`s
University, Vijayapura - Mail: bllakkannavar@rediff.com
Basavaraj S. Hiremath, Lecturer, B.LD.E.A`s P.G.Dept. of Studies in Education
& Research Centre, J.S.S. College of Education, Vijayapur-586101 E.mail:
hiremathbs1@gmail.com.
Bibisadiqa A. Dafedar, Research Scholar, Department of Education, Karnataka
State Women’s University Vijayapur- 586108.
C. M. Chitale, Professor, DMS (PUMBA), i/c Director, EMMRC, Savitribai Phule
Pune University, Pune.
D. S. Jadhav, Assistant Professor, Dr SET’s Arts and Commerce College, Ugar-
Khurd. Belagavi(Dist).
G. N. Ashoka, Assistant Professor, B.E.A College of Education, S. Nijalingappa
Layout, Davanagere-577004, Karnataka drgnashoka@gmail.com.
G. R. Angadi, Assistant Professor, BLDEA’s JSS College of Education, PG and
Research Centre in Education, Vijayapur (Bijapur)-586101 gavimahi@gmail.
com.
G. V. Hadapad, Lecturer, Shri. B. F. Yaligar College of Education, Munavalli
(Belagavi).
Geeta G. Mattikalli, Assistant Professor, B.V.V.S. College of Education, Bagalkot.
Email: geetamattikalli@yahoo.com.
H. M. Shailaja, Professor and Director, School of Education, Rani Channamma
University, dyasangama, Belagavi-591156, Karnataka. Email:
rcuschoolofeducation@gmail.com.
H. N. Narasingappa, Assistant Professor, Hassanamba College of Education,
Hassan, Karnataka. E-mail: narasingappahsn@gmail.com.

xix
xx  Contributors
♦ ♦
Haseen Taj, Professor and Chairperson, Department of Education, Bangalore
University, Bangalore.
Hussainmiya D. H., Prinicipal, Shri Siddhivinayak Rural College of Education
Harugeri.
I. D. Mulla, Assistant Professor, Dr. SET’s Arts and Commerce College, Ugar-
Kurd (Belagavi).
Jayashree K. Badiger, Research Scholar, School of Education, Rani Channamma
University, Belagavi
Jyothi. B. Panth, Assistant Professor, Sree Siddaganga College of Education,
Tumakuru. jyothi.harish29@gmail.com.
K. C. Kulkarni, Assistant Professor, T.M.A.E. Society College of Education,
Gangavathi. Karnataka kulkarni22kumar@gmail.com.
K. P. Nagabhushan Setty, Asst. Professor of Education, Sri Venkateshwara College
of Education, Chitradurga 501Mail: nagabushankp123@gmail.com
Kallyanakumar Rathod, Lecturer S.F.N.C. College of Education, Hittinahalli L.T.
Tq: Sindagi Dist:Vijaypur, kallyan1579@gmail.com.
Kalyani K., Research Scholar, Department of Education, Bangalore University,
Bangalore.
Kanakappa Pujar, Assistant Professor, Post Graduate Department of Education,
Rani Channamma University, Vidyasangama, Belagavi-591156, Karnataka.
Email: kanakappa.pujar@rediffmail.com.
M. A. Sudhir, Professor & Academic Co-ordinator, Department of Education,
Central University of Kerala, Kasaragod.
Mallikarjun M. Belagall, Research scholar, Department of Education, RCU
Belagavi.
Meena R. Chandawarkar, Vice chancellor, Karnataka State Women’s University,
Vijayapur. meena_r_c@yahoo.com
Mohammad Iqbal Mattoo, Associate Professor, Faculty of Education, University
of Kashmir.
Muzamil Masood Mattoo, Assistant Registrar, University of Kashmir, Mail:
mattoojk@gmail.com.
N. B. Naganur, Lecturer, Shri Siddhivinayak Rural College of Education Harugeri.
Nagaratna S., Research scholar, Dept of Education, Gulbarga University, Kalaburgi.
Nandini N., Research Scholar, Department of Education, Bangalore University,
Bangalore.
Narendra Babu N. V., Assistant Professor, Gold Field College of Education,
Bangarpet Kolar (Dist) Karnataka.
Contributors  xxi
Nataraja R., Assistant professor, Hasanamba College of Education, Hassan- 573202,
Karnataka Email: natarajrm23@gmail.com.
Nilofar, Assistant Professor, Chand BI BI College of Education for Women’s,
Kalaburgi.
P. S. Upadhye, Principal, B.R.M.E’s Acharya Deshbhushan College of Education
(B.Ed) Shamanewadi, E-mail: up.priyakarini@gmail.com.
P. U. Pujari, Lecturer and Research Scholar, Shri Siddhivinayak Rural College
of Education, Harugeri (Belagavi).
Prakash Sannakkanavar, Assistant Professor, Department of Education, Karnataka
State Women’s University, Jnanashakti Campus, Torvi, Vijayapura-586108.
Karnataka, Email: prakashanu88@gmail.com.
Raghavendra Raju Gurujal, Department of Computer Science Karnataka State
Women’s University, Vijayapur-08 Mail: raghavendra.gurujal@gmail.com
Rajeshwari Chanda, Assistant Professor, Bilal College of Education for Women,
Near Shapur Gate Hyderabad Road, Bidar-585401 Karnataka, Email:
rajeshwari_vhanda@yahoo.com.
Rajeshwari G. Teggi, Assistant Professor, B.V.V.S College of Education, Bagaklot.
Rajkumar Rathod, Guest Lecturer, Vinutana College of MSW. Karuneshwar
Nagar, Gulbarga.
Ramesh C. Yanamashetti, Lecturer, B.V.V.S College of Education, Bagaklot.
Roopa B. Bidnalamath, Research Scholar, Department of Commerce, Karnataka
State Women’s University Vijayapur. roopabidnalamath@gmail.com.
Roopa B. Bidnalamath, Research Scholar Department of Commerce, Karnataka
State Women’s University Vijayapur-08 Mail: roopabidnalamath@gmail.com
Roopa K. Nayakodi, Research Scholar, Department of Education, Karnataka State
Women’s University Vijayapur.
Rukshinda Hena Akbari, Principal, Chandbibi College of Education,
Kalaburgi-585104 Karnataka.
S. G. Shrouti, Assistant Professor, Dr. SET’s Arts And Commerce College, Ugar-
Khurd, Belagavi.
S. M. Joshi, Principal, Dr. SET’s Arts and Commerce College, Ugar-Khurd.
Belagavi Dist.
S. M. Tawadare, Assistant Teacher, Kittur Channamma Residential School.E-mail:
tavadaresavi@gmail.com.
S. S. Patil, Chairman, Department of Post Graduate Studies and Research in
Education, Kuvempu University, Jnana Sahyadri, Shankaraghatta Shivamoga.
xxii  Contributors
♦
Sandur Prasad, Assisstant Professor, Sanjay Gandhi College of Education,
Cholanagar.Bangalore- Mail: sandurprasad@gmail.com
Santhosh Kumar R., Research Scholar, Department of Education, Rani Channamma
University, Belagavi- Email: smgsanthosh@gmail.com
Savita S. Patil, Research scholar, Karnataka state women’s university, Vijayapur.
Shankrappa H. Chalawadi, Lecturer, Chandbibi College of Education,
Kalaburgi-585104 Karnataka. ABOUT THE EDITOR
Shanthamma, Principal, Sree Siddaganga College of Education, Tumakuru.
Shashikala B. Karadiguddi, Assistant Professor, K R C E S College of Education,
Bailhongal. Dr. G. R. Angadi, M.Sc(IT), M.Phil(CS), M.Ed., M.Phil(Edn), Ph.D., PGDCA,
Shashirekha S. M., Research Scholar, Department of Education, Davangere PGDHE, SET, NET. He has been a teacher and teacher educator from fourteen years.
University, Davangere. Karnataka Mail: shashirekhasm@gmail.com He started his teaching career as TGT Science in Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya,
Raichur (Karnataka) in 1999. His journey as a Teacher Educator started at BLDEA’s
Shrikant S. Thakar, Technical Assistant, EMMRC, Savitribai Phule Pune University, JSS College of Education, Bijapur in 2002 after a year, he served couple of
Pune. years in KVVS JP College of Education, Gadag as Lecturer in Education. Since
Surekha K. Bandi, Research scholar, Karnataka state women’s university, 2006 is serving as Assistant Professor in Education at BLDEA’s JSS College of
Vijayapur. Education, PG. Studies and Research Centre in Education, Vijaaypur-586101, He
has guided several M.Ed. Dissertations and presently guiding for Ph.D Students,
Sushant Kumar Mishra, Associate Academic Administrator, IIIT (University) under his guidance one Ph.D. has conferred. He is also very active in Experimental
Bhubaneswar., Email: sushanta@iit-bh.ac.in. Research Designs and currently engaged in UGC-MRP. He has Published 2 Books
T. M. Geetha, Professor, Department of Education, Karnataka State Women’s Online and presented more than 35 Papers in different National & International
University,Vijayapur. Seminars / Conferences and published more than 28 research articles in the
reputed Referred/Peer Reviewed Research ISSN Journals, Reviewer and Member
U. K. Kulkarni, Assistant Professor, Department of Studies in Education, Karnataka of Editorial Board of Online Research Journals, Life Member of Professional
State Women’s University, Jnanashakti Campus, Torvi, Vijayapur-586108. Organisations like, IATE, AIAER, GERA and Member of Innovative Educators and
V. V. Malagi, Registrar (Evaluation) and Professor, Department of Studies in PCDN Online. His Area of interests is Educational Technology, ICT in Education,
Education, Karnataka State Women’s University, Jnana Shakti Campus Toravi, Teacher Education and Action Research. He has coordinated ICTE State level
Vijayapur (Bijapur)-586108 drvvvmalagi@gmail.com. Workshop, Teacher Education National Conference and Org. Secretary of the
ICTE-2015 National Conference.
Vanishree Danagoudar, Principal, Sharada Education Trust, Athani-591304.
Vijayalaxmi R. Kore (Hosakeri), Assistant Professor & Research Scholar, Women’s
University, Vijayapur, B.V.V.S. College of Education and P.G. Dept of Studies
in Education (M.Ed), Bagalkot-587101.
Vijaylaxmi S. Pawar, Research Scholar, Department of Studies in Education,
Karnataka State Women’s University, Vijayapur.
Vishnu M. Shinde, Asst. Professor, Department of studies in Education,
Karnataka State Women’s University, Torvi, Vijayapura-586108. Email:
vishnushinde1973@gmail.com.
Vishwanath S. Toti, Research scholar, Department of Education, RCU Belagavi.

xxiii
 1
Information Communication Technology
Dr. M. A. Sudhir*

Abstract
Information Communication Technology (ICT) develops pedagogical
skills, for bringing innovations in teaching-learning process. It improves
the perception and understanding of the world of the student to the teacher.
ICTs are potentially powerful tools for extending educational opportunities;
it brings more materials and resources for classroom interaction. Quality
assurance and enhancement in all educational endeavours can be reassured
with ICT. ICT as a knowledge resource provides access to different sources
of information to teacher and student the key component of education system.
Teaching -learning process is made interactive by integrating information and
communication technology. Integrating ICT with the modern pedagogical
approaches cognitivism and constructivism redefines established teacher-
learner relationship and teaching learning process. Teacher education
programmes, therefore have a critical role to provide the necessary leadership
in adapting ICT in the pre-service and in-service teacher education to deal
with the current demands of society. Hence, the new pedagogies and ICT tools
can be integrated with the aim of enhancing the teaching- learning process.
Improving the quality of education should start with the improvement of
the quality of teachers.
Keywords: Constructivism, Cognitivism, Telementoring, Collaborative
Networking, Micro skills.

INTRODUCTION
Knowledge has become the prime resource in the development process in
recent years. The power of knowledge for development was highlighted in the
World Development Report (World Bank, 1999) which states that “recognition
of the importance of knowledge has gained momentum, and there is a renewed

*Professor & Academic Co-ordinator, Department of Education, Central University of

Kerala, Kasaragod.

1
2  Information and Communication Technology in Education Information Communication Technology  3
♦ ♦
impetus to integrate knowledge into countries’ development strategies”. In other classrooms into rich, student-focused, interactive knowledge environments. To meet
words, knowledge has become a key to development and can create comprehensive these challenges, schools must embrace the new technologies and appropriate new
wealth for the nation and also improve the quality of life in the form of better health, ICT tools for learning. They must also move toward the goal of transforming the
education, infrastructure and other social indicators (Kalam, 2004). Knowledge traditional paradigm of learning. To accomplish this goal requires both a change
is a capital to achieve a state of development and it requires continuous updating in the traditional view of the learning process and an understanding of how the
cutting across time and space. The power of knowledge can be greatly enhanced new digital technologies can create new learning environments in which students
by ICT, which can be harnessed to improve access and break down barriers. ICT are engaged learners, able to take greater responsibility for their own learning and
can promote knowledge development not only by providing more information constructing their own knowledge.
but also by providing it more selectively in a format which is easy to understand.
The multipronged effects of ICT offer the potential to move beyond database ICT FOR CURRICULUM REFORMS
towards the presentation of information in formats which are more appropriate and The technology resources and pedagogical innovations can become contexts
meaningful. Education provides a solid foundation to seed the multidimensional for curriculum reforms in teacher education.
development of information and communication skills, thinking and problem
solving skills. Education is expected to enrich people with knowledge and skills to
improve lives and values and attitudes to live together. The goal of any educational
system is to ensure that the targeted population achieve the expected literacy
and numerical skills, higher order mental dispositions related to thinking and
reasoning abilities, life skills and values to participate and perform for progress
and advancement of the society.

INTEGRATION IN TEACHER EDUCATION

Teacher education institutions should assume a leadership role in the
transformation of education to reap the benefits of ICTs in learning. It is essential
that pre-service and in-service teacher education programmes should develop among
teachers’ basic ICT skills and competencies. Teacher education programmes must
provide scope for pre-service and in-service teachers and model new pedagogies
and tools for learning. They must also provide avenues in determining how best
the new technologies can be used in the context of the local traditions and socio-
economic conditions. To accomplish these goals, teacher education institutions
must work closely and effectively with ICT professionals, administrators, national
or state educational agencies, and other stakeholders in the educational system. Figure-1: ICT in Teacher Education
Teacher education institutions also need to develop strategies and plans to enhance
the quality of teaching-learning process in order to ensure that all future teachers • Context and Culture identifies the culture and other contextual factors that
are well prepared with required competencies to use the tools of ICT for their must be considered in infusing technology into teacher education curriculum.
classroom and academic endeavours. It includes the use of technology in culturally appropriate ways and the
The technology-based global economy poses challenges to countries as national development of respect for multiple cultures and contexts, which need to be
economies become more internationalised, with increasing flow of information taught and modelled by teachers.
and technology. This new economic environment is creating a new era of global
• Leadership and Vision are essential for the successful planning and integration
competition. This shift also demands new knowledge and skills in the work force.
of technology into teacher education and require both leadership and support
ICTs have changed the nature of work and types of skills needed in most fields
from the administration of the teacher education institution.
and professions. The UNESCO World Education Report (1998) notes that the new
technologies challenge traditional conceptions of both teaching and learning and, by • Lifelong Learning acknowledges that learning does not stop after school.
reconfiguring how teachers and learners gain access to knowledge, have the potential In common with the other themes, it is important that teachers and teacher
to transform teaching and learning processes. ICTs provide an array of powerful tools preparation faculty model lifelong learning as a key part of implementation,
that may help in transforming the present isolated, teacher-centred and text-bound and as an ongoing commitment to ICTs in teacher education.
4  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
• Planning and Management of Change is the final theme, born of today’s
context and accelerated by technology itself. It signifies the importance of
careful planning and effective management of the change process.
ICT is used in teacher education for a number of reasons. At one level,
the teacher education institutions wish to ensure that newly qualified teachers
have the appropriate ICT skills. It may be that in the long term there will be less
need for this ICT skills development, as students will develop better ICT skills
before they reach teacher education. The second dimension to ICT in teacher
education is the development of students’ capacity to make appropriate use of ICT
in their teaching. This is more challenging, as student-teachers sometimes tend
to use the most obvious applications of ICT, resulting in over-use of these ideas.
In most of the teacher education institutions, developing ICT capacity among
student-teachers is the responsibility assigned to the ICT specialist. This is an
effective way to develop skills but its utility for educational purposes needs to be
emphasised. To achieve a wider spread of ICT usage within teacher education, the
staff development programmes can make use of the services of system analysts
as well the pedagogical scientists. A third dimension to ICT in teacher education
is the use of virtual learning environment to provide support to student teachers.
This is both a useful support to the student-teachers and an opportunity for them
to develop the experience of a virtual learning environment. Student-teachers
should gain experience of the same virtual learning environment as it is intended
for school use, but this may present difficulties as the teacher education institutions
are funded through different agencies and may have adopted different technologies.
ICT ENABLED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
An important aspect of professional development is not only enabling teacher
educators to understand and use ICT tools in their instructional practices, but
also understanding how technology is coupled with new approaches to teaching,
evaluation and research. Many teacher educators recognize that approaches to
education are changing and that new technology has the potential to improve
education and student learning. They may also recognize the implications of
increasing use of technology in professional preparation and employment prospects
directly related to their own and allied disciplines. There is a definite need for
teacher educators to model their practices to bring in reforms in their instructional
strategies and evaluation. Teacher educators are experts in their pedagogical domain,
and it is important to respect this domain while helping them to revitalize and
modernize their teaching with ICTs. The professional development of teachers
becomes even more relevant in terms of capacity building and empowering them
to undertake innovations and research.
Another significant reform required in teacher education is to redefine the
roles and responsibilities of the practising teachers. This is referred to as student-
centred learning and, in the context of teacher education, means that control
of the teaching leaning process must move away from the teacher educator to
the student of teaching. Both students and teachers have always had rights and
Information Communication Technology  5
responsibilities, but the redefinition of the learning environment requires a change
in the balance of rights and responsibilities, with the student assuming more
of both. ICTs demand this shift because technologies are constantly changing.
Students need to develop the ability to think for themselves, continually learn
as technologies change, and provide support to one another. Peer teaching is a
natural product of ICTs because often the younger generations bring increasingly
high levels of competence into the learning environment. This is also a positive
shift to learn through peer support and reciprocal mentoring between teacher
and learner.
STRATEGIES FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
• Creating Model Teacher Education Programmes in the country to explore
and pilot new practices and technologies that may be extended to other teacher
education institutions. The model teacher education programme is used as a
training site for other teacher educators in the region.
• Developing a Technology Resource Team comprised of teacher educators
who have successfully integrated technology into their instruction. These
teacher educators are provided with additional training, and they then
provide training and support to teacher educators in their programme
or other programmes. The resource teachers may team-teach for brief
periods to assist other teachers in integrating specific technologies into
their instructional practices.
• Self-Instructional Professional Development Programmes. Many high-quality
professional development materials are available on the web, which can be
used for online and continuous training and orientation of the teachers.
• Mentoring, in which one teacher educator with higher levels of skill and
knowledge mentors two or more teacher educators in specific applications
of technology in the learning process. The constraining factor is that many
teacher educators have limited time for interaction and collaboration because
of heavy teaching loads.
• Telementoring, in which teacher educators become their own best support
system. The teacher education programme may establish online conference
areas as part of the network system where faculty may seek help, advice,
and support from other teacher educators.
• Visiting Classrooms, particularly if the visiting teacher educator has sufficient
opportunities to observe the instructional activities and to discuss with the
teacher educator how the activities were planned and organized.
COMPUTER ASSISTED INSTRUCTION (CAI)
Education has been identified as the most important foundation for development.
According to Schultz (1963), ‘investment in education is a means of capital
formation’. Schultz and others reveal that human resources can be developed
through different ways and the most obvious and powerful approach for it is
education. Technology is an instrument to accomplish specific goals. Reksten
6  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
(2000) says, “Technology is not a curriculum, but a tool for curriculum. Concept
based teaching along with technology tools will elevate student thinking and
improve overall achievement”. The use of computer in education paved the way
for the introduction of technology on a larger scale in the teaching-learning process.
One of the most exciting innovations in education technology is the Computer
Assisted Instruction (CAI). Computer Assisted Instruction assists in the preparation
of instructional materials for students to monitor the learning process or to select
additional material in accordance with the needs of the individual learner. This
instruction starts by identifying the way a student seems to learn best. It reviews
his past history of learning and then present a programme built on his strength.
Therefore, Computer Assisted Instruction is not merely a sophisticated type of
programmed instruction but a different kind of instruction altogether. It may be
defined as a method of instruction in which there is a purposeful interaction between
a learner and a computer device having useful instructional materials as software
for helping the individual learner to achieve the desired instructional objectives
at his own pace and with the abilities at his command.
Computer Assisted Instruction is defined as an interaction between a student, a
computer controlled display and a response entry device for the purpose of achieving
educational outcomes. Computer Assisted Instruction has become an integral part
of the learning process in the advanced and developing countries in the world.
The first major pioneering attempt in Computer Assisted Instruction was made
in USA in 1961 when the University of Illinois produced Programmed Logic for
Automated Training Operations (PLATO). The Computer Assisted Instruction can
be used for teaching and instructional purpose in the field of education. CAI is a
highly individualised instruction device and can be profitably employed in teacher
education programmes for developing micro -skills and competencies among the
student teachers and updating the knowledge and professional advancement of
the teacher educators.
Information Communication Technology  7
programmes. Moreover, teacher education institutions must also take the lead in
extending the ICT expertise to classroom teaching and to enhance the standard
and quality of school education in India.
REFERENCES
• Byron Evans et al (2003). Report of Workgroup2 Integrating ICT into Teacher Education.
Standing Conference on teacher Education, North and South, Challenges to Teacher
Education and Research. Retrieved from http://scotens.org/doc/ workshop_integrating_ict.
pdf dated 10/10/2003.
• International Society for Technology in Education. (2002). National Educational
Technology Standards for Teachers: Preparing Teachers to Use Technology. Available:
http://www.iste.org and http:// cnets.iste.org dated 01/01/2002.
• Joyce Bruce, Weil Marsha, Calhoun Emily.(2009). Models of Teaching. New Delhi:
PHI Learning Private Ltd.
• Kalam, Abdul (2004). Envisioning an Empowered Nation: Technology for Societal
Transformation. TATA McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Ltd.
• Reksten, L.E. (2000). Using Technology to Increase Student’s Learning. California:
Sage Publications Ltd.
• Schultz, T.W. (1963). The Economic Value of Education. London: Colombia University
Press.
• Steketee, Carole (2005). Integrating ICT as an integral teaching and learning tool into
pre-service teacher training courses. Issues in Educational Research, Vol. 15 (10), pg.
101-113.
• UNESCO (2001). Teacher Education through Distance Learning: Technology - Curriculum
- Cost - Evaluation. Retrieved from http:/ /www.unesco.org .dated 22/06/2011.
• UNESCO (2002) . Information and communication technologies in teacher education:
A planning guide. Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org .dated 22/06/2011.
• World Bank (1999). World development report 1999/2000 - entering the 21st century:
the changing development landscape. Retrieved from http://econ.worldbank.org dated
01/01/2000.

CONCLUSION
Technology is not new to education. However, contemporary computer
technologies, such as the internet, allow new types of teaching and learning
experiences to flourish. Many new technologies are interactive, making it easier
to create environments in which students can learn by doing, receive feedback,
and continually refine their understanding and build new knowledge. Access to the
internet gives unprecedented opportunities in terms of the availability of material
and resources for teaching and research.
The incorporation of important ICT components can facilitate curricular
reforms and strengthen the teaching learning process. ICT is treated as a subject
rather than an operational tool that can be used for instructional purposes of
various subjects. Recent discourses however indicate that future curriculum
reviews may consider ICT a full-fledged mainstreaming process. Teacher education
programmes have a critical role to provide the necessary leadership in adapting
pedagogical innovations and ICT in their pre-service and in-service teacher education

2 academic researchers since the 1980s, and the term ICT became popular after it
Use of ICT in School Education
Dr. (Capt) C. M. Chitale* and Mr. Shrikant S. Thakar**
Abstract
ICT has permeated in every walk of life. Year by year it is becoming
simpler to use devices such as desktop, palmtop, iPad, iPod, and mobile. Due to
emergence of knowledge based society, today, information is flooded different
forms. ICT in education can be used for developing major key competencies
which are required in different walks of life. There is a need to change
present Indian work culture to make India a super power. The development
process has to begin from K. G. level school education and must continue
till P.G. level. This paper has put forth the concept of KG to PG - Integrated
Education’ for the development of skills, habits, attitudes, values etc. There
is need to develop teachers for preparing e-Content on key competencies
and domain subjects as well. Techno savvy teachers can contribute more
to develop Quality e-Content programmes. Three progressive modules for
three groups from 1st Standard would definitely help in developing students
to take on further challenging assignments in their careers. This would boost
“Make in India” Campaign.
Keywords: ICT and School Education
INTRODUCTION
Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has wide meaning and
has the role of unified communication and the integration of telecommunications,
computers which enable users to access, store, transmit, and manipulate information.
The term ICT is also used to refer to the convergence of audio-visual and
telephone networks with computer networks through a single cabling or link
system. There are large economic incentives (huge cost savings due to elimination
of the telephone network) to merge the telephone network with the computer
*Professor, DMS (PUMBA), i/c Director, EMMRC, Savitribai Phule Pune University,
Pune.
**Technical Assistant, EMMRC, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune.
8
Use of ICT in School Education  9
♦
network system using a single unified system of cabling, signal distribution and
management. [1]
HISTORY OF THE TERM
The phrase Information and Communication Technology has been used by
was used in a report to the UK government by Dennis Stevenson in 1997 and in
the revised National Curriculum for England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2000.
But in 2012, the Royal Society recommended that the term ICT should no longer
be used in British schools “as it has attracted too many negative connotations”,
and with effect from 2014 the National Curriculum was changed to use the word
computing reflecting the addition of computer programming to the curriculum. A
leading group of universities consider ICT to be a soft subject and advise students
against studying A-level ICT, preferring instead A-level Computer Science.
WHAT IS EDUCATION?
Let’s try to understand, what is education? Education is a process of facilitating
learning, knowledge, skills, values, beliefs and habits of a group through storytelling,
discussion, teaching, training or research. Methodology of teaching is called
‘Pedagogy’. Education is commonly divided into following stages-
• Pre-School
• Primary School
• Secondary School
• College
• University
We have to revisit what education and its system should be seeking to achieve
to develop a good citizen. ICT can be a greater enabler. Probably, ‘Digital India’
initiative by the Government of India is the right solution in present day context.
ICT IN EDUCATION
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can contribute to universal
access to education, equity in education, the delivery of quality learning and teaching,
teachers’ professional development and more efficient education management,
governance and administration. Organizations like UNESCO takes a holistic and
comprehensive approach to promoting ICT in education. Access, inclusion and
quality are among the main challenges. The Organization’s Intersectoral Platform
for ICT in education focuses on these issues through the joint work of three of its
sectors: Communication & Information, Education and Science. [1]
Digital literacy, the effective and creative use of ICT, is a key to developing
the skills for learning, life and work needed by young people in the modern world.
Schools must find new ways of thinking about how to use ICT so that it is at the
heart of teaching and learning - not using computers to do the same things more
efficiently, but changing the process of learning through digital media itself.
10  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
ICT has permeated in every walk of life. Year by year it is becoming simpler
to use devices such as desktop, palmtop, iPad, iPod, and mobile. [2]
Due to emergence of knowledge based society, today, information is flooded
in different forms. Even for school education, lot of material is available on Internet
and on CDs / DVDs.
PRESENT SCENARIO IN INDIA
Although lot of ICT based knowledge is available toady, it is mainly available
at cost. This is not affordable to economically weaker sections. Also every school
cannot afford the cost involved for the development and use of ICT.
The quality of the ICT based knowledge available today needs to be checked
because it has become a business model. The CD/DVDs available today are book
based. There is little interactivity. It does not ignite minds of learners.
THREATS / CHALLENGES
There are possible threats and challenges for developing the ICT based
knowledge and using it. We feel that some of the threats and challenges are-
• Cost of good quality content creation is very high
• High costs of infrastructure investment for developing such content and also
for use of the content
• Lack of sufficient Internet connectivity in rural and small town areas
• Training of good teachers
• How teachers will look at ICT?
• Teachers must believe and get convinced that ICT is helping them and students
in the teaching – learning process
• Because teachers feel that they will be replaced by the ICT based knowledge
in future (which is not a fact. Traditional teaching – learning process will last
long)
• Lots of information/content is available on Internet, but students get confused
in referring to the right content. Efforts are required by teacher to curate the
content and guide students
Use of ICT in School Education  11
•
Time Management
•
Lack of Quality
•
Lack of Ethical Practices
•
Team Development
•
Lack of Sense of belongingness
•
Lack of Ownership
•
Work / Pretend to Work only in presence of Supervisor or Boss
•
Permanency in employment reduces productivity
It gives inference that our present education system is failing to produce ‘Right
Person for Right Job’. Also lack of development of basic key competencies such
as communication, presentation, discipline, time management, quality etc. during
school education is creating a problem. The school education has become what
we call “Rote” education – just mug up and score. The learner neither understands
concepts nor develops basic skills.
SO, CAN WE TAKE HELP OF HELP OF ICT IN THIS INITIATIVE?
If we want to get rid of the above mentioned shortfalls from Indian work-
culture, then we have to start the process of development from pre-primary level
and continue till University. This concept can be termed ‘KG to PG - Integrated
Education’ for the development of skills, habits, attitudes, values etc.
Let us try to understand what can be done. We can develop three progressive
modules for three groups. The groups can be -
Group I - 1st Standard to 4th Standard
Group II - 5th Standard to 7th Standard
Group III - 8th Standard to 10th Standard
In these progressive modules, we can concentrate on major key competencies
like Discipline, Commitment & Involvement, Cleanliness, Quality, Communication
and Innovation. Then we hope by 10th Standard, the child would have acquired
the major key competencies.
On next page, we are giving details of the three progressive modules in tabular
form which elaborates what can be done group-wise.

BUILDING FUTURE INDIA GROUP-WISE PROGRESSIVE MODULES:

After sixty-eight years of independence, we still sing a song “ge gksaxs Skill Group I Group II Group III
dke;kc ,d fnu”. The question is when are we going to be successful the way we
should have been. Discipline • Show the • Make them • Survey Findings
Today lot of discussion is taking place on ‘Skill Development’. So far we learners what is follow traffic • Research on
happening on rules unsafe acts /
have not been able to develop any such skills required by the industry / business
roads? • Project of traffic unsafe conditions
houses through education. Let’s understand the shortfall of work-culture in India. • Explain Road monitoring can on road
Some of the shortfalls of-culture we feel are listed below: Safety be given • Learning from that
• Lack of Discipline
• Lack of Commitment / Involvement
12  Information and Communication Technology in Education Use of ICT in School Education  13
♦ ♦
• In 5th Standard, again the same principle of quality was adhered to during
Commitment/ • Completion of • Completion of • Time scheduling
Involvement home work on home work and • Understanding their handcraft classes. In this, students were asked to use scissor in the right
time projects on time importance of way to cut a paper on the markings. The task given was to cut the paper on
• Time completion of task marked lines. Such lessons helped to create different items of paper with
management on time & Penalty quality, e.g. envelopes, flower-pots etc.
Cleanliness/ • Cleanliness of • Cleanliness of • Application of ‘5 • Lessons on ‘Book-Binding Process’ in 7th Standard taught many things.
House-Keeping Classroom surrounding area S’ Formula Accuracy and quality gave correct desired output. The practicing of the
• Activities • Actual tasking process helped students to understand dignity of labour and fun of working
which leads to • Feedback / with own hands.
litter should be Suggestions • Competition of Selling - In the high school, the competitions of selling soaps,
avoided • Beginning of scented oil and different products were organised during festive seasons
‘Kaizen’
Diwali and Dussera. It was the beginning of entrepreneurial development
Quality • Small Tasks • Handcrafts • Problem solving of the child.
• A place for • Assembling techniques The researcher realised much later that school teacher imbibed the culture of
everything and parts • Introduction to “Do it Right First Time” in his early stage of life. When the researcher was taking
everything in its • Painting ‘Quality Circle’ basic training on Quality Management while serving industry as a manager, he
place
learnt the same principle.
Communication • Introductory • Preparing • Group Discussions So, we must plan development of students on key competencies from the
sessions presentation of • Interview early stages of life in groups as mentioned earlier. This will develop the basic
• Story-telling PPT techniques skills in the students. We can expect a different society altogether.
Innovation • Smaller Toys • Small Projects • Projects at higher
• Puzzles • Sharing ideas for level PRACTICES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES
• Blocks change • Environment If we try to look at the developed countries, one understands that the initiatives
Projects for development of key competencies start right from school level. One can
• TERI programme understand that their approach of teaching-learning motivates the learner.
• Sharing of
experiences APPROACHES TO LEARNING (ATL)
These ideas may help you to think about some of the ways in which learning
RESEARCHER’S EXPERIENCE can be constructed to challenge and motivate learners, help them take responsibility
Experience of the researcher of his primary school education (1959 – 1963) for their own learning and develop new thoughts and ideas.
reveals that such initiatives of developing the key competencies were in practice. The approaches to learning or core skills are - Communication, Social, Self-
Some of the tasks he performed are listed below: Management, Research and Thinking. Let us try to understand them one by one.
• At the pre-primary school level, a simple task was given – the task of folding
Communication:
a handkerchief. They were taught the ‘Right way of folding the handkerchief’.
• Exchanging thoughts, messages and How can students communicate
And it was practiced again and again. information effectively through interaction through interaction?
• At the primary level, lessons of improving handwriting were taught. Practicing • Reading, writing and using language to How can students demonstrate
was must for everyone with a ‘Boru’ – a pen made of bamboo stick with a gather and communicate information communication through language?
correct cut to give a shape to each letter, ink-pot and a notebook for practice.
This book was called ‘Kitta’ in Marathi which had spotted alphabets and space Social:
• Collaboration Skills
for practice. This handwriting session continued for four years up to 4th Standard.
• Working effectively with others How can students collaborate?
The researcher confirms that his good handwriting skill is due to such practice.
• The researcher was taught and was made to practice proper cleaning and Self Management:
dressing of vegetables for cooking purpose. In the Self Management, there are skills like Organization skills, Affective skills and Reflection
skills.
• Putting a bed sheet on a mattress and folding it on the edges - This develops
the skill of quality.
14  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
• Organization skills:
• Managing time and tasks effectively How can students demonstrate
organization skills?
• Affective skills:
Managing state of mind How can students manage their own
• Mindfulness state of mind?
• Perseverance
• Emotional management
• Self-motivation
• Resilience
• Reflection Skills:
(Re)considering the process of learning; How can students be reflective?
choosing and using ATL skills
Research:
• Information literacy skills:
Finding, interpreting, judging and creating How can students demonstrate
Information information literacy?
• Media literacy skills:
Interacting with media to use and create How can students demonstrate media
ideas and information literacy?
Thinking:
• Critical thinking skills:
Analysing and evaluating issues and ideas How can students think critically?
• Creative thinking skills:
Generating novel ideas and considering How can students be creative?
new perspectives
• Transfer skills:
Using skills and knowledge in multiple How can students transfer skills and
contexts knowledge across disciplines and subject
groups?
HOW WE CAN USE ICT?
Coming back to Indian scenario, let us try to understand how we can use ICT
for the development of the major key competencies. We suggest that teachers and
students should be involved while using the ICT in a different way. As suggested
earlier the tasks are given to learners in three groups. These tasks are recorded on
video and short films are made. The tasks / activities can be given in following areas:
• Hawthorne Effect: Group project work must be carried out in schools so that the
students have to do the activity on their own. This project work can be recorded
and shown to the concerned students. This will help in motivating such students
for future tasks. Student will get sense of recognition. (Hawthorne Effect)
• Mapping Success Stories: Map the success stories and show them to other
students. This will motivate the other students to follow the success stories
and they will also try to become successful.
Use of ICT in School Education  15
• Cleanliness Drive: Involve students in cleaning the surroundings of school.
Let them do it the way they wanted to take up a task. Record how they are
performing and screen it. After the screening, ask for improvements through
suggestions / discussions. Automatically students will be involved in the
process. Thus there is a lot of scope for creativity and innovation. This will
help them to develop the required work - culture. The well-known principle
of ‘Kaizen’ (continuous improvement) will start at school only. It will help
the students in their respective career.
• On Discipline: Teach some traffic rules at different levels. Show videos
/ films of useful conditions created by users of the road pedestrians, two
wheeler and motor car drivers etc. And through fun, teach them the right
way of doing things and precautions to be taken while driving.
• Parents involvement is must in the development of discipline norms. It is
observed that lot of parents are not following the rules of traffic while dropping
the kid to the school daily. This gives negative impact on the minds of the
students. What he / she learns that one can cross the red signal when traffic
police is not present. This develops negative impact and such students when
they will get license to drive remember negative normative behaviour of
their parents and follow in the same manner. It is also found out that people
are using cell phones while driving. This can be fatal. One must understand
the risks and try to develop positive attitude towards non-use of cell phones
while driving.
• Film shows: Through good animation / films on traffic rules we can develop
the required discipline norms at school education only.
• ‘5 S’ Formula for House-Keeping: The ‘5 S’ formula can be taught to
students for getting organized for ‘House-Keeping’. The original words of
‘5 S’ and their meaning and how it can be applied is given below-
SEIRI: SORT
It means keep the necessary in work area and eliminating anything that is
unnecessary to work properly. Students must keep their work area clean and sorted.
SEITON: STRAIGHTENING
Straightening means Systematic Arrangement for the most efficient and effective
retrieval of the things you need. It is the best way of eliminating pointless searching
and having all the material according to the principle: “a place for everything and
everything in its place.” Students will learn not to waste time in searching the
things like homework books, pencil or even rubber.
Seiso: Shining
It means keeping everything so clean that it shines. Daily follow-up of cleaning
is necessary in order to sustain this improvement. In a clean environment, students
will feel like studying and fresh.
16  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
Seiketsu: Standardizing
It means that once the first three S have been implemented, have an easy-
to-follow standards and develop a structure to support it. Without it, the situation
will deteriorate right back to old habits. It will help the students to develop the
culture of cleanliness, set the standards and follow them
SHITSUKE: SUSTAIN
After a period of 3 to 6 months, the time has come to evaluate the situation
by means of a review. The review can be based experiences which assesses the
previous 4S. This leads the students to continuously follow the set standards, self
discipline and cleanliness.
E-LEARNING
One of the major part of ICT is e-Learning. It simply means Electronic
Educational Technology. The content developed for this is called e-Content. The
Technology includes numerous types of media that deliver text, audio, images,
animation, and streaming video, and includes technology applications and processes
such as audio or video tape, satellite TV, CD / DVD-ROM, and computer-based
learning, as well as web-based learning.
GOVERNMENT EFFORTS OF SPREAD OF ICT
The Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India (MHRD)
has started its Mission called National Mission on Education through ICT (NME
- ICT). In this mission, the MHRD will be making available the under-graduate
and post-graduate courses on its ‘Sakshat’ Portal. One can visit the portal at the
www.sakshat.ac.in and see their efforts.
The teachers who are recognised as good teachers should prepare e-Content
using originality to reach to students. This will be a great help for the learners
with different IQs. Students can practice such sessions from home, go through
lessons again and again.
PROBLEMS OF DEVELOPING QUALITY E-CONTENT
As a part of the Ministry of Human Resource Development Mission of NME
– ICT, the researchers are developing e-Content for Business Management, Human
Resource Management, Office Management & Secretarial Practice and Indian
Classical Music courses for undergraduate. Till now we have developed about
350 programmes out of approximately 1100 programmes.
The content has different components like Objectives, Synopsis, Transcript,
Power-point Presentation, Academic Script, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
with answers, Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) with answers, Tutorials,
Assignments, Case Studies, Glossary, References, Authentic Web Links and
Misconceptions.
While developing these programmes, the researchers came across many
problems. Some of the problems are mentioned below-
Use of ICT in School Education  17
• The biggest problem is that the good teachers are not ready to come forward
and prepare the material required developing the content. There is lack of
initiative of developing since it requires lot of components as mentioned earlier
like transcript, Academic Script, FAQs, MCQs, Tutorial etc. Our experience
is that this document is of approximately fifty pages.
• Developing the content requires original thought. The tendency of downloading
material from Internet is killing original thinking.
• The good teachers are also required to have good presentation skills and have
voice modulation. The lecture of about thirty minutes should build interest
in students to learn the topic.
• We have the experience that these teachers are camera conscious (shy). They
fear to face the camera. The good teachers should develop facial expressions and
learn Kinesics. Kinesics is the interpretation of body motion communication
such as facial expressions and gestures — that is, nonverbal behavior related
to movement of any part of the body or the body as a whole. [n]
• In future, more and more interactive modules are required to be developed
for which the trainer / teacher is should have in-depth domain knowledge to
explain different queries from different students and to have more interaction.
• The template should be easy to browse / move around and should have good
colour scheme so that while using these programmes, students must feel
comfortable and should continue using it again and again.
• For this, proper ‘Instructional Designers’ are required to be trained properly.
They have the knowledge of developing these interactive e-Content modules.
• The support technical staff also should know the subject or at least try to
understand the subject. So that while developing the content he / she can
contribute creatively.
• Finally, all involved must keep a view that ‘ICT must be of a best Quality’.
SUGGESTIONS
After having the discussion, we have some suggestions based on the experience
of the researchers in this field.
• Young, energetic, techno savvy and good teachers should come forward to take
maximum out of ICT. Young teachers can learn and adapt to the technology
for developing the content.
• For experienced and good teachers it can be quite challenging. We have
experienced that with little training, these teachers are good assets for
developing the content. So the experienced and good teacher should also
take part in the mission of ICT.
• ICT is continuously changing and evolving. Teachers and administrators will
require a long-term strategic planning for developing the quality content and
delivering it to the students in India. This will be one good step forward to
achieve ‘Make in India’.
18  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦
REFERNCES
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_and_communications_technology#ICT_in_
Education
• http://www.icbse.com/ict-education
• http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/learningandteaching/approaches/index.asp
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinesics 3
Some useful sites
•
•
http://mhrd.gov.in/ict_overview
http://ictcurriculum.gov.in/
ICT in Teacher Education
• http://mhrd.gov.in/ict_awards
• http://www.ebasta.in/
Dr. S. S. Patil*

Educational systems around the world are under increasing pressure to use the
new information and communication technologies (ICTs) to teach students the
knowledge and skills they need in the 21st century.(UNESCO 2002) .Throughout
the world, schools expect to recruit new teachers having the ability and aptitude
to treat ICT in the teaching context. There is need for harnessing information to
the present day learners and ICT is a right and the only alternative for today’s
education system. The learners of this new knowledge society can be made to
learn effectively only through the ICT, The reasons are
• The world’s knowledge base doubles every 2–3 years;
• 7,000 scientific and technical articles are published each day;
• Data sent from satellites orbiting the earth transmit enough data to fill 19
million volumes every two weeks;
This enormous inflow of information cannot be handled by traditional methods
of documentation and learning, Further no method other than getting access to
ICT can manage and adopt this volume of information. More over, learners of
secondary schools in developing nations have been exposed to more information
than their grandparents were in a lifetime; This situation is changing every day and
this process is a continuous process. This has posed a challenge to our educational
systems as how to transform the curriculum and teaching-learning process to provide
students with the skills to function effectively in this dynamic, information-rich,
and continuously changing environment.
To accomplish this goal requires both a change in the traditional view of the
learning process and an understanding of how the new digital technologies can
create new learning environments in which students are engaged learners, able
to take greater responsibility for their own learning and constructing their own
knowledge.
These developments directly point to the need for change in the teacher education
sector. Especially in our country teacher education has not yet come out of the clutches

*Chairman, Department of Post Graduate Studies and Research in Education, Kuvempu

University, Jnana Sahyadri, Shankaraghatta Shivamoga.

19
20  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
of the traditional view of considering learner as a receiver and teacher as a transmitter.
The teacher education approaches followed by most of the teacher education institutions
hardly prepare teachers to teacher the learners of the modern knowledge society. More
over the teacher education has been stuffed with more theory rather than field and hands
on experiences. The NCTE 2014 norms and regulations is a ray of hope in this regard.
PRE REQUISITES OF ICT IMPLEMENTATION IN TEACHER EDUCATION (
PRE SERVICE AND INSERVICE)
Teacher education institutions of India are facing the the challenge of preparing
a new generation of teachers to effectively use the new learning tools in their
teaching practices. To achieve this the pre-service and inservice teacher education
has make drastic modifications in its entire approach towards preparing teachers.
It is a well known fact that all the knowledge accessibility has gone digital hence
it is essential for the teachers to understand:
• The impact of technology on global society and the implications for education
• The extensive generation of knowledge has been responsible for creating
more effective and engaging student-centered learning environments
• The critical importance of the change process in planning for the integration
of technology into teacher education
• The ICT competencies required of teachers related to content, pedagogy,
technical issues, social issues, collaboration, and networking
• The importance of developing standards to guide implementation of ICTs in
teacher education
• The essential conditions for successful integration of ICTs into teacher education
• Important strategies to consider in planning for the infusion of ICTs in teacher
education and managing the change process.
Teachers and professionals sometimes consider ICT as being only a tool in the
improvement of teaching and learning. ICT as a device should only be considered
as an artifact in the new way of teaching. The teacher remains the prime mover
in the teaching process.
Based on these the pre requisites ICT implementation in teacher education
is as follows:
• Sufficient access to digital technologies and the Internet in their classrooms,
schools, and teacher education institutions.
• Availability of High quality, meaningful, and culturally responsive digital
content
• Teachers must have the knowledge and skills to use the new digital tools and
• Resources to help all students achieve high academic standards.
WHY ICT IN TEACHER EDUCATION?
It is a usual argument from some of the professionals that India is yet to be
ready for ICT implementations as we are still striving to fulfill our basic needs.
This argument does have a strong justification because of two converging forces
ICT in Teacher Education  21
• First the quantity of information available in the world is exponentially
greater than that available only a few years ago, and the rate of its growth is
accelerating.
• A synergistic effect occurs and information gets doubled now and then.
A delay of one day may push us back to one year and this process continues. More
over the traditional learning system emerged out of the factory model of education was
effective to the extent in preparing large numbers of individuals with skills needed
for low-skilled positions in industry and agriculture. The innovation of classrooms
was created along with the concept of standardized instruction for everyone. The
traditional, teacher-centered approach to learning depicts that the teacher is the expert
and the dispenser of knowledge to the students. It is largely a ‘broadcast’ model of
learning where the teacher serves as the repository and transmitter of knowledge to the
students. The traditional educational paradigm is often characterized that Learning is
hard, difficult and often tedious process. According to this view, if students are having
fun or enjoying in a learning activity, they probably are not learning.
THE LIMITATIONS OF TRADITIONAL LEARNING SYSTEM:
The traditional learning systems with some advantages of its own have the
following serious limitations:
• Learning seen as process of reproducing than producing knowledge: .
Most of the time our teaching learning process is “information-oriented,”
emphasizing students reproducing knowledge rather than producing their own
knowledge. It is more teacher-centered. The role of the teacher is confined
to disseminator of knowledge than facilitator, and the role of the student as
a passive receiver, storer and repeater of the transmitted information. Hence
the support materials are restricted to printed notes or the notes given by the
teacher during the lecture and reading the prescribed text books conducting
pre arranged restricted lesson plans/Practical which reduce students to passive
recipients of information and fail to develop their thinking skills.
• Learning as ritualistic process. It has been observed since long time that
learning is solitary cognitive activity spending long hours over the desk
completing and writing the assignments than to discuss, share and create
things synergistically. The curriculums designed till date has not provided
enough opportunities to the pre-service teachers to explore new avenues of
knowledge and practice them. Hence it has been more ritualistic since long
time
• Learning is a linear process. Frequently, the textbook or teacher provides
only one linear path through a narrowly bounded content area or sequence
of standardized instructional units. This hampers the capacity of divergent
thinking.
In contrast to the traditional teaching-learning paradigm, a new paradigm of
the teaching-learning process is emerging, The use of ICT has opened up new
avenues in the field of teaching learning as there are better options for learning
than available in the traditional system.
22  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
ICT AND TEACHER EDUCATION A SHIFT FROM TEACHING TO LEARNING
Technology has created change in all aspects of society, which has compelled
us to change our expectations of what students must learn in order to function
in the new knowledge society. Students will have to learn to browse through
large amounts of information, to analyze and make decisions, and to master new
knowledge domains in an increasingly technological society. They will need to be
lifelong learners, collaborating with others in accomplishing complex tasks, A shift
from teacher-centered instruction to learner-centered instruction is needed to enable
students to acquire the new 21st century knowledge and skills.(UNESCO 2002)
DEVELOPING EFFECTIVE ICT INTEGRATION IN TEACHER EDUCATION
The integration of ICT in teacher is the need of the day. It is necessary to
develop suitable strategies in this integration.
• Technology should be infused holistically into the entire teacher education
programme.
• Throughout their teacher education experience, students should learn about
and with technology and how to incorporate it into their own teaching. It
should not be restricted to a subject of theory or few practicals. Pre-service
teacher education students should learn about a wide range of educational
IMPLEMENTING PROCESS OF ICT IN TEACHER EDUCATION
technologies across their professional preparation, from introductory and
foundations courses to internship and enhancing professional capacities.
• Contextual usage of ICT. There should be emphasis on professional ICT literacy
without confining to theoretical literacy. Professional literacy is best learned
in context. Pre-service students should learn many uses of technology in their
course work and integrate into internship/field experiences. They should use
it in their own learning, and they should explore creative uses of ICT in their
teaching. Teacher educators and mentor teachers should expose pre-service
teachers to extensive usage of technology and provide opportunities for them
to teach with ICT in classrooms.
• Students should experience ICT supported learning environments in their teacher
education programme: ICT can be used to support traditional forms of learning
as well as to transform learning. Such as using a PowerPoint presentation, can
supplement the traditional lecture, but it does not necessarily transform the
learning experience. On the other hand, using multimedia cases to teach topics
that have previously been addressed through lectures may well be an example
of a learning experience transformed by technology. Hence, Students should
experience both types of uses of technology in their programme; The innovations
in the web based technology has opened up an entirely new world of knowledge
before the teachers which can be effectively used for the teacher education.
• This can be done by setting these goals
• To train every teacher-educator in purposeful use of ICT for teaching and in
turn emphasize it on their student-teachers;
• To equip teacher-educators with core skills in teaching with ICT; and develop
suitable training models of ICT integration
ICT in Teacher Education  23
• To involve institutions of higher education and industry partners in teacher
education programmes
• Strategies for Implementing ICT in Teacher Education.
• The strategies for implementing can be framed based on the on the discussions
of the paper published by Jung, (2000)
• Providing short foundation course that focuses on hands-on ICT experience
as the initial stage of pre-service training. (Such a course should focus on
applying ICT skills to achieve pedagogical objectives, rather than teaching
IT skills in isolation.)
• Providing more advanced ICT courses as electives for students who need or
want to develop more advanced IT-based pedagogical skills.
• Integrating ICT components into all of the subject matter areas such Pedagogy
of school subjects such as maths, social studies, languages and so on, so that
students have a role model for ICT-integrated teaching and learning.
• Designing ICT-integrated courses in such a way that students have the
opportunity to produce ICT-based instructional materials themselves and
share outcomes of the course with others.
The major agencies of implementation of ICT in teacher education are
(a) Curriculum designers: The role of curriculum designer is important in the
ICT implementation in teacher education. The designing should enable the
utilization of web resources, Internet communication and online resources.
(b) Teacher Educators: The classic role of the teacher educators can play a
significant role in better implementation of ICT in teacher education. From
technological point of view teacher Educators may be subdivided into at least
three categories:
• Those having generally positive attitudes towards ICT-usage, encourage their
students to acquire computer literacy, thus raising the standard of teaching
and learning in the whole system
• Those who are neutral towards the use of ICTs in education
• Those with explicitly negative attitudes towards all new technologies.
• Hence the role of teacher educators having positive attitude toward ICT is
major in building a ICT enabled environment in the process
(c) Technologists: Technologists may be defined as follows:
• ICT-experienced colleagues in teacher education
• Professors of ICTs, highly competent, but rather less orientated to Technology-
related pedagogical perspectives
• Technical ICT experts and computer ’gurus’, having no educational background
• Practicing teachers competent in ICTs
• Student teachers competent in ICTs
24  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦
• Schoolchildren competent in ICTs.
• Technical assistants (programmers and electronics technicians).
• Student Teachers (both professionals enrolled for certification and
undergraduates).
• Pupils in schools in partnership with teacher education programmes.
These technologists can play a major role in assisting/helping the teacher
educators in a number of ways:
(i) Participating as a co-teacher in classes given by a teacher educator
(ii) Conducting classes in conjunction with the content and schedule of the teacher
educator’s course; i.e., by choosing the same subject areas and cognitive tasks
as a field for application of particular ICT tools, aimed at solving specified
teaching and learning problems
(iii) Teaching modules generally synchronized with, but not necessarily developed
for, a Teacher educator’s course
(iv) Supporting students’ independent work, in a task-oriented way within the
framework of the course
(v) Facilitating interdisciplinary projects with the participation of several Teacher
educator’s
CONCLUSION
The changing expectations of the society and the changing demands of the global
market has enhanced the importance of educating the children to meet these demands.
Every country including India needs a productive citizen who can help the country to
progress and compete with the international community. Hence the teachers should
be well equipped to prepare the children for this ever growing knowledge society.
The age old strategies of teaching –learning may not be suitable to meet these needs.
The information over flow and techniques of accessibility are to be met effectively.
Hence ICT should be considered not just a discipline of study but as a tool to access,
create and contribute information for this information society. It is through updating
teacher education one can produce productive citizens to this country.
REFERENCES
• Chaib Mohamed & Svensson Ann-Katrin(Ed) (2005). ICT in Teacher Education-
Challenging prospects Jönköping University Press/Encell
• Gaible, Edmond and Mary Burns. (2005). Using Technology to Train Teachers: Appropriate
Uses of ICT forTeacher Professional Development in Developing Countries. Washington,
DC: infoDev / World Bank.
• Patil,S.S, Dange, Jagannath. K and Geetha C (2012). ICT in Education: Recent Trends
Prateeksha Publications, Jaipur.
• Patil,S.S, Geetha, C. and Dange, Jagannath. K (2012). ICT infrastructure in Indian
Education. Prateeksha Publications, Jaipur.
• UNESCO (2002). Information and Communication Technologies in Teacher Education-
A Planning Guide. Division of Higher Education UNESCO
4
Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) and Teacher Education
- Some Focal Considerations
Dr. Mohammad Iqbal Mattoo* and Muzamil Masood Mattoo**
Abstract
Information and Communication Technology is considered as a significant
tool in the transformation of modern educational needs and requirements.
It needs to be effectively integrated into the formal classroom teaching
and learning conditions. ICT has focused its attention in teacher education
programmes. However, its integration in general and teacher education in
particular is the need in modern times. Its adequate recognition and support is
crucial for the integration and effective utilization to ensure quality education.
ICT training inputs are pre-requisites for teachers of today. The present paper
is an humble attempt in this direction.
Keywords: Information & Communication Technology, Teacher Education
INTRODUCTION
Information and Communication Technologies consist of the hardware,
software, networks, and media for collection, storage, processing, transmission
and presentation of information as well as related services. It is considered as a
strong agent in shaping the global economy. During last few years, the new ICT
tools have fundamentally changed the way people communicate. It has become
one of the basic building blocks of modern society. ICT is an umbrella term that
includes any communication device or application encompassing: Radio, Television,
Cellular phones, Computer, Satellite systems and so on. The phrase ICT had been
used by academic researchers since the 1980s, but it became popular after it was
used in a report to the UK Government by Dennis Stevenson in 1997 and in the
*Associate Professor, Faculty of Education, University of Kashmir.
**Assistant Registrar, University of Kashmir, Mail: mattoojk@gmail.com.
25
26  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
revised National Curriculum for England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2000.
The term ICT is now also used to refer to the convergence of audio visual and
telephone networks with computer networks through a single cabling or link system
( Rani, 2013). It has received a great momentum not in the field of education only
but has found its runway in the field of teacher education.
It is without any shadow of doubt that the progress of our nation depends
on the system of education that exists in our country. The aim of education is
to mould the future of our nation by moulding young Indians with a balanced
and well-rounded education. Over the past few years globalization, rapid
technological developments and information explosion is compelling changes
in the nature of education. ICT is believed to contribute to innovative, pupil-
centred learning environments which in return acts as coaches instead of
lectures (Verma, 2012).
ICT TRAINING INPUTS FOR TEACHER EDUCATION
For the successful implementation of ICT, teacher trainees, teachers and
teacher educators need to be trained in the below training inputs. The commercially
available training programmes are designed to provide exposure to system
software, amongst them some of the application softwares and internet –specific
tools:-
• Awareness: The input/s should be to make the teachers aware of the importance
and possibilities of ICT and its current trends and future projections;
• Basic Hardware Skills: Hands on training experience in operation of the
Computers, laptops- switching on, shouting down; storage devices like using
floppy drive, CD ROM, Flash/pen drives; input devices like using key boards,
mouse, modem, scanners, camera devices; output devices – using printers
and speakers and display devices like data projectors, LCD, interactive white
boards.
• System Software: Features of desktop computers, like basic editing, switching
between various programmes/ software applications, creating multimedia
presentations, etc.
• Use of productivity Software: Use of commonly softwares like Word
processing, spreadsheets, database, presentation, creation of various types
of format Files like commonly used PDF format, image processing etc.
• Internet Use: Effective use of internet by way of communication through
email, use of online resources like video /audio resources available like Google
Education, Khan Academy, searching on websites for useful information/
resources, selecting and saving information, video conferencing, use of freeware
and shareware resources, undertaking joint research projects etc.
• Application of ICT Tools: effective use of application tools like application
software in different subjects for different jobs, appropriate ICT tools and
pedagogy, unit plan integrating ICT tools, managing ICT learning, sharing of
educational resources with learners; project management and using various
online resources;
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Teacher Education  27
• Open Source resource: Use of open source resources available on the Internet,
for application in various teaching learning situations;
• Professional /personal productivity: Use of ICT for administration, record
keeping, reporting, management and preservation of learning resources, transfer
of the same to learners;
• Social, legal and ethical issues: Advantages and limitations of computer use,
privacy /copyright issues, plagiarism, security like hacking, virus, misuse,
and its safe use.
As an advanced training website development, installation and use of server
based applications, training in course management system, e-learning course content
development, using various tools can be introduced. It is to be noted that ICT
training inputs would not provide all the answers rather it would empower teachers
to develop their basic confidence and vision.
TEACHERS’ INITIATIVES
Whatever may be the inputs in the training and how well is it designed,
the transformation cannot be achieved without the leadership, commitment and
initiatives of the teachers. This can be ensured if:
• Self learning tutorials available on net or print medium, are utilized,
• ICT expert are hired by a group of teachers,
• We enroll for i) on line professionally development courses and best
commercially available ICT training programmes,
• We attend ICT training courses, seminars, conferences and workshops,
• On line learning by means of videoconferencing, discussion, chat, blogging
is availed,
• We take up diploma or certificate courses on ICT offered by national or
international universities and organizations,
• Faculty exchange programmes are made possible,
• Short term or long term projects are taken up from various funding agencies,
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• Anderson, R.E. (2000). Information and Communication Technology Knowledge
Management Competencies: http://www.emb.gov.hk .
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United States Distance Learning Association, Vol. 16, No. 2.
• Blurton, C. ( 2004). New directions of ICT-use in education. University of Hong Kong.
• Brown, J.S., Collins, A., & Duguid, P. (2009). Role of ICTs. in Teacher Learning. New
Delhi: Adhyayan Publishers and Distributors.
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South Africa: National and Institutional Pathways’, Higher Education Policy Vol. 20,
No.(1), Pp; 73-95.
• Gargh, S. (2006). Information & Comm. Technology. New Delhi: Alfa Publication.
28  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦
• Girgaonkar, B. G. (2013). Education Power in 21st Century. New Delhi: ABD Publishers.
• Gulbahar, Y. (2008). ICT Usage in Higher Education, The Turkish Online Journal of
Educational Technology- Vol. 7, No.1,
• Khirwadkar, A. and Madhavi, R.L. (2006). ICT in Education: An Integrated Approach.
Edutracks. PP.14-17.
• Langmia, K. (2006). The role of ICT in the Economic Development of Africa: The
case of South Africa. International Journal of Education and Devel. using ICT, 2(4).
5
• Loveless, A. & Ellis, V ( 2001). ICT Pedagogy and the Curriculum. London, UK:
Rutledge Flamer. Technology for Learning in Teacher Education
• Mondal Naba Kumar and Roy Moupriya (2010). Integration of ICT in Secondary
Education: A Survey Report, J. Interacad, Vol.14., No.4, Pp. 561-568. Prof. H. M. Shailaja* and Kanakappa Pujar**
• Mumtaz, S. (2000). Factors Affecting Teachers Use of Information and Communication
Technology: A Review of Literature. Journal of Information Technology for Teacher
Education. Vol.9, No. 3., Pp. 319-342. Abstract
• Paily, M.U. (2006). Integration of ICT in Teacher Education. Edutracks, Vol.5. No. 6.
• Panigrahi, S.C. & Biswas, A. (2012). Teacher Education. New Delhi: APH Publishing Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have become
Corporation. Ansari Road. commonplace entities in all aspects of life. Across the past twenty years
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Learning: Technology, Curriculum, Evaluation, Cost. Paris: UNESCO. nearly all forms of endeavour within business and governance. Education is
• Robinson, B. and Latchem, C. (2003). Teacher Education: Challenges and Change. a very socially oriented activity and quality education has traditionally been
Paris: UNESCO. associated with strong teachers having high degrees of personal contact with
• Sharon, P. (2009). Teacher Education in Research Excellence, San Jose State University.
learners. The use of ICT in education lends itself to more student-centered
• Varma A. (2008). ICT in the Field of Education’, Anil Varma (Ed), “Information and
Communication Technology in Education”. Icfai Univ. Press, Hyderabad, p.3.
learning settings. But with the world moving rapidly into digital media and
• Verma, A. (2102). Integration of ICT in Teacher Edu. Cit. in S. Panigrahi & A. Biswal information, the role of ICT in education has become more and more important
(Edts.) Teacher Education. New Delhi: APH Pub. Corporation Pp. 198-202. and this importance will continue to grow and develop in the 21st century. In
this paper, the use of ICT in education is discussed. Effective use of ICT in
the teaching learning process; quality and accessibility of teacher education;
learning, motivation, learning environment, besides an overview of the ICT
and scholastic performance is discussed.
Keywords – Web Browsers, Technology enhanced learning, Self-paced
learning, interactive learning, Integrated Learning Module, E -learning,
m-teaching, multimedia, Pedagogy, Collaboration and Networking.

INTRODUCTION
Teacher is considered to be the architect of the nation. In other words, the
future of the nation lies in the hands of teacher. This shows the importance of
teacher. One can realize how important education is which makes one a teacher.
Teacher education is looked after by a systematic operation of various agencies

*Professor and Director, School of Education, Rani Channamma University, dyasangama,

Belagavi-591156, Karnataka. Email: rcuschoolofeducation@gmail.com.
**Assistant Professor, Post Graduate Department of Education, Rani Channamma
University, Vidyasangama, Belagavi-591156, Karnataka. Email: kanakappa.pujar@
rediffmail.com.

29
30  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
involved in it. In our country, no system is free from problems; teacher education
is not an exception to it.
Various education commissions and a number of expert committee have
discussed the aims of teacher education in India. Unfortunately, barring a few
exceptions, our universities and institutions of higher learning have largely not
been able to live up to these great expectations. On the contrary, they have just
become bodies for conducting stereotyped examinations and degree- awarding
centers. The quality and reliability of such exams and degrees is also sometimes
questionable. One of the main reasons is the inadequate academic, professional
and pedagogic preparation and insufficient level of knowledge and the skills of
the faculty. Besides this, traditional versus modern methods of teaching, outdated
knowledge and information and lack of skills, teachers attitude, aptitude and
authenticity of their sources of knowledge are some of the other core issues.
Owing to knowledge explosion and tremendously fast changing ICT, the teachers
sometimes find it rather difficult to cope with the new intellectual challenges being
thrown up by the changed global and local context. Therefore, they need to acquire
new knowledge, and reliable and authentic information.
SCOPE OF ICT IN EDUCATION
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is basically an umbrella
term that encompasses all communication technologies such as internet, wireless
networks, cell phones, satellite communications, digital television etc. that provide
access to information. During the past few decades, ICT has provided society with
a vast array of new communication capabilities and has fundamentally changed the
way we live now. We find a world of difference in the practices and procedures of
various fields such as medicine, tourism, banking, business, engineering, etc. as
they operate now in comparison to how they operated two decades ago. In contrast,
the impact of ICT on education in India, however, has been far less and slow.
The most fundamental cause seems to have been the deep-seated belief that
teaching is an art or at best an imperfect science with no role of technology in the
design or delivery of instruction. But now times have changed and the paradigm
of education and learning has changed from art or science to technology-mediated
instruction and learning. ICT can, therefore, be perceived as a big change agent
for education.
ICT, if used creatively, can make a big difference in the way teachers teach and
students learn and can help students acquire 21st century skills like digital literacy,
innovative thinking, creativity, sound reasoning and effective communication.
ICT can help in enhancing the quality of education through blended learning by
supplementing the traditional talk and chalk method of teaching. ICT-enabled
education can also be a solution to the growing demands for enrolments in higher
education in India and thus help to increase the gross enrolment ratio (GER) which
at present is very low ( about 12%) as compared to the world average of 23%. In
case of open and distance education (ODE) system where “Anyone, Anywhere
and Anytime,” that is, 3A’s is the main philosophy, ICT- enabled education can
Technology for Learning in Teacher Education  31
do wonders that no one can imagine and help pave way for the creation of virtual
universities in the long run. ICT can also significantly contribute in efficiently
managing the governance in the universities and colleges.
ICT in education is the need of the hour. It has the potential to provide solution
to many of the challenges of higher education faces today. The common fear that
ICT shall replace a teacher is totally unfounded. Realization now seems to be slowly
dawning on the teaching community that ICT is primarily to empower them and
not to replace them. ICT is, therefore, not to be feared but to be embraced so as
to empower our future generations by providing them high quality ICT- enabled
education.
IMPORTANCE OF ICT IN CLASS ROOMS
Training a teacher in using ICT is more crucial than acquiring a large number
of computers. Teachers have to be trained to facilitate the learning process, make the
process real, achievable, challenging, yet exciting and not intimidating. Reducing
teacher talk and encouraging student discussion is extremely important. Everything
need not be written on the blackboard to be considered as taught. Many teachers
think the computer is used only to make the content look attractive! They need to
know that in 21st century, information is not difficult access, instead organizing,
sharing, and collaborating become essential skills. Hence, ICT is not merely to
portray information but to interact, share, and thus learn. ICT provides meaningful,
absorbing media that makes teaching-learning more productive.
ASSESSMENT OF IMPACT OF ICT ON EDUCATION
Although ICT offers the opportunity to construct powerful learning experiences,
it is pedagogically neutral. That is, ICT can be used in support of traditional teaching
methodologies like the large group lecture, student note taking, and examinations.
Teachers can use a computer and projector to show slides to illustrate a lecture,
students can use laptops to take notes during the lecture, and multiple choice
quizzes about the content of the lecture can be put on a website. How these new
ICT tools and resources will be used is a human decision, not inherent in the
technologies themselves.
(a) ICT has the potential to be used as a supportive educational tool enabling
students’ learning by doing. ICT can make it possible for teachers to engage
students in self-paced, self-directed problem-based or constructivist learning
experiences; and also test student learning in new, interactive, and engaging
ways that may better assess their understanding of the content.
(b) A second way to assess the merit of ICT use in education is to consider what
its use enables students and teachers to do that they would not otherwise be
able to do.
FIVE ASPECTS OF THE EDUCATIONAL USE OF ICT
1. supporting new pedagogical methods
2. accessing remote resources
32  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
3. enabling collaboration
4. extending educational programs and
5. developing skills for the workplace
1.  ICT in Teacher Education
The role of interactive multimedia in a perspective where learning is part
of schooling, working or just living is a very significant. ICT also includes web
TVs, Net PCs, and Web-Based Education that offers accessibility, flexibility and
innovativeness in teaching and learning. ICT integrated teacher education is more
important to Indian education system that is committed to maintain global partnership
as well as leadership in knowledge-based society.
ICT especially in the context of teacher education fulfills the following
objectives;
• It envisages excitement to the learner’s eyes, ears, and more importantly the
head.
• ICT fulfills the needs of learners by providing items and packages of higher
standard and interest.
• It helps in transforming the definition of literacy, learning and knowledge; a
definition that increasingly includes multimedia digitalized literacy.
• Multimedia provides a kind of control over the learning environment to
the pupil teachers and they experience learning from their failures and ICT
practices.
• ICT facilitates the learner to have control on lesson, pace the sequence,
content, feedback, which in turn enhances the efficiency of learning.
• Unlike books, it is interactive in nature and creates motivation and interest
among the learners, in turn meeting the individual unique needs effectively
and efficiently.
• Develops the ability of self-learning and interacting individually, as the learner
attains vast experiences effectively, efficiently and expeditiously,
• ICT-empowered simulated situation minimizes dangers in the real world’
e.g. practical in science, pilot training driving etc.
• ICT is a powerful new development with ambitious role in teacher education,
• Digital and Internet.-based multimedia transforms the present trend in the
field.
• It takes just a computer to play multitude of media enabled programs and
packages.
Although the new learning environment can be created without the use of
technology, ICTs can provide powerful tools to help learners to access vast knowledge
resources, collaborate with others, consult with experts, share knowledge, and solve
complex problems using cognitive tools.  ICTs also provide learners with powerful
new tools to represent their knowledge with text, images, graphics, and video.
Technology for Learning in Teacher Education  33
2.  ICT Enabled Teacher Education Programme is the Key to Educational Reform
Educational systems around the world are under increasing pressure to use
ICTs to teach the students the knowledge and skills they require in the 21st century.
With the emerging new technologies, the teaching-learning is evolving from teacher-
centred lecture based instruction to student-centred interactive learning environments. 
Designing and implementing successful ICT enabled teacher education programmes
is a key to fundamental wide ranging educational reform. Based on their long
experiences with traditional modes of learning, teacher educators may find it
challenging to incorporate ICTs into their own instructional practices.
COMPETENCE OF TEACHERS IN USE OF ICT
1. Technology should be infused into the entire teacher education programme.
2. ICT should be introduced in contexts.
3. Student-teachers should experience innovative ICT supported learning
environments in teacher education programmes.
ICT COMPETENCIES
1. Pedagogy
2. Collaboration and Networking
3. Technology
4. Technical Issues
CONCLUSION
Modern constructivist educational theory emphasizes critical thinking, problem
solving, “authentic” learning experiences, social negotiation of knowledge, and
collaboration –pedagogical methods that change the role of the teacher from
disseminator of information to learning facilitator, helping students as they actively
engage with information and materials to construct their own understandings. That
is, students learn how to learn, not just what to learn.
THE FOLLOWING ISSUES NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED
•
What is the present level of ICT knowledge and skills of teacher educators?
•
To what extent the ICT is integrated in teacher education curriculum?
•
What resources are required to provide the needed professional development?
•
How effectively ICT related knowledge and skills be allocated among teacher
education programmes/pre-service education, in-service and continuing
education?
• What are the current state of technology infrastructure and installed base of
hand ware in teacher education institution?
• What is the present level of connectivity in pre-service teacher education
classroom?
34  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦
• What type of hardware and infrastructure are needed to achieve the goals
and objectives of ICT integration in Teacher Education Programmes?
• Will teacher educators receive personal computers to accomplish their work
Toward a new paradigm in education!
The day teachers at last will stop teaching, and then students really will
start learning!
REFERENCES
• Agarwal J. C.(2011) Essentials of Educational Technology, Innovations in teaching-
learning (Second Edition) Vikas Publishing house Pvt. Ltd.
• Ahmed, S. and Singh, M.(2010) Multimedia in Teacher Education Empowering Accessible,
Flexible and innovative learning, Shikshak - Shikha Shodh Patrika Vol. (04) No (1)
pp. 32-33.
• Murphy, C. (2000). Effective use of ICT by student teachers: Is it improving? Society
for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference. Proceedings
of SITE 2000, San Diego, Ca, USA, 1656-1661.
• National Higher Education ICT Initiative (2007) succeeding in the 21st century: What
higher education must do to address the gap in Information and Communication Technology
proficiencies?
• UNESCO’s World Communication and Information Report1999 written by Prof C.
Blurton from the University of Hong Kong (Building Capacity of Teachers/Facilitators
in Technology-Pedagogy Integration for Improved Teaching and Learning
• UNESCO Implemented Project on Training and Professional Development of Teachers/
Facilitators in the Effective Use of ICTs for Improved Teaching and Learning Supported
by Japanese Funds-in-Trust Programmes)
• Venna S.K (2010) Teacher Education some qualitative consideration, Shikshak - Shikha
Shodh Patrika vol (04) NO (1) pp. 10.
6
Virtual Class Room: A Revolutionary Teaching
Method in India
Sushant Kumar Mishra*
A radical transformation of educational system is started by the use of tremendous
resource potential and versatility application of Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) in teaching. One of these modules is Virtual Class Room (VCR)
alternatively it is known as Live Virtual Class (LVC), has no physical boundaries.
A virtual classroom is a simulation of physical classroom which allows learners
to attend a class from anywhere in the world and aims to provides a learning
experience that is similar to a real classroom. It can be visualized as a classroom
where a lecture or session is conducted using Internet. Though Faculty and students
sit at remote places, the classes are interactive and interesting also. LVC/ VCR is
used to impart live & special lectures by eminent resource persons, workshops
and conferences, and solve the acute problems of shortage of qualified teachers,
besides making interactive learning possible within limited resources. It is an
advanced learning environment, created using internet, computers, supplicated
videoconferencing devices, in which either faculty is not physically present (for
remote learning) or students are not present (distance education) in the classroom.
Recently the Central government committed Rs 100-crore towards establishing
live virtual classrooms (LVC) and Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs). The
government aims to complete the project by 2019, providing a shot in the arm
for players who aim to operate in the LVC domain from far-flung areas. At a time
when the PM’s call to ‘Make in India’ is resonating across the globe, the LVC
concept too presents the country with the opportunity for inviting students from
abroad to ‘Study in India’, via the online route. Indian Government is planning
to set up virtual classrooms and online courses for school education also, Finance
Minister Mr Arun Jaitley told during his budget speech for the year 2014-15.
“To take advantage of the reach of the IT, I propose to allocate a sum of Rs100
crore for setting up virtual classrooms as Communication Linked Interface for
*Associate Academic Administrator, IIIT (University) Bhubaneswar., Email: sushanta@
iit-bh.ac.in.
35
36  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
Cultivating Knowledge (CLICK) and online courses.” Setting up Massive Open
Online Courses (MOOCs) and virtual classrooms are some of the objectives.
TYPES
Considering physical presence, there are two types of VCR platforms:
• Remote Learning: where students sit in a group / in a class room but faculty
sit at remote place.
• Distance Education: where faculty and students sit at random places.
Remote Learning
When students enter into a classroom, they find a Coordinator (instead of
Faculty) and fellow learners. They find advanced teaching aids like Giant Screen,
LCD projector, Computers, HD cameras, microphones in each table. The coordinator
starts the online faculty led training sessions, where faculty and students interact
together using internet connected computers and camera focusing students.
Distance Education
Students sit differently .The platform offers interactivity similar to a live
classroom session, where a student sitting in any part of the world, at any given
point in time, can interact freely with the faculty, raise questions, queries, etc.,
making the interaction as spontaneous and natural as in a regular classroom. There
is extensive use of video, voice, and data. Motto is to reduce the burden on the
local instructor by facilitating online and live learning from experts.
VCR VS PHYSICAL CLASS ROOM
(a) Similarity: Characteristics of the physical classroom have been transferred
in the virtual classroom. Both the physical and virtual classroom follow a
similar learning theory, curriculum design and teaching method. Teaching in
both the physical and virtual classroom focuses on the student rather than the
teacher. Both the physical and virtual classroom provides academic lessons,
doubt clearance, question answer sessions, quiz, assignments and homework,
as well as interaction between students and the instructor.
(b) Difference: Differences relate to place, time and the size of the class, content
delivery and communication modes. In a virtual classroom, content is delivered
using discussion boards, chat rooms, email, instant messaging, journals and
other online material. The major difference between these modes of delivery
and those found in the physical classroom is that they are frequently text
based and are not necessarily completed by verbal discussion or explanations.
OBJECTIVE OF VCR
Followings are some important objectives of VCR:
1. To connect to highly experienced faculty without his physical presence in
the class room which saves their time and institution’s cost.
2. To support live on-line classes for distance learning and remote education
Virtual Class Room: A Revolutionary Teaching Method in India  37
3. To improve the quality and effectiveness of teaching process.
4. To hold and participate in the meetings, Webinars (Seminar by Web), Conferences
/ Symposium / Workshop, interviews, etc. through video conferencing.
5. To facilitate education to physically challenged persons.
ADVANTAGES OF VIRTUAL CLASSROOM
Following are some of the advantages of Virtual classroom over traditional
classroom:
(a) Removal of geographical barriers (Anywhere learning): A virtual classroom
allows learners and teachers to attend a single live training session from any
place in the world, with the help of computers and Internet connection.
(b) Sessions can be recorded and retrieved: A virtual classroom has a facility
to record the session so learners or teachers can replay it afterwards. Teachers
to get an opportunity to review their own or their colleagues’ performance.
(c) Quicker to organize and scheduling: Training can be organized more quickly
than traditional classroom-based training. The sessions are easier to schedule
or reschedule.
(d) Go Green: Course Materials need not be distributed, those can be uploaded
in Web. Students can download with password and store in their computers.
So the VCR aims to go green and saves stationeries.
TYPICAL CLASS ACTIVITIES IN VCR
VCR software package provides following facilities.
•
Full on-line courses with modules
•
On-line quizzes and surveys
•
E-discussions and chats with students, parents and guests
•
Group and individual learning activities
•
Forums and synchronous chat sessions
•
Web Quests, Hotlists, Scavenger Hunts, etc.
•
Homework activities and assessment documents
The VCR package provides to log in as Presenter , Participant, Guest etc
as features are different for different users. Some of the important process are:
• The tool offers an environment for synchronous presentation and interaction
over the internet. It is typically used for online meetings and e-learning.
• There is a clear distinction between the roles and rights of presenter(s) and
participants. The presenter may delegate presenter rights to other participants.
• There is a window for presentation. Typically, what is presented is a set of
slides (power point) which are preloaded onto the virtual classroom server.
There is a tool for making online drawings and comments or internet browsers.
• There is a toolbar, different for presenter and participants. The presenter
may change various settings in the environment. The participants’ options
are restricted to entering or leaving, raising their hand to have the floor (get
38  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
the microphone), and responding to happenings in the session by selecting
icons (smiley face or clapping hands, green tick (yes), red cross (no))
• There is a list of participant names with information about participants’ presence
and status in the interaction (hand in the air, negative or affirmative answer
to the presenter’s question, comment in the form of laughter or applause,
possession of the microphone), visible to all participants. The presenter is in
charge of the microphone, delegating the right to speak. It is possible to allow
several participants to speak simultaneously, or to restrict voice transmission
to one person at the time.
• The presenter may launch surveys to have the participants’ response to a
question or check their knowledge. The survey questions may be of different
categories: yes/no, multiple choice or open ended. A visual representation
(colored bars) is generated, showing the distribution of answers. The results
may be displayed to the participants.
• Finally, there is an opportunity for text chat. It is possible to send private
messages and public ones through the chatting window.
(a) Students can download the study material / resources submitted by the faculty,
and can chat with other participants in classroom. They can on request watch
the recorded class. They can opt for asking quires by raising hands same as in
traditional class, they can use a tool of “Hands up” . After getting permission
from Faculty, students can clear their doubts through internet either by Private
( one to one ) or public ( one to all ) method. They can answer the polls raised
by faculty And they can view the slide transition, whiteboard, also they can
do hands up, if they have some question to ask to presenter. While discussing
the features of the sets provided, the students will have to register their thumb
impression using the biometric sensor, every 30 minutes which will help to
keep a track of student’s attendance. Students can prepare their subject notes
in a separate module that would be used to evaluate their understanding of
the subject.
(b) Faculty by sitting at remote place can teach online lesson with the help of
computer by way of talk, video presentation, graphs etc. He can answer doubts
of students using chat facility and can send text messages to the participants
one to one or one to many methods .He can create different poll questions,
also he can see the responses submitted by students to those polls.
EQUIPMENTS REQUIRED
Normally following equipments are required for a typical VCR
1. HD Video Conferencing System with 3 HD Cameras
2. Two 55”and One 32”True HD LCD TV/Monitor
3. HD Projector with Screen
4. HD Visualiser / Document Camera
5. Interactive LCD Writing Panel
6. DSP based multi channel Audio mixer
Virtual Class Room: A Revolutionary Teaching Method in India  39
7. Wired Omni directional Microphones
8. Omni Directional ceiling Microphones ( Optional)
9. Wireless Handheld & Collar Microphones
10. Integrated Control System with 2 Touch Panels
11. VCD Recorder
12. Online UPS
13. 42”U Equipment Rack
VCR BASED CAMPUS:
• Indian Institute of Management, Ranchi (IIM-R): Have the virtual
classrooms where all lecture sessions are broadcast live, so that the students
of IIM- R will not be required to go to classrooms for attending the lectures.
They can simply learn from anywhere in the campus through tablets and
laptops.
• Mumbai varsity has Harvard-Style Virtual Classroom: Maharashtra
Governor K. Sankaranarayanan inaugurated Multipurpose Virtual Classroom
(MVC) launched at Mumbai University on Aug 17th 2013. The first of its
kind in India in a regular university, the MVC has been designed on the lines
of a similar one in Harvard University, USA, and used for multiple academic
activities including online courses. The MVC has been made available through
Internet all facilities of the National Mission Education through Information
and Communication Technology (NME-ICT) of the union ministry of human
resources and virtual learning tool designed by Amrita University. As many
as 420 of the 700 colleges affiliated to the university had already enrolled
for the digital system in 2014-15.
• IIT and The National Knowledge Network (NKN): All most al IITs, NIT,
IISER have sophisticated and multiple VCR / Lab and they operate through
Digital Network of National Informatics Centre, Ministry of Communication
& IT, Govt. of India. It supports Educational Institution in better mentoring
for the remote learning. The infrastructure facilitates quality Education and
Research at National Level interconnecting premier institutions and students
removing state and district boundaries.
• The then President of India, Smt Pratibha Patil dedicated the initial phase
of The National Knowledge Network (NKN) at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New
Delhi on 9th April, 2009.This included Creation of High Definition (HD)
Video Conferencing based Virtual Class Rooms (VCR) in 15 IITs over
NKN.
This includes supply, installation and commissioning of virtual class room
set-ups having various sub systems so that it can participate in distance education
or teach to the distance class. Around 45 Virtual Class Rooms are planned to be
set up in IITs, including one Virtual Class Room each at five control centres in
NIC at Delhi, Hyderabad, Bhubaneswar, Pune and Guwahati Total 50 virtual class
rooms were planned for set up under the project.
40  Information and Communication Technology in Education Virtual Class Room: A Revolutionary Teaching Method in India  41
♦ ♦
• The project enables the existing IITs to do provide quality education at the VCR AT C-DAC
upcoming The Research and Development groups at C-DAC work on VCR in the
• IITs without requiring faculty from the mentoring IITs to travel to the mentored following areas:
IITs. • Computer Networks and Internet Engineering
• To provide near class room experience to the distant students and the professors • Data and Knowledge Engineering
with proper class room interactivity.
• Educational Technology Unit
• To help in tackling acute shortage of experienced faculty in the upcoming
• Graphics and Computer Aided Design
IITs
• IT Systems & Solutions
• This saves Professor’s valuable time and avoid fatigue of travel.
There are two virtual classrooms in IIT Ropar nicknamed “L2” and “L3” • Knowledge Based Computer Systems
with a seating capacity of 80 and 120 students. • Open Source Software Division
• Ramanujan Virtual Classroom: As an application to use this high-speed • Software Engineering
connection provided through National Knowledge Network (NKN), a Virtual
Classroom or an e-Classroom has been set up at IISER Kolkata. Students at FOLLOWING VCR PROJECTS ARE GOING ON AT C-DAC
IISER Kolkata attends a class that is being held at IISER Pune and asks live •
Vasistha - An Instruction Delivery Framework for Online Learning
questions to the teacher present there and vice- versa. The Virtual Classroom •
Veda Online Testing System
facility which has been christened as Ramanujan Virtual Classroom is •
Sandesh - Query Responding Simplified
capable of transmitting and receiving interactive high-definition video classes
•
Chaatra - A Student Monitoring and Learner Modelling System
across the globe through internet. This room is also equipped with campus
LAN and Wi-Fi facility. •
Acharya - Intelligent Tutoring System
• In Universities: Some Universities have introduced Virtual Lab. Technical •
IBM Corporation, in partnership with Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai
students vigorously use e learning like Virtual Lab, e interactive class etc in (IITB) and the Center for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC)
Centurion University, Odisha. The philosophy indicated that the lack of resources established the Open Source Software Resource Center.
involving sophisticated instruments make unable to perform experiments. Also • Microsoft Training centre imparts free training on VCR computer modules
good teachers are always a scarce resource. Web-based and video-based courses by experts . The IT curricula of Microsoft, SAP, Oracle, Adobe, Cisco, among
address the issue of teaching. Present days ICT helps students and researchers others, are global, training on which can be provided from any part of the
in enhancing their skills and knowledge. Web enabled experiments sometimes world. Providing technology training via LVC has huge potential and India
shared by Institutions encourage students for knowledge and innovation. Internet- just needs to grab the opportunity to make the most of it. The time is ripe.
based experimentation further permits use of resources-knowledge, software, • Bangalore-based Tutor Vista speaks volumes of success of different models
and data available on the web, apart from encouraging skillful experiments about the potential virtual classrooms. The company provides online tutoring
being simultaneously performed at points separated in space & time. services by connecting instructors in India with school and college students,
• Amrita University has well developed Virtual Labs, E-learning, systems. mostly in North America. Besides IT training, tutoring via virtual classrooms
• The e-learning is imparted through A-VIEW which is an advanced multi-modal, is another area people in the country can very well look at.
multiplatform, collaborative e-learning solution which allows an instructor
TECHNICAL AND KNOWLEDGE SUPPORT EXTENDED BY:
to teach or interact with a large number of learners transcending geographies
on a real-time basis through live audio video streaming and synchronized (a) National Knowledge Network (NKN)
content sharing. (b) National Informatics Centre ( NIC)
A satellite-based educational programme, Satellite and Advanced Multimedia (c) Center for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC)
Education (SAME) has started bringing the educational expertise of the Indian
(d) IITs
Institute of Management (IIM) to classrooms across the state.
Professor Gopal Naik of the IIM told NDTV, “We have put our own effort (e) Microsoft Virtual Academy
to show that this technology can actually deliver good educational input to rural (f) National Mission Education through Information and Communication
students... and the teachers would be able to use this to teach their own classes better. Technology (NME-ICT)
42  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦
MASSIVE OPEN ONLINE COURSE (MOOC)
A massive open online course is an online course aimed at unlimited participation
and open access via the web. In addition to traditional course materials such as
filmed lectures, readings, and problem sets, many MOOCs provide interactive
user forums to support community interactions between students, professors, and
teaching assistants (TAs). MOOCs are a recent and widely researched development 7
in distance education which was first introduced in 2008 and emerged as a popular
mode of learning in 2012. (From Wikipedia). E-Teacher Education: Integration of ICT in
However, in India the certificates like diplomas and degrees have greater
importance than the actual knowledge or skill gained. This e learning will be an
Teacher Education
issue having a lack of accreditation and acceptance. MOOCs supported / accredited
Dr. Haseen Taj* and Kalyani K.**
by Govt will increase its credibility. Thus many MOOC portals started to have tie
up with Universities as resource courseware. Also they enhance their credibility
and potential through accreditation.
Abstract
Thus, to sum it up, one can say easily say that MOOCs is galloping effectively and
is all set to change the technology training segment in India and one hopes this wave Teaching and Learning discourse has been changed. New roles of the
reaches as many Indians as possible since we all look forward to an educated India. teaching process have been derived from the concept of “knowledge society”
at all educational levels. In the context of the information and/or knowledge
CONCLUSION societies and lifelong learning strategy, a new frame of pre-service and in-
In a traditional system Faculty addresses to students in a class room. Whereas service teacher education needs to be defined. The current level of the learning
Virtual Classroom (VCR) is a simulation of such class room though Faculty and technology development provides opportunities for collaborative engagement,
students sit at remote places .With the help of internet and electronic media the access to information, interaction with content and individual empowerment.
Virtual Classroom (VCR) provides interactive teaching by Faculty and students Rapid changes in communication technologies enable teachers to move from
though sitting at remote places. Faculty can give talk .video, graphic presentation. traditional classroom activities to online classrooms, or online activities in
Students take advantage of teaching of the experienced faculty without his physical the traditional classrooms. This Paper helps to explain E-teacher education
presence in the class room. This saves time & money thus reduces the cost of as an innovative ICT practice in Teacher Education.
Delivery (COD) of curriculum transaction apart from being interesting. Given the
virtual classrooms setup is flexible and cost-effective for students and researchers.
Very countable institutions, agencies, companies in Indian have entered in the INTRODUCTION
field, yet it has tremendous opportunity in ICT in the field of education .Thus Teaching and learning discourse has been changed. According to Benson and
VCR system and recent trend of MOOC have acted as revolutionary in education Brack (2009), discourse on teaching and learning scholarship has been focused on
system in India and will be more popular and effective in future. passing knowledge derived from teaching practice in the context of other forms
of scholarship, as well as in the context of considering of the role of teaching in
REFERENCES
society. New roles of the teaching process have been derived from the concept of
• http://www.ehow.com/about_5476106_virtual-classroom.html#ixzz31VMLq5oA
“knowledge society” at all educational levels. On the other side, the strategy of
• www.ibm.com/lotus/virtualclassroom
lifelong learning as a continual process where each human being could expand and
• http://knowledgecommission.gov.in/
• http://www.edulight.co.in/ adjust their knowledge and skills, capacities of judgement and actionshould enable
• http://www.microsoftvirtualacademy.com/ people to develop their professional roles. The first step in mobilizing the lifelong
• http://virtualclassroom.nic.in/ learning strategy is more flexible comprehension, evaluation and development of
• http://www.ignouonline.ac.in/VirtualClass.htm different forms of education and teaching. Educational systems worldwide insist
• http://jme.sagepub.com/content/24/1/32.short?rss=1&ssource=mfc
• http://yourstory.com/2014/07/100-cr-budget-online-education/ *Professor and Chairperson, Department of Education, Bangalore University, Bangalore.
• http://www.iitrpr.ac.in/nkn **Research Scholar, Department of Education, Bangalore University, Bangalore.
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

43
44  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
on using information and communication technologies (ICT) to teach students who
gain the knowledge and skills needed for the future knowledge society. E-teacher
education would develop in pre-service a positive attitude towards e-learning and
using computers in their future classrooms.
CONCEPT AND FEATURES OF E-TEACHER EDUCATION
E-teacher education is the instructional system of processes and activities
designed according to the ICT development, characteristics and models of e-learning,
principles of formal communication, principles of e-education, principles of
competencebased education system, etc.
E-Teacher Education: Integration of ICT in Teacher Education  45
• Communication competencies- system of the knowledge, skills, abilities and
motivational dispositions to realize the goals of communication and teaching
social interaction. To gain the expected educational outcomes a teacher can
use information and communication technology. E-teaching competencies
would serve to enhance the professional competencies of teachers.
e-teaching
Competencies

E-teaching adopts the constructivist principles in the designing of learning

experiences. The concept of co-operative teaching is the fundamental construct
to develop e-teaching scenarios.
There are different forms of e-learning courses (Milosevic et al, 2009).
They are as follows:
• E-learning activities in online professional learning community: graduated
students – active teachers participate in a series of learning activities,
exchanging ideas with other students and teachers; this form uses web based
Structure of teachers’ competence (Bjekic et al, 2008)
technologies, asynchronous discussions, participation in school based activities
(implementation lessons, assessment procedures, etc.)
E-teaching competence is the synthesis of the didactical, technological, personal
• E-learning programmes use broadcast formats, lectures reviewing, class and organizational components that are necessary for effective e-learning and
demonstrations, reviewing other online materials; this form uses multiple sites, e-teaching modeling and realization. There are three dimensions of the teachers’
interaction via video conferencing, online text messaging; video conference- ICT competencies (Awouters et al, 2008):
based teaching approach is important part of the (presented) curriculum;
1. The teacher knows what learning activities using ICT can be used in teaching
• Individualized self- paced instructional procedures: series of online learning (ICT Awareness).
activities which are delivered between e-teacher and teacher participants
2. The teacher has the necessary skills for using hardware and software (ICT
who are the e-learners in the curriculum: it includes some forms of the self
readiness)
–study without interaction, some interactions with instructor though online
discussion, email, Skype; 3. The teacher knows the pedagogical-didactical elements of ICT (ICT drill and
practice).
• Hybrid teaching models: this form uses integrative onsite meetings, classroom
Teachers can be in a position of the creator of e-teaching process or the user
visits, face-to-face workshops, coaching and mentoring programmes, small
of the e-teaching/e-learning modules. Teachers need to rethink their underlying
study groups;
assumptions about teaching, about the learning process and, most fundamentally,
• E-learning based on the extend communication in distance situation and about their role as educators. Teacher activities in the e-teaching scenarios
without immediate connection. can be broken into two major tasks: providing the content for the students and
• E-Tutors: Teachers play a vital role in realizing the educational goals of a supporting communication between students and tutors. E-teacher educators
dynamic society. The quality of teachers is of prime importance for the success must therefore be able to organize different types of e-learning and e-teaching
of educational endeavours. Teachers’ competence includes the following three scenarios.
fundamental professional competencies (Bjekic and Zlatic, 2006) : Some models of learning scenarios and e-teaching scenarios are as follows:
• Educational competencies- system of knowledge, skills, abilities and motivation • Web-based e-learning scenarios;
dispositions to realize educational professional roles; • Classroom based e-learning scenarios;
• Programme competencies or course content competenciessystem of knowledge • Online classroom e-learning scenarios; • Scenarios of net based course;
and skills from the course content and developed activities to teach the students
• Scenarios of e-learning with streaming media technology; • Scenarios of
about the knowledge and skills;
e-learning in the hypermedia classroom;
46  Information and Communication Technology in Education E-Teacher Education: Integration of ICT in Teacher Education  47
♦ ♦
• Scenarios of e-learning based on the combination of the traditional classroom e-roles. It is necessary for teachers in e-education environment to acquire sufficient
learning and e-learning. E-tutors have many professional roles in the e-learning knowledge about e-teaching and e-learning.
process. Brigitte Denis et al. (2004) described some central and some peripheral The Outcomes of E-Teacher Education: The competencies that are developed
roles of e-tutors in e-learning. They are as follows; through E-teacher education are as follows;
Sl.No Central Role Activities and Behaviours of e-tutor 1. General Competencies;
• System of knowledge, abilities and skills of the vocational and scientific
1 Content Facilitator Intervenes sometimes as subject expert,
critical approach to investigation and problem resolving; writing skills and
sometimes as interpreter and guide through the
skills of the presentation of the vocational and scientific papers; research
concept of study
autonomy and self-reliance;
2 Metacognition Supports reflection on learning activities and • Team competencies and effective communication skills in the work and
facilitator outcomes, study skills development research processes;
3. Process facilitator Supports learners ‘learning strategies, time • Qualified persons for continual education and development of interdisciplinary
management approach;
4. Advisor(counsellor) Provides pastoral support, doorway to • Professional activities in keeping with professional and scientific ethics.
institutional/local support systems 2. Subject specific Competencies:
• Complex theoretical knowledge system of the education processes and
5. Assessor(formative Gives feedback on task achievement and
technological systems;
and summative) performance, assignment development,
sometimes he/she is also examiner. • Qualification for selection, applying investigation, evaluation, innovation
and development of the current methods as well as types of learning and
6. Technologist Guide, first-post support with technologies and teaching.
tools for learning • The skills of the planning and managing of learning and teaching process,
7. Resource provider Identifies and locates, develops and produces modelling of the learning situation;
resources to provide learning support • Specialized knowledge and skills of the special domains of the e-education,
Sl.No Peripheral Roles Activities and Behaviours of e-tutor design, creation, implementation, delivering, evaluation and management of
the e-courses;
1 Manager and Supports the management of the course • Qualification to use complex theory and interpretation, to demonstrate practical
Administrator keeping records and checking enrolments knowledge and apply it in the online, synchronous and asynchronous mode.
2 Designer Can sometimes intervene to help to design the The student teachers and teacher educators would be able to:
course or course module, the ‘lesson’ itself-the • Functionally explain the processes and dimensions of e-education, e-teaching
pedagogies, the tasks to be done and e-learning;
3 Co-learner Genuinely ‘friend to the end’ of the course, • Research the basic principles of the learning base on the multimedia, analyse
walking with the learner-participants and interaction as well as synchronous and asynchronous e-learning/e-teaching
learning alongside them communication;
4 Researcher Can be a reflective practitioner and action • Select and apply the adequate technologies and tools in the effective creation
researcher who acts on the basis of his/her of different e-learning solutions;
e-tutor experience • Understand the functioning of the hardware, software and communication
e-learning infrastructure;
Gilly Salmon (2007) emphasizes the importance of e-moderation in different • Create configuration and apply different multimedia devices, software tools, video
teaching situations supported by ICT. Thus,e-moderator is one of the teachers’ conferencing solutions in the process of e-learning development and realization;
roles in e-teacher education. The curriculum for e-teacher education should focus
• Design, develop and realize e-learning procedures based on the specific
on the different e-roles for teachers and e-teachers, namely e-creator, e-designer,
educational needs of individuals, groups and systems;
e-facilitator, e-tutor, e-moderator, etc. E-teaching requires a wide spectrum of
48  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦
• Develop assessment plan, e-assessment techniques, collect data of the
achievement, and interpret student performance in the frame of the formal,
informal and social learning;
• Analyze and improve roles of e-educator, e-manager, e-administrator, manage
one’s own learning and make plans for professional development;
• Resolve e-educational problems and innovate e-learning and e-teaching
process.
CONCLUSION
E-teacher education can be considered as one the innovation in teaching and
learning process in teacher education. It also can resolve e-educational problems.
Hence E-teacher education can contribute to addressing each challenge by enhancing
the preparation of new teachers, providing high quality and readily accessible
professional development opportunities for active teachers, and making the teaching
profession more attractive (e.g., by providing online resources for teachers and new
connections to colleagues and mentors) to help address the teacher recruitment
and retention problem.”
REFERENCES
• Awouters, V., Jans, R., Jans S., (2008). E-Learning Competencies for teachers in Secondary
and Higher Education, Conferencia International e-learning, Zaragoza, April 2004, retrieved
May 2, 2010 fromhttp://edict/documenten/Paper_Zaragoza_Valere_Awouters. pdf.
• Beckett, E.C., Marques-Chisholm, I., Wetzel, K. (2003). Preparing Technology competent
Teachers, Technological Horizons in Education Journal ONLINE, Retrieved April 30,
2010, from http://www.thejournal.com/magazine
• Benson, R., Brack, C. (2009). Developing the scholarship of teaching: What is the role
of e-teaching and learning? Teaching in Higher Education, 14(1), 71-80.
• The Role of e-Tutor, Retrieved April 30, 2010, http://www.unesco.org/en/competency
standards - teachers.
• UNESCO (2008). ICT Competency Standards for Teachers, Available on http://www.
unesco.org/en/competency-standards-teachers
• http://www.tojet.net/articles/9122.pdf
*Registrar (Evaluation) and Professor, Department of Studies in Education, Karnataka
State Women’s University, Jnana Shakti Campus Toravi, Vijayapur (Bijapur)-586108
drvvvmalagi@gmail.com.
8
A Plan for Integrating ICT in Teacher
Education Based on TPCK Framework
Dr. V. V. Malagi*
Abstract
Modern technology increasingly creates new challenges in various
professional development and practice. However, in teaching, the mere adoption
of new or innovative technology is not enough to meet the students’ learning
needs and opportunities. Technology alone could not sufficiently bring about
the desired changes in students’ competencies and behavior. It is the teachers’
competencies to integrate ICT in their instructional tasks that can facilitate
these desired changes to the maximum level. Therefore, there is an increasing
demand for the inclusion of pedagogy and substantial content knowledge based
use of ICT in teachers’ professional development. In this paper, the author
presents how to integrate ICT in the professional development of teachers
based on the Technology Pedagogy Content Knowledge (TPCK) framework, to
address the issue on effective use of ICT in teaching based on two perspectives.
Firstly, how the teachers can undertake three different phases of improving
their use of technology to facilitate effective instruction. This will be focused
on understanding the challenges in the use of ICT in three phases of teachers’
professional development, particularly the pedagogical and contextual (specific
subject content) issues concerning prerequisite conditions that ensure the effective
use of ICT. Secondly, the paper highlights on conclusive suggestions to implement
the proposed plan demonstrating the potential benefits to the teachers, trainers,
policymakers and other educators who are directly or indirectly accountable
for teachers’ professional development. Finally it concludes with emerging
research issues and pertinent guidelines in the context.
Keywords: Integration of ICT, Teacher Education and Technology,
Pedagogy, Content Knowledge (TPCK).
49
50  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
INTRODUCTION
The primary objective of teaching is to promote the acquisition of necessary
knowledge, skills, and attitudes individually (for a particular student) and collectively
(for a society or a country). To achieve this objective, teachers play an important
role in the teaching-learning context, where they continuously use and create
different teaching models, strategies, and tools (Van Der Sijde 1989). Previous
researches showed that teachers use these models, and tools differently (Freeman
& Richards 1993; González 2012; Krajcik et al. 1994) and a substantial number of
studies over the last few decades, explained how teachers use different teaching
tools(Partridge 2000; González 2010; Fox 1983; Boling 2006). Different teachers
use different tools to improve their teaching skills. Accordingly, teachers from all
disciplines have widely integrated Information and Communication Technology
(ICT) to improve their teaching styles (Liu 2011; Liu & Velasquezbryant 2003;
Hew & Brush 2007; Donnelly, McGarr & O’Reilly 2011). Therefore, the effective
uses of ICT significant contribute to emergence of reforms in teaching and learning
processes in all sectors of education (Pulkkinen 2007; Wood 1995). The use of
ICT offers a facilitative teaching-learning culture that is essentially focused on
the teachers’ task of leading or engaging their students in an active, self-engaged,
self-directed and motivated way of learning (Volman & van Eck 2001; De Corte
et al. 2003). Presently, ICT plays an important role in promoting new instructional
methods for teaching and learning, such as: self-paced learning (Roberts 2003),
network learning (González 2009) and online discussion (González 2010).
Developed countries had started reaping the benefits of ICT integration
in teaching a long time ago while developing countries are in the process of
understanding its value. Developing countries, like India have found the consequence
of redefining teachers’ roles, and in response, many professional development
programs have been introduced to train teachers into using ICT (UNESCO
2004). This article then is primarily aimed at presenting the existing scenario of
incorporating ICT into teacher training to evolve a model for teachers’ professional
development that considers pedagogy-content-technology (TPCK framework).
This model depicts how teachers can undertake continuous improvement of their
use of technology to provide effective instruction, through the different phases of
teachers’ professional development. The model likewise entails the investigation of
the pedagogical and contextual (specific subject content) issues that are pertinent
and required to be considered in order to effective use of ICT into teacher training
programs. This study will further focus on the challenges (both positive and negative)
of using ICT in professional development programs. It will finally summarize
conclusive suggestions to carry out the proposed plan. Therefore, the practical
significance of the study is related to teachers’ professional development through
the valuable insights for teachers, trainers, policymakers and other educators who
are directly or indirectly involved in teachers’ professional development and the
introduction of ICT supported teaching-learning processes. Likewise, the study
contributes to the literature on the relationship between pedagogy, content and
technology knowledge in education.
A Plan for Integrating ICT in Teacher Education Based on TPCK Framework  51
BACKGROUND
Over the last twenty years, the use of technology has become an essential
facet in educational research (Drent & Meelissen 2008). Previous studies presented
a significant proof that supports the explicit effects of using ICT in the teaching-
learning situation (Mumtaz 2000; Hattie 2009). For example, ICT is considered
as an interactive media for engaging students, providing opportunities to group
analysis and practice. It also provides better access to resource materials (subject
content and other related resources) and relevant articles. ICT should be involved
in the process of teaching in every subject and in every classroom, because of the
very fact that ICT facilitates students’ engagement in problem solving activities,
decision-making to improve their thinking skills (Grabe 2001). Moreover, effective
use of ICT can facilitate student-cantered active learning (Ellis et al. 2008), engage
students in collaborative learning as well as enhance their social interaction (Dodge,
Colker & Heroman 2003), improve their cognitive development, increase creativity,
and improve their problem solving skills (khan, Hasan & Clement 2012). In spite
of the greater importance of using ICT in education, most of the teachers who
have basic computer skills, basically use ICT for performing their administrative
tasks. They frequently use ICT for their daily activities, such as: preparing notes,
upgrading knowledge, keeping administrative records, and searching information
for basic purposes. Very few teachers, in cities are keen to use ICT supported
delivery tools in their teaching while a significant number of them are still worried
about using ICT in their teaching. These contentions were also found in the recent
study conducted by Banu (2012) where she stated that teachers are facing many
challenges in introducing ICT into classroom teaching due to lack of relevant
knowledge and skills. Therefore, to improve this situation, emphasis should be
given in enhancing teachers’ ICT skills that largely depend on teacher’s professional
development programs.
Integrating ICT as an effective delivery tool, is not as easy as learning how to
use computers and the internet for basic administrative work. Therefore, teaching
faculties need professional development programs not only in computer skills for
administrative tasks but also on developing pedagogical knowledge and skills so
that they could incorporate ICT in their teaching-learning tasks (UNESCO 2004;
Jones 2004). Most of the teacher training programs were criticized as poorly
constructed as these failed to focus on teachers’ actual needs such as the teachers’
inability to integrate ICT into their real teaching-learning situation. The teachers,
who had participated in training program to use ICT in teaching, still could not
integrate it effectively into their tasks, except in demonstrating their basic generic
skills such as operating a computer unit, a printer, and in performing simple
administrative tasks.
INTEGRATION OF ICT IN TEACHER EDUCATION
Integration of ICT in teacher education focuses on incorporating essential
subject content, knowledge from their particular disciplines and also requires
more hands on practice of using ICT in their particular disciplines. Therefore,
52  Information and Communication Technology in Education A Plan for Integrating ICT in Teacher Education Based on TPCK Framework  53
♦ ♦
teachers’ pedagogical knowledge and technical abilities on using ICT is the first For instance, figure 1 below shows C, P and K components together constitute
issue to consider ICT integration in teaching. The teachers’ ability to use ICT in ‘Content Pedagogy Knowledge’ which highlights the knowledge that makes
their administrative activities is not a condition to successful integration of ICT the content of the particular subject area, difficult or easy to learn. Similarly,
in teaching. There is more to preparing teachers to benefit from ICT integration T, P and K components constitute ‘Technological Pedagogical Knowledge’
along with pedagogy than just improving their computer skills. Integration of which emphasizes how teachers’ subject knowledge is transmitted with the
ICT cannot be archived in just one short training session. Extensive and enduring use of technology and C, T and K components together constitute ‘Content
training is required for the integration of ICT and pedagogy together. This argument Technological Knowledge, which focuses on how teachers’ technological
is supported by previous research. For example, Diaz & Bontembal (2000, p.50) knowledge supports their pedagogical practices. Consequently, all these
noted, “Using technology to enhance the educational process involves more than combinations collectively formed the TPCK framework.
just learning how to use specific piece of hardware and software. It requires an
understanding of pedagogical principles that are specific to the use of technology in
instructional settings.” Therefore, the development of proper pedagogical knowledge
and its appropriate application to ICT are considered to be more crucial than the
technical ability of using ICT (Bingimlas 2009). In contrast to this theory, the few
teachers who have technical mastery in using ICT in their teaching still do not
have sufficient competency to incorporate ICT and pedagogy for their particular
disciplines. Moreover, most of the teachers typically do not have a comprehensive
knowledge of the wide range of ICT tools and resources for integrating ICT
effectively, even in the most technologically advanced schools have ICT courses
but still cannot properly integrate ICT into their teaching-learning environment
(Banu 2012). In order to improve, teachers’ mastery in relation to using technology
into their teaching, a three phases plan for integrating ICT into teacher training
programs is proposed, which is based on TPCK, is illustrated in Figure 1 and 2.
Figure-1:  ICT integration based on TPCK model (Koehler & Mishra
For the sake of clarity, TPCK framework is briefly elaborated in this paper before
discussing the proposed plan.
2005).

TPCK FRAMEWORK
Koehler and Mishra (2005) presented a framework in a paper entitled, ‘What
Happens when Teachers Design Educational Technology? The Development
of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge,’ which described teachers
complex understanding between technology, pedagogy, content and knowledge.
The framework intends to facilitate thorough understanding of the fundamental
components of knowledge for the effective use of technology, namely:
(i) Content (C) is the subject knowledge which students need to learn or be
taught with. For example: different forms of mathematics, the structure of
atoms, growth and heredity of living organism, etc are the subjects content
for the secondary level.
(ii) Technology (T) includes modern technology, both hardware and software,
such as: computer, internet, television, videos, interactive whiteboard, and
overhead projector.
(iii) Pedagogy (P) is another element of knowledge which depicts the practices,
processes, strategies, procedures and methods (instructions, assessment, etc) of
teaching and learning. However, they claimed that their framework proposed
four elements, which is internally connected with the above there components.
TEACHER TRAINING
Based on the previous research and arguments, this paper envisions that the
effective use of ICT in teaching will be easier if the TPCK framework is applied
in the three phase teachers’ training models as follows:
Phase 1 (Pre-service): This is the first stage of the plan where initially
interested novice students, or the students who wish to enter teaching profession
in the future, are enrolled. At the beginning, trainers should consider the trainees
as novice in the professional development arena. The novice trainees typically
have few common characteristics. For example, they might not have prior teaching
experience, or they have very few content knowledge and they might not have
any pedagogical knowledge in their respective disciplines. Considering such
characteristics, the TPCK framework is implemented that comprises of preliminary
training on pedagogy with content, use of various ICT supported teaching tools,
and use of ICT in administrative and management tasks. Emphasis should be
given on using ICT tools in teaching-learning situation in general content area.
Phase 2 (In-service): During this stage, experienced teachers currently work as
teachers in educational institutions are enrolled in enhancement training programs,
referred to as in-service trainings. Before the conduct of such programs, trainers
54  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
should consider few significant aspects, such as: characteristics of trainees, mode of
training, and component of TPCK models. Here the trainee teachers typically have
few familiar characteristics. For example, they have previous teaching experience,
they probably have content and pedagogical knowledge in their particular disciplines
that is not yet sufficient or they still lack the expertise for integrating pedagogy
and content knowledge. The training program is carried out in planned face-
to-face settings as well as in flexible learning opportunities such as: distance
learning or in some extent e-learning. The TPCK components are selected based
on the participants’ pre-service training, their prior characteristics and their actual
needs. For example, a science teacher who has been teaching science disciplines
for ten years might have both content and pedagogical knowledge, but has yet to
master the integration of ICT into content and pedagogy. This teacher then needs
a training program that primarily focuses on integration of ICT with a connection
of TPCK model.
Figure-2:  Teacher Training.
Phase 3 (Need based In-Service): This is the continuing step for this plan
where on-going formal and informal training are offered based on the participants’
specific needs and requirements. Therefore, The TPCK components are selected
based on the participants’ acquired knowledge from pre-service and in-service
training programs. More specifically, a teacher who participated in the first two
phases of the training plan might not need intensive training if he can effectively
apply his training experiences in teaching tasks. Since technology is changing
rapidly and discontinuous ever changing (Levinthal 1998; Deeson 2006), teachers
need to continuously update their teaching skills based on the recent contribution
from TPCK model (Levinthal 1998; Deeson 2006). To be abreast with this change,
teachers need to keep updating their teaching skills through continuous (Need based
In-Service) professional development programs, such as short training program,
workshop, seminar, conference, action research, etc. The relationship between the
teachers and the researchers is very important to update their content (both subject
and pedagogy) and procedure (how to integrate technology) which is explained
through TPCK plan (Morais, Neves & Afonso 2005). This phase does not require
any specific training institutions. Teachers’ professional development, in this phase,
includes the use of inquiry methods like the conduct of classroom-based (action)
research or a small-scale experimental research. These are learning opportunities
A Plan for Integrating ICT in Teacher Education Based on TPCK Framework  55
for teachers where they create and pilot test tentative teaching approaches and
related activities that they are expected to use in their teaching-learning situations
(Morais, Neves & Afonso 2005). Therefore, the target teachers in this plan need
to collaborate or work together with their institutions to carry out this phase so
that they can cope up with an updated TPCK model.
EFFECTIVE INTEGRATION OF ICT IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Previous research showed that teachers’ professional development programs
played a significant role in the effective integration of ICT in education (Ho, Watkins
& Kelly 2001; Hew & Brush 2007).Therefore, teacher training program has impact
on teachers’ attitudes and conceptions towards ICT which helps teachers to acquire
necessary knowledge and skills to integrate ICT in teaching learning situation (Hew
& Brush 2007) which can incorporate with TPCK plan. Previous research also
found that traditional one-time teacher training (workshop, short training) program
is not effective in assisting teachers to build technical competency for using ICT
in their teaching-learning situation (Carlson & Gadio 2005). It offers the above
three phases (pre-service, in-service and need based in-service) training as a best
practice, particularly when the following aspects are taken into consideration:
Teacher professional development model predominantly focused on pedagogy,
content and technology. Unfortunately most teacher training programs do not
focus the pedagogical principles which facilitate the use of ICT into teaching
learning. The multifaceted relationship among technology, pedagogy, and content
has not been effectively addressed (Okojie, Olinzock & Okojie-Boulder 2006).
Therefore, this relationship is to be considered in all the three phases of the training,
depending on the teachers’ need. A training needs assessment should come first in
all phases of the professional development programs. This model can only make
an impact through regular monitoring and evaluation of each action along with
having opportunities for feedback to immediately address the problems and obtain
continuous support for the effective integration of ICT in the training program.
The support could be through online whenever needed, such as: collaboration with
trainers and trainees, group discussion, e-mail communities, radio or television
broadcasts or other electronic media.
To implement this training plan, needs to build up an adequate potential trainers
or resource persons for all the three phases. Therefore, it has to give emphasis on
preparing potential trainers who can conduct training programs effectively. In order
to prepare resource persons, a team, with expert from outside and local trainers,
could be formed. This team will facilitate an acceptable mode of training in each
of the targeted areas. Multiple strategies, blended approach and flexible training
could be offered where circumstance are more complicated and diverse for meeting
this demand (UNESCO 2003). For example, individual school will be targeted
for implementing this model, and e-learning, distance learning, and collaborative
learning modes could be alternative training delivery tools in the remote areas.
Proper coordination should be maintained between the executive body and
the training program implementers to ensure continued training of teachers from
phase 1 (induction) to phase 2 (in-service) based on the TPCK framework.
56  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
To facilitate the third phase (need based in-service) of this plan, teachers,
researchers and trainers should have effective networking. In relation with this
argument, Morais et al (2005) states that, “teachers’ professional development
does not depend only on the characteristics of the teacher training processes,
but is also influenced by many personal, social and professional factors. The
personal characteristics, the working environment at school, the relationships
between colleagues, relationships with children’s parents and with the community
also influence professional development (p.434).” Considering this view, during
the need based in-service professional development phase (third phase), network
learning (both synchronous and asynchronous), web based training, which are more
flexible and collaborative, are encouraged. In addition more online learning and
training, based on all sorts of technologies, will be useful for both teachers and
trainers for updating their knowledge and skills during the need based in-service
phase. Moreover, these learning modes could be effective for offering training in
diverse and remote training institutes. These could also assist teachers to build a
collaborative network with trainers, colleagues, administrators and other experts
for developing their competency for the effective assimilation of technology into
their teaching (UNESCO, 2003).
Research found that teachers’ active participations in their professional
developmental programs required additional motivation and incentives (Spillane
1999; Afshari et al. 2009). Hence, teachers’ motivation and willingness is considered
as another imperative aspect for effective use of ICT during this training plan as
well as after completing this training. According to Spillane (1999), teachers who
have a strong engagement towards their own professional development are more
motivated to undertake changes, which lead to a better understanding of using
the technology for an innovation. A variety of incentives, motivational techniques
(both intrinsic and extrinsic) can be used, such as: formal certification of pre-
service (phase-1), in-service (phase-2) teacher training which can be accredited
as diplomas or degrees, could be one of the motivational strategies to encourage
teachers to participate in their professional developmental program effectively.
If teachers are provided with laptops or smartphones, ICT supported teaching
tools, TPCK resource materials and other essential software for integrating with
pedagogy and subject content in the teaching-learning scenarios, then their interests
in using ICT is stimulated and sustained. Apart from that, participated teachers
should be provided with other sort of incentives, such as: teachers’ salary could
be continued while they are attending the training, and wage increase for those
who could successfully implement the TPCK model. In addition, teachers should
be encouraged morally through granting of awards and recognition, for upgrading
their knowledge and skills in the domain of pedagogy-content-technology for
effective integration of technology in their teaching.
CONCLUSION
Teachers’ academic development becomes an integral part of any successful
technology and education-training program (Afshari et al, 2009). It has a potential
influence on how effectively ICT is integrated in the teaching-learning situation.
A Plan for Integrating ICT in Teacher Education Based on TPCK Framework  57
Many countries in the world, have acknowledged the significance of ICT in teaching
and learning and they have introduced training programs in different variations.
But still we are far behind from integration of technology in education due to
complexity and inappropriate training of teachers. Under these circumstances, this
simple plan, herein proposed in this paper, can open up new experience, inspiration
or blessing for teachers’ professional development program. To make this model
effective for teacher training programs, the above strategies should be carried
out to eliminate the constraints and accelerate the provision of all possibilities to
improve quality of teacher training. It is already recognized that ICT in education
is a comparatively new arena. Therefore, more in-depth experimental research
should be conducted in regards to integration of ICT in the staff (academic) training
program to justify this plan. In addition, it requires future investigations to find out
its long-term effectiveness along with its cost benefits on different ICT-enhanced
training programs (Jung 2005) and to monitor the activities during and after the
training.
REFERENCES
• Afshari, M. et al. (2009). ‘Factors affecting teachers’ use of information and communication
technology’, International Journal of Instruction, vol. 2, no. 1, Pp. 77-104
• Balanskat, A. Blamire, R. & Kefala, S. (2006). The ICT Impact Report. A review of studies
of ICT impact on schools in Europe, Retrieved May 20, 2015, from: http://ec.europa.eu/
education/pdf/doc254_en.pdf’.
• Banu, S. (2012). ‘Teachers readiness for computer education classes in the secondary
schools. Education journal Vol. (11)1
• Bingimlas, K.A. (2009). Barriers to the Successful Integration of ICT in Teaching and
Learning Environments: A Review of the Literature, vol. 5, EURASIA. Retrieved May
25, 2015, from: http://www.ejmste.com, Pp. 235-245. Available in ERIC.
• Boling, E. (2006). ‘Teaching Tools’, TechTrends, vol. (50)1, Pp. 37-45.
• Carlson, S. & Gadio, C.T. (2005). Teacher professional development in the use of technology.
Retrieved May 25, 2015, from: http://www.ictinedtoolkit.org
• Deeson, E. (2006). ‘Technology, e-learning and distance education – A W (Tony) Bates’,
British
• Donnelly, D. McGarr, O .& O’Reilly, J. (2011). ‘A framework for teachers’ integration of
ICT into their classroom practice’, Computers & Education, vol. (57)2, Pp. 1469-1483.
• Drent, M. & Meelissen, M. (2008). ‘Which factors obstruct or stimulate teacher educators
to use ICT innovatively?’, Computers & Education, vol. (51)1, Pp. 187-199.
• Jones, A. (2004). A review of research literature on barriers to the uptake of ICT by
teachers; British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (Becta), Version
1, Retrieved May 24, 2015, from: http://dera.ioe.ac.uk
• Jung, I. (2005). ‘ICT-Pedagogy Integration in Teacher Training: Application Cases
Worldwide’, Educational Technology & Society, vol. 8 (2), Pp.94-101.
• Khan, S. H. (2014). A model for integrating ICT into teacher training programs in
Bangladesh based on TPCK. International Journal of Education and Development using
Information and Communication Technology (IJEDICT), 2014, Vol.(10)3, Pp. 21-31.
Retrieved May 18, 2015, from: http://ijedict.dec.uwi.edu/viewarticle
58  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦
• Koehler, M. J. & Mishra, P. (2005). ‘What Happens when Teachers Design Educational
Technology? The Development of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge’,
Journal of Educational Computing Research, vol. (32) 2, Pp. 131-152.
• Morais, A. M. Neves, I.P. & Afonso, M. (2005). ‘Teacher training processes and teachers’
competence-a sociological study in the primary school’, Teaching and Teacher Education,
vol.(21) 4, Pp. 415-437.
• Mumtaz, S. (2000). ‘Factors affecting teachers’ use of information and communications
9
technology: a review of the literature’, Journal of Information Techology for Teacher
Education, vol. (9) 3, Pp. 319-342. Role of ICT in Enhancing the Quality of Higher
• Spillane, J. P. (1999). ‘External reform initiatives and teachers’ efforts to reconstruct their
practice: The mediating role of teachers’ zones of enactment’, Journal of Curriculum Education in India
Studies, vol.(31) 2, Pp. 143-175.
• UNESCO (2003). Building Capacity of Teachers/Facilitators in Technology-Pedagogy Dr. U. K. Kulkarni*
Integration for Improved Teaching and Learning. UNESCO 2004, ICT in Education;
Retrieved May 25, 2015, from: http://www.unescobkk.org/education/ict

INTRODUCTION
The Higher Education in India is one of the most developed in the entire
world. There has in fact been considerable improvement in the higher education
scenario of India in both quantitative and qualitative terms. In technical education,
the IITs, and in management, the IIMs have already marked their names among
the top higher educational institutes of the world. Universities and its constituent
colleges are the main institutes of higher education in India. There are at present
227 government-recognized Universities in India. Out of them 20 are central
universities, 109 are deemed universities and 11 are Open Universities and rest are
state universities. Most of these universities in India have affiliating colleges where
undergraduate courses are being taught. Apart from these higher education institutes
there are several private institutes in India that offer various professional courses
in India. According to the Department of higher Education, government of India,
there are 16,885 colleges, 99.54 lakh students and 4.57 lakh teachers in various
higher educational institutes in India. Today India is one of the fastest developing
countries of the world with the annual growth rate going above 9%. In order to
sustain that rate of growth, there is need to increase the number of institutes and
also the quality of higher education in India. Therefore the Prime Minister of India
has announced the establishment of 8 IITs, seven Indian Institutes of Management
(IIMs) and five Indian Institutes of Science, Education and Research (IISERs) and
30 Central Universities in his speech to the nation on the 60th Independence day .

CONCEPT OF ICT
The term Information and Communication Technology consists of three
components they are: ‘Information’, ‘communication’ and ‘Technology’. In general

*Assistant Professor, Department of Studies in Education, Karnataka State Women’s

University, Jnanashakti Campus, Torvi, Vijayapur-586108.

59
60  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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it is said that the purpose of all communication is to bring about a change for the
better, to influence some action in order to promote the common welfare of a
group or an organization. That is the message, words, letters and symbols which
are giving some meaning is called the information. Communication refers to
impart, transmit, interchange of message, facts, ideas opinion or emotions of two
or more persons. The method, tact and the devices used in effective communication
is called the technology. To define Information and Communication Technology
(ICT) a term used with two other terms need first to be defined.
Informatics( computing science) UNESCO defines informatics as the
science dealing with the design, realization, evaluation ,use, and maintenance
of information processing systems, including hardware, software, organizational
and human aspects, and the industrial, commercial ,governmental and political
implications of these.
Informatics Technology: Informatics Technology is defined as the
technological applications (artifacts) of informatics in society.
Information and Communication Technology: ICT is defined as the
combination of informatics technology with other, related technologies, especially
communication technology. The definition implies that ICT will be used, applied,
and integrated in activities of working and learning on the basis of conceptual
understanding and methods of informatics.
ROLE OF ICT IN ENHANCING THE QUALITY OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN INDIA
Knowledge economy of a country depends on the development of its
educational sector. In India higher education drives the competitiveness
and employment generation. But there exist socio-economic, cultural, time
and geographical barriers for people who wish to pursue higher education.
Innovative use of Information and Communication Technology can potentially
solve this problem.
ICT increases the flexibility of delivery of education so that learners can
access knowledge anytime and from anywhere. It can influence the way students
are taught and how they learn as now the processes are learner driven and not by
teachers. This in turn would better prepare the learners for lifelong learning as
well as to contribute to the industry. It can improve the quality of learning and thus
contribute to the economy. It provides several tangible and intangible benefits for
all stakeholders involved in the economic growth of the country. In the current
Information society, there is an emergence of lifelong learners as the self life of
knowledge and information decreases. People have to access knowledge via ICT
to keep pace with the latest developments .In such a scenario, education, which
always plays a critical role in any economic and social growth of a country.
Education not only increases the productive skills of the individual but also his
earning power. It gives him a sense of well being as well as capacity to absorb
new ideas, increases his social interaction, gives access to improved health and
provides several more intangible benefits.
The various kinds of ICT products available and having relevance to higher
education, such as teleconferencing, email, audio conferencing, television lessons,
Role of ICT in Enhancing the Quality of Higher Education in India  61
radio broadcasts, interactive radio counseling, interactive voice response system,
audio cassettes and CD ROMs etc. have been used in education for different
purposes.
DEVICES USED IN ICT
Today ICTs includes Computers, Laptops, Personal Digital Assistants,
Palmtops, LAN (Local Area Network) WAN (Wide Area Network) Internet,
Multi –Media, Wireless connected to the Internet, Video Cameras, Scanners
and Cell Phones, etc.. These are affordable, accessible and integrated in large
sections of the society throughout the world. It can restructure organizations,
promote collaboration, increase democratic participation of citizens, improve
the transparency and responsiveness of governmental agencies, make education
and health care more widely available, foster cultural creativity, and enhance the
development in social integration. It is only through education and the integration
of ICT in education that one can teach students to be participants in the growth
process in this era of rapid change.
VARIOUS TOOLS OF ICT
ICT can be used as an informative, Situational, Constructive and Communicative
tool in the process of education as indicated below.
1. Informative tool: It provides vast amount of data in various formats such as
audio, video, documents. ICTs also allow for the creation of digital resources
like digital libraries where the students, teachers and professionals can access
research material and course material from any place at any time. Such
facilities allow the networking of academicians and researchers and hence
sharing of scholarly material.
2. Situating tool: It creates situations, which the student experiences in real
life. The Simulation and virtual reality is possible. Use of ICT in education
develops higher order skills such as collaborating across time and place
and solving complex real world problems. It improves the perception and
understanding of the world of the student.
3. Constructive tool: To manipulate the data and generate analysis. . ICT can
play a valuable role to monitor and log the progress of the students across
time, place and varied activities. The ICT based education can be expected
to provide greater reliability, validity, and efficiency of data collection and
greater easy of analysis, evaluation, and interpretation at any educational
level. In absence of ICT, most of the responsibility of teaching and learning
lies on the teachers.
4. Communicative tool: It can be used to remove communication barriers such
as space and time. ICT has changed the dynamics of various industries as well
as influenced the way people interact and work in the society .Internet usage
in home and work place has grown exponentially .ICT has the potential to
remove the barriers that are causing the problems of low rate of education in
any country.
62  Information and Communication Technology in Education Role of ICT in Enhancing the Quality of Higher Education in India  63
♦ ♦
FORMS OF ICT 2 Employer • High quality, cost effective professional
The following forms are used for the delivery and for conducting the education development in the workplace,
process with the help of ICT. • Upgrading of employee skills, increased
1. Voice-Instructional audio tools that include interactive technologies as well productivity,
as the passive ones. • Development of a new learning culture,
2. Video- Instructional video tools that include still images, prerecorded moving • Sharing of costs and of training time with the
images, and real-time moving images combined with audio conferencing. employees,
3. Print-Instructional print formats that include text books, study guides, work • Increased portability of training.
books and case studies. 3 Government • Increase the capacity and cost effectiveness of
education and training systems,
ADVANTAGES OF ICT • To reach target groups with limited access to
ICT has the following advantages in imparting quality of higher education conventional education and training,
in India. • To support and enhance the quality and
• Eliminating time barriers in education for learners as well as teachers relevance of existing educational structures,
• Eliminating geographical barriers as learners can log on from any place • To ensure the connection of educational
• Asynchronous interaction is made possible leading to thoughtful and creative institutions and curricula to the emerging
interaction networks and information resources,
• To promote innovation and opportunities for
• Enhanced group collaboration made possible via ICT
lifelong learning.
• New educational approaches can be used. Source: (UNESCO, 2002)
• It can provide speedy dissemination of education to target disadvantaged
groups It is clear from the above table that ICT allows higher participation and
greater interaction. It challenges the concept that face-to-face traditional education
• It offers the combination of education while balancing family and work life
is superior to it. The web and the Internet is the core ICTs to spread education
• It enhances the international dimension of educational services through e-learning. The components include e-portfolios, cyber infrastructures,
• It allows for just in time and just enough education for employees in digital libraries and online learning object repositories.
organizations All the above components create a digital identity of the student and connect
• It can also be used for non-formal education like health campaigns and literacy all the stakeholders in the education. It also facilitates inter disciplinary research.
campaigns The experience of many teachers, who are early innovators, is that the use of
ICT is motivating for the students as well as for the teachers themselves. Some
Advantages of ICT in Education to the Stakeholders of the experts mention that the use of ICT can improve performance, teaching,
The following table shows the different advantages available to the various administration, and develop relevant skills in the disadvantaged communities.
stakeholders. It also improves the quality of education by facilitating learning by doing, real
time conversation, delayed time conversation, directed instruction, self-learning,
Advantages of ICT in Education to the Main Stakeholders problem solving, information seeking and analysis, and critical thinking, as well
as the ability to communicate, collaborate and learn. ICTs also provide a platform
Sl. Stakeholder Advantages for sharing information and knowledge. This can be used for the betterment of
No. program delivery in terms of replication of best practices. It also helps researchers
1 Student • Increased access, by provision of information, networking, online journals, libraries and data. The
• Flexibility of content and delivery, possibility of real time interaction in all the different aspects of the education
• Combination of work and education, system like teaching, collaboration, debates etc hold great promise for the future.
• Learner-centered approach, Evidence through practical experience in the world indicates that investing in
• Higher quality of education and new ways of an ICT experience contributes mainly to increasing human and knowledge capital,
interaction which benefits the industry as well. Employers gain from the increased knowledge
64  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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and skills of staff without releasing them for long periods. In addition, investment
in production of ICT is a more effective tool for development of the whole society.
Research findings show that technology can support pedagogical, curricular, and
assessment reforms, which intend to support the process of knowledge creation.
Students and teachers plan their learning activities and build on each other’s
ideas to create new knowledge. It also facilitates monitoring of their progress
in understanding and preparation for lifelong learning and participation in the
information society. Besides cost effectiveness, research has proved that ICT
is most effective to tackle problems like expanding number of students in each
class. ICT enabled distance education provides environmental benefits, as there
is a major reduction in the amount of student travel.
ICT facilitate delivery, dialogue and feedback over the Internet. It allows mass
customization in terms of content and exams. E-education can provide access to the
best gurus and the best practices or knowledge available. It is possible to leverage
the on line environment to facilitate teaching techniques like role-play across time
and distance. It can also facilitate the development of scenarios, which can be rarely
witnessed in practice. ICT can play a valuable role to monitor and log the progress
of the students across time, place and varied activities. ICT based education can be
expected to provide greater reliability, validity, and efficiency of data collection and
greater ease of analysis, evaluation, and interpretation at any educational level. In
absence of ICT, most of the responsibility of teaching and learning lies on the teachers.
However, with the help of ICT one can transfer the responsibilities to the
students so that they can self manage. It helps to individualize the teaching or
guidance method as per the student’s need. It also boosts the confidence level and
the self-esteem of the students who acquire the ICT skills through the process
of being exposed to such kind of learning and also puts forth the view that ICT-
based registration, evaluation, and administration helps to link different levels
of information and facilitate an overall view of the whole educational setup. It
facilitates the evaluation and examination of the learning process and results by the
students and the parents in a flexible and convenient way. The globalization process
has also created a large market of offshore students. To reach them, information
technology is the only convenient medium, which can offer education as a service.
It increases education provision substantially and can contribute to mass education.
It also creates competition among the institutions for providing education and hence
improves the quality. India is making use of powerful combination of ICTs such as
open source software, satellite technology, local language interfaces, easy to use
human-computer interfaces, digital libraries, etc. with a long-term plan to reach the
remotest of the villages. Community service centers have been started to promote
e-learning throughout the country. Many notable institutions like IGNOU, IIT Kanpur,
IIM Kolkota, IIT Mumbai etc., are using the ICT in promoting higher education.
FACTORS AFFECTING ON USE OF ICT IN EDUCATION
The main factors that affect the adoption of ICT in education are the mission
or goal of a particular system, programs and curricula, teaching/learning strategies
and techniques, learning material and resources, communication and interaction,
Role of ICT in Enhancing the Quality of Higher Education in India  65
support and delivery systems, students, tutors, staff and other experts, management,
housing and equipment, and evaluation. National vision, supported by coherent
strategies and actions is the most important factor in integrating ICT in education.
Successful implementation of ICT requires strong national support from government
and local support from relevant institutions and education authorities. The political
powers of any nations affect the introduction of any new technology. The cost is an
important issue that decides and guides the adoption and growth of Information and
Communication Technology especially in developing countries. The institutions,
which are granted public status and are supported by government funds, as well as
those, that are larger in size, are the ones to adopt the new technologies to support
education. However, it is also observed that since technology adoption involves
high fixed costs, institutes, which implemented such technology, did not upgrade
it as time progressed. The presence of an ICT champion is necessary at all levels
of the system. The strong presence of such leadership is evident wherever ICT
integration has been initiated successfully. Along with ICT training, one needs
an ICT related support mechanism to gradually induce the integration. This is
needed as many teachers in face of technical difficulties may tend to revert to
the older teaching (non-ICT based) methods. Teachers need support in using
and integrating ICT into the curriculum and teaching methods. Teachers, who
perceive greater ICT-related support being available to them, use technologies in
their teaching much better.
CONCLUSIONS
The Higher Education in India is one of the most developed in the entire
world. There has in fact been considerable improvement in the higher education
scenario of India in both quantitative and qualitative terms. In technical education,
the IITs, and in management, the IIMs have already marked their names among
the top higher educational institutes of the world.
Changes in the curriculum do support fundamental economic and social
transformation in the society. Such transformations require new kinds of skills,
capabilities and attitudes, which can be developed by integrating ICT in education.
The overall literature suggests that successful ICT integration depends on many
factors. National policies as well as school policies and actions taken have a deep
impact on the same. Similarly, there needs to be an ICT plan, support and training
to all the stakeholders involved in the integration. There needs to be shared vision
among the various stakeholders and a collaborative approach should be adopted.
Care should be taken to influence the attitudes and beliefs of all the stakeholders.
ICT can affect the delivery of education and enable wider access to the same.
In addition, it will increase flexibility so that learners can access the education
regardless of time and geographical barriers. It can influence the way students are
taught and how they learn. It would enable development of collaborative skills as
well as knowledge creation skills. This in turn would better prepare the learners
for lifelong learning as well as to join the industry. It can improve the quality of
learning and thus contribute to the economy. Similarly wider availability of best
practices and best course material in education, which can be shared by means of
66  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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ICT, can foster better teaching. However there exist some risks and drawbacks with
introducing ICT in education which have to be mitigated. Successful implementation
of ICT to lead change is more about influencing and empowering teachers and
supporting them in their engagement with students in learning rather than acquiring
computer skills and obtaining software and equipment. Also proper controls and
licensing should be ensured so that accountability, quality assurance, accreditation
and consumer protection are taken care of. ICT enabled education will ultimately
lead to the democratization of education.
REFERENCES
• Mohante Jagannath(2009),Modern trends in Educational Technology:Neelkamal
publications Pvt.Ltd NewDelhi.
• Patil.S.S, Dange.J.K, Geeta.c, ICT in education:Recent trends, Prateeksha Publications,
Jaipur (India)2012.
• Mehta, S. & Kalra, M. (2006), ‘Information and Communication Technologies: A bridge
for social equity and sustainable development in India’, The International Information
& Library
• Agarwal, P. (2006), ‘Higher education in India : the need for a change’, Indian Council
For Research On International Economic Relations.
• Bhattacharya, I. & Sharma, K. (2007), ‘India in the knowledge economy – an electronic
paradigm’, International Journal of Educational Management
• R. Sarvana Kumar, R.Paramaeshwaran and T.Jayalaxmi; Information Technology, S.
Chand & Co. New Delhi.
• Ashish Hattangdi &Prof.Atanu Ghosh : Enhancing the quality of accessibility of higher
education through the use of Information and communication Technologies.
WEBSITES
• http://education.nic.in
• http://education.nic.in/higedu.asp
• http://www.nptel.iitm.ac.in/indexHome.php
• http://www.cdeep.iitb.ac.in
*Professor & Chairperson, Department of Education, Bangalore University, Bangalore.
**Research Scholar, Department of Education, Bangalore University, Bangalore.
10
Role of ICT in Promoting Visual and Hearing
Impaired Students
Dr. Haseen Taj* and Nandini N.**
Abstract
Information and Communication Technology has a unique and valuable
contribution to make to the learning experiences of pupils with special educational
needs. Specifically with  special needs learners  ICT is used to support the
development of reading and writing skills, but also as a tool to develop social
relation skills. ICT supports children who find it difficult to access curriculum,
perhaps due to physical, mental or just concentration problems. ICT can help,
sometimes by using modified equipment but sometimes simply by the motivation
it offers. But the benefits of ICT go much further than this and extend all the
way to providing complete access for children who would otherwise be denied
an education altogether. Students are all equal to the situations at the school.
This is the aim of changing the teaching and learning at inclusive schools.
Since the students’ learning experiences and their ability to solve problems are
different, they need different challenges, which inclusive schools provide if
possible. Due to changes of technology, society, and culture, the possibilities of
the schools change all the time. Nowadays, the information and communication
technology (ICT) is often used to provide adequate challenges to all students.
In particular, most teaches consider the internet a useful learning resource, and
many use it in their teaching and learning. The teachers report that using the
internet often causes important changes in their way of teaching. In particular,
it will be a challenge to acquire the knowledge and skills needed. This paper
throws its light on how ICT supports sensory exceptional children......
Keywords: ICT, visual impairment, hearing impairment, computing,
action plan.
67
68  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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INTRODUCTION
We live in the historic period when knowledge has turned out to be the
most important basic resource. Rapid progress in knowledge and easy access to
information are becoming a driving force of economic and social development.
The Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan has defined the value of
information technologies as follows: The new information and communications
technologies are among the driving forces of globalization. They are bringing people
together, and bringing decision-makers unprecedented new tools for development.
At the same time, however, the gap between information ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’
is widening, and there is a real danger that the world’s poor will be excluded from
the emerging knowledge-based global economy. Fast development of such modern
sectors as telecommunications, media, and information technologies affects both the
alterations in the technological sphere and the globalization of the economy, as well
as transforms social relations, culture, and education. In the field of education, broad
introduction of new digital technology presents great possibilities and initiates new
pedagogical approaches apt to meet the overgrowing demands of modern society.
Information Society must be created on the principles of social engagement, i.e.
involvement of all citizens, regardless of their abilities, background, social status,
ethnicity, etc. The common grounds of this approach were expressed in Declaration
of Principles of World Summit on Information Society in the intention “to build a
people-centered, inclusive and development-oriented Information Society, where
everyone can create, access, utilize and share information and knowledge, enabling
individuals, communities and peoples to achieve their full potential in promoting
their sustainable development and improving their quality of life, premised on
the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and respecting
fully and upholding the Universal Declaration of Human Rights”. Such vision
of Information Society development assumes application of new pedagogical
technologies and appropriate methods of education. In this connection, information
and communication technologies (ICTs) have become the most suitable tool, which
can help people with different learning demands exercise their right to education,
employment, social life and leisure, and access to information and democratic
channels. The use of new technologies in the sphere of education must enhance
independence, integration, and equal opportunities for all people.
WHAT DO WE MEAN BY ICT?
ICT is the Information and Communication Technologies. ICT in Education
means teaching and learning with ICT.
Worldwide research has shown that ICT can lead to improved student
learning and better teaching methods. A report made by the National Institute of
Multimedia Education, proved that an  increase in student exposure to educational
ICT through curriculum integration has a significant and positive impact on student
achievement, especially in terms of Knowledge, Comprehension, Practical skill  colours
and Presentation skill in subject areas such as mathematics, science, and social study.
Main advantages of ICT tools for education
Role of ICT in Promoting Visual and Hearing Impaired Students  69
MAIN ADVANTAGES OF ICT TOOLS FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
• Through ICT, images can easily be used in teaching and improving the retentive
memory of students.
• Through ICT, teachers can easily explain complex instructions and ensure
students’ comprehension.
• Through ICT, teachers are able to create interactive classes and make the lessons
more enjoyable, which could improve student attendance and concentration.
MAIN DISADVANTAGES OF ICT TOOLS FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
• Setting up the devices can be very troublesome.
• Too expensive to afford.
• Hard for teachers to use with a lack of experience using ICT tools
WHY USE ICT?
ICT is increasingly used in education and in the business and leisure industries.
This means children have access to ICT in many different aspects of their lives.
It is essential, therefore, that we give them a wide variety of opportunities to
explore how the technology can support them in their learning. For example,
while pupils are using a desk top publishing package to create a school newspaper
they are also developing their ability to communicate more effectively. This
provides both a context and a meaning for the ICT activity. Taking the IT out
of context and teaching IT skills separately, not only decontextualises ICT but
also places additional burdens on curriculum time. The use of ICT therefore
should be a meaningful part of an activity where it is used to consolidate or
extend pupils’ learning.
HOW ICT CAN ENHANCE TEACHING AND LEARNING IN SPECIAL
EDUCATIONAL NEEDS
Some pupils in your class may have learning difficulties caused by a physical
disability, a problem with their sight, hearing or speech, emotional or behavioural
problems, a medical or health problem or difficulties with reading, writing, speaking
or numeracy. The use of ICT is essential in enabling pupils with Special Educational
Needs to gain access to the curriculum.
FOR PUPILS WITH SENSORY DISABILITIES, ICT CAN BE USED TO
• provide switch access to classroom activities such as matching, sorting and
word processing
• translate text into speech and speech into text
• prepare work which is specially adapted with large fonts, symbols and particular
This will give pupils some level of independence in partaking in activities
and the ability to work in an environment that encourages play and investigation. 
70  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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FOR PUPILS WITH LEARNING DIFFICULTIES, USING ICT CAN:
• provide pupils with a clutter-free working environment where features of
programs are linked to pupils’ ability
• enhance the development of activities which are clear, focused and attractive
to pupils
• enable pupils to practise skills in a different context, allowing numerous
repetitions in order to aid learning
• support language development activities and offer multi-sensory ways of
learning
• offer a medium for differentiated activities  Visual impairment represents a continuum, from people with very poor vision,
FOR PUPILS WITH EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIOURAL DIFFICULTIES, USING
ICT CAN:
• offer pupils a non-threatening or non-judgemental situation
• allow pupils to be motivated and offer opportunities for success
• give pupils the opportunity to be responsible for their own learning
• allow pupils to work on tasks that are more manageable and achievable
ACTION PLAN FOR USING ICT
In order to use ICT to create adequate challenges for all students, schools
need a proper strategy (action plan). Without such a plan, the use of ICT might
be random and casual. Well planned actions concerning the application of ICT
into schools can
• Transfer initiatives from special education to normal education;
• Increase the inclusion of students with special needs in the local school
districts;
• Improve the continuous assessment and tailor the challenges at the school
to the particular needs of each student.
USAGE OF ICT BY CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
There are many ways in which technology can support learners with disabilities
or learning difficulties and help them to access learning which may otherwise be
excluded from or find difficult to participate in. Every child is an individual and
children with Special Educational Needs are as different from each other as any
other children, perhaps even more so.  Even if a child has had a ‘label’ attached to
his/her particular special need, this does not mean that his/her needs will be exactly
the same as others with the same ‘condition.’ In all types of disability, the difficulties
can range from mild to severe and many children will have problems in more than
one area of learning.  When you are looking for information to help a particular
child you should consider all the areas in which he/she might have difficulty.
MAIN TYPES OF IMPAIRMENTS
• Physical impairments
Role of ICT in Promoting Visual and Hearing Impaired Students  71
•
Sensory impairments
•
Speech and language impairments
•
Specific learning difficulties
•
Cognitive impairments
Sensory impairments 
• Visual impairments
• Hearing impairments
VISUAL IMPAIRMENT:
to people who can see light but no shapes, to people who have no perception of
light at all. However, for general discussion it is useful to think of this population
as representing two broad groups: those with low vision and those who are legally
blind. Those who are legally blind may still retain some perception of shape and
contrast or of light vs. dark (the ability to locate a light source), or they may be totally
blind (having no awareness of environmental light). People with these disabilities
are concerned with being able to see text or images on a computer screen and being
able to perform tasks that require eye- hand coordination, such as moving a computer
mouse. Text size and color can make a big difference in legibility for people who
have low vision. Written operating instructions and other documentation may be
unusable, and there can be difficulties in manipulation (e.g., insertion/placement,
assembly). Because many people with visual impairments still have some visual
capability, many of them can read with the assistance of magnifiers, bright lighting
and glare reducers. Many such people with low vision are helped immensely by
use of larger lettering, sans-serif typefaces, and high contrast coloring.
Those with color blindness may have difficulty differentiating between certain
color pairs. This generally doesn’t pose much of a problem except in those instances
when information is color coded or where color pairs are chosen which result in
poor figure ground contrast. Key coping strategies for people with more severe
visual impairments include the use of braille and large raised lettering. Note,
however, that braille is preferred by only 10% of blind people (normally those
blind from early in life). Raised lettering must be large and is therefore better for
indicating simple labels than for extensive text.
For many visually impaired or blind pupils, ICT can enable access to the
curriculum by providing alternative methods of reading and recording work. ICT
can also be used to help schools produce learning materials to support pupils with
visual impairment. Quality printers and enlarging photocopiers can produce large-
print versions of work materials and Braille-translation software can produce text
and Braille versions. The learner may need a range of peripherals, so support will
be needed to ensure that any chosen combination will work together.
Why ICT is important 
For many visually impaired or blind pupils, ICT can enable access to the
curriculum by providing alternative methods of reading and recording work.
72  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
ICT can also be used to help schools produce learning materials to support
pupils with visual impairment. Quality printers and enlarging photocopiers
can produce large-print versions of work materials and Braille- translation
software can produce text and Braille versions. The learner may need a range
of peripherals, so support will be needed to ensure that any chosen combination
will work together.
HOW ICT CAN HELP
• A choice of word processor fonts enables a learner to select the most suitable
letter shape and size, while the opportunity to select text and background
colours on screen can help to make viewing more comfortable.
• Screen glare can be alleviated by the use of filters but care should be taken
that lighting in the room does not interfere with the screen display.
• High-contrast sticky labels with large letters can be fixed over the keys of the
standard keyboard. Labels in a variety of textures or colours can be attached
to frequently used keys. Braille keyboard computers are also available.
• The ability to print out in various sizes is useful because work can be printed
out in a large font for the user and a smaller one for the teacher.
• Screen layouts can be designed to meet individual needs so that a pupil can
load software and files independently, and edit and save work.
• Text-to-speech software can read out text on the screen. Digital sound can
be recorded and used in multimedia applications. Calculators, thermometers
and electronic dictionaries are all available with in-built speech.
• A scanner with optical character recognition software can import a page of
text into the computer. This can then be copied into a word processor.
• Braille-translation software can produce text and Braille versions. Pupils can
obtain both Braille and standard text print-outs for their audiences.
• The use of mouse pointers and pull-down windows on screen can present
problems for learners with low vision but many use keystroke alternatives to
the mouse moves. Access utility programs are available for most computers.
• Work is in progress to enable access for visually impaired pupils to the large
amounts of information available on CD-ROMs and the internet. Screen
magnification, screen navigation utilities and speech output are just a
few of the utilities available. Pupils can use the computerised search and
retrieval routines with the text enlarged or spoken via a speech synthesiser.
Once they find the information they require, pupils can print out in text or
Braille.
ACCESS TO THE KEYBOARD
The letters on a computer keyboard are small and can be difficult to see.  Large
print keytop stickers in several colour combinations are available. Learning to
touch-type is recommended, where possible. Touch-typing tutors are available in
large print, on tape and as a speaking computer program.
Role of ICT in Promoting Visual and Hearing Impaired Students  73
SCREEN PLACEMENT
The placement of the screen can be important. Glare and window light can
make unusable a computer that would otherwise be manageable.
COLOUR
Many people with impaired vision can see some colour combinations better
than others. Colour options are available in practically all programs.  Windows
has a wide range of pre- defined colour schemes to try or you can create your own
preferred colour schemes.
SCREEN SIZE
Larger than standard screens (monitors) produce a larger than standard image. 
Screens are available over 30” in size.
For laptop computers, screens are typically around 14” visible viewing area.
SCREEN RESOLUTION
Ensuring that your screen resolution (how small are the dots that make up the
picture on your monitor) is no higher than 800x600 is a good starting point – text
and pictures will be larger than at higher resolutions.
CHOICE OF FONT STYLE AND SIZE
It is possible to increase the size of all text within Windows (including icon
text, menus, message boxes etc). This can considerably enhance the visibility of
Windows and all the programs you use. A font such as the one this document is
written in - “Arial”, can be easier to see than others which are not uniform width
and have “serifs” (tails) such as “Times New Roman”. 
In Windows a number of colour schemes include larger text of up to 3 times
the standard size.
THE MOUSE POINTER
In Windows it is possible to change the colour and size of the mouse
pointer (arrow) and the other shapes the mouse pointer appears as. A wider range
of sizes and colours and high visibility effects can be achieved with specialist
software.
MICROSOFT WORD AND EXCEL FEATURES
Both Microsoft Word and Excel have features that may help increase visibility.
You can increase the size of the buttons in the toolbars in both.
In Word you can make the document window white text on a blue background
regardless of Windows’ colour scheme.
“ZOOMING IN”
A number of programs such as word-processors allow the user to increase the size
of the text in the window where the document appears quite considerably. This does
not affect the size in which the text is printed out.  Most buttons on the toolbar (the row
74  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
of small pictures at the top of the screen that can perform an operation when clicked
with the mouse) can be enlarged by choosing the right option within the program.
MAGNIFICATION SOFTWARE
A number of products are available that produce an enlarged image on the
computer’s screen. The sizes of enlargement possible, the image quality and the
method of control vary.
Enlarging characters in this way always means that only a portion of the
whole screen is visible at any time. Use of such software is relatively simple and
there are also a number of word-processing packages specifically designed for
use with large characters.
There is also software that magnifies the area around the mouse pointer like
a magnifying glass.
FINDING THE TEXT CURSOR
Many people find it difficult to locate the blinking vertical bar that indicates
where you are typing in a word processor. There is no way of increasing the size,
or enhancing the appearance, of this cursor except in Windows ME and above (and
then its size only increases in MS Word and a few other programs).  A program
called Mouse & Caret Buddy can help you find your mouse cursor and text caret
by showing pictures next to them.
“SCREEN READING” USING SPEECH OUTPUT OR BRAILLE
It is often thought that Windows, with its pictures and “icons”, is inaccessible to
those without vision. In fact these pictures are often purely cosmetic or accompanied
by a text label.
A blind computer user can know what is on the screen by having the
necessary information spoken by a synthetic voice. This could include having
each character or word echoed back as you type.
The software programs that control the speech (called “screen readers”)
vary in their reliability and intelligence. The more sophisticated allow the user
effective and reliable “eyes- free” use of the vast majority of Windows programs.
As well as offering speech output, screen reading software can also produce
a Braille readout of the text on the screen. What would otherwise be spoken is
displayed on an electromechanical strip of typically 20-40 cells situated close to
the keyboard.  Braille output can be used alone or combined with speech output.
CCTVS
Closed circuit TV systems, or video magnifiers, are devices that  enlarge
print or hand-written text. Some can be attached to a computer. Most common are
standalone models. They comprise a single unit, with a screen above a moveable
table on which the item to be read is placed.
Portable versions are available, with small hand-held cameras that connect to
a television or computer. Those connecting to a computer give the user the option
to view the CCTV image, or the computer image, or both in a “split- screen” view.
Role of ICT in Promoting Visual and Hearing Impaired Students  75
HEARING IMPAIRMENT
Hearing impairment means any degree and type of auditory disorder,
while deafness means an extreme inability to discriminate conversational speech
through the ear. Deaf people, then, are those who cannot use their hearing for
communication. People with a lesser degree of hearing impairment are called hard
of hearing.
The primary difficulty for individuals with hearing impairment in using standard
products is receiving auditory information. Not being able to hear computer prompts,
like beeps and spoken messages, can be problematic for these individuals.
This problem can be compensated for by presenting auditory information
redundantly in visual and/or tactile form. If this is not feasible, an alternative
solution to this problem would be to provide a mechanism, such as a jack, which
would allow the user to connect alternative output devices. Increasing the volume
range and lowering the frequency of products with high pitched auditory output
would be helpful to some less severely impaired individuals. (Progressive hearing
loss usually occurs in higher frequencies first.)
Although not prevalent yet, there is much talk of using voice input on
commercial products in the future. This, too, will present a problem for many deaf
individuals. While many have some residual speech, which they work to maintain,
those who are deaf from birth or a very early age often are also nonspeaking
or have speech that cannot be recognized using current voice input technology.
Thus, alternatives to voice input will be necessary to these individuals to access
products with voice input.
Familiar coping strategies for hearing impaired people include the use of
hearing aids, sign language, lip-reading and TDD’s (telecommunication devices for
the deaf). Some hearing aids are equipped with a “T-coil” as well, which provides
direct inductive coupling with a second coil (such as in a telephone receiver) in
order to reduce ambient noise. Some other commercial products could make use
of this capability.
ICT can be of particular value in developing the language experiences of learners
with hearing impairment. It is a very visual medium and the opportunity to work on
pictures, signs or texts on screen allows pupils to extend their understanding and
use of language without being dependent on the spoken word. Learners who have
a hearing impairment often need opportunities to extend their use of language in
order to describe, compare and contrast objects - skills that underlie effective
information handling. Collaborating on an ICT activity can encourage a group
of pupils to extend their use of language and their understanding of concepts as
they plan and carry out their work.
WHY ICT IS IMPORTANT 
ICT can be of particular value in developing the language experiences of
learners with hearing impairment. It is a very visual medium and the opportunity to
work on pictures, signs or texts on screen allows pupils to extend their understanding
and use of language without being dependent on the spoken word.
76  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
Learners who have a hearing impairment often need opportunities to extend
their use of language in order to describe, compare and contrast objects - skills
that underlie effective information handling. Collaborating on an ICT activity can
encourage a group of pupils to extend their use of language and their understanding
of concepts as they plan and carry out their work.
HOW ICT CAN HELP
An overlay keyboard, with an overlay of topic words or signs, can be used as
a starting point for writing up a science experiment. Vocabulary and word order can
be discussed and the ability to draft and re-draft on the word processor provides a
chance to experiment until everyone is satisfied with the outcome. The resulting
text can be printed out as a permanent record of the activity.
• Monitoring the change in temperature of water in a beaker through sensors
attached to the computer is an example of how ICT can provide a first-hand
experience to supplement and extend pupils’ work, without them depending
on text for structuring ideas.
• Multimedia technology can provide hearing-impaired pupils with access to
information in a more immediate and visual form than was previously possible.
The opportunity to create multimedia presentations can enable students to
experiment with different methods of combining sound and vision. Where
appropriate, the sound output can be linked to the enhanced amplification
used by the pupil. These sounds become more meaningful when heard in
conjunction with moving images on screen.
Hearing impairment and computing 
Role of ICT in Promoting Visual and Hearing Impaired Students  77
flexible to suit the unique demands of special education and, finally, to improve
its quality.However, over the past two decades it has become clear that inclusion
in a largely unchanged mainstream cannot secure equality and, correspondingly,
quality of education for all learners. A more fundamental transformation concerning
the creation of appropriate learning environments and pedagogical approaches is
required. ICTs offer a great potential to support lifelong learning for all groups of
students, including those who have special educational needs. The application of
ICTs must enhance independence, integration, and equal opportunities for such
people and in this way will facilitate their inclusion in society as valued, respected,
and contributing members.
REFERENCES
• Bashinski, S.M. The Issues: Adapting the Curriculum to Meet the Needs of Diverse
Learners.
• Delors, J., Al Mufti, I., Amagi, I., Carneiro, R., Chung, F., Geremek, B., Gorham, W.,
Kornhauser, A., Manley, M., Padryn Quero, M., Savan, M.-A., Singh, K., Stavenhagen,
R., Myong Won Suhr; Zhou Nanzhao (1996). Learning: The Treasure Within: Report to
UNESCO of the International Commission on Education for the Twenty-first Century.
• Faure, E., Herrera, F., Kaddoura, A., Lopes, H., Petrovsky, A., Rahnema, M, Ward, F.C.
(1972). Learning to Be: the World of Education Today and Tomorrow.
• UNESCO (2004). Changing Teaching Practices, Using Curriculum Differentiation to
Respond to Students’ Diversity.
• Wilson, D. (2004). A Human Rights Contribution to Defining Quality Education.
• World Bank (2002). Information and Communication Technologies: A World Bank Group
Strategy. Washington DC.

VISUAL WARNINGS
Sound is often used to alert the computer user of error, to signify task completion
or that an input is required.  For those who cannot hear the sounds, alternatives
may be required.
Software is available in Windows which can change system sounds into
visual signals on the screen.  These are called Sound Sentry and Show Sounds.

CONCLUSION
Integrating ICT into education of children with special needs seems to be a
necessary issue for educators / education administrators in the world. However,
if teachers cannot make good use of the ICT tools, the money and time spent on
the ICT is going to be a waste. Also, if the educational budget is limited, looking
for a cost-effective and high-performance ICT tool can be the first priority. Should
remember that simple is best.  Educational ICT tools are not for making educators
master ICT skills themselves, but for making educators create a more effective
learning environment via ICT.Since the ability to acquire, process, store, retrieve,
and use information is becoming a critical element of successful learning, the
appropriate learning environments must be facilitated for all students, including
those with special educational needs. Furthermore, it is important to make training

11
A Study of Awareness and Use of
Information Communication Technology
among Headmasters of Vijayapur
Dr. Vishnu M. Shinde*
BACKGROUND
The use of communication technology in administration is given importance
today. Multimedia applications in education provide useful effect for instruction
and administration. The Headmasters play an important role in quality education.
In pre-service teacher training like B.Ed, M.Ed is given very much importance
for learning of ICT. This is expected that every teacher and Administrator must
understand and develop skill of using ICT in his profession. This study aimed to
investigate the awareness of ICT among Headmasters. The Headmasters of 20 High
schools were selected. To achieve these objectives of the study, the researchers
developed a awareness test. The data is collected from 20 schools of Bijapur city.
The results showed that the Headmasters have very low level of awareness and
less use of ICT in profession.
COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY AND EDUCATION:
The use of multimedia in industries has been extensive, as it has been effective
in increasing productivity and retention rates, where research has shown that
people remember 20% of what they see, 40% of what they see and hear, but
about 75% of what they see and hear and do simultaneously (Lindstrom, 1994).
Multimedia is now permeating the educational system as a tool for effective
teaching and learning. With multimedia, the communication of information can be
done in a more effective manner and it can be an effective instructional medium
for delivering information.
Multimedia access to knowledge is one of the possibilities of information and
communication technology that has tremendous impact on learning. The instructional
media have emerged in a variety of resources, and equipment, which can be used
*Asst. Professor, Department of studies in Education, Karnataka State Women’s University,
Torvi, Vijayapura-586108. Email: vishnushinde1973@gmail.com.
78
A Study of Awareness and Use of Information Communication Technology  79
♦
to supplement or complement the teacher’s efforts in ensuring effective learning
by students.
It is recognized that conventional media technologies can no longer meet the
needs of our teaching and learning processes; as a result they are being replaced
by multimedia technology. This technology provides a learning environment that
is self-paced, learner-controlled and individualized.
Headmaster is considered as hub of relations, Leader of school. His involvement
and encouragement for using information communication technology in school is very
important. For that H.M needs to be innovative. The present study is an small effort to
study the awareness and use of ICT among Headmaster of few schools of Vijayapur city.
ICT AND TEACHING-LEARNING PROCESS:
The rise of ICT has also allowed people to communicate with others all over
the world. Digital media has increased globalization by making communication
with people from other parts of the world very easy. Video games can be played
over the Internet with people from all over the world. Books began appearing on
the Internet for free. Writer’s now have the option of placing their books online
to be purchased or read through e-books. E-books are an electronic version of
a printed book. Although the device to read the print may cost a lot more than
the book itself, ordering more electric texts can be cheaper. It can be a lot more
convenient than buying or borrowing a book. E-books also have the ability to
translate text to other languages that the book is not published in.
Today students will have the opportunity to learn from among a core set of
digital media technologies including graphic design, animation, video production,
motion graphics, 3D modelling, web development, and mobile development. Students
will also collaborate with other students, learn multimedia production best practices,
and work with clients on real-world instructional technology projects.
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE:
The following few research studies revels the importance of present research.
Dhavan V.Shah conducted research study on “Media and civic participation: on
understanding communication effects” and found that how media mischaracterisation
effects on civic life.
Kim Walsh and Jane D Brown have conducted a study on “Effects of
multi-media on public health” and suggests that media is contributing valuable
uses to society and public health.
Riesman (1994) described multimedia as a ray of “computer-driven interactive
communication system, which create, store, transmit and retrieve, textual, graphic
and auditory networks of information.
Multimedia could be interpreted as a combination of data carriers, for example
video, CD-ROM, floppy disks, Internet and software in which the possibility
for an interactive approach is offered (Smeets, 1996; Jager and Lokman, 1996).
Fetterman (1997) also viewed multimedia as those resources used for
instruction that include one or more media such as graphics, video, animation,
image and sound in addition to textual information.
80  Information and Communication Technology in Education A Study of Awareness and Use of Information Communication Technology  81
♦ ♦
Kwan Min lee in his study “Effects of computer and video games and beyond
Item Subject Response %
“found that not only digital media is powerful but also popular with each new
generation of users. 1 Print media (Newspaper) 18 90%
Shalon M Fisch in his research study “Education TV and interactive media 2 Use of Mobile for Administration 06 30%
for children: effects on Academic knowledge, skills and attitudes” suggests that
students learn better and reproduce learning in effective manner. To make teaching 3 Use of SMS for Administration 04 20%
in effective way teachers most use multi-media in their classroom 4 Watching the Cinema in theatre 02 10%
5 Use of Technology in classroom. 01 05%
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The significance of the study is twofold. First it revels whether the awareness 6 Opinion on use of ICT in class. 01 05%
of Communication technology among Headmasters is significant. Secondly it 7 Use of Television for Education 03 15%
provides some knowledge about Headmasters views on using ICT in personal
8 Advise to teachers to use ICT 01 05%
life and professional life.
9 Advise to children to watch TV 02 10%
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 10 Use of LCD 01 05%
1. To study the level of awareness of Communication technology among 11 Use of Radio in House 12 60%
Headmasters of selected schools of Vijayapur city.
12 Use of Radio in Class 02 10%
2. To find out the emphasis of Communication technology among Headmasters
of selected schools of Vijayapur city. 13 Use of Tape-recorder in Class 03 15%
14 Use of Xerox 01 05%
HYPOTHESES OF THE STUDY
15 Use of Computer 04 20%
1. The Headmasters have very low level of awareness of information
Communication technology. 16 Use of e-male 02 10%
2. The Headmaster has very less emphases on information communication 17 Use of digital camera 04 20%
technology. 18 Use of Internet 03 15%
19 Use of whatsapp 02 10%
METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY
This study employed a survey research method. The study attempts to understand 20 Support to ICT in Education 06 30%
the awareness and use of Communication technology among Headmasters. 20 high
school Headmasters were selected randomly from Vijayapur city. FINDINGS OF THE STUDY
1. The Headmasters have very low level of awareness and application of
INSTRUMENTATION AND STATISTICAL TECHNIQUES EMPLOYED
Communication technology.
The investigator used ‘Communication technology Application Scale’
2. There is significant relationship between the awareness and application of
developed by Dr.Vishnu Shinde. The tool consists of 20 items. It includes yes
Communication technology and administration among Headmasters.
or no type of questions on applications of communication technology in their
profession by highschool Hadmasters.. 3. The Headmasters have traditional administrative style.
For the present study the statistical techniques viz., mean and percentage 4. The Headmasters have very low level of awareness and application of
were employed for the purpose of knowing the extent of relationship between Communication technology in teaching and administration.
the variables.
EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE STUDY
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION • It is known that the growth and development of education is exclusively
Table showing item, subject, response and percentage of use of communication dependent upon the facilities we use in system. In the present study it has
technology among Headmasters been found that the Headmasters have very low level of awareness of ICT. We
82  Information and Communication Technology in Education A Study of Awareness and Use of Information Communication Technology  83
♦ ♦
are living in modern era and the use of ICT among teachers and Headmasters • J.C.Aggarwal. Theory and Principles of Education, Vikas publishing house Pvt Ltd
is must. Since modern education system expects very quality education the New Delhi.
awareness of digital media needs to be improved. • Jennings Bryant and Mary Beth Oliver: Media effects in Theory and Research, Published
by Rutledge New York.
• From the present study it has revealed that there is a less awareness of • Mandal Pratish Kumar (1991) A study of the impact on some psycho-social determinants
information communication technology. Most of Headmasters use news on the educational achievements of tribal students of west Bengal, Ph.D. Univ of Kalyani.
paper but they never use it as academic instrument. They are not adequately • Ministry of Human Resource (2001) Annual Report of the National Human Research
educated in terms of modernization. • Manjula.P.Rao. (1998) Teacher competencies and Learners Achievement in the Tribal
• Use of SMS can be very effective in school administration but Headmasters Areas of Karanataka State, DPEP Research project, RIE, Mysore.
don’t feel that SMS can be used in school. It may be because of practical
orientation at their education and environment. Out of Twenty Head masters
only two of them want to see cinema. Cinema helps human being to understand
modernity. Indirectly it helps in administration.
• Use of Radio in household is popular among Headmasters but as academic
tool Radio is not at all used. LCD is not given importance in school.
• However in the present study the Headmasters were from semi urban locality
and this environment never helps them to be modern.
• If similar research at urban locality is conducted we may find some new
outcomes. This is indicative of the fact that an adequate training brings about
maximum use of ICT among administrators. Therefore the education department
should take care of organizing programmes and activities related to media
and multimedia uses that lead to positive attitude, skills and interest among
the teachers and Headmasters. This has been well reflected and experienced
by the investigator in the present study. As such it was practically observed
and recorded by the research investigator as regards the environment and
application abilty of ICT among Headmasters.

CONCLUSION
It may be seen that the students at teacher training will have less aspiration
of new media when compared with the urban folk. As the modern society gives
importance to the use of new media in teaching learning we need to develop their
aspiration level. With this, it is evident that both the arts and science graduates most
learn new media opportunities. It will help in academics and employment levels.
There is need of positive attitude from society regarding ICT. The study
strongly believes that if proper ICT education and care is given the teacher trainees
definitely they will show better achievement in their profession and life situations.

REFERENCES
• Agnew, P.W., Keller man, A.S. & Meyer, J. (1996). Multimedia in the Classroom. Boston:
Alyn and Bacon.
• Anadarajan, M., Igbaria, M. and Anakwe, U.P. (2000). IT acceptance in a less-
developed country: a motivation factor perspective International Journal of Information
Management, 22 (1), pp. 47 – 65.
• Government of India (1986): “National Policy on Education” Ministry of Human Resource
Development New Delhi.

12
ICT Empowered Teacher Education
Dr. G. R. Angadi*
Abstract
Information and communication Technologies are a major factor in
shaping the new global economy and producing rapid changes in society.
In the present day there is a conscious shift towards approaches that lead
to learning recognizing the use of information technologies. The role of
teacher educator/teacher has changed and continues to change from being
an instructor to a facilitator and creator of a learning situation. This leads
to a challenging task among the teacher educators as they need training not
only in computer literacy but also in the pedagogical application of those
skills to improve teaching and learning for successful integration of ICTs
into teacher education. In this paper traced the challenges and issues faced by
teacher educators in the fullest utilization of information and communication
technology. It focuses on the professional development of teacher educators
in various contexts of infusing technology into the educational system. It
closes with a suggestion for a planned strategy which gives priority to
capacity building of teacher educators ensuring the appropriate, effective
and sustainable integration of ICTs that empowers them not just to prepare
well trained teachers to implement but also to lead educational innovations
that will transform schools and ultimately the society.
Keywords: ICT, Empowerment and Teacher Education.
INTRODUCTION
Educational systems around the world is under increasing pressure to use
the new information and communication technologies (ICTs) to teach students
the knowledge and skills they need in the post-globalization. With the emerging
new technologies, the teaching profession is evolving from an emphasis on
*Assistant Professor, BLDEA’s JSS College of Education, PG and Research Centre in
Education, Vijayapur (Bijapur)-586101 gavimahi@gmail.com.
84
ICT Empowered Teacher Education  85
♦
teacher-centered approach to student centered. Designing and implementing
successful ICT- enabled teacher education programmes is the key to fundamental,
wide-ranging educational reforms. In the present scenario Teacher Education in
India is being renovated and redesigned to make it constructive. New opportunities
and possibilities especially those in electronic and other related applications for
skill development arrangements stimulate the initiative for the teacher education
and the reform of the existing educational provisions.
In the past, the focus was on teachers for ICT-integration in education which
though desirable could not effectively meet set objectives. The professional
development of teacher-educators is essential. Unless teacher educators model
effective use of technology in their own classes, it will not be possible to prepare
a new generation of teachers who effectively use the new tools for learning. This
paper discusses extensively issues pertaining to building capacity and confidence of
teacher educators in use of ICT, meeting the continuing professional development
needs of teacher educators and addressing the needs and expectations of teacher
educators in techno-mediated learning environment.
NEED FOR ICT EMPOWERMENT OF TEACHER EDUCATORS
Kanuka and Anderson (1999) note that each of the ‘schools’ of constructivism
have four central beliefs in common:
• That new knowledge is built on the foundations of previous learning;
• That learning is an active rather than passive process;
• That language is an important aspect of the learning process; and
• That learning environments should be learner-centered.
ICT-enhanced creative classroom practices, however, require that teachers play
a new role. The role of the teacher will change from knowledge transmitter to that of
learning facilitator, knowledge guide, knowledge navigator and co-learner with the
student. The new role does not diminish the importance of the teacher but requires new
knowledge and skills. Students will have greater responsibility for their own learning
in this environment as they seek out, find, synthesize, and share their knowledge with
others. ICTs provide powerful tools to support the shift to student-centred learning and
the new roles of teachers and students. This means that opportunities, like exposure
to a number of critical examples and experience in designing ICT-based activities
and integrating them in their classroom practice in creative ways are of great priority.
The aim is to convince teachers for the potentiality of ICT as learning tool and to
give a clear understanding of the educational functionality of technological tools in
their educational practices through their professional training. In this context the role
of teacher educators is to mend the existing system with vision to produce quality
teachers for schools. As the power and accessibility of ICT has expanded, teacher
educators have focused on two broad areas. The first relates to what may be called
“learning-to-use” technology. Educators are taught the necessary skills to use ICT
across a variety of personal and professional levels. The second area, “using-to-learn”,
focuses on how ICT can be integrated into the total teaching and learning process and
how by using ICT effectively basic knowledge and skills can be learned.
86  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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CHANGING ROLE OF TEACHER EDUCATORS
Under the changing scenario of globalization and development of information
and communication technologies, there is a need to redefine the role of a teacher-
educator. It is high time that they understand their role rather than simply assess
the teacher education system. If they do not contribute, they will move from the
current marginalized status to the one of irrelevance. They will have to respond
at both conceptual/empirical and pedagogical levels (Liston et.al. 2008). For the
successful integration of ICT in teacher education, in addition to taking up the
role responsibilities in the areas of competence, commitment and performance,
the teacher-educator must shoulder the additional, rather survival responsibilities
outlined below :
• Act as a role model for pre-service trainees and in-service teachers,
demonstrating the use of technology across the curriculum.
• Encourage technology integration among the trainees, colleagues, teachers
and parents.
• Be involved in planning and implementing ICT professional development
training.
• Be up-to-date with the latest technological developments and advise the
institutions concerning technology advancements and up gradation.
• Interact through e-mail/forum/communities/blogging with trainees, participating
schools, and parents.
• Aid in the implementation of technology plans of the institutions.
• Plan, design, and demonstrate the use of multimedia applications for
instructional use through multimedia projects.
• Examine a variety of evaluation and assessment tools including electronic
portfolio assessment.
• Become active, competent online users of telecommunication services and
act as model in the use of internet as an instructional tool.
• Address issues related to acceptable user policies, student safety, ethics,
security, copyright, etc.
• Be involved in marketing the best practices of technology integration.
• Manage the available resources more productively to face the ever increasing
financial crunch.
• Use information literacy to access, evaluate, and use information from a
variety of sources.
• Have the competencies in software evaluations and advise the institutions in
making the right choices.
ICT TRAINING FOR TEACHERS AND TEACHER EDUCATORS
Teacher educators, because they have to work in multiple contexts-both the
home institution and the field where students are placed to observe and practice
teaching-may also be more influenced by the absence of the essential conditions
ICT Empowered Teacher Education  87
for ICTs in teacher education. Four stages are common, but they may be repeated
with new forms of ICTs or applications of ICTs to new areas. The first stage for
each individual is awareness, and the appropriate response at this stage is to
provide information about a relevant application of ICTs and appropriate ways
that it may be used in the individual’s current professional or personal concerns.
It is the learner-centred nature of this approach; the concerns are not those of
the supporter or the organization, but of the individual teacher educator. Teacher
educators then explore the use of the application. They need support to put this ICT
application into practice in a timely manner and to reflect on its effectiveness. Only
after teacher educators have gone through these stages are they able to adapt their
practice to make better use of ICTs, and then move toward the final stage to become
innovators and modelers of excellent practice for their students and colleagues
(UNESCO, 2002). For the successful implementation of ICT, teacher trainees,
teachers and teacher- educators need to be trained in the following dimensions.
• Awareness phase: The input should be to make the teachers aware of the
importance and possibilities of ICT-the current trends and future projections.
• Learning theories and technology integration: Traditional and modern
view of learning, shift from teaching to learning, role of ICTs in lifelong
learning.
• Basic hardware skills: Hands on experiences in operating a ) the PC and
laptops-switching on, shutting down, and networking, b) storage devices- using
CD ROM drive, flash drive, and burning CD-ROM , c) output devices-using
printers and speakers, d) input devices-using keyboard (Including shortcuts),
mouse, modem, scanners, web cam, digital camera, camcorders, date loggers
and d) display devices- data projectors, and interactive white boards.
• Understanding system software: Features of desktop, starting an application,
resizing windows, organizing files (Creating, editing, saving and renaming),
switching between programs, copying etc.
• Using application/productivity software: Word processing, spreadsheet,
database, presentation, publishing, creation of Portable Document Format
(PDF) files, test generation, data logging, image processing etc.
• Using multimedia: Exposure to multimedia CD ROMs in different subject,
installing programs, evaluating CD ROMs, approaches to using CD ROMs,
creating multimedia presentations.
• Using internet: e-mail, communities, forums, blogging, WhatsApp,
facebook, wiki, subscription to mailing lists, e-mail and internet projects, web
searching strategies (navigating, searching, selecting, and saving information
) videoconferencing, designing web pages, freeware and shareware, evaluating
website resources, virtual fieldtrips, learning opportunities using the web,
and netiquette.
• Pedagogical application of ICT tools: Specific use of application software
in different subject, appropriate ICT tools and pedagogy, unit plan integrating
ICT tools, approaches to managing ICT-based learning groups, assessment
88  Information and Communication Technology in Education ICT Empowered Teacher Education  89
♦ ♦
of learning, electronic portfolio and assessment rubrics, creating teacher and in initial teacher training summarizes the barriers in the use of ICT by teacher
student support materials, supporting students with special needs. educators in the following lines. Most teacher trainers are not yet role models
• Introduction to open source software: Concept, types, advantages, working for teaching with ICT. Traditional forms of teaching are still dominant, coupled
on open sources application software. with considerable skepticism of many regarding the potential of ICT to improve
• Social, legal, ethical and health issues: Advantages and limitations of computer teaching and learning outcomes. Interested teacher trainers perceive a lack of
use, privacy violations, copyright infringement, plagiarism, computer security own pedagogical training for using ICT in teaching. Because of time constraints
(hacking, virus, misuse, abuse and staying safe) healthy use (seating, light, many teacher trainers find it difficult to acquire necessary skills and to explore
sound, radiation, exercise) the use of ICT in classroom settings. Assessment of teacher competences does
not involve the use of ICT in teaching and, hence, personal incentives for a more
• ICT for professional and personal productivity: ICT for administration,
intensive usage are missing.
record keeping, reporting and transfer of information, attendance, research,
In the same way India faces a number of unresolved issues and challenges for
careers in computers and professional development opportunities.
the integration of ICT particularly in the education sector which are also relevant
As an advanced training website development, installation and use of server
to teacher education. The issues are like technophobia among the teachers and
based applications, training in course management system, e-learning course
teacher educators, lack of academic auditing and monitoring of ICT enabled teacher
content development using various authoring tools, audio/video /image editing,
education initiatives, lack of adequate funding, absence of concrete data base, lack
animation etc. can be introduced. In addition to the hands on experiences every
of clear guidelines for developing quality content, lack of co-ordination among the
training program could include an ICT awareness /familiarity quiz, exhibitions of
organizations which take decisions regarding curriculum, infrastructure, content,
ICT books and multimedia CD ROMs by commercial agencies, poster session on
policy making, and policy implementation. Other constraints faced by India include
success stories, case study presentations and analysis, ICT based demonstration
linguistic diversity and income disparity. The digital divide in the country is so
lesson in the schools (whole class, small group, internet based, etc) exhibitions
acute that it becomes difficult for the policy-makers to frame universal policies
and presentations by commercial agencies on emerging technologies.
for the ICT integration in teacher education to be implemented.
CHALLENGES FOR ICT EMPOWERMENT OF TEACHER EDUCATORS
INITIATIVES TO BE TAKEN BY TEACHER EDUCATORS
To be able to integrate ICT in teacher training institutions, the teacher trainers
Without the leadership, commitment and initiatives of the teacher educators,
need to feel confident in using ICT themselves. This is not always the case (;
the transformation can’t be achieved whatever may be the inputs in the training and
Judge & O’Bannon, 2008; Whittier & Lara, 2006).The research review report by
however well designed it is. In this direction, the Government of India (GOI) has
OECD Directorate of Education which covered research in 11 OECD-countries
initiated several programmes starting with the Computer Assisted Learning and
during the years 2002–2009 identified a number of reasons that explains the lack
Teaching (CALT). Under this teacher educators were provided initial training in
of teacher-educators’ use of ICT in teaching. In USA, teacher trainers report
the use of computers. Other schemes include financial support to acquire hardware,
lack of time as a reason for not being updated in the field of technology. Lack of
setting up of computer labs and other resource supports. The initiatives of NCTE
access to equipment and the need for training and support were also reported as
to impart sustained professional development to all teacher educators from all
problems. Teacher trainers who use ICT innovatively in their learning process
the recognized institutions of teacher education across the country and to make
are interested in their own professional development, keep extensive contacts
Information Communication Technology (ICT) a part of the teacher education
with colleagues and experts in the area of ICT see and experience the advantages
curriculum through the XPDITTE (X-elerated Professional Development in the
of the innovative use of ICT in education and the pedagogical approach can be
Integration of Technology in Teacher Education) project is worth noting. All these
described as student-oriented. Similar conclusions are drawn from Switzerland.
developments posed new questions on the way teacher educators view learner and
The only difference is that lack of technological equipment and software is not
learning, available technology and ICTs and provisions of teaching and learning.
a barrier to the integration of ICT in their teaching. It is the lack of competences
The teacher educators could adopt initiatives like:
in implementing these tools which constitutes a real difficulty. Whether teacher
trainers have competences in computer or not, does not make a difference in • Self-learning using the tutorials available on the net or print medium.
their pedagogical representations regarding the use of ICT, but it has an impact • Hiring an ICT expert by a group of teachers/teacher educators.
on the probability that they will integrate ICT in their practices. Earlier studies • Enrolling for online professionally development courses.
and overviews have shown that teacher educators and also mentor teachers do • Enrolling for the best commercially available ICT training programs.
not have enough confidence in using technology, and the equipment is not always • Coaching by a colleague-Mentoring.
what could be expected (e.g. Moursund 1999). Australian Country report on ICT
• Attending ICT training courses, seminars, conferences and workshops.
90  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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• Communities of teachers’ collaborative groups to integrate ICT into their
curriculum (same subjects, different subjects, same school/college, different
school/college)
• Online learning by means of videoconferencing, discussion forum, chat,
blogging etc.
• Visiting institutions where the ICT is already being integrated.
• Action research trying out various models of technology integration and
publishing the result of the same.
• Membership and active participation in national and international associations,
whose primary concern is technology. The organizations like international
society for technology in education (ISTE), All India Society for Electronics
and Computer Technology (AISECT), Society for Educational Technology,
Research and Development (SETRAD) etc. could be considered.
• Take up diploma or Certificate courses on ICT offered through distance mode
by national or international universities and organizations (like, NCERT).
• Exploring the possibility of faculty exchange program to get placed in an
organization where the ICT integration in already in place.
• Taking up short-term or long-term projects related to ICT from MHRD, ERIC
(NCERT), UGC, and ICSSR. This may be in collaboration with the schoolteachers.
• Keeping up-to-date with the latest developments in ICT through journals,
magazines, newspapers and the internet.
• Teacher educators modeling the ICT integration in their academic work.
• Planning and implementing ICT in-service training programs for school
teachers the best way to learn is to teach.
• Creating a pool of ICT competent past teacher trainees and involving them
in the training programs.
• Designing and implementing self financing certificate course in ICT for in-
service teachers.
UNESCO planning guide for ICT in teacher-education (2002) cites four
professional development strategies which are helpful in successful technology
integration.
1. First, professional development needs to focus on teaching and learning rather
than on hardware and software. It should be designed by first considering
what student teachers are expected to know and be able to do in a specific
discipline, and then infusing ICTs into the learning process so that acquiring
the knowledge and skills is more efficient.
2. Professional development is practically useless unless leaders and teacher
educators are provided with access to technology resources and have the
time and support-when needed – to apply the new knowledge and skills that
they have learned. In this approach, professional development is provided
to teacher educators when they have a need or opportunity to use a specific
technology tool or application to enhance learning.
ICT Empowered Teacher Education  91
3. Professional development in the use of ICTs is not a one-time activity. To
keep current with new developments means that professional development
in ICTs must be an ongoing process.
4. A further strategy for professional development in the use of ICTs is to start
in a small group of teaching staff. Working with this small group allows the
professional development staff to determine the specific interests and needs
of the teacher educators and what works best in the professional development
process.
The application of these four strategies will be a mile stone towards effectively
integrating ICT in Teacher-Education. All the teacher educators should be lifelong
learners and should not shy away from learning new technologies and applying
them in the field situations.
CONCLUSION
Teacher educators are experts in a realm of teacher preparation, and it is
important to respect this domain while helping them to revitalize and modernize
their teaching with ICTs. An important aspect of their empowerment is not only
enabling teacher educators to understand and use ICT tools in their teaching
practices, but understanding how technology coupled with new approaches to
teaching and learning, may enhance student centered learning. There is need
for ICT empowerment of teacher educators to model excellent practice in their
teaching so that their students can easily transfer these strategies into their own
teaching practice. The major challenges in the way of ICT empowerment of teacher
educators must be addressed if we are to succeed in integrating ICT seamlessly
into teaching and learning, and transform the educational system into a learning-
centered environment for all students. Changes begin with small steps need to
continue in spite of the difficulties and challenges that arise. The goal to provide
the best education possible for our children is worth our concerted effort.
REFERENCES
• Bickhard, M. (1998). Constructivism in Science Education (pp. 99-112). Dordrecht:
Kluwer Academic.
• Directorate for Education. (2009). ICT in Initial Teacher Training: A Research Review.
EDU Working Paper-38. OECD.
• Drent, M. & Meelissen, M. (2008). Which factors obstruct or stimulate teacher educators
to use ICT innovatively? Computers & Education, 51, 187–199.
• Jonassen, D. H., Peck, K. L., & Wilson, B. (1999). Learning with Technology. New
Jersey: Merrill.
• Judge, S. & O’Bannon, B. (2008). Faculty integration of technology in teacher preparation:
outcomes of a development model. Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 17(1), 17–28.
• Kanuka, H., & Anderson, T. (1999). Using technology-mediated learning: Constructing
order out of the chaos in the literature. Radical Pedagogy, 1(2). http://radicalpedagogy.
icaap.org
• Liston, D., Borko, H. & Whitcomb, J. (2008) The teacher educator’s role in enhancing
teacher quality - Editorial. Journal of Teacher Education 59(2), 111-115
92  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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• NCTE, (2009), “National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education: Towards
Preparing Professional and Humane Teacher,” New Delhi: NCTE.
• Phillips, D. C. (1995). The good, the bad and the ugly: The many faces of constructivism.
Educational Researcher,24(7), 5-12.
• Survey on ICTs for Education in India and South Asia (2010). infoDev:.
PriceWaterhouseCoopers India. Accessed from: http://www.infodev.org
• Twomey Fosnot, C. (1996). A psychological theory of learning. In C. Twomey Fosnot
13
(Ed.),Constructivism: Theory, Perspectives and Practice (pp. 8-33). New York: Teachers
College Press. Road Map of ICT
• UNESCO (2002).ICTs in Teacher Education: A Planning Guide. Accessed from: http://
unesdoc.unesco.org Prof. S. M. Joshi*
• Whittier, D. & Lara, S. (2006). Preparing Tomorrows Teachers to use Technology (PT3)
at Boston University through faculty development: Assessment of three years of the
project. Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 15(3), 321–335. Abstract
Congressional enactment of the Electronic Privacy Information Act
(ECPA) in 1986 was a remarkably forward-looking effort to govern the
compelled disclosure of electronic communications data to the government
by balancing law enforcement needs with the personal privacy safeguards
needed in the digital age. As communications technology developed, and its
contribution to the U.S. economy became clear, Congress also consciously
endeavored to find a balance that would nurture communications technologies.
The wisdom of this attempt to balance privacy rights and law enforcement
needs in an innovation-friendly environment is evident today: the Internet
has evolved from a research network with a few thousand academic hosts
into a global platform for communications, commerce, and civic activity used
by four out of five adults in the United States on a daily basis. Information
technology has driven the U.S.

As forward-looking as ECPA was in 1986, there is broad consensus that

today’s technology has outpaced the Act. In 1983, Apple Computer introduced
the “Lisa”-the first mass-marketed microcomputer with a graphical user interface.
The Lisa cost $10,000 and featured 1 megabyte of RAM and a 5 megabyte hard
drive. Today, for $999, consumers can purchase a Mac Book with 2 gigabytes
of memory, a 250 gigabyte hard drive, and built in wireless Internet access and
communications technology. In 1995-nearly a decade after Congress enacted
ECPA-only 9% of American adults used the Internet, compared to 81% today.
Prototype mobile telephones from the 1980s-the size and shape of “bricks”-are
now A coalition of communications, equipment, and online services, as well as
members of the legal and advocacy communities14/ have come together over the
last year with the goal of developing a set of principles to simplify, clarify, and

*Principal, Dr. SET’s Arts and Commerce College, Ugar-Khurd. Belagavi Dist.

93
94  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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unify ECPA-without constraining important law enforcement activities. The result
of this effort is a set of consensus principles for updating ECPA that are designed to:
Establish consistent, predictable privacy protections for communications
and other electronic information services used by Americans every day to handle
their personal communications and operate their businesses - building user trust
and supporting the full extension of Constitutional values to the networked world,
while providing clarity for law enforcement and service providers.
Achieve technologically neutral solutions and avoid arbitrary distinctions
that become hard to apply over time, inhibit innovation, and skew the Internet
marketplace. Preserve the legal tools necessary to conduct criminal investigations
and protect the public, including through preservation of the ECPA exceptions
and exemptions relied upon by law enforcement today.
The consensus principles reflect the working group’s commitment to change
no more than strictly necessary to achieve these important goals. Implementation
of the consensus principles would not affect surveillance or privacy law relating to
national security, including the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and the national
security letter authority in ECPA. The principles would not deny the government
information needed to conduct investigations, and no information would be rendered
off limits to government investigators with appropriate process. Indeed, adoption of
the principles would facilitate cooperation between business and law enforcement
by clarifying the rules under which the parties interact. The principles preserve all
of the building blocks of criminal investigations—subpoenas, court orders, pen
register/trap and trace orders, and warrants, and would carry forward ECPA’s sliding
scale approach that ties the level of process required to the level of investigative
intrusiveness. The recommended changes would not disturb fundamental elements of
ECPA, including the distinctions between content, subscriber identifying information,
and less sensitive transactional data. Finally, these recommendations preserve the
exceptions for compelled disclosure that have been written into ECPA over the
years, including those permitting emergency disclosures.
PRINCIPLES
1. A governmental entity may require an entity covered by ECPA (a provider of
wire or electronic communication service or a provider of remote computing
service) to disclose communications that are not readily accessible to the
public only with a search warrant issued based on a showing of probable
cause, regardless of the age of the communications, the means or status of
their storage or the provider’s access to or use of the communications in its
normal business operations.
2. A governmental entity may access, or may require a covered entity to provide,
prospectively or retrospectively, location information regarding a mobile
communications device only with a warrant issued based on a showing of
probable cause.
3. A governmental entity may access, or may require a covered entity to provide,
prospectively or in real time, dialed number information, email to and from
Road Map of ICT  95
information or other data currently covered by the authority for pen registers
and trap and trace devices only after judicial review and a court finding that
the governmental entity has made a showing at least as strong as the showing
under 2703(d).
4. Where the Stored Communications Act authorizes a subpoena to acquire
information, a governmental entity may use such subpoenas only for information
related to a specified account(s) or individual(s). All non-particularized requests
must be subject to judicial approval.
PRINCIPLE 1: ACCESS TO CONTENT IN TRANSIT AND IN STORAGE
Recommended Approach: Under the consensus principles, a governmental
entity may require the provider of wire or electronic communications services to
produce the non-public content of communications only with a search warrant issued
based on a showing of probable cause, regardless of the age of the communication,
the means or status of its storage or the provider’s access to or use of the content
in its business operations. This change would bring all stored communications
content under the same probable cause standard set forth in the Fourth Amendment,
accessible to law enforcement with an ordinary warrant. For example, a showing
of probable cause would be required to compel production of email, regardless
of whether it is “opened” or not, and regardless of how old it is. The principle
also would apply to documents and other private data stored by or on behalf of
individuals on remote servers.
Need for Change: Americans have embraced email in their professional and
personal lives and use it daily for confidential communications of a personal or
business nature. Most people save these emails, just as they previously saved letters
and other correspondence. In fact, many Americans now have accumulated years’
worth of email, much of which is stored on the computers of trusted third-party
service providers. Likewise, businesses and individuals are
The privacy rights of an individual with respect to all of this information, if
stored on his or her hard-drive—or indeed on a CD in a safe deposit box—would
be fully protected by the warrant clause. Under ECPA, however, a single email or
electronic document could be subject to multiple legal standards in its lifecycle,
from the moment it is being typed to the moment it is opened by the recipient or
uploaded into a user’s “vault” in the cloud, where it might be subject to an entirely
different standard. A warrant is required to access the content of an email while
it is in storage waiting to be read by the recipient. The nanosecond the e mail is
opened by the recipient; however, it may lose that high standard of protection and
become accessible with a subpoena, issued with no judicial intervention, with
(concurrent or delayed) notice to the affected individual. One Court of Appeals
has rejected this distinction between opened and unopened communications for
purposes of determining whether or not a communication is in “electronic storage,”
while in other areas of the country the question remains unsettled. In all cases,
the Justice Department believes law enforcement can compel disclosure of the
content of the same email with a mere subpoena after the email is more than 180
96  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
days old. Likewise, while as a practical matter law enforcement must secure a
war rap access documents on a personal computer, under ECPA, a mere subpoena
issued to a twill suffice to access confidential documents stored remotely on the
computers of a clout computing
The different standards are the unanticipated byproduct of technology changes,
and not a careful balancing of the needs of law enforcement and the privacy rights
of individuals. Nor do they reflect a substantive difference in the nature of the
information; rather they reflect the fact that ECPA was enacted in 1986-six years
before Congress authorized commercial activity on the Internet, and seven years
before the first web browser was introduced. In 1986, very few Americans had
e-mail accounts, and those who did typically downloaded email from a server
onto their hard drives, and email was automatically and regularly overwritten by
seproviders grappling with storage constraints. Even eight years later, when Congress
enacted the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA), the
commercial Internet was in its infancy, digital storage was expensive, and email
was automatically and regularly overwritten by service providers grappling with
storage constraints.
Today, the distinctions between and among data in transit, data in electronic
storage, data stored by a remote computing service, and data more them 180 days
old no longer conform to the reasonable expectations of Americans, nor do these
distinctions serve the public interest. A growing chorus of academics argues that
these distinctions do not make sense, and courts have had increasing difficulty
applying ECPA. The Fifth Circuit described efforts to interpret the Wiretap Act as
a “search for lightning bolts of comprehension [that] traverses a fog of inclusions
and exclusions which obscures both the parties’ burdens and the ultimate goal.” The
Ninth Circuit described this as a “complex, often convoluted, area of the law.” In
2002 the Ninth Circuit said that Internet surveillance was “a confusing and uncertain
area of the law” that is so out-dated that it is “ill-suited to address modern forms
of communication.” A district court in Oregon recently opined that email is not
covered by the Constitution, while the Ninth Circuit has As the Supreme Court
has noted, clarity in the Fourth Amendment context benefits the public and law
enforcement alike. Without clear rules, law enforcement personnel must either
take the chance of stepping over the line-risking suppression of evidence or even
personal sanctions - or shy away from the line to avoid overstepping. Neither law
enforcement nor the public are well served when law enforcement cannot make
appropriate use of an investigative tool because they do not know what is and is
not allowed. A dramatic example of the negative consequences of the lack of clarity
was cited by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review in In Re Sealed
Case, where the court noted that the rules set forth in prior judicial decisions had
been “very difficult… to administer.” As the 9/11 Commission explained, in the
days leading up to the 9/11 attacks, certain intelligence information was not shared
with FBI agents who were familiar with al Qaeda because an intelligence analyst
misunderstood those decisions and misapplied the Justice Department’s rules
implementing them. Lack of statutory clarity also causes judicial uncertainty. When
unclear statutory terms are interpreted differently in different federal jurisdictions,
Road Map of ICT  97
prosecutors are left with two choices: create different practices and procedures in
each jurisdiction or adopt the most restrictive interpretation throughout the whole
country. The first option can lead to confusion and arbitrary results, and the second
can cause agents to forego the use of important investigative tools even where
their use would be permissible.
As email has become a key means of personal and proprietary communications,
and as users interact seamlessly with locally stored content and content stored
on the Internet, ECPA’s rules defy user expectation. Today, tens of millions of
consumers enjoy free email and data storage services on the Internet.44/ These
services are normally advertising-supported, and service providers use automated
tools to scan the communications in order to deliver relevant advertising or other
services. Many service providers also examine content for security and anti-spam
purposes. All of these activities are undertaken in connection with providing the
communication service, and users do not expect that these activities somehow render
their private communications less private. Indeed, the average webmail user would
be surprised to learn that the government believes this to be the case. Applying
ECPA to normal business practices in a manner that deprives users of basic privacy
protections threatens to undermine information technology innovations such as
cloud computing, which, “by altering the basic economics of access to computing
and storage … has the potential to reshape how U.S. and global businesses are
organized and operate.”
As presently applied, ECPA does not comport with user expectations, does
not meet law enforcement or judicial needs for clarity, creates non-trivial costs for
businesses seeking to comply with law enforcement requests, and erects barriers
to the adoption of innovative, productivity enhancing technology by American
business. To address these deficiencies in a technology neutral manner, the consensus
principles would bring all communications content, whether in transit or in storage
(as commonly defined), notwithstanding the age of that content or the ordinary
uses of that content by providers, under the basic probable cause standard set
forth in the Fourth Amendment, accessible to law enforcement with a warrant.
Effect on Law Enforcement: This proposal would do no more than strictly
necessary to reflect the reasonable expectations of privacy of communications
technology users today, and to serve the public interest in facilitating innovation
in the cloud. For example, the change:
Would not extend to stored content the full range of protections that apply to
real-time interception of communications content under the Wiretap Act, and would
not require a “super warrant” for access to that data. Rather, this proposal does
not modify the Wiretap Act, and under the proposal, a search warrant supported
by probable cause would suffice to require a provider to disclose stored content;
Would not further restrict the authority to access communications that are
readily accessible to the general public, such as remarks posted on a blog or
website available to the public;
Would not modify the right of any authorized recipient of a communication,
other than the service provider, to disclose data to the government without process.
Thus, for example, anyone other than the service provider with authorized access
98  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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to shared photos could voluntarily disclose those photos to anyone else, including
a government agent;
Would not change or eliminate any of the current exceptions permitting
disclosures to the government by ECS and RCS providers, including those regarding
inadvertently discovered evidence of a crime and emergency disclosures;
Would establish uniform, clear, and easily understood rules about when and
what kind of judicial review is needed by law enforcement to access electronic
content; and
Would, by clarifying the applicable rules, enable business to respond more
quickly and with greater confidence to law enforcement requests and to avail them
of hosted productivity technology.
PRINCIPLE 2: ACCESS TO MOBILE LOCATION DATA
Recommended Approach: Under the consensus principles, a governmental
entity may require the provider of wire or electronic communications services to
produce, prospectively or retrospectively, non-public information regarding the
location of a mobile communications device only with a search warrant supported
by probable cause.
Need for Change: Cell phones and mobile Internet devices generate location
data to support both the underlying service and a growing range of location-based
services of great convenience and value. A cell phone that is turned on—whether
or not it is in use—is in near constant communication with nearby cell towers,
and, as a result, site tower information always reveals something about a user’s
location (i.e., what tower or towers are nearby). In urban areas, where there are
many cell towers, a mobile communications device may communicate its location
to more than one tower. By triangulating information received by two or more cell
towers, it is possible to establish a user’s location within a matter of yards. This
location data can be intercepted in real time and is often stored for research and
development, resolution of billing disputes, and other business purposes; it can
reveal a very full picture of a person’s movements, leading to inferences about
activities and associations. In a growing number of devices, this automatically
generated location data is augmented by very precise GPS data.
The requirements governing access to location information are not clearly set
out in ECPA. For years law enforcement treated cell site information as “signaling” or
“addressing” information, obtained by simply certifying that the information—both
retrospective and prospective-was “relevant to an ongoing investigation.” In 1994
Congress amended the Pen Register statute to preclude the collection of information
disclosing location “solely pursuant” to that statute. Notwithstanding this change,
until 2005 judges routinely issued orders based on the “relevant to an ongoing
investigation” certification so long as the request identified any additional authority
for the request. Generally law enforcement cited the Stored Communications Act
for this additional authority-even when the location information was sought on a
prospective basis, on the theory that nothing in the Stored Communications Act
“requires that the provider possess the records at the time the order is executed.”
Road Map of ICT  99
In 2005, a magistrate judge in the Southern District of Texas rejected this
so-called “hybrid-theory,” holding – as most cell phone users would assume - that
prospective collection of cell site data amounted to “tracking.” Citing the standard
for installing a mobile tracking device under 18 U.S.C. § 3117, the magistrate
judge determined that law enforcement could access prospective cell site data only
with a warrant supported by probable cause. According to Judge Smith, “While
the cell phone was not originally conceived as a tracking device, law enforcement
converts it to that purpose by monitoring cell site data.” Magistrate judges around
the country followed Judge Smith’s lead on this, including a majority of the
opinions published since 2005.
Although Judge Smith’s opinion applied only to the prospective collection
of cell-site information, he noted that an individual might have “an objectively
reasonable privacy interest in caller location information,” based on the Fourth
Amendment as well as the Wireless Communication and Public Safety Act of 1999.
He rejected the notion that there is no reasonable expectation of privacy in cell
site location data, as well as the government’s attempt to analogize cell site data to
telephone numbers found unprotected in Smith v. Maryland, 442 U.S. 735 (1979):
“Unlike dialed telephone numbers, cell site data is not “voluntarily conveyed” by
the user to the phone company. As we have seen, it is transmitted automatically
during the registration process, entirely independent of the user’s input, control,
or knowledge … location information is a special class of customer information,
which can only be used or disclosed in an emergency situation, absent express
prior consent by the customer.”
More recently, courts have rejected government requests for retrospective
location data without a warrant, citing the language of the Stored Communications
Act that “expressly sets movement/location information outside its scope by defining
“electronic communications” to exclude “any communication from a tracking device”
(as defined in 18 U.S.C. § 3117) and noting that the “electronic communications
statutes, correctly interpreted, do not distinguish between historic and prospective
[cell site location information].” Under these holdings, law enforcement can no
longer assume that they will be able to acquire location data without a warrant
based on probable cause.
Courts that require law enforcement to secure a warrant based on probable
cause to access mobile location data recognize that users are likely to assume
that tracking, however accomplished, and are still tracking. To comport with
reasonable expectations and serve the public interest, the current uncertainty should
be resolved by applying the probable cause standard to disclosure of relatively
precise location information.
There are already a number of innovative, socially beneficial “location aware”
applications that employ technologies such as GPS, cell phone infrastructure, or
wireless access points to locate electronic devices and provide “resources such as
a ‘you are here’ marker on a city map, reviews for restaurants in the area, a nap
alarm triggered by your specific stop on a commuter train, or notices about nearby
bottlenecks in traffic.” More applications such as these are emerging every day, and
100  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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in short order “systems which create and store digital records of people’s movements
through public space will be woven inextricably into the fabric of everyday life.”
These applications will enhance quality of life, further important economic and
social goals, and-with appropriate safeguards—serve law enforcement. Absent
clear standards, privacy concerns could discourage consumer use, which could
in turn make it less likely that location data will be available to law enforcement
with proper way.
Effect on Law Enforcement: Information that reveals an individual’s precise
location can be highly sensitive, and collection of this information without proper
safeguards implicates the exercise of a variety of rights protected by the Constitution,
including important expression and association rights. To facilitate innovation,
encourage the uptake of emerging location-aware technologies, and ensure that
law enforcement access to location information generated by these products and
services comports with the reasonable privacy expectations of Americans, ECPA
should be amended to require a warrant based on probable cause to support access
to location information, whether it is sought on a retrospective or prospective
basis. This standard is consistent with Fourth Amendment safeguards against
unreasonable search and seizure. In many cases, law enforcement must already
meet the probable cause standard when requesting location data, and certain service
providers are taking the position that location data is subject to higher standards
under ECPA for content.
PRINCIPLE 3: ACCESS TO TRANSACTIONAL DATA
Recommended Approach: Under the consensus principles, a governmental
entity could require the provider of wire or electronic communications services to
produce, prospectively or in real time, transactional information (i.e., dialed number
information, IP address, Internet port information, email to/from information and
similar communications traffic data) only with a judicial finding that the entity has
offered specific and articulable facts demonstrating reasonable grounds to believe
the information sought is relevant and material to an ongoing criminal investigation.
Need for Change: Transactional data—records of who is calling whom, when
and for how long, and records of all the “to” and “from” information associated
with one’s email, including date, time, message length (including subject line
length)—can be highly revealing. Transactional records for e-mail and cell phone
usage may contain far more information about an individual’s communications
than “pen register” data in the wire line environment of the 1980s. As technology
has evolved, transactional data has become ever more detailed and revealing, but
remains available to law enforcement without effective judicial supervision. I
fact, under ECPA, a court must issue an order for a pen register or trap and trace
device whenever a prosecutor files a document stating that the information sought
is relevant to ongoing investigation. Thus, read literally, a judge cannot even
assess whether the information is in fact relevant; the only question is whether the
government says that it is. As communications technology evolves and produces
increasingly detailed and rich transactional information, it is appropriate to afford
judges a meaningful role in assessing whether the government’s claim of relevant.
Road Map of ICT  101
Effect on Law Enforcement: The Justice Department has in the past
acknowledged that the approach taken by the recommended principle is appropriate.
Nonetheless, the consensus principles call for a modest change only: The standard
proposed is significantly less than probable cause: “specific and articulable facts
showing that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the information … is
relevant and material.” Drawn from the Terry decision of the U.S. Supreme Court,
the language is identical to the formulation in the Stored Communications Act,
which currently provides:
A court order for disclosure under subsection (b) or (c) may be issued by
any court that is a court of competent jurisdiction and shall issue only if the
governmental entity offers specific and articulable facts showing that there
are reasonable grounds to believe that the contents of a wire or electronic
communication, or the records or other information sought, are relevant
and material to an ongoing criminal investigation.
The marginal burden on law enforcement from this change should be minimal
because law enforcement rarely asks for a pen register order without already
possessing information sufficient to satisfy a “specific and articulable facts”
standard. The change will enhance business responsiveness by clarifying the
obligations of both law enforcement and business, and preserves the distinction
between content and transactional data, and maintains the reduced burden needed
to acquire the latter.
PRINCIPLE 4: ACCESS TO SUBSCRIBER IDENTIFYING DATA AND STORED
TRANSACTIONAL INFORMATION
Recommended Approach: Under the consensus principles, a governmental entity
may use a subpoena to require the provider of wire or electronic communications
services to produce information related to a specified account or individual. Judicial
approval would be necessary only where such requests do not relate to a specified
account or individual.
Need for Change: Under ECPA, law enforcement may use an administrative,
grand jury or trial subpoena to acquire certain information pertaining to a “subscriber
to or [a] customer” of an electronic communications service or remote computing
service. The information that may be acquired under this provision includes name,
address, call or session records, length of service and type of service utilized, and
method of payment. Using the administrative subpoena authority, law enforcement
makes an independent determination that certain records are needed and then
issues and serves the subpoena without input from a grand jury or even an assistant
U.S. Attorney. Such administrative subpoenas are subject to judicial review only
if the recipient of the subpoena challenges it. With administrative, grand jury
or trial subpoenas, the government has no obligation to notify the subscriber or
customer to whom the records relate. A carrier or ISP will rarely have the incentive
to challenge a subpoena, so this information is routinely disclosed without any
judicial review whatsoever.
102  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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The absence of judicial review or any meaningful opportunity to challenge
a request for subscriber identifying records and stored customer records suggests
that the scope of the subpoenas in these cases should be appropriately tailored.
Indeed, the language of the statute itself suggests that such subpoenas may be
issued for information pertaining to “a subscriber” or “a customer” identified with
some particularity, for example, by a phone number or an IP address at a specific
time. This principle would make it clear that a subpoena cannot be used to compel
production of, for example, information identifying “all subscribers” whose device
registered on a specified cell tower on a specified date, or information identifying
“all subscribers” who accessed a particular web site during a specified period of
time. Nothing in the legislative history of ECPA suggests that the provision should
be read to authorize such broad use of subpoenas. Rather, the absence of judicial
review argues for a narrow interpretation to avoid misuse of the subpoena for
“fishing expeditions.”
Effect on Law Enforcement: The principle is intended to clarify that the
government may use a subpoena to obtain the subscriber information specified
in the statute if the investigator can identify the subscriber with particularity (e.g.
phone number, IP address used at a specific time). Otherwise, the investigator
would obtain the information after securing a §2703(d) order based on specific and
articulable facts demonstrating reasonable grounds to believe that the information
is relevant to an ongoing criminal investigation, or a search warrant. The consensus
principles would leave the current standard found in ECPA untouched when the
records sought by law enforcement pertain to a specific subscriber or customer.
Only if the government sought records about groups of subscribers or customers,
would judicial review be required.
CONCLUSION
The United States leads the world in bringing innovative, ground-breaking
communications technology to market, and enjoys the many social and economic
benefits that technology produces. The United States also enjoys the many benefits
flowing from Constitutional safeguards designed to preserve individual liberties,
including the right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure. The U.S. has
consistently balanced those values with the
needs of law enforcement in the communications environment, and both U.S.
consumers and the U.S. economy have benefitted from the trust and confidence that
this balance inspires in our electronic communications and information technology
services providers, including among businesses and individuals located outside
our borders. Changes in technology since 1986 have made it difficult to apply
ECPA in a manner that comports with the reasonable expectations of individuals,
potentially eroding user willingness to entrust private information to third party
service providers in the United States. The principles recommended by the working
group would, if implemented, align ECPA with current and emerging technology
without unduly constraining or imposing significant burdens on law enforcement.
14
Information and Communication Technology in
School Education
H. N. Narasingappa*
Abstract
One of the basic functions of education is preparation of students for
life. This function in 21st century may be participation in an information rich
society, where knowledge is regarded as the main source for socio-cultural
and politico-economical development of countries and/or nations. These have
changed the scenario of education, particularly, pedagogy and instruction making
teaching learning process more production creating collaborative, learning
environments. The presence of computer technology in schools has increased
dramatically and predictions are that this trend will continue to accelerate.
Technology usage in the classrooms motivates students and teachers – increases
productivity and facilitates instruction. A major paradigm shift in instructional
methods is seen to reflect the challenges present in today’s society. For a
student to be competitive in a global market, we can no longer rely simply on
traditional educational strategies. Indian educational system. Education and
spread of knowledge got encouragement during the maghal regime except
during its last phase. For example, Babar introduced teaching of modern science
disciplined hike mathematics astronomy and Geography under the Madarsah
system. Hardware & software technologies and facilitate teaching learning
process. Using Information Technologies learners are now able to participate
in learning communities throughout the world. They are independent and free
in choice of their programmes of study and access to the resources.
INTRODUCTION
One of the basic functions of education is preparation of students for life.
This function in 21st century may be participation in an information rich society,
*Assistant Professor, Hassanamba College of Education, Hassan, Karnataka. E-mail:
narasingappahsn@gmail.com.
103
104  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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where knowledge is regarded as the main source for socio-cultural and politico-
economical development of countries and/or nations. Information rich societies
are developed and dominating and they are controlling the information throughout
the world. Information encompasses and relies on the use of different channels of
communication, presently called information and communication technology and
would be incorporating better pedagogical method to cope with such emerging
situations.
These have changed the scenario of education, particularly, pedagogy and
instruction making teaching learning process more production creating collaborative,
learning environments. Therefore, information technologies are assumes to play
a constructive role in education to make the teaching and learning process more
productive through collaboration in an information rich society.
The presence of computer technology in schools has increased dramatically
and predictions are that this trend will continue to accelerate. Technology usage
in the classrooms motivates students and teachers – increases productivity and
facilitates instruction. When used with effective instruction practice, technology
facilitates learning so that the students learn the content area to a deeper level.
Educators use technology to create rich environments use technology to work
shows evidence of conceptual understanding beyond recall. Technology is used to
provide opportunities for students to apply knowledge in real world contexts and
engage in active participation, exploration, and research. Integration technology
in education is practiced of human capabilities. Technology usage in classrooms
is not merely the usage of gadgetry, rather a systematic approach to the academic
processes. There are variety of ways by which technology can be made use of in
the classrooms. Following are some of the ways to enhance the teaching – learning
process by using technology effectively.
STUDENTS USE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES TO
1. Participate in a media revolution, profoundly affecting the way they think
about and use information technologies.
2. Improve the ways of learning in new learning fashions
3. Extend the ability and skills of applying their learning in real situation.
4. Working in groups for cooperative and collaborative learning .
5. Developing self-learning habits at their own pace and time.
6. Learn with the teacher rather by the teacher.
7. Develop inquiry-learning habits.
8. Use right information at right time to achieve right objective.
9. Review and explore qualitative data.
10. Exchange learning experiences and information with others students and
teachers living anywhere in the world.
Information technologies facilitate students in their learning process through
their active participation on one hand and help teachers on the other hand. Therefore,
Information and Communication Technology in School Education  105
TEACHERS USE THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES TO
1. Present the material in more interesting and attractive way.
2. Guide and help students in searching the qualitative material.
3. Make best use of time.
4. Coach the students.
5. Provide individualized instruction.
6. Direct the students toward cooperative as well as collaborative learning
activities.
7. Prepare learning material for students, rather teaching in conventional situations.
8. Diagnose the learning problem of students and help them to overcome.
9. Solve the study problems of students.
These shifts put greater emphasis on the activity of the students than on that
of the teacher’s these include:
TECHNOLOGY IN TEACHING/ LEARNING
A major paradigm shift in instructional methods is seen to reflect the challenges
present in today’s society. For a student to be competitive in a global market, we
can no longer rely simply on traditional educational strategies. To meet these
demands, one must supplement and/or replace traditional methods of instruction
with innovative educational experiences. Some strategies include cooperative,
discovery and inquiry learning activities; however, to facilitate these methods,
schools must implement technology should be used as a tool to enhance a child’s
educational experience by creating a variety of methods to meet special needs,
teach children how to manage information, and allow for opportunities to develop
higher level thinking skills.
MERITS OF ICT EDUCATION
There are many advantaged of ICT based teaching and learning in education.
Following the study of Jellani and Murthy (2013), some of them are given below.
• High accessibility
• Flexibility of content and delivery
• Combination of work and education
• Higher quality of education and new ways of interaction
• Development of new learning culture
• Showing of costs and training time with the students
• High portability of training
• Increase the capacity and cost effectiveness of education and training
• To support and enhance the quality and relevance of existing educational
structures.
Indian educational system. Education and spread of knowledge got
encouragement during the maghal regime except during its last phase. For example,
106  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦
Babar introduced teaching of modern science disciplined hike mathematics
astronomy and Geography under the Madarsah system.
CONCLUSION
Hardware & software technologies and facilitate teaching learning process.
Using Information Technologies learners are now able to participate in learning
communities throughout the world. They are independent and free in choice of their
programmes of study and access to the resources. They may learn collaboratively,
share information, exchange their learning experiences and work through
cooperatives. Information technologies facilitate teaching learning process in more
productive fashion. Similarly, the role of teacher is also different in new setting
than in the conventional system. Teacher facilitates and guides the learners in their
study playing the role of a coach or mentor. Now teacher is not at the center of
the instruction and sole source of information as in conventional classrooms. He/
She decides contents/experiences and/or learners how to have access and utilize
the information for required outcomes. In nutshell, information technologies are
restructuring teaching learning process to meet the International standards.
REFERENCES
• Aggarwal, A.(200). Web-based learning and Teaching Technologies; opportunities and
Challenges, London; Idea Group Publishing.
• Brason, R.K (1991), The school year 200 concept at north western March 7
• Charp s.(1994)-Educational Technological horizes. Educational Journal22(8).
• Kumar, K.L. (2004). Educational technology. New Delhi: New age International Publishers
• NiradharDey. (2013). Educational research: Definition of esearch. New Delhi: APH
publishing Corporation.
• Rashmi, Agarwal. (2011). Technology and conceptual understanding.
*Research Scholar, Department of Commerce, Karnataka State Women’s University
Vijayapur. roopabidnalamath@gmail.com.
**Vice chancellor, Karnataka State Women’s University, Vijayapur. meena_r_c@yahoo.
com
15
ICT Professional in Faculty and Staff
Development
Mrs. Roopa B. Bidnalamath* and Dr. Meena R. Chandawarkar**
Abstract
The intention of this paper is to instigate ongoing discussion surrounding
the connected topics of ICT professionalism and the ICT profession. Part
of that discussion needs to include suggestions of ‘the way forward’ for
the development and recognition of an ICT professional body and the
way it should govern/support/protect the professionals within. I want to
start off by describing some of the types of people that I have personally
met/observed during my time in the systems/software industry and also
within academia. ICT incorporation can be realized at an assortment of
levels: It can be at a state level (central government); at an institutional
level (Higher Education Councils); at an organizational level (universities,
colleges and schools); at a faculty level; at a department level, or at an
individual level. Thus, ICT incorporation can be premeditated at universal
level as a system, or it can be studied at micro level or can be studied
together. In this study, ICT incorporation is studied at universal level which
covers the ICT integration both at administrative and instructional levels.
Although each level is interrelated with each other, the aim of this study
is to investigate how ICT is integrated at the faculty level in an institution.
Since ICT integration is a multi-faceted process and related to many factors,
a qualitative case study is applied in order to understand this process in a
holistic way with different angles. Data were collected through observations,
official documents, individual semi-structured interviews and focus group
interviews. Data were analyzed by using content analysis. Finally an ICT
integration model is suggested.
Keywords: ICT, Integration, Integration Process, Technology, leadership
107

16
ICT in Teacher Education
Nataraja R.*
Abstract
In this paper, an attempt was made to discuss ICT in education including
teacher education. The paper acknowledges that some of the early complexities
and constraints in ICT education still continue to exist despite the fact that the
hardware is cheaper now-a-days. As Williams (2005) stresses, “the diverse
characteristics of the islands themselves compound the challenges”. The
poor communication link owing to underdeveloped infrastructure, isolation,
limited finance and unavailability of suitably qualified teachers are some
of the constraints that hinders the successful implementation of ICT in our
teacher education initiatives. Despite these limitations, USP is making a
steady progress in this direction with the upgrading of its ICT capacity. This
paper identified three different styles of facilitating ICT education at USP:
tradition classroom; distance learning; and virtual. The usage of ICT at the
traditional classroom level depends on educational philosophy the school
holds. The school that takes student-driven learning is committed to preparing
active and lifelong learners. In such schools ICT pedagogy flourishes. This
paper prepared purely based on secondary data collected from various source.
Keywords: ICT, complexities, pedagogy.
INTRODUCTION
For about 40 years, USP has been one of the leading providers of tertiary
education in the Pacific Region and an international centre of excellence for teaching
and learning, research and Consultancy. One of its major pre-occupation has been
to prepare teachers for the schools in the region. It serves the diverse needs of its
twelve countries including Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru,
Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu which are
*Assistant professor, Hasanamba College of Education, Hassan- 573202, Karnataka
Email: natarajrm23@gmail.com.
108
ICT in Teacher Education  109
♦
spread over 30 million square kilometers of the Pacific Ocean. The population of
these countries range from about 1000 in Tokelau, the smallest, to about 800,000in
Fiji, the largest where the main campus of USP is located. Of its nearly 21,000
students about a half are studying via ‘distance’ (USP Strategic Plan 2006-2010:
2). While the socio-economic and political environments in these countries vary
considerably, they share similar development challenges such as poverty, unstable
governance, environmental degradation, gender inequality and brain drain (Evans
& Hazelman, 2006).
Furthermore, these countries are diverse in their languages, cultures, traditions,
religions and in the level of their education, development and the quality and
the quantity of their teachers. The infrastructure, especially electricity and
telecommunication provisions are underdeveloped in most of these countries and,
thus, providing ‘distance and flexible education’ effectively is a challenging endeavor.
However, USP considers DFL as the ‘water in the sand’ permeating the educational
needs of the Pacific island countries and building pathways to achieving the EFA
and Millennium goals. It is underscored that the learning strategies and tools of
DFL are equally relevant in the traditional classroom or on-campus teaching and
learning. These enable the students and teachers to develop competencies such
as critical thinking, decision-making, handling dynamic situations, working in
teams, communicating effectively and transforming organizations into learning
communities. Adding value to learning, DFL approaches extend the horizon of
learning from the school to community and from a teacher to multi-disciplinary
teams of educators working together in the learning process (UNESCO, 2002;
Pelgrum & Law, 2003; Heredero,2006).
While education is a key to development, DFL, infused with ICT pedagogy,
is the ‘master key’ that can provide a powerful backing to EFA and on-going
professional development especially to teachers who are responsible for facilitating
education in their respective schools and communities. It is, therefore, important to
re-orientate ICT in education, especially in teacher education, to support sustainable
learning focusing on learning to learn and learning to live together habits.
ICT IN TEACHER EDUCATION
The schools which are committed to preparing students for the future
information society empower them to become more active learners constructing
their own learning situations. Thus, learning becomes a lifelong process where
learners acquire constructive and inquiry-based skills as their living process unfolds.
In the learner-centered approach the learners become architects of their learning
process with the professional guidance from teachers/lecturers. In this learning mode,
ICT applications become vital and more user-oriented. In this case the physical
environment is made more suitable for learning individually and in small groups.
Moreover, learning becomes more flexible in terms of ‘time’ and ‘space’. In
fact, the use of ICT pedagogy in the traditional classroom involves a ‘mentality shift’
on the part of teachers, a change in curricula as well as the appropriateness of and
familiarity with the digital language and new technologies in education including
the use of CD ROM, electronic games to develop different skills such as e-mail,
110  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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and online discussion forums to support collaborative writing, resource sharing
and internet research. This new pedagogy in the classroom is an indirect way of
empowering students and student-teachers to learn and use ICT in their day-to-day
activities. The use of ICT at the classroom level also helps build awareness and
confidence both in lecturers and students. For example, all students and lecturers
at USP have access to computers and software that can be used to improve the
quality of their presentation. They now communicate with one another by e-mail,
discussion board, chat rooms and the like.
Opportunities to develop these skills are available at USP but owing to
workload and the danger of destabilizing the status quo have led to the minimum
use of ICT applications at the traditional classroom level. USP lecturers mainly
use simple ICT applications such as word processing, power-point, e-mail and
excel. Many are familiar with spreadsheet, discussion boards and online chat but
these are hardly used at the classroom level. This is largely because of the lack of
readiness of the lecturers to use ICT at the classroom level. Therefore, developing
lecturer competence is an urgent need and USP is attempting to address this. It is
noticed, however, that there are not many ICT courses in our teacher education
programs. One of the CS courses at the first year degree level is optional. Student
teachers who take CS as one of their major teaching subjects are trained to teach it
in secondary schools. Most of the other teacher education institutions in the region
do not prepare teachers in this area. This small number of trained CS teachers does
not make an effective impression of ICT in schools. Many schools in the region are
taught by untrained teachers as discussed earlier. It is also important to stress that
all the lecturers preparing teachers in USP’s School of Education (SOE) should
be prepared first so that they could integrate ICT in the teacher education courses.
SOE has taken initiative in this direction and now offers a course on ‘Pedagogical
Principles of Online Learning’ in its Post Graduate Diploma in Tertiary Teaching
program of study (USP Calendar, 2010). The course is designed to provide a
variety of student- centred instructional methods that are effective for students in
online courses. In this course, students receive practical experience in organizing
and teaching online.
TEACHER EDUCATION THROUGH DFL
The University of the South Pacific also offers its teacher education programs
through DFL mode. This is a popular approach because teachers in service are
able to study while they are serving in their schools. Pre-service teachers also
take education courses by DFL because not all can financially afford on-campus
studies. The effective use of ICT is, therefore, essential. The University of the
South Pacific has been responsible for teacher education for all levels of formal
education from early childhood through to tertiary for a number of years. More
recently, USP’s School of Education (SOE) has been successful in externalizing
most of its teacher education programs. In particularly, it has fully externalized its
B.Ed primary in-service program and it is proving to be popular with practicing
teachers. SOE is now in the process of externalizing its early childhood and
special education degree programs. Moreover, it has substantially externalized its
ICT in Teacher Education  111
secondary, pre-service and in-service teacher education programs. To support its
teacher education programs, SOE offers a number of certificates and diplomas such
as a certificate in non formal and community education and a diploma in leadership
and change through its distance and flexible mode of delivery. There is, however,
a need to make these programs more widely accessible to teachers in all PICs.
Teacher capacity building is one of the priority areas of the DFL program at
USP. It focuses on the need to improve and sustain learning by providing more
opportunities for practising teachers at primary and secondary levels. Through
its post graduate certificate in tertiary teaching program, it prepares lecturers for
tertiary teaching. This program is now available online. Through DFL mode of
delivery USP is now establishing pathways for untrained teachers into its existing
B.Ed primary and secondary teacher education programs. Moreover, USP is creating
similar pathways in its Diploma in Leadership and Change program of study for
primary and secondary school leaders.
VIRTUAL STYLE OF TEACHING
University has also attempted to put a number of IT courses in its virtual
style of teaching. As mentioned earlier, in this style a permanent relation between
students and lecturers is established by a network. This was seen as necessary
because of the spatial nature of the Pacific region and the USP mission to reach
the learners in its twelve countries. The effort here was to take the courses to the
learners wherever possible. USP offers a number of CS and IT courses so that it’s
graduate can response ably to the development needs as well as participate actively
in the modern digital globalizing world. To meet the demands of ICT education in
the region, it now offers some of its courses by distance. In its first introductory
course on information system, which depended largely on purchased materials
(RAVAGA et al., 2001), difficulties were experienced in coordinating it by distance.
THE BLENDED APPROACH
After the 2000 political crisis in Fiji, USP introduced a number of courses that
use online technology using the blended approach. It included televised broadcast,
videoconferencing and audio distance learning, as well as distance learning delivered
by printed materials, videocassette and audio tape. Video broadcast courses were
developed from an immediate need to deliver face-to-face courses to students in
this political crisis. Now the broadcast lectures receive online support and they have
become a normal mode of course delivery. USP now sees this approach as a fast
way to make face-to-face courses available in the region where time and resources
are not readily available to develop print courses. In the video broadcast lectures,
the students are not gathered in one classroom but are spread throughout the USP
region. Despite the location of students, they are treated as equal members of the
class, however, the difference is that the distance students learn to use different
type of technology such as audio conferencing, video conferencing or computer
based Website to communicate with the lecturers and other students in the class.
USP’s SOE now offers one program, i.e. Graduate Certificate in Tertiary
Teaching, via online mode of delivery, blending it where possible with face-to-face
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tutorials. In another program, namely, Postgraduate Diploma in Educational
Leadership, three courses are available via the blended mode using Moodle as
the LMS. These courses employ strategies such as videoconferencing, face-to-
face tutorials, audio-tutorials using USP’s satellite network, class discussion
forums using Moodle, print mode where necessary, and teleconferencing including
email, mobile telephones and ‘Skype’. While ‘Skype’ is used by only a few
students, it sets the face-to-face kind of scenario and we see it as a potential
medium of communication in future. These courses have been popular in PICs
and the students have expressed their satisfaction through student evaluation
reports (Sharma, 2009). This finds support in a current study entitled ‘Learners’
satisfaction, and preference for, different instructional delivery modes: a case
study from the University of South Pacific’ (Raturi, 2010). In brief, we stress
that the blended approach has the potential to facilitate reflective learning,
constructivism, and dialogic and collaborative learning enabling the learners
to ‘learn to learn’ and chart the ‘uncharted waters’ that they would confront in
their daily living. Exhibit 1 shows a unit-content of a course. It is stressed that
the various components of the unit provide constructive alignment among the
different elements of the curriculum on the one hand and the tools to unlock
students’ thinking and learning on the other.
ICT in Teacher Education  113
REFERENCES
• Williams, Esther, Kato, Maki & Khan Natasha (2004). Evaluation of computer science
curriculum in Fiji secondary school. Suva: ICT Capacity Building at USP Project.
• Heredero, C. P. (2006). “A model to measure the impact of web-based technologies in
different teaching styles”. In Antonio Cartelli (eds) (2006) Teaching in the knowledge
society: new skills and instruments for teachers. London: Information Science Publishing:
89-99.
• Raturi, S. (2010), Learners’ satisfaction of, and preference for, different instructional
delivery modes: a case study from the University of the South Pacific. Master of Education
unpublished thesis.
• Ravaga, V., Evans, J., Faasalania, T. & Osborne, J. (2001) “From mouldy discs to online
fix”. In Murphy, D., Walker, R. & Webb, G. (eds.) (2001) Online learning and teaching
with technology: case studies, experience and practice. London: Kogan Page: 99-106.
• Sharma, A. (2009) ED402 Curriculum Design and Evaluation in Higher Education.
USP: School of Education.

CONCLUSION
Currently, our education programs are fully or partially offered via the print
mode and, wherever possible, they are supplemented by audio teleconferencing,
videoconferencing, e-mail communication and face-to-face tutorials. Next the
virtual style. Some of the teacher education courses are offered online. However,
the problems, already mentioned, still exist making it difficult for the students to
do their studies successfully. In particular, the Internet access and speed are still
relative low, the communication between the main campus and other campuses is
not sufficiently coordinated, the technical staff support is often unsatisfactory and
the infrastructure is not so well developed to provide consistent support.
Despite these limitations, we feel that ICT-driven flexible learning is
appropriate for the PICs. If our ultimate goal is to use distance education and
online learning as a way to overcome our challenges, and move students towards a
more constructivist framework, we need to develop ICT skills in the stakeholders
so that they are able to participate actively in the development of learners and
the nation. This is where the blended approach stands out because it has the
potential to draw the best from all the three ICT learning styles as shown in
Exhibit 1. As access improves and skills develop, the blended learning approach
will encompass a much greater part of our teacher education courses enabling
students and student teachers to access our courses from their homes or local study
centres. The approach will also enable students to interact with other students
from across the region as well as expert facilitators from in and beyond the South
Pacific region. It is felt, therefore, that the blended approach to presenting teacher
education, including professional development, is most appropriate in locations
such as the Pacific Island countries.

17
ICT Enabled Teacher Education
Smt. Rukshinda Hena Akbari*
Abstract
Information and communication technology (ICT) has become common
place entities in all aspects of life. It is an indispensable part of the contemporary
world. It has the potential to accelerate, enrich, and deepen skills; motivate
and engage students in learning. In fact, culture and society have to be
adjusted to meet the challenges of the knowledge age. The pervasiveness of
ICT has brought about rapid technological, social, political, and economic
transformation, which has come out in a network society organized around ICT.
The field of education has not been unaffected by the penetrating influence of
information and communication technology. Undoubtedly, ICT has impacted
on the quality and quantity of teaching, learning, and research in education
institutions. In research, ICT provides opportunities for teacher education
colleges to communicate with one another through email, mailing lists, chat
rooms, and so on. It helps to relate college experiences to work practices
and to create economic viability for tomorrow’s generation. So, we have to
inquire the utilization of technology in teacher education institutions for 21st
century classrooms. In such a rapidly changing context, this paper explores
how teachers can be empowered and prepared to meet the challenges and
new expectations effectively is a crucial concern in policy making of teacher
education and professional development of teachers in India.
Keywords: ICT and Teacher Education.
INTRODUCTION
The pace of technological revolution and emergence of a knowledge society can
change the traditional role of the teacher and the students. Traditionally, the teacher
used to be the source of knowledge for the students. There is some cooperation
among students to explore new knowledge. In many cases, the teachers do not posses
adequate knowledge to supplement the view of the student. And the main source
*Principal, Chandbibi College of Education, Kalaburgi-585104 Karnataka.
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ICT Enabled Teacher Education  115
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of knowledge remains limited to text book. The rapid developments in technology
have made tremendous changes in the way we live, as well as the demands of the
society. Information and communication technology (ICT) has become, within a
very short time, one of the basic building blocks of modern society. The potential
of ICT to improve productivity, foster sustainable development, empower people
including women and youth, reduce poverty, build capacity and skills, and reinforce
popular participation and informed decision making at all levels is tremendous.
The impacts of globalization and local social political demands have induced rapid
changes in many countries in different parts of the world since the turn of new
millennium. In such an era of fast transformation, education reform inevitably
becomes necessary and teacher education institutions have to face numerous new
problems and challenges rising from their environment. Teachers are the key
actors to implement educational practice and educational reform. Traditionally,
teacher education often aims to equip teachers with the necessary competence to
deliver knowledge and skills to students such that students can survive a local
community or meet the manpower needs of a societal development. India has made
impressive strides in the application of ICT in recent years and this is reflected in
its vibrant and fast growing economy. However, the Education sector, particularly
the area of Teacher Education, has lagged behind other sectors of the Indian
economy, in benefiting from the fruits of technological developments. The 1998
UNESCO World Education Report, Teachers and Teaching in a Changing World,
describes the radical changes in conventional teaching and learning. There is a
big gap between professed teaching behaviours in teacher education courses and
actual teaching behaviours in the classrooms. Therefore, teacher educators need
to place technology mediated education within the context of teachers’ work in
the classroom and other practices.
CHALLENGES IN ICTS ENABLED TEACHER EDUCATION
Many teacher training colleges have limited resources i.e. books, stationery,
furniture and other classroom materials. There a lack of infrastructure (classrooms,
furniture, libraries, computer, language and psychology laboratories) in the teachers’
colleges. Unqualified teachers are engaged in teaching learning practices. IT-trained
teachers are available in the colleges to teach students effectively. Their lesson
plans are most often outdated or irrelevant in this modern age.
These threaten the available quality of teacher education. The traditional
boundaries of the classroom are giving way to virtual learning and online
courses. All these development would have profound impact on teacher education
programmes and processes. The challenge for teacher training is to enable teachers
of the future to explore and exploit the learning potential connected to ICT and
to equip them to facilitate the learning process by developing creativity in their
use of ICT in relation to the subjects they teach. It is not only a question of
using ICT as a tool in learning and teaching but of exploring it in the interest
of innovative and fertile learning and teaching processes. In relation to this,
there is an educational potential in student’s digitally based spare time activities
such as chat, games, news groups and home pages which can be developed
116  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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and used in many different contexts, of which language learning is particularly
prominent. However, all teachers are not willing to introduce new technologies
to themselves first and subsequently to their students. Although valuable lessons
may be learned from best practices around the world, there is no one formula
for determining the optimal level of ICT integration in the educational system.
Significant challenges that policymakers and planners, educators, education
administrators, and other stakeholders need to consider include educational
policy planning, content and capacity building. In our country large areas are
still without a reliable supply of electricity and the nearest telephones are miles
away. Technology advances in everyday life faster than in schools, even in remote
areas and poor basic services are lacking. There are many school buildings, in
which basic requirement e.g. water, electricity and telephone is not available.
So, there is a need to develop original educational content (e.g., radio programs,
interactive multimedia learning materials on CD-ROM or DVD, Web-based
courses, etc.), adapt existing content, and convert print-based content to digital
media. In this context, information and communication technologies (ICTs)
represent a new approach for enhancing the dissemination of information and
helping to meet these challenges.
BARRIERS IN ICTS ENABLED TEACHER EDUCATION
The information and communication technology (ICT) is one of the important
driving forces for modern development. With the advancement of ICT, one can live
in the global village irrespective of distance, national and international boundaries.
In this situation, teacher education institutions need to develop strategies and plans
to enhance the teaching-learning process within teacher education programs and to
assure that all future teachers are well prepared to use the new tools for learning.
But, the main barriers for integrating information and communication technologies
(ICTs) in India in pre-service teacher education programs are following:
1. Lack of in-service training and basic knowledge/skills for ICT integration
2. Lack of appropriate hardware and software materials
3. Lack of appropriate administrative and technical support
4. Lack of appropriate course content and instructional programs
5. Lack of time and technology plans
6. Excess of overcrowded classrooms
7. Inadequate number of ICT-related courses
8. Lack of computers and other presentation equipment in classrooms
9. Lack of motivation of the teacher educators & prospective teachers concerning
the use of ICTs in their future classes.
Since the beginning of this century, education has faced a variety of social,
cultural, economical, and technical challenges. Increasing the quality of teaching
and learning has been a seemingly important concern for teacher education. Teacher
educators are the key actors to implement educational practice and educational
reform.
ICT Enabled Teacher Education  117
WAYS AND MEANS FOR ICT ENABLED TEACHER EDUCATION
There are various problems prevailing in the field of teacher education. ICT
and its applications is a valuable catalyst for successful teaching. The institutions
of teacher education have a great opportunity and responsibility to design their
educational system leading to the society. The following strategies could provide
a generic approach towards enhancing this ICT enabled teacher education:
1. Teachers must have the knowledge and skills to use the new digital tools and
resources to help all students achieve high academic standards.
2. The funding for new ICT resources should be increased in order to provide
adequate ICT equipments and resources. The use of technology and on-line
learning is becoming an emerging area of education. Technology plans for
implementing ICTs in teacher education institutions should be prepared and
implemented.
3. There are a variety of approaches to professional development of teachers
in the context of use of ICTs in education. Professional development to
incorporate ICTs into teaching and learning is an ongoing process and should
not be thought of as one ‘injection’ of training.
4. Specific units and personnel should be allocated for peer support and
organization, as well as to assist in the public’s use of ICT tools and materials
for ICT-enhanced instruction.
5. The teacher educators who integrate ICTs in their courses should be supported
(i.e., through incentive payments) and load of course on teacher educators
should be decreased.
6. The NCTE and relevant advisory services should work more closely with
schools and colleges to determine the training needs of staff members and to
help them to organise appropriate training programmes. Particular attention
should be given to organising training courses in teaching methods that
incorporate ICT.
7. Teacher educators must be adequately equipped with more didactic competencies
so as to assume their new role as experts in the learning process. They should
use 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) in the classroom. They should
act as role models for prospective teachers by using ICTs in their courses.
8. In-service and pre-service training in ICTs for teacher educators should be
improved in both quantity and quality. New methods of teaching would
involve use of pedagogical analysis, ICT, new evaluation techniques.
9. Teachers need to be supported in meeting the challenge of effectively integrating
ICT in their classroom practices so that students should place at the forefront
of advances in teaching practices and learning techniques.
10. Every classroom should have at least one computer and a computer-projector
system with Internet access and every teacher education institution should
118  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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have at least one laboratory available for students to ensure the diffusion and
effective use of technology.
11. Computer, satellite communication, internet and various Electronic Medias
are the real new methods of learning. Teacher educators and prospective
teachers should be aware of the benefits of ICTs. A new ICT-related course,
which must include both ICTs and a field of study (e.g., Maths, language,
science), should be integrated in the curriculum after the method courses.
12. There is an additional requirement of teachers’ motivation and incentives
to participate actively in ICT enabled professional development activities.
A variety of incentives can be used, including certification, professional
advancement, pay increases, paid time off to participate in professional
development, formal and informal recognition at the institution and community
levels.
13. Innovative practice is the way to enhance our quality education. Teachers
should nurture and strengthen such practices with proper evaluation so that
we can exist in the challenging atmosphere. The quantity and quality of the
lessons addressing technology usage should be increased.
14. More ICT-related courses for prospective teachers should be offered and
every ICT-related course should be based on practice-oriented.
15. Course content should be redesigned to acquire more benefit from ICTs and it
should be supported by a course delivery system e.g., Learning Management
System (LMS).
16. Teachers must have adequate access to functioning computers, and be provided
with sufficient technical support, if they are to use ICTs effectively. Majority
of academic staff need an ICT facilitated classroom setting.
17. Teacher education institutions must provide the leadership for pre- and in-
service teachers and model the new pedagogies and tools for learning.
18. High quality, meaningful, and culturally responsive digital content must be
available for teachers and learners. Teacher education institutions should reflect
the dynamics of the professional area through well-designed programme for
imparting new knowledge and skills of teaching & class management.
19. Teachers should be sufficiently educated by providing qualified in-service
training opportunities, and learning environments should be donated with
the minimum necessary technological tools.
20. The curriculum content of teacher education should be the world-class and
globalized, pooling up the world-class materials and designs for learning
and teaching and maximizing global relevance and exposure in different
development areas.
CONCLUSION
Educational system is under increasing pressure to use the new information
and communication technologies (ICTs) to teach students the knowledge and
skills they need in the 21st century. Teacher education institutions are faced with
ICT Enabled Teacher Education  119
the challenge of preparing a new generation of teachers to effectively use the new
learning tools in their teaching practices. The teacher education system empowered
by ICT driven infrastructure can have a great opportunity to come up to ensure
academic excellence, quality instruction and leadership in a knowledge-based
society. The use of ICT in teacher education and development is limited, mainly
on improving the efficiency of delivery of planned curriculum and professional
competence. There is lack of systematic intention to apply ICT to facilitate any
paradigm shift in teacher education in particular or education in general. Teacher
education has a significant role to play in the sustained application of ICT in
schools and colleges. Students and teachers must have sufficient access to digital
technologies and the Internet in their classrooms, schools and teacher education
institutions for improving the learning. Ultimately, the use of ICT will enhance
the learning experiences for children, helping them to think and communicate
creatively. It will also prepare our children for successful lives and careers in an
increasingly technological world. But, it is really a challenging task to strengthen ICT
in teacher education because a large majority of the teacher education institutions
are un-digitized or under-digitized.
REFERENCES
• Hsiao, J.W.D. (1999). CSCL (Computer Support for Collaborative Learning) Theories.
Retrieved on May 12, 2015, from http://www.edb.utexas.edu
• Newby, T. et al. (2000). Instructional technology for teaching and learning. Upper Saddle
River, Merrill/Prentice Hall, New Jersey.
• Sandholtz, J., Ringstaff, C. and Dwyer, D. (1997). Teaching with Technology. New
York: Teachers College Press.
• Singh, J.D. (2014). ICT Enabled Teacher Education in Context of New Millennium. An
International Peer Reviewed and Referred Scholarly Research Journal For Interdisciplinary
Studies, Vol-II/XIV Retrieved on May 12, 2015, from: http://www.srjis.com
• Collis, B. and Jung, I.S. (2003). Uses of ICT in Teacher Education. In B. Robinson
&C. Latchem (Eds.), Teacher education through open and distance learning. London:
Routledge Falmer. pp.171-192.
• Gateway, D.R. Defining ICT in Education. Retrieved on May 12, 2015, from: http://
www.rwandagateway.org/ICT4E
• White, K. G. (2010). Beyond the Horseless Carriage: Harnessing the Potential of ICT
in Education and Training. Retrieved on May 12, 2015, from: http://works.bepress.com
• Jhurev, V. (2005). Technology Integration in Education in Developing Countries: Guidelines
to Policy Makers. International Education Journal [Electronic], 6(4):467483. Retrieved
on May 12, 2015, from: http://ehlt.flinders.edu.au/education

18
Internet and Social Media in Education
Dr. B. B. Policepatil*
Abstract
Since the advent of the Internet, and in particular the development of the
interactive version of the web, Web 2.0, use of Social Media has developed
into a major strategy for businesses and organizations such as the IFCC to
use for the purposes of Public Relations and Education. The early Internet
‘Web 1.0’ was a largely static environment which did not allow interaction
between organizations and their customers and/or members and as such was
mainly used as an information repository rather than a dynamic environment
for the exchange of ideas and active marketing and education. Since the
development of Web 2.0 we have seen a massive increase in web based
traffic which could be loosely called ‘social networking’ which initially was
mainly networking between individuals but more recently has developed
into a major marketing resource allowing networking between organizations
and individuals on the web. It follows then that by developing a Social
Media presence on platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and other
social media sites organizations can use this networking for the purposes of
marketing, public relations, and in the case of IFCC, education of members
and other interested individuals across the globe.
Keywords: Internet, Social media and Education.
SOCIAL MEDIA
The Wikipedia definition of ‘social media’ is “web-based and mobile based
technologies which are used to turn communication into interactive dialogue among
organizations, communities, and individuals.” As such it includes social media
platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc all of which have the general
property of being “Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and
technological foundations of Web 2.0, and that allow the creation and exchange
*Principal, Karnataka Teachers B.Ed. College, Indi Vijayapur District.
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Internet and Social Media in Education  121
♦
of user-generated content.” To understand what is meant by that statement one
needs to have some understanding of the development of the Internet.
WEB 1.0
The first iteration of the Internet has become known as Web 1.0. Web 1.0 is
largely a ‘static’ platform in that users visit websites and look at information but
do not interact with the website. Web 1.0 websites are therefore used mainly as
information repositories containing information which is useful to the viewer but
with which the viewer does not interact in any way. There is not a problem with
this and in fact there are still many examples of Web 1.0 websites such as the Lab
Tests Online portal: www.labtestsonline.org which primarily exist as sources of
information and for which there is no need for interaction with the user of the
information and, in fact, where interaction with the user may be counterproductive
and lead to the presence of incorrect and/or biased information. This is actually
one of the criticisms of Wikipedia, which although a repository of information, is
also prone to incorrect information and bias due to the capacity of users to interact
with and change information on the site.
WEB 2.0
Web 2.0 by comparison is a loosely defined intersection of web application
features that facilitate participatory information sharing, interoperability, user-
centered design and collaboration. It is therefore a dynamic two way environment
whereby users can interact with the website. It therefore also allows for the exchange
of ideas and more recently has also allowed active marketing and education activities
to occur. An example of a Web 2.0 repository is the Medpedia portal: www.medpedia.
com which is a medicine based portal, similar to Wikipedia, which allows medical
professionals and patients to connect for the exchange and development of medicine
based questions and answers but importantly from a moderated perspective to
ensure that the information discussed and exchanged is correct (obviously important
from a medical perspective) and not biased (also important from a commercial
perspective e.g. influence of the pharmaceutical industry).
FEATURES OF WEB 2.0
The major features of Web 2.0 therefore are the ability to allow two-way
interaction between the website and the users of the website which from a person
to person perspective allows for social networking. Another feature is that Web 2.0
allows for decentralized content production as the contents of a Web 2.0 site are not
developed by a website developer but are actively developed, changed and updated
by the users of the site with only the framework for the site developed centrally.
Web 2.0 also allows for syndication, the process by which users of the website
can ‘follow’ the website by a process known as Really Simple Syndication (RSS)
feeds whereby when a change to a website is made that change is automatically
notified to followers so that by clicking on the RSS feed they can view the new
content. The new IFCC website for example includes two RSS feeds (indicated
by the orange button above the titles) for IFCC News and IFCC Events such that
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when a new event or news item is added to the website followers of the IFCC RSS
feeds are automatically notified and can view the new content. Blogs are becoming
increasingly important as a mechanism for journalists, etc to get their messages
out especially as the ‘traditional’ news media loses impact and market share.
Obviously though blogs by definition are opinion pieces, generally without any
form of editorial control, and thus readers of blogs need to be careful to understand
that the information may be of dubious origin or missing fact.
From an educational perspective a large number of educational and professional
websites use Pod (audio) and Vod (Video/Audio) casts as an alternative to face to
face lectures, presentations etc. Along similar lines educational and professional
websites are also increasingly using Wikis to generate and update educational
material for presentation to students, members, followers etc and thus they are
also becoming important educational tools.
POPULAR WEB 2.0 SITES
Of course the altruistic use of Web 2.0 has not become its major use and in
fact it is in the true concept of ‘social’ activity where it has really taken off with
websites such as Facebook; which is used primarily for social networking but
which more recently has been used increasingly for commercial purposes through
users ‘liking’ particular companies and/or products or participating in Facebook
based marketing campaigns. The IFCC has a Facebook page which currently has
19 members and over 300 ‘likes’.
In a similar vein, but setup primarily for business social networking is
LinkedIn. Again, IFCC has a LinkedIn presence with a current membership of
270 indicating that more members are interested in interacting with their IFCC
colleagues through what they see as a professional rather than social networking
site. Experience with such site though is that unless they are moderated they
quickly become overtaken by facetious posts and commercial interests pushing
particular products or services. A number of profession based LinkedIn sites have
becomes so overtaken by commercial and recruiting messages that they become
basically unusable and this is always a risk with social networking sites and the
messages they try to carry.
Other Web 2.0 sites of interest include Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia
discussed above; YouTube, a video sharing portal which increasingly is being used
for educational purposes but is also being used by others as a money making tool
as hits are paid for by advertisers which generally means the more bizarre the
video the more money can be made!
Twitter, a microblogging site which allows only 140 characters per message
is an interesting use of social media as users ‘stream’ their actions and thoughts to
subscribers. Increasingly Twitter is being used as a marketing tool as originators,
generally celebrities, are paid to tweet about particular products and services for
money.
A recent addition to the web 2.0 stable is the site Pinterest, which is basically
an online pinboard which allows members to “pin” images, videos and other
objects to their pinboard and also allows ‘followers’ to follow the pinboards as they
Internet and Social Media in Education  123
change and are updated. Again, this site is being used for commercial purposes
as products and services are advertised either directly or by initiators being paid
for including commercial content.
HARNESSING WEB 2.0 FOR HEALTH APPLICATIONS
Web 2.0 tools are increasingly being used to connect and network globally
with experts and have replaced what formerly used to be know as ‘bulletin boards’
and, more importantly, allow real time communication which has led to increasing
use of telemedicine. However, many medical and pathology sites also now use
web 2.0 tools for social engagement, education and collaboration.
In pathology the intersection between Web 2.0 and Pathology has led to the
use of the term Pathology 2.0. In general terms Pathology 2.0, first termed by
Mayo Clinic anatomical pathologist Keith Kaplan, describes the ability to share
and interact with pathology images and content. As we move into the realm of
mobile pathology, with virtual & ‘immersive’ multimedia based reporting and
decision support requesting as well as increased use of interactive digital medical
records we may actually be moving into the realm of ‘Pathology 3.0’.
A number of resources exist for developing a social media presence and
amongst the most useful, from a health perspective, are the Centres for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) The Health Communicator’s Social Media Toolkit
and the AMA Policy: Professionalism in the Use of Social Media (7). The new IFCC
Committee on Internet and eLearning (C-IeL), of which I am the current Chair, is
also currently developing a policy on IFCC Internet and Social Media activities.
USE OF WEB 2.0 AND HEALTHCARE
There is not a lot of data on the use of social media within Healthcare however a
recent blog on the excellent Healthworks Collective website (healthworkscollective.
com) by Gary Levin (Dr Youtwitface!) described some recent statistics on the use of
social media in healthcare (and the risks). Some other statistics from the Healthworks
Collective give an indication of the rapid expansion in this area and why we as
providers of information need to be engaged with the process as 81% of Physicians
are expected to own a Smartphone by the end of 2012 and 79% of physicians watch
video online, most commonly for CME purposes (8). As expected Facebook remains
the most popular social media platform for doctors however LinkedIn is quickly
becoming the platform of choice due to the risk issues described in Gary Levin’s blog.
INTERNET, SOCIAL MEDIA AND EDUCATION
Social media networking is not just for marketing and product placement
it can also champion a cause, raise awareness of health issues and help educate
patients and health care consumers with accurate and trustworthy information. As
described above it also allows health care professionals and organizations to connect
and engage with the community and their colleagues to further their education.
As you are all aware, CME is an ongoing requirement of our ‘profession’ and
one of the roles of professional associations, such as the IFCC, is to promote and
design education and training activities for their members. Traditionally this has
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involved meetings, seminars, conferences etc the main feature of which is that it is
education which is generally offered in the larger cities and in a face to face format
and thus is of not much use to our rural, regional and developing world colleagues
due to cost and access. One of the advantages of the internet in education is that
it has allowed us to provide education in an ‘interesting’ format, where and when
members want or need it and because of this we have seen online education increase 19
from 9% of CME in 2008 to a predicted 50% of CME used by 2016, although that
figure is expected to be much higher primarily due to the exponential expansion in Basic Bachelor Degree Students
the use of e.g. smart phones described in the statistics from the Gary Levin blog.
Attitudes towards ICT
ADVANTAGES OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN EDUCATION
Traditional lecture formats are lectures which involve transmission of content Shankrappa H. Chalawadi*
based on vocabulary and images with, generally, the objective being the passing of
“standardized” tests thus assuring a minimum critical level of information (i.e. that
required to ‘pass’ the test) before progression. Thus traditional lecture formats are Abstract
very similar to Web 1.0 in that it is one-way and obviates the need for emphasis It aimed to know the Students attitude towards Information and
and clarification as there are generally time constraints on delivery and/or there Communication Technology among basic bachelor degree students with
is no formal feedback mechanism. reference to gender in Kalburgi city Karnataka. Basic Bachelor Degrees
Web 2.0 as described above is two way process and thus a social network can viz., Arts, Science and Commerce II-Semester 150 students selected from
facilitate learning by allowing for prolonged interaction between the provider of four degree colleges of Kalburgi city, the purposive sampling technique
the education and the recipient of the education which has the effect of reinforcing were used for the study. It was carried in 2014 on different stream students
the information provided before the recipient progresses. For example a blog can with reference to gender. Researcher self constructed tool were used for
be useful to communicate general aspects on a subject, to deliver supplemental data collection on ICT. The result showed that gender had doesn’t play any
content, and to share interesting or currently relevant material. A blog can also role in fostering the attitude among students. Use of ICT in different stream
be used to address specific questions posed by subscribers in a more expansive students was approximately same. It helped in understanding the content
manner. Thus, social networking can encourage “consultation patterns” within and application part of ICT.
a social network so as to reinforce and cement ideas within the learning group Keywords: Attitude, ICT, Basic Bachelor Degree Students and Gender.
subscribed whether that is students or members of a vocational or professional group.
REFERENCES
• Social media. Wikipedia Web site. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media. Accessed INTRODUCTION
March 1, 2012. The use of information and communication technologies in higher education
• Kaplan, A M, and Haenlein M. Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities is surrounded by contradictory, yet interrelated themes that suggest that education
of Social Media. Business Horizons 2010; 53(1):Pp. 59–68. is either experiencing a revolution or approaching its own demise. Undoubtedly,
• Schreiber WE and Giustini DM. Pathology in the Era of Web 2.0. Am J Clin Pathol
technologies are becoming embedded in academic life but patterns of adoption are
2009;132: Pp. 824-828.
• Glassy EF, The Rise of the Social Pathologist: The Importance of Social Media to
more complex and nuanced than polarized themes suggest. Despite the constant
Pathology, Arch Pathol Lab Med 2010; 134: Pp. 1421-1423. and seamless interaction with a wide array of electronic communication devices
• Kaplan KJ. Manifest destiny—Pathology 2.0 is here and it’s clear: time to climb on at their disposal (email, social networking) many students continue to value face-
board. CAP Today. September 2009. http://www.cap.org/apps/ to-face interaction with their professors and colleagues. The extreme polarity
• Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) The Health Communicator’s Social of a ‘promises and fears’ spectrum is unable to fully account for why this is the
Media Toolkit. Retrieved on June 5, 2015 from: http://www.cdc.gov/socialmedia/Tools/ case; neither can it be explained by economics, demographics, or the technology.
• AMA Policy: Professionalism in the Use of Social Media. Retrieved on June 5, 2015
from: http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/meeting/professionalism-social-media.shtml.
• Health Train Express. Retrieved on June 5, 2015 from: http://healthtrain.blogspot.com.au/ *Lecturer, Chandbibi College of Education, Kalaburgi-585104 Karnataka.
• Harris JM, Sklar BM, et al. The growth, characteristics, and future of online CME. Journal
of Continuing Education in the Health Professions. 2010; 30(1):Pp. 3–10.
125
126  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
As Antonio de Figueiredo (2005) points out, education and learning happen in
wide variety of contexts determined by a very wide range of cultural, economic,
individual, discipline and other variables. Unless we consider academic culture we
cannot fully capture the relationship of technologies to education. The arguments
made about the use of technologies in higher education on the extreme sides of the
spectrum are unlikely to materialize and the question that needs to be asked is how
are academics themselves negotiating the implementation of the technologies in
their everyday work, specifically in teaching and learning? What are their practices
with and perceptions of the technologies?
In the answers to these questions various links to academic culture are posited.
The incorporation of computer technologies into higher education has led to the
development of a variety of formats for education where practices of teaching and
learning have been expanding to include the use of the latest technologies. Under
the general rubric of integration of information and communication technologies
(the so called ICTs) in teaching and learning several classifications of these new
forms of education have been suggested in research and emerged in discourse,
from e-learning to virtual educational.
NEED OF THE STUDY
Present study has great importance with new teaching learning situation.
Students want to do more and more in less time. They want to learn more through
the use of new emerging technology. It brings desired improvement in teaching
learning process by making it effective. It develops to the maximum the cognitive,
affective and psychomotor aspect of the pupils. We can achieve behavioral objectives
of teaching by different way. Teacher plans to achieve some certain objectives
before going in the class- room. Planning is must to achieve our goal and after
planning implementation is must. Plans are formed with the help of action verbs
in the form of statement. Writing this statement is nothing but writing instructional
objectives in behavioral terms specifying the instructional objectives in behaviour
term directs the teacher for action. It helps in knowing what actually is to do i.e.
what actually is to teach. Before writing instructional objectives formulation of
the plan is to be done. Plans are formed for achieving the goal and to achieve the
behavioral objectives which are predetermined. The specification of action is done
while we write teaching objectives in behaviour terms.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
1. To study the basic bachelor degree students attitude towards ICT with reference
to gender.
2. To study the basic bachelor degree students attitude towards ICT among
different stream in relation to gender.
HYPOTHESES OF THE STUDY
1. There is no significant difference between basic bachelor degrees male and
female students’ attitude towards ICT.
Basic Bachelor Degree StudentsAttitudes towards ICT  127
2. There is no significant difference between male and female graduate students’
attitude towards ICT in Arts stream.
3. There is no significant difference between male and female graduate students’
attitude towards ICT in Science stream.
4. There is no significant difference between male and female graduate students’
attitude towards ICT in Commerce stream.
METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY
In this study, the investigator followed normative survey. The normative survey
studies, describes and interprets what exists at present. In this study investigator
wanted to know the attitude towards ICT among basic bachelor degree students
with reference to gender (male and female).
POPULATION
All the students of basic bachelor degree (Arts, Science, and Commerce
II-Semester) were taken as population and those students were related to the
Kalburgi city.
SAMPLE AND SAMPLING
There are so many degree colleges in Kalburgi city. Researcher selected only
four degree colleges for this purpose. Researcher selected only 150 basic bachelor
degrees like, B.A, B.Sc and B.Com II-Semester students. The students include
male and female. This sample was selected by purposive sampling technique.
DATA COLLECTING TOOL
Researcher himself constructed and used the tool on students’ attitude towards
ICT. The present tool measures the students’ attitude towards ICT. It was a
Likert type summated rating scale. The items were constructed at five point
rating. There are fifteen positive and ten negative statements. Five point scale
options were strongly agree, Agree, Undecided, Disagree, Strongly disagree.
For positive statements, score 5 was given to “strongly agree”, 4 to “Agree”, 3
to “Undecided”, 2 to “Disagree”, and 1 to “Strongly disagree” and for Negative
statement the order of score given reversed so that “Strongly Agree” receives 1
and “Strongly Disagree” receives 5.
DATA COLLECTION
The researcher administered the self constructed attitude scale to the II-
Semester bachelor degree students of Kalburgi city. In each stream 50 students were
purposively selected and distributed among them. Responses from 150 respondents
of students were received and the gathered responses were scored.
TESTING THE HYPOTHESES
Hypothesis1: There is no significant difference between male and female
basic bachelor degree students attitude towards ICT.
128  Information and Communication Technology in Education Basic Bachelor Degree StudentsAttitudes towards ICT  129
♦ ♦
Table-1:  Male and Female Basic Bachelor Degree Students’ Attitude students is 25, mean score on ICT is 129.41 and S.D. is 18.54.The t-value between
towards ICT. male and female is 2.33 at 50 degree of freedom. Here calculated value is greater
than table value. So the hypothesis is rejected at 0.05 level. It means significant
Gender N Mean S.D. ‘t’ value Significance difference observed in male and female students of Science stream on ICT.
Hypothesis4: There is no significant difference between Male and Female
Male 75 142.18 18.43 2.18 Significant at .05 level Graduate students’ attitude towards ICT in Commerce stream.
Female 75 117.11 14.99
Table-4:  Male and Female Graduate Students’ Attitude towards ICT
The table1 shows that the total number of male students is 75, the mean score
on ICT is 142.18 and S.D. is 18.43.The female students is 75, mean score on ICT in Commerce stream.
is 137.11 and S.D. is 14.99.The t-value between male and female is 2.18 at 150
degree of freedom. The C.R. value is 1.98 at 0 .05 level of significance. Here Gender N Mean S.D. ‘t’ value Significance
calculated value is greater than table value. So the hypothesis is rejected at 0.05 Male 25 141.13 18.01 1.83 Not significant at .05 level
level. It means significant difference observed in male and female students on ICT.
Hypothesis2: There is no significant difference between Male and Female Female 25 139.81 17.78
Graduate Students’ Attitude towards ICT in Arts Stream. The above table4 reveals that in the Commerce stream, total number of male
students is 25, the mean score on ICT is 141.13 and S.D. is 18.01.The female
Table-2:  Male and Female Graduate Students’ Attitude towards ICT students is 25, mean score on ICT is 139.81 and S.D. is 17.78.The t-value between
in Arts Stream. male and female is 1.83 at 50 degree of freedom. The C.R. value is 2.01 at 0.05
level of significant. Here calculated value is less than table value. So the hypothesis
Gender N Mean S.D. ‘t’ value Significance is accepted at 0.05 level. It means no significant difference observed in male and
female students of Commerce stream on ICT.
Male 25 139.21 18.25 0.29 Not significant at .05 level
Female 25 128.49 17.49 FINDINGS
Male and female basic bachelor degree students had significant difference
The above table2 reveals that in the Arts stream, total number of male students on attitude towards Information and Communication Technology. Significant
is 25, the mean score on ICT is 139.21 and S.D. is 18.25.The female students difference was not found in Arts stream in relation to gender. In science stream,
is 25, mean score on ICT is 140.11 and S.D. is 12.49.The t-value between male the significant difference was seen with reference to gender. Commerce stream
and female is 0.29 at 50 degree of freedom. The C.R. value is 2.01 at 0.05 level students had no significant difference on attitude towards ICT in relation to gender.
of significant. Here calculated value is less than table value. So the hypothesis is
accepted at 0.05 level. It means no significant difference observed in male and EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE STUDY
female students of Arts stream on ICT. All of us well know that ICT plays very important role in the field of education.
Hypothesis3: There is no significant difference between Male and Female Principals, Administrators and higher officers should be planned to educate
Graduate students’ attitude towards ICT in Science stream. the students through ICT. Students can develop their knowledge through ICT.
Government should facilitate ICT to all Govt. and private colleges. Students attitude
Table-3:  Male and Female Graduate Students’ Attitude towards ICT towards ICT is increasing day by day. Parents, Teachers and other stakeholders related
in Science stream. to teaching learning can be benefited with the proper use of ICT in different ways.

Gender N Mean S.D. ‘t’ value Significance REFERENCES

• Ahamad, E. (2015). Attitudes towards Information and Communication Technology with
Male 25 131.11 19.23 2.33 Significant at .05 level reference to Gender. International Journal of Applied Research 2015. 1(7): 193-195.
Female 25 119.41 16.54 • Sheela G. (2006). Knowledge of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and
Attitude towards Teaching among Teacher Educators. The SITU. Council of Educational
The above tabel3 reveals that in the Science stream, total number of male Research Chitlapakkam Chennai.
students is 25, the mean score on ICT is 131.11 and S.D. is 19.23.The female
130  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦
• Inoue Y. (2007). University students’ perceptions of computer technology experiences.
Paper presented at the AERA Annual Meeting, April 9-13, 2007, Chicago.
• Badola, S. (2009). Attitude towards Awareness of Information Communication Technology
(ICT) Among Research Scholars, Psycho-Lingua 2009, 39(1).
• Singh A.K. (2010). Test Measurement and Research Method in Behavioural Sciences,
published by Bharti, Bhawan Patna.
• Deeksha K. & Sachan H.K. (2014). Attitudes towards Information Communication
20
Technology (ICT) among CAFF students in Fiji, International Journal of Education and
Research September, 2014, 2(9). ICT and in-Service Teacher
• Koul, L. (2012). Methodology of Educational Research. Vikas Publishing House Private
Limited, Noida, 2003. Training Programmes
Prakash Sannakkanavar*

Abstract
ICT increases the flexibility of delivery of education so that learners
can access knowledge anytime and from anywhere. It can influence the way
students are taught and how they learn as now the processes are learner
driven and not by teachers. This in turn would better prepare the learners
for lifelong learning as well as to improve the quality of learning. In concert
with geographical flexibility, technology-facilitated educational programs
also remove many of the temporal constraints that face learners with special
needs (Moore & Kearsley, 1996). Students are starting to appreciate the
capability to undertake education anywhere, anytime and anyplace. One
of the most vital contributions of ICT in the field of education is- Easy
Access to Learning. With the help of ICT, students can now browse
through e-books, sample examination papers, previous year papers etc.
and can also have an easy access to resource persons, mentors, experts,
researchers, professionals, and peers-all over the world. This flexibility has
heightened the availability of just-in-time learning and provided learning
opportunities for many more learners who previously were constrained
by other commitments (Young, 2002). Wider availability of best practices
and best course material in education, which can be shared by means of
ICT, can foster better teaching. ICT also allows the academic institutions
to reach disadvantaged groups and new international educational markets.
As well as learning at anytime, teachers are also finding the capabilities of
teaching at any time to be opportunistic and able to be used to advantage.
Mobile technologies and seamless communications technologies support
24x7 teaching and learning.

*Assistant Professor, Department of Education, Karnataka State Women’s University,

Jnanashakti Campus, Torvi, Vijayapura-586108. Karnataka, Email: prakashanu88@
gmail.com.

131
132  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
INTRODUCTION
While information and communication technology (ICT) is not a panacea for
all educational problems, today’s technologies are essential tools for teaching and
learning. To use these tools effectively and efficiently, teachers need visions of
the technologies’ potential, opportunities to apply them, training and just-in-time
support, and time to experiment. Only then can teachers be informed and confident
in their use of new technologies (Bowes, 2003). Teaching is becoming one of
the most challenging professions in our society where knowledge is expanding
rapidly and much of it is available to students as well as teachers at the same time
(Perraton, Robinson, & Creed, 2001). As new concepts of learning have evolved,
teachers are expected to facilitate learning and make it meaningful to individual
learners rather than just to provide knowledge and skills.
Modern developments of innovative technologies have provided new
possibilities to teaching professions, but at the same time have placed more demands
on teachers to learn how to use these new technologies in their teaching (Robinson
& Latchem, 2003). These challenges ask teachers to continuously retrain themselves
and acquire new knowledge and skills while maintaining their jobs (Carlson &
Gadio, 2002). Then what can be done to help teachers meet these challenges?
Today, a variety of ICT can facilitate not only delivery of instruction, but also
learning process itself. Moreover, ICT can promote international collaboration and
networking in education and professional development. There’s a range of ICT
options – from videoconferencing through multimedia delivery to web sites - which
can be used to meet the challenges teachers face today. In fact, there has been
increasing evidence that ICT may be able to provide more flexible and effective
ways for lifelong professional development for today’s teachers. Because of rapid
development in ICT, especially the Internet, traditional initial teacher training as
well as in-service continued training institutions worldwide are undergoing a rapid
change in the structure and content of their training and delivery methods of their
courses. However, combining new technologies with effective pedagogy has become
a daunting task for both initial teacher training and in-service training institutions.
ICT TRAINING
That training is held to improve teacher’s use of technology and let learning
more interesting and effective for students. Training authority: Ministry of Education
with cooperation of the international bank, Microsoft Company and INTEL Company
Type of training: practically Training subject: − Computer literacy − Using computer
as a teaching aid − Training to obtain the ICDL certificate from the UNISCO −
Designing e-lessons in a multimedia form − Special training about computer
programming for leader teachers Place of training: Training centers designed at
one or two schools in each town.
CURRICULUM CONTENT TRAINING
The Educational zone training unit arranges training programs about curriculum
content in cooperation with subject inspectors and teachers who were trained
ICT and in-Service Teacher Training Programmes  133
abroad. Subject of that training is: − New teaching techniques − New teaching
materials − New contents of the curriculum − Using technology at teaching At
School level teachers of every subject have to hold a workshop at least once a
week aimed at lessons of that week. That training has same subject as educational
zone as well. − Inspectors should visit school once a week, attend classes with
other teachers of same subject, and give comments about that class and how to
develop it. Sometimes, university professors come and hold classes for teaching
improvement.
ICT USE AS MAIN CONTENT FOCUS OF TEACHER TRAINING
Most of the early ICT teacher training programs in the focused on ICT use
as the main training content. This approach has an emphasis on teacher training in
how to use ICT in the classroom. It addresses issues such as selecting appropriate
ICT tools and supporting students in the use of those tools, using ICT to promote
learning activities, developing new methods of facilitating learning and evaluating
student performance, and so on. The National Institute of Education (NIE) was
entrusted with the responsibility for integrating ICT into initial teacher training
programs based on the nation’s Master plan for IT in Education. Accordingly,
the NIE developed and began implementing a new ICT plan in 1998, which
identified four main areas that needed change: curriculum; physical and technological
infrastructure; human resource infrastructure; and R & D in the use of ICT in
education., I will focus on how NIE has revised its curriculum to promote ICT use
in the classroom for future teachers (Jung, 2001). The curriculum was revised to
include three kinds of ICT courses for student teachers: basic ICT-skill workshops,
ICT foundation course, and elective course. In addition, the ICT integration into
each curricular subject class was recommended. Basic ICT skill workshops, paid
for by students, are provided by external organizations and cover word processing,
PowerPoint, Internet literacy, and other technical skills. An elective course covers
the design and production of computer-based instruction. An ICT foundation course
is entitled “Instructional Technology” and covers: “learning, thinking and the
effective use of instructional technologies in the classroom; instructional planning
models; selecting, creating, evaluating, and integrating instructional technologies
and resource materials; promoting creativity and complex thinking through ICT
project work activities; and organizing and managing instructional activities with
appropriate ICT resources in the classroom.
THE TRADITIONAL VIEW OF THE LEARNING PROCESS
The existing view of the learning process emerged out of the factory model
of education at the turn of the 21st century and was highly effective in preparing
large numbers of individuals with skills needed for low-skilled positions in industry
and agriculture. The innovation of classrooms with 20-30 students was created
along with the concept of standardized instruction for everyone. The traditional,
teacher-centered approach to learning is illustrated in the teacher is the expert and
the dispenser of knowledge to the students. It is largely a ‘broadcast’ model of
learning where the teacher serves as the repository and transmitter of knowledge
134  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
to the students. The traditional educational paradigm is often characterized by
the following views of learning. Many view learning as a difficult and often
tedious process. According to this view, if students are having fun or enjoying what
they are doing in a learning activity, they probably are not learning, Knowledge,
have the potential to transform teaching and learning processes. ICTs provide
an array of powerful tools that may help in transforming the present isolated,
teacher centered and text-bound classrooms into rich, student- focused, interactive
knowledge environments. To meet these challenges, schools must embrace the
new technologies and appropriate the new ICT tools for learning. They must also
move toward the goal of transforming the traditional paradigm of learning.
TEACHERS TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
The ICT in education Building new learning with the help of ICT implies
cultural changes which may break through mechanistic paradigms that are still
today characteristic of our school systems. According to Figueiredo (2000: 79),
“as the construction of knowledge becomes more and more a process of exposition
to multiple learning opportunities, this exposition becomes a cause of a growing
cognitive surplus, or even the total lack of references”. Therefore a new role for
schools and teachers emerges, namely as far as the building of learning environments
is concerned – where the ICT constitute an integrant meaningful part. These learning
environments are favorable to the development of meaningful learning, when they
are part of challenges that only the teacher can face. As the author suggests, “the
overcome of this overload demands school and teacher contextualization processes,
as the partition of knowledge makes possible to understand one thing at a time,
although simultaneously it denies contexts. So, in an immense ocean of information,
we pay attention to contexts that, to a large extent, provide structure” To beat the
dichotomy content-context, Figueiredo (2000: 80) proposes the reconciliation of
both, underlining that “the curricular development may turn into a reflexive project,
of cultural change and reinforcement of a new paradigm, which, in a way, reassures
the theory that attributes the teacher an active role in the curriculum design”.
This way, the task accomplishment and the construction of supporting materials
to the contextualized use of ICT, either for activities in the classroom or for the
New Curricular Areas (NAC), Resource Centers, Clubs and other pedagogical
environments at school, constitute a privileged area of intervention, converging to
some goals of the Curricular Reorganization of Basic and Secondary Education,
from which we must withdraw the due implications on teachers’ training.
ICT USE AS PART OF TEACHING METHODS
This approach integrates ICT into teacher training to facilitate some aspects
of training. Two cases below show how a variety of ICT are adopted as part of
effective training methods. In these cases, teachers are provided with examples
of ICT-pedagogy integration in their training process. Captured Wisdom is a
resource developed by the federally-funded (USA) North Central Technology
in Education Consortium for teachers, school administrators and extended to
adult literacy educators. It uses videotape and CD-ROM to help US teachers to
ICT and in-Service Teacher Training Programmes  135
see how technology can be integrated into their work. The Captured Wisdom
(tm) CD-ROM Library is made up of stories about teachers who are making
meaningful and creative uses of technology in their instruction. These CD-ROMs
contain video descriptions and demonstrations of how technology is used in
teachers’ classrooms. They provide “examples of real educators and learners
using successful practices of technology to support instruction and learning
in their classrooms.” Video sequences are viewed by teachers’ focus groups
who then discuss the strategies and techniques of classroom management,
assessment, etc. In this specific case, teachers learn how to use ICT in their
classrooms by actually being engaged in the process of ICT-integrated training.
Another example of this approach can be found in the School Administrators’
Technology Integration Resource project. It is a bilingual Canadian initiative
which provides tools and resources to help school administrators successfully
integrate ICT into curriculum in their school. It includes the National Center
for Technology Planning clearinghouse of school district ICT plans, advice on
how to provide technology, successful practices in introducing ICT, perspectives
on staff development, a beginners’ guide to the Internet, etc. The focus of
this project is not on the basic skill development but on the development of
ICT pedagogy integration skills of educators by sharing successful cases and
practical ideas. UNICEF’s Teachers Talking about learning also illustrates the
application of this approach to ICT teacher training. It is designed for international
collaboration between teachers in 97 developing countries using the Internet
and television. It provides access to teacher training materials and useful links
and promotes discussions among teachers. All the cases discussed above use
ICT as part of training methods and promote teachers’ ICT-pedagogy integration
in the classroom by demonstrating examples and allowing discussions among
teachers throughout the whole training process. Participants of the training are
asked to actually use ICT to learn about ICT skills and develop ICT-integrated
pedagogies. These training strategies seem to be supported by previous research
that argues that teachers are likely to benefit by actively experiencing ICT skills
as a learner (Jung, 2003).
TO SUPPORT GOVERNMENT ICT POLICY
This is presumed here since most of the teacher training on ICT programmes
reviewed is being implemented directly under the government or quasi government
auspices; government partnership suggests that one of the objectives of the training
programme is to support the ICT for education policy and overall ICT master plan
of the government. This is supported and confirmed by the fact that most of the
administered questionnaires indicated that the countries concerned do indeed have
a policy and master plan on teacher training in ICT. There could be just a few of
these training programmes which may operate on their own and conduct training
programmes on an ad-hoc basis but are not necessarily linked to the government’s
policy initiatives and master plan. This could occur if an external donor directly
approaches NGOs whose teacher training programmes on ICT may not have any
links to the government’s efforts.
136  Information and Communication Technology in Education ICT and in-Service Teacher Training Programmes  137
♦ ♦
CONCLUSION • Collis, B., & Jung, I. S. (2003). Uses of information and communication technologies
in teacher education. In B. Robinson & C. Latchem (Eds.), Teacher education through
The 21st century is to enable teachers and students to achieve competency
open and distance learning, London: RoutledgeFalmer, 171-192.
and mastery on the use of technology instead of letting them be enslaved by it. The
• Fontaine, M. (2000). Teacher training with technology: Experience in five country programs.
widespread use of ICT in all areas has a direct effect upon the way in which the TechKnowLogia, November/December, 69-71. 101 Freeman, M. (1997). Flexibility in
world is perceived. The permeating presence of telemetric networks in all scopes access, interaction and assessment: the case for web-based teaching programs. Australian
of life allows unlimited access to information and a flexibilization of time and Journal of Educational Technology, 13 (1), 23-39.
space barriers. ICT has shaken the traditional teaching and learning approaches • Educational Technology, S.K Mangal
and poses new challenges to the educational community, challenges which emerge • University News Vol.48 Jan 25-31 2010
together with new teaching and learning environments and instructional modalities, • University News Vol.45 Dec 10-16 2007
mainly set in virtuality. A profound integration of new technologies into education • www.google.com
as a central means to teaching and learning processes will inevitably require from
teachers changes in attitude and teaching paradigms, such changes will oblige them
to adapt to new methodological approaches, educational concepts and management
aspects - all of which will have to be set in technology-rich environments. Thus,
open and flexible teaching and learning processes, interactive and bi-directional
communication systems together with the emergence of alternative spaces aimed
at promoting communication generate new needs and expectative to be achieved
by educators. Using ICT in education favors interaction and collaboration among
participants and the World Wide Web fosters new means of communicating and
interacting both in real and asynchronous time and provides authentic material
and resources that can be easily exploited.
One of the most vital contributions of ICT in the field of education is- Easy
Access to Learning. With the help of ICT, students can now browse through
e-books, sample examination papers, previous year papers etc. and can also have
an easy access to resource persons, mentors, experts, researchers, professionals,
and peers-all over the world. This flexibility has heightened the availability of
just-in-time learning and provided learning opportunities for many more learners
who previously were constrained by other commitments (Young, 2002). Wider
availability of best practices and best course material in education, which can be
shared by means of ICT, can foster better teaching. ICT also allows the academic
institutions to reach disadvantaged groups and new international educational
markets. As well as learning at anytime, teachers are also finding the capabilities
of teaching at any time to be opportunistic and able to be used to advantage.
Mobile technologies and seamless communications technologies support 24x7
teaching and learning.

REFERENCES
• Bowes, J. (2003). The emerging repertoire demanded of teachers of the future:
Surviving the transition, retrieved, September 1, 2004, from http://crpit.com/confpapers/
CRPITV23Bowes.pdf.
• Carlson, S., & Gadio, C. T. (2002). Teacher professional development in the use of
technology. In W.D. Haddad & A. Draxler (Eds.), Technologies for education: potential,
parameters, and prospects, Paris and Washington, D.C.: UNESCO and AED, retrieved April
25, 2005 from http://www.schoolnetafrica.net/fileadmin/resources/Teacher_Professional_
Development_In_the_use_of_Techno logy.pdf.

21
Social Media in Education
Smt. Jyothi. B. Panth* and Dr. Shanthamma**
Abstract
God has created Man and Man has created Technology. Technology
includes the social media like Facebook, Twitter, Blog etc., These have rooted
in our life like a basic need. It has intruded all the fields of life. Throughout
the world its usage is increasing day by day. It has its own qualities like
Identity, Conversations, Sharing, Presence, Relationship, Reputations and
Groups. Due to which it has significant role in the field of education. It has
both negative as well as positive impacts. If the negatives are transformed
to positives, then we can witness the wonder in the field of education, which
will have its positive influence on the progress of the society. Hence we all
have to take a serious step in channelizing our future citizens in the usage
and contribution towards its right benefits.
INTRODUCTION
We are in the era of technology which is encompassing more number of
people throughout the world by creating a network, in which social media is
ruling the world of network.
Social media are computer-mediated tools that allow people to create, share or
exchange information, ideas, and pictures/videos in virtual communities and networks.
“Social media has been broadly defined to refer to ‘the many relatively
inexpensive and widely accessible electronic tools that enable anyone to publish
and access information, collaborate on a common effort, or build relationships.”
In a 2011 article, Jan H. Kietzmann, Kristopher Hermkens, Ian P. McCarthy and
Bruno S. Silvestre “present a framework that defines social media by using seven
functional building blocks: identity, conversations, sharing, presence, relationships,
reputation, and groups.”
*Assistant Professor, Sree Siddaganga College of Education, Tumakuru. jyothi.
harish29@gmail.com.
**Principal, Sree Siddaganga College of Education, Tumakuru.
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Social Media in Education  139
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• Identity: This block represents the extent to which users reveal their identities
in a social media setting. This can include disclosing information such as
name, age, gender, profession, location, and also information that portrays
users in certain ways.
• Conversations: This block represents the extent to which users communicate
with other users in a social media setting. Many social media sites are designed
primarily to facilitate conversations among individuals and groups. These
conversations happen for all sorts of reasons. People tweet, blog, et cetera
to meet new like-minded people, to find true love, to build their self-esteem,
or to be on the cutting edge of new ideas or trending topics. Yet others see
social media as a way of making their message heard and positively impacting
humanitarian causes, environmental problems, economic issues, or political
debates.
• Sharing: This block represents the extent to which users exchange, distribute,
and receive content. The term ‘social’ often implies that exchanges between
people are crucial. In many cases, however, sociality is about the objects that
mediate these ties between people—the reasons why they meet online and
associate with each other.
• Presence: This block represents the extent to which users can know if other
users are accessible. It includes knowing where others are, in the virtual
world and/or in the real world, and whether they are available.
• Relationships: This block represents the extent to which users can be related
to other users. Two or more users have some form of association that leads
them to converse, share objects of sociality, meet up, or simply just list each
other as a friend or fan.
• Reputation: This block represents the extent to which users can identify the
standing of others, including themselves, in a social media setting. Reputation
can have different meanings on social media platforms. In most cases, reputation
is a matter of trust, but because information technologies are not yet good at
determining such highly qualitative criteria, social media sites rely on ‘mechanical
Turks’: tools that automatically aggregate user-generated information to determine
trustworthiness. Reputation management is another aspect and use of social media.
• Groups: This block represents the extent to which users can form communities
and sub communities. The more ‘social’ a network becomes, the bigger the
group of friends, followers, and contacts.
With this the social media like facebook, twitter, blog, WhatApps etc., have
eclipsed the other media. These social media are the facilities extended through in
internet. The influence of social media in developed countries is reflected below:-
• 61 percent of adults who regularly go online—and 73 percent of online
teens—interact with one another on social networking websites (Lenhart,
Purcell, Smith, & Zickuhr, 2010; Madden, 2010).
• People spend 500 billion minutes per month on Facebook. The average Facebook
user spends 55 minutes per day on the site (Facebook, 2010; Hepburn, 2010a).
140  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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• 50 million messages daily (or 600 messages per second) are posted on Twitter,
a microblogging site with 145 million users (Alexa, 2010; Compete, 2010;
Hepburn, 2010b; Weil, 2010).
• YouTube has 24 hours of new video uploaded every minute and receives 2
billion daily page views (Hepburn, 2010c).
Internet with these facilities has most positive influence on education, least
positive on morality in emerging and developed countries
The data w.r.t. the use of social networking is presented in the following table
Social Media in Education  141
From the table it is evident that the persons between the age group 18-29
years use social networking to the maximum extent in India. But there is much
scope for using these social media in India for the speedy progress as India is
the 10th largest economy( in terms of GDP nominal as per IMF -2012) and also
worlds second largest populated country. Indians are very active on different social
networks and 88% of users share content on their social profiles( Facebook – 100
Million users, Twitter – 33 Million users, LinkedIn – 26 Million users).
Moreover it is envisaged by the great teacher and the president of India Dr.
Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan that teachers are the pillars of nation and if any change
has to be brought it is only through the mighty weapon education.
Education can be aired to huge population effectively and can bind them
together if it is amalgamated with the social media. Even if these social media is
used in the education it is going to develop the following positives:-
• They have increased the rate and quality of collaboration for and with students.
They are better able to communicate meeting times or share information quickly,
which can increase productivity and help them learn how to work well in groups.
We have a WhatsApp account in the name of Life Science Club, in which all
my biology students are the members. If any instant programme (is arranged may
be within the college or outside the college) the biology students are immediately
intimated through this social media. Which has increased there participation in
those programmes. And even they prepare for the different course works like
communication and micro-teaching by sharing their ideas among them as well as
with me. Thus I could able to guide them even after college hours.
• Social networks help the students as well as teachers to stay in contact with
their peers, friends, colleagues and resource persons by overruling the factor
of place, age, designation etc., thus increase his sphere of contacts.
• These social networks help the persons in educational field to document
memories, to learn and to explore the things in and around(mind and place)
• Social networking develops in the students the skills needed for them to survive
in this competitive world by coming in contact with renowned personalities
in their interested field.
• As in social network the students create, edit, present and manage their own
ideas provide a larger platform to expose their talents and which gets nurtured
by their active involvement.
• It develops in them the creativity by their vast exposure to different fields.
And even it has provided scope for uploading pictures, videos or stories –the
fruit of their creativity with the ease and speed thereby increased the number
of users. With this they could able to get instant feedback from friends and
resource persons on their creative outlets which will help them to modify
and refine their presentations.
• The social networks helps the students to customize their presentations best
suited for updating their knowledge with the present aspirations of their
community that are not taught in schools.
142  Information and Communication Technology in Education Social Media in Education  143
♦ ♦
• These social networks help the students as well as teachers to view a particular CONCLUSION
aspect in different views, which help them to extend their horizon. With all these negative impacts on education, if we mind to change and
• As these networks involve the participation of more people, each and transform these negatives to positives then the social networks will prove to be
every participant will be cautious of his communication. Thus improve his an highly informative, educative and progressive in persuading the people in a
communication skills. more desirable manner for their maximum contribution to the entire society. It
• Moreover any information to that matter cannot be posted without verifying, is the joint venture of the creator, user and facilitator to supervise and guide the
because one or the person involved in the group knew the truth. Hence social immature and distractors to channelize carefully and appropriately for the benefit
network encourage for the posting of honest, valid and truthful information. of themselves as well as for others who come in their vicinity.
Apart from these the social media has got negative impact on the users in
REFERENCES
the educational field, such as:
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media#Classification_of_social_media
• Students who attempt to multi-task, checking social media sites while studying • h t t p : / / w w w . b b c a c t i v e . c o m / B B C A c t i v e I d e a s a n d R e s o u r c e s /
, show reduced academic performance. Their ability to concentrate on the Howsocialmediaischangingeducation.aspx26/6/15
task at hand is significantly reduced by the distractions that are brought about • http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/dec10/vol68/num04/Using-
by Facebook, WhatsApp, twitted etc., Social-Media-to-Reach-Your-Community.aspx
• More the time they spend on viewing and responding to the social sites, lessen • http://blog.digitalinsights.in/important-statistics-digital-and-social-media-users-in-
their socialization in person. Thereby lessen their effective communication india/05224987.html
• http://www.pewglobal.org/2012/12/12/social-networking-popular-across-globe/
in person and reduces their interaction with the persons nearby.
• http://www.edudemic.com/social-media-education/
• The speed and the rate of information posted in the social networks has • http://www.pewglobal.org/2015/03/19/internet-seen-as-positive-influence-on-education-
reduced the ability of using the books in hand and also lessened the writing but-negative-influence-on-morality-in-emerging-and-developing-nations/
ability as they rely upon others(may be persons or computer itself)to correct
their mistakes intentionally.
• The original contribution in the social networks will be stolen by any anonymous
person without the knowledge of the owner who posted it. Thus encouraging
the plagiarism.
• These social networks have reduced the attitude of evaluating the content of
presentation by the students as well as by the teachers. Moreover these networks
have reduced the memory of the users, because of their easy accessibility.
• These networks have even reduced the thinking abilities as well as experimenting
skills in the students and teachers as there is availability of ready food in these
networks. Thus impeding there learning. Thereby encouraging the duplication
of work.
• These media pollutes the minds of the participants (either active or passive)
and distract them from their real goal of their life.
• India is a nation, wherein the teacher is given the position of god. But due to
these social networks even teachers are not valued and they are losing their
importance.
• Excessive uses of these social networks have negative impact on health as well
as on mind. When both of these are affected, we cannot think of developing
all round development of personality in the students, which is the main theme
of providing education.

22
ICT in Faculty and Staff Development
Prof. I. D. Mulla*
Abstract
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is increasingly
having pervasive role and presence in the educational milieu as it continues
to shape all aspects of our lives. The current study focuses on the conduct and
effectiveness of ICT training courses within the Jordanian education system.
Interviews, questionnaires, direct classroom observations, and field-notes
of classroom practices were used for data collection. The findings suggest
that ICT professional development courses for teacher were helping them to
improve their ICT skills and knowledge. However, other finding highlighted
problems regarding the conduct and the nature of these courses including timing
and modes of training, follow-up, teacher’s belief, school culture, workload,
and motivation, appeared to impact the effectiveness of training courses.
INTRODUCTION
Teacher professional development is absolutely essential if technology
provided to schools is to be used effectively. Simply put, spending scarce resources
on informational technology hardware and software without financing teacher
professional development as well is wasteful. Experience around the world in
developing, industrialized, and information-based countries has shown that teacher
training in the use and application of technology is the key determining factor for
improved student performance (in terms of both knowledge acquisition and skills
development enabled by technology). Educational technology is not, and never will
be, transformative on its own—it requires teachers who can integrate technology
into the curriculum and use it to improve student learning. In other words, computers
can-not replace teachers—teachers are the key to whether technology is used
appropriately and effectively. That said, designing and implementing successful
teacher professional development programs in the application of technology is
neither easy nor inexpensive. There are more cases of inadequate and ineffective
*Assistant Professor, Dr. SET’s Arts and Commerce College, Ugar-Kurd (Belagavi).
144
ICT in Faculty and Staff Development  145
♦
training programs than there are success stories. Moreover, success stories are not
automatically transferable to other situations, and the total body of experience
and knowledge in this field is in its infancy. While some people may know more
than others in this area, there are few if any true “experts.” This calls for humility,
innovation, a willingness to fail, ongoing evaluation, sharing of both positive and
negative experiences, and constant revision of teacher professional development
pro-grams related to technology. Even if students could learn independently how
to use technology to enhance their learning and skills development, with little
or no involvement from their teachers, they are highly unlikely to have those
opportunities if teachers do not let them have access to technology. Teachers
remain the gatekeepers for students’ access to educational opportunities afforded by
technology: they cannot and should not be ignored. Moreover, providing technical
skills training to teachers in the use of technology is not enough. Teachers also
need professional development in the pedagogical application of those skills to
improve teaching and learning Schools, as all other social institutions, are rapidly
embracing information and communication technologies (ICT). Globalization
and the knowledge-based economy are leaving no choices for education systems
worldwide but to adopt ICT and weave it into their educational milieus, and the
Jordanian education system is no exception. The system has adopted several ICT-
related education initiatives aiming to reform the system towards the knowledge-
based economy.
OBJECTIVES
In recent years, ICT-related Initiatives are adopted and implemented by
education systems with greater appreciation of their complexity. A major aspect
of the complexity involved with ICT integration into education systems is based
on the many factors involved with it including factors associated with the human
side of the integration (e.g. teachers, on-going support, trainers, and headmasters)
and the technological side of it (e.g. access to computers, technical support, and
the e-materials). During the early attempts of integrating computers into education
systems the technology itself was overemphasized at the cost of the human side.
These attempts were based on the assumption that technology can revolutionize
education and therefore, resources and efforts were diverted to providing schools
with computers and other technologies. These issues, among others, need to be
taken into account in order to ensure the positive impact of ICT training courses
on classroom practices. As part of the appreciation of the importance of issues
identified in the literature while staying attentive to issues might arise from the
current investigation within the Jordanian context.
Infrastructure and professional support, Four Discovery Schools from the
Central Region participated in Phase (1) of the study. Two of these four schools
were selected for in-depth investigation. The following criteria were employed
for selecting the two schools:
• Participation in ICT training courses provided by the Ministry of Education;
• ICT resources and infrastructure;
146  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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• School administration’s support for ICT implementation;
• Teachers’ utilization of ICT in teaching;
• Positive attitudes towards ICT on the part of teachers and principals; and
• School’s willingness to participate in the study.
The two schools, Fajr and Noor, were selected as they reported having optimal
conditions for ICT integration in Jordan compared with other schools, which allowed
them to serve as ‘critical cases’ within the educational system. Two teachers were
selected from each of the two schools: a mathematics teacher and another science
teacher because these subjects had been digitized and had supporting electronic
materials. Mathematics curricula had been digitized for all grades (1-12) and
science curricula had been the second to follow.
A pilot study was carried out in order to check the clarity, instruction and layout
of the questionnaires. Twelve participants who had undertaken at least one ICT training
course were involved in piloting the study and their responses helped in reshaping
the questionnaires. It became clear that the open-ended items were generally left
unanswered, which led to re-formatting the open ended items to become clearly
structured, easier, and faster to complete. In addition, one item required re-wording
in order to eliminate ambiguity. Furthermore, for the interviews and observations,
the researcher did member checks by sharing findings with some participants who
were willing to participate in this process and asking for their comments on that.
Triangulation of data: In the current study, triangulation was achieved in three
ways: type of data, data sources, and data analysis. Firstly, triangulation was sought
through the kind of data collected. That is, data collected in each phase of the study,
Phase (1) and Phase (2), triangulated each other. In Phase (1), data were collected
through two questionnaires distributed to teachers and principals. Phase (2) provided
chances to ask participants to expand and clarify some answers had been provided
to the questionnaires in Phase (1), especially in respect of questions that revealed
misinterpretation by participants. Secondly, triangulation was sought through a
diversity of data sources including data collected from teachers and principals in
schools, as well as other stakeholders and officials from the regional directorates
of education and the Ministry. Thirdly, triangulation was sought during the analysis
and discussion of the data. On one hand, findings were compared and interrogated
within the research itself, the finding from the two phases, and on the other hand
with other findings from previous studies. In addition, some of the findings were
shared with some participants in order to benefit from their perspectives on the data.
Data analysis: For the two questionnaires, there were two stages of analysis. The
first was a preliminary analysis of the two questionnaires during the data collection
in Phase (1) in order to guide the selection of two schools and teachers for Phase
(2). The second stage of analyzing the questionnaires included comparisons of
results between schools and the three regions of Jordan. However, simple descriptive
frequency tabulation was the main means for analyzing the two questionnaires. A
major feature of successful ICT professional development is the quality of follow-up
which teachers receive after the training courses (Lewis, 1998). Anderson (1997)
cited “lack of good assistance” as one of the reasons that can cause teachers to
ICT in Faculty and Staff Development  147
abandon new practices they learn during their training courses as soon as they return
to the classroom. Fiszer (2004) also warns that without follow-up teachers might
abandon the new skills they develop during professional development courses because
of “incompatibility” with the real teaching/learning setting they face. In addition,
Bradshaw (2002) concludes that in order to maximize the return of investment
in staff development, significant resources need to be redirected to the follow-up
activities. Similarly, according to Huber man and Miles (1984), it is the assistance
and support that teachers receive, once change is underway, which decide the life
or death of innovations in schools. Mentors are the main source of support and
assistance for in-service Jordanian teachers. Although principals are also considered
to be permanent mentors in schools, more than half (57%) of the principals in this
study indicated that they were unable to assist teachers in integrating ICT in their
teaching. Therefore, follow-up was exclusively the responsibility of subject mentors
from the regional directorates of education. Nevertheless, it became clear that these
mentors’ role was limited due to first their workload, and second due to their lack
of competence to guide teachers in the implementation of ICT.It became clear that
follow-up in the two schools was not consistent. As the two schools were among the
first in the country to participate in reform during the pre-piloting and piloting stages
of implementing the new curricula, both schools received intensive follow-up during
the initial stage of the implementation during the school year 2003/2004. However,
the principal of Noor School highlighted to this inconsistency as he noted that “The
digitization started there was intense follow-up and mentors used to visit the school
very often but this was only during the first year of the program. The follow-up
THEORETICAL PRINCIPLES AND METHODOLOGY
Most teachers want to learn to use educational technology effectively, but
they lack the conceptual framework, time, computer access, and support necessary
to do so.3 A well-planned, ongoing professional development program, grounded
in a theoretical model, linked to curricular objectives, incorporating formative
evaluation activities, and sustained by sufficient financial and staff support is
essential if teachers are to use technology effectively to improve student learning.
CONTENT OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
What should be learned? What skills and attitudes do teachers need to develop?
What knowledge do they need to construct to use technology effectively to improve
teaching and learning? This topic has been discussed at length over the last10 years
as information technology, and particularly the Internet, has been introduced into
schools around the world.
TRAINING OF OOTHER SCHOOL COMMUNITY MEMBERS
Administrators
School directors, finance officers, and other administrative personnel also need
professional development in the use of technology for non instructional purposes.
Technology can improve significantly the productivity of activities related to
148  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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financial management, class scheduling, personnel management, student tracking,
administrative reporting, communicating with parents, etc.

TECHNOLOGY AS A MEANS FOR OFFERING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Once teachers have mastered the basics of ICTs-operating systems, word
processing, and e-mail and Internet navigation—they can use the technology to access 23
professional development opportunities. This enables anytime, anywhere learning
and overcomes the conventional limitations of face-to-face training workshops Social Media in Education
(cost, travel, accommodations, and low numbers of participants).
Narendra Babu N. V.*
NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND E-LEARNING
As discussed earlier, e-learning is a way for teachers to learn new knowledge
and skills using computer network technologies. The technologies provide not just Abstract
text, but also sound, video, simulations, and collaboration with other learners who
Social networks and the need to communicate are universal human
may be scattered around the country or the world. Currently, most e-learning is
conditions. A general assumption is that communication technologies help
delivered using the World Wide Web; however, future e-learning could include
to increase and strengthen social ties. The Internet provides many social
delivery via mobile handheld devices, cell phones, and digital video devices.
networking opportunities. But how do social networking sites affect individual
CONCLUSION relationships? Do people use social networking sites to expand their personal
networks, to find people who have had similar experiences, to discuss a
Professional development of teachers in the use and application of educational
common hobby, for the potential of offline dating? Or, do people spend time on
technology should be designed and Implemented as part of a broader educational
networking sites to deepen their existing personal networks and stay connected
reform Success in ensuring that teachers acquire the skills and Knowledge they
to old friends or distant family? What is the nature of the communications
need to use technology effectively opens the door to all kinds of new educational
that transpire on social networking sites? Is it personal, emotional, private,
opportunities for both teachers and students, and downstream economic opportunities
and important; or trivial, informal, and public? We examined the literature
for graduating youth and their countries. It is the key to participation in the global
on social networking sites and conducted our own studies of how students
knowledge-based economy. Accordingly, teacher professional development in
on American college campuses engage in social networking.
the use and application of technology must be given the priority and resources it
deserves, while maintaining a constructively critical eye on its costs, methodologies.

REFERENCES INTRODUCTION
• Internet and websites The term Social Media refers to the use of web-based and the term Social
Media refers to the use of web-based and mobile technologies to turn communication
into an interactive dialogue. Social media takes on many different forms including
magazines, Internet forums, weblogs, social blogs, micro blogging, wikis, podcasts,
photographs or pictures, video, rating and social bookmarking. With the world in
the midst of a social media revolution, it is more than obvious that social media
like facebook, twitter, orkut, myspace, skype whatsapp etc., are used extensively
for the purpose of communication. This form of communication can be with a
person or a group of persons. Today most of the people specially the youngsters
are hooked on to the different social media for keeping in contact with their

*Assistant Professor, Gold Field College of Education, Bangarpet Kolar (Dist) Karnataka.

149
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peers. Social media is media for social interaction as a superset beyond social
communication. There are pros and cons to the use of social media. One most
important advantage is the online sharing of knowledge and information among
the different groups of people. This online sharing of information also promotes
the increase in the communication skills among the people especially among the
learners/students of educational institutions. There is also a flip side to the use of
social media tools. Sometimes, such tools are misused by people which leads to
interference into one‘s privacy. Such instances can lead to dangerous proportions
keeping in view the ethical aspect of the use of such media. The social media
tools have virtually bought people close to one another specially those living in
far off places.
NEED OF SOCIAL NETWORK
Social networking has increased the rate and quality of collaboration for
students. They are better able to communicate meeting times or share information
quickly, which can increase productivity and help them learn how to work well
in groups.
Social networking teaches students skills they’ll need to survive in the business
world. Being able to create and maintain connections to many people in many
industries is an integral part of developing a career or building a business.
By spending so much time working with new technologies, students develop
more familiarity with computers and other electronic devices. With the increased
focus on technology in education and business, this will help students build skills
that will aid them throughout their lives.
The ease with which a student can customize their profile makes them more
aware of basic aspects of design and layout that are not often taught in schools.
Building resumes and personal websites, which are increasingly used as online
portfolios, benefit greatly from the skills obtained by customizing the layout and
designs of social networking profiles.
The ease and speed with which users can upload pictures, videos or stories
has resulted in a greater amount of sharing of creative works. Being able to get
instant feedback from friends and family on their creative outlets helps students
refine and develop their artistic abilities and can provide much needed confidence
or help them decide what career path they may want to pursue.
SOCIAL NETWORK AND EDUCATION
These elements of social networking lend themselves nicely to the IT
higher education context. Good communication is the key ingredient in building
relationships with constituencies across the campus. Those relationships, in turn, are
essential to creating new roles for IT organizations as they transform themselves from
managers of well-defined commodity services to facilitators of complex solutions
that require a deep understanding of clients’ needs and, frequently, integration of
campus and third-party resources and tools. Regardless of the technical challenges
faced by IT professionals, the ongoing requirement to partner with the campus
community will continue to require good communication.
Social Media in Education  151
There’s an ongoing debate about the role social media should play in education.
Advocates point out the benefits that social media provides for today’s digital
learners while critics call for regulation and for removing social media from
classrooms. Finding a middle ground has become a challenge.
As an educational tool, social media enriches the learning experience by
allowing students and teachers to connect and interact in new, exciting ways. Web
sites such as Face book, Twitter, LinkedIn and whatsapp provide a platform where
users can dialog, exchange ideas, and find answers to questions. These sites are
designed to foster collaboration and discussion.
Despite these benefits, critics argue that there are serious risks to using social
media in the classroom. What are these risks and do they outweigh the potential
for opportunity?
EDUCATIONAL TOOL
Today’s students arrive on campus, fluent in Web and social networking
technologies. Educators can leverage this knowledge to enrich the learning
experience. With social media, instructors can foster collaboration and discussion,
create meaningful dialogue, exchange ideas, and boost student interaction.
ENHANCE STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Social media is an effective way to increase student engagement and build
better communication skills. Students who rarely raise a hand in class may feel more
comfortable expressing themselves on Face book, Twitter, or YouTube,whatsapp,
Social networking platforms enable teachers to establish “back channels” that
foster discussion and surface ideas that students are too shy or intimidated to
voice out loud
IMPROVE COMMUNICATION AMONG STUDENTS AND TEACHERS
Face book and Twitter whatsapp can enhance communication among students
and teachers. Educators can answer students’ questions via a Face book page ,
whatsapp or Twitter feed, post homework assignments and lesson plans, send
messages and updates, schedule or announce upcoming events, and share interesting
Web sites and multimedia content. Students can use Twitter and whatsapp to
get help from instructors or other students. A great way for instructors to give
participation points in addition to in class participation is by having students tweet
about something that was discussed in class.
PREPARING STUDENTS FOR SUCCESSFUL EMPLOYMENT
Students entering the workforce can use social networking sites to network
and find employment. With LinkedIn, students can establish a professional web
presence, post a resume, research a target company or school, and connect with
other job seekers and employers. College career centres and alumni associations
are using Twitter to broadcast job openings and internships. Students should follow
businesses or professional organizations on Face book,whatsapp and Twitter to
stay updated on new opportunities and important developments in their field.
152  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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IMPROVE COMMUNICATION
The first and most important reason to integrate social media into the educational
world is to improve communication with your stakeholders. Social Media apps and
resources have provided educators a plethora of options when communicating with
their stakeholders. The vast majority of them are free. Our schools and colleges
have many events and activities that can be communicated to the community that
make Social Media communication valuable. Yes, we have websites but they require
stakeholders to go to them. Social Media sends the information to the person. Thus,
improving communication by having that direct connection sent to the stakeholder.
REAL TIME INFORMATION
It allows us the ability to communicate real time information within seconds.
There are many reasons why we may need to provide real time information to
our school community. Social Media provides this opportunity. The ability to get
vital information out in a moment’s notice is a powerful reason to engage in the
use of Social Media in the educational world.
POSITIVE PROMOTION
Aside from informing the community about events and providing immediate
information in times of need there is also the benefit of being able to positively
promote your school or colleges. Educators need to keep the stakeholders informed
and let our communities know of the great things happening in the schools.
Unfortunately, this information is not the focus of traditional paper press and so
Social Media fills this void. We need to recognize success, achievement, effort
and participation by our students, teachers and schools.
EFFICIENT MESSAGING
Using Social Media as a communication tool makes you more efficient at
getting your message out. Setting a schedule and list of what can and cannot be sent
out will focus your messages and make it efficient, which leads to my final point.
NOT A BURDEN
If you focus on the above four items then using Social Media for communication
in schools should not be a burden. This is the primary complaint that we hear:  it will
take away the precious little time available by educators to do other things. In reality,
the opposite should occur. Using social media will save time, focus your message and
promote your school or colleges. Once you get a handle on the app and establish a
routine you should not see it consuming more time. Rather it should save you time.
CONCLUSION
Although electronic tools for social media have introduced a new dimension
to communication, certain fundamentals remain. The central tenets of social media
are sharing information and building and sustaining relationships. The tools or
mechanisms for facilitating communication may change, but the underlying need
for social interaction remains a powerful aspect of human nature.
24
Social Media
(Facebook, Twitter, Blogs WhatsApp etc.)
Smt. S. M. Tawadare*
INTRODUCTION
William Butler Yeats said, “Education is not the filling of the bucket, but the
lighting of the fire” (Famous Quotes, 1998-2010). I believe education is both the
lighting of the flame and the filling of the bucket. The art of education lights the
fire. Students learn best the things they love. Showing children how to love learning
is a powerful, unending, and essential gift of Today’s Educational Mediums are
drastically changing the Educational Scenario Especially Social Medias in Education.
WHAT IS SOCIAL MEDIAS?
Social media is a phrase being tossed around a lot these days, but it can
sometimes be difficult to answer the question of what is social media. If MySpace
is a social media site, and Mag.nolia is a social media site, and Social media is a
two-way street that gives you the ability to communicate effectively. Social media,
social networking and facebook, Twitter, Blogs, Whats Apps are also social media
SOCIAL MEDIA DEFINITION: WHAT ARE SOCIAL MEDIA? HOW TO DEFINE
SOCIAL MEDIA?
Social media quite simply are the technologies people use to communicate
and socialize with one another, typically for 21st century electronic communication
tools of all kinds, however. Many people also use social media as a broader
phrase to describe all kinds of cultural phenomena involving communication, not
just the communication technologies themselves. Often, for example, people use
social media to describe the content that people create and share with electronic
publishing tools; such material also is referred to as user-generated content. .
Social networks (such as Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest Blogs, Whats App) are
a subset or particular type of social media.
*Assistant Teacher, Kittur Channamma Residential School.E-mail: tavadaresavi@gmail.
com.
153
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HOW HAS THE SOCIAL MEDIA DEFINITION EVOLVED?
To repeat, social media basically refer to the tools we use to communicate
and socialize. Nothing more complicated than that. It’s become a catch-all phrase
for 21st century Internet media. “Media” by itself, of course, has long been used
to refer to the technologies people use to communicate. (Media is a plural noun,
but people sometimes use it as a singular noun, too. The same holds for “social
media.”) Social Media Definition Varies Widely: Can be Hard to Pin Down Social
media also sometimes refer to content created with social media tools, especially
“user generated content” created by individuals on websites that encourage content
creation and sharing. The content ranges from text messages to shared photos and
viral videos. Social media as a concept, though, typically refers to one of the most
fundamental traits of all Internet media -- the ability to have two-way, or many-to-
many dynamic information exchanges. People often define social media to mean
tools and platforms that allow that online “conversations,” thus emphasizing the
many-to-many nature of the dialogue that results.
Facebook: February 2004 Zuckerberg with his college Harvard University
student Eduardo Saverin limited by the founders to Harvard students, but was
expanded to other colleges in the Boston area, September 2006, to everyone of
age 13 and older with a valid email address. Educational Use of Facebook Scale
(EUFS): The scale consisted of three factors: “Communication”, “Collaboration”
and “Resource and Material Sharing”. The overall scale consisted of 11 items.
Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient of the scale was found as 0.938. In the
study, reliability analysis of the measurement tools was reexamined and Cronbach
Alpha reliability coefficient of “Facebook Adoption Scale” was found as 0,889.
It was found as 0,898 for “Intended Use of Facebook Scale” and finally as 0,937
for “Educational Use of Facebook Scale.”
Twitter’s origins: Twitter’s origins lie in a “daylong brainstorming session”
held by board members of the podcasting company Odeo. Jack Dorsey, then an
undergraduate student at New York University, introduced the idea of an individual
using an SMS service to communicate with a small group. The original project
code name for the service was twttr, an idea that Williams later ascribed to Noah
Glass Twitter is an online social networking service that enables users to send
and read short 140-character messages called “tweets” Twitter was created in
March 2006 by Jack Dorsey, Evan Williams, Biz Stone and Noah Glass and
launched by July 2006. Twitter account 1) promote guidelines for professional
behavior . 2) Display live Twitter chat during lectures or academic half-days 3)
Use Twitter as a platform to convey credible information sources to students 4)
Use Twitter to create a ‘real life’ context for students 5) Encourage students to be
creative and communicate with brevity and depth 6) Use Twitter to prompt self
and group reflection 7)
The blog: Justin Hall, who began eleven years of personal blogging in 1994
while a student at Swarthmore College, The blog was independently invented by Ian
Ring, in 1997 The term “weblog” was coined by Jorn Barger(10) on 17 December
1997. The short form, “blog,” was coined by Peter Merholz, who jokingly broke
Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, Blogs WhatsApp etc.)  155
the word weblog into the phrase we blog in the sidebar of his blog Peterme.com in
April or May 1999. Over-populated; there are approximately over 152 million blogs
on the internet. New blog is created somewhere in the world every half a second.
Benefits the blog: 1) Keep a log of teacher-training experiences. 2) write
a description of a specific teaching unit. 3) Describe what worked for you in the
classroom or what didn’t work. 4) provide some teaching tips for other teachers.5)
write about something you learned from another teacher. 6) explain teaching
insights you gain from what happens in your classes.7) share ideas for teaching
activities or language games to use in the classroom.8) provide some how-to’s on
using specific technology in the class, describing how you 9) Used this technology
in your own class. 10) explore important teaching and learning issues.
WhatsApp: WhatsApp is an instant messaging app for smartphones that
operates under a subscription business model. The proprietary, cross-platform app
uses the Internet to send text messages, images, video, user location and audio
media messages. Founder(s) Jan Koum, Brian Acton CEO: Jan Koum Owner
Facebook. In January 2015, WhatsApp was the most globally popular messaging
app with more than 600 million active users. In April 2015, WhatsApp reached
800 million active users.
Educational Advantages : 1) The respondents expressed as a clear benefit
the ability to get to know the students in-depth. 2) said, “I learn a lot about my
students, what bothers them, what helps them, what are the areas in which they
excel… who responds aggressively and who’s balanced; it helped me to get to
know them better.” The group also contributes to a positive atmosphere in the
class. 3) said, “The group became so much fun, students upload funny things…
and I upload personal things as well… it creates a fun feeling with the class.” 4)
added, “One of the groups that I started to teach started the year with students
who didn’t have anything in common and many social conflicts. Establishing a
WhatsApp group and encouraging the group to take part in it, contributed to the
positive atmosphere in that class.”
SOCIAL MEDIAS IN EDUCATION
Comparing 2012 to 2013, the results of the survey indicate that the use
of social media has increased 21.3%. Roughly 59% of educators agree that the
interactive nature of elearning and other mobile technologies results in a better
learning environment for students. That said, 56% also believe that the same online
and mobile technologies can result in more distractions. Participants of the survey
indicated that their number one concern of using social media in the classroom is
the integrity of student submissions, followed closely by concerns about privacy.
A recent survey showed that more and more educators are using social media
as a teaching tool in the classroom. As reported conducted by Babson Survey
Research Group and Pearson, found that 40 percent of college faculty members
used social media as a teaching tool in 2013; that is up from 33.8 percent in 2012.
Jeff Seaman, co-director of Babson Research Group, stated that faculty members’
use of social media in the classroom has steadily increased since the survey was
first conducted in 2010.According to a press release, nearly 8,000 college faculties
156  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
from all disciplines were asked about their professional and personal use of social
media. Responses from educators showed that social media has had both a positive
and negative impact on the classroom. It resulted in longer working hours and
increased stress.
When it comes to social media as a teaching tool, blogs and wikis were the
top platforms used by educators., Twitter, Linked In and Facebook Whats App
were also incorporated in the classroom. Faculty members in the humanities
and arts, professions and applied sciences and the social sciences reported
using social media as a learning tool more than faculty in the natural sciences
or mathematics and computer science. Twitter to organize discussions across
multiple universities in real time. She has also used Twitter to facilitate discussions
during guest lectures, which she said creates an interdisciplinary conversation
by giving students immediate access to students from different time zones and
disciplines. “Twitter allows educators to extend the conversation outside of the
classroom, and it removes geographical barriers to disseminating information
and resources,” explained Hooper.
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN THE CLASSROOM
Social media is such a prevalent part of modern society especially for teens.
In most schools phones and mobile devices have been banned from being used
during the school day and social media websites like twitter and facebook social
media in the classroom and how it is being used for educational purposes.
ADVANTAGES OF USING SOCIAL MEDIA IN THE CLASSROOM
1. SOCIAL MEDIA SITES CAN INCREASE STUDENT COLLABORATION
2. Using social media in the classroom can encourage more participation:
regularly in class may feel they can express their thoughts through social
media.
3. Social media sites can be useful for homework help: When students have
questions about a class assignment they can easily post a message asking if
anyone can help.
4. Share resources quickly when using social media in the classroom: they
can easily share the site through social media sites like twitter. If the teacher
wants the class to visit a particular site all they have to do is tweet it with
one click.
5. Social media helps keep parents, teachers and students all on the same
page: It is very useful for teachers to be able to post on social media sites
about class activities, homework assignments and even school events. .
DISADVANTAGES OF HAVING SOCIAL MEDIA IN THE CLASSROOM
1. Social media can be a distraction in class: The first concern that comes
to mind when using social media in the classroom is how it will be a major
distraction to the students during lessons.
Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, Blogs WhatsApp etc.)  157
2. Improper use of social media in the classroom: Students might take advantage
of being able to access social media in the classroom and use it for personal
interactions instead of for school related activities.
3. Using social media in the classroom can detract from human interaction:
If students are encouraged to participate in class discussions through social
media websites this could impact their ability to interact in face to face
situations.
4. Cyber bullying on social media websites: Some students have experienced
cyber bullying through social media websites. If social media is allowed
in schools this could increase cyber bullying where students write hurtful
messages targeting other students.
5. Posting inappropriate content on social media websites:. A student may
post inappropriate content such as pornography or foul language which would
be both distracting and damaging to students.
REFERENCES
• Hester Tinti-Kane, Jeff Seaman and Mike Moran, 2011, Teaching, Learning, and Sharing:
How Today’s Higher Education Faculty Use Social Media, Pearson, and Hester Tinti-
Kane, Jeff Seaman and Mike Moran, 2012, Teaching, Learning, and Sharing: How
Today’s Higher Education Faculty Use Social Media, Pearson.
• Cifuentes, O. E., & Lents, N. H. (2011). Increasing student-teacher interactions at an
urban commuter cam-pus through instant messaging and online office hours. Electronic
Journal of Science Education, 14(1).
• Blogs In Education. (n.d.). Retrieved April 4, 2006, from http://awd.cl.uh.edu/blog/
• Richardson, W. (2006). Weblo’-ed - The Read/Write Web in the classroom. Retrieved
April 4, 2006 from
• Blog – Wikipedia, the %ee encyclopedia. (April 2006). Retrieved April 4, 2006, from Twitte
• blog. 2011. [Accessed 14 December 2011] Available from http:// blog.twitter.com/2011/09/
one-hundred-million-voices.
• html Wankel C. 2009. Management education using social media. Organ Manage J
6:251–263.

25
Strategies which Enhances Potential of
Students through Co-operative Learning
K. C. Kulkarni*
INTRODUCTION
Cooperation, cognition and meta cognition are all intimately related. Cooperative
learning provides the context within which cognition and meta cognition takes
place. Within a cooperative learning group, interpersonal exchange takes place,
intellectual challenge result from conflicting ideas and conclusion; they promote
critical thinking, higher level reasoning and meta cognitive thought.
COOPERATIVE LEARNING
Cooperative learning is the instructional use of small groups so that students
work together to maximize their own and each other’s learning.
In cooperative learning groups, students have two responsibilities:
1. To learn the assigned material.
2. To make sure all other members do likewise.
Simply placing students in groups and telling them to work together does not
promote higher achievement and higher level reasoning. In order to be productive,
cooperative learning groups must be structured to include the essential elements of:
• Positive interdependence (each member can succeed only if all members succeed).
• Face to face interaction.
• Individual accountability (each member do their fair share of work)
• Interpersonal and small group skills.
• Group processing (reflecting on how they work and improve).
Contrast of cooperative learning is competitive learning or individualistic
learning. They are personally beneficial. Impact of cooperation on cognition and
meta cognition studies show the following as benefits on students:
*Assistant Professor, T.M.A.E. Society College of Education, Gangavathi. Karnataka
kulkarni22kumar@gmail.com.
158
Strategies which Enhances Potential of Students through Co-operative Learning  159
♦
• Mastery of content.
• Retention of material.
• Quality of reasoning strategies.
• Generation of new ideas (Process is important).
• Transfer of learning
• Increased self-confidence.
• Increased liking of school and classmates.
WHY COOPERATIVE LEARNING PROMOTES COGNITIVE AND META
COGNITIVE ACTIVITY?
There are a number of reason why cooperative learning promotes the cognition
and meta cognition.
• A student has to explain, summarize and teach what one is learning. The way
students conceptualize material and organize cognitively for own is different
when they are learning material to teach to others. Here one has to use higher
level strategies.
• Cooperative learning situation requires oral summarizing, explaining, and
elaborating one’s information, ideas and conclusions. This helps in storage of
information. It strengthens mastery. It results in achievements while students
are orally summarizing, explaining and elaborating that they cognitively
organize and systematize the concepts and information they are discussing.
• Cooperatively learning groups are nourished by heterogeneity among group
members. As students accommodate themselves to each other’s different
perspectives strategies and approaches to completing assignments, divergent
thinking and creative thinking is stimulated. Learning experiences are enriched by
the exchange of ideas from high, medium, low achievement levels, handicapped
and non-handicapped students, different cultural and ethnic back grounds.
• In most cooperative learning situations, students with incomplete information
interact with others who have different perspectives and facts. In order to
understand all the relevant information and the variety of perspectives and
create a synthesis based on the best reasoning and information by everyone
involved, students must actively understand both the content of the information
being presented and the cognitive and affective perspectives of the person
presenting information. So co-operative learning found to promote greater
perspective taking ability than competitive or individualistic experience.
• Within cooperative learning groups, members externalize their ideas and
reasoning for critical examination. As a result, there tends to be considerable
peer monitoring and regulation of one’s thinking and reasoning. The Cooperative
experience serves as a training ground for meta cognitive skills that are
transferable to individual learning.
• Within cooperative learning groups, members may give each other feedback
concerning the quality and relevance of contributions and how to improve
one’s reasoning or performance.
160  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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• Involved participation in collaborative learning groups inevitably produces
conflicts among the ideas, opinions, conclusions, theories etc. When teachers
structure controversies with cooperative learning groups, students are required
to research and prepare a position(reasoning both deductively and inductively)
analyze, critically evaluate rebut information and take the perspective of
others. It results in novel solution. When managed constructively controversy
promotes correctness of one’s views and active search for more information.
WHERE TO USE COOPERATIVE LEARNING?
• To learn facts and concepts,
• Problem solving,
• Group assignments,
• Conducting experiment,
• Assemble a collage,
• Prepare a research report,
• Prepare a biographical report,
• Group investigation,
• For providing drill work to a group.
The below strategies can be used with any subject, in any grade and without
a special curriculum.
Group Investigations: are structural to emphasize higher order thinking
skills such as analysis and evaluation. Students work to produce a group project,
which they may have a hand in selecting.
STAD (Student Teams-Achievement Divisions): This can be used for grades
2-12. Students with varying academic abilities are assigned to 4 or 5 member
teams in order to study what has been initially taught by the teacher and to help
each one to reach his or her highest level of achievement. Students are then tested
individually. Teams earn certificates or other recognition based on the degree to
which all team members have progressed over their past records.
Jigsaw II: is used with narrative material grades 3-12. Each team member is
responsible for learning a specific part of a topic. After meeting with members of
other groups who are “expert” in the same part, the “experts” return to their own
groups and present their findings. Team members are then quizzed on all topics.
Listen-Think-Pair-Share Model (Tool adapted from F.T. Lyman, Jr.): It is
a multimode discussion cycle in which students listen to a question or presentation,
have time to think individually, talk with each other in pairs and finally share
responses with larger group. The teacher signals students to switch from listening
to think, to pair, and to share by using clues. The benefits include longer and
more elaborate answers, inferences supported by evidence and logical argument,
increased student participation and improved achievement. Students individually
or in pairs may write or diagram their thoughts. Teachers may cue them to reach
consensus, engage in problem solving or assume the role of devil’s advocate. The
overall effect of these co-ordinated elements is a concrete, valid and practical
Strategies which Enhances Potential of Students through Co-operative Learning  161
system, made manageable and thereby acceptable to teachers. The steps in using
“Think-Pair-Share” tool:
1. Listen – students listen to the question.
2. Think – (wait time I)
3. Pair –
4. Share – (followed by presentation of finding in front of the class) Teacher –
(wait time II)
This method can be used effectively in schools as well as in colleges.
CIRCLE THE SAGE
First the teacher polls the class to see which students have a special knowledge
to share. Teacher asks who would be able to solve a difficult Mathematical problem
or few difficult questions. Those students (the sages) stand and spread out in the
room. The teacher then has the rest of the classmates each surround a sage with
no two members of the same team going to the same sage. The sage explains what
they know while the classmates listen, ask questions, and take notes. All students
then return to their teams. Each in turn explains what they learned. Since each
one has gone to a different sage, they compare notes.
Circle Think Pair Share
the
Sage
Listen Listen
Think
Pair
Fig-1:  Listen-Think-Pair-Share Model through Chart
If there is disagreement they stand up as a team. Finally the disagreement
is resolved.
PARTNERS
The class is divided into teams of four. Partners move to one side of the
room. Half of each team is given an assignment to master to be able to each the
other half. Partners work to learn and can consult with other partners working on
the same material. Teams go back together with each set of partners teaching the
other set. Partners quiz and tutor team mates. Team reviews how well they learned
and taught and how they might improve the process.
THREE STEPS INTERVIEW
Each member of a team chooses another members to be a partner. During first
step individuals interview their partners by asking clarifying questions. During
the second step, partners reverse the roles. For the final step, members share their
partner’s response with the team.
162  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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ROUND ROBIN BRAIN STORMING
Class in divided into small groups (4 to 6) with one person appointed as the
recorder. A Question is posed with many answers and students are given time to
think about answers. After the “think time”, members of the team shares response
with another round robin style. The recorder writes down the answers of the group
members. The person next to the recorder starts and each person in the group in
order gives an answer until time is called.
TEAM PAIR SOLO
Students do problems first as a team, then with a partner and finally their
own. It is designed to motivate students to tackle and succeed at problems, which
initially are beyond their ability. It is based on mediated learning. Students can
do more things with mediation than they can do alone. By allowing them to work
on problems they could not do alone, first as a team and then with a partner, they
progress to a point they can do alone what which at first they could do only with help.
Certain cognitive tools which are seemed to be simple will bring excellent
result in cooperative learning. These tools can be easily used in the class for
conducting cooperative learning. A few of them are mentioned below.
QUESTIONING/DISCUSSION STRATEGIES BOOK MARK
Teachers can use a Questioning/Discussion Book mark in their daily activities
in the class room which features question starters on one side and discussion
strategies on the other. During class room discussion the book mark reminds
teachers to use these promising strategies. On one side of the book mark, there are
questions for quality thinking through which expected objectives can be achieved
is written. The strategies include wait time I and II, THINK-PAIR-SHARE, follows
ups, ask for summary etc.
THINKTRIX
The thinktrix is a device to help students and teachers in generating questions
and responses. It is a game board type device contains vertical axis and horizontal
axis. The vertical axis of the matrix contains symbols of types of thought and
horizontal axis lists categories that give points of departure for inquiry. Using this
board, teachers can make up their own questions, teach question design to students,
show students how to respond to information using different thinking types and
point out possible visual representative. Thinking matrix helps in shared meta
cognition in which teacher and student have a common framework for generating
and organizing thought as well as for reflecting upon it.
Essential Elements of Cooperative Learning Groups in the Classroom.
It is seen that cooperative learning has emerged as the leading new approach
to classroom instruction. Numerous research studies have revealed that students
completing cooperative learning group tasks tend to have higher academic test
scores, higher self-esteem, greater numbers if positive social skills, fewer stereotypes
of individuals of other races or ethnic groups and greater comprehension of the
Strategies which Enhances Potential of Students through Co-operative Learning  163
content and skills they are studying ( Johnson, Johnson and Holubec 1993, Slavin
1991, Stahl and Van Sickle 1992).
But even with its increasing popularity, a large majority of the group tasks
that teachers use, even teachers who claim to be using “Cooperative Learning”
continue group tasks. Fro e.g. nearly all “jigsaw” activities Merely because students
work in small groups does not mean that they are cooperating to ensure their own
learning and the learning of all others in their own learning and the learning of
all others in their groups. (Johnson, Johnson and Holubec 1993). This emphasis
on academic learning success for each individual and all members of the group
is one feature that separates cooperative learning groups from other group tasks
(Slavin 1990).
To be successful in setting up and having students complete group tasks
within a cooperative learning frame work, a number of essential elements or
requirements must be met:
A CLEAR SET OF SPECIFIC STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOME OBJECTIVES
A proper planning by describing precisely what students are expected to
learn and be able to do on their own well beyond the end of the group task and
curriculum unit.
ALL STUDENTS IN THE GROUP “BUY INTO” THE TARGETED OUTCOME
Everyone in the group needs to master the common set of information or skills.
CLEAR AND COMPLETE SET OF TASK-COMPLETION DIRECTIONS OR
INSTRUCTIONS
Teachers have to state directions or instructions that describe in clear, precise
terms exactly what students are to do, in what order, with what materials and when
appropriate, what students are to generate as evidence of their mastery of targeted
content and skills. These directions are given to students before they engage in
their group learning efforts.
HETEROGENEOUS GROUPS
Teachers should organize the three, four or five members groups so that
students are mixed as heterogeneously as possible, first according to academic
abilities, and then on the basis of ethnic backgrounds, race and gender. Students
should not be allowed to form their groups based on friendship and cliques.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY OR SUCCESS
Every student must believe that he or she has an equal chance of learning the
content and abilities and earning the group rewards for academic
POSITIVE INTERDEPENDENCE
Teachers must structure learning tasks so that students come to believe that
their access to rewards is as a member of an academic team wherein all members
receive a reward or no member does.
164  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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FACE TO FACE INTERACTION
Students need to arrange themselves so that they are positioned and postured to
face each other for direct eye – to – eye contact face to face academic conversation.
Positive social interaction behaviors and attitudes
Students should engage in such interactive abilities as leadership, trust building,
conflict management, constructive criticism, encouragement compromise, clarifying
etc. Teachers may need to describe the expected social interaction behavior and
attitudes of students and to assign particular students specific roles to ensure that
they consciously work on these behaviors in their groups.
ACCESS TO MUST LEARN INFORMATION
Teachers must structure the tasks so that students have access to and comprehend
the specific information that they must learn.
OPPORTUNITIES TO COMPLETE REQUIRED INFORMATION PROCESSING
TASK
Each student must complete a number of internal information processing
task aligned with target objectives, such as comprehending, translating, making
connections, assigning meanings, etc.
Strategies which Enhances Potential of Students through Co-operative Learning  165
by Johnson, Maru Yama, Johnson, Nelson and Skon). Cooperative learning promotes
the interactive processing of ideas and thus develops students thinking ability.
Cooperative learning is overwhelmingly positive and cooperative approaches are
appropriate for all curriculum areas. It helps to remove pre-conceived ideas of the
students and to expand their own thinking by considering different points of view.
ENCOURAGE COOPERATIVE THINKING
Students to think clearly and independently is important equally important
is to think collaboratively. Thinking is an internal and individual process. Studies
from creativity and organizational development proves that ideas often emerge
out of collaborative process. How to submit ideas for group consideration how
to build on each others ideas, how to come to consensus on the ideas that seem
most productive, coherent and attractive are important. In an “information age”,
social demands for higher order thinking are increasing. Employability studies
document the need for future work capable of more sophisticated thinking than
was generally required in the past. Such skills as independent analysis, flexible
thinking, collaborative problem solving are now considered basic requirements
for many jobs. Students should be trained to think collaboratively from a young
age. It will result in a desire to learn through out life creating a learning society.

PROVIDE SUFFICIENT TIME REFERENCES

Each students and group as a whole should be provided the amount of time • Costa, A. (2000) Developing Minds. Granite Bay, California.
• Johnson, D.W., L.Skon, and R. Johnson (1980). Effect of cooperative, competitive
needed to learn the targeted information and abilities to the extent expected.
and individualistic conditions on children’s problem solving performance. American
Without sufficient time spending, the academic benefits to co-operative learning Educational Research Journal 17, 83-94.
will be limited. • Walia, J.S. (2007) Educational Technology, Jalandhar, Ahim Paul Publishers.
Individual accountability
All students can achieve higher academic success individually than were they
to study alone. So when they are in cooperative groups accountability increase
and reaches to the targeted academic content and abilities.

PUBLIC RECOGNITION AND REWARDS FOR GROUP ACADEMIC SUCCESS

Only members of groups who meet or surpass high levels of academic
achievement receive ample awards within formal public settings.

POST GROUP REFLECTION

Students spend time after the group tasks have been completed to systematically
reflect upon how they worked together as a team in such areas as:
• How they achieved their group goals,
• How they helped each other comprehend the content, resources, and
• How they used positive behavior and attitudes to enable each individual and
the entire group as a group to be successful and the strategies needed to do
better next time to make groups even more successful.
In summary, cooperative learning promotes increased student achievement,
improved attitude and enhanced interpersonal relationship (supported by the findings

26
Information and Communication Technology
in Teacher Education
Dr. G. N. Ashoka*
Abstract
Information and Communication Technologies 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. Teacher education refers to the policies and procedures designed to
equip prospective teachers with the knowledge, attitudes, behaviours and
skills they require to perform their tasks effectively in the classroom, school
and wider community.
Keywords: Information and Communication Technology, Teacher
Education. Teacher role.
INTRODUCTION
Information and Communication Technology is a generic term referring to
technologies which are being used for collecting, storing, editing and passing
on information in various forms. Information and Communication Technology
leads to development of websites and providing facilities of Chat, e-mail, surfing,
blog, podcast, e-commerce etc for its users through digital communications.
Hence, ICT has opened new avenue like online learning, e-learning, virtual
university, e-coaching, e-education and e-journal etc. Thus ICT brings more
rich material in the classrooms for the teachers and students. Thus ICT is
providing the opportunity for its learner to use maximum senses in getting
latest information by broking the monotony and providing variety ion the
teaching-learning.
*Assistant Professor, B.E.A College of Education, S. Nijalingappa Layout,
Davanagere-577004, Karnataka drgnashoka@gmail.com.
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Information and Communication Technology in Teacher Education  167
♦
ICT IN EDUCATION
UNESCO aims to ensure that all developed and developing countries have
an access to the best educational facilities necessary to prepare its learner to play
a role in modern world and contribute knowledge to the nation through ICT. ICT
is changing education system not only technologically but also socially serving to
improve the efficiency of educational process. Furthermore, it has been shown that
use of ICT in education can help to improve memory retention, increase motivation
and generally deeper understanding of the learners. In the field of education, ICT
can be utilized for the following educational purposes;
• ICT as a tool of developing reasoning and thinking
• ICT as a tool of online tutoring and remedial teaching.
• ICT as a tool for administration works in schools and colleges.
• ICT as a tool for sharing learning resources by accessing e-resources.
• ICT as a tool of developing instructional material and virtual laboratory
testing.
• ICT as a tool for teaching and learning through drill and practice and simulations.
• ICT is used as a tool for preparing assignments, collecting data and
documentation.
Through use of ICT in Education will enhance the teaching learning experiences
by promoting teacher and students’ positive acceptance towards innovative
technologies and its application.
ICT REQUIREMENTS IN EDUCATION
Information and Communication Technology has become one of the basic
building blocks of modern society. Many countries now regard understanding
Information and Communication Technology and mastering the basic skills and
concepts of Information and Communication Technology as part of the core
of education. As Information and there is a need of awareness among teachers
to become ICT literate with regard to availability of technology and its use in
Education. Next level is to encourage the educationalist to apply various ICT
tools to take their regular tasks and projects and make them confident with ICT
by integrating in teaching learning. Last is to change professional teaching by
designing lessons to incorporate larger in the classrooms, implement real-world
projects using ICT resources.
ICT AS A TOOL FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING
ICT is changing processes of teaching and learning by adding elements of
vitality to learning environments including virtual environments for the purpose.
The new digital ICT is not single technology but combination of hardware, software,
multimedia, and delivery systems. Today, ICT in education encompassed a great
range of rapidly evolving technologies such as desktop, notebook, Bluetooth,
the Internet, cloud computing, the World Wide Web, streaming, and DVDs; and
applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, tutorials, simulations, email,
168  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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digital libraries, computer-mediated conferencing, videoconferencing, virtual
environment, simulator, emulator etc. It is important to mention that use of never
ICT is being integrated with use of older technologies, enabling the existing
resources and services to be continuous use.
BENEFITS OF ICT IN EDUCATION
ICT has the benefits to the teachers and learners by encouraging the teachers
to teach successfully and learners understand easily towards the difficult topic.
Some of the benefits of ICT in Education are given as follow.
• Flexibility of ‘anytime, anywhere’ access.
• ICT facilitates sharing of resources, expertise and advice.
• Access to up-to-date of students’ data, anytime and anywhere.
• Easier planning and preparation of lessons and designing materials.
• Use of ICT during lessons motivated students to continuous learning.
• Higher quality lessons through greater collaboration between teachers.
• More focused teaching, tailored to students’ strengths and weaknesses.
• Improved pastoral care and behavior management through better tracking.
• Encouragement of independent and active learning, and self-responsibility.
ICT BENEFITS FOR TEACHERS
• Reduces isolation for teachers working in special educational needs by enabling
them to communicate
• Supports reflection on professional practice via online communication
(Perceval-Price, 2002);
• Improved skills for staff and a greater understanding of access technology
used by students (Waddell, 2000);
• Enhances professional development and the effectiveness of the use of ICTs
with students through collaboration
• With peers (Dithering, 1997; Lewis and Ogilvie, 2002);
• Materials already in electronic form (for example, from the Internet) are more
easily adapted into accessible
• Resources such as large print or Braille (Waddell, 2000)
THE ROLE OF THE TEACHER IN THE USE OF ICT
ICT Brings to the classroom, Many are predicting that ICT will bring about
several benefits to the learner and the teacher. These include sharing of resources
and learning environments as well as the promotion of collaborative learning and
a general move towards greater learner autonomy. I shall briefly discuss each of
these benefits in turn, offering some examples.
Shared learning resources: One of the most striking examples of ICT
in action in American schools is the opposite use of video systems to transmit
Information and Communication Technology in Teacher Education  169
television programmes and information throughout an entire school and even
between schools in the same district. Students and teachers enjoy the facility to
share information wherever they are in the school. Television monitors provide
details of timetables, projects and assessment, mealtime menus and a host of other
useful up-to-the-minute information.
Shared learning spaces: Networked computing facilities create a distributed
environment where learners can share work spaces, communicate with each other
and their teachers in text form, and access a wide variety of resources from internal
and external databases via web based systems through the Internet. Children
are quickly mastering the ability to communicate effectively using these new
technologies because the experience has been made enjoyable in an unthreatening
environment, and there are immediate perceived and actual benefits.
The promotion of collaborative learning: Reasoning and intellectual
development is embedded in the familiar social situations of everyday life
(Donaldson, 1978) so the social context of learning has a great deal of importance.
Collaborative learning is therefore taking an increasing profile in the curricula
of many schools, with ICT playing a central role. Schools in the UK are already
starting to use discussion lists, and other forms of computer mediated communication
(CMC) to promote collaboration in a variety of learning tasks and group projects.
The move towards autonomous learning: At the same time, computers –
and the power they bring to the students to access, manipulate, modify, store and
retrieve information – will promote greater autonomy in learning. Inevitably, the
use of ICT in the classroom will change the role of the learner, enabling children
to exert more choice over how they approach study, requiring less direction from
teachers.
With the inevitable proliferation of ICT in the classroom, the role of the teacher
must change, and here are four key reasons why this must happen:-
The role of the teacher must change because ICT will cause certain teaching
resources to become obsolete. For example, the use of overhead projectors and
chalkboards may no longer be necessary if learners all have access to the same
networked resource on which the teacher is presenting information.
In an ICT environment, on-line tests can easily be used which instantly
provide the teacher with a wide range of information associated with the learner’s
score, Comparisons of previous scores and dates of previous scores and dates of
assessment for example, will indicate a child’s progress, and each student can be
allocated an individual action plan data base stored in electronic format into which
each successive test’s results can be entered automatically.
The role of the teacher must change in the sense that it is no longer sufficient
for teachers merely to impart content knowledge. It will however, be crucial for
teachers to encourage critical thinking skills, promote information literacy, and
nurture collaborative working practices to prepare children for a new world in
which no job is guaranteed for life, and where people switch careers several
times. The Internet is a network of network of networks, providing opportunities
for inquiry-based learning where teachers and students are able to access some
of the world’s largest information archives.
170  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦
Teachers must begin to reappraise the methods by which they need children’s
learning needs and match curricula to the requirements of human through. The
Internet can be an excellent way to adapt information to meet the characteristics
of human information processing. Traditional methods of imparting knowledge,
such as lectures, books and this conference paper, are characterized by a linear
progression of information. In order to put these new roles into context, I shall 27
offer some case studies of actual ICT based learning environments in elementary
schools in the US. Teachers’ Pedagogies and Pedagogical
CONCLUSION Reasoning Influence the Uses of ICT
ICT is a boon of an educational instruction, For better teaching instruction of
the teachers to their learners must be needed with adequate opportunities to enhance Vanishree Danagoudar*
their knowledge through innovative technologies and it applications through proper
in-service training programmes. So government and educational administrators
should provide more effective environment to the educational institutions and Abstract
application of innovative method of teaching must be encouraged. Thus ICT The emergence of Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
applications can be motivated in the field of education with proper regulation leads has fundamentally changed the practices of not only business, governance
to success without any misuse of ICT gadgets by the teachers and their learners. or education but every spheres of human endeavor. As the world population
edged to 7 billion in 2011, it has profound implications in every sphere
REFERENCES (UN, 2013). India has a massive 1.2 billion population (Census, 2011) of
• Dede, C.(1998); learning about teaching and vice versa. Paper presented at Conference which a high proportion of them are young. The demand for education in
of WSociety for Information Technology in Education. Washington D.C.,USA. developing countries like India has skyrocketed as education is still regarded
• Forcheri, P. and Molfino, M.T(2000); ICT as a tool for learning to learn. In Watson,
as an important bridge of social, economic and political mobility. India has
D.M and Downes, T.(Eds.) Communications and Networking in Education. Boston,
innumerable challenges in terms of infrastructure, socio-economic, linguistic
MA:Kluwer Academic (pp. 175-184)
• OECD (1987) quoted in Pillai, S.Swaminathan; Are Women Sustainable in Infotch and physical barriers for people who wish to access education. Technology is
Industry? In Papa, Ragina and Shanmugasundaram, Y.(Eds.). Women and Emerging only a tool and it must be utilized only to remove the barriers and challenges
Technologies, British Council Division, British Deputy High Commission, Chennai, 1996. present in the existing system. ICT provides opportunities to complement
• Sansanwal, D.N. and Nawayot, N; Web Based Instruction for Selected Reasoning on the job training and continuing education for teachers in a convenient
Methodology Course at M.Ed.Level.Ph.D.(Edu.), M.S.University of Baroda, 1978. and flexible manner. Teachers’ subject knowledge; the way ICT is used in
• Sharma.D: Developing Instructional Material for Facilitating Creativity among Elementary lessons is influenced by the teachers’ knowledge about their subject and
School Children. Ph.D.(Edu.), Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, 1995. how ICT is related to it.
• Jump up Wong H; Induction programs that keep new teachers teaching and Improving Keywords: ICT, Teacher pedagogies
NASSP Bulletin.

INTRODUCTION
Schools, as all other social institutions, are rapidly embracing information
and communication technologies (ICT). Globalization and the knowledge-based
economy are leaving no choices for education systems worldwide but to adopt
ICT and weave it into their educational milieus, and the education system is no
exception. The emergence of Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
has fundamentally changed the practices of not only business, governance or

*Principal, Sharada Education Trust, Athani-591304.

171
172  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
education but every spheres of human endeavor. As the world population edged to
7 billion in 2011, it has profound implications in every sphere (UN, 2013). India
has a massive 1.2 billion population (Census, 2011) of which a high proportion of
them are young. The demand for education in developing countries like India has
skyrocketed as education is still regarded as an important bridge of social, economic
and political mobility. India has innumerable challenges in terms of infrastructure,
socio-economic, linguistic and physical barriers for people who wish to access
education (Bhattacharya & Sharma, 2007). However, it is hoped that ICT can
transform the educational scenario in the country. But then, can it address these
needs and perform multiple roles in higher education to benefit all stakeholders?
The emancipator and transformative potentials of ICT in higher education in
India has helped increase the country’s requirement of higher education through
part-time and distance-learning schemes. It can be used as a tool to overcome the
issues of cost, less number of teachers, and poor quality of education as well as to
overcome time and distance barriers. Mooij (2007) states that differentiated ICT
based education can be expected to provide greater reliability, validity, and efficiency
of data collection and greater ease of analysis, evaluation, and interpretation at any
educational level. While the world is moving rapidly towards digital media, the
role of ICT in education has become increasingly important. It has transformed the
way how knowledge is disseminated today in terms of how teachers interact and
communicate with the students and vice-versa. Besides, it can provide networking
structures transcending borders and foster empowerment amongst students. But
then what has been its impact in the higher educational scenario in the country?
ICT AND TEACHERS TRAINING
In the modern world of ICT there is decentralization of knowledge source.
Technology is only a tool and it must be utilized only to remove the barriers and
challenges present in the existing system. ICT provides opportunities to complement
on the job training and continuing education for teachers in a convenient and
flexible manner. Use of ICTs in education requires major shift in the way content
is designed and delivered. New technologies cannot be imposed without enabling
teachers and learners to understand these fundamental shifts. Ongoing training is
necessary for the trainers in institutions and organizations who are engaged in the
design of curriculum, teaching materials and delivery of ICT-enabled education.
ICT is applied in their teaching practices as well as for delivery for these trainings.
In order to implement ICT-driven distance education programmes, the teachers
must first understand and be comfortable with the technologies. They must be given
opportunities for acquisition of a new knowledge. This can begin by promoting
computer-training programmes for teachers. Use of ICTs for teacher training has
been recognized by the governments of most South Asian countries and teacher
training programmes like Intel Teach across India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka;
Microsoft Shiksha in India; and several other initiatives in Nepal and Bhutan
are focused on using ICTs for training teachers. The International Society for
Technology in Education (ISTE) has created the most comprehensive set of ICT
standards for teachers, students, and administrators. The SSA has taken initiatives
Teachers’ Pedagogies and Pedagogical Reasoning Influence the Uses of ICT  173
to strengthen Computer-Aided Learning (CAL) in collaboration with a number of
private organizations after having a look at the advantages of ICT in Education for
achieving the goals of SSA. Under the SSA framework, a provision has been made
for computer education district-wise and is made available to each State under CAL
interventions under PPP mode. ICT can be applied for pre-service and in-service
teachers training programmes. Through SSA and RMSA various block resource
centre (BRC) offices exist in Haryana. Through these centre and infrastructure
available at these centers in service training can be provided effectively. Instead
of inviting teachers at district level they can be asked to assemble at least one
teacher from every school daily to get certain basic knowledge about ICT and
its application in school curriculum. The training batches duration may be on
weekly or fortnightly basis by expert in ICT and its implementation for education.
In teacher training colleges, computers and the Internet can be used to increase
teachers‘basic skills of teaching and subject related knowledge by accessing the
resources that can later be used in classrooms teaching. Visualized can be easily
operated and used by teachers which are a cost effective, easy to use and time saving
tool for education in schools and colleges. It decreases teacher‘s preparation time,
increases interactivity with students and student concentration in complex issues.
It can also be used even without computer and is budget friendly. Small training
sessions on how to use such new tools in educating schools may be arranged for
interested teachers.
TEACHERS’ PEDAGOGIES AND PEDAGOGICAL REASONING INFLUENCE THE
USES OF ICT
Teachers’ subject knowledge; the way ICT is used in lessons is influenced
by the teachers’ knowledge about their subject and how ICT is related to it. Some
teachers choose ICT resources that relate to a particular topic, while others use ICT
to present the pupils’ work in an innovative way, without any direct application to
the topic. The evidence shows that when teachers use their knowledge of both the
subject and the way pupils understood the subject; their use of ICT has a more direct
effect on pupils’ attainment. The effect on attainment is greatest when pupils are
challenged to think and to question their own understanding, either through pupils
using topic-focused software on their own or in pairs, or through a whole-class
presentation. The effects of using ICT to present and discuss pupils’ work are less
well researched, and therefore the effects on pupils’ attainment are not so clear.
WHAT IS PEDAGOGY?
Watkins and Mortimore (1999), in a review of research literature on pedagogy,
assert that the models of pedagogy held by researchers and academics have become
more complex over time, incorporating, for example, recent developments in our
understanding of cognition and meta cognition. This suggests that the pedagogy
of ICT should be understood within a broader framework of educational practice.
What is observed in the classroom is only part of this practice. Thus, illuminating
good practice in teaching and learning with ICT will require examining teachers’
ideas, values, beliefs, and the thinking that leads to observable elements in practice.
174  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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PEDAGOGICAL REASONING
The processes of planning, teaching, assessing and evaluating, and the
knowledge needed for these processes, are described in Schulman’s model of
pedagogical reasoning focuses on knowledge rather than ideas and beliefs. Moreover,
there is evidence that teachers’ ideas, beliefs and values may also influence practice
(Fang, 1996; Moseley et al., 1999).
TEACHERS’ PEDAGOGICAL KNOWLEDGE
The teacher’s own pedagogical beliefs and values play an important part in
shaping technology-mediated learning opportunities. It is not yet clear from the
research literature whether this results in technology being used as a ‘servant’ to
reinforce existing teaching approaches, or as a ‘partner’ to change the way teachers
and pupils interact with each other and with the tasks. Teachers need extensive
knowledge of ICT to be able to select the most appropriate resources. They also
need to understand how to incorporate the use of ICT into their lessons; they may
need to develop new pedagogies to achieve this.
PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICES OF THE TEACHER USING ICT
The pedagogical practices of teachers using ICT can range from only small
enhancements of practices using what are essentially traditional methods, to
more fundamental changes in their approach to teaching. For example, some
teachers using an interactive whiteboard have displayed content and ideas for
class discussions in a traditional way, while other teachers have allowed pupils
to use the whiteboard to present dramas to the whole class that they had planned
and filmed themselves. Studies show that the most effective uses of ICT are those
in which the teacher and the software can challenge pupils’ understanding and
thinking, either through whole-class discussions using an interactive whiteboard
or through individual or paired work on a computer. If the teacher has the skills
to organize and stimulate the ICT-based activity, then whole-class and individual
work can be equally effective.
ACCESS TO ICT RESOURCES
An important influence on the use made of ICT in subjects and classes is
the amount and range of ICT resources available to the teachers. Where there are
limited numbers of computers in a class, mostly in primary schools, this limits
their impact, because each individual pupil is only able to use the computer for a
few minutes. Whole-class use of an electronic whiteboard has both positive and
negative effects. It promotes pupils’ debates and helps them visualize difficult
concepts and processes. However, some teachers focus only on the presentation
aspects, disregarding the use of simulations and modeling which might be more
challenging for the pupils. Only a few teachers report using subject-specific software
which links directly to the content and purpose of the curriculum.
Teachers’ knowledge of the potential of ICT in education In spite of
teachers often being limited by the ICT resources available to them, there
are many examples in the literature of teachers having a good understanding
Teachers’ Pedagogies and Pedagogical Reasoning Influence the Uses of ICT  175
of a particular resource. However, very few teachers have a comprehensive
knowledge of the wide range of ICT resources now available in education.
This means that their pupils are not given all the learning opportunities which
ICT could provide.
TEACHERS’ CONFIDENCE IN USING ICT
Teachers are confident in their chosen uses of ICT. Few teachers are confident
in using a wide range of ICT resources, and limited confidence affects the way
the lesson is conducted. Many teachers still fear some forms of technology,
which prevents them making much use of them in their teaching. The use of ICT
has a limited impact on teaching and learning where teachers fail to appreciate
that interactivity requires a new approach to pedagogy, lesson planning and the
curriculum. Some teachers reorganize the delivery of the curriculum, but the
majority use ICT to add to or enhance their existing practices. Teachers need to
employ proactive and responsive strategies in order to guide, facilitate and support
appropriate learning activities.
COLLABORATIVE WORK AND INSIGHTS INTO PUPILS’ LEARNING
Using ICT with pupils in pairs, groups or with a whole class, through, for
example, the use of an interactive whiteboard, enables teachers to gather extensive
feedback from pupils by listening to their explanations. From this, teachers are able
to gain deeper insights into pupils’ understanding and progress. Pupils collaborating
in pairs or teams using subject-specific ICT resources are able to challenge each
other’s understanding and learn from such collaborations.
PEDAGOGY BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
Despite the need for a new pedagogy with ICT, including at times moving
to a facilitator role, teachers still need to adopt a leadership role in the planning,
preparation and follow-up of lessons. Where little planning has occurred, the
evidence shows that the pupils’ class work is unfocused and leads to less than
satisfactory outcomes.
EFFECTS OF PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICES ON PUPILS’ ATTAINMENT
There is extensive evidence of ICT contributing to pupils’ attainment.
However, the evidence shows that these benefits depend on the way in which
the teacher selects and organizes ICT resources, and how this use is integrated
into other activities in the classroom and beyond. At present, the types of ICT
resources available mean that ICT use is nearly always focused on specific
aspects of the curriculum. There are two clear areas where teachers have been
shown to embed ICT in their teaching, and where this has enhanced learning;
these are in:
• English and literacy, through the use of word processing, presentation software
and interactive video
• Mathematics and science, through the use of simulations, modeling and other
specific ICT resources.
176  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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EFFECTIVE PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICES WITH ICT
This literature review has identified a range of practices which should be
part of teachers’ pedagogical frameworks if they are to integrate ICT effectively
into teaching, learning and the curriculum. These include the need for teachers to:
• understand the relationship between a range of ICT resources and the concepts,
processes and skills in their subject
• use their subject expertise to select appropriate ICT resources which will
help them meet the specific learning objectives; this includes subject-specific
software as well as more generic resources
• be aware of the potential of ICT resources both in terms of their contribution
to pupils’ presentation skills, and their role in challenging pupils’ thinking
and extending their learning in a subject
• develop confidence in using a range of ICT resources, via frequent practice
and use beyond one or two familiar applications
• appreciate that some uses of ICT will change the ways in which knowledge
is represented, and the way the subject is presented to and engages pupils
• know how to prepare and plan lessons where ICT is used in ways which will
challenge pupils’ understanding and promote greater thinking and reflection
• recognize which kinds of class organization will be most effective for particular
learning tasks with ICT, for example, when pupils should work on their
own, how working in pairs and groups should be organized, and when to
use ICT for whole-class teaching. The majority of teachers, including the
most innovative, require more knowledge of and confidence with ICT, and
a better understanding of its potential to help pupils’ learning. This suggests
that further substantial support for continuing professional development is
necessary in order that teachers integrate the use of ICT and improve pupils’
attainment.
ICT AND THE CHANGING NATURE OF PEDAGOGY
Researchers’ and academics’ conceptualization of pedagogy has changed in
tandem with recent developments in our understanding of cognition and meta-
cognition. Many writers have also suggested that developments in ICT provide very
different learning opportunities, and a need to design a new ‘integrated pedagogy’
has been identified. For example, McLoughlin and Oliver (1999) define pedagogical
roles for teachers in a technology-supported classroom as including setting joint
tasks, rotating roles, promoting student self management, supporting meta-cognition,
fostering multiple perspectives and scaffolding learning. An assumption here is
that the use of ICT is changing the pedagogical roles of teachers, and a compelling
rationale for using ICT in schools is its potential to act as a catalyst in transforming
the teaching and learning process. The processes described by Shulman will still be
necessary but the decisions and outcomes from those processes may be different as
teachers’ knowledge, beliefs and values change in line with affordances provided
by new technologies. A dynamic model for such a transforming pedagogy for
Teachers’ Pedagogies and Pedagogical Reasoning Influence the Uses of ICT  177
ICT was derived from the Palm project (Somekh and Davies, 1991). The authors
identified pedagogical change as the following types of progress:
• ‘from a view of teaching and learning as discrete, complementary activities
to an understanding that teaching and learning are independent aspects of a
single activity
• from a sequential to an organic structuring of learning experiences
• from individualized to communicative learning
• from a view of the teacher’s role as an organizer of learning activities to one
as a shaper of quality learning experiences
• from a preoccupation with fitting teaching to a group, to a knowledge that
teaching needs to be suited to individuals, which calls for continual self-
monitoring to ensure sensitivity to unintended forms of bias and discrimination
• from a view of the learning context as confined to the classroom and controlled
by the teacher to one of the learning context as a supportive, interactive,
whole school culture
• from a view of technology as either a tutor or a tool to one where it is part of a
complex of interactions with learners, sometimes providing ideas, sometimes
providing a resource for enquiry, and sometimes supporting creativity.’
The Hay McBer report looked for characteristics of teachers that were associated
with good progress in pupils. They found that pupils’ progress is most significantly
influenced by a teacher who displays both high levels of professional characteristics
and good teaching skills which lead to the creation of a good classroom climate.
They identified characteristics of good teachers as:
Professionalism
• Challenge and support.
• Confidence.
• Creating trust.
• Respect for others.
Thinking
• Analytical thinking.
• Conceptual thinking.
Planning and setting expectations
• Drive for improvement.
• Information seeking.
• Initiative.
Leading
• Flexibility.
178  Information and Communication Technology in Education Teachers’ Pedagogies and Pedagogical Reasoning Influence the Uses of ICT  179
♦ ♦
• Holding people accountable. • Anderson, J. R., Corbett, A. T., Koedinger, K. and Pelletier, R. (1995), ‘Cognitive tutors:
• Managing pupils. lessons learned’. The Journal of Learning Sciences, 4, pp. 167–207.
• Askew, M., Brown, M., Rhodes, V., William, D. and Johnson, D. (1997), ‘The contribution
• Passion for learning. of professional development to effectiveness in the teaching of numeracy’, Teacher
Development, 1 (3), pp. 335–355
Relating to others • Banks, F., Leach, J. and Moon, B. (1999), New Understandings of Teacher’s Pedagogic
• Impact and influence. Knowledge, Learners and Pedagogy, Leach, J. and Moon, B. (Eds) London: Paul Chapman,
89–110
• Team working.
• Barton, R. (1997), ‘Does data-logging change the nature of children’s thinking in
• Understanding others. experimental work in science?’ in Somekh, B. and Davis, N. (Eds) Using Information
In relation to the model of pedagogical reasoning, there are some aspects of Technology Effectively in Teaching and Learning. London: Routledge, pp. 63–72.
the Hay McBer report of particular interest. Many of the characteristics relating • Campbell, P.F., Fein, G.G. and Schwartz, S.S. (1991), ‘The effects of Logo experience
to professionalism are based on beliefs and values. The ‘thinking’ characteristics on first grade children’s ability to estimate distance’. Journal of Educational Computing
of teachers include the complex analytical thinking required for planning and Research, 7 (3), pp. 331–349.
evaluating.

CONCLUSION
In spite of teachers often being limited by the ICT resources available to
them, there are many examples in the research literature of teachers having a
good understanding of a particular resource. This can be influenced by the way in
which ICT relates to their subject. Science teachers report that their main use of
ICT is for simulations and modeling, whereas English teachers tend to use word-
processing and presentation software. These teachers’ use of ICT may be quite
regular, but only rarely includes the use of other applications which they are less
familiar with. It is clear that teachers’ confidence affects which applications they
use, even among those teachers who gained a degree of confidence using one or
two familiar applications. The overall conclusion from the research literature is
that ICT is used effectively and has an impact on learning where teachers are able
to appreciate that interactivity requires a new approach to pedagogy. Teachers
need to employ proactive and responsive strategies in order to support, guide and
facilitate learning. They need to monitor progress and maintain a focus on subject
learning, by structuring activities carefully and providing focused tasks. It may be
that there is a fundamental misunderstanding held by many teachers and teacher
trainers – teachers who have insufficient knowledge of the contribution which
ICT can make to pupils’ learning can assume that the main tasks are to familiarize
themselves with the software, prepare a worksheet for pupils to show how to
operate the program, and then use the program in their lesson. But a major part
of effective use of ICT lies in the planning, preparation and follow-up of lessons,
and in particular the pedagogical thinking that links teaching style, the selection
of resources, the activities and the learning objectives.

REFERENCES
• Abbott, C. (2001), ‘some young male website owners: The technological aesthete,
the community builder and the professional activist’, Education, Communication and
Information 1 (2), pp. 197–212.
• Alexander, R. (1992), Policy and Practice in Primary Education. London: Routledge.

28
Integrating ICT at the Faculty Level
P. U. Pujari*
Abstract
ICT integration can be realized at various levels: It can be at a state level
(central government); at an institutional level (Higher Education Councils);
at an organizational level (universities and schools); at a faculty level; at
a department level, or at an individual level. Thus, ICT integration can be
studied at macro level as a system, or it can be studied at micro level or can
be studied together. In this study, ICT integration is studied at macro level
which covers the ICT integration both at administrative and instructional
levels. Although each level is interrelated with each other, the aim of this study
is to investigate how ICT is integrated at the faculty level in an institution.
Since ICT integration is a multi-faceted process and related to many factors,
a qualitative case study is applied in order to understand this process in a
holistic way with different angles. Data were collected through observations,
official documents, individual semi-structured interviews and focus group
interviews. Data were analyzed by using content analysis. Finally an ICT
integration model is suggested.
Keywords: ICT, Integration, Integration Process, Technology, leadership
INTRODUCTION
Information and communication technology (ICT) is defined by Berce,
Lanfranco and Vehovar (2008) as “amixture of hardware (equipment), software
(operating system, applications, etc.) and communication facilities(Local area
Networks, wide area and backbone Networks, communication protocols, etc.)”
(p, 190). Wang andWoo (2007) also defined ICT as a tool. They stated that
“ICT can be hardware (such as computers, digitalcameras), software (such as
Excel, discussion forums) or both. In the educational context, it mainly refers
*Lecturer and Research Scholar, Shri Siddhivinayak Rural College of Education,
Harugeri (Belagavi).
180
Integrating ICT at the Faculty Level  181
♦
tovarious resources and tools (software) presented on the computer” (p. 149).ICT
integration is defined as a ”…process of using any ICT (including information
resources on the web,multimedia programs in CD-ROMs, learning objects, or
other tools) to enhance student learning (Wang & Woo2007, p.149). ICT is not
particularly reserved for education. The common point in ICT definition is that
ICT is atool to realize learning objectives (Koçak-Usluel, Mumcu-Kuşkaya &
Demiraslan, 2007).
To conclude, ICT integration is a complex process and happens at different
levels. Although each level is interrelated with each other and ICT integration is
a process rather than a product (Wang & Woo 2007), the aim of this study is to
investigate how ICT is integrated at the faculty level. What kind of processes have
participants gone through? What were the steps? Who is/are the leader/ leaders?
What kind of problems and issues they faced during this process? Can all those
experiences take us to a workable model?
METHODOLOGY
Since ICT integration is a multi-faceted process and related to many actors,
a qualitative case study is applied in order to understand this process in a holistic
way. In this research how, what and why questions are posed in order to understand
how ICT is integrated at the faculty level. Yin (1994) reports that case studies are
preferable when “how” and “why” questions are being posed; the investigators
have little control over events; and focus is on a contemporary phenomenon
within some real-life context (p, 1). Berg also (1998) claims that “case study
methods involve systematically gathering enough information about a particular
person, social settings, event, or group to permit the researcher to effectively
understand how it operate or function” (p, 212). It was decided that case study
was an appropriate method for this study because it was focused on a real-life
situation, and the researchers had no control over the events.
RESEARCH SETTING
This research was conducted at a faculty of education which was established
in 2001. In the faculty, there are seven departments and nine programs under those
departments. There are 48 faculty members and there are 974 students at that
faculty. In the faculty, there are five electronic classrooms, two computer labs, four
overhead projectors, and personal projectors. Most of the faculties have desktop
computers at their offices. The faculty has its own web site and there is a link from
this web site to faculty’s information service. Student information system, student
affairs control system, university dormitory control system, control system for
graduates, and email services are all available services from the university web
site. In addition, there is a learning management system (LMS) that can be used
by academic staff when requested. It has begun to build up in 2002 and in 2009
ithas 4th version of it. During the data collection process, despite 74 academic
members were enrolled to use this system, only 42 academics were actively using
it. As of to date, 1736 students were enrolled in LMS and 138.
182  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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PARTICIPANTS
The selection of the participants was based on purposeful sampling. According
to Patton (1990) people can learn a great deal about the issues of central importance
to the purpose of the research with purposeful sampling. Qualitative research focuses
in depth on relatively small samples, which are selected purposefully. This faculty
was chosen because it is in the process of ICT integration both macro and micro
level. The participants of this research were faculty dean, head of computer center
(head of IT department), the department of Computer Education and Instructional
Technology ‘s (CEIT) chair, three academics who are at CEIT department and uses
LMS, and one volunteer academic, one technique personnel and seven research
assistants. The faculty dean and other participants were asked individually to
participate in this study. They were reminded that they could refuse to participate
or discontinue at any time without any further questions. In addition, they were also
assured that their confidentiality would be kept and no real names would be used.
DATA COLLECTION
The data were collected at the beginning of winter of 2009. The primary sources
of data were semi-structured interviews, focus group interviews, documentation, and
participant observation. The researchers participated in faculty training programs
related to ICT integration and worked together with the faculty. They observed their
all experiences and reflections during the training and took notes of their questions
during the meetings. Faculty training had been done two times for the faculty
and research assistants separately. technique personnel. This interview technique
is also called a standardized open-ended interview by Patton (1990). The basic
characteristics of the semi-structured interview questions were prepared beforehand
(Berg,1998). Since faculty of dean and four academics from CEIT department
who are supporting the faculty’s ICT integration with technical, administrative
and educational dimension for understanding ICT integration in faculty level, they
were included in the interview. Also an academic volunteer member participated
in the interview. In addition to those participants, another interview was conducted
with the head of IT department to understand the effects of HEC’s ICT policy on
university or faculty, university ICT policy and its effect on faculty of education
and also how ICT policy at the faculty of education has an effect on the university.
The interview is conducted with one of the technical personnel who was
responsible for solving the computer related problems that faculty might have
experienced either at the laboratory or in the electronic classrooms. The Focus
group discussion is conducted with seven research assistants who had participated
faculty training programs related to ICT integration.
Bogdan and Biklen (1992) describe documents as personal (intimate diaries,
personal letters, and autobiographies), and official (internal documents, external
communication, students records and personal files).
According to Yin (1994), documentation sources can also include memoranda,
announcements and minutes of meetings, proposals, progress reports, internal
documents, newspaper clips and articles. Patton (1990) is accepted that answers of
Integrating ICT at the Faculty Level  183
open-ended question in survey so the result of survey is accepted as documentation
in this survey. In this research, NIC Regulations quality documents, information
on faculty of education’s web site and the result of survey about using materials
in faculty were gathered as documents.
DATA ANALYSIS
Interviews were audio taped and transcribed regularly. Field notes were written
on a daily base and indexed. As Berg (1998) emphasized well that “the most
obvious way to analyze the interview data is content analysis” (p.9), the data were
analyzed by content analysis. In order to make data systematically comparable, an
objective coding schema applied to the data that is at the heart of content analysis
(Berg, 1998). In content analysis, researchers examine the communication in a
systematic way based on coding schemas. Finally, findings were visualized with
figures in a model. In order to provide reliability and validity, data were analyzed
at different times with different researchers. In addition, findings were supported
by participants’ self-report statements.
FINDINGS
One of the initial questions was to explore whether the faculty and faculty
members had ICT related or ICT integration goals /Objectives. The findings revealed
that the faculty as an institution did not have written ICT policies on the web site
and there is no any written goal in the quality documents of faculty of education.
The dean of the faculty of education had his goals in his mind. He said that “there
should be top down and bottom up integration. We should train all faculty members
about ICT use in their classes. But especially research assistant will be locomotive
of this movement. In near future we all should use LMS and extend distance
education for some courses. We should create common organizational culture. We
should have standards together”. The head of the IT department mentioned that the
ultimate goal is to benefit from technological opportunities. The department of IT
tasks has written in their homepage the following: “The department of IT provides
quality service to all units with advanced technology, research and continuing
employee trainings Although there is no written ICT objectives for the faculty,
academics talked about their personal objectives. The faculty coordinator said that
“there should be objectives at National Informatics Committees (NIC) regulations
and also there should be some written objectives at Quality documents”. Another
academic from CEIT department said that “integration is a must. So, it is late to
say there should be integration. Because it is everywhere. Everybody must use it.
There should be teaching and learning everywhere. There is official goals at least
national informatics committee has to use technology. There are LMS projects
prepared by CEIT department to be use by all faculties.
The volunteer participant also mentioned about what kind of goals should be.
He said that “ I do not know politics about extending e-learning. If I know that faculty
has objectives or goals I can have strategies align with those objectives. There
should be individual objectives also in order to realize organizational objectives
and vice versa. Right now I have personal objectives about using LMS for my
184  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
measurement and evaluation courses. Those seminars triggered my attitude to use
LMS. My colleagues had a positive role in changing my opinion.” Since there is
no written ICT related objectives, in practice there are ICT related objectives in
minds. There are some attempts to realize those objectives. One of them is to give
seminars about ICT integration. Those objectives seem to be in align with NIC
and university objectives. It was found that there were task definitions in peoples’
mind; yet, no written objectives about ICT integration existed.
Another inquiry was related to explore what kind of processes had participants
gone through on the way of ICT integration. ICT integration policy had been
composed at the university level for administrative purposes in 1997. ICT integration
at the course level, on the other hand, had been started at the departmental level and
extended to the faculty level. In the Faculty of Education, computers had already
been used for administrative purposes, especially in the students’ affairs. After
the establishment of CEIT department in 2004 within the faculty of education
in mentioned university, CEIT had a pioneering role in integrating ICT at the
course level. The dean of the faculty said that “this duty has given to head of CEIT
Department. She prepared an integration program. We will continue based on that
program.“ But, at the faculty level, the integration process had started in 2007 by
the help of CEIT. One of the participants said that “integration has been realized
since 2004 at CEIT department.” Another participant from CEIT said that “first
we started with e-learning than we continue with As to observe who the leader or
leaders in ICT integration at a faculty level are, one of the participants from CEIT
department defined the technology leader as a person who “... uses technology
effectively and productively, and who disseminate or diffuse it. Participants have
different views about who should be leader in integrating ICT at the faculty level.
Most of the participants said that there should be “Not a leader but leaders”. One
of the female participants said that “in this process, faculty dean and the vice
dean should take roles because it is easy and fast to integrate ICT from top down.
Absolutely there should be a leader. From bottom up it is difficult and hard taking
a long process”. Another participant from CEIT department mentioned about the
role of the leader. He said that “leader should be genius, should facilitate knowledge
sharing processes, to others.” He also talked about CEIT’s pioneer roles. He said
“Each person can lead in his or her field. Since CEIT department mainly deals
with technology, CEIT department can have a pioneering role.”
The head of the IT department also said that “Normally nobody or any
department can say you should use this technology. So there could not be a leader”.
Faculty dean also said that “I gave ICT integration task to the chair of CEIT. But,
I see no leader.”
Our volunteer academic participant mentioned about how should be a leader. He
said that “there should be not one leader but there should be leaders. CEIT should
be institutional leader. They should provide support to administrators and academic
personnel. CEIT not only coach for today but they must help us develop objectives/
goals for future.” Another question in this study was to observe the patterns in
the perceived problems of ICT integration process Faculty in the department of
the CEIT stated that ICT integration process had started with some problems.
Integrating ICT at the Faculty Level  185
One of the participants said that “there was no extra resource for integration and
we started with whatever we had. More coercive power or official system can
be established. There should be more personnel hired for integration. Students’
participation can be encouraged. Briefly, ICT integration is a painful process.”
Another participant from CEIT pointed out the need for awareness raising. How
it should be done is to have them use ICT, it should be disseminated. “Faculty
development programs and in-service training should be given and conduct needs
analysis. After determining all faculties needs, based on those individual needs,
there should be technology planning.”Another articulated problem was related to
the faculty training/development problem. While a new technology becomes a part
of the process, training and the process of informing others begin. According to the
participants, there are some problems observed at this point. One of the participants
said that “training should be given for users to use a new technology and information
process should be initiated. In this way problems can be solved.” Participants also
talked about the academics unwillingness and resistance. Mainly when academics
have a lack of understanding on the usage of ICT tools, they become unwilling
and reluctant to use the technology. Some of the participants said that: “There is
a negative attitude for technology. Some of them don’t need more technology nor
have an insufficient knowledge and necessary skills.” “Faculty members except
department of CEIT are unwilling at this point.”“Some of the faculty members
resist this integration process. But, they should improve themselves and be aware
about their learning.” These findings indicate that when starting for ICT integration,
lack of resources, support from administrators, and felt needs are to be taken into
consideration. Problems with the existence and use of hardware and software
cause lack of motivation. In addition, there were staff development problem as
well as academicians’ unwilling and resistance to the integration. From this point
on, the inquiry was followed up with exploring the stakeholders’ suggestions on
what should be done for effective integration at the faculty level. Participants
indicated that technology planning, coordination, providing facilitation, motivation,
encouraging students, faculty training/development programs, ICT integrated
curriculum, providing materials and maintaining equipment, full infrastructure,
administration’s commitment and leadership are needed for effective integration. The
information of these requirements is presented in the relevant subtitles. Leadership:
According to participants, leadership is a very important component for effective
integration; therefore, there should be more than one leader at the faculty level,
especially within the CEIT department. As one of the participants claim “ICT
integration at the faculty level brings out the technological leadership roles.
During the integration process, it is suggested that, there should be more
leaders. But, CEIT department can take the pioneer role during this processes”
explain the leadership role.
Commitment of and support from the Administration: The support from
administration has a primary role for effective integration. Administration should
take pre-cautions whenever necessary. Administration and CEIT department should
cooperate about the requirements and provide continuity of cooperation. One of
the participants explained the situation as “administration must be committed
186  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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to this process. Administration would know the needs of personnel and support
budget, facilities of inventories and policies against problems.”
Full infrastructure: Some participants mentioned about the importance of
technical infrastructure. According to them, technical infrastructure should be
improved to overcome hardware and software problems and the faculty should
allocate additional resources. Some of them said that: “Integration process has
been initiated without an additional source. Therefore there are some problems
about hardware and software” “Technological infrastructure (both as software
and hardware) is provided for effective integration. All of the classrooms must
be technologically equipped. “Limited resources should be improved.” Providing
materials and maintaining equipments: Participants emphasized the importance of
providing necessary materials and equipment for effective integration. They also
emphasized their problems as “there is a money problem. There should be allocated
budget for integration. Many of the existing hardware and software aren’t up to
date or out of order. Maintenance should be done.” and “we need various materials
and equipments for using in courses. But we don’t know how we can provide these
materials”. ICT integrated curriculum: Participants indicated that integration of
technology must be done in parallel with curriculum speeded to all classes. One
participant brought this issue with the following statement “curriculum must be
reviewed. It is decided that technology can be integrated which course and how
can be done with program development.” Another participant said that “course
contents must be transferred to digital media and by this way must be opened for
distance access.”Continuous faculty training/development programs: According
to the participants, in-service training should be organized for all faculty members
for integrating ICT to their curriculum and courses in order to benefit from online
environment. As a result, faculty members should be motivated in this regard. The
following statements mention what kind of training the participants expected.“In-
service training should be organized for adapting to technology integration and
using technology effectively.” “In-service training and development programs are
insufficient”. Encouraging students: The integration process should be enriched by
students. In addition, students should be motivated to take part as a volunteer for the
integration process. Two of the participants said that: “Academics as well as students
must attend this process.” “Students should be encouraged to use technology. Also
different projects should be given to students outside the curriculum.” Motivation:
According to the participants, not only students but also faculty members need
to be motivated. This motivation can be achieved by reward mechanisms. One of
the participants said that “establishing rewards and incentive mechanisms, faculty
members should be encouraged to use the technology.” Facilitation: Providing
facilitation: There is a technical personnel for helping both faculty members and
students in electronic classrooms and computer laboratories. Participants all agree
on this issue. Some of the participants said that: “Faculty members are worried
about if there is a problem using the technology what am I doing? So technical
support would be given them.”
“There is at least a technique personnel for helping us when a technical
problem occurs This personnel helps not only faculty members but also students.”
Integrating ICT at the Faculty Level  187
“We consistently encounter the situation as my computer is broken down, I can’t
enter students’ grades to the database”
Coordination unit: A coordination unit must be responsible for the integration
process, providing technical, educational and motivational support to the
academicians. One of the participants said that “there is at least a coordinator
for maintaining material, training, coordinating between departments.”Technology
planning: According to participants, a technology plan is an important component
for using technology in institutions effectively. Thus, ICT integration process can
be planned in the long range. This need was raised by one of the participants as
“The 5-year technology plan should be established for this prediction and the
annual assessments should be done for the continuity of this plan.”
CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION
Technological changes in the past quarter of the century have challenged
professional educators to reevaluate their instructional skills and to reconstruct their
delivery as they assist students in integrating new technology tools (Toledo, 2005).
ICT integration is a complex process and it has many dimensions with various
levels. There are many studies to investigate these dimensions in ICT integration.
In this study, during the data collection time, there were no written objectives about
integrating ICT into educational processes at the faculty. Yet, while writing the
report for the findings, it was observed that, ICT integration objectives are included
in 2010-2015 faculty strategic plan. Couples of suggestions are needed when
transforming those objectives into realization. First, these objectives should be as
clear and as precise enough to be understood by all shareholders. Secondly, those
policies should have a road map, indicating how to realize them. Based on those
objectives, training personnel, providing the necessary materials, upgrading and
maintaining of the equipment should be taken into account. In order to effectively
integrate ICT at the faculty level, university, faculty, department and each individual
should have ICT related objectives that those objectives should be in line with
each other. Therefore, these objectives should be gathered and examined. Finally,
realizations of those objectives need strong and committed leadership. TOJET:
The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology – October 2011, volume
10 Issue 4 Copyright � The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology
238 The educational policies for the integration of ICT can serve for different
goals (Berrocoso, Meneses, and Melchor, 2009). These policies should be able
to coordinate efforts of a very different nature and to focus them to deliver on
objectives established at regional or national level. Within the context of this study,
it was found that in order to integrate ICT effectively, first there should be ICT
related goals or objectives to determine the institutional policies. According to the
faculty members, the faculty does not have any written ICT goals or objectives.
But there should be written ICT objectives which are influenced by the decisions of
teachers working according to state regulations, that give them broad methodological
freedom and by the expectations of the faculty management (Török, 2008). Then,
in order to realize those goals or objectives, a strong committed leadership is
188  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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needed. A leader in ICT integration has a major responsibility for initiating and
implementing educational environments change through the use of information
and communication technology and can facilitate complex decision to integrate it
into learning, teaching and administration (Schiller, 2003). Leader should motivate
all educators, provide material and maintain equipment, and plan technology
based on the felt or articulated needs. Therefore, at least one leader is needed for
ICT integration process. Akbaba-Altun (2004 & 2006) found that leadership is
an important dimension in integrating ICT into education process by providing
support as in motivation, technical skills, coach, etc. Moreover, technological
leader role is one of the roles of the dean at the faculty of education. Although
others expect to see the technological leaders in an official position, in practice
technological leaders can be different person. This person should have technique
knowledge, interaction and communication skills. Thus, the group could perceive
him or her as a leader. ICT integration started with an administrative need and led
to instructional issues. In order to integrate ICT effectively to the instructional
process, first of all, administrative process should address the issues related to
technical, legal and administrative infrastructure. Instructional integration can
then takes place and spread to other courses, departments, whole faculty even
to the university. In this research, it was found that, in order to integrate ICT
effectively, there should be leaders from different departments, mainly from the
CEIT department. In addition, it was observed that CEIT department has a pioneering
role in instructional integration.
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Mr. Anil Rathod*
• Whitehead, B., Jensen, D., & Boschee, F. (2003). Planning for technology: A guide
for school administrators, technology coordinators, and curriculum leaders. Thousand
Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Abstract
This study is aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of CAI vs. classroom
lecture for learning biology at puc level. The objectives are to compare the
learning effects of two groups with class room lecture and computer assisted
instruction studying the same curriculum and the effects of CAI and CRL in
terms of cognitive development. Hypothesis of this research are based on six
levels of blooms taxonomy : There is no significant difference exist for CAI
student in gaining a high cognitive achievement than students of same level
having Traditional CRLThe present study focused on 80 samples in two group.
Namely Traditional instruction group and CAI group containing both boys and
girls of different Socio-Economic and educational background. The research
design followed by researcher is The Pre-test - Post test Equivalent groups
Deign. Software for use in the experiment will be develop by the researcher
using tutorial form of presentation, The reason for adopting this form of CAI was
that researcher wanted to compare the impact of CAI with traditional method
of instruction by the teachers. Teachers generally present new information to
the students and assess their learning through questioning. Tutorial form of CAI
also presents new information to the students in segments including questions
and problems to assess student learning. This study concluded that the skills
of knowledge, analysis and synthesis assured significant increase. The CAI
proved to be very much effective in increasing the evaluation and application
skills of students to experimental group. Comprehension skill, however, not
much affected by the CAI. CAI as an effective teaching method should be
applied to improve teaching quality and by using CAI it will be possible to
eliminate lingual, regional and ethical biases between teacher and student.

*Research scholar, School of Education, Rani Channamma University, Belagavi.

191
192  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE
Teaching methods and instructional techniques in the classrooms have
been changing influenced by learning theories and technological advancements.
Technology has changed the whole pattern of human life. The greatest contribution
of cyber age technology is the development of computer and its use in all walks
of life. The use of computer in teaching learning process has stepped many stages
of its evolution. A host of research studies have been conducted to explore the
impact of Computer Assisted Instruction in various fields of study and at different
grade levels.
Student learning is the focus of teaching learning process. Theorists and
practitioners have always been making concerted efforts to facilitate students
learn by enhancing the, quality of learning experiences. Emergence of learning
theories over time reflects the concern of the educators to explore processes,
factors and conditions involved in human learning. Application of predominant
learning theories have always been changing and modifying the methods of
teaching and learning.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
Objectives of the study will be:
1. To develop syllabus based computer software packages for the selected units
in biology of PUC Ist year.
2. To study whether there is significant difference between pre and post test scores
of achievement of PUC students in Experimental (CAI) and conventional
groups in Biology.
3. To study whether there is significant difference between pre and post test
scores of achievement of PUC male students in Experimental (CAI) and
conventional groups in Biology.
4. To study whether there is significant difference between pre and post test
scores of achievement of PUC female students in Experimental (CAI) and
conventional groups in Biology.
5. To study whether there is significant difference between Experimental (CAI)
and conventional groups with respect to pre test, post test and their gain scores
of achievement of students in Biology.
6. To study whether there is significant difference between Experimental (CAI)
and conventional groups with respect to pre test, post test and their gain scores
of achievement of male students in Biology.
7. To study whether there is significant difference between Experimental (CAI)
and conventional groups with respect to pre test, post test and their gain scores
of achievement of female students in Biology.
8. To study whether there is significant difference between Experimental (CAI)
and conventional groups with respect to Attitude scores towards Biology,
Attitude scores towards computer of PUC students.
Effectiveness of Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) and Traditional Method  193
HYPOTHESES OF THE STUDY
The hypotheses for the study that will be corresponding to the objectives of
the study as follows:
1. There is no significant difference between pre and post test scores of achievement
of PUC students in Experimental (CAI) and conventional groups in Biology.
2. There is no significant difference between pre and post test scores of
achievement of PUC male students in Experimental (CAI) and conventional
groups in Biology.
3. There is no significant difference between pre and post test scores of achievement
of PUC female students in Experimental (CAI) and conventional groups in
Biology.
4. There is no significant difference between Experimental (CAI) and conventional
groups with respect to pre test, post test and their gain scores of achievement
of students in Biology.
5. There is no significant difference between Experimental (CAI) and conventional
groups with respect to pre test, post test and their gain scores of achievement
of male students in Biology.
6. There is no significant difference between Experimental (CAI) and conventional
groups with respect to pre test, post test and their gain scores of achievement
of female students in Biology.
7. There is no significant difference between Experimental (CAI) and conventional
groups with respect to Attitude scores towards Biology, Attitude scores towards
computer of PUC students.
METHODS
Sampling
The present study focused on 80 samples in two group. Namely Traditional
instruction group and CAI group containing both boys and girls of different Socio-
Economic and educational background.
Methodology
Quasi experimental design will be adapt in the present study. Pre test, Post
test, non equivalent groups design will be most relevant.
Tool
1. Three syllabus based unit software package.
2. Three objective based CRT.1
PROCEDURE FOR SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
Software for use in the experiment will be develop by the researcher using
tutorial form of presentation, The reason for adopting this form of CAI was that
researcher wanted to compare the impact of CAI with traditional method of
instruction by the teachers. Teachers generally present new information to the
194  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
students and assess their learning through questioning. Tutorial form of CAI also
presents new information to the students in segments including questions and
problems to assess student learning.
Total five chapters (Biology) from the textbook of science will be transformed
into the tutorial form of computer software. Each tutorial with hyperlinks to explain
the terms and phrases will followed by multiple choice questions along with
immediate feedback in the form of a phrase informing the student whether his
response to a multiple choice question will right or wrong.
EXPERIMENTATION WITH CAI
Site: An experiment to ascertain the impact of CAI will be conducted in the
computer laboratory of proposed experimental school
Subjects: Keeping in view the number of computers and physical facilities
available in the computer laboratory of the proposed experimental school, it will be
decided on the basis number of computers available in the school and the number
of the students in the experimental group and in the control group will also be
decided while conducting the experiment with matched groups on the basis of
intellectual capacity, as intellectual capacity of the students may be a confounding
factor while comparing the effectiveness of two modes of instruction.
STATISTICAL TECHNIQUES FOR DATA ANALYSIS:
• Mean
• SD
• T-Test
Effectiveness of Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) and Traditional Method  195
• Brahler, C. Jayne (2005):Developing on-line learning materials for higher education:
An overview of current issues, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
• Brooks, D. W. (1997):Lecturing; multimedia classrooms. In: K. C. Cohen, Harvard
(Ed.). Web-teaching: A Guide to designing interactive teaching for the World Wide Web,
Cambridge, MA: Plenum Press, 165-171. p. 21
• Bui, K.P. (1999):Hyper Lexicon, a hypermedia-based lexicon for vocabulary acquisition. In
H. Maurer (Ed.) Lecture Notes in Computer Science. Proceedings of the 2nd International
Conference on Computer Assisted Learning (p. 14). Dallas, TX.
• Chabay, R.W. and Sherwood, B.A. (1992):Computer-Assisted Instruction and Intelligent
Tutoring Systems: Shared Goals and Complementary Approaches Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence
Erlbaum Associates. (pp. 151-86).
• Collier Ebenezer S. O. (2004): The Enhancement of the Teaching and the Learning of
the Sciences in Secondary Schools Using Computer AssistedInstruction, http://members
.aol.com/esocollier/computer-assistedinstruction.
• Collis, B., et.al. (1997):Flexibility as a key construct in European training: experiences
from the Telescopia Project. British Journal of Educational Technology, 28(3),199-217.
www.concentric.net
• Garrette, H.E. (2005): Statistics in Psychology and Education, New Delhi: Paragon
nternational Publishers.
• Mahale S. (2007): Application of Statistic Technique: Practical Handbook, Nashik:
YCMOU.
• Mahmood, M.K (2004): A Comparison of Traditional Method and Computer Assisted
Instruction on Students Achievement in General Science. Ph.D. thesis (unpublished)
University of the Punjab, Lahore.
• Vaughan, T. (1998): Multimedia: Making it work (4th Ed), Berkeley, CA: Osborne/
McGraw-Hill.

CONCLUSION
Computer-assisted instruction is an alternative to traditional instruction used
both for on-campus and distance learning courses, providing individualized, self-
paced instruction. Computer-assisted instruction, according to some researchers,
has great potential for developmental education because it allows a student to work
at his or her own pace, provides immediate feedback, guided practice problems,
and 24-hour access

REFERENCE
• The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology – TOJET October 2008. ISSN:
1303-6521 volume 7 Issue 4 Article 2
• Bergman, T., and Cheney, S. (1996):Delivering Cost Effective Services to Small and
Mid-Sized Companies: A Guide for Workforce andWorkplaceDevelopmentProviders,
http://search eric.org
• Best, J.W. (2006): Research in Education(9th Edition)Kahn, J. V. New Delhi: Prentice
Hall of India Pvt. Ltd.
• Bhandarkar, K.M. (2006): Statistics in Education, Hyderabad: Neel kamal Publications
Pvt. Ltd.
• Bloom, B.S. (1956):Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: The classification of educational
goals,

30
Education with Social Media
Basavaraj S. Hiremath*
Abstract
Social media is becoming an integral part of life online as social websites
and applications proliferate. Social media are computer-mediated tools that
allow people to create, share or exchange information, ideas, and pictures/
videos in virtual communities and networks. Using social media Web sites
is among the most common activity of today’s children and adolescents.
Any Web site that allows social interaction is considered a social media site,
including social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter;
gaming sites and virtual worlds such as Club Penguin, Second Life, and the
Sims; video sites such as YouTube; and blogs. Such sites offer today’s youth
a portal for entertainment and communication and have grown exponentially
in recent years. For this reason, it is important that parents become aware
of the nature of social media sites, given that not all of them are healthy
environments for children and adolescents.
INTRODUCTION
Social media is becoming an integral part of life online as social websites
and applications proliferate. Most traditional online media include social
components, such as comment fields for users. In business, social media is
used to market products, promote brands, connect to current customers and
foster new business.
Social media is the collective of online communications channels dedicated to
community-based input, interaction, content-sharing and collaboration. Websites
and applications dedicated to forums, micro blogging, social networking , social
bookmarking, social curation, and wikis are among the different types of social
media.
*Lecturer, B.LD.E.A`s P.G.Dept. of Studies in Education & Research Centre, J.S.S.
College of Education, Vijayapur-586101 E.mail: hiremathbs1@gmail.com.
196
Education with Social Media  197
♦
MEANING AND DEFINITION OF ‘SOCIAL MEDIA’
Social media is defined as “a group of Internet-based applications that build
on the ideological and technological foundations of Web and that allow the creation
and exchange of user-generated content.”
“Internet-based software and interfaces that allow individuals to interact
with one another, exchanging details about their lives such as biographical data,
professional information, personal photos and up-to-the-minute thoughts.”
“Social media originated as strictly a personal tool that people used to interact
with friends and family but were later adopted by businesses that wanted to take
advantage of a popular new communication method to reach out to customers,
for example, by informing them of sales and offering them special coupons.” 
Here are some prominent examples of social media: We know that social
media for education is becoming increasingly popular over the past few years, but
I love to see new real-life ideas for implementation. Here are 10 recent (and new
to me) examples of social media in the classroom such as Facebook, MySpace,
and Twitter; gaming sites and virtual worlds such as Club Penguin, Second Life,
and the Sims; video sites such as YouTube; and blogs. Such sites offer today’s
youth a portal for entertainment and communication and have grown exponentially
in recent years.
Facebook: Facebook is the world’s largest social network, with more than
900 million users. People mainly use it to connect with important people in their
life. Historical Figure Page- Create a Facebook page as if you are a historical
figure. This is a great way for students to get to know them in a modern way!
Share status updates, likes, interests, etc. as if you were acting as that person.
• Surprise Extra Credit- Post extra credit assignments to Facebook for students
to complete at home.
• Class Field Trip Updates- Allow parents to follow along on classroom field
trips or activities by posting pictures to the classroom’s Facebook page. This
is such a neat way for parents to see what their student is doing throughout
the day!
• Tracking Who Receives Updates- Sometimes it is difficult to tell if a parent
or student reads a message you send out. With Facebook messages and status
updates, you can ask those who read it to ‘like’ it, allowing you to keep track
of those who received it.
PINTEREST
• Show and Tell- Create a classroom “show and tell” board for parents or
students to follow. This is a fun way to share classroom projects, group
collaboration assignments, etc. Not to mention, a fun way for students to
see their work showcased to a larger audience.
• College Planning- If you are teaching older students, you can foster the
importance of college and career planning by assigning them the creation of
a College Planning board. They can pin colleges they are interested in, ideas
for preparing, or well-known alumni– the ideas are endless!
198  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
• Pinterest Presentations- Divide students into groups and have them create a
Pinterest board on a specific topic. Once completed, have them present their
board and the associated pins to the class.
TWITTER
• Lesson Recaps- Blast out a lesson recap in 140 characters! Sometimes a
nice reminder or a little repetition can really benefit a student.
• What Students Learned- Encourage students to tweet what they learned
that day in class. I love the idea of re-tweeting the best ones to your personal
(or the classroom’s) Twitter page.
• Hashtag Discussions- Choose a hashtag and a time for the class to have
a Twitter discussion. Start the discussion off by posting a question, and
encourage students to share dialogue with you and with other students (using
the hashtag, of course!). This would be a great extra credit activity.
TYPES OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN EDUCATION
Nowadays, no type of social media is completely isolated from others, as
major networks adjust their functionalities to offer more services to their users—
recent examples of this include Facebook’s announcement of Place Tips, as well
as Pinterest’s acquisition of new advertising technologies. To help you distinguish
different types of social media, we highlighted the primary capabilities of different
online services, and illustrated each with examples of major players. Personal
networks, Interest based networks, E-commerce networks, Media sharing networks,
Discussion forums, Bookmarking Sites networks, Social publishing networks,
Online reviews networks,
Education with Social Media  199
SOCIAL MEDIA, A WEBSITE SHOULD HAVE THE FOLLOWING SEVEN KEY
CHARACTERISTICS
1. Web space The website should provide the users free web space to upload
content.
2. Web address The users are given a unique web address that becomes their
web identity. They can post and share all their content on this web address.
3. Build profiles are is asked to enter personal details like name, address, date
of birth, school/ college education, professional details etc. The site then
mines the personal data to connect individuals.
4. Connect with friends Users are encouraged to post personal and professional
updates about themselves. The site then becomes a platform to connect friends
and relatives.
5. Upload content in real time Users are provided the tools to post content in
real time. This content can be text, images, audio, video or even symbolic
likes and dislikes.The last post comes first, giving the site freshness.
6. Enable conversations Members are given the rights to comment on posts
made by friends and relatives. The conversations are a great social connect.
7. Posts have time stamp All posts are time stamped, making it easy to follow
posts.
BEST SOCIAL MEDIA SITES FOR STUDENTS & TEACHERS
Our kids live on social media these days. One crucial way to make learning
relevant is to meet where they live, which means finding social media sites that
work in the classroom. Social media organically dovetails with subjects like
language arts and social studies, but tech savvy teachers know that collaboration
can work in any classroom. Not all social media sites are equal and not everyone
is comfortable turning their students lose on Facebook or Twitter. Here are 10 Top
sites that are safe while still engaging.
1. Twiducate: Described as a “walled garden,” this site is billed as a safe site
for teachers and students to collaborate. It’s easily accessible and allows
teachers to create a class community online using a class code rather than
an email address. It also allows teachers to have total control over who is a
member and what gets posted. And, it’s free.
2. TweenTribune: Want to join up with a site that hooks kids on current events?
TweenTribune lets students stay up-to-date with current events from the
Easthampton student whose tongue froze to a metal pole to a proposal by
New Jersey’s governor Chris Christie to lengthen the school day and the
school year. It gets students in the news habit and offers a chance for them
to comment on the days events. Unfortunately, it does have advertisements
(though, what news outlet doesn’t). It sticks to the upbeat news of the day–
don’t log on expecting the latest on the Syria conflict.
3. Blackboard: This the industry leader in course management systems, but it
isn’t something you can adopt on your own. The decision to use Blackboard is
200  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
usually made at the district level, though occasionally by individual schools.
Blackboard is an incredibly powerful, safe and comprehensive platform. Many
newer teachers will already be familiar with it from their teacher training
programs. The downside is cost. This is a very expensive platform, but you
pay for quality. That said, it will lack some flexibility for its most tech-savvy
teachers.
4. EDU2.0: This is for teachers looking to integrate course management systems
like Blackboard, without the cost. Edu2.0 starts out by offering all it’s premium
features on a free trial basis. At the end of the trial period, those features turn
off and you can still use the basic platform for free. These features will be
plenty for the average user, but may be enough for “power users.” Edu2.0 is
cloud-based and requires no significant investment in storage capacity.
5. Wikispaces Classroom: Collaboration is second nature to Wiki users and
Wiki Classroom proves it’s no exception. Wiki Classrooms are private social
networks complete with news feeds and communication tools. It’s safe because
you decide who’s invited — students, parents, administrators. You can assign,
collaborate on, discuss and assess projects all within the site. It can even
handle multimedia. The best part, Wikispaces Classroom is free.
6. Edmodo: Here’s another excellent, free classroom management system. It
includes news feeds, assessment tools, communication capabilities and security
features.
7. Skype: Too many educators overlook the potential of Skype in the classrooms.
It is the one site that can literally bring the outside world right into your
classroom. You can host authors, visit science labs or talk to pen pals from
across the globe.
8. MinecraftEdu: The secret of MinecraftEdu is its ability to harness the power
of video games to engage learners. This game allows students to collaborative,
explore and problem solve all while learning about history, economics, science
and math. Teachers can customize it to fit their curriculum.
9. Sumdog: This gaming site is kind of like flashcards on steroids. Elementary
school age kids love this site. The social aspect is the ability to add friends
to their accounts. Kids will race home from school to play them online. It
has fun levels and clever characters.
10. Twitter: Not everyone loves Twitter in the classroom, and there may be good
reasons for that. However, it makes the Top 10 because students love it and
they use it. Setting up a Group Tweet account lets you moderate who joins
and what gets posted. It is also important to keep the account strictly business.
DISADVANTAGES SOCIAL MEDIA IN EDUCATION
1. Being connected and search for information on Facebook, Google, and other
web services simultaneously, seize and fragment our attention. Although
students can develop “scanning and skimming” skills, they could also get
used to not paying enough attention to what is important.
Education with Social Media  201
2. They can subvert higher-order reasoning processes, “including the kind of
focus, concentration, and persistence necessary for critical thinking and.
intellectual development”
3. Some researchers have correlated heavy Internet use with greater impulsivity,
less patience, less tenacity, and weaker critical thinking skills.
4. Prolonged Internet use exposes students to interactive, repetitive, and addictive
stimuli that produce permanent changes in brain structure and function
damaging their learning skills.
5. While it is true that the more one uses the Internet and social media, the better
the brain can skim and scan, research suggests that these gains degrade the
capacity for concentration.
CONCLUSION
Social media and networking could be a useful tool in education if schools
allowed the use of the sites Students can benefit from social networking sites in
many ways Students can build skills that they may need one day once finished with
school Recently society has been undergoing a period of significant changes in
all aspects of life. The educational system, as one of the fundamental institutions
of modern society, consequently is strongly affected by these changes. The new
educational processes that have appeared in our post-industrial society, as well as
the corresponding innovative learning environments, were the focus of our paper.
REFERENCES
• Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Schoen, Harald, et al. “The Power Of Prediction With Social Media.” Internet Research
23.5 (2013): 528-543. Communication Abstracts. Web. 3 Dec. 2013.
• Mateus, Samuel (2012). “Social Networks Scopophilic dimension - social belonging
through spectatorship”.
• www.google.com

31
ICT in Teacher Education
Prof. D. S. Jadhav*
Abstract
Education is the backbone of a nation. Education system plays a major role
in development of modern economies. Understanding how education system
work and how it evolve over time has been one of the most important research
agendas in recent years. Information, Knowledge, and Communication Technology
plays vital role in imparting education in modern scenario. A fashionable saying
was “the Internet changes everything.” The ICT changed the way of imparting
education in modern era. E learning means online learning. It is helpful for
everyone around the globe to get knowledge of every subject within a second
due to internet. One could read the whole book through E learning. In recent
times factors have emerged which have strengthened and encouraged moves to
adapt ICTs into classrooms and learning settings. There are a good number of
western universities/institutions offering ICT-based higher education successfully
with quality for decades. ICT now changing the way of education in India and
abroad, with the help of internet we can access anywhere anytime.
STEPS TO CREATE AWARENESS AMONG ACADEMICS AND STUDENTS
• Determining the source of funding for staff ICT development programme.
• Establishing what numbers of academic staff has personal computers or
laptops.
• Determining the main source of access to internet by academic staff.
• Ascertaining how academic staff rates their ICT competency level
• Investigating the competency level of academic staff in the use of ICT, and
• Ascertaining the challenges to academic usage of ICT.
From the findings of this study, it was concluded that ICT skills development
undertaken by academic staff was mainly self-funded. In essence funding from
*Assistant Professor, Dr SET’s Arts and Commerce College, Ugar-Khurd. Belagavi(Dist).
202
ICT in Teacher Education  203
♦
the university towards staff ICT development was very minimal. In terms of
ICT usage, the highest areas of competence were in research, e-mail and word
processing, while their competences in the other areas studied were low. Finally,
the major challenges to ICT usage among academic staff were related to funding,
facilities and work load.
INTRODUCTION
Education is the backbone of a nation. Education system plays a major role
in development of modern economies. Understanding how education system
work and how it evolve over time has been one of the most important research
agendas in recent years. Information, Knowledge, and Communication Technology
plays vital role in imparting education in modern scenario. A fashionable saying
was “the Internet changes everything.” The ICT changed the way of imparting
education in modern era. Considering the higher education in India has seen
the massive growth in post-independence era. At the time of independence 17
universities and about 400 colleges was there in India and today 520 universities,
nearly 22,000 colleges, over 10 million students, 0.45 million teachers and one
of largest higher education system in the world. Our education system focuses
on at creation of high quality and well trained human resources to fulfill the
need of ever growing Indian economy, but on other hand it face challenges
at operational level. Educational governing bodies like UGC, AICET, ICMR,
ICAR, all possess difficulties to maintain proper coordination, administration,
monitoring and evaluation for improving the quality of education and also
imparting the education. The role of Information and Communication Technology
(ICT) plays a great role in strengthening the three traditional branches that
make up the mission of higher education i.e teaching, research and service to
the society. ICT changed the style of functioning of the educational system and
its governance with the help of digital data, its storage, retrieval, manipulation
and transmission. ICT works in three ways: - (i) communication and decision
implementation, (ii) automating tedious task, and (iii) supporting new and
existing tasks and processes.
DEFINITION OF ICT
According to Blurton , ICT is defined as “diverse set of technological tools and
resources used to communicate, create, disseminate, store, and manage information”.
It is the best medium to communicate.
E LEARNING
E learning means online learning. It is helpful for everyone around the globe
to get knowledge of every subject within a second due to internet. One could read
the whole book through E learning.
ICT-BASED HIGHER EDUCATION / ONLINE EDUCATION
In recent times factors have emerged which have strengthened and
encouraged moves to adapt ICTs into classrooms and learning settings. There
204  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
are a good number of western universities/institutions offering ICT-based higher
education successfully with quality for decades. ICT now changing the way of
education in India and abroad, with the help of internet we can access anywhere
anytime. Now in India also like western countries the higher education is
becoming more advanced than before. The recent example is the commencement
of online test for common admission test for management students. Other test
like GMAT, GRE also held online as they are the higher level quality exams.
In Asia, the 44 radio and TV universities in China (including the China Central
Radio and Television University), University Terbuka in Indonesia, and Indira
Gandhi National Open University in India have made extensive use of radio
and television, both for direct class teaching and for school broadcasting, to
reach more of their respective large  populations. Japan’s University of the Air
was broadcasting 160 television and 160 radio courses in 2000. Each course
consists of 15 45-minute lectures broadcast nationwide once a week for 15
weeks. Courses are aired over University-owned stations from 6 am to 12 noon.
Students are also given supplemental print materials, face-to-face instruction,
and online tutorials.
IMPORTANCE OF TEACHER WITH ICT
The most obvious advantage of using information technology in teaching
and learning is the flexibility for learners to get access to computers. Now that
computers have become common, learners can get access to the Internet and
engage in study at any time, any place and at their own pace. This is the reason
why distance learning has become so common nowadays. Another advantage
of information technology is its versatility. Other than just sounds, computers
can produce colorful graphics, which will greatly enhance the learning outcome
as learners will retain the majority of what is taught through sights rather than
sounds. Besides, compared with humans, computers have absolute superiority
in generating attractive graphics. In a nutshell, a picture is worth more than a
thousand words. Besides, computers can provide instant feedback to learners when
they are doing exercises or practicing. In addition, it is difficult for a teacher to
monitor the performance or progress of students during the lesson. Supervising
more than forty students’ activities through a central monitoring system is not as
easy as it seems. There are always some naughty students in class who will not
follow the instructions of teachers. In the end, teachers may have to be forced to
walk around the classroom to supervise students.
Next is the problem of interactions. Teaching and learning involve a lot
of human interactions. This is especially so in language teaching and learning.
One can hardly imagine learners can pick up a language entirely through the
interactions with some cold machines like computers. Human interactions do
not rely solely on the uttering of sounds. Other factors include subtle variations
in facial expressions, gestures, postures, eye contacts, the number and type of
people involved, the setting and so on. A machine can never cope with all these,
whereas an experienced teacher can do so with ease. There is no doubt computers
can provide instant feedback to learners.
ICT in Teacher Education  205
HOW SKILLED ARE ACADEMICS IN ICT?
I am at this point interested in the gap between students (and also employers
and the work sphere) who all may know their way around the web, online identity,
online terminology etc, and academics that may be living in a somewhat distant past,
and are not familiar at all with online identity or perceived rules and expectations
of online life. (In some cases, even skills to do with using Word are very limited
in staff, markedly more so than their students.) But, I am mostly interested in this
in relation to communication and sharing online, as well as notions of privacy and
information validity. It is very important that lecturers/teachers have a minimal
level of competence with ICT and perhaps there should be continual training in
this regard. Otherwise students will miss out on possible learning tools if their
teacher is behind the curve. Some interesting results could come from such a study.
The staff are likely much more unskilled than students, certainly in basic IT
and use of devices. So, while a lot of research is around concerning student digital
divide/skills/access, this actually obscures a serious gap in academic staff skills in
ICT. It is possible that terms like digital native/resident etc are now becoming a
thing of the past, but this needs more research. To our experience, only a minority
of students have learned programming before they enter university. One may
assume that programming skills are only useful for engineering subjects, but this
is not the case: for example, setting up psychological experiments or analyzing
physiological data involves a lot of programming and other technical issues. In
education and communication science, skills for media production are often required,
by researchers and practitioners.
STEPS TO CREATE AWARENESS AMONG ACADEMICS AND STUDENTS
1. Determining the source of funding for staff ICT development programme.
2. Establishing what numbers of academic staff has personal computers or
laptops.
3. Determining the main source of access to internet by academic staff.
4. Ascertaining how academic staff rates their ICT competency level
5. Investigating the competency level of academic staff in the use of ICT, and
6. Ascertaining the challenges to academic usage of ICT.
TO ACHIEVE THE STATED OBJECTIVES, THE FOLLOWING RESEARCH
QUESTIONS SHOULD BE POSED BY UGC FOR ASSESSMENT OF COLLEGES
1. What are the major sources of funding for academic staff ICT development
programmes?
2. What numbers of academic staff possess personal computers/ laptops?
3. Where does academic staff have access to internet?
4. How does academic staff rate their ICT competency level?
5. What is the ICT competence level academic staff?
6. What are the challenges to ICT usage by academic staff?
206  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦
CHALLENGES TO ICT USAGE
As can be seen in Table a wide array of challenges to ICT usage has been
indicated by the academic staff. A critical look at Table 6 however indicates that
these the challenges can be summarized as follows:
Funding-related challenge: From the results, it seems that many academic
staffs are reluctant to use their salaries for the purpose acquiring training in ICT.
The other dimension is that there is little or no sponsorship from the university
as earlier revealed in the study, therefore making funding an issue the acquisition
of ICT knowledge among academic staff.
Facility-related challenge: Access and proximity to ICT facilities pose
problem to academic staff. Even those that are ICT literate lack the necessary
facilities at their workplaces. Electricity supply which is critical to the usage of
ICT facilities is very epileptic in Nigeria which makes the ownership of a power
generator mandatory for ICT users. This fact coupled with financial constraints
pointed out earlier indicates why electricity is a major obstacle in the use of ICT
by academic staff.
Workload and academic staff personal disposition to ICT: In analyzing
the questionnaire, most senior academics, from the ranks of Senior Lecturer to
Professors cited excess workload which does not give them time to train or even
improve upon their ICT skills as a challenge. It is however not encouraging to
note that some academic lack interest in ICT while some are unwilling to exercise
patience to learn.
CONCLUSION
From the findings of this study, it was concluded that ICT skills development
undertaken by academic staff was mainly self-funded. In essence funding from
the university towards staff ICT development was very minimal.
In terms of ICT usage, the highest areas of competence were in research,
e-mail and word processing, while their competences in the other areas studied
were low. Finally, the major challenges to ICT usage among academic staff were
related to funding, facilities and work load.
32
ICT in Teacher Education (Pre and in-Service)
P. S. Upadhye*
INTRODUCTION
Teacher is considered to be the architect of the nation. In other words, the
future of the nation lies in the hands of teacher. This shows the importance of
teacher. One can realize how important education is which makes one a teacher.
Teacher education is looked after by a systematic operation of various agencies
involved in it. In our country, no system is free from problems; teacher education
in not an exception to it. Various education commissions and a number of expert
committee have discussed the aims of teacher education in India. According to
Verma (2010), a teacher plays a significant role not only in class teaching learning
situation but in social engineering too. Society gives a respectable place to teachers
especially in ICT
WHAT IS ICT?
Information and Communication Technologies are defined as all devices, tools,
content, resources, forums, and services, digital and those that can be converted
into or delivered through digital forms, which can be deployed for realizing the
goals of teaching learning, enhancing access to and reach of resources, building of
capacities, as well as management of the educational system. These will not only
include hardware devices connected to computers, and software applications, but
also interactive digital content, internet and other satellite communication devices,
radio and television services, web based content repositories, interactive forums,
learning management systems, and management information systems.
CHALLENGES BEFORE THE EDUCATION SYSTEM IN INDIA
1. ICT can be beneficially Power to distribute information about and catalyze
adaptation,
2. There is an urgent need to digitize and make available educational audio and
video resources,
*Principal, B.R.M.E’s Acharya Deshbhushan College of Education (B.Ed) Shamanewadi,
E-mail: up.priyakarini@gmail.com.
207
208  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
3. Given the scarcity of print resources as well as web content in Indian languages,
ICT can be very gainfully employed for digitizing and publish existing print
resources
4. ICT can address teacher capacity building, ongoing teacher support and
strengthen the school system’s ability to manage and improve efficiencies,
5. Using computers and the Internet as mere information delivery devices grossly
underutilizes its power and capabilities. There is an urgent need to develop
and install a large variety of applications, software tools, and media
PRE-SERVICE TEACHER TRAINING
It is need of the hour that all parties within the education industry- from
foundation to post-graduate- must work together with institutions of teacher education
to make pre-service training for teachers, modern and international. While there
is very little evidence anywhere to show that teachers are being trained to teach
using technology, some studies indicate that benefits of participating in educational
technology activities during pre-service teacher training include developing
professional knowledge of instructional media and technology , increasing graduating
teachers’ willingness to integrate it into their own classroom curricula, The younger
teachers have grown up as digital natives yet they need to have experience in the
Field to understand how to apply their technical knowledge to their profession.
Actually, in reality teachers are by and large not well prepared to use technology
in their practice. The best way to prepare teachers for ICT oriented teaching is to
have them experience it. All institutions involved in
Preparing educators should provide technology-supported learning experiences
that promote and facilitate the use of technology to improve learning, assessment,
and instructional practices. This will require teacher educators to draw from advances
in learning science and technology to change what and how they teach. The
same imperatives for teacher preparation apply to ongoing professional learning.
Professional learning should support and develop educators’ identities as fluent
users of advanced technology, creative and collaborative problem solvers, and
adaptive, socially aware experts throughout their careers.
Effective teaching in the 21st century requires innovation, problem solving,
creativity, continuous improvement, research, diagnostic use of data, and flexible
and personalized approaches to meeting students’ diverse needs and strengths. As
a result, the most effective educators are professionals with complex knowledge,
expertise, and competencies and not the one who are merely deliverers of content
and managers of well-behaved classrooms. Teachers must learn to use technology
for their own use, to research, collaborate, prepare lesson plans.
The role of the 21st century teacher is very different, it has become a facilitator’s
role, helping the students find, understand and use the tools to learn and create
more knowledge. From a very lonely job it is becoming a team effort using peers,
students and remote expert’s assistance. To be successful, the training must help
pupil-teachers in learning to collaborate, to practice with modern technological
tools in the classroom and have peer reviews and mentoring. UNESCO has recently
established what they called Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
ICT in Teacher Education (Pre and in-Service)  209
Competencies Standards for Teachers (CST). Being aware of the need of
leading faculty to develop those skills (competencies) required in making them
comfortable with the incorporation of ICT in the educational process, this project
stated that: Teachers need to be prepared to empower students with the advantages
technology can bring. Schools and classrooms, both real and virtual, must have
teachers who are equipped with technology resources and skills and who can
effectively teach the necessary subject matter content while incorporating technology
concepts and skills.
CAPACITY BUILDING OF IN-SERVICE TEACHERS
Capacity building of teachers will be the key to the widespread infusion of
ICT enabled practices in the school system. A phased programme of capacity
building will be planned. In service training of teachers will comprise of Induction
Training as well as Refresher Courses. The induction trainings will be impacted by
the Regional Institutes of Education of the NCERT, State Councils of Educational
Research and Training (SCERTs) or such other institutions of the Central and
State Governments and will preferably be completed before the commencement
of the academic year.
The refresher trainings will be carried out every year to enable teachers to share,
Training in ICT will be integrated with general training programmes organized
for teachers and school leaders at all levels in order to popularize its use and to
demonstrate effective practices in ICT. Teacher training centers Computer training
centre and different agencies in Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Kerala, Mizoram, Uttar
Pradesh, Karnataka and Rajasthan. Teachers are main actors of schools. They are
not only knowledge transmitters, but also actors of changes in schools. Teachers
have new roles; teaching is becoming a new profession! Digital native pupils will
change schools! Teacher Development Policies and Programmes Integrating ICT
ICT applications are implemented in the framework of UNESCO global
leadership on teachers through the initiatives on the following issues:• ICT.
With regard to policy implications of ICT for teacher development, a guiding
philosophy for integrating ICT into teaching was suggested by the former UNESCO
Assistant Director-General for Education. It involves:
Technology integration
• Interaction will remain critical for education;
• Technology must be integrated with pedagogy;
• Exposing hollow or loose thinking about technology;
• Evidence-based policy making must be encouraged, that considers
Seeking a balance between better teaching and better learning
• Technology should be used to create a good learning environment for the
student, not simply to enhance the skills of the teacher. “It is more effective
to concentrate on improving access to learning, improving its quality and
decreasing its cost”;
210  Information and Communication Technology in Education ICT in Teacher Education (Pre and in-Service)  211
♦ ♦
• Students can learn many ICT skills on their own with minimal help from CONCLUSION
teachers. Learning pedagogical skills for using ICT for improving teaching The objective of integration of ICT at pre-service and in-service level is not
is more important for teachers than concentrating on technical skills. to prepare technocrats, but to develop techno pedagogues. Teachers should be in a
position to integrate technology into teaching / learning as well as to develop the
THE DIFFERENT IN-SERVICE PROGRAMMES IN ICT FOR TEACHERS AT art and skill of “webogogy” (i.e., to make use of Internet technology, exploring
DIFFERENT LEVELS IN DIFFERENT STATES it, accessing information from it to use in teaching learning, etc.). In addition to
1. Computer based instruction: offering ICT as a compulsory and special course, integrated approaches need to
be studied along with methods courses. This will help pupil-teachers to develop
2. Administrative tool:
the concept of ‘techno pedagogy’ to a greater extent.
3. Communication Tool: Teachers, like doctors, must remain current in their knowledge base and
4. Research Tool: critical understandings. Teacher must know the most current research and practice
5. Evaluation Tool: which can be used effectively to match particular teaching procedures to children
6. Collaboration Tool: with particular needs play a vital role in 21st century classroom.

THE PERCEPTION OF TEACHERS REGARDING THE NEED FOR TRAINING
IN ICT THROUGH IN-SERVICE PROGRAMMES IN ICT FOR TEACHERS AT
DIFFERENT LEVELS IN DIFFERENT STATES
94% of the teachers who constituted the sample were having knowledge
regarding how to use computers. 99.4% of the sample of teachers who constituted
the sample had basic knowledge of computers. 82.76% of the teachers could use
word processor. 10.42% of the teachers who were part of the sample of this study
responded that they are able to use publishing software. 88.71% of the sample of
teachers could use power point for presentations. Only 15.17% of the teachers had
knowledge of any programming language. When the teachers were asked about
major barriers that they had in the implementation of technology, the responses
obtained were: Overcrowded classes (2.81%), Lack of time (2.70%), Lack of
Internet (3.15%), Lack of Power backup (55.73%) Lack of System maintenance
(3.15%), No computing skills (9.21%), Lack of infra-structure (5.84), Cyber-crime
(2.47%), Staff not supportive (3.37%) and Language problem (1.57%). 51% of
the teachers. They considered the management towards integration of technology
into teaching as positive
REFERENCES
• YADAV, S. K. 2010. Innovations in Teacher Education, University News, Vol. 48, No.
40. October 4-10, 2010.
• NCERT (2006), Position Paper, National Focus Group on Educational Technology Delhi.
• NCTE. 2009. National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education, NCTE, Regional
Bureau for Education.New Delhi
• UNESCO Bangkok. (2013). Case studies on integrating ICT into teacher education
curriculum in Asia. Bangkok: UNESCO, Asia and Pacific UNESCO 2008a. “ICT
Competencies standards for teachers.” Competency standards modules
• Kothari. D.S. “Education Commission (1964-1966) Ministry of Equation, new Delhi.
• Naidu, S. (2003) E-Learning: A guidebook of principles, procedures and Practices.
New Delhi:
• Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia.
• Mishra, P., & Koehler, M.J. (2006). Technological pedagogical content knowledge: A
framework for integrating technology in teacher knowledge. Teachers College Record.

THERE ARE STILL MANY BARRIERS TO PROGRESS, THE MOST OFTEN

CITED ARE
1. Access to working technology in schools is still very limited in many countries.
2. Lack of training and practice to use computers in teaching.
3. Lack of connection between personal uses of ICT to teaching students to
learn with technology.
4 Attitude towards computers and lack of self confidence in ICT.
5. Lack of Technical support.
6. Lack of instructional support.
7. Lack of mentor teachers.

33
Information and Communication Technology
(ICT) in School Education
Vishwanath S. Toti* and Mallikarjun M. Belagall**
Abstract
Teaching is becoming one of the most changing and challenging professions
now days. Knowledge is reaching rapidly through modern technology.
Information and Communication Technologies are the power that has changed
many aspects of the lives. the use of ICT has basically changed all forms of
Endeavour within business, governance and off-course education. The education
is a socially oriented activity. It plays vital role in building the society. The quality
education traditionally is associated with strong teachers having high degrees.
Using ICTs in education it moved to more student –centered learning. The role
of ICTs in education becoming more and more important and this importance
will continue to grow and develop in 21st century. Nowadays ICT (specially an
internet) plays imminent role in the process of integrating technology into the
educational activities. Information and communication technology ( ICT) can
influence every aspects of teching and learning area. With the use of ICT we can
found remarkable changes in exchanging information, teaching methods, learning
approaches, secientific researches in education and in accessing information.
ICT benefits education system to provide quality education in alignment with
constructivism, which is a contemprory paradigm of learing . ICTSs are making
dynamic changes in schools. They are influencing all aspects of teaching. ICTs
greatly facilitate the acquisition and absorption of knowledge. “ICTs are the
computing and communication facilities and features that variously support
teaching, learning and a range of activities in education.”
INTRODUCTION
Information Communication Technologies are the power that has changed many
aspects of the lives. the use of ICT has basically changed all forms of endeavour
*Research scholar, Department of Education, RCU Belagavi.
**Research scholar, Department of Education, RCU Belagavi.
212
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in School Education  213
♦
within business, governance and off-course education. The education is a socially
oriented activity. It plays vital role in building the society. The quality education
traditionally is associated with strong teachers having high degrees. Using ICTs
in education it moved to more student –centered learning. The role of ICTs in
education becoming more and more important and this importance will continue
to grow and develop in 21st century. Nowadays ICT (specially an internet) plays
imminent role in the process of integrating technology into the educational activities.
What is ICT?- ICT is an acronym that stands for
• Information
• Communication
• Technology
Information- The nature of information (the ‘’I’’ in ICT) covers topics such as
the meaning and value of information; how information is controlled; the limitations
of ICT; legal consideration. Management of information covers how data is captured,
verified and stored for effective use; the manipulation processing and distribution of
information; keeping information secure; designing networks to share information.
Communication- The C part of ICT refers to the communication of data
by electronic means, usually over a distance. This is often achieved via networks
of sending and receiving equipment, wires and satellitesoftware applications and
data. The type of network is invaluable in the office environment where colleagues
need to have access to common data or program. External Networks- Often you
need to communicate with someone outside your internal network; in this case you
will need to be part of a Wide Area Network (WAN). The internet is the ultimate
WAN – it is a vast network of networks. Internal Networks- Usually referred to as
a Local Area Network (LAN), this involves linking a number of hardware items
together within an office or building. The aim of a LAN is to be able to share
hardware facilities such as printers or scanners.
Technology- Technology is the making, modification, usage, and knowledge
of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems, and methods of organization, in
order to solve a problem, improve a pre-existing solution to a problem, achieve
a goal, handle an applied input/output relation or perform a specific function. It
can also refer to the collection of such tools, including machinery, modifications.
The term can eitherbe applied generally or to specific areas. “ICTs are the
computing and communication facilities and features that variously support teaching,
learning and a range of activities in education
OBJECTIVES OF ICT IMPLEMENTATION IN SCHOOL EDUCATION:
1. Improvement in learning achievement;
2. Reduction of adult illiteracy rate, with sufficient emphasis on female literacy;
3. Expansion of provisions of basic education and training in other essential
skills required by youth.
4. Increased acquisition by individuals and families of the knowledge, skills
and values required for better living and sound and sustainable development.
214  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
5. To increase variety of educational services & medium
6. To promote equal opportunities to obtain education & information.
7. To develop a system of collecting & disseminating educational information.
8. To promote technology literacy.
USE OF ICT IN SCHOOL EDUCATION
1. Motivating to learner- ICT such as videos, television, and multimedia
computer software that combine text, sound, and colorful, moving image
can be used to provide challenging and authentic content that will engage
the student in learning process. Interactive radio likewise makes use of sound
effect, songs, comic skits and other performances convention to compel the
student to listen and become involved in lesson being delivered.
2. Benefit of ICT in School Education – Like other developing countries,
India uses ICT as a teaching tool. Its potential for improving the quality and
standards of pupils’ education is significant.
General benefit-
• Enable grater learner autonomy,
• Enable tasks to be tailored to suit individual skills,
• Enable students to demonstrate achievement in ways which might not be
possible with traditional methods.
3. ICT benefits for teacher, non-teaching staff-
• Using the ICT gadgets teachers can easily represent their lecture,
• Teachers make interesting and fruitful their teaching by using ICT.
• Non-teaching staff easily store the recodes in computers,
• Reduces isolation of teachers working in special Educational needs b enabling
them to communicate electronically with colleagues,
• Enhances professional development and the effectiveness of the use of ICT
with students through collaboration with peers,
• Improving the skills of staff a greater understanding of access technology
used by students.
4. ICT benefits for parents-
• Not only learners, teachers, non-teaching staffs but also parents to have
higher expectations of childrens sociability and potential level participation
may occur by ICT,
• Parents also have updated themselves by using ICT.
ICTS ENHANCING EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT
In this area new ICTs are more relevant. Computer software programs are
being used in time tabling and school management to improve the use of staff time,
student time and space, thus reducing costs significantly. Only a few computers
are necessary for this type of application.
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in School Education  215
1. It is noted that ICTs in schools can improve quality with less cost. Old ICTs
are still cost-effective for provision of education to out-of-school children
and youth broaden the reach of basic education, particularly in the direction
of the excluded and underprivileged groups; and to enhance and improve
classroom teaching.
2. To replace costly, rigid and culturally alienating educational structures with
less expensive delivery systems that are more flexible, more diversified and
universally affordable, without ever sacrificing quality.
3. To develop basic education services accessible to all, including the poorest,
illiterate adults, children outside the school system – whether at work, in the
street or refugees – through a strategy involving both the formal education
system and all the alternatives offered by the non-formal sector.
4. Basic education must become a field which is free of all forms of exclusion
and discrimination.
5. ICTs may be less economic because of the small number of learners. The
possibility of two-way communications with new ICTs makes them more
attractive where the target group has easy access to them, for example, in
peri-urban areas.
6. Access to the learning programme any time convenient to the learner.
7. Learners can be at any place to log on.
8. Asynchronous interaction providing participants and tutors with time to prepare
their responses effective means to reach out-of-school children and adults
where the costs are spread over a large number of learners, in the regions of
conflict and for refugees.
EXAMPLES OF ICT USE IN SCHOOL EDUCATION SYSTEMS OF UNDER
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
A New Society Requires New Skills
ICTs increasingly pervade every aspect of life (work, learning, leisure, and
health).Because ICTs are excellent tools for information processing, the new
generation needs to become competent in their use, should acquire the necessary
skills, and therefore must have access to computers and networks while at school
(Kok, 2007). Schools are information and knowledge holding institutions.
Therefore, ICT should be fundamental information management tool at all levels
of an educational system, from classroom to ministries.
A Quest for Quality learning
Schools should profoundly revise present teaching practices and resources to
create effective learning environments and improve life-long learning skills and
habits in their students. ICTs are versatile, and (2002) document, the average number
of students per computer is an indicator of students’ accesses to new technologies.
As some data from OECD (2002) shows, the percentage of students with access to
computer varies from 25% in Italy to 90% or more in Canada, Finland, and New
216  Information and Communication Technology in Education Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in School Education  217
♦ ♦
Zealand. Computer use also varies between students of primary and secondary collected, it is often quantitative data related to infrastructure (number of
schools; where the later generally having greater access. In recent years, the number computers, for example) rather than data that can help policy-makers gauge
of students per computer has been decreasing in the countries mentioned above. the impact of ICT interventions on student learning
• Lack of teacher’s competency to handle ICT equipment’s, is one of the biggest
RESISTANCE TO CHANGE ( BARRIERS TO USE ICTS IN SCHOOL barrier in Indian school education system for making it ICT based,
EDUCATION)
• Lack of infrastructures and equipments are another problems for back warding
Resistance is commonly witnessed while attempting to introduce ICTs into Indian school education than other country,
schools, very often from the teachers themselves, since they may be of the opinion
• Lack of interest in teachers and learners keep the Indian school education
that they shall become redundant once technology comes in or due to their perception
to his past place,
that it is too late for them to adapt to a new environment. Educators themselves
may be skeptical about the effectiveness of using ICTs in school education. • Lack of investigation for fruitful the schemes of ICT.
• Lack of Awareness: There is a general lack of awareness about the utility CONCLUSION
of ICTs in education, as well as about the ICTs at our disposal and how
The adoption and use of ICTs in education have a positive impact on teaching,
they can be accessed and utilized economically and effectively. This lack of
learning, and research. ICT can affect the delivery of education and enable wider
awareness and knowledge about ICTs and their use in education, even on
access to the same. In addition, it will increase flexibility so that learners can access
the part of policy makers, administrators and educators, makes it particularly
the education regardless of time and geographical barriers. It can influence the
difficult to deploy ICTs in the field of school education. Another critical issue
way students are taught and how they learn. It would provide the rich environment
with the usage of ICT in schools is the implementation of new technologies
and motivation for teaching learning process which seems to have a profound
without having analyzed their appropriateness, applicability and impact on
impact on the process of learning in education by offering new possibilities for
various environments and contexts. In most countries, particularly the least
learners and teachers.
developed ones, they must learn from the experiences of others, but must
The role of ICTs in the education is recurring and unavoidable. Rapid changes in
also use technology to respond to their own needs and not just follow trends.
the technologies are indicating that the role of ICT in future will grow tremendously
• Internet Usage: While the Internet contains tremendous potential for education, in the education. These possibilities can have an impact on student performance
as described in the sections earlier, it also has its own pitfalls. For one, and achievement. Similarly wider availability of best practices and best course
providing all the students with Internet access is a very expensive proposition material in education, which can be shared by means of ICT, can foster better
for most Government schools. This is more so in the case of rural centers and teaching and improved academic achievement of students. The overall literature
remote areas, where Internet connections are bound to be erratic, if available suggests that successful ICT integration in education.
at all. A different challenge altogether when it comes to Internet usage is the
effort involved in monitoring the students usage of the Internet to ensure that
they do not visit educationally irrelevant and socially undesirable sites, thus
detracting from the intended objective.
• Language Barriers: English is the dominant language of the Internet. An
estimated 80 percent of online content is in English. A large proportion of the
educational software produced in the world market is in English. For developing
countries in the South Asian region where English language proficiency is not
high, especially outside metropolitan areas, this represents a serious barrier
to maximizing the educational benefits of the World Wide Web.
• Monitoring and evaluation: Many of the issues and challenges associated
with ICTs in education initiatives are known by policy-makers, donor staff,
and educators. However, data on the nature and complexity of these issues
remains limited because of the lack of good monitoring and evaluation tools
and processes. Where evaluation data is available much of the work is seen
to suffer from important biases. Another problem in this area is the lack of
a common set of indicators for ICTs in education. And, where data has been

34
Information and Communication Technology in
Higher Education in India:
Challenges and Opportunities
Prof. S. G. Shrouti*
Abstract
The focus of this paper is to examine the role of Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) in higher education in India. The emergence
of ICT has fundamentally changed the practices of not only business and
governance but education as well. While the world is moving rapidly towards
digital media, the role of ICT in education has become increasingly important.
There has been an unprecedented growth in the use of ICTs in teaching, research
and extension activities. The sudden boom in Information Technology has
transformed the way how knowledge is disseminated today. One of the changes
it has brought about is the way how teachers interact and communicate with
the students and vice-versa. Given the fact that higher education in India
is plagued by the challenges of inadequate technology access and inequity
coupled with economic considerations and technological know-how, it remains
to be seen how Information and Communication Technology can actually
burgeon the students and how it can foster change in this aspect. Moreover,
this paper explores the emancipatory and transformative potentials of ICT in
higher education in India. Finally, this paper assesses how Information and
Communication Technology has facilitated the growth in interactive learning
and what has been its impact in the higher educational scenario in the country.
INTRODUCTION
The emergence of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has
fundamentally changed the practices of not only business, governance or education
but every spheres of human endeavor. As the world population edged to 7 billion in
*Assistant Professor, Dr. SET’s Arts And Commerce College, Ugar-Khurd, Belagavi.
218
Information and Communication Technology in Higher Education in India  219
♦
2011, it has profound implications in every sphere (UN, 2013). India has a massive
1.2 billion population (Census, 2011) of which a high proportion of them are young.
The demand for education in developing countries like India has skyrocketed as
education is still regarded as an important bridge of social, economic and political
mobility (Amutabi & Oketch, 2003). India has innumerable challenges in terms
of infrastructure, socio-economic, linguistic and physical barriers for people who
wish to access education (Bhattacharya & Sharma, 2007). However, it is hoped
that ICT can transform the educational scenario in the country. But then, can it
address these needs and perform multiple roles in higher education to benefit all
stakeholders?
The emancipator and transformative potentials of ICT in higher education in
India has helped increase the country’s requirement of higher education through
part-time and distance-learning as a tool to overcome the issues of cost, less
number of teachers, and poor quality of education as well as to overcome time and
distance barriers (McGorry, 2002). Mooij (2007) states that differentiated ICT based
education can be expected to provide greater reliability, validity, and efficiency of
data collection and greater ease of analysis, evaluation, and interpretation at any
educational level. While the world is moving rapidly towards digital media, the
role of ICT in education has become increasingly important. It has transformed the
way how knowledge is disseminated today in terms of how teachers interact and
communicate with the students and vice-versa. Besides, it can provide networking
structures transcending borders and foster empowerment amongst students. But
then what has been its impact in the higher educational scenario in the country?
1. HIGHER EDUCATION SCENARIO IN INDIA
India has one of the largest higher education systems in the world consisting
of over 651 universities according to UGC as on 2013. Besides there are 31,324
colleges of higher learning in the country as on August 2011 according to the
Higher Education in the 12th Five-Year Plan Report (2012-17). The number of
students enrolled in the universities and colleges has increased since independence
to 13,642 million in the beginning of the academic year 2009-10 with 1,669 million
(12.24%) in the university departments and 11.973 million (87.76%) in the affiliated
colleges (MHRD, Annual Report, 2009-10). However, this growth in numbers does
not reflect much improvement in the delivery of higher education in the country.
The higher education system in India continues to suffer due to inadequate access
to technology and inequity. However, the application of ICT in higher education has
not only brought about diversification in higher education but has also fostered new
avenues for international mobility of traditional and non-traditional students (Kirsebom,
1998). While it is believed that ICT can transform the educational scenario in the
country, it should address the needs and perform multiple roles in higher education
to benefit all stakeholders. This sense of urgency and the continuous implementation
of ICT in higher education have led many universities and colleges into a more
action-oriented adaptation approach (Schmidtlein & Taylor 2000). Pedro (2001)
observes that the focus is often more on the end product than on the premises and
processes behind a well-functioning incorporation of ICT in teaching and learning.
220  Information and Communication Technology in Education Information and Communication Technology in Higher Education in India  221
♦ ♦
2. MAJOR ICT INITIATIVES IN HIGHER EDUCATION in terms of population where majority of the rural people do not speak English.
India has taken up major initiatives in terms of content delivery and furthering Therefore, the need to develop content in all the official languages of India becomes
education through Information and Communication Technology. For instance Gyan all the more important. While there are many challenges in development of local
Darshan was launched in 2000 to broadcast educational programs for school kids, language content particularly due to the absence of script and font standardization,
university students, and adults. Similarly Gyan Vani was another such important local language computing becomes problemetic though not impossible. In a multi-
step which broadcast programs contributed by institutions such as IGNOU and lingual country like India, this standardization becomes even more difficult. However,
IITs. Under the UGC country wide classroom initiative, education programs are this needs to be addressed immediately. As ambitious ICT based initiatives in
broadcast on Gyan Darshan and Doordarshan’s National Channel (DD1) everyday. higher education is envisioned, it is necessary to embark on a well-articulated
E-Gyankosh which aims at preserving digital learning resources is a knowledge ‘Action Plan’.
repository launched by IGNOU in 2005. Almost 95% of IGNOU’s printed material
has been digitized and uploaded on the repository. The National Programme for
CONCLUSIONS
Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL) launched in 2001 is another joint initiative Information and Communication Technology has no doubt brought about
of IITs and IISc which promotes education through technology. tremendous change in education, but we are yet to achieve the desired level of IT
Moreover, the ambitious National Mission on Education through ICT was adoption in higher education in the country. The optimal utilization of opportunities
launched by the government to harness ICT’s potential throughout the length and arising due to diffusion of ICTs in higher education system presents enormous
breadth of the country. In 2009, the government approved the landmark “National challenge. Nonetheless, it has become an indispensable support system for higher
Mission on Education through ICT” scheme. The National Mission on Education education as it could address some of the challenges facing higher education
through ICT is centrally sponsored scheme submitted by the Ministry of HRD and system in the country. Moreover, it can provide access to education regardless
approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA). The Mission of time and geographical barriers. Similarly wider availability of course material
has planned a variety of initiatives aimed at developing and standardizing digital in education which can be shared by means of ICT, can foster better teaching.
content for Indian higher education segment. The Mission envisions catering to the While technology can influence the way how students are taught, it would also
learning needs of 500 million people in the country. Information and Communication enable development of collaborative skills as well as knowledge creation skills.
Technology in Higher Education in India ICT enabled education will ultimately lead to the democratization of education
and it has the potential for transforming higher education in India.
3. ISSUES AND CHALLENGES AFFECTING UTILIZATION OF ICT IN HIGHER
EDUCATION
While we glorify the role of ICT in the higher education sector, we also need
to assess the problems and prospects in its implementation. Literature on ICT in
education continues to project that it can help improve India’s higher education
system by providing greater equity, better access and improved quality. There is
a growing apprehension that Information and Communication Technology can
transform India towards becoming a knowledge society, butthen can technology
alone enhance the quality of higher education in the country?
The penetration of ICT systems in higher education institutions is extremely
poor according to a survey of accredited colleges by UGC in 2008 which reveals
shortcomings in IT infrastructure. As the majority of Indians living in rural areas
have poor access to internet, it is necessary that they are exposed and trained in
basic computing skills and ICT utilization. Moreover, the low awareness on IT
literacy is also a major challenge India faces in realizing ICT implementation in
higher education. According to the International Telecommunication Union; The
Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) report a majority of government
institutions do not have sufficient IT systems. India’s linguistic diversity necessitates
the development of content in multiple languages to increase ICT applications.
According to the 2011 Census the rural-urban distribution is 68.84% & 31.16%

35
ICT in Teacher Education Programme
Smt. Vijayalaxmi R. Kore (Hosakeri)*
Abstract
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) that are becoming
increasingly pervasive in societies around the world are also reaching schools.
With numerous global advancements in ICT it is essential that have a thorough
working knowledge of these media and their influence on the performance
and engagement of their students. It is the ability to use digital technology,
communication tools and net works to solve information problems in order
to function in an information society. Educational systems around the world
are under increasing pressure to use the new information and communication
technologies (ICTs) to teach students the knowledge and skills they need in
the 21st century. Teacher education institutions are faced with the challenge
of preparing a new generation of teachers to effectively use the new learning
tools in their teaching practices. ICTs provide powerful tools to support the
shift to student-centred learning and the new roles of teachers and students..
It also provides opportunities for the student to reflect on his or her learning.
Although the new learning environment can be created without the use of
technology, it is clear that ICTs can provide powerful tools to help learners
access vast knowledge resources, collaborate with others, consult with experts,
share knowledge, and solve complex problems using cognitive tools.
INTRODUCTION
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) that are becoming
increasingly pervasive in societies around the world are also reaching schools. With
numerous global advancements in ICT it is essential that have a thorough working
knowledge of these media and their influence on the performance and engagement of
their students. There is no firm agreement on the definition of ICT, as these technologies
evolve almost daily. Here we assume that ICT includes, but is not limited to, personal
*Assistant Professor & Research Scholar, Women’s University, Vijayapur, B.V.V.S.
College of Education and P.G. Dept of Studies in Education (M.Ed), Bagalkot-587101.
222
ICT in Teacher Education Programme  223
♦
computers, laptops, printers, LCD projectors, palm devices, iPods, fax machines, cell
phones, Internet, and Intranet. Also we employ what the National (US) Higher Education
ICT Initiative (2003) describes as the ICT proficiency in the higher education context:
The ability to use digital technology, communication tools and net works to solve
information problems in order to function in an information society. It includes the
ability to use technology as a tool to research, organize, evaluate and communicate
information and possession of a fundamental understanding of the ethical or legal
issues surrounding the access and the use of information. This definition encompasses
three areas of ICT literacy, namely cognitive, technical, and social. It recognizes that
in the technologically connected world, one does not live in isolation and therefore
needs ‘soft’ as well as ‘hard’ skills to confidently, reliably, use ICT.
THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
Over the last two decades. The use of ICT has been important topic in education.
On the one hand, studies have shown that ICT can enhance teaching and learning
outcomes. For example, in science and mathematics education, scholars have
documented that the use of ICT can improve students’ conceptual understanding
problem solving and team working sills (Cups, Honey and Mandinach,2005;Gerban,
1992; Tao and Gunstone, 1999; Toomey&Ketterer, 1995; Zhou, Brouwer, Nocente&
Martin, 2005). As a result, most curriculum documents state the importance of ICT
and encourage school teachers to use them. However, teachers need to be specifically
trained in order to integrate ICT in their teaching (Batnae, 2004; Jacobsen, Clifford &
Friesen, 2002; Markauskaite, 2007; Mitchem, Wells & Wells, 2003; Yildirim, 2000).
Educational systems around the world are under increasing pressure to use
the new information and communication technologies (ICTs) to teach students
the knowledge and skills they need in the 21st century. The 1998 UNESCO World
Education Report, Teachers and Teaching in a Changing World, describes the
radical implications ICTs have for conventional teaching and learning. It predicts
the transformation of the teaching-learning process and the way teachers and
learners gain access to knowledge and information.
Teacher education institutions may either assume a leadership role in the
transformation of education or be left behind in the swirl of rapid technological
change. For education to reap the full benefits of ICTs in learning, it is essential that
pre- and in-service teachers are able to effectively use these new tools for learning.
Teacher education institutions and programmes must provide the leadership for
pre- and in-service teachers and model the new pedagogies and tools for learning.
Teacher education institutions are faced with the challenge of preparing a new
generation of teachers to effectively use the new learning tools in their teaching
practices. For many teacher education programmes, this daunting task requires
the acquisition of new resources, expertise and careful planning. In approaching
this task it is helpful to understand:
• The impact of technology on global society and the implications for education
• The extensive knowledge that has been generated about how people learn
and what this means for creating more effective and engaging student-centred
learning environments
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• The stages of teacher development and the levels of adoption of ICTs by
teachers
• The critical importance of context, culture, leadership and vision, lifelong
learning, and the change process in planning for the integration of technology
into teacher education
• The ICT competencies required of teachers related to content, pedagogy,
technical issues, social issues, collaboration, and networking
• The importance of developing standards to guide implementation of ICTs in
teacher education
• The essential conditions for successful integration of ICTs into teacher education
• Important strategies to consider in planning for the infusion of ICTs in teacher
education and managing the change process.
THE TRADITIONAL VIEW OF THE LEARNING PROCESS
The existing view of the learning process emerged out of the factory model
of education at the turn of the 20th century and was highly effective in preparing
large numbers of individuals with skills needed for low-skilled positions in industry
and agriculture. The innovation of classrooms with 20- 30 students was created
along with the concept of standardized instruction for everyone. In the traditional,
teacher-centered approach to learning the teacher is the expert and the dispenser
of knowledge to the students. It is largely a ‘broadcast’ model of learning where
the teacher serves as the repository and transmitter of knowledge to the students.
The traditional educational paradigm is often characterized by the following views
of learning:
• Learning is hard. Many view learning as a difficult and often tedious
process. According to this view, if students are having fun or enjoying what they
are doing in a learning activity, they probably are not learning.
• Learning is based on a deficit model of the student. The system strives to
identify deficiencies and weaknesses of the student. Based on noted deficiencies,
students are tracked, categorized, remediated or failed. The impact of the deficit
model of student learning is most obvious in compensatory education programmes.
As implied by the term, compensatory education is designed to make up or remediate
learning that some children, particularly poor minority children, do not have, but
which the curriculum and structure of schooling assume are common to all children.
Bruer, in his book, Schools for Thought, notes that research overwhelmingly
concentrates on the weaknesses of poor children. Very little research has been done
on their strengths. In addition, the weaknesses identified are often deficiencies in
terms of the traditional organization and content of schooling. Very little thought
has been given to the idea of changing schooling to accommodate new kinds of
students; all the effort has gone to changing the students so that they will fit into the
schools. In addition, the underlying assumptions about poor students’ motivation,
language, and conceptual development have...”militated against offering them a
literacy of thoughtfulness and have favoured a low-level, atomized, concrete, basic-
skills curriculum. The language of that curriculum has been so simplified that it
ICT in Teacher Education Programme  225
is both boring and artificial. It has been stripped of its THE. Learning is a process
of information transfer and reception. Much of our present learning enterprise
remains “information-oriented,” emphasizing students reproducing knowledge
rather than producing their own knowledge. It also remains teacher-centred. Many
still see the role of the teacher as a dispenser of information and the role of the
student as a passive receiver, storer and repeater of the transmitted information .
The prevalence of this view is supported by observations that teachers continue to
rely on old standbys such as lectures, textbook reading, and fill-in-the-worksheets
practices that reduce students to passive recipients of information and fail to
develop their thinking skills.
• Learning is an individual/solitary process. In a study of schools in the
United States, the National Assessment of Educational Progress noted that
most students spend long hours working alone at their desks completing
worksheets or repetitive tasks. A London Times survey of English school
children indicated that students almost unanimously rejected this daily ordeal
of dull and ritualistically solitary classroom activity and called for a broader
and more exciting curriculum. Above all, they wanted more work allowing
them to think for themselves. They wanted to design and make things, to
experiment and to engage in first-hand observation. The Times reported,
however, that there was little evidence of changes in the curriculum that
would respond to the students’ wishes. (Resta, 1996)
• Learning is facilitated by breaking content/instruction into small
isolated units. The educational system is often geared more to categorizing
and analyzing patches of knowledge than to sewing them together. Bruer
(1993) notes that the technology of mass education is quite adept at “breaking
knowledge and skills into thousands of little standardized, decontextualized
pieces, which could be taught and tested one at a time.” Neil Postman in his
book, Teaching as a Subversive Activity, states that our educational systems
break knowledge and experience into “subjects, relentlessly turning wholes
into parts, history into events without restoring continuity.” (Postman, 1969)
• Learning is a linear process. Frequently, the textbook or teacher provides
only one linear path through a narrowly bounded content area or sequence
of standardized instructional units. For example, in a mathematics text only
one correct problem solution trail may be offered for a specific subclass of
problems. However, the problems 18 ICTs IN TEACHER EDUCATION A
PLANNING GUIDE encountered in daily life (or in mathematics) seldom
have only one solution path or sequence.
CHANGES IN VIEWS OF THE LEARNING PROCESS
In contrast to the traditional teaching-learning paradigm, a new paradigm of the
teaching-learning process is emerging, based on three decades of research in human
learning, that encompasses the following views of the human learning process:
• Learning is a natural process. The natural state of the brain is to learn,
however, not everyone learns in the same way. There are different learning,
226  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
perceptual and personality styles that must be considered in the design of
learning experiences for the individual student. Given interesting and rich
learning environments, and supportive and stimulating teachers, students
will learn. Teachers have often noted that children who appear disruptive
or to have short attention spans when confronted with typical classroom
instruction, may spend long periods engaged in meaningful and interesting
computer-related activities.
• Learning is a social process. The communal context of knowledge and
learning is beginning to be rediscovered, as evidenced by the rapid growth
of quality circles and computer-supported collaborative work in business,
government, medicine, and higher education. As Vygotsky (1978) noted long
ago, students learn best in collaboration with peers, teachers, parents, and
others when they are actively engaged in meaningful, interesting tasks. ICTs
provide opportunities for teachers and students to collaborate with others
across the country and across the globe. They also provide new tools to
support this collaborative learning in the classroom and online.
• Learning is an active and not a passive process. In most fields, people
are faced with the challenge of producing knowledge rather than simply
reproducing knowledge. To allow students to move toward competence,
they must be actively engaged in the learning process, in activities such
as solving real problems, producing original writing, completing scientific
research projects (rather than simply studying about science), dialoguing with
others on important issues, providing artistic and musical performances, and
constructing physical objects. The traditional curriculum asks students only to
recall and describe what others have accomplished or produced. While ICT
is based on an understanding of prior knowledge, not the mere reproduction
of knowledge
• Learning may either be linear or non-linear. Much of what now happens in
schools appears based on the notion that the mind works like a serial processor
that is designed to process only one piece of information at a time in sequential
order. But the mind is a wonderful parallel processor that may attend to and
process many different types of information simultaneously. Cognitive theory
and research sees learning as a reorganization of knowledge structures. The
knowledge structures are stored in semantic memory as schema or cognitive
maps. Students “learn” by augmenting, combining, and rearranging a collection
of cognitive maps, many of which overlap or are interconnected through a
complex network of associations. There are many ways that students may
acquire and process information and assimilate it into their existing knowledge
structures. Although some knowledge domains, such as mathematics, may
perhaps lend themselves to a linear approach, not all learning can or should
occur linearly.
• Learning is integrative and contextualized. Pribram’s holistic brain theory
suggests that information presented globally is more easily assimilated than
information presented only in a sequence of information elements (Pribram,
ICT in Teacher Education Programme  227
1991). It is also easier for students to see relations and to make connections.
Jacob Bronowski (1990), in Science and Human Values, made the point that
to discover the connection between what had seemed two isolated facts of
existence is a creative act, whether the field is art or science. He calls it an
act of unifying. This is not something that can be done for learners; these
connections cannot be made in learners’ minds. Information can be given,
the connection can even be stated. But even if the information is repeated,
it cannot be assumed it is really known. The learners must discover it for
themselves. That is not to say that learners must discover everything unaided.
The teacher’s role is to help them in several ways to make connections and
to integrate knowledge
• Learning is based on a strength model of student abilities, interest, and
culture. Based on the work of Howard Gardner and others, schools are
beginning to consider the specific strengths and interests that students bring
to the learning environment, and are designing learning activities that build
on student strengths rather than focusing only upon remediating weaknesses.
. In contrast to the remedial and standardized concept of instruction, diversity
and individual differences are valued and the learning process is designed to
build on the strengths and assets brought by the learner to the classroom.
• Learning is assessed through task completion, products, and real problem
solving of both individual and group efforts. Rather than simply evaluating
students through paper and pencil tests, assessments are made using portfolios
of actual performances and work in both collaborative and individual learning
tasks. The traditional view of the learning process is typically teacher-centred,
with teachers doing most of the talking and intellectual work, while students
are passive receptacles of the information provided. This is not to indicate
that the traditional lecture method is without value, as it allows the teacher
to quickly convey lots of information to students and is a useful strategy
for recall or rote learning. However, it is not the most effective way to help
students develop and use higher order cognitive skills to solve complex real
world problems. As noted by Driscoll (1994), we no longer can view learners
as “empty vessels waiting to be filled, but rather as active organisms seeking
meaning.” Don Tapscott, in his book Growing Up Digital: The Rise of the Net
Generation (1998), notes that we are entering a new era of digital learning
in which we are in the process of transitioning from “broadcast” learning to
“interactive” learning. Today’s students no longer want to be passive recipients
in the information transfer model of learning. Rather they want to be active
participants in the learning process. There is growing recognition that today’s
world requires that students be able to work collaboratively with others, think
critically and creatively, and reflect on their own learning processes
• A shift from teaching to learning As technology has created change in all
aspects of society, it is also changing our expectations of what students must
learn in order to function in the new world economy. Students will have
to learn to navigate through large amounts of information, to analyze and
228  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦
make decisions, and to master new knowledge domains in an increasingly
technological society. They will need to be lifelong learners, collaborating
with others in accomplishing complex tasks.
ICT and teacher education global context and framework timely using different
systems for representing and communicating knowledge to others. A shift from
teacher-centered instruction to learner-centered instruction is needed to enable
students to acquire the new 21st century knowledge and skills. In Learner-Centered
Learning Environments shifting the emphasis from teaching to learning can create
a more interactive and engaging learning environment for teachers and learners.
This new environment also involves a change in the roles of both teachers and
students. the role of the teacher will change from knowledge transmitter to that of
learning facilitator, knowledge guide, knowledge navigator and co-learner with
the student.
The new role does not diminish the importance of the teacher but requires
new knowledge and skills. Students will have greater responsibility for their own
learning in this environment as they seek out, find, synthesize, and share their
knowledge with others. ICTs provide powerful tools to support the shift to student-
centered learning and the new roles of teachers and students.
In the student-centered environment the learner interacts with other students,
the teacher, information resources, and technology. The learner engages in authentic
tasks in authentic contexts using authentic tools and is assessed through authentic
performance. The environment provides the learner with coaching and scaffolding
in developing knowledge and skills.
CONCLUSION
ICT in Teacher education program provides a rich collaborative environment
enabling the learner to consider diverse and multiple perspectives to address issues
and solve problems. It also provides opportunities for the student to reflect on his
or her learning. Although the new learning environment can be created without the
use of technology, it is clear that ICTs can provide powerful tools to help learners
access vast knowledge resources, collaborate with others, consult with experts,
share knowledge, and solve complex problems using cognitive tools. ICTs also
provide learners with powerful new tools to represent their knowledge with text
images, graphics& videos.
REFERENCES
• Bronowski, J. 1990. Science and Human Values. Harper Collins, New York.
• Brown, J. S., Collins, A., & Duguid, P. 1989. Situated cognition and the culture of
learning. Education Researcher, 18, 32-42.
• Bruer, J. 1993. Schools for Thought. MIT Press, Cambridge.
• Cole and Wertsch. 1996. beyond the Individual-Social Antinomy in Discussions of Piaget
and Vygotsky. [Online]. Available: http://www.massey.ac.nz
• Driscoll, M.P. 1994. Psychology of learning for instruction. Allyn and Bacon, Boston.
• National School Board Association. 2002. Why Change? [Online]. Available: http://
www.nsba.org
36
Role of Facebook in Education
Smt. Geeta G. Mattikalli*
Abstract
Information and Communication Technology is the field of study that
involves all technical means of processing and communicating information.
Higher Education (HE) teaching practices have evolved over the last twenty
years, with more emphasis on student-centered pedagogy. Facebook offers
numerous features that allows users to interact in many different ways.
Facebook is a network that connects students, therefore indirectly creating
the perfect learning community. Facebook is a highly interactive website that
serves as a great alternative for teachers to improve upon their interactions
with students. Facebook can be a useful tool for promoting effective academic
practice. Peer feedback and collaborative models of learning and the ease of
education related interactions between students makes Facebook and ideal tool
for educational online communication. Facebook should be used as a teaching
tool and appropriate material should be posted on the page. Professors should
make sure not to talk about students and staff via Facebook. Professors should
set their profile to “open” and tell students that they can add as a friend but
teachers should not add students.
INTRODUCTION
Information and Communication Technology is the field of study that involves
all technical means of processing and communicating information. ICT is based
on the convergence of Information Technology and Telecommunication Systems.
Within ICT, there are many different ways to disseminate information. Multiple
types of technology pave the way for communication in the 21st century. Because
of the rapid pace of technology, there are bound to be gaps in many sectors of
business and education.
*Assistant Professor, B.V.V.S. College of Education, Bagalkot. Email: geetamattikalli@
yahoo.com.
229
230  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
Higher Education (HE) teaching practices have evolved over the last twenty
years, with more emphasis on student-centred pedagogy. There is an increased
expectation placed onto the role that technology can play to harness effective learning.
However, one could argue that there remains disconnect between our ambition for
interactive learning through technology and the realities of our practice (Roblyer
et al, 2010). This study explores the concept of interactive learning by focussing
upon a specific use of mobile and portable technology. The role of social media
may offer a new construct to enhance the learning experience. Greenhow and
Gleason (2012) explore the use of Twitter as a new literacy practice. They suggest
that when used in HE, it may lead to increased engagement and better interaction
between students and teachers. This view is also shared by Fusch (2011), who
argues that the tools of the trade are as important as the learning objectives, and
that tools are needed which promote social presence, create a more interactive
learning environment and foster collaborative study. Dunn (2012) realises that
more emphasis must be placed on learning with technology. The default setting
for many academics remains on teaching with technology. The two perspectives,
when not aligned, can create very different experiences for students. Laird and Kuh
(2005) support this argument. They argue that active learning and deep interaction
between students and their teachers requires an extended degree of technological
engagement. How the technology is used and how it is integrated into the learning
process is important. Zepke and Leach (2010) suggest that motivation and student
dispositions will influence their ability to engage in interactive learning, where the
line between online learning and socialisation is becoming blurred.
FACE BOOK
Facebook was started in 2004 by Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg. Today,
the site is open to anyone age 13 and older with a valid e-mail address. The site no
longer requires users to have a school affiliation to register. (Wikipedia) Facebook
offers a search tool that allows users to search for specific information like people
and groups. Users can join networks (based on city, workplace, school and region)
and allow others in that network to view their profile. Facebook security settings
allow users to make their page as accessible or inaccessible as they desire.
Facebook offers numerous features that allows users to interact in many
different ways. Each profile has a Wall, a space that allows friends to post messages,
videos, and pictures for the user and others to see. A user can create a Photo Album
where they can upload pictures. Users can also update their Status, which allows
them to inform their friends about what they are doing or thinking. The Notes
Application allows users to write a mini-blog or post a story for others to read.
This application has a specific place on a users page, and they can “tag” others in
the note. Additional features like the News Feed, is present on 4 the homepage of
each user Facebook. The news feed highlights information like profile changes,
upcoming events, birthdays, status updates, photo uploads and more, relating to a
users friend base. Tagging allows users to specify people in notes, photos, videos
and status updates. This information is sent to users that are tagged so they can
easily access information posted about themselves. Facebook continues to expand
Role of Facebook in Education  231
adding new features every year. New in the past few months is the ability to create
a username attached to Facebook allowing pages to be linked with simpler URLs.
In addition, Facebook now offers a real-time chat so users are able to instant
message other users that are online at the same time as them.
Facebook has the potential to become a learning network with structure and
flexibility; it is a great resource for students and teachers. The benefits of Facebooks
networking and social communication capabilities can greatly enhance the learning
experience of both the teacher and the student by tapping into a greater number of
learning styles, providing recommended relief from the traditional lecture format,
and by building a top the community already established by the students themselves.
With all the information and social networking going on, it can be hard to see
how or why Facebook would have any part in education. But, Facebook has bulletin
boards, instant messaging, e-mail and the ability to post videos and pictures. Any
user can post information and collaborate with others in the Facebook system. In
addition, there are downloadable applications that can help educators. The ease
of use with uploading videos and photos on Facebook makes it one of the best
sites of its kind. The 1024 MB limit on videos and the compatibility with a variety
of browsers makes Facebook the best choice out of many courseware options.
Facebook is a network that connects students, therefore indirectly creating
the perfect learning community. Facebook could be used to help students build
their courses on top of the community already established by students themselves.
It is our conjecture that the benefits of Facebook’s networking and social
communication capabilities can benefit both the instructor and the student by
tapping into a greater number of learning styles, providing an alternative to the
traditional lecture format, creating an online classroom community and increasing
teacher-student and student student interaction.
The educational potential of Facebook is great. Facebook can be a useful
tool for promoting effective academic practice. Peer feedback and collaborative
models of learning and the ease of education related interactions between students
makes Facebook and ideal tool for educational online communication. While Face
book is not being used for direct teaching, it is becoming more of an informal
education network .
Facebook is a highly interactive website that serves as a great alternative for
teachers to improve upon their interactions with students. Students could perceive
professors use of Facebook as a good thing or a bad thing. Teachers have to be
careful not to violate code of behavior they do not want to spoil their credibility.
What the teacher discloses and how much information and pictures they disclose
may positively or negatively alter student perceptions.
Facebook is a tool that could and should be used in classrooms today. While
the negative aspects of using Facebook in education such as, online predators,
rebelling students, too much teacher disclosure, and unwilling students are real
issues, with time and the right technique, Facebook could become a valuable tool
for the educational system.
The benefits of Facebooks networking and social communication capabilities
can greatly enhance the learning experience of both the teacher and the student by
232  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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tapping into a greater number of learning styles, providing recommended relief
from the traditional lecture format, and by building a top the community already
established by the students themselves.
The professor can use that page independently of their own personal page
and can communicate with students through that page. The professor can post
content, videos, pictures, and messages all relating to course work. A professor
could create “Facebook Office Hours,” or times when they would be on Facebook
chat and allow students to ask them questions or get additional clarification on
assignments. The professor could create events that would notify students of
exams, quizzes, assignments or general campus events that the professor would
like their student to know about. This site would be a central hub for students
to connect with other students, learn material presented in the course and keep
track of their exams and assignments. Since most students are already using and
familiar with the technology, it would be a simple transition for them to keep up
with their class work on a social network they already use.
Facebook should be used as a teaching tool and appropriate material should
be posted on the page. Additionally, there should be similarities between a teachers
Facebook page and the way they present themselves in person. If the teacher has
a relaxed Facebook page, their style of teaching must be the same. Students want
teachers to be themselves on Facebook. Facebook can be a great tool but teachers
must proceed with caution.
Professors should create a Facebook profile that is different from their personal
page. It is important to include photos and links and some background information
but it should be kept strictly professional. Professors should make sure not to
talk about students and staff via Facebook. Professors should set their profile to
“open” and tell students that they can add as a friend but teachers should not add
students. Professors should make sure to tell students that they will not be viewing
their profile page, and setting their page to “limited” insures that they will not see
anything the student does not want them to see. It is important to make sure that
students know joining Facebook is an option; they should not be forced into it.
The main educational uses for social networks are the support they provide
for interaction between learners with similar problems and the student benefits by
entering new networks of learning based on interests. As cited by Selwyn (2009),
“Social Networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook have shown, among
other things, that students will invest time and energy in building relationships
around shared interests and knowledge communities” (as cited in Maloney, 2007,
26). There is potential for teachers and students to communicate via Facebook;
it is easy and creates positive networking with students. This idea can clash with
pedagogical paradigms, but educators need to re-think the way students are being
taught. “For example, it has been suggested that social networking offers the
opportunity to re-engage individuals with learning and education, promoting a
critical thinking in learners‟ about their learning, which is one of the „traditional
objectives‟ of education.” (Selwyn, 2009).
The formal and informal nature of such practice needs to be included within
the planning stages, otherwise it may lead to difficulty (Zaidieh, 2012). The time is
Role of Facebook in Education  233
ripe to take managed risk and explore creative methods of learning and teaching.
The learner’s journey and their experiences along the way must meet student
expectations and offer a more dynamic and appropriate pedagogy
Communication: Communication, both physical and electronic, is part of
everyday life. Communicating with colleagues about solutions to a current task
assignment or making plans with friends for an evening’s activities are simple
daily interactions. These seemingly simple face-to-face interactions can, however,
become complex when undertaken online, mainly because users have available
technologies, such as email, short message service (SMS), and chat rooms, to
overcome time and space constraints. Having a long discussion with a colleague
who is not in the same work domain can be difficult. For example, using email
infers that the response is delayed as it takes time to write a reply. Similarly using
an SMS service can be difficult, due to bifurcations in conversation, the need
to be allowed space to make their point, or a requirement to refer to previous
conversations. Hence, online conversation can become convoluted as more users
get involved.
In 2009, Facebook’s chat program surpassed the one billion messages per day
milestone, less than a year after the platform was launched. These figures don’t
take other communication methods on Facebook -- such as messages, wall posts,
comments and pokes -- into account, but do demonstrate the huge and growing
importance of the site as a way for contacts to exchange information. Even on a
cultural level, that kind of popularity represents a capacity to shape language and
communication methods among users.
Study groups : Traditionally, study groups consist of a set of members, related
by their selected course, who choose a quiet place to sit together and discuss the
assigned classroom tasks. With the advent of on-line chat rooms, social software
systems such as Facebook, and instant messenger systems, we come to the question
of whether physical proximity is still of great importance to the educational process.
Boulos et al. noted that university student populations are more movable and more
diverse than ever. Wireless connectivity and egroups have allowed students to
become members of collaborative online networks and study groups.
Co-authoring: Wikis allow users to collaborate online on shared ideas. The
Wikipedia project resembles an online encyclopedia which can be edited by anyone.
Sharing: Software which allows participants to share media through
recommendation by providing similar items to one selected. Examples of video
sharing include YouTube, dailymotion. Software like LastFM exists to recommend
music based on prior choices. This tool allows participants to show and share lists
with friends. Friends can be added through a common interest.
Simulated life on the web: This type of software provides the opportunity
for users to interact online using their imagination and creativity.
Technologies: These meta-applications enable social networking to take
place. An example of this is Friend of a Friend, which is a semantic technique for
connecting friends. This refers to the strength of a friendship. An advantage of an
online social network is being able to search for people or interests, and a method
for doing this is the use of folksonomies. A folksonomy is a way of categorizing
234  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
web content (by the user). Users are able to develop their own tags and see each
other’s tags. An advantage of tagging is quicker retrieval of related content.
Facebook’s more than one billion users make it a cultural, economic and social
phenomenon. The importance of the online social media site to journalism, business,
communication and social relationships is hard to overstate, with users across the world
devoting countless hours to the site and Facebook becoming an increasingly important
way of obtaining information not only about friends and family but also about world
events. Whether it’s good or bad is debatable, but the site’s impact is unquestionable.
FACEBOOK AS A COMMUNITY
The sociologist Benedict Anderson defines a community as a group where even if
the members do not know each other personally, they recognize each other’s existence
as parts of the whole and share a set of common practices and experiences. With its
one billion users -- a number comparable to the population of World-- Facebook is
one such community. That could be good or bad, depending largely on the conduct
of users and the decisions made by Facebook to shape relationships among members.
ADVANTAGES
Since the web is arguably better linked than the“real world”, finding people
on-line with shared interests is easier, and more likely. Nowadays many applications
allow users to keep in touch with long term friends, family and to find new friends.
In addition, new relationships based on the links between friends, and friends
of friends are created. These new relationships are not limited to people users
already know. Indeed, links are created in the act of stating an interest, or joining
a network; in this action, users find other people who share the same opinions,
hobbies, or university. To maintain relationships, the computer-supported social
network software provides various tools within the application (forums, tickets,
online profiles, etc.). Thus users have more support options than when using
one-to-one communications such as email. When a dedicated place is available
for users to post specific comments, the opportunity to request information and
gauge others’ interactions creates available norms that can more easily be applied.
Viewing others’ comments and postings provides a double feedback to the user:
first, they are using the right application at the correct place; secondly, other people
have the same questions, interests, or ideas. This promotes a much needed sense of
community. This reciprocating interaction applied to the university environment
offers not only benefits to students but in the long term to the entire community.
DISADVANTAGES
Links among individuals based on trust, affinity, and expertise versus friendship
are not as well defined as in the real world. As the definition of strong and weak
ties are vague in their application to online relationships, social software struggles
to model and implement real world relationships. Online profiles can be a source
of deception. Indeed, when a person mis-states their true identity or intentions,
trust is broken, potentially negating the foundation of their online relationships.
It is much easier to lose contact online since online interaction is asynchronous
Role of Facebook in Education  235
communication. One party is invariably waiting for the other to reply. Conversely,
interacting in close physical closeness exploits the non-verbal cues inherent in
face-to-face communication. In terms of trust, the security of personal information
online is increasingly important. Whilst the authenticity of online identities may be
questioned, conversely the susceptibility of personal information online is generating
increasing numbers of ‘horror stories’ covered in the mass media. Many social
networking sites work on a basis of presumed trust, with users’ profiles being
displayed and available to registered users and guests (meaning non-registered
users) by default, even if they do not belong to the same network or do not share
the same interests. Progressively, many networks now give the users the facility
to set their own level of disclosure, at a community level or to close friends only.
However, this precaution is not yet available for all applications.
CONCLUSION
This article describes the invaluable opportunities offered by social networking
namely face book, but equally there are many challenges working to frustrate the
most enthusiastic teacher. Privacy issues and opportunities for misunderstanding and
miscommunication are high, as the normal conventions of face to face interaction do
not apply on social networking sites. Facebook can be a great tool but teachers must
proceed with caution. . To summarise, the benefits highlighted within the study can
be explained as: Increases student motivation and engagement with course material;
Increases student-to-student collaboration; Enhances interaction between the student
and the lecturer/ teacher; Accelerates data and information sharing; Removes barriers
to self-expression and contribution; Provides students with 21st Century skills which
could aide their employability and increase levels of satisfaction.
REFERENCES
• Bandura, A. Self-efficacy: Towards a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological
Review 84 (1977), 191–215.
• Berglund, A., and Eckerdal, A. What do cs students strive to learn? Computer Science
Education 16, 3 (2006), 185–195.
• Booth, S. Learning computer science and engineering in context. Computer Science
Education 11, 3 (2001), 169–188.
• Bordia, P. Face-to-face versus computer-mediated communication: A synthesis of the
experimental literature. The Journal of Business Communication 34, 1 (1992), 99–120.
• Borgatta, E. F., and Bales, R. F. Interaction of individuals in reconstituted groups.
Sociometry 16, 4(1953), 302–320. 11
• Chin, M. Facebook statistics. http://static.ak. facebook.com/press/facebook_statistics.pdf,
• Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/.
• Filmtrust. http://trust.mindswap.org/FilmTrust/.
• Harasim, L. Shift happens: online education as a new paradigm in learning. Internet and
Higher Education 3 (2000), 41–61.
• Al-Khalifa, H. S., and Davis, H. C. Harnessing the wisdom of crowds: How to semantically
annotate web resource using folksonomies. In Proceedings of IADIS Web Applications
and Research (WAR2006)(2006).
• Blakeway, S. (2009, May 20). Gibbs’ model of reflection reveals Facebook as a source
of learning. Nursing Standard, 23:37, p. 32.

37
Impact of Internet on Adolescents
in Global Scenario
Dr. Rajeshwari Chanda*
INTRODUCTION
Today our earth has virtually reduced in size and has attained the form of
global village. It is possible only for the development of technology. Internet
is one of the main parts in technological development. Today internet has
become the most powerful tool for people around the world. In this age of
science and technology which may be called the age of globalization the term
internet has become more popular. And it is a global network which connecting
millions of computers. More than 190 countries are linked in to exchanges of
data. As a December 30 2014 there was an estimated 3,037,608,300 internet
users worldwide. The numbers of internet users represent nearly 40% of the
world’s population.
It is today one of the most important part of our life there are large number
of things that can be done using the internet so it is very easy. With the help of
internet we are progressing in every sphere of life as it not only makes our tasks
easier but also saves a lot of time and today it is using for different purpose
depending upon the requirements
HISTORY
The internet can be explained as networks of computers. It is not synonymous
with World Wide Web. It is a massive network of networks. A networking
infrastructure it connects millions of computers together globally, forming a network
in which any computer can communicate with any other computer as long as they
are both connected to the internet, the World Wide Web is a way of accessing
information over the medium of the internet. It is an information sharing model
that is built on top of the internet.
*Assistant Professor, Bilal College of Education for Women, Near Shapur Gate
Hyderabad Road, Bidar-585401 Karnataka, Email: rajeshwari_vhanda@yahoo.com.
236
Impact of Internet on Adolescentsin Global Scenario  237
♦
Internet is such a huge network of several different interlinked networks
relating to the business, government, academic and even smaller domestic networks.
Therefore internet is known as the network of the other entire network.
The following graph shows the popularity and numbers of users of internet
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
1. To understand the impact of internet on adolescents.
2. To know the positive impact of internet on adolescents.
3. To know the negative impact of internet on adolescents.
INTERNET AND EDUCATION
The education is one of important and best way that the internet can provide
there are a number of books, reference books, online help centers, expert views and
other study oriented materials on the internet that can make the learning process
very easier as well as a fun learning experience, there are lots of websites which are
related education. There are various numbers of tutorials available over the internet
using which you can learn so many things very easier there can’t be any excellent
use of the internet other than education as it the teaching- learning process have now
been through of and efforts made to implement of internet some sort of researches
have been going on in this field with the ulterior motives of all round betterment.
POSITIVE IMPACT OF INTERNET ON ADOLESCENTS
• Internet availability is not limited to only computers and laptops even mobile
phones with internet facility available at anywhere.
• Today internet is proved as a faster mean of communication. Now we can
communicate in a fraction of seconds with a person who may sit in the other
part of the world with the help of such services.
• Internet made it easy to establish a kind of global friendship where we can
share ideas and it has given the facility of video conferencing, chat services.
• Information resource is the biggest advantage that offered by internet. it is a
big source of information we can have any kind of information on any topic
under the sun is available on the internet.eg; government law and services,
trade fairs and conferences, market information, new innovations technical
support, education related specially learning through online.
238  Information and Communication Technology in Education Impact of Internet on Adolescentsin Global Scenario  239
♦ ♦
• Internet has become a basement to share knowledge connection with anything. • Maximum adolescents are suffering from Insomnia. Due to excess use of
• Internet provides e-mail and other instant services through which adolescents internet sleeping hours of some adolescents are shorten because they spend
can share the knowledge with their peer groups. their hole night in front of computers and laptops by chatting with their friends
• It is very useful to adolescent learners and research scholars for publishing and watching other sites. It will effect bad on their health because proper and
their papers. sound sleep is good for health.
• As connection with learning internet is very useful specially in distance • Due to internet adolescents have love affairs by chatting and forwarding
learning now a days mason learning is best distance only it could possible massages through face books.
with the help of internet.
CONCLUSION
• One more golden opportunity for an adolescent learner is they can write some
Now we in the globalized society we cannot imagine our life without
examination through online and this credit goes to internet only.
computers and internet. All technological developments have both advantages
• With the help of internet adolescent students are able to know the different and disadvantages if it is used in proper and positive way it will effect positive
methods of teaching and learning in all the universities throughout the world. and give good results. if it is used in improper way it will effect negative and gives
• Internet gives the good entertainment programs to the adolescents which bad results. The uncontrollable attitude of any adolescent feels negative impact.
has lots of new information and knowledge. Therefore the technological developments adopted properly it gives positive effect
• Social networking is one of the popular networks now a day’s specially and adolescents should restrict the use of internet to avoid the negative impact of
adolescents cannot imagine online life without face book and twitter. internet on their personality.
• One more credit goes to internet is with the help of this all can apply for jobs
REFERENCES
and business opportunities
• Bharatnagar,Mudita (2009) “Effective use of Technology in the class room” psycho-
• With the help of internet now we can perform all banking transactions online lingua,39 (2)
and pay the bills also. • Goel D.R Mani and Panigrahi.S (2000) “emerging technologies in education” case
.M.S.U Baroda.
NEGATIVE IMPACT OF INTERNET ON ADOLESCENTS • WWW.Intenet.applications .com
• Maximum adolescents are getting drifting apart from their friends and family • Internet uses.from net informa
relations. Maximum people of this age wants to play online game, they try to • WWW.Internet .com
avoid social touch. But all round development of adolescents’ social touch
is very important.
• Another negative impact of internet is sometimes it damages the computers
and laptops by virus attacks.
• Pornography is one of the main negative impacts of internet on adolescents
internet allows to access and download millions of photos, videos and other
such unrestricted access to porn can be a detrimental for adolescents.
• Adolescents use the internet excessively and they are waste more time in
front of computers and lesser time they are going for study.
• After the most addicting things drugs and alcohol internet is the third addictive
thing. This addiction may be informed of gaming site and social networking
sites etc.
• Maximum adolescents use the internet to bully other friends of the same age
group this is called cyber bullying. It will effect bad on adolescents inform
of depression and mental harassment.
• Internet is reducing the thinking capacity and creativity of adolescents. Because
if the teacher give assignments they search on the internet and copy down
the matter it increases the laziness.

38
Role of ICT in Promoting Social Equity
in Higher Education
Kallyanakumar Rathod*
Abstract
The Indian higher education system today faces a daunting challenge of
expansion in the face of globalised competition and all this has in turn made
the access to higher education even more difficult. With tertiary education
at the disposition of the privileged few, and majority percentage excluded
from the educational stream, the prospects of youth getting employment are
affected. The job and economic insecurity with unfulfilled career ambitions
among the disadvantaged group leads to aimlessness and unrest, fear and
frustrations. With its unimaginable scope, ICT has become a buzzword.
Techno pedagogic competencies are being emphasized more than ever before
in recent times. “Education for all” being one of the millennium development
goals, social equity at all the levels of education is an imperative. Thus,
implementing ICT in higher education for promoting social equity demands a
strong infrastructure, proper planning and policy-making, efficient professionals
and reorientation of the higher education framework. This paper intends to
explore the transformative potential of ICTs in the field of higher education
by studying the ways and means through which ICTs promote social equity.
Keywords: Social equity, higher education, ICTs
INTRODUCTION
With its unimaginable scope, ICT has become a buzzword. Techno-pedagogic
competencies are being emphasized more than ever before in the recent times.
Information and communication technology (ICT) is a key driver of socio-economic
change, worldwide. In developing countries, like India, the need for economic
and social development justifies the investments in educational reform at all the
*Lecturer S.F.N.C. College of Education, Hittinahalli L.T. Tq: Sindagi Dist:Vijaypur,
kallyan1579@gmail.com.
240
Role of ICT in Promoting Social Equity in Higher Education  241
♦
levels and in educational ICT. But ironically there exists a gap between the national
policies of education and the implementation of ICT in education practically.
“Education for all” being one of the millennium development goals, social equity at
all the levels of education is an imperative. The National Knowledge Commission
(NKC) that talks of India as a knowledge economy has clearly acknowledged
ICT as a powerful tool for equitable development of higher education system. In
accordance with the recommendations of NKC, Indian government has launched
“National Mission on Education through ICT” in 2009 with main aim of providing
high quality personalized and interactive knowledge modules over the Internet for
all the learners in higher education institutions in ‘Any-time Any-where mode’.
This paper intends to explore the transformative potential of ICTs in the field of
higher education by studying the ways and means through which ICTs promote
social equity.
HIGHER EDUCATION IN INDIA AND SOCIAL EQUITY
Research in higher education in India showed that the benefits of educational
expansion occur essentially for the already privileged sections, with limited
participation of the disadvantaged in the development process. The contemporary
challenge is to achieve access, equity and quality of higher education simultaneously.
Despite its large size, the higher education system in India is far away from the
reach of the bulk of the socially economically and culturally underprivileged
section of the population and cannot meet the growing demand for higher
education, especially from weaker sections of the society including culturally,
economically, and educationally backward people. It caters to the requirement
of only about 10 percent of youth in the relevant age group (18–24 years), while
corresponding figures are more than 50 percent for most developed countries and
20 to 30 percent for developing countries, Chauhan (2008). Further, the absence
of equity and inclusiveness in the system is clearly discernible from the fact that
the intensity of enrolment in rural areas is low compared to that of urban and too
low especially among SC, ST and OBC. On gender front, the access to higher
education is also low for female as compared with male, the GER being 15.25%
for the former and 11% for the later, Thorat (2006). Many factors can be attributed
towards such disparity like financial constraints and lower status of women, lack of
proper implementation of ongoing programmes and absence of political will most
importantly contribute to inequity and non-inclusiveness in the system. Looking
at the ground reality financial provision has been made in the Budget of 2009-10
to improve the situation not only from the point of view of equity and access but
also from almost all crucial broad sectors of higher education. Looking at the
ground reality, the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in India is 12 percent while that
of some developed countries is around 70 percent. One of the reasons of such a
dismal enrolment may be attributed to concentration of educational institutes in
the urban areas while majority of population live in rural areas. This is evident
from the fact that in India only 20 percent of Higher Education Institutes are
located in the rural areas with more than 65 percent of its population while the
remaining 80 percent of Institutions are located in urban or Semi-urban areas
242  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
which constitute only 30 to 35 percent of population. This invariably reflects gross
disparities in access to higher education in India (Ballal, 2009). There has been huge
increase in the demand for higher education in India since independence. Taking
technical higher education into account, there are approximately 2,400 technical/
engineering institutions across India’s 30 states, of which less than 8 percent of
public institutions are autonomous. The demand for tertiary education continues.
There has been a phenomenal growth in the number of private colleges across
India in the last 20 years. Private colleges now deliver 85 percent of all technical
and engineering education. The significant changes in supply and demand make
it increasingly important to ensure that tertiary education system and institutions
are effectively and efficiently governed and managed to meet the needs of industry
and society. The demand for higher education increases on account of a variety of
factors such as enhanced high school enrolment and growing aspirations of newer
groups of the society. However the increase in demand has not been matched
by corresponding increase in the education infrastructure in term of educational
institutions and other facilities. Due to the demand outstripping the capacity, a
large number of aspirants are also denied access to higher education. This has
led to a situation where institutions are required to manage more students than
they can actually afford, leading pressure on the facilities particularly the State
Universities, colleges – aided as well as unaided. As per the World Bank report
on governance of higher education in India, 2010 the higher education faces the
following daunting challenges:
• Expansion of access to higher education and decentralization of powerbase
• Equity in educational opportunity and social justice
• Consolidation and qualitative improvement of colleges and expanding the
base of social relevance of higher education
• Linkage of education to employment through knowledge and skill upgrading
• Accountability at all levels
Ghosh (2009) enlists challenges before the higher education system in India
with the following nature:
• Access to education- There exist infrastructure, socio- economic, linguistic
and physical barriers in India for people who wish to access education.
• Quality of education- This includes infrastructure, teacher and the processes
quality. Resources allocated- Central and State Governments reserve about
3.5% of GDP for education as compared to the 6% that has been aimed
(Ministry of Human Resource Development, 2007).There exist drawbacks in
general education in India as well as all over the world like lack of learning
materials, teachers, remoteness of education facilities, high dropout rate etc
(UNESCO,2002).
EMERGENCE OF ICT IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN INDIA
With ICT revolution all across the world during the end of millennium, the
year 2000 saw a remarkable development in the application of ICTs in India. In
Role of ICT in Promoting Social Equity in Higher Education  243
order to boost e-commerce in India, the government of India passed the Information
Technology Bill in May 2000 that propelled the use of ICTs not only in the corporate
world but the education sector also became aware of its potential. Government of
India has realized the relevance of technology in classrooms. For example, National
Mission on Education through ICT was launched in 2009 to bring sustainability
in education. The main aim of the mission is to provide high quality personalized
and interactive knowledge modules over the Internet for all the learners in higher
education institutions in ‘Any-time Any where mode’. The scheme seeks to bridge
the gap in skills needed for the use of computing devices for the purpose of
teaching and learning among urban and rural teachers in the Higher Education
domain and empower those, who have not been able to reap the advantages of the
digital revolution. “Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is one
of the most potent forces in shaping the twenty-first century. Its revolutionary
impact affects the way people live, learn and work and the way government
interacts with civil society. ICT is fast becoming a vital engine of growth for
the world economy. It is also enabling many enterprising individuals, firms and
communities, in all parts of the globe, to address economic and social challenges
with greater efficiency and imagination. Enormous opportunities are there to be
seized and shared by us all”. In particular, re-engineering of the technical education
and training system of the country, with a focus on ICT education, was proposed
under the umbrella of a National Program for Human Resource Development in IT
(NPHRDI). Actions emerging from the policy include creating public awareness;
documenting best practices through a clearinghouse; identifying and developing
institutions of excellence; promoting technology-mediated learning; supporting
capacity-building initiatives for faculty, curriculum and content development,
research; and promoting private-public partnerships.
ROLE OF ICT IN PROMOTING SOCIAL EQUITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION
In the developing nations like ours, National policymakers struggle, on the
one hand, to create conditions that support these policies and programs that cope
with them and harness their effects to support economic growth and the public
good. Education is among the public sectors that most effects—and is most affected
by—these developments in ICTs. The improvement of educational systems and
increased educational attainment are seen as primary ways that countries can
prepare for these global, technology-based changes and within education, ICT is
seen as a way to promote educational change, improve the skills of learners, and
prepare them for the global economy and the information society. A third, parallel
and related development—sometimes referred to as the “information society”
(European Commission, 2000)—is the set of broader social changes resulting from
the convergence of computers and communication technologies, their assimilation
throughout society and their use for communication, collaboration, and the sharing
of knowledge. As ICTs—including laptops wirelessly connected to the Internet,
personal digital assistants, low cost video cameras, and cell phones—become
more accessible and embedded in society they offer the potential to restructure
organizations, promote collaboration, increase democratic participation of citizens,
244  Information and Communication Technology in Education Role of ICT in Promoting Social Equity in Higher Education  245
♦ ♦
improve the transparency and responsiveness of governmental agencies, make new technologies because the experience has been made enjoyable in an
education and health care more widely available, foster cultural creativity, and unthreatening environment, and there are immediate perceived and actual
enhance the social integration of individuals with different abilities and groups of benefits.
different cultural backgrounds. National education policies and plans have often • The promotion of collaborative learning. Reasoning and intellectual
lacked explicit causal connections between these investments and the desired development is embedded in the familiar social situations of everyday life
economic and social impact stated in national goals. This is an important missing so the social context of learning has a great deal of importance. Collaborative
link in the structure of ICT-based educational reform policies and programs. The learning is therefore taking an increasing profile in the curricula of many
national policy framework that promotes social equity in higher education through schools, with ICT playing a central role. Schools in the UK are already starting
the use of ICT should: to use discussion lists, and other forms of computer mediated communication
• Mainstream social advancement opportunities for disadvantaged groups as (CMC) to promote collaboration in a variety of learning tasks and group
an immediate priority to minimize economic disparity and bridge the digital projects.
divide. • The move towards autonomous learning. At the same time, computers - and
• Facilitate participation of the citizens in local and national government, and the power they bring to the student to access, manipulate, modify, store and
policy making as a broad national agenda. retrieve information - will promote greater autonomy in learning. Inevitably,
• Provide incentives to the private sector and NGOs or other such organizations the use of ICT in the classroom will change the role of the learner, enabling
to generate and share locally relevant and local language digital content and children to exert more choice over how they approach study, requiring less
online services so as more and more students find easier to pursue higher direction from teachers. Students will be able to direct their own studies to a
education. greater extent, with the teacher acting as a guide or moderator rather than as
a director. This facilitation will take on many facets and will also radically
WHAT ICT BRINGS TO THE CLASSROOM? change the nature of the role of the teacher as we currently understand it.
Many educationists are predicting that ICT will bring about several benefits Consider for example the students at a local Devon school who are able to
to the learner and the teacher. These include sharing of resources and learning use software based music laboratory in their lunch hours to write, record
environments as well as the promotion of collaborative learning and a general and produce their own music CDs. Microphones and keyboards have been
move towards greater learner autonomy. purchased to encourage the creativity the children are discovering within
• Shared learning resources. One of the most striking examples of ICT in these self-driven extracurricular activities. Minimal teacher management is
action in American schools is the use of video systems to transmit television required. In the words of Moira Monteith, “ICT use offers children another
programmes and information throughout an entire school and even between tool to use in exploring ideas and creating representations where images of
schools in the same district. Students and teachers enjoy the facility to share different kinds can be integrated with sounds and music then ICT transforms
information wherever they are in the school. Television monitors provide what children can achieve and allows them to create something not possible
details of timetables, projects and assessment, mealtime menus and a host of in any other way. Making images and music electronically offers a novel
other useful up-to-the-minute information. There are also regular play-outs of approach to learning that still allows children to create and evaluate their
short films and videos created by children, and some schools can use several own products.”
channels for broadcast purposes.
CONCLUSION
• Shared learning spaces. Networked computing facilities create a distributed
With the haunt of globalization social equity seems to be the toughest challenge.
environment where learners can share work spaces, communicate with each
Higher education, and in particular technical and engineering education, is critical
other and their teachers in text form, and access a wide variety of resources
to India’s aspirations of strengthening its reputation as a major competitive player
from internal and external databases via web based systems through the
in the global knowledge economy. Issues of fair access and affordable participation
Internet. Using these shared systems, pupils develop transferable skills such
in higher education are critical if India is to empower its people with educational
as literary construction, keyboard techniques and written communication
opportunities that allow individual potential to be fulfilled, and allow more Indian
skills, whilst simultaneously acquiring knowledge of other cultures, languages
graduates opportunities for employment and to compete in an international arena.
and traditions. Furthermore, children are able to make links between internal
Therefore, it is rightly said that “The governance of higher education needs to
thinking and external social interaction via the keyboard, to improve their social
develop a fusion of academic mission and executive capacity, rather than substitute
and intellectual developments in the best constructivist tradition. Children
one for another” (OECD, 2002). As the nation moves deliberately towards a major
are quickly mastering the ability to communicate effectively using these
246  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦
expansion of its higher education system in a variety of modes and levels, it is
necessary to ensure that ICTs with a tremendous expansion potential serve as the
anchor for promoting social equity. It has now become necessary to recognize
that other underprivileged sections such as rural population, low wage earners,
and first generation learners also suffer from inequity problems. The development
of an all-inclusive policy for higher education becomes a complex phenomenon. 39
The practices also, should not lead to intensification of intercommunity, inter-
caste, inter-religious, inter-lingual and inter-State tensions and conflicts. Hence the The Potential Role of ICT in Transforming
foundation for widening access to higher education should begin with integration
of ICT in the educational process right from the secondary and upper secondary Teaching and Learning of Science
school as a backward link to guide and streamline the access process to a larger
variety of post-secondary education avenues. Mrs. Bibisadiqa A. Dafedar*

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• Ballal, H.S. (2009). FICCI-Higher Education Summit, Nov 6, 2009, New Delhi.
• Bhattacharya, I. & Sharma, K. (2007). India in the knowledge economy – an electronic
Paradigm. International Journal of Educational Management, 21(6), 543-568.
• Chauhan, S. P. (2008). Higher Education: Current Status and Future Possibilities in
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
Analytical Reports in International Education, 2(1), 29-48.
• Cross, M., & Adam, F. (2007). ICT Policies and Strategies in Higher Education in South
Africa: National and Institutional Pathways. Higher Education Policy, 20(1),73-95.
• European Commission. (2000). Europe: An information society for all. Brussels, Belgium:
European Commission.
• Ghosh, A. (2009). Enhancing the quality and accessibility of higher education through
the use of Information and Communication Technology, Retrieved from http://www.
iitk.ac.in/infocell/announce/convention/papers/Strategy%20Learning-01 Ashish%20
Hattangdi,%20%20Atanu%20Ghosh.pdf
Abstract
The technological and scientific revolution is one of the defining features
of modern human history. As such, acquaintance with science and technology
as elements of human culture should be the prerogative and goal of every
individual, independent of his or her occupational needs. While science and
technology are obviously significant from an economic perspective, they also
form an integral part of a broad-based liberal education. It is also evident
that education ICT and for Science and Technology must keep abreast of
developments in different global aspects. The latter contend that the value of
science education lies in the critical and evaluative habits of mind it develops
that are of ubiquitous value for all individuals in all domains. The aims of
science education and the significant choices that have to be made of what
and how we teach, currently, the curriculum is still driven by the agenda
of the professional scientific community with a well-established pedagogy
which is primarily based upon transmission of predefined, value-free content
knowledge.
Keywords: ICT, teaching science education, teaching and learning process.

INTRODUCTION
The technological and scientific revolution is one of the defining features
of modern human history. As such, acquaintance with science and technology as
elements of human culture should be the prerogative and goal of every individual,
independent of his or her occupational needs. While science and technology are
obviously significant from an economic perspective, they also form an integral
part of a broad-based liberal education. It is also evident that education ICT and

*Research Scholar, Department of Education, Karnataka State Women’s University

Vijayapur- 586108.

247
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Education for Science and Technology must keep abreast of developments in
different global aspects. In light of the fact that a modern technological society is
subject to rapid and frequent changes, an essential part of today’s general education
must enable students to be flexible and adaptable. Instant access to knowledge has
opened new windows of opportunity for students, teachers, and the general public
alike. Although communication has become much faster in the global world, this
also demands that society keeps pace with advances and progress. Under these
circumstances, the educational system must reassess its methodologies, theories,
and paradigms in order to be able to meet the needs of the modern world.
WHY DOES SCIENCE EDUCATION MATTER?
The need for science education to develop a knowledge and understanding
of the basic scientific principles – the foundation on which the edifice rests – and,
on the other, those who would argue for an emphasis on the processes of scientific
thinking. The latter contend that the value of science education lies in the critical
and evaluative habits of mind it develops that are of ubiquitous value for all
individuals in all domains.
The researches suggest, however, that there are four common rationales for
science education:
• The utilitarian: the view that knowledge of science is practically useful to
everyone. However this view is increasingly questionable in a society where
most technologies are no longer remediable by anyone other than an expert.
• The economic: the view that we must ensure an adequate supply of scientifically
trained individuals to sustain and develop an advanced industrial society
• The cultural argument: the view that science and technology are one, if not
the greatest, achievement of contemporary society, and that a knowledge
thereof is an essential prerequisite for the educated individual
• The democratic: the argument that many of the political and moral dilemmas
posed by contemporary society are of a scientific nature. Participating in
the debate surrounding their resolution requires knowledge of some aspects
of science and technology. Hence, educating the populace in science and
technology is an essential requirement to sustain a healthy democratic
society.
WHY TO USE ICT IN SCIENCE?
Why should we using ICT in science? If our teaching and pupils’ learning
is to benefit, we need to be clear about the reasons for using it. ICT should not
be used for its own sake. It should be used when appropriate to enhance learning
by allowing the user to focus on the main aims and objectives of a lesson, that
is, to promote better knowledge and understanding of science: The use of ICT
should either allow the teacher or the pupil to achieve something that could
not be achieved without it or allow the teacher to teach or the pupil to learn
something more effectively than they could otherwise; or both. In other words,
it should ‘add value’ to our teaching.
The Potential Role of ICT in Transforming Teaching and Learning of Science  249
WHEN SHOULD WE USE ICT AND WHEN NOT?
Knowing when not to use ICT can be just as important as knowing when and
how it should be used. The following two sets of key questions may be helpful.
For scientific enquiry:
• Will the measurements be more precise, more accurate or more reliable?
• Does it allow the collection of data that would be otherwise unobtainable, for
instance because of the speed or the length of time needed (e.g. temperature
or light intensity over 24 hours), or because two or more sets of data need to
be collected simultaneously?
• Will it save time on measuring and recording so that more time can be spent
on analysis and evaluation?
• Will it help pupils to analyze or see patterns more clearly and link them
to theory, e.g. data logging to produce cooling curves where the constant
temperature during change of state can be seen in real time on the graph?
MANAGING ICT
How well ICT is implemented and used in secondary science depends in part
on how it is managed. The following strategies have proved useful:
• Having a named person with responsibility for coordinating the use of ICT.
• Having ICT use as an agenda item at departmental meetings.
• Writing ICT use into schemes of work.
• Downloading information from Internet sites on to the school network.
• Loading CDs on to the school network.
• Discussing problems and possible strategies to overcome them.
• Sharing departmental expertise and experiences.
• In-house training by department members, e.g. on data logging, Excel,
PowerPoint.
• Regularly raising ICT as an issue – policy, frequency, discussions about
lessons.
EXAMPLES OF GOOD PRACTICE IN SCHOOLS
Here, some brief examples of current good practice are followed by a number
of case studies of particularly creative and innovative good practice.
• Pupils taking digital photographs of science club activities and uploading
them on to the science section of the school website.
• Biology teacher developing online learning resources for A-level biology on
the school website.
• Teacher of GCSE applied science using online resources and pupils producing
parts of their portfolios on Digital brain, the school portal.
• Excel spreadsheets used by pupils for analysis of results in their A2 chemistry
course.
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• All pupils in year 9 in one school carrying out at least one complete investigation
that uses data logging.
• Word-processing and use of spreadsheets in GCSE coursework and for displays,
for instance of investigations for Crest Awards post-SATs, and of research
home works.
Some resources from the Science Year CD-ROMs put on to the school network
for pupils to use in an ICT suite during science lessons.
• Pupil Internet research leading to PowerPoint presentations to other pupils.
• Pupils participating in an online real-time quiz in science club.
• Use of revision sites in science lessons and at home.
THE POTENTIAL ROLE OF ICT IN TRANSFORMING TEACHING AND
LEARNING OF SCIENCE
The aims of science education and the significant choices that have to be made
of what and how we teach, currently, the curriculum is still driven by the agenda
of the professional scientific community with a well-established pedagogy which
is primarily based upon transmission of predefined, value-free content knowledge.
However, the demands for change embodied in new curricula such as 21st Century
Science will require teachers to adapt and adopt a different set of pedagogic practices.
Its goal of fostering ‘scientific literacy’ involves developing knowledge not only
of the broad explanatory themes of science but also of some of the discourse and
practices of scientists, including the processes of theory construction, decision
making and communication, and the social factors that influence scientists’ work,
albeit highly simplified. Another force for pedagogic change in science education
is the new modes of enquiry afforded by computer-based tools and resources, now
known collectively as ‘Information and Communication Technologies’ (ICT). The
advent of this educational technology, and its more widespread access in schools,
potentially has an important part to play in re-shaping the curriculum and pedagogy
of science. In particular, it offers easy access to a vast array of internet resources
and other new tools and resources that facilitate and extend opportunities for
empirical enquiry both inside and outside the classroom. Thus, in a very real sense,
it offers opportunities to dissolve the boundaries that demarcate school science
from contemporary science by facilitating access to a wide body of data, such
as real-time air pollution measurements, epidemiological statistics, or providing
direct links to high quality astronomical telescopes, and providing ready access
to a wealth of information about science-in the- making.
Access to such secondary resources and data, however, places greater
emphasis on the need to provide a science education which gives pre-eminence,
as its ultimate goal, to developing the higher order cognitive skills of evaluation
and interpretation of evidence requiring critical assessment of the validity of
theories and explanations. Such an education would seek to support and develop
students’ scientific reasoning, critical reflection and analytic skills. What, then, is
the potential of using ICT to support and nurture such a science education? In the
following sections of this review, we now examine this potential – particularly
The Potential Role of ICT in Transforming Teaching and Learning of Science  251
that envisioned by the current trend in science education which seeks to develop
scientific literacy. We also explore the teacher’s role in exploiting this potential,
and the outcomes. Classroom use of ICT became a statutory requirement in all
subjects with the introduction of a National Curriculum in 1989. This obligation
has been somewhat elaborated with successive curriculum documents but its role
is described in broad terms, in the form of tentative notes in the margins of the
Science National Curriculum. The established model of using ICT to support
school science assumes an iterative, investigative approach, as embedded in the
National Curriculum, and incorporates simultaneous learning about scientific
theory and process. The ICT era has brought about great changes in our lives
in general and the educational process in particular. Schools must relate to these
changes and integrate them in order to implement the reforms required by our
contemporary world. New tools, abilities, and technologies enable innovations to
be introduced in teaching methods that will allow education to keep pace with the
rapid developments in the forms of learning and study material to which today’s
students are exposed. While there are changes in the views of the nature of science
and the role of science education, the increasing prevalence of Information and
Communication Technologies (ICT) also offers a challenge to the teaching and
learning of science, and to the models of scientific practice teachers and learners
might encounter. ICTs, for example, offer a range of different tools for use in
school science activity, including:
• Tools for data capture, processing and interpretation – data logging systems,
databases and spreadsheets, graphing tools, modeling environments
• Multimedia software for simulation of processes and carrying out ‘virtual
experiments’
• Information systems
• Publishing and presentation tools
• Digital recording equipment
• Computer projection technology
• Computer-controlled microscope.
• These forms of ICT can enhance both the practical and theoretical aspects
of science teaching and learning. The potential contribution of technology
use can be conceptualized as follows:
• expediting and enhancing work production; offering release from laborious
manual processes and more time for thinking, discussion and interpretation
• increasing currency and scope of relevant phenomena by linking school
science to contemporary science and providing access to experiences not
otherwise feasible
• supporting exploration and experimentation by providing immediate, visual
feedback
• focusing attention on over-arching issues, increasing salience of underlying
abstract concepts
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• fostering self-regulated and collaborative learning
• improving motivation.
THE REALITY OF ICT IN THE SCHOOL LAB
Teachers’ motivation to use ICT in the classroom is, at present, adversely
influenced by a number of constraints including: lack of time to gain confidence and
experience with technology; limited access to reliable resources; a science curriculum
overloaded with content; assessment that requires no use of the technology; and
a lack of subject-specific guidance for using ICT to support learning. While this
technology can, in principle, be employed in diverse ways to support different
curriculum goals and forms of pedagogy such constraints have often stifled teachers’
use of ICT in ways which effectively exploit its interactivity. Consequently, well-
integrated and effective classroom use of ICT is currently rare. Researches show
that even where technology is available; it is often underused and hindered by a set
of practical constraints and teacher reservations. Whole class interactive teaching
is also under-developed. At present, effective use of ICT in science seems to be
confined to a minority of enthusiastic teachers or departments. On the whole,
use of ICT in school science is driven by – rather than transformative of – the
prescribed curriculum and established pedagogy. In sum, teachers tend to use ICT
largely to support, enhance and complement existing classroom practice rather than
re-shaping subject content, goals and pedagogies. However, teacher motivation
and commitment are high and practice is gradually changing. Training teachers
in using ICT in the classroom appears to have had more success in science than
in other subjects. Teachers are now beginning to develop and trial new strategies
which successfully overcome the distractions of the technology and focus attention,
instead, on their intended learning objectives.
THE BENEFITS OF ICT IN SCIENCE
• There is considerable research evidence that learners are more highly motivated
when their learning is supported by ICT, Teaching Science with ICT for a
review of research evidence.
• Students are more engaged in activities; they show increased interest and
demonstrate a longer attention span.
• ICT can provide access to a huge range of resources that are of high quality
and relevant to scientific learning. In some cases the resources fill gaps where
there are no good conventional alternatives; in other cases they complement
existing resources. In some cases ICT resources are less good than conventional
alternatives and do not add to learning.
• The multi-media resources available enable visualization and manipulation
of complex models, three dimensional images and movement to enhance
understanding of scientific ideas.
• ICT widens the range of material that can be used in teaching and learning to
include text, still and moving images and sound, and increases the variety of
The Potential Role of ICT in Transforming Teaching and Learning of Science  253
ways that the material can be used for whole class and individual learning.
This means that a teacher can go some way to meeting the needs of students
with different learning styles. ICT also allows teachers with different teaching
styles to modify materials and the way they are used in different and effective
ways.
• ICT can improve the quality of data available to students. Information gleaned
from the internet can be more up to date, and data obtained from loggers can
include more frequent and more accurate experimental readings.
• Computers also allow repetitive tasks to be carried out quickly and accurately
so that more student time can be spent on thinking about the scientific data
that has been generated.
RECOMMENDATION
Outline below are some recommendations on the way ICT can be used to
enhance science education.
• ICT education should be compulsory in all schools.
• Serving science education teachers should be given the opportunity to be
ICT literate through in service education.
• Government should ensure provision of ICT facilities in schools.
• Every school should have an ICT coordinator
• Modern computer laboratories should be provided in schools.
• Government should ensure the provision of electricity to every school.
IMPLICATIONS FOR TEACHERS
Educational technology can be exploited further in science education by
building on – and disseminating – actual exemplars of successful practice and
pedagogy. This means moving towards structured forms of exploratory use, which
becomes more feasible as science teachers gain experience and confidence in
integrating ICT within their teaching. Increasing availability of interactive linking
between software means that electronic worksheets or tutorials can be employed to
structure tasks and to guide pupils along certain pathways (e.g. areas of a database,
customized spreadsheets, computer models, or pre-selected websites), Instructions
for discussing an idea with their teacher or peers could even be built in to such
resources, since increasing dependence on the computer is not, of itself, a desirable
goal. Indeed, an essential feature of successful teaching with ICT is expecting and
fostering active participation of pupils – particularly in research and practical work
which provides most opportunities for pupil responsibility and engagement with
tasks, but also in teacher-led discussion and demonstration. The roles of whole
class interactive teaching and the use of ICT to develop investigative skills are
currently underdeveloped and an increased focus on these may prove fruitful.
Explicitly developing new pupil skills such as ‘critical literacy’ is necessary so
that pupils can access, discuss and evaluate information derived from scientific
sources. It is also important to offer strategies for overcoming potential pitfalls
254  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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(such as ‘black box’, or overly passive, approaches). Insisting upon a clear rationale
for each form of ICT use where identified learning outcomes remain paramount
is the first and foremost step to advancing the contribution that ICT can make to
the learning of science – particularly a science education which seeks to develop
‘critical science literacy’. Teachers are progressing steadily and the use of ICT
is permeating to more classrooms. Further development, however, depends on 40
providing them with more time, access to reliable resources, encouragement and
support, and offering specific guidance for appropriate and effective use, In short, ICT in Teacher Education (Pre & in-Service)
on a programme of sustained professional development.
Hussainmiya D. H.*
CONCLUSION
To conclude, teachers are currently working towards harnessing the powerful
potential of using ICT to support science learning as far as possible, given the very Abstract
real operational constraints. Further development depends on providing them with
An exploratory case study was designed to obtain pre-service teachers’
more time, consistent access to reliable resources, encouragement and support, and
expectations of and attitudes toward the learning and integrating of Information
offering specific guidance for appropriate and effective use. Assessment frameworks
and Communication Technologies (ICT) into their teaching and learning.
(and their focus on end products) may also need to change in order to evaluate –
Given the diverse demographic backgrounds and social conditions of the
and thereby further encourage – ICT-supported learning.
teacher candidates, such as age, gender, English language proficiency, and
REFERENCES previous education, a wide range of responses to the online survey and the
semi-structured focus group interview questions was expected. Implementation
• Abd-el-Khalick, F.& Lederman, N. (2000). Improving science teachers’ conceptions of
the nature of science: a critical review of the literature International Journal of Science of the sequential mixed method research design resulted in emerging themes
Education, 22(7), pp665-702 related to participants’ social conditions that impact their perceptions and
• Armstrong, H.E. (1891). The teaching of the scientific method The Education Times attitudes regarding the ICT and beliefs about the use of ICT in their future
• Baggott, L. & Nichol, J.(1998). Multimedia simulation: a threat to or enhancement of careers. Findings from this study are compared to earlier studies done in the
practical work in science education?, in: J Wellington (Ed) Practical Work in School same setting. Findings from this case study show unexpected consistency
Science. London, New York: Routledge in teacher candidates’ comments despite changed circumstances. This study
• Baggott la Ville, L.M., McFarlane, A. & Brawn, R.(2003). Knowledge transformation could be employed as a useful reference for the design of an ICT curriculum
through ICT in science education: a case study in teacher driven curriculum development. for Teacher Education programs.
British Journal of Educational Technology (in press), 34(2)
Keywords: ICT, Teacher Education, Pre and In-Service.
• Ballal, H.S. (2009). FICCI-Higher Education Summit, Nov 6, 2009, New Delhi.
• Bhattacharya, I. & Sharma, K. (2007). India in the knowledge economy – an electronic
Paradigm. International Journal of Educational Management, 21(6), 543-568.
• Barnett, C. (2001). Prelude to an industrial defeat from the 1944 Education Act to the INTRODUCTION
1956 White Paper on Technological Education London: Royal Society of Arts
• Caswell, B. & Bielaczyc, K. (2001). Knowledge forum: altering the relationship between
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) that are becoming
students and scientific knowledge. Education, Communication and Information, 1(3), increasingly pervasive in societies around the world are also reaching schools.
pp281-305 With numerous global advancements in ICT it is essential that educators have a
• Caswell, B. & Lamon, M. (1999). Development of scientific literacy: the evolution of thorough working knowledge of these media and their influence on the performance
ideas in a knowledge-building classroom, in: J Leach & B Moon (Eds) Learners and and engagement of their students. There is no firm agreement on the definition of
Pedagogy. London: Paul Chapman/Open University ICT, as these technologies evolve almost daily. Here we assume that ICT includes,
but is not limited to, personal computers, laptops, printers, LCD projectors, palm
devices, iPods, fax machines, cell phones, Internet, and Intranet. Also we employ

*Prinicipal, Shri Siddhivinayak Rural College of Education Harugeri.

255
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what the National (US) Higher Education ICT Initiative (2003) describes as the
ICT proficiency in the higher education context:
The ability to use digital technology, communication tools, and/or networks
appropriately to solve information problems in order to function in an information
society. This includes the ability to use technology as a tool to research, organize,
evaluate, and communicate information and the possession of a fundamental
understanding of the ethical/legal issues surrounding the access and use of
information.
This paper is based on an exploratory case study designed to obtain pre-service
teachers’ status of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) literacy
prior to entering the Teacher Education program, as well as their expectations
of and attitudes toward learning ICT and integrating ICT into their practice and
future classroom teaching. The findings presented in this paper are based on data
collected through multiple channels including an online survey, semi-structured
focus group meetings and review of course documents. In addition, we used our
own observations and reflections from conducting courses related to teaching ICT
and teaching with ICT in the teacher education program. Thus, what is offered
here is partly informed by these experiences and is further informed by literature
on technology implementation in teacher education programs and in schools.
OBJECTIVE
The Instructional Technology (Computer Methods) course is designed for pre-
service teachers with the aim of building an intelligent and thoughtful disposition
toward the integration of ICT into teaching and learning in classroom and school
contexts. The emphasis of this course is on developing ICT literacy competencies and
promoting the philosophy of life-long learning rather than on computer skills training.
CONTENT
This course comprises a mixture of theory and practice as it covers most
influential theories related to implementation of ICT in education as well as the
actual applications of ICT in schools. In the theoretical part of the course, students
read and reflect on five articles on topics such as, research on ICT use in education;
ICT literacy; and social issues in ICT implementation. In the practical part of the
course, students acquire both hardware and software knowledge and skills.
RESEARCH METHOD
The goal of this study was to determine the needs of the teacher candidates
currently enrolled in the Teacher Education program based on their ICT knowledge
and skills, as well as their expectations of an ICT course that could have helped
them to integrate ICT into their classroom teaching. The research questions for
this study were:
1. Intermediate/Senior division prior to entering the Teacher Education program?
2. What are the pre-service teachers’ expectations of and attitudes toward ICT
learning and integration during and after the program?
ICT in Teacher Education (Pre & in-Service)  257
3. How can the ICT literacy course be designed and taught in order to better
meet the needs of the diverse pre-service teacher population?
Recruitment of participants for this study happened in two successive stages:
in early February for the online survey; and in April, after the fourth block of
practicum, for the focus group interviews. Students from the four I/S sections (N
= 135) were invited to voluntarily complete the online survey and three volunteers
from each section were invited for the focus group interviews (n = 12).
ONLINE SURVEY
A questionnaire was designed to collect the baseline data on the participants’
demographic information, their needs for ICT knowledge and skills, and their
expectations of the Teacher Education program in terms of learning and teaching
with ICT. The online version of the survey was created using the Pronto Survey
software. The online survey was hosted on a network server in the Faculty of
Education and an e-mail message was sent out to all the students in the I/S division,
asking them to voluntarily participate in the study. A $50 prize draw was used to
encourage participation. Survey questions addressed, among others, participants’
demographic background including age, gender, English language proficiency,
previous educational experiences, and life experience in Canada. This information
was used in the follow-up qualitative part of the study to fine-tune interview
questions. By doing so, we followed Morgan (1988), who suggested for “the
later stages of a survey, when the data are in and the analysis begins, (to use
focus groups) as a follow-up data collection, pursuing ‘exploratory’ aspects of
the analysis” (p. 35).
FOCUS GROUP MEETINGS
Self-selected I/S pre-service teachers were organized into two focus groups.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted in April, with six participants in each
group. These interviews were tailored to further determine the participants’ needs
of ICT knowledge and skills, as well as their attitudes toward and perceptions of
ICT integration into their classroom teaching. The interviews were carried out
with the assistance of a graduate assistant. Focus group meetings were recorded
digitally and recordings were transcribed by the graduate assistant before the
data analysis commenced. In accordance with the nature of the semi-structured
focus group interview, the interviewers used the guided approach to start each
interview topic and allowed the participants to express their views (Gall, Gall &
Borg, 2007). To obtain in-depth responses, the interviewers asked for elaboration
on emerging topics. By the time data collection started, the course grades were
already submitted, so participants did not fear the consequences should any of
them decline to participate in the interview or answer specific questions.
REFLECTIONS FROM INSTRUCTORS
One author of this article is the instructor of the ICT course and the other uses
ICT extensively in a subject area course. After the interview data were collected
and analyzed, we reflected on findings based on our teaching journals.
258  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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ANALYSIS
The online survey attracted about 17% of eligible teacher candidates, which
is an acceptable response rate for this type of data collection. By using the online
survey, the researchers were able to contact the target population of pre-service
teachers in the I/S division. Research comparing response rates among online,
mail, and telephone surveys suggests that response rates are generally lower for
online surveys than for mail or telephone surveys (Kraut et al., 2004); however,
cost and convenience often outweigh the known disadvantages of online surveys
(Reips, 2002). Although validity of data could not be claimed given such a low
response rate, and selection bias might be a factor that contributes to the limitations
of this study, some valuable interpretations emerged based on the survey data,
especially in conjunction with the results of previous studies done on the same site.
Twenty-three students (17%, N=135) completed the online survey. Table
1 shows a snapshot of the demographic information of the respondents of the
online survey (gender, age range, English language proficiency, online education
experiences and academic degrees obtained before entering the program).
Based on Table 1, it seems that learners with previous online discussion
experiences felt more comfortable participating in online activities (including
filling out an online survey) and females were more apt to participate in the
research study. Most of these participants had an academic background in science
or engineering while only a few (n = 5) had a background in the arts. As such,
this sample although voluntary, was demographically similar to the make-up of
the whole I/S pre-service teachers’ population. However, since 70% of the online
survey respondents were females, this sample was more gender-biased than the
I/S division population, of which about 52% were females.
Table-1.  Online survey respondents’ demographic information.
Note: Out of six participants with a Master’s degree, one had two Master’s degrees; one
participant with a doctorate did not have a Master’s degree.
There was a clear distinction in terms of number of participants between
responses to the online survey obtained from the participants with a background
in science or engineering compared to the participants with a background in arts
or humanities. This phenomenon might be interpreted that pre-service teachers
who had gained more experience in ICT during their previous program of studies,
felt more comfortable filling out an online survey.
Twelve of the survey participants accepted the invitation to take part in the
focus group meetings, which were organized twice, two days in a row, with six
participants each.
ICT in Teacher Education (Pre & in-Service)  259
FOCUS GROUPS’ DATA
A few themes emerged from the focus group interview data, including lack
of agreement about what ICT are, challenges the participants experienced in the
course Instructional Technology (Computer Methods), strategies they used to
cope with the course assignments, expectations the participants had about the
course, their attitudes toward learning and teaching of ICT, and suggestions for
developers of ICT literacy courses.
DEFINITION OF ICT
Most participants agreed that “anything used to transform knowledge,” both
software and hardware should be counted as ICT. One participant stated that “all is
technology.” However, this omnipresence of technology is not without problems.
The participants used statements like, “it exists just to be there” and “it is here but
it is not there,” to express frustration with ICT not being actually used in schools
in which they did practice teaching.
CHALLENGES THE PARTICIPANTS EXPERIENCED IN THE COURSE
INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY (COMPUTER METHODS)
Challenges came from the level of the course and that of the program. The
shared opinion between the pre-service teachers in this study was that there was not
enough time to practice what was learned in class. The participants also indicated
that although ICT should be integrated in all the courses of the teacher education
program, since some faculty members are not skilled enough in ICT, such integration
was not adequately modeled for them as future teachers. There were repeated
requests to make the ICT literacy course more relevant because, as one participant
declared, “in Physical Education it is difficult to incorporate technology.”
EXPECTATIONS THE PARTICIPANTS HAD ABOUT THE COURSE
The overarching expectation expressed by the participants was that the ICT
literacy course will help them bridge technological skills/experiences they gained
during their own schooling with those of teachers in the present Ontario school
system. For example, one participant stated that during her elementary school
placement, “[it] blew [her] mind seeing small children pointing fingers at the Smart
Board.” However, at the time when this study was conducted, Smart Boards were
not available at the Faculty of Education.
Depending on their background, other pre-service teachers’ expectations of the
course varied. For example, some of the participants thought this was a computer
skills course. At the beginning of the semester, the students were told that this
course was designed to develop their ICT literacy, and that it would have both
theoretical and practical components. Still, the participants thought the required
readings were “useless” or “not relevant.” Those with little ICT knowledge and
skills found the course overwhelming while those with a stronger background in
the field found they could learn little from it. Some of the participants preferred
learning some “hard skills,” while others saw the class time as an opportunity for
all to practice and be brought to the same level.
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ATTITUDES TOWARD LEARNING AND TEACHING OF ICT
The participants were univocal in saying that it is important for teachers
to become ICT literate, given that ICT can be utilized in all subject areas as a
learning enhancer and a useful tool to assist students with special needs. They
were especially enthusiastic about the World Wide Web stating that “knowing how
to create [a] website is important for every teacher.” One participant, obviously
irritated, uttered “ICT is good, you should use it, but we do not know how.” It
appeared that the pre-service teachers coming from the science-related areas were
more skills-oriented as they did not value theory-based reading materials as much
as their peers with a background in arts or humanities did.
SUGGESTIONS FOR CURRICULUM DEVELOPERS
Some suggestions for improvement were geared towards the ICT literacy
course itself, while others were more related to the program in general. Regarding
the course, it was suggested that the discussions on readings should be organized
online instead of face-to-face as it was originally done. By doing so, more time
could be allocated for other in-class activities. The participants also wished to be
more exposed to hardware and software available at the school boards in order
for their learning to have more practical value.
At the program level, the participants wanted the Instructional Technology
(Computer Methods) course to expand from one to two semesters, so that they
would not have to rush through the course material, as obtaining ICT knowledge
and skills takes time. Some also suggested decreasing the number of courses offered
in the Teacher Education program and redesigning the program in favour of an
integrated curriculum so that learning could be more systematic and effective. Having
a computer lab with a 24-hour access was seen as imperative by the participants.
DISCUSSION
Recent studies show that although there has been strong pressure (from
ministries of education, parents and students) to incorporate ICT in classroom
teaching and learning, there has been insufficient support for teachers in terms
of professional development, release time, educational resources and model
instructional methods. In order to equip teachers with the knowledge and skills
necessary to apply the rapidly evolving ICT in their teaching, it is important that
even in their pre-service years teachers become knowledgeable about and amenable
to these technologies.
In this paper, we present outcomes of the consultation process with pre-service
teachers after they completed the one-semester methods course on ICT literacy.
Participants in this study demonstrated varied expectations of and attitudes towards
ICT learning due to their academic backgrounds and other social and cultural
conditions. However, there was little discrepancy pertaining to notions of the
relevancy the ICT have and their integration into the Teacher Education program
and the school curricula. As expected, the participants were mostly interested in
features of the course that were skills oriented. Especially to pre-service teachers
with science or engineering background, the theoretical elements of the course,
ICT in Teacher Education (Pre & in-Service)  261
including readings, seem irrelevant and an additional burden in a busy program.
Even towards the end of the program, the pre-service teachers seemed to prefer
options that would satisfy their current needs in the field, rather than those that
would show them possibilities and innovative pedagogies. Nevertheless, it is
encouraging that these future teachers value integration of ICT within teacher
education curriculum and support differentiated course delivery as its participants
arrive to the program with varied skills and attitudes.
CONCLUSIONS
The findings in this study present technology education in the pre-service
program as slow to change and lagging behind the advancements in the field. It
takes time to learn and appropriate ICT, so having only one semester ICT literacy
course is not advisable. Based on the results of prior studies done in the same
setting and the results of this study, it would be best to offer the ICT literacy course
in two semesters and on two levels. While the introductory course would be ICT
skills-based, its sequel would cover ICT pedagogical content knowledge training.
Recommendations about greater use of the online facilities should be taken
into consideration, and instructors also need to find ways to engage pre-service
teachers in online discussions. It seems that overall the best motivational strategy
for pre-service teachers’ involvement in the ICT literacy course would be to relate
what is offered in the course to ICT available in schools. Still, it is of concern that
pre-service teachers’ perceptions around future use of ICT material are equated
with the present status of ICT in schools. As demonstrated by this study, faculties of
education sometimes use less advanced technologies than those presently available
in schools to prepare future teachers to bring about positive changes in the school
system, including technological.
REFERENCES
• Barnes, K., Marateo, R. C., & Ferris, S. P. (2007). Teaching and learning with the net
generation. Innovate, 3(4). Retrieved July 30, 2007 fromhttp://www.innovateonline.info
• Batane, T. (2004). Inservice teacher training and technology: A case of Botswana. Journal
of Technology and Teacher Education, 12(3), 387-410.
• Culp, K., Honey, M., & Mandinach, E. (2005). A retrospective on twenty years of
education technology policy. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 32(3), 279-307.
• Gall, M., Gall, J., & Borg, W. (2007). Educational research: An introduction (8th ed.).
Toronto, ON: Person Education, Inc.
• Gerban, O. (1992). Effects of computer simulations and problem solving approaches on
high school students. Journal of Educational Research, 86(1), 5-10.
• Jacobsen, M., Clifford, P., & Friesen, S. (2002). Preparing teachers for technology
integration: Creating a culture of inquiry in the context of use. Contemporary Issues in
Technology and Teacher Education. 2(3), 363–388.
• Kearsley, G. (2004). Commentary on: Clark, K., Parsia, B. and Hendler, J. (2004) Will
the Semantic Web change education? Journal of Interactive Media in Education, 3,
Retrieved January 14, 2008 from http://www-jime.open.ac.uk/2004/3/kearsley-2004-3.pdf
• Kraut, R., Olson, J., Banaji, M., Bruckman, A., Cohen, J., & Couper, M. (2004).
Psychological research online: Report of board of scientific affairs’ advisory group on
the conduct of research on the internet. American Psychologist, 59, 105-117.
262  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦
• Magliaro, E. (2006). Computer self-efficacy beliefs of preservice teachers: Implementation
of a concurrent mixed-model. Unpublished Master’s thesis. University of Windsor, ON,
Canada.
• Magliaro, J., & Ezeife, A.E. (2007). Preservice teachers’ preparedness to integrate computer
technology into the curriculum. Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology, 33(3),
95-111.
• Markauskaite, L. (2007). Exploring the structure of trainee teachers’ ICT literacy: the main
components of, and relationships between, general cognitive and technical capabilities.
Educational Technology Research and Development, 55(5), 547-572.
• Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. (2006). Technological pedagogical content knowledge: A
framework for teacher knowledge. Teachers College Record, 108(6), 1017-1054.
 41
ICT in Higher Education
N. B. Naganur*

Abstract
This study explored the level of usage of pre-service teachers’ and
instructors’ utilization of information and communication technologies (ICT).
Thus, the main purpose of this study was to examine factors that contribute to
pre-service teachers’ utilization of technology and suggest recommendations
regarding to the effective utilization of technology. This case study used data
from a school of education in a private university. Results of this study indicated
that teacher education programs fail to provide appropriate instructional
technologies and computer facilities for both in and out of class activities.
Furthermore, three factors that appear to have a significant influence on the
effective use of technology were found to be: 1. the quantity and quality of
the lessons addressing technology in the curriculum, 2. incompetent teachers/
lack of in-service training, and 3. insufficient technological infrastructure.
Keywords: ICT use, Teacher Education, Technology Integration

INTRODUCTION
The rapid developments in technology have made tremendous changes in
the way we live, as well as the demands of the society. Recognizing the impact of
new technologies on the workplace and everyday life, today’s teacher education
institutions try to restructure their education programs and classroom facilities, in
order to minimize the teaching and learning technology gap between today and the
future. This restructuring process requires effective integration of technologies into
existing context in order to provide learners with knowledge of specific subject
areas, to promote meaningful learning and to enhance professional productivity
(Tomei,2005, p. 195).However, many recent research studies on this theme shows
that many institutions are failing to integrate technology into existing context.

*Lecturer, Shri Siddhivinayak Rural College of Education Harugeri

263
264  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
Bauer & Kenton (2005) stated in their study that although teachers were having
sufficient skills, were innovative and easily overcome obstacles, they did not
integrate technology consistently both as a teaching and learning tool. Reynolds,
Tehran & Tripp (2003) also underlined continuing problems in the adoption of
ICT by teachers and stated the need for further research on how Wiccan improve
education. India also made innovative attempts to increase ICT use of teachers.
Building 2802 ICT classrooms in 1999and 3000 ICT classrooms in 2005, providing
laptops for teachers’ project and building large “National Education Portal” project
(2005) is just some of these attempts carried out by Ministry of Education in
order to increase ICT use in India. On the other hand, although the potential of
technology has been valued early on indict uses increasing, the extent and nature
of ICT usage in Turkish educational institutions is still very varied and in many
instances limited.
METHOD
Educational institutions should train teachers who are technology-competent
and who effectively use and integrate technology into their teaching activities.
This study aims at drawing an understanding of how instructors and pre-service
teachers in a faculty of education perceive technology can help institutions of
higher education to successfully integrate, in relation with the current ICT usage.
Thus, the following research questions were proposed:
1. What is the current provision of technology utilized by both instructors and
pre-service teachers?
2. What are the anticipated technologies and activities that pre-serves teachers
require?
3. What are the preserves teachers’ perceptions pertaining to computer and
technology facilities provided to them?
4. What are the instructors’ perceptions pertaining to technology usage in teaching
activities?
5. What are the obstacles that instructors faced during technology integration
process?
INSTRUMENTS
Researcher developed two questionnaire forms; one for academic staff and
the other for pre-service teachers have been used in order to obtain data. The
questionnaire form for academic staff contained 71 items, in which 26Questions
addressing ICT usage, 8 questions addressing factors encourages technology
usage, 21 questions about Obstacles and 18 questions about self-perceived
competencies. The student’s form consisted of total 46 items, where 22 of
them were about what sort technologies preserves teachers prefer to use and
how often they use ICT and 19 of them were about the views of pre-service
teachers on ICT based on rated and 5 rated liker type Scale. Descriptive
statistical techniques such as frequency (f), percent (%) and mean (X) were
used for analyzing
ICT in Higher Education  265
FINDINGS
Demographics
The demographic data about accessed academic staff and pre-service students
is below. According to departments, the percentages of pre-service teachers were as
follows: Computer an Instructional  Technology Department 18,1 %, Elementary
School Mathematic Teaching Department 15,5%,Turkish Language Teaching
Department 8,6%, Foreign Language 24%, Elementary Education Department 17,8%
and Preschool Education Department 13,5%.The distribution of student according
to grades were; Elementary education 1st grades 39,5%, 2nd grades 35,5%, 3rd
grades 16, 4% and the 4th grades 7,6%. The percent of female students were 80,3
while the male students’ percent were 15,5. 81,6% of students from Faculty of
Education have own home computers with 54,9% Internet connection. The 35,5%
of subjects pointed out that they used computer less than one hour daily, and
15,5% of them used 1-3 hours and only 4,6% of them used longer than 5 hours in
a day. 17, 4% of participants mentioned that they have been computer less than
one year, and 25% of them have  been used it for 1-3 years, 18,8% of them have
been used it for 3-5 years and 33,6% of them have been computer for over 5 years.
Perceptions of Pre-service Teachers
It is necessary to provide one computer for every 6 students in a classroom
setting for effective and efficient usage of technology. However, the existing settings
are far from this reality and there is only one computer available for 12 students.
The board, printed materials and overhead projection are widely used technological
tools in classroom settings. The educational software is used very rarely in- and
out of classroom. These result simply that the conventional instructional methods
and technologies have been used and confessed in classroom settings unlike new
approaches. The 25% of pre-service teachers stated that the instructional media have
been used efficiently in the courses of educational faculty they study. They maintained
that academic staff use mostly board (99%), and overhead projectors (93%) printed
materials (93%) during the courses. They pointed out that computers (85%), TV and
video (70%) and overhead projectors (60%) should be used definitely and extensively
during the courses. The 87% of pre-service teachers maintained that they would
like to use electronic media for communicating with classmates and academic staff,
however only 48% of them could use electronic media for these purposes. When
pre-service teachers were asked to rank the technologies they favored to use in
class according to the importance,27,3% choose “Computer Assisted Education”,
16,1% preferred Internet/Web, 14,8% stated “Computer and Projector System” and
13,5% selected “Multimedia Computer” as their favored technologies to be used in
classrooms. Pre-service teachers were also asked to rank their preferences in terms
of software. The results showed that the most favored software they want to use in
their classrooms were presentations software (25,3%),Internet Browsers (13,2%),
educational software (12,5%) and animations software (8,6%). Pre-service teachers’
thoughts on various topics can also be seen in Table-2.Table-2 The Percentages of
Responses of Pre-service Teachers for Technology Usage
266  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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Technology Usage Levels
Technology is used adequately during the courses in the faculty 11,570,417,1
Students could be facilitated with necessary skills for using ever technology until
they graduate 11,2 61,5 26,0 The courses in the faculty provide us with basic skills
and knowledge for usage of computer applications 36,5 48,7 13,5The academic staff
support and direct us to use additional materials for courses 34,2 48,0 16,4The 44%
of pre-service teachers stated that they have been facilitated with basic knowledge
and skills for effective usage of computer applications while 26% of them believe
that the courses relating to computer could response the needs of students’ computer
usage. Only 30% of students stated that they have adequate skills for usage of
instructional technologies in the future profession.25% of students underlined that
the instructional technologies have been used effectively in the courses of faculty
of Education. The majority of students (92%) pointed out they wish to attend the
courses of academic staff who use instructional technologies in extensively. Unlike
the courses, they prefer to use supportive materials such as Web pages, computer
assisted applications, Internet and online tutors. Students stated that they have
chosen to use word-processing (72%) and Internet Browsers (62%) for computer
and educational software. However, 86% of the students maintained that they
have never used any database and68% of them have never used any educational
software until now. The most favorite software of students were; word-processors
(70%), Internet Browsers (69%), electronic presentations (68%), animation software
(66%), Web pages developing software (54%) and educational software (51%).
Perceptions of Instructors
Majority of academic staff pointed out that they needed for a classroom setting
which is facilitated with ICT tools such as computer, projector, TV and video,
overhead projector, Internet and other instructional technology. They mentioned that
the standardization of technology in every classroom and some special classrooms
with facilitated high technology might response their expectations about effective
teaching. Some of the academic staff maintained special expectations relating to
their special fields. They stated that some particular laboratories such as language,
mathematics education, multimedia, research and motor skills instruction, have
to be established and organized for effective and freely usage of both academic
staff and students. They added that increasing the numbers of tools per a student
in field special laboratories would lead to more effective teaching as well. They
also pointed out that they used frequently overhead projectors, printed materials,
Internet and computer for preparing and conducting a course. The academic staff
stated that they use computers firstly for communication (95%), secondly preparing
examination and course material (92%), thirdly research in Internet (90%) and
finally for making presentations (58%). The 45% of academic staff have participated
into courses our activities relating to usage of technology previously. Almost all
of the academic staff (99%) was willing and ready to participate in any course,
seminar, and workshop about technology usage. 85% of these academic staff
mentioned the importance of learning by doing and active learning methods in
these courses. In addition, academic staff pointed out a need to be supported and
ICT in Higher Education  267
informed professionally on usage of technology for the research activities. The
87% of academic staff recognized computer as a supportive tool for instruction
and other activities. 49% of them pointed out that they could use computer as an
instructional medium and integrate it into curriculum easily. When instructors are
asked to ranked the factors which encourages technology usage of instructors,
they rated “Existence of plans and strategies of the faculty in order to diffuse the
instructional technologies” as the first item, “The faculty should make investments
for in-service training” rated as the second item, and “The faculty should make
investments to technical infrastructure” rated as the third item. When obstacles faced
during the use of technology in the teaching-learning process were investigated,
the results showed that the academic staff had not enough time for participating to
professional development projects or activities due to hard schedule and scarcity
of staff. Everybody agreed on the need for continuous development schemes for
effective and efficient usage of technology. They pointed out necessity of informing
academic staff permanently in the faculty for they could integrate technology into
curriculum and use technology efficiently. It means that they pointed out in-service
education activities such as seminar, workshops and so forth. Supplement of
informative materials about technology usage and innovation were other important
points made by academic staff. Almost all of the academic staff were willing to
use technology in their courses effectively. They expected to have more support
in terms of infrastructure and in-service training. Having so many academicians
in a positive attitude towards technology is a good thing for any institution. It is
almost half of the way towards effective integration.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
The results showed that in general, both the preserves teachers and instructors
are in favor of using technology in and out-of-class activities. This positive attitude
is an important indicator of willingness and first step ineffective integration. Almost
all of the academic staff was willing and ready to participate in any course, seminar,
and workshop about technology usage, which reveals the need for professional
development. They also pointed out the lack of electronic classrooms. These
are very common results of technology integration studies. As the technology
changes rapidly and contribute all segments of society and science, both pre-
service teachers and instructors wish to use technology in every phases of their life
besides their tenure expectations. Pre-service teachers stated their most favored
technology as “Computer Aided Instruction” and most favored software as electronic
presentation. Due to the fact that “…the incorporation of technology in the classroom
does enhance actual student learning and that this relationship is moderated by
student characteristics” (Krentler &Willis-Flurry, 2005, p. 316) the expectations
of preserves teachers are so important. Although pre-service teachers are willing
to use technology, they think that technology is rarely used in classrooms and their
expectations were not meet. Thus, they also underlined the inadequacy of lessons
to facilitate them with necessary skills for being technology-competent teachers.
The instructors also paid special attention to the inadequacy of the quantity and
low quality of computer literacy courses provided with students in faculty. Higher
268  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
Education Council, which is a central administrative body for higher education in
India, has revised the curriculum of all departments of faculties of education, in
order to meet the expectations of both students and instructors.
This new curriculum, which will be implemented in term of 2005-2006, is an
attempt to train technology-competent teachers besides many other expectations of
effective teachers. Further research studies regarding the effects of the enhancements
in new program should be conducted. On the other hand, constituting learning
environments with technology is another important factor which affects the use
of technology. Placing at least an overhead projector and a computer-projector
system in each classroom will be an important attempt to ensure the diffusion
and effective use of technology. The lack of modeling by professors, due to poor
technology competencies of professors is the one which plays an important role in
the effectiveness of the teacher education process (Odabasi, 2000). Thus, another
important attempt will be to provide teachers with in-service training opportunities
about technology so that they may feel themselves technology-competent, develop
confidence and become role-models. The quantity and quality of the lessons
addressing technology usage should be increased Teachers should be sufficiently
educated by providing qualified in-service training opportunities, and Learning
environments should be donated with the minimum necessary technological tools
are the most important attempts to diffuse the use of technology for teaching-
learning purposes. Gibson and Oberg (2004) also reported that the potential
usage of Internet as a learning tool has not been realized by both teachers and
students and they added that “This outcome appeared to be the result of limited
infrastructure support, difficulties in infusing Internet use into curriculum, and
lack of appropriate teacher professional development” (p. 569). The research study
conducted by Staples, Pugach and Himes (2005) also identified three scaffolds
that appear to have a significant influence on technology integration: “alignment
with the curriculum/mission, teacher leadership, and public/private roles for
technology recognition” (p. 285). Yet another researcher Venezky (2004) concluded
that “… both infrastructure and teacher competencies were critical for successful
implementation of ICT in a school” (p. 15) after bringing together different cases
in various schools. Furthermore, Rosenfeld and Martinez-Pons (2005) found in
their study that “… competence in the use of technology in the classroom proved
to be a direct function of the degree of technology utilization” (p. 145).Of course
these investments cannot guarantee the effective use and integration of technology.
However, the efforts will decrease the number of obstacles faced. In their study
about the envisioning the use of technology within their future classrooms done
with a group of pre-service teachers, Doering, Hughes and Huffman (2003)offered
several suggestions like; “… offering opportunities to virtually observe technology-
using teachers, placing students in decision-making scenarios, providing more
access to technological tools in media laboratories …” (p. 358).As a consequence,
cooperation with technology experts as advisors and role models should be the
first step to be taken. Without technology-competent role-model instructors, it
is difficult to integrate the technology into curriculum and graduate technology-
competent teachers. Besides, careful investments on both hardware and software
ICT in Higher Education  269
should be planned in the long range. Thus, as a second step, all classrooms should
be equipped with the necessary infrastructure and all students should be provided
with access to media laboratories whenever they want. For the quality and quantity
of courses, instructors should revise their lesson plans or prepare technology
richlesson plans and try to integrate technology into curriculum.
REFERENCES
• Bauer, J. & Kenton, J. (2005). Toward Technology Integration in the Schools: Why it
isn’t Happening. Journalof Technology and Teacher Education. 13(4), 519-546.
• Deaney, R., Ruthven, K. & Hennessy, S. (2003). Pupil perspectives on the contribution
of information andcommunication technology to teaching and learning in the secondary
school. Research Papers inEducation, 18(2), 141-165.
• Doering, A., Hughes, J. & Huffman, D. (2003). Preservice teachers: Are we thinking
with technology?. Journalof Research on Technology in Education, 35(3), 342-361.
• Gibson, S. & Oberg, D. (2004). Visions and realities of Internet use in schools: Canadian
perspectives. BritishJournal of Educational Technology, 35(5), 569–585.
• Krentler, K. A. & Willis-Flurry, L. A. (2005). Does Technology Enhance Actual Student
Learning? The Case ofOnline Discussion Boards. Journal of Education for Business,
July/August, 316-321.Mayo, N. B., Kajs, L. T. & Tanguma, J. (2005). Longitudinal Study
of Technology Training to Prepare FutureTeachers. Educational Research Quarterly,
29(1), 3-15.
• Odabasi, F. (2000). Faculty use of technological resources in India. Innovations in
Education and Training International, 37(2), 103-107. Painter, S. R. (2001). Issues in
the observation and evaluation of technology integration in K-12 classrooms.
• Journal of Computing in Education, 17(4), 21-25. Reynolds, D., Treharne, D. & Tripp,
H. (2003). ICT – the hopes and the reality. British Journal of Educational
• Technology, 34(2), 151-167.Robyler, M. D. (2003). Integrating educational technology
into teaching (3rd ed.). USA: Pearson Education, Inc.Rosenfeld, B. & Martinez-Pons,
M. (2005). Promoting Classroom Technology Use. The Quarterly Review of
• Distance Education, 6(2), 2005, 145–153.Staples, A., Pugach, M. C. & Himes, D. (2005).
Rethinking the Technology Integration Challenge: Cases from Three Urban Elementary
Schools. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 37(3), 285-311.Tomei, L. A.
(2005). Taxonomy for the Technology Domain. USA: Information Science Publishing
Venezky, R. L. (2004). Technology in the Classroom: steps toward a new vision. Education,
Communication &.
• Information, 4(1), 3-21.Wang, L., Ertmer, P. A. & Newby, T. J. (2004). Increasing preservice
teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs fortechnology integration. Journal of Research on Technology
in Education, 36(3), 231-250. Whitehead, B. M., Jensen, D. F. N. & Boschee F. (2003).
Planning for Technology: A Guide for School Administrators, Technology Coordinators,
and Curriculum Leaders. USA: Corwin Press.Yildirim, S. (2000). Effect of an Educational
Computing Course on Preservice and Inservice Teachers: ADiscussion and Analysis of
Attitudes and Use. Journal of Research on Computing in Education. 32(4).

42
Investigating Mathematics Trainee-Teachers’
Capability in Using ICT
Smt. Nagaratna S.*
Abstract
This study was under taken to investigating mathematics trainee teachers’
capability in using ICT. The study was delimited to 120 trainee teachers among 5
Bed colleges in Kalaburgi District. The present research was a descriptive survey
type study. For collection of data on capability of Mathematics trainee teachers
in relation to ICT in Kalaburgi, researcher employed self made questionnaire
form. Twenty four trainee teachers were allowed to administer the questionnaire
from each Bed college and the questionnaire was administered personally
for each trainee teacher. In that way all total one hundred and twenty trainee
teachers participated. The collected data were analyzed through suitable statistical
techniques i.e. Frequencies, Percentage. The result shows that trainee teacher’s
capabilities with ICT are quite high in Bed colleges in Kalaburgi. None of the
trainee teacher’s in the respondents has any capability in ICT.
Keywords: ICT, Capability and Trainee-Teacher.
INTRODUCTION
Education is the “third eye of an individual, it gives insight into all affairs,
it teaches how to act justly and rightly, it assists to realize the true significance
of life, it eliminates darkness and smash illusion, it increases our fame, makes us
cultured and pure, nourish us like a mother, directs us to the proper path, guides
us to reach our destination. It is a very socially oriented activity and quality
education has traditionally been associated with strong teachers having high degrees
of personal contact with learners. An appropriate knowledge base is essential
for creating powerful learning environments and for an adequate provision of
supporting instructional material. In the process of transforming information to
*Research scholar, Dept of Education, Gulbarga University, Kalaburgi
270
Investigating Mathematics Trainee-Teachers’ Capability in Using ICT  271
♦
knowledge, the teacher plays an important part. Teaching is a process in which
the teacher and students create an interactive environment.
Mathematics is a compulsory subject at all levels in university education.
Due to its importance the government is committed to ensuring the provision of
high quality mathematics education. Various attempts have been made in the past
to improve the achievement of mathematics in schools.
The new curriculum in Mathematics at the Secondary School places emphases
on skill acquisition, creativity and the arts of enquiry and problem solving. It aims at
developing in the student the ability and willingness to perform investigations using
various mathematical ideas and operations. As part of the reforms the curriculum
places a lot of emphasis on Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
as a tool for teaching Mathematics .
Technology is one of the way through which the teachers and students create
an interactive environment in teaching learning process and it requires major
improvements in education. It only possible when one uses the technology with
maturity and competency.
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has suffused in every
walks of life influencing the technology fields such as enabling satellites, business,
commerce, and also social networking. In this fast-growing and fast-changing
digital era, teaching becomes the most challenging profession all over the world,
where knowledge is expanding and exploring quickly and much of it is available
to students as well as teachers at their learning environment.
Nowadays, teaching is becoming one of the most challenging professions
in India where knowledge is expanding rapidly and much of it is available to
students as well teachers at anytime and anywhere. As teacher education is primarily
directed towards preparing teachers, the quality of teacher education depends on
the teacher trainee’s abilities and skills.
Hence, Mathematics teachers keep an open mind about ICT integration in the
classroom. This means that teachers need to use ICT in more creative and productive
ways in order to create more engaging and rewarding activities and more effective
lessons . Hence researcher suggested that teachers keep an open mind about ICT
integration in classroom. It is crucial that teachers learn new teaching methods to
adapt to the new devices when teaching mathematics with ICT.
Researcher analyzed trainee teachers’ perspectives regarding ICT in their
future classrooms before and after participation in a teacher preparation program.
The study revealed that teachers had a better understanding about ICT use in the
classroom.
OBJECTIVE
1. To investigate mathematics trainee teachers’ capability in using ICT
HYPOTHESIS
There were no Mathematics trainee teachers not familiar or not at all familiar
with ICT resources.
272  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
Delimitations of the Study
The study was delimited to 120 trainee teachers among 5 Bed colleges in
Kalaburgi District.
METHODOLOGY
The present research was a descriptive survey type study.
Sampling
The present study, 120 Mathematics trainee teachers of Bed colleges in
Kalaburgi District were the population and 5 Bed colleges were selected purposively.
Tool
The following tool was used for this study. Questionnaire form, For collection
of data on capability of Mathematics trainee teachers in relation to ICT in Kalaburgi,
researcher employed self made questionnaire form. It included information and
knowledge about computer, Internet, Electronic Mail (E-mail), World Wide Web
(WWW), Broadcasting Technology (Radio and Television), associated human
interactive materials that enable the Mathematics trainee teachers to employ them for
wide range of teaching learning processes in addition to personal use, overall ICT.
Procedure of Data Collection
After preparing the questionnaire form, the researcher visited five different
Bed colleges in Kalaburgi district. Twenty four trainee teachers were allowed to
administer the questionnaire from each Bed college and the questionnaire was
administered personally for each trainee teacher. In that way all total one hundred
and twenty trainee teachers participated.
Investigating Mathematics Trainee-Teachers’ Capability in Using ICT  273
Sl. No. ICT Capability Frequency Percentage (%)
5 Not at all 0 0
familiar
Total 120 100
Trainee teacher’s capabilities with ICT are quite high in Bed colleges in
Kalaburgi. None of the trainee teacher’s in the respondents has any capability in ICT.
CONCLUSION
Traditional methods of teaching could never develop plan effective foundation
for critical thinking and understanding for the students. They could learn more
when learning became personal and it is only possible by using Information
Communication Technology in class room situation. Through it the learners
would be able to construct their own concept and find their own solutions to
their problems.The Mathematics teachers should be given appropriate training
for inculcating skills associated to ICT for this research has brought some
enlightenment for improving the Mathematics trainee teachers’ capability with
new technology in Bed colleges in Kalaburgi. The Mathematics teachers’ role
is rapidly evolving, requiring many skills. More than ever it is evident that one
person cannot do it all, so effective teachers can share the many responsibilities
with others in school community. Being a good technology teacher in school
is not easy but important task. There are many new challenges and evolving
changes in Mathematics teaching procedure today and in the future, and thus
trainee teachers must be able to harness new opportunities and make their teaching
more effective and motivation.

Statistical Techniques REFERENCES

The collected data were analyzed through application of required statistical • Altbach, Philip G. (1998). Comparative higher education: knowledge, the university
and development, Comparative Education Research Centre, University of Hong Kong
techniques i.e. Frequencies, Percentage.
• Adebowale, O. F. (2012). Teachers„Awareness of Nigeria„s Educational Policy on ICT
and the use of ICT in Oyo State Secondary Schools. International Journal of Computing
Analysis and Interpretation
and ICT Research, 6 (1), 84-93, retrieved from http://www.ijcir. org/volume6-number1/
1. The objective was to study the trainee teacher’s capability with ICT. The article9.pdf.
result has been shown in the following table • Beena, & Mathur, M. (2012). A Study on the ICT Awareness of M.Ed. Trainees. International
Journal of Business Management & Economic Research, l 3 (4), 573-578.
Table-1:  Trainee-Teacher’s Capability with ICT • Best, J. W., & Kahn, J. V. (2007). Research in Education (9th ad.). New Delhi: Prentice
Hall of India Private Limited.
• Bhattacharya, I., & Sharma, K. (2007). India in the knowledge economy – an electronic
Sl. No. ICT Capability Frequency Percentage (%) paradigm. International Journal of Educational Management, 21(6), 543-568.
1. Very familiar 46 38.333 • Brown, N. T., McCormac, M., Zimmermann, R. (2009). An Analysis of the Research
and Impact of ICT in Education in Developing Country Contexts. Journal of Education
2. Familiar 62 51.666 for International Development, 4 (2), 12.
• Conole, C. (2004). E-learning: The Hype and the Reality. Journal of Interactive Media
3. Fair 12 10
in Education, retrieved from http://www-jime.open.ac.uk/2004/12/conole-2004-12.pdf.
4. Not familiar 0 0
274  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦
• Cross, M., & Adam, F. (2007). ICT Policies and Strategies in Higher Education in South
Africa: National and Institutional Pathways. Higher Education Policy, 20 (1), 73-95.
• Dash, M. K. (2007). Integration of ICT in teaching Learning: A challenges. Edutract,
6 (12), 11-13.
• Elizabeth, E.T.(2010). Inculcating Technological Know-how and Integrating ICT
in Curriculum in the Teaching-learning Process. Indian Educational Review, 47
(2),115-130.
43
• Ministry of Education. (2000). Teaching syllabus for mathematics. Accra: Ministry of
Education. 12)Ministry of Education, Science and Sports (MOESS). (2007). Teaching Social Media in Education
syllabus for mathematics. Accra: Ministry of Education.
Ms. Jayashree K. Badiger*

Abstract
Social media generally refer to media used to enable social interaction.
For our purposes, the term social media technology (SMT) refers to web-
based and mobile applications that allow individuals and organizations to
create, engage, and share new user generated or existing content, in digital
environments through multi-way communication. The use of social media
approaches enhanced the learning experiences of undergraduate business
students. Their use caused both the instructor and students to realize their
roles in the course and behaviour in the classroom had to change significantly.
Rapid changes in technology will ensure that social media will proliferate
in the classroom. It is predicted that there will be many benefits for both the
learner and the teacher, including the promotion of shared working space
and resources, better access to information, the promotion of collaborative
learning and radical new ways of teaching and learning.
Keywords: ICT, Social Medias and Education

INTRODUCTION
Social media generally refer to media used to enable social interaction. For
our purposes, the term social media technology (SMT) refers to web-based and
mobile applications that allow individuals and organizations to create, engage,
and share new user generated or existing content, in digital environments through
multi-way communication. Social networking is built on the idea of how people
know should know and interact with each other. It gives people the power to share
their papers , making the world more open and connected . Nowadays, social
networking has a vital influence on our live as it helps a lot in every field of life
such as political field, economic field and educational field.

*Research Scholar, School of Education, Rani Channamma University, Belagavi

275
276  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
MEANING
Social media comprises of activities that involve socializing and networking
online through words, pictures and videos. Social media is redefining how we relate to
each other as humans and how we as humans relate to the organizations that serve us.
“Social media means new opportunities to create and communicate with people that
care” (LeFever 2008). It talks about the change in business and media environment
from a high level, rather than the specifics of how to use one or more tools.
SOCIAL MEDIAS
1. Facebook
2. Twitter
3. Whats App messenger
4. Internet
5. Youtube
6. Filcker
7. Blogs
8. Pinterest
9. Google+
Facebook
Facebook was founded on February 4, 2004, by Mark Zuckerberg with his
college roommates and fellow Harvard University students Eduardo Saverin,
Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes.
Facebook is made up of six primary components: personal profiles, status updates,
networks (geographic regions, schools, companies), groups, applications and fan pages.
Facebook now allows anyone who claims to be at least 13 years old worldwide
to become a registered user of the website, although proof is not required
Twitter
Twitter is a powerful tool for connecting with others and sharing content
easily Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey, Evan Williams, Biz
Stone and Noah Glass and in July 2006 the site was launched. The service rapidly
Social Media in Education  277
gained worldwide popularity, with more than 100 million users who in 2012 posted
340 million tweets per day. The service also handled 1.6 billion search queries
per day. In 2013 Twitter was one of the ten most-visited websites, and has been
described as “the SMS of the Internet.” In July 2014, Twitter has more than 500
million users, with more than 271 million are active users
Whats App Messenger
WhatsApp Messenger is a proprietary, cross-platform instant messaging
subscription service for smart phones and selected feature phones It uses the
internet for communication. In addition to text messaging, users can send messages,
images, video and audio media as well as their location.
WhatsApp Inc. was founded in 2009 by Brian Acton and Jan Koum, both
former employees at Yahoo!. The company is based in Mountain View, California
and employs 55 people. As of October 2014, Whats App is the most globally
popular messaging app more than 600 million users.
Internet
The Internet is a network of networks, providing opportunities for inquiry-
based learning where teachers and students are able to access some of the world’s
largest information archives.
Audio/video casting (AVC) - AVC makes it easy to produce digital voice
and video files and publish and distribute them over the Internet. It also supports
basic, live-streaming television onlineqq
YouTube
YouTube is the leader in online video, and the premier destination to watch
and share original videos worldwide through the Web. It allows people to easily
upload and share video clips across the Internet through Web sites, mobile devices,
blogs, and e-mail. Universities have been making videos for 20+ years to aid in
recruitment efforts. YouTube has given them a platform to easily distribute these
videos to a much wider audience, and without the costs of burning to CDs/DVDs
and postage to mail to a narrow audience.
Flicker
Flicker is an online photo site where users upload photos that can be organized
in sets and collections. Public photos may be viewed and commented on by others
(Consortium 2007). Universities have found Flickr to be a great tool to easily share
photos with students, alumni, faculty and staff. The automation of uploading the
photos, adding captions and tags, and turning them into organized collections with
slideshows without any manual Web coding, is a great timesaver for times trapped
Web professionals.
Blogs
Blogs are a form of online journal. They can have a single author, or several.
Most blogs allow readers to post comments in response to an article or post
278  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
(Consortium 2007). The most popular use of blogs for marketing in higher education
is having currently enrolled students blog about their lives on campus, as a recruiting
initiative in conjunction with admissions. One-quarter of all college admissions
offices use blogs by students or campus personnel
Blogs are also being used by some colleges to post news articles to open
conversations about them. Faculty to blog about their teaching, travel and research.
Admissions counselors blog about their travel and recruitment cycle.
Pinterest
Pinterest is a social curation website for sharing and categorizing images
found online. Pinterest requires brief descriptions but the main focus of the site is
visual. Clicking on an image will take you to the original source, so, for example,
if you click on a picture of a pair of shoes, you might be taken to a site where you
can purchase them. An image of blueberry pancakes might take you to the recipe;
a picture of a whimsical birdhouse might take you to the instructions.
Google+
Google+ (pronounced Google plus) is Google’s social networking project,
designed to replicate the way people interact offline more closely than is the case
in other social networking services. The project’s slogan is “Real-life sharing
rethought for the web.”
SOCIAL MEDIA AND IT’S IMPACTS ON EDUCATION
1. Social networking has increased the rate and quality of collaboration for
students. They are better able to communicate meeting times or share
information quickly, which can increase productivity and help them learn
how to work well in groups.
2. Social networking teaches students skills they’ll need to survive in the business
world. Being able to create and maintain connections to many people in many
industries is an integral part of developing a career or building a business.
3. By spending so much time working with new technologies, students develop
more familiarity with computers and other electronic devices. With the increased
Social Media in Education  279
focus on technology in education and business, this will help students build
skills that will aid them throughout their lives.
4. The ease with which a student can customize their profile makes them more
aware of basic aspects of design and layout that are not often taught in schools.
Building resumes and personal websites, which are increasingly used as online
portfolios, benefit greatly from the skills obtained by customizing the layout
and designs of social networking profiles.
5. The ease and speed with which users can upload pictures, videos or stories
has resulted in a greater amount of sharing of creative works. Being able to
get instant feedback from friends and family on their creative outlets helps
students refine and develop their artistic abilities and can provide much needed
confidence or help them decide what career path they may want to pursue.
6. Social media offers students a way to collaborate on global teams to problem
solve on global issues. In schools, students can learn digital citizenship, how
to communicate on ICTs, how to work on teams that are located in various
areas, and learn to communicate effectively with others of various backgrounds,
cultures, and genders. All career fields require effective communication and
collaboration with co-workers and most on smart phones and social forums.
We must prepare students for a globalized world!
7. Social Media is a motivating tool to foster students’ participation in the
learning process. Teachers should plan lessons very careful so as to create
really interactive environments.
8. Students need to be exposed to the various tools to aid in the educational
process, whether they be traditional or cutting edge. They should be taught
the strengths and weaknesses of these tools, and have the opportunity to use
them. Students need to learn that they can gather information from many
sources: print resources, online resources, experts in person and online, and
fellow classmates. Group collaboration can sometimes be the strongest tool.
One of the greatest developments is the extension of the classroom from 8 to
3 to all hours. Students can do work when it is convenient, and ask classmates
and teachers for help when away from school. The boundaries have widened,
and that is a good thing.
9. Social Media can help teachers develop better teaching practices.
10. Social Media provides a dynamic avanue to connect our students with us,
their peers, experts, knowledge, and experiences. SM enhances instruction
and has the ability to allow students to create their own Personal Learning
Networks. As always in education, it is our (schools) role to effectively enable
the students with the skills necssary to take full advantage of the tools.
11. Learning is a social activity- as educators, we need to understand this very basic
truth. The more we embrace it, the more successful we’ll be in educating our
students. Unfortunately, education has historically focused on disconnecting learners
from social interaction. The move to genuine collaboration and cooperation is a
slow process for many, as they reach beyond their comfort levels.
280  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦
CONCLUSION
The use of social media approaches enhanced the learning experiences of
undergraduate business students. Their use caused both the instructor and students
to realize their roles in the course and behaviour in the classroom had to change
significantly. Although some may feel that incorporating social media approaches
takes time away from important course topics, they should see these as alternative 44
ways to cover topics and even as a means for introducing additional topics.
Rapid changes in technology will ensure that social media will proliferate in ICT in School Education
the classroom. It is predicted that there will be many benefits for both the learner
and the teacher, including the promotion of shared working space and resources, Mrs. G. V. Hadapad*
better access to information, the promotion of collaborative learning and radical
new ways of teaching and learning.
Abstract
REFERENCES
• Campbell, D. (2008). Reaching Students Where They Live. BizEd. 7: 60-61. Information and Communication Technology has permeated in every
• Cavazza, F. (2008). “Social Media Landscape.” Retrieved July 30, 2008, from http:// walk of life affecting the technology fields such as launching satellites,
flickr.com/photos/20493464@N00/2564571564/ http://www.fredcavazza.net/2008/06/09/ managing businesses across the globe and also enabling social networking.
social-media-landscape/ The convergence of computer, communication and content technologies, being
• Cheater, M. (2008). “How Higher Ed is Using Facebook Pages.” Retrieved August 6, known as ICT, have attracted attention of academia, business, government
2008, from http://www.academicagroup.com/node/4598.
and communities to use it for innovative profitable propositions. Year by
• Consortium, T. N. M. (2007). “Social Networking, The “Third Place,” and The Evolution
of Communication.” The New Media Consortium.
year it is becoming simpler to use devices such as desktop palm top, iPod
• eMarketer.com. (2008). “Student Noses Buried in Facebooks.” Retrieved February 27, etc. Rapid changes in technology will ensure that ICT will proliferate in
2008, from http://www.emarketer.com/Articles/Print.aspx?id=1005972. the classroom. It is predicted that there will be many benefits for both the
• Facebook. (2007). “Facebook Privacy Policy.” Retrieved August 6, 2008, from http:// learner and the teacher, including the promotion of shared working space
www.facebook.com/policy.php. and resources, better access to information, the promotion of collaborative
• Falls, J. (2008). “Social Media in Two Words or Less.” Retrieved August 6, 2008, from learning and radical new ways of teaching and learning.
http://www.socialmediaexplorer.com/2008/07/31/social-media-in-twowords-or-less/ Keywords: ICT, School Education.
• Foss, S. (2008). “eduStyle Gallery of Social Sites in Higher Education.” Retrieved
August 6, 2008, from http://www.edustyle.net/gallery_other.php.
• Johnson, B. (2007). “39 College & University Presidents Who Blog.” Retrieved August
INTRODUCTION
6, 2008, from http://bobjohnsonconsulting.com/blog1/2007/07/15
• JuniperResearch. (2007). “Social Networking Sites: Defining Advertising Opportunities Information and Communication Technology has permeated in every walk
in a Competitive Landscape.” Retrieved August 7, 2008, from http://www.jupiterresearch. of life affecting the technology fields such as launching satellites, managing
com/bin/item.pl/research:vision/1231/id=98881/ businesses across the globe and also enabling social networking. The convergence
• LeFever, L. S. (2008). “Video: Social Media in Plain English.” Retrieved August 6, of computer, communication and content technologies, being known as ICT, have
2008, from http://www.commoncraft.com/socialmedia. attracted attention of academia, business, government and communities to use it
• Li, C. and J. Bernoff (2008). Groundswell: winning in a world transformed by social for innovative profitable propositions. Year by year it is becoming simpler to use
technologies. Boston, Harvard Business School Publishing. devices such as desktop palm top, iPod etc.
• Noel-Levitz, I. (2007). E-Expectations Class of 2007 Report: Building an ERecruitment
21st century is characterized with the emergence of knowledge based society
Network: 7.
wherein ICT plays a pivotal role. The National curriculum framework 2005 (NCF
• http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=52164 http://www.ezberim.com/
internet-haberleri/167867-Facebook-sitesinin-kurulus-hikayesi 2005) has also highlighted the importance of ICT in school education. With this

*Lecturer, Shri. B. F. Yaligar College of Education, Munavalli (Belagavi)

281
282  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
backdrop, major paradigm shift is imperative in education characterised by imparting
instructions, collaborative learning, multidisciplinary problem-solving and promoting
critical thinking skills.
Government of India has announced 2010-2020 as the decade of innovation.
Reasoning and Critical thinking skills are necessary for innovation. Foundation
of these skills is laid at school level. It is desirable that affordable ICT tools and
techniques should be integrated into classroom instructions right form primary
stage so as to enable students develop their requisite skills. Most of the tools,
techniques and tutorials are available in Open domain and accessible on web.
What is ICT
Information and communication technology (ICT) is a diverse set of
technological tools and resources used to communicate and to create, disseminate,
store and manage
information. ICT has become part of everyday life and all sectors from banking
to tourism now depend heavily on ICT for carrying out their transactions. The
National curriculum framework 2005 (NCF 2005) has highlighted the importance
of ICT in school education.
ICT is an acronym that stands for • Information • Communication • Technology.
Information- The nature of information (the ‘’I’’ in ICT) covers topics such as the
meaning and value of information; how information is controlled; the limitations of
ICT; legal consideration. Management of information covers how data is captured,
verified and stored for effective use; the manipulation processing and distribution of
information; keeping information secure; designing networks to share information.
ICT in Schools
Why do we need ICT in schools? Was education not happening before
computers came into existence? Why is this paradigm shift necessary? The
shift is necessary because this is the age of information and technology, an age
that requires that teachers facilitate the gathering of this information and not
merely teach.
Unfortunately, in India, ICT is largely associated with the use of computer and
Internet. What one uses ICT for and how one uses it, is not addressed sufficiently.
ICT in School Education  283
Schools and colleges acquire computers, Internet connection, LCD projectors
and then send their teachers for crash courses that supposedly teach them to use
technology. The trouble is this whole approach is devoid of focus. But, until teachers
are made to realize the need of ICT, no amount of computerization can help.
Role of Teacher in ICT
The role of the teacher in teaching and learning process is vital. The use of
information and communication technologies (ICTs) as a tool in this process does
not do away with the role of the teacher.
First one the teacher has to enhance teaching. Here, the teacher can ask
himself or herself, ‘How will ICT enhance my teaching?’ The teacher should
be aware of what lacunae exist in his/her teaching. The teacher should ask ‘Do
I need to be empowered? ‘What more can be done?’ ‘What is the most effective
way of teaching?’ ‘How will more students benefit from my teaching?’ ‘Will
ICT help me?’
The second role of the teacher:  helping the student learn.
The Internet is full of information, textbooks are bursting with information.
But this information can become true knowledge only when the teacher makes
it meaningful. Here the teacher can use multimedia to make topics more
comprehensible.
Think of a teacher showing large number of different flowers while reading
out a poem on flowers, or teaching about the parts of a flower. Talking about
the freedom struggle is one thing and seeing a 2 minute video on the same topic
is altogether different. Preaching about rain water harvesting and showing a
clipping while teaching is different. Showing how bunding is done, how crude
oil is refined, gives students the correct idea. Instead of boring the students with
a decade old chart on the respiratory system, showing a 1.5 minute video during
teaching takes the students to a different level of understanding. Listening to
the voice of Rabindranath Tagore while reading his stories, poems will help the
students associate with the author. The entire teaching-learning process gets a
boost with the appropriate use of ICT. It should be used to fill in the inadequacies
that the teacher is facing. The problem of large numbers, students not showing
284  Information and Communication Technology in Education ICT in School Education  285
♦ ♦
interest can be tackled to some extent. Can use of ICT make teaching more REFERENCES
meaningful, get rid of rote memorizing? • UNESCO’s World Communication and Information Report1999 written by Prof C.
The teacher needs to be fully aware of the fact that students can find information, Blurton from the University of Hong Kong (Building Capacity of Teachers/Facilitators
they need proper instructions, they need scope for creativity, expectations of the in Technology-Pedagogy Integration for Improved Teaching and Learning
teacher brings forth performance. • UNESCO Implemented Project on Training and Professional Development of Teachers/
Facilitators in the Effective Use of ICTs for Improved Teaching and Learning Supported
Use of ICT by Teachers by Japanese Funds-in-Trust Programmes)
• Kishan, Ramnath N. (2007). Global Trends in Teacher Education, A. P. H. Publishing
• Teachers most commonly use ICTs for administrative tasks: Teachers Corporation, New Delhi Monteith, Moira. (2004).
most often use ICTs for ‘routine tasks’ (record keeping, lesson plan • ICT for Curriculum Enhancement, Intellect Books, Bristol, U.K
development, information presentation, basic information searches on
the Internet).
• More knowledgeable teachers rely less on ‘computer assisted instruction’:
Teachers more knowledgeable in ICTs use utilise computer assisted
instruction less than other teachers who use ICTs, but utilise ICTs more
overall.
• How teachers use ICTs is dependent on their general teaching styles:
Types of usage of ICTs correlate with teacher pedagogical philosophies.
Teachers who use ICTs the most and the most effectively are less likely to
use traditional ‘transmission-method’ pedagogies. Teachers who use more
types of software tend to practice more ‘constructivist’ pedagogies.
• Teaching with ICTs takes more time: Introducing and using ICTs to support
teaching and learning is time consuming for teachers, both as they attempt to
shift pedagogical practices and strategies and when such strategies are used
regularly.
• Simply put—Teaching with ICTs takes more time (estimates vary on how
much extra time is required to cover the same material; 10 per cent is a
common estimate).

CONCLUSION
Rapid changes in technology will ensure that ICT will proliferate in the
classroom. It is predicted that there will be many benefits for both the learner
and the teacher, including the promotion of shared working space and resources,
better access to information, the promotion of collaborative learning and radical
new ways of teaching and learning. ICT will also require a modification of the
role of the teacher, who in addition to classroom teaching will have other skills
and responsibilities.
Many will become specialists in the use of distributed learning techniques, the
design and development of shared working spaces and resources, and virtual guides
for students who use electronic media. Ultimately, the use of ICT will enhance
the learning experiences for children, helping them to think and communicate
creatively. ICT will also prepare our children for successful lives and careers in
an increasingly technological world.

45
ICT in Higher Education
A. S. Amoghimath*
Abstract
A Quick Glance Higher education plays a pivotal role in the development
of a country, as it is viewed as a powerful means to build knowledge based
society. In India, higher education imparted by universities is facing challenges
in terms of Access, Equity and Quality. The Government of India has taken
several initiatives during the Eleventh Five Year Plan period to increase
access to higher education by adopting state specific strategies, enhancing
the relevance of higher education through Curriculum reforms, Vocational
programs, Networking, Information Technology adoption and Distance
Education along with reforms in governance. As move into the 21st century,
many factors are bringing strong forces to bear on the adoption of ICTs
in education and contemporary trends suggest will soon see large scale
changes in the way education is planned and delivered as a consequence of
the opportunities and affordances of ICT.
Keywords: ICT and Higher Education
INTRODUCTION
A Quick Glance Higher education plays a pivotal role in the development of
a country, as it is viewed as a powerful means to build knowledge based society.
In India, higher education imparted by universities is facing challenges in terms of
Access, Equity and Quality. The Government of India has taken several initiatives
during the Eleventh Five Year Plan period to increase access to higher education
by adopting state specific strategies, enhancing the relevance of higher education
through Curriculum reforms, Vocational programs, Networking, Information
Technology adoption and Distance Education along with reforms in governance.
However in terms of Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER), India still lags behind the
worldwide average and emerging countries like Brazil and China. The Indian Higher
*Principal, B. F. Yaligar College of Education, Munavalli (Belagavi)
286
ICT in Higher Education  287
♦
Education System has established itself as the largest system in the world in terms
of number of institutions and third largest in terms of student enrollment (after
China and USA). While several new institutions have emerged due to significant
increase in private sector participation over the last few years, concerns remain
regarding the quality of education being imparted to students. The main governing
body at the tertiary level is the University Grants Commission, which enforces its
standards, advises the government, and helps coordinate between the center and the
state. Indian higher education is decentralized with separate councils responsible
for the regulation of different institutions.
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.
COMPONENTS OF ICT
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.
Higher Education Scenario in India
India has one of the largest higher education systems in the world consisting
of over 651 universities according to UGC as on 2013. Besides there are 31,324
colleges of higher learning in the country as on August 2011 according to the
Higher Education in the 12th Five-Year Plan Report (2012-17). The number of
students enrolled in the universities and colleges has increased since independence
to 13,642 million in the beginning of the academic year 2009-10 with 1,669 million
288  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
(12.24%) in the university departments and 11.973 million (87.76%) in the affiliated
colleges (MHRD, Annual Report, 2009-10). However, this growth in numbers does
not reflect much improvement in the delivery of higher education in the country.
Major ICT Initiatives in Higher Education
India has taken up major initiatives in terms of content delivery and furthering
education through Information and Communication Technology. For instance Gyan
Darshan was launched in 2000 to broadcast educational programs for school kids,
university students, and adults. Similarly Gyan Vani was another such important
step which broadcast programs contributed by institutions such as IGNOU and
IITs. Under the UGC country wide classroom initiative, education programs are
broadcast on Gyan Darshan and Doordarshan’s National Channel (DD1) everyday.
E-Gyankosh which aims at preserving digital learning resourcesis a knowledge
repository launched by IGNOU in 2005. Almost 95% of IGNOU’s printed material
has been digitized and uploaded on the repository. The National Programme for
Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL) launched in 2001 is another joint initiative
of IITs and IISc which promotes education through technology.
Moreover, the ambitious National Mission on Education through ICT was
launched by the government to harness ICT’s potential throughout the length and
breadth of the country. In 2009, the government approved the landmark “National
Mission on Education through ICT” scheme. The National Mission on Education
through ICT is centrally sponsored scheme submitted by the Ministry of HRD and
approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA). The Mission
has planned a variety of initiatives aimed at developing and standardizing digital
content for Indian higher education segment. The Mission envisions catering to
the learning needs of 500 million people in the country.
ICT AND HIGHER EDUCATION
The major teaching and learning challenges facing higher education revolve
around student diversity, which includes, amongst others, diversity in students’
academic preparedness, language and schooling background.
Education is perhaps the most strategic area of intervention for the empowerment
of girls and women in any society and the use of information and communication
technologies (ICTs) as an educational tool in the promotion of women’s advancement
ICT in Higher Education  289
has immense potential. The application of ICTs as a tool for effective enhancement
of learning, teaching and education 33 management covers the entire spectrum of
education from early childhood development, primary, secondary, tertiary, basic
education and further education and training.
Integrating ICT in teaching and learning is high on the educational reform
agenda. Often ICT is seen as indispensable tool to fully participate in the knowledge
society. ICTs need to be seen as “an essential aspect of teaching’s cultural toolkit in
the twenty-first century, affording new and transformative models of development
that extend the nature and reach of teacher learning wherever it takes place” (Leach,
2005). For developing countries like Vietnam, ICT can moreover be seen as a way
to merge into a globalizing world. It is assumed that ICT brings revolutionary
change in teaching methodologies. The innovation lies not per se in the introduction
and use of ICT, but in its role as a contributor towards a student-centered form
of teaching and learning.
The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) curriculum provides
a broad perspective on the nature of technology, how to use and apply a variety
of technologies, and the impact of ICT on self and society. Technology is about
the ways things are done; the processes, tools and techniques that alter human
activity. ICT is about the new ways in which people can communicate, inquire,
make decisions and solve problems. It is the processes, tools and techniques for:
• Gathering and identifying information
• Classifying and organizing
• Summarizing and synthesizing
• Analyzing and evaluating
• Speculating and predicting
ICTs which can be in the form of videos, television and also computer multi
media software, that merges sound, transcripts and multicolored moving imagery,
can be made use of so as to make available stimulating, thought provoking and
reliable content that will keep the student interested in the learning process. The
radio on the other hand through its interactive programs utilizes songs, sound effects,
adaptations, satirical comedies and supplementary collections of performances
so as to induce the students to listen and get drawn in to the training that is being
provided.
The use of online pedagogy within universities and management institutes
is increasing. The introduction of the Wi-Fi system too has led to the growth of
hi-tech education system, where 34 accessibility and accountability of subject
matter is made readily available to the students. The students can now study and
comprehend the related information at their own convenient time.
CONCLUSION
As move into the 21st century, many factors are bringing strong forces to
bear on the adoption of ICTs in education and contemporary trends suggest will
soon see large scale changes in the way education is planned and delivered as a
consequence of the opportunities and affordances of ICT.
290  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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It is believed that the use of ICT in education can increase access to learning
opportunities. It can help to enhance the quality of education with advanced teaching
methods, improve learning outcomes and enable reform or better management of
education systems. 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 continued and increased use of ICTs in education in
years to come, will serve to increase the temporal and geographical opportunities
that are currently experienced.
REFERENCES
• Bonn S. 2008. Transitioning from Traditional to Hybrid and Online Teaching, Anil Varma
(Ed), “Information and Communication Technology in Education”, First edition, Icfai
University Press, Hyderabad, p.34-35.
• Core ICT indicators: Partnership on measuring ICT for development, retrieved from
http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/partnership/
• Developing research-based learning using ICT in higher education curricula: The role of
research and evaluation, retrieved from http://knowledge.cta.int/en/content/view/full/12690
• Farahani A. J. 2008. E-learning: A New Paradigm in Education, Anil Varma (Ed),
“Information and Communication Technology in Education”, First edition, Icfai University
Press, Hyderabad, pp.25-26.
• Amutabi, M. N. & Oketch, M. O. (2003), ‘Experimenting in distance education: the African
Virtual University (AVU) and the paradox of the World Bank in Kenya’, International
Journal of Educational Development 23(1), 57-73.
• Bhattacharya, I. & Sharma, K. (2007), ‘India in the knowledge economy – an electronic
paradigm’, International Journal of Educational Management Vol. 21 No. 6, Pp. 543- 568.
• Duffy, T., & Cunningham, D. (1996). Constructivism: Implications for the design and
delivery of instruction, Handbook of research for educational telecommunications and
technology (pp. 170-198).New York: MacMillan.
• Eriksen, T.H. (2001). Tyranny of the Moment: Fast and Slow Time in the Information
Age. London: Pluto Press.
• ICT in Teacher Education-A Planning Guide,UNESCO2002 Report
• Kirsebom, B. (1998). Universiteteni IT-aldern – frontlinjeellerbakgard?in Bauer, M.
(eds.), Kraften ligger idetokanda. EtfestskrifttilStigHagstrom, universitetskansler 1992
1998, Stockholm: Hogskoleverket.
46
E-Resources for Effective Learning
Smt. Shashikala B. Karadiguddi*
INTRODUCTION
21st century is characterized with the emergence of knowledge based society
wherein ICT plays a pivotal role. Today, the extent to which E-resources are
contributing to education is substantial. E-resources have enabled Educators of
today to educate a larger group of learners spread out thousands of miles away.
It is sure that microelectronics and network databases have virtually begun to
become educators’ partners in the classroom. The National curriculum framework
2005 (NCF 2005) has also highlighted the importance of ICT in school education.
It is recommended that, the Computer facilities need to be used at all levels
-schools, cluster and block resource centers, district, state and the national levels. 
Computer experiences, provided to children, could include something as simple
as audio-recording, to making a video film or a video game, Providing children
more direct access to multi-media equipment and ICT, allowing them to mix and
make their own productions and to present their own experiences could provide
them with new opportunities to explore their own creative imaginations. Teachers
and children should not merely be as consumers but as active producers. Let it
not only be watching and listening but interactive and creative. Interactive, net
enabled computers, rather than only CD-based computer usage would facilitate
a meaningful integration of computers, and enhance school curriculum in rural
and remote areas by increasing connectivity and access to ideas, and information.
It is such two-way interactivity, rather than one-way reception that would make
technology Educational.
Government of India has announced 2010-2020 as the decade of innovation.
Reasoning and Critical thinking skills are necessary for innovation. Foundation of
these skills is laid at school level. It is desirable that affordable E-resources should
be integrated into classroom instructions right form primary stage so as to enable
students develop their requisite skills. The schools should adopt the most modern
*Assistant Professor, K R C E S College of Education, Bailhongal
291
292  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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innovations and practices to ensure there is a continuous enhancement in the overall
quality of teaching and learning. The schools must make attempts to understand
the benefits of ICT and computing technology and provide facilities for its use in
every classroom to improve academic outcomes of learners and to enhance the
productivity of teachers in classrooms. This can be done by encouraging the use
of technology in classroom teaching, which is termed as e-learning.
The National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education 2010 is aimed
at improving the quality of teacher education by incorporating a newer vision of
school education. One of its major focuses is on ICT and use of e-resources in
schools. Teacher education needs to orient and sensitize the teacher to distinguish
between developmentally appropriate and detrimental uses of ICT. It needs
to also equip teachers with competence to use ICT for their own professional
development. In improving the quality of Teacher Education and the School
Education towards better Productivity and Creativity, a Paradigm shift from
traditional methods and technologies to innovative and modern methods and
technologies is necessary.
Definitions and scope of ‘E-Learning’
E-learning is defined in many ways, since the term e-Learning is used
inconsistently, in order to gain a clear understanding of what e-learning is, here
are a few definitions and related terminology of the e-learning world.
1. E-Learning is content and instructional methods delivered on a computer
(whether on CDROM, the Internet, or an intranet), and designed to build
knowledge and skills related to individual or organizational goals. This
definition addresses:
The what: training delivered in digital form,
The how: content and instructional methods to help learn the content, and
The why: to improve organizational performance by building job-relevant
knowledge and skills in workers.
2. Brandon Hall: “…instruction that is delivered electronically, in part or
wholly via a Web browser, (…) through the Internet or an intranet, or through
multimedia platforms such CD-ROM or DVD.” Brandon Hall argues that,
as the technology improves, e-learning has been identified primarily with
using the web, or an intranet’s web. Increasingly — as higher bandwidth has
become more accessible — it has been identified primarily with using the
Web, or an intranet’s web, forcing the visual environment and interactive
nature of the web on the learning environment.
3. E-Learning is the use of technology to enable people to learn anytime and
anywhere. E-Learning can include training, the delivery of just-in-time
information and guidance from experts.
The letter “e” in e-learning stands for the word “electronic”, e-learning would
incorporate all educational activities that are carried out by individuals or groups
working online or offline via networked or standalone computers and other electronic
devices. Abbreviations like CBT (Computer-Based Training), IBT (Internet-Based
E-Resources for Effective Learning  293
Training) and terms like online learning, virtual learning, distributed learning or
WBT (Web-Based Training) have been used as synonyms to e-learning.
E-learning methods: The two basic types of E-learning methods are
synchronous and asynchronous.
Synchronous e-learning: this is commonly supported by media such as
video conferencing, Virtual Classrooms and chat sessions , in this the learners and
instructors may either have regular, scheduled sessions whether they all ‘meet’
simultaneously online, or (more commonly) use electronic forums to exchange
ideas in their own time. The most familiar form of synchronous electronic
communication is real time two way text-based online chat, which is widely
used in e-learning. More sophisticated forms of synchronous instruction include
virtual classrooms, which use information and communication technologies to
mimic a traditional classroom environment. This may involve video-conferencing
or the use of shared electronic whiteboards, which allow learning materials to
be created and modified in real time, either by the instructor or the learners.
Learners and Teachers experience synchronous e-learning as more social and
avoid frustration by asking and answering questions in real time. Synchronous
sessions help e-learners feel like participants rather than isolates. In many cases,
exchanges during synchronous instruction can be archived so that learners can
review them later.
The use of virtual classrooms has considerable cost advantages for many
organizations. On the other hand, virtual classrooms have several drawbacks.
They require learners to have access to fast, reliable networks and reasonably
sophisticated computing facilities. Learning in a virtual classroom also tends to
be instructor-led rather than based on participatory, two-way communication.
Above all, virtual classrooms share many of the limitations of the conventional
classroom in that they require learners to be online at a particular time. This
negates one of the major advantages of electronic communication, which is its
ability to offer flexible access.
Asynchronous E-learning: This is commonly facilitated by media such
as e-mail and discussion boards, supports work relations among learners and
with teachers, even when participants cannot be online at the same time. It is
thus a key component of flexible learning. Asynchronous instruction allows
participants to control their own timetables and fit learning around their other
commitments. This is a major bonus, especially for adult learners who lead
complicated lives. Asynchronous e-learning makes it possible for learners to
log on to an e-learning environment at any time and download documents or
send messages to teachers or peers. Students may spend more time refining
their contributions, which are generally considered more thoughtful compared
to synchronous communication. Many of the technologies used in asynchronous
e-learning also permit two way communication between learners and instructors,
or multi-directional, collaborative communication among learners themselves.
These are some of the communication technologies most commonly used in
asynchronous e-learning:
294  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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• Email: is the most common form of electronic information exchange.
• Collaborative learning forums promote learner interaction through message
boards, where students can post questions and answers; text chat or forums,
where learners can communicate outside the main classroom; and threaded
discussions, where facilitators and students can discuss a given topic and
review each other’s responses.
• E-boards: allow learners and instructors to create images, text and information
and present them to other participants.
• Blackboard: is a tool that allows faculty to add resources for students to
access online. PowerPoint, Captivate, video, audio, animation, and other
applications are created outside of Blackboard and added into Blackboard
courses for students to enhance teaching and learning efforts. Blackboard
(Bb) can allow you to provide multiple content formats (text, images, sound,
audio, animations, graphs, etc.), which allows for students to find material
based on their preferred learning style.
• Bulletin Board: This is another form of asynchronous interaction, which can
be used for pedagogic purposes. Bulletin boards can be used for the purpose
of putting up course syllabus, time table, course specific announcements as
well as a discussion forum
• Mailing List: is a one to many communication mode based on e-mail. It
employs list server for the purpose of delivery. Individual messages are
sent to the list server which then provides distribution to the subscribers
personal e-mail accounts. Mailing lists are generally text-based and typically
centered on a certain topic. In web based courses mailing lists can be
used for the purpose of course related announcements or for discussion
on certain topics.
• Blog: (a blend of the term web log) is a type of website or part of a website.
Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of
commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or
video. Most blogs are interactive, allowing visitors to leave comments and it
is this interactivity that distinguishes them from other static websites. Many
blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function
as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and
links to other blogs, Web pages, and other media related to its topic. The
ability of readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important
part of many blogs. Most blogs are primarily textual, although some focus
on art (art blog), photographs (photo blog), videos (video blogging), music
(MP3 blog), and audio (podcasting). 
• Application sharing: allows instructors and learners to work collaboratively on
the same learning materials, either simultaneously or in sequence. Participants
can see what is happening at all times.
• Simulations or virtual laboratories: permit learners to work in teams to
construct projects and complete them at their preferred pace.
E-Resources for Effective Learning  295
• Library/learning session cache access: provides access to archived text,
presentations, video, audio and data files. This is especially useful for revision
or for reviewing synchronous learning sessions a student may have missed.
• Real-time tests and evaluation: can be triggered at agreed times or completed
at the learner’s own pace.
• Video and audio streaming: can be used to disseminate information to
learners, and can also enable learners to see and speak with the facilitator
via the Internet rather than by telephone.
CONCLUSIONS
E-learning in India is spreading its reach widely. It is an initiative to reach
the masses via electronic mode. There are lots of institutes going in for scheduling
their courses online. In this cyber world, one has easy access to internet and so
to make easy for students, e-learning has been introduced. This is tremendously
helping the aspirants to save their time as they are free to access the knowledge
anytime. In India E learning is becoming popular with majority of students choosing
it. A student can really benefit from e-classes. There are many Indian educational
institutions that have introduced the e-classes while some are planning to start soon.
REFERENCES
• Brandon Hall , Roosenberg, E-learning A research note by Namahn, note-e-
learning.pdf
• Harp, S.F. and Mayer, R.E. (1998). How seductive details do their damage:
A theory of cognitive interest in science learning. Journal of Educational
Psychology, 90 (3), 414-434.
• Kanjilal, Uma (2000), Web-based Distance Education:Considerations for Design
and Implementation, Indian Journal of open learning, 9(3), 433-440.
• National Curriculum Framework, March, 2010, The Hindu, http://www.thehindu.
com/education/article258710.ece , retrieved on 03/07/2011
• Pant M.M., Case Studies, Indira Gandhi National Open University, Platinum
Edu.Ltd., Gurgaon, 2010.
• Ruth Clark , Six Principles of Effective e-Learning: What Works and Why
; Learning Solutions, Practical Applications of Technology for Learning,
e-Magazine, September 10,2002
• Saverinus Kaka, The role of ICT in Education, Inside Magazine,  Vol. 02,
July 2008
• Singh & Sharma, E-Learning New Trends and Innovations, Deep & Deep
Publications Private Ltd., New Delhi, 2005

47
Use of Social Networking (Facebook, Twitter,
Blogs and WhatsApp) Technologies
Higher Education in India
Dr. Raghavendra Raju Gurujal*and Mrs. Roopa B. Bidnalamath**
Abstract
This article describe the potential impact of social media and new
technologies in derivative education. The case of study has been designed
for the excitement and theatre subject. A wide set of tools like social networks,
blogs, internet, multimedia content, local press and other promotional
tools are promoted to increase students’ motivation. The developments in
Internet technology have seen a rapid rise and change in information flow in
contemporary society. One such significant development is the popularity of
social network sites, an innovation that is redefining the process of sharing
mediated messages. Twitter, an online social networking and micro blogging
service that enables users to send and read “tweets”, has over 500 million
users who send over 400 million tweets daily, with nearly 60% of tweets
sent from mobile devices. Regarded as the SMS of the Internet and one
of the ten most visited websites, its users tweet about any topic within the
140-character limit and follow others. The paper set out to study the topological
characteristics of Face book, Twitter and whatsApp its power as a new medium
of information sharing and social convergence, An analysis of the results
seems to suggest that the majority of learners were mainly using Face book
and MySpace. Furthermore, it also emerged out that learners used social
networking technologies for academic purposes and more specifically to
conduct group work. It was also established that social networking technologies
*Department of Computer Science Karnataka State Women’s University, Vijayapur-08
Mail: raghavendra.gurujal@gmail.com
**Research Scholar Department of Commerce, Karnataka State Women’s University
Vijayapur-08 Mail: roopabidnalamath@gmail.com
296
Use of Social Networking (Facebook, Twitter, Blogs and WhatsApp) Technologies  297
♦
improved learners’ technology ability, enhanced learners’ social skills and
help learners to communicate in new ways with new people.
Keywords: Face book, Uses of Social Networking Sites, Benefits of
Social Networking Sites Ethics, Social Media, Internet technology &Twitter.
INTRODUCTION
Networked media technologies have become key elements in many areas.
For education projects [1], [2], audiovisual content and social networks constitute
a powerful set of tools, that can be used to motivate learning and help the
student’s to widen their knowledge, without a cost increase. Thus, networked
media technology should enable a more effective use of resources, and should
be used as much as possible to improve the relationship between students
and teachers, and facilitate students ‘access to interesting material, without
additional cost. Social networks and web 2.0-based social media services (e.g.,
Face book®, Twitter®, YouTube®, etc.) have recently become very popular,
especially among young people [3]. One of the main reasons is, because in
social networking sites users can participate intensively in activities and services
sharing content and opinions, debating and create different groups depending
on their needs and interests. The use of ICT as a learning methodology needs
to be firmly incorporated into the classroom, in order to improve the experience
of students and teachers alike. A sense of community is a very important factor
in raising motivation in a drama and theatre project. Feelings of membership,
belonging to the groups and sharing emotional connection are basic features for
motivation [4], as well as the Essence of social networks aims. In [5] the usage of
social networks is constructively considered in the learning process. Face book
allows members to participate, both inside and Outside of the classroom, and to
keep connected outside the classroom. According to the Nielsen “Social Media
Report” [6], the usage of social networks among young people is continuously
increasing. The proliferation of smart phones and tablets has facilitated access to
social media, complementing the access through PCs or laptops, which remain
only slightly ahead in terms of medium of connectivity to social media. The
trend of utilizing Social Network Sites for education is widely used as a tool
for sharing collaboration, posting comments, which leads to the development of
a new interactive teaching and learning platform [7]. Among social networks,
Face book is the most used, followed by Twitter and blogs, as reflected by
the final analytics. These three systems formed the core of media usage in the
experiment, apart from a website and the diffusion of video and audio through
the platforms YouTube and Video. There have been similar experiences in higher
and primary education, but this is a pioneer project in public secondary school
in India. Students from secondary school are aged from twelve up to eighteen
years old, which is commonly the age when they start to strongly interact with
new technologies, begin to have their own mobiles, and open their eyes to the
298  Information and Communication Technology in Education Use of Social Networking (Facebook, Twitter, Blogs and WhatsApp) Technologies  299
♦ ♦
possibilities of internet and communications in respect to their education. A MEDIA SHARING NETWORKS
variety of experiences have been developed in higher education for different
purposes. In [8], media proposes social networks for promotional activities in
higher education. E-learning and on-line access to materials, in addition to the
materials developed in the classroom, are the basis of some research. In many
professions, social networks play an important role in different fields, such
as civil engineering education [9] or [10], which employs You Tube videos
as an important tool for teaching. Additionally, other experiments for social
network integration in education can be found in [11], [12], [13], [14] and
[15]. There are several studies in which the impact of ICT’s capabilities on
children and young people is analyzed as well, such as [16] and [17]. The
This type of social network is defined by the primary type of media shared
first one concludes that the younger group’s interaction with technology is
among users. Face book and Twitter, WhatsApp have amazing video and image-sharing
different from that of the adult population. According to the second, social
capabilities; however, the majority of posts shared on these channels contain text. For
media in schools contributes to the organization of big projects or activities,
channels such as Flicker or Integral, however, images are the main focus users have
transmitting news and information, and can also be helpful to orient students
to choose, upload and edit image files before proceeding with anything else, such as
toward their future career. Following, after presenting an introduction and
captions or mentions of other users. Similarly, with sites such as YouTube and Video,
the state of the art in Section 1, we will present an overview of the work
or apps like trailing plant and Snap chat, video is the primary mode of communication.
environment in Section 2, defining the conditions and main objectives of the
project. In Section 3, the work that has been developed is presented, describing RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
the set of tools that has been used for the project. Finally, Section 4 includes
The objectives of the study were to enumerate the Social Networking
the results of the final survey answered by students at the end of the course,
Technologies (SNTs) being used by learners in higher education in India, establish
while their conclusions are drawn in Section 5.
the uses of Social Networking Technologies by learners in higher education in India,
HOW INDIAN GOVERNMENT IS USING SOCIAL-MEDIA determine the extent to which learners use Social Networking Technologies for
socializing versus informal academic learning, establish and rank benefits associated
Few days back we talked about how much social media has changed
with use of Social Networking Sites in higher education in India and establish
society and 5 tips to become social media cool kid. In past few years, concept of
and rank the skills gained by learners through use of Social Networking Sites.
governance has changed dramatically. Indian citizens are now more curious and
they want to stay in thick of things with changes and policies of Government. LITERATURE REVIEW
Understanding this changing trend, Governments has become responsive towards
Learning one of the terms worth defining is learning. Reference [11] defines
the issues of general public and we have few instances of Government services on
learning in two ways, firstly, as students collaborating and discussing ideas
social media. This is certainly a big positive step followed by many Government
and possible solutions and secondly, as connecting with other students around
departments.
the world, on topics of study. It is common knowledge that Social Networking
Government is always responsible for educating citizen about new changes
Technologies are used mainly for collaboration purposes. However, the million
and policies. Earlier this aspect of information sharing was taken care by print or
dollar question is how are these Social Networking Technologies being used in
press media, however, growing popularity of social media inspired Government
India to enhance learning? This happens to be a fundamental research question that
and its departments to adopt it. Indian postal department came up with the big
has no known answer. Learning is also viewed as social activity, where learners
breakthrough, when they created a Twitter account @Post Office India (account
construct their understanding not just through interaction with the material,
no more active) and started updating its achievement and historical landmarks.
but also through collaboratively constructing new knowledge with their peers.
After some time, postal department started responding to the queries of people
through this account. That was just the beginning of Indian government sector EDUCATION NETWORKING
presence in Social-media platforms. I would like to recall an election campaign
Defines educational networking as “the use of social networking technologies
event here. During 2013 Delhi Assembly elections, most of us know a new party
for educational purposes.” Educational Networking can also be defined as “the use
came to existence with the name of “Aam Aadmi Party”. They went viral over
of social networking technologies for educational purposes, aligns with federal
various social media platform with their campaigns and it was surprising that,
and state goals to promote innovative and collaborative technology” [19].
they formed Government.
300  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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Examples of Social Networking Sites
Indicates that Face book, Friendster, LinkedIn, Live Journal and MySpace are
some of the examples of social networking sites. Similar sentiments are echoed in
[12] that the two most popular social networking sites are Face book and MySpace.
However, in [20], NING is mentioned as a social networking site which is mainly
used in academia. Reference [11] cites Bebo as an example of a Social Networking
Site in addition to the ones already mentioned. Along with that, in [21] it is noted
that, “The most famous in the world of social networks are Facebook (Facebook.
com), Twitter (Twitter.com) and MySpace (myspace.com) and others.”
E. Use of Social Networking Sites in education posits that many students are
using new media and technologies to create new things in new ways, learn new
things in new ways, and communicate in new ways with new people. The researchers
went on to say, “It is our position that these technologies are safe, valuable tools
schools must take seriously.” They further note that the ‘tween’ and teen group
(nine- to 17-year-olds) are the heaviest users of Social Networking Technologies.
Further supporting evidence is provided in [8] that 96 percent of youth in ‘tween’
and teen group have used Social Networking Technologies at some time, with
their average engagement with them rivaling time spent watching TV at 9 hours
a week. Reference [10] concludes that almost 60 percent of the students spent
between one and five hours on online social network websites in a typical week
and spent 19 percent of the time in a week watching TV.
The topic of most conversation at these social networking sites is education
and 60 percent of the students maintain that they use social networking sites to
discuss about education topics and more than 50 percent use social networking
sites to discuss about specific schoolwork. In fact, a 2007 National School Boards
Association study found that 60 percent of students use social networks to talk
about educational topics, and 50 percent of students use the networks to “talk
specifically about school-work. Shows that NING (a social networking site mostly
used in academic circles) is excellent for facilitating group projects. Along with
that, in [11] it was noted that Social Networking Technologies can be used to
communicate assignments, class discussion, and content that supported schoolwork
such as videos. A similar conclusion was reached in [22] that the Southern Illinois
University College of Business views sites such as Face book as crucial tools for
their communication and marketing strategies. They use a Face book group to
provide members with school news and the ability to communicate with other
students, faculty and alumni.
IMPLEMENTATION
The main objective of introducing media content and promoting interaction
using social networks to improve the relationship between each one of the students
and the scene, motivating them to make the best effort and obtain the best result
possible on stage. The initial idea was to use already established social networks
(Facebook or Twitter), instead of new platforms, such as Model, whose access by
students would be less frequent compared to the networks that they normally use.
Use of Social Networking (Facebook, Twitter, Blogs and WhatsApp) Technologies  301
The evolution of the project was progressive. In the first three months, rehearsals
of the first scenes developed were photographed and the material was included in
social networks. The best of these photographs were used to produce promotional
posters for the project. These posters were used to create a visible image of the theatre
company and to raise both the students’ and the school community’s enthusiasm
regarding the project.
Figure-2:  Working schema
The schema of the project appears in Figure 2. The main purpose was to
generate multimedia material in the classroom and on stage to distribute it through
different mediums, and to create a brand image of the theatre company. Three
mediums of material were used to document the project: text, video and photos.
All these mediums have been mixed to present interesting products to be used for
different applications. Photographs were employed for posters and informative
papers, which were posted on the walls of the institute to be seen by other students.
Also photographs were distributed through social networks and the blog.
The content must be attractive enough to increase participants’ interest in
the networks. Video recordings were used for visualization in the classroom and
a DVD authoring. The students’ ability to see themselves on screen was a chance
to correct their errors, learn from them, and be able to see what a spectator sees.
Video and multimedia were also very innovative in high-schools, a main factor in
the learning process. Local press media played an important role in maximizing
project’s reach and improving students’ motivation.
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
This research sought to explore the use of social networking sites in higher
education. It looked at the social networking sites which are being used in higher
education, the extent to which they are being used, the benefits and skills gained
from use of social networking sites in higher education. The study followed a
descriptive research design wherein a questionnaire was used as the main research
tool. Data was gathered from 719 university students from five institutions of higher
learning in India. An analysis of the results seems to suggest that the most popular
social networking sites in higher education in India are Face book, WhatsApp,
302  Information and Communication Technology in Education Use of Social Networking (Facebook, Twitter, Blogs and WhatsApp) Technologies  303
♦ ♦
MySpace, LinkedIn and Twitter in that order. Further, it was also concluded that • J. Powell, ”33 million People in the Room: how to create, influence, and run a successful
learners used social networking technologies for academic purposes and they Business with Social networking,” Pearson Education, Inc, 2009, https://idv.sagapub.
mainly used them to conduct group work. It was also concluded that the most com/cgi/content/abstract/23/4/266 .
pronounced benefits of social networking sites include that social networking • J. Palfrey and U. Gasser, Born Digital: Understanding the First Generation of Digital
Natives, New York: Basic Books, 2008.
technologies improve learners’ technology proficiency, enhance learners’ social
• G. Bull, A. Thompson, M. Searson, J. Garofalo, J. Park, C. Young, and J. Lee, “Connecting
skills and help learners to communicate in new ways with new people in that order. informal and formal learning: Experiences in the age of participatory media.
Lastly, it was found out that students acquire some skills as a result of using social • Srivastava, S., “A study of multimedia & its impact on students’ attitude,” Technology
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and Teacher Education International Conference, pp 2580-2584, 2008. media enhanced studying and learning in higher education,” Education Engineering
• F. Oradini and G Saunders, “The use of social networking by students and staff In higher (EDUCON), 2010 IEEE, vol., no., pp.137,143, 14-16 April 2010.
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• L. Trubitt and J Overholtzer, “Good Communication: The Other Social Network for Journal of Community Psychology, Vol. 14, No. 1, pp. 6-23, 1986.
Successful IT Organizations,” EDUCAUSE Review, vol. 44, pp 90‐100, 2009 • Ractham, P.; Firpo, D., “Using Social Networking Technology to Enhance Learning in
• E. T. Pascarella and P. T. Terenzini, How College Affects Students: A Third Decade of Higher Education: A Case Study Using Facebook,” System Sciences (HICSS), 2011 44th
Research, vol. 2. Indianapolis, IN: Jossey-Bass, 1991 Hawaii International Conference on, vol., no., pp.1,10, 4-7 Jan. 2011
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48
Social Networking: A Key to Tool for
Communication & Practice
Shashirekha S. M.*
Abstract
Teaching is a complex skill. To learn this skill it is necessary to give more
attention to practice in components and sub components of teaching skill.
Communication skill is one of the essential component and pre-requisites
for effective teaching. In spite of orientation and practice in communication
skills most of the student teachers are struggle to communicate orally and in
written form. Most of the 21st students are hooked on to the different social
media for keeping in contact with their peer. Hence, it is necessary to make
use of social networking as tool for facilitating effective communication
among student teachers and in reciprocate; they facilitate communication
skills among secondary schools students via social networking. Social
networking can be used to share knowledge and information among the
different groups of people. This also promotes and forms proper written
communication and oral communication skills via different Medias among
student teachers. This paper highlights list of social networking can used
to practice and facilitate communication skills among student teachers and
how social networking can be considered as key tool for communication
in teacher education colleges.
Keywords: Social networking, communication, Practice, Teacher
Education College.
INTRODUCTION
Teacher preparation programs are jam packed with number of activities.
Communication is one of the important components of teacher preparation
program. Sometimes it is difficult to communicate all the information related
*Research Scholar, Department of Education, Davangere University, Davangere.
Karnataka Mail: shashirekhasm@gmail.com
304
Social Networking: A Key to Tool for Communication & Practice  305
♦
to teaching and learning process to the stakeholder and student teacher. It is
necessary to prepare student teachers to compete in technological era and use
social medias for the purpose of communication. Social networking means the
use of web-based and mobile technologies to communicate information. Social
Medias like Twitter, facebook, storify, wordpress, youtube, Orkut, myspace,
Skype etc., can be utilised in teacher education colleges for different purpose.
There are social Medias which are exclusive and extensively used for the
purpose of communication such as Facebook, twitter, Orkut, Myspace, and
Skype. Knowledge and information can be shared among between teacher
educators and student teachers. This is in turn enhances the communication skill
among student teachers and helps them to prepare their students as effective
communicator via different social Medias.
Social Networking: Web-based services that allow individuals to construct
a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, articulate a list of
other users with whom they share a connection, and view and traverse their
list of connections and those made by others within the system. The nature
and nomenclature of these connections may vary from site to site (Boyd &
Ellison, 2007).
Background
Twitter, facebook, Skype, Orkut, and Myspace exclusively used for
communication. In the field of education some educators attempted to evaluate
and analyze the educational and social benefits of social networking. Research
reveals that a semester-long study where they set out to determine if integrating
twitter into the classroom could impact engagement and academic achievement.
The twitter used for various academic related discussions including book
discussion, class questions, class reminder and organizing study groups. In
their analysis, they found that the experimental group had a significantly
greater increase in engagement compared to the control group exhibited higher
semester grade point averages (Junco et al., 2011). Another study reveals
that facebook’s affordances encouraged students to initiate communication
more than other traditional forms of initiating communication (Ellison et al,
2007). Skype is a relatively newly emerging technology and the potential
application of it to language and literature learning and teaching needs to
be further explored (Wu, 2005). Previous study reveals that Skype helps to
improve listening skills as the user has to pay active attention to what the
interlocutor is saying. It’s also useful to practice vocabulary and everyday
language in a natural way; it fosters improvisation and puts our knowledge
to the test when you’re trying to write or to speak (Bossa, Stevens and Tawel,
2012). The creation and sharing of content on services such as MySpace has
been seen to increase both young people’s technical literacy, as they learn
to use code to create their profiles, and creative content and visual literacy
as they draw from and re-use media in appropriate ways for communication
and self-expression (Perkel, 2008).
306  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
Use of Social networking for communication in Teacher Education
Colleges
Research studies indicate that use of social networking services helpful in
developing communication skills. This helps them to have interaction and keep
in touch with the teachers, peers, parents, to know about the social events, and to
find out the activities of other users.
Provide link to material that helps and guide student teachers: Sometimes
it is difficult for teacher educators to provide material which is required for student
teachers. Social networking is helpful for teacher educators to provide link to
content generating and sharing sites which are source of information. These sources
provide information related to topics which are related to teaching and learning
process. It also provides content related to course. Student teachers benefited
from these sources by using the content and downloading the content which can
be accessible free of cost. This in turn, helps student teacher to carry out their
teaching and learning tasks with ease.
Post information about the academic and non academic activities of
the college: Social networking tools can be used to post information related to
academic and non-academic activities conducted in the college of education.
From the beginning of the academic year till the end of the academic year, what
are the various activities planned to conduct can be posted. The gratification
received from this social information helped users feel that they were a part of a
peer network of knowing what was going on about events and activities (Quan-
Haase & Young, 2010).
Post academic calendar and details of the program: Social networks can be
used by the college of education as tool of communication. These are increasingly
being used by teachers and learners as a communication tool in the 21st century.
To facilitate communication skill among student teachers, teacher educator can
create chat rooms, forums and groups to extend classroom discussion, for posting
assignment, tests and quizzes, to assist with their academic need out side the
classroom. In turn, student teachers can also form groups over the social networking
sites to facilitate communication skill of their students in secondary schools.
Post reminder for student teachers, staff, and parents: In teacher education
colleges social networking can also be used to bridge communication gap. Reminders
to student teachers about the tasks assigned and instruction on to how to accomplish
the given tasks can be provided. It can be used to announce the content to be covered
in an upcoming class and assignment topic, tests and exams. To communicate
reminders to the staff regarding the important tasks assigned to them. Communicate
the details of progress of the student teachers to their parents and remind them
about the parent teachers meeting etc.
Make information easy to find and navigate for readers: Social networking
can also be used in teacher education colleges to generate opinions on the existing
system of programs. It may be curricular and co-curricular activities. What is the
new strategy they planned to satisfy the stakeholders and sustain the quality in
teacher Education Colleges? This type of networking helpful for teacher education
Social Networking: A Key to Tool for Communication & Practice  307
colleges to generate opinion of people and based on that redesign the calendar of
curricular and co-curricular activities.
Post information about when new reports/newsletters are available: It is
difficult to get the information what is going on in a particular teacher education
college. Social networking is tool which helps to post information regarding the
reports of academic and non-academic activities of a college. This indirectly, helps
to decide the level and quality of education provided in the institution.
Post videos on important curricular and co-curricular events: Social
networking can be used to post videos on important curricular activities like micro
teaching, communication skills, seminars, demonstration lessons, and time table
of practice sessions of aforesaid activities. Co-curricular activities like cultural
activities and literary activities which are conducted in the Teacher Education
Colleges and details of those activities.
Discuss, share and publish: Teacher education colleges can share the best
practice which gave better result in their institution. Discuss some of issues and
challenges in teacher education colleges with experts and find out the solution
to the same. Share the activities and interests within their individual networks.
Publish the best practice this helps other colleges of education can make use of
that practice and improve their existing practices.
Exchange of ideas through words: Immediate communication benefits of
Facebook users were seen for individuals reporting various levels of shyness. Shyness
might cause individuals to avoid social, face-to-face interaction altogether, so these
persons would have less communication and less social support. In a study looking at
the association between online social media and friendship quality of shy individuals,
results indicated that online social networks provided a comfortable environment
in which shy individuals could interact with others (Baker & Oswald, 2010).
Implications of use of Social Networking in Teacher Education
colleges
• Student teacher learn to update their status, this develops the ability to
communicate.
• Develop the ability to comment on status updated by others within a network.
• Facilitate effective communication skills among student teachers.
• Develop the ability to communicate with more members of a network through
video.
• Learn to chat with other members of a network.
• Motivate student teachers to share video content.
• Acclamatize the details of the activities to stakeholders and parents
CONCLUSION
In 21st century communication and practice via social networking is essential
pre-requisites for employability. Online and networked media environment requires
skills like digital and web literacy these are not taught in the teacher education
308  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦
colleges. Hence, teacher education colleges should provide environment which help
student teachers to develop the skills to participate and stay safe in the digital era.
Teacher education colleges need to orient their student teachers use a computer,
software program or application. Critical content literacy is how to use search
engines and comprehend the information which is related to organization and
credibility of that information. To familiarize the different spaces of communication 49
on the web and rules to which govern and guide the user? Students should be
apprised about how to deal with the unrelated and unwanted communication and ICT for Teachers
how to create content, upload images, and video content with support of constant
orientation and practice. Sandur Prasad*
REFERENCES
• Baker, L. R., & Oswald, D. L. (2010). Shyness and online social networking services.
Journal of Social & Personal Relationships,27(7), 873-889. Abstract
• Bossa, M, Stevens, V and Tawel, A (2012). Ayat Al-Tawel and Maria Boss discuss their
The National Policy on ICT in school education has set the goal of
studesnts collaborations between Egypt and Argentina Learning together podcast.( Online).
• Boyd, D.M. & Ellison, N.B. (2007). Social network sites: Definition, history, and
preparing youth to participate creatively in the establishment, sustenance
scholarship. Journal of Computer Mediated Communication, 13, pp 210-230. and growth of a knowledge society leading to all round socio-economic
• Ellison, N. B., Steinfield, C., & Lampe, C. (2007). The benefits of facebook “friends” development of the nation and to be geared for global competitiveness. The
social capital & college students use of online soical network sites. Journal of computer National Curriculum Framework which guides the teaching-learning effort
mediated communication, 12(4). in schools cautions that technology used as a mere medium to disseminate
• Junco, R., Heberger, G., & Loken, E. (2011). The effect of Twitter on college student information tends to bypass the teacher. It expresses a firm belief that teachers
engagement and grades. Journal of computer assisted learning, 27(2), pp 119-132. and children must be treated not merely as consumers but also as active
• Perkel, D. (2008).Copy and Paste Literacy: Literacy Practices in the Production of a producers. It is the two-way interactivity rather than one-way reception that
MySpace Profile‟. Paper presented at Informal Learning and Digital Media: Constructions, would make the technology educational. The present curricula for ICT in
Contexts, Consequences, 21-23 September. Available Online: http://people.ischool.berkeley.
education is a step towards realizing the goals of both the National Policy and
edu/~dperkel/media/dperkel_literacymyspace.pdf
• Quan-Haase, A., & Young, A. L. (2010). Uses and gratifications of social media: A
the National Curriculum Framework. It has factored in the rapid evolution of
comparison of facebook and instant messaging. Bulletin of Science, Technology & technologies and the ground realities of Indian school systems. For the teacher,
Society, 30(5), 350-361. it is an initiation into exploring educational possibilities of technology, learning
• Wu, W.S. (2005). Web-based English learning and teaching in Taiwan: Possibilities and to make the right choices of hardware, software and ICT interactions, and
challenges. Paper presented at The First Hsiang-shan Area Intercollegiate International more importantly, growing to become a critical user of ICT. For the student,
conference on English teaching. Chung Hua University, Hsuan Chung University, and it is an initiation into creativity, problem solving, and an introduction to the
Yuanpei University of Science and Technology, Hsinchu, Taiwan. Taipei: Crane Publishing, world of information and technologies which could also shape career pursuits.
and Luke Swart.

INTRODUCTION
The teachers’ is considered a significant vehicle for the realisation of the
goals of the National Curriculum Framework and consequently is designed to
provide an enhanced exposure to information and resources for ongoing professional
support, improved teaching-learning-evaluation-tracking, and increased productivity.

*Assisstant Professor, Sanjay Gandhi College of Education, Cholanagar.Bangalore- Mail:

Sandurprasad@Gmail.Com

309
310  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
The National Policy on ICT in School Education organises the competencies for
ICT Literacy into three broad levels, basic, intermediate and advanced, and the
curriculum subsumes them.
COMPETENCIES
Basics of computers and basic use of tools and techniques – operate a computer,
store, retrieve and manage data, use a computer to achieve basic word and data
processing tasks; connect, disconnect and troubleshoot basic storage, input and
output devices. Connect to the internet, use e-mail and web surfing, use search
engines; keep the computer updated and secure; operate and manage content
from external devices (sound recorders, digital cameras, scanners etc.); connect,
disconnect, operate and troubleshoot digital devices.
Create and manage content using a variety of software applications and digital
devices; using web sites and search engines to locate, retrieve and manage content,
tools and resources; install, uninstall and troubleshoot simple software applications.
Use different software applications to enhance one’s own learning database
applications, analysis of data and problem solving, computing, design, graphical
and audio-visual communication; undertake research and carry out projects using
web resources; use ICT for documentation and presentation; create and participate
in web based networks for cooperative and collaborative learning; become aware
of issues of cyber security, copyright and safe use of ICT and take necessary steps
to protect oneself and ICT resources. The content of the curriculum involves
activities which simultaneously draw upon competencies from different levels,
such that a completion of all levels is ensured
LEARNING
The learning strands seek to build capacities to handling today’s and tomorrow’s
technologies appropriate for use in education, capitalizing on technology to master
technology, managing the ICT infrastructure, using technology to surmount barriers
and to acquiring insights to lead technology educationally.
The six strands are:
1. Connecting with the world
2. Connecting with each other
3. Creating with ICT
4. Interacting with ICT
5. Possibilities in education
6. Reaching out and bridging divides.
1.  Connecting with the World
ICT tools enable anytime, anywhere access to information and resources.
Given the proliferation of internet connectivity, the curriculum recognises the
fact that being connected to the internet offers tremendous benefits to teachers
in terms of capabilities to access information and resources of various kinds and
ICT for Teachers  311
to utilize them in their teaching-learning. Not only will these add to the range of
techniques that teachers use, but also make a difference to their students learning.
The ability to critically review and use the resources will be an essential input to
teachers professional development.
Becoming aware of the range of materials the web offers for the teachers’ own
learning as well resources for their teaching; critical appraisal of the information and
resources; safe, productive, ethical and legal use of these resources; and protecting
oneself and others from the harmful effects of the virtual medium is fundamental
to every teacher’s learning. Therefore, the strand introduces teachers to the internet
and its resources; using browsers and search engines; choosing appropriate sites;
search and retrieval of information and resources; different kinds of websites and
interactivity; navigating the web, bookmarks, subscriptions to services and products;
downloading information and resources; awareness of formats and techniques;
copyright and safety issues; uploading and sharing information; and transactions
through internet.
2.  Connecting with Each Other
ICT tools also enable a variety of ways to keep people connected. Synchronous
and asynchronous modes increase the degree of interactivity and help create
communities, which can then collaborate to form interest groups for a common
cause. While at the bare minimum, it enables a very rapid way of communicating
with a friend, it can be leveraged to break teachers’ isolation and promote professional
growth. Becoming aware of various communication possibilities, becoming
interested in and participating in professional communities and keeping abreast
with newer ways of communicating are essential to keep the teachers in sync with
developments of technology and updated about developments in her own discipline
and in educational practice. Learning to create an email ID; send and receive emails;
store and manage communication; handle attachments; maintain address books;
form or join email forums; participate in discussion forums, wikis, video and
audio conferencing, social networks, blogging and microblogging; become aware
of cyber bullying and other social issues are essential parts of teachers’ cyber kit.
3.  Creating with ICT
ICT tools are not seen as an end in themselves but as an opportunity to create and
express. Modern ICT employ a variety of media forms – text, graphics, animation, audio
and video, enabling a rich communication. Easy, friendly ways have been discovered
to interact with ICT. Together they expand enormously the range of learning that can
accrue. Software applications and hardware devices have become increasingly versatile
and cater to a variety of learning needs. The wider the range of tools, devices, software
applications and techniques that teachers are aware of and can productively use, the
wider will be the opportunities for developing their imagination and expression. Treating
a computer as a mere information delivery device will lead to a gross underutilisation
of its capabilities and diminish its use for teaching-learning. With access to a range
of tools and devices, the repertoire of communication skills will also increase. The
312  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
teachers’ ability to leverage the interactive features into teaching-learning will also
extend the range of activities students can be involved in and learn from. Creating,
curating, managing images and documents; repurposing them into communications;
gathering and processing data and presenting them; working with audio and video
tools to create media rich communications; learning to program and control devices
and processes, become important to teachers.
4.  Interacting with ICT
ICT are evolving at a very rapid pace. The type of device, its operating processes,
the purpose for which the tool is to be deployed – the range of essential learning in
ICT is ever increasing. While the computer has evolved to take on more and more
complex tasks, the interface itself has become simpler by the day. From the days of
a command line interface to an app based touch interface, computers have become
extremely productive, finding uses in more and more applications, particularly in
the daily routine of every common man. Understanding how ICT systems operate
and an appreciation of the range of ICT tools available today can help identify
opportunities for teaching-learning. Extensive use also helps make informed decisions
in selecting the most appropriate tools for education. A computer today is not just
a large calculator but an integrated communication medium. Expectedly, the more
the functions, the more the complexity. The free participatory ways in which this
technology has grown has also brought in diverse ways in which different hardware
and software achieve similar tasks. Keeping abreast of the technology becomes a
challenge. At the same time, trying to learn every new tool in a rote manner would
not be fruitful either. A broad conceptual understanding of how ICT devices and
tools work, along with an operational knowledge of safe and efficient use of ICT
is the aim, together with learning basic ways to troubleshoot and working around
problems. Connecting input and output devices – printers, scanners, webcam, digital
camera, sound recorder, projector, headphone; using storage devices and optical
disks; mounting and dismounting devices; connecting to the internet – modem, data
card, Wi-Fi, LAN; bandwidth and connection speeds; software installation; using
different operating systems; file management; settings and configurations; enabling
regional language support; troubleshooting and basic repair; virus protection and
safety of equipment and user form the strand’s focus.
5.  Possibilities in Education
ICT capabilities have led to a wide variety of educational applications.
Software applications which extend learning, immerse students in
experimentation and problem solving, make available data sets to process and
retrieve information from are commonly used in education. Online resources –
books, courses, media materials have become common. Interactive possibilities,
individual users interacting with packaged material or groups of people
interacting with each other have opened up ways in which teaching-learning
is transacted. While the glamour and novelty of the medium attracts everyone,
becoming a discerning, critical user of ICT is very essential. Sugar coating
of information cannot constitute enriching of experience. Learning to acquire
ICT for Teachers  313
insights into how ICT operate and impact teaching-learning, what forms of
media and information can be appropriate to learning, how educational goals
can become the arbiter of choices made in ICT, assessment and evaluation
of ICT tools, devices, information and resources are very important, if cost
effective and meaningful ICT has to be promoted. This strand therefore forms
the bridge between the aspirations of the education system and the run away
developments in ICT.
6.  Reaching Out and Bridging Divides
ICT has become available widely, overcoming geographical and social boundaries.
But this has not naturally ensured access to its benefits to all. ICT itself has evolved
techniques – a DVD or a music player as examples of portability, forums as examples
of public helplines and support, public sharing and open educational resources; a wide
range of free and open source software - auguring well for improved access. Language
barriers and professional isolation can deny students and teachers access to the wide
range of digital information and resources. Becoming aware of, experimenting with,
participation in and creation of resources and support aimed at those denied access
will help reach out and bridge the divides. Physically challenged, particularly the
visually impaired and the auditorily impaired cannot access information as easily.
SYLLABUS
The ICT curriculum broadly attempts to equip teachers with ICT competencies
to strengthen their own professional capabilities and to effectively use ICT
tools and devices in their teaching-learning. Teachers will also be trained to
manage the ICT environment in the school and function as a local coordinator
for organising capacity building programmes. The curriculum therefore is rolled
out as a series of short courses, spanning the six strands and ensuring together
the basic, intermediate and advanced levels of competence. Three induction
courses and fourteen refresher courses leading to a diploma in ICT in education
is proposed. The first set of six refresher courses will be organized in between
the first and second induction courses and a second set of eight refresher courses
will be organized between second and third induction courses. Refresher ten to
thirteen will include optional courses; a number of subject specific and interest
based courses will be offered under these refresher courses so that a teacher
may choose any four courses from them.
OBJECTIVES
After undergoing this course the teacher will be able to:
1. Effectively use ICT tools, software applications and digital resources
2. Integrate ICT into teaching-learning and its evaluation
3. Acquire, organize and create her own digital resources
4. Participate in the activities of teachers’ networks
5. Participate in the evaluation and selection of ICT resources
6. Practice safe, ethical and legal ways of using ICT
314  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
7. Use ICT for making classroom processes more inclusive and to address
multiple learning abilities
ORGANIZING LEARNING
The following topics to be covered
1. Deconstructing the ICT environment
2. Interacting with the ICT environment
3. Interacting with the internet and the web
4. Getting familiar with educational applications of ICT
5. Capturing information in non-textual ways; appropriate media choices for a
given communication need
6. Combining text, graphic and audio visuals to create a communication
7. Developing a story and scripting by combining multiple digital methods
8. Developing digital stories for communication in classrooms
9. Evaluating digital stories
10. Exploring possibilities for inclusion using digital story telling
ICT for Teachers  315
ASSESSMENT
Each session of the induction and refresher courses involves an instructor
led session followed by a hands on session, during which teachers undertake a
number of activities. Each activity has an associated deliverable to be recorded
in a portfolio (an e-portfolio). Teachers also have to submit various assignments
as part of the courses. The cumulative record in the portfolio, representing their
achievements during the courses serve to provide a comprehensive and continuous
assessment. Provision for improving upon one’s performance is also built in. Each
of the induction and refresher courses also have a summative evaluation. The
portfolio attempts to capture all learning and complements the periodic summative
assessment through the course.

Data Analysis
1. 1.Looking at data, reading data and making meaning (using a variety of data
sets)
2. Plotting the data set and reading the graph
3. Querying data sets and plots for analysis, including multiple data sets
4. Using data visualization
5. Exploring data collection, data capture and analysis formats
6. Evaluating data, data sources and visualizations
7. Using data tables and graphs for communicating

Internet as a Learning Resource

1. Exploring the internet for personal enrichment and professional learning, for
teachinglearning ideas and creation of multiple learning spaces
2. Identifying appropriate resources for specific learning needs in the areas
above
3. Organizing the identified resources
4. Evaluating resources for use in specific contexts.

ICT for Evaluation

1. Deconstructing evaluation and ICT for evaluation
2. Exploring tools and techniques for ICT for evaluation
3. Interacting with appropriate software
4. Building personal libraries of evaluation resources.

50
Role of ICT in Teacher Education
Santhosh Kumar R.*
Abstract
Information and communication technologies (ICT) at present are
influencing every aspects of human life. We need an educational system that
will give training and skills to students to use technology and its inventions
as a tool for teaching and self-improvement. ICT’s provides both students
and teachers with more opportunities’ in adopting learning and teaching to
individual needs. Teacher education has been infulenced by the ICT. Now
ICT has become an integral part of our lives. As world is moving rapidly
towards digital information , the role of ICT’s in teacher education becoming
more and more important and this importance will continue to grow and
develop in 21st century.
Keywords: Need and signigficance of ICT in teacher education, Aims
and Objectives of integrating ICT in teacher education, Benefits of using
ICT in teacher education, Integrating ICT in teacher education, ICT for
professional development of teacher education.
INTRODUCTION
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) exemplified by
the internet and interactive multimedia are obviously an important focus for
future education and need to be effectively integrated into formal teaching
and learning – especially in a teacher education institution. In the modern
age, information and communication technology has infulenced all aspects
of human life.
The 21st century is already the age of knowledge, the knowledge society
and the educational age. The educational industry will be the industry of the 21st
century. It is only natural that new technologies, ICT above all, are in the focus
*Research Scholar, Department of Education, Rani Channamma University, Belagavi- Email:
smgsanthosh@gmail.com
316
Role of ICT in Teacher Education  317
♦
of those who are contemplating the novelties in education. ICT has brought a
range of new terms in the education like: e-learning, distance education, virtual
classrooms, etc.
Teacher education institutions may either assume a leadership role in the
transformation of education or be left behind in the swirl of rapid technological
change. For education to reap the full benefits of ICTs in learning, it is essential
that pre-service and in-service teachers have basic ICT skills and competencies.
Teacher education institutions and programmes must provide the leadership for
pre-service and in-service teachers and model the new pedagogies and tools for
learning. As a teacher education is primarily directed towards preparing teachers,
the quality of teacher education relies on teacher trainee’s abilities and skills.
Teacher educators have to accept the demands of modern world and modify their
old concepts and methods according to the needs of learners otherwise the teachers
will become out-dated in the coming future and it will deteriorate the quality of
teacher educators.
Need and Significance of ICT in Teacher Education
Now technologies have provided new possibilities for the teaching profession.
However, teacher educators and teacher trainees have to learn how to use these new
technologies in the classroom situation. Most of the teacher education institutions
are facing difficulties like shortage of ICT trained qualified teacher educators, weak
curricula, lack of ICT equipment etc. perhaps one of the greatest challenges facing
teacher education today concerns the preparation of good quality teachers capable
of using ICT effectively. Unless and until they are trained we cannot expect any
qualitative changes in teaching.
ICT is a powerful tool for problem solving, conceptual development and
critical thinking that helps to make the learning process much easier for the teacher
trainees. The teacher educators must acquire new knowledge of ICT before they
can prepare their teacher trainees to meet the demands and challenges of the 21st
century.
Aims & Objectives of Integration of ICT in Teacher Education
The ICT based learning environment provides opportunities for the learners
to apply their academic skills for solving real-world problems. This environment
engages the learners in activities in which educational technology skills and relevant
curricular content are interwoven. Following are the some of the aims and objectives
of integrating ICT in teacher education;
1. To stimulate, develop and maintain pupils’ interest in and enjoyment of
ICT;
2. To foster the development of pupils’ ICT capabilities;
3. To advance independent learning skills;
4. To apply their ICT skills and knowledge to their learning in other areas;
5. To provide opportunities for children to work individually and collaboratively;
318  Information and Communication Technology in Education Role of ICT in Teacher Education  319
♦ ♦
6. To enable pupils to have equal access to ICT; Core
7. To explore their attitudes towards ICT and its value to them and society in technology
general. For example, to learn about issues of security of data, confidentiality
ICT use in the ICT use as core
and accuracy.
classroom as content technology for
8. To enable pupils to use ICT responsibly without endangering the safety and focus of the teacher participation
well being of themselves or others. training

Benefits of Using ICT in Teacher Education Learning Learning

There are many benefits of using information and communication technology HOW VIA
in teaching learning process to use ICT ICT
1. There are no longer geographical boundaries for learning any concept. Full ICT use in the ICT used to facilitate
independence is given to the learners to select desirable education. classroom as parts of some (non-
2. It links learners to the multimedia resource doing away with over dependence method, curriculum essential) aspect of
on textbooks. Learners will have access to online education. and lesson planning participation
3. It promotes independent, flexible according to one’s own level and pace,a Complementary
type of learning where learners take projects that relate to application of technology
curriculum in practical aspects.
Two dimensions of ICT integration in Teacher Professional Development
4. It allows individual to use his multiple cognitive abilities to the fullest extent. (Source: Collis and Moonen 2001, cited in Kirschner and Davis, 2003)
It assures lifelong learning.
Ict for Professional Development of Teacher Education
Integrating Ict in Teacher Education
• Empower teachers to develop their knowledge and skills actively and
While the integration of ICT contributes a number of benefits in education.
experientially, in a variety of learning environments, both individual and
The integration of ICT in teacher professional development according to Perraton
collaborative.
et al. (2001, cited in Anderson and Glen 2003) involves two sets of activities
or roles: • Include a variety of learning strategies, encompassing direct instruction,
One is training teachers to learn about ICT and its use in teaching as deduction, discussion, drill and practice, deduction, induction, and sharing.
computers are introduced to schools.… The other role of ICT is as a means of • Aim at higher-order thinking skills.
providing teacher education, either as a core or main component of a programme, • Provide an authentic learning environment so that teachers engage in concrete
or playing a supplementary role within it (emphasis added) Collis and Moonen tasks within realistic scenarios.
(2001, cited in Davis and Kirschner, 2003) elaborate on the goals of professional • Emphasize ways that technology can facilitate and enhance teachers’
learning about ICT as centered on learning how to use ICT and learning with professional lives.
ICT. When learning how to use ICT the instructional focus is on the use of
• Encourage teachers to be mentors, tutors, and guides of the students’ learning
products in or outside the classroom. In learning with ICT, instruction is presented
process (rather than simple presenters of knowledge and information).
and distributed primarily through ‘web environments or systems offering an
integrated range of tools to support learning and communication’. Davis and • Develop teachers’ skills in learning how to learn (define learning objectives,
Kirschner, (2003) clarify the distinction between the role of ICT as a core and a plan and evaluate learning strategies, monitor progress, and adjust as
complementary (supplementary) technology for professional learning settings. needed).
A core technology role refers to ‘the principle way of organizing the learning • Promote cooperative and collaborative learning.
experience’. In contrast a complementary technology role is ‘optional serving • Be sensitive to the culture and diversity of teachers as learners, using a
a valuable function but able to be compensated for via the core technology if multifaceted approach to respond to different learning styles, opportunities,
so needed, or dropped altogether if not functioning or feasible’. A synthesis of environments, and starting points.
the two dimensions of ICT integration combining the roles and activity sets • Enable learning independent of time and place (anytime, anywhere learning).
is presented in figure.
320  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦
CONCLUSION
The role of ICT’s in the education is recurring and unavoidable. Rapid changes
in the technologies are indicating that the role of ICT in future will grow tremendously
in the education. ICT also focuses modification of the role of teachers in addition
to classroom teaching, they will have other skills and responsibilities. Teachers
will act as virtual guides for students who use electronic media. Ultimately, the 51
use of ICT will enhance the learning experience of students. Also it helps them
think independently and communicate creatively. It also helps students for building ICT in Higher Education
successful careers and lives, in an increasingly technological world.
Savita S. Patil*
REFERENCES
• Bates, A.W. (1995): Technology, Open Learning and Distance Education, Routledge,
New York
• Bates, A.W.; Poole, G. (2003): Effective Teaching with Technology in Higher Education,
Abstract
Jossey-Bass, San Francisco Information and Communication Technologies have recently gained
• Elmore, R.; Burney, D. (1999): Investing in teacher learning, in Teaching as the learning
groundswell of interest. It is a significant research area for many scholars
profession, 236-91 , Jossey-Bass, San Francisco
around the globe.  Their nature has highly changed the face of education over
• Fullan, M. (2001): The new meaning of educational change, Teachers College Press,
New York. the last few decades. For most, the use of ICT in education and training has
• Fullan, M. (2004): Leadership and sustainability: Systems thinkers in action, Corwin become a priority during the last decade. Indeed, a small percentage of schools
Press, Thousand Oaks, in some countries achieved high levels of effective use of ICT to support and
• Hargreaves, A. (2003): Teachers in a knowledge society, Teachers College Press, New York change the teaching and learning process in many subject areas. Others are still
• Mrs swathi Desai (2010): Role of information and communication technolies in education in the early phase of Information and Communication Technologies adoption.
• Pfeffer, J.; Sutton, R. (2000): The knowing-doping gap: How smart companies turn Some of these issues can be avoided through proper preparation and
knowledge into action, Harvard Business School Press, Boston planning. HEIs that are set up specifically to offer ODL, such as SCDL,
• Dr.Vanaraj.M, Dr.S.Rajasekar, Dr.S.Arulsamy(2014):Information and communication STVU and KNOU, may face less resistance from management and academic
technology in education,Neelkamal publication pvt.ltd. Hyderbad.
staff. Nonetheless, they also have to overcome the issue of insufficient
or untrained personnel to operate and maintain the systems, design the
curriculum and teach the courses. Therefore the recruitment of qualified
staff and re-training of the whole range of professionals are high priorities
to ensure the smooth implementation of any ICT-based systems.

INTRODUCTION
Information and Communication Technologies have recently gained
groundswell of interest. It is a significant research area for many scholars around
the globe.  Their nature has highly changed the face of education over the last few
decades. For most European countries, the use of ICT in education and training
has become a priority during the last decade. However, very few have achieved
progress. Indeed, a small percentage of schools in some countries achieved high
levels of effective use of ICT to support and change the teaching and learning

*Research scholar, Karnataka state women’s university, Vijayapur

321
322  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
process in many subject areas. Others are still in the early phase of Information
and Communication Technologies adoption.
Many pupils consider ICT tools very helpful in that it helps them to do assignments
teachers see that ICT enables students 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.  In addition, the study
showed that ICT has significant impact on teachers and teaching processes.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. There is also evidence
that broadband and interactive whiteboards play a central role in fostering teachers’
communication and increasing collaboration between educators.  self- confidence and self-esteem. It is also confirmed that many students found
The ICT Test Bed evaluation (Underwood 2006) provides an evidence that
many teachers use ICT to support innovative pedagogy. It states: “New technologies
that provide a good fit with existing practices, such as interactive whiteboards
are first to be embedded, but others like video conferencing, digital video and
virtual learning environments are now being incorporated, providing evidence of
ongoing learning by the workforce. Training needs to continue to support innovative
pedagogy.” Both examples show that ICT is being integrated in a continuous
process. Therefore, ICT can improve teaching by enhancing an already practiced
knowledge and introducing new ways of teaching and learning. Transforming
teaching is more difficult to achieve. “Changes that take full advantage of ICT
will only happen slowly over time, and only if teachers continue to experiment
with new approaches.” (Underwood 2006) This evaluation came from a teacher
training seminar in IT during the ITMF project. It showed that teachers have not
fully changed their use of ICT in education; however, most of them changed their
way of thinking about the application of ICT in education. Teachers have increased
their use of ICT in lessons where students look for information on the net and
use it afterwards for subject specific areas, but hardly any use of ICT for class
presentations. Nonetheless, teachers do not make use of ICT to engage students
more actively to produce knowledge. Similarly, the e-learning Nordic study shows
an increase in the use of ICT to teach but not to innovate teaching methods: “ICT
generally has a positive impact on teaching and learning situations, but compared
with the ideal expectations; the impact of ICT on teaching and learning must still
be considered to be limited” (Ramboll, 2006).
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 a document
entitled teaching and learning with ICT, G. Galea (2002) explains how ICT can
promote teaching and learning.  According to her there are two main reasons behind
increasing the use of ICT in education in UK.  Firstly, ICT can change the lessons’
ICT in Higher Education  323
pace: she stated that children in modern society need to develop sufficient potentials
and skills that enable them to take full advantage from the new opportunities that
ICT offer.  Second, there are groundswells of interest of academic researches in
UK in how technological tools can enhance the quality of teaching and learning
in schools, and so help learners to achieve better outcomes.
Furthermore, it has been proved that new technologies have lots of benefits
on the students.ICT allow for a higher quality lessons through collaboration with
teachers in planning and preparing resources (Ofsted, 2002). Students learn new
skills: analytical, including improvements in reading comprehension (Lewin et
al, 2000). ICT also develop some writing skills: spelling, grammar, punctuation,
editing and re-drafting (Lewin et al, 2000). Still new technologies encourage
independent and active learning, and students’ responsibility for their own learning
(Passey, 1999) ICT proves that students who used educational technology felt more
successful in school they are more motivated to learn more and have increased
learning in a technology-enhanced setting more stimulating and much better than
in a traditional classroom environment (Pedretti and Mayer-Smith 1998).
Currently, I am teaching business and general English. I graduated from
University Morhammed V University in Rabat. I hold a bachelor in English
studies and a MA in journalism and communication. I have also obtained a
diploma of proficiency cycle in English at ALC at Rabat , and Cambridge TESOL
TKT diploma from the British Council. As a teacher I’m challenged to think
strategically , nurturent, and most of all patient. I believe that teaching though
stressful as it could be but a rewarding job career too. I’m deeply interested in
the fields of ICT, education and communicate Currently, I am teaching business
and general English. I graduated from University Mohammed V University
in Rabat. I hold a bachelor in English studies and a MA in journalism and
communication.
MAJOR ISSUES
By all accounts, the outcomes of utilizing technology for higher education
have been very encouraging. The collective wisdom of countless professors
and experts collaborating online, not bound by time and space, has contributed
to the production of high quality teaching and learning resources. Innovative
tools and technology, coupled with animated, interactive contents and activities
have increased students’ attention and interests. Notwithstanding these positive
feedback, some issues and challenges have emerged that should be considered
by other institutions when designing and implementing their own ICT for higher
education plans, such as:
• Lack of support from management;
• Unclear division of function and power;
• Uncoordinated planning and implementation; • Question of ownership;
• Shortage of trained staff to cope with the diversity of responsibilities and
tasks;
324  Information and Communication Technology in Education ICT in Higher Education  325
♦ ♦
• Resistance from staff and reluctance to be re-trained; and practices once very much in vogue quickly losing grounds to newer inventions.
• Insufficient funds for developing, purchasing and implementing ICT. Any investment made in the now “outdated” technology could therefore be lost – a
Some of these issues can be avoided through proper preparation and situation to be avoided at all costs especially in view of limited resources. This
planning. HEIs that are set up specifically to offer ODL, such as SCDL, certainly creates a dilemma. On the one hand, development of ICT for learning
STVU and KNOU, may face less resistance from management and academic is a long-term project; on the other, the ICT sector advances too fast to permit
staff. Nonetheless, they also have to overcome the issue of insufficient or ponderous consideration and decision making
untrained personnel to operate and maintain the systems, design the curriculum
and teach the courses. Therefore the recruitment of qualified staff and re- REFERENCES
training of the whole range of professionals are high priorities to ensure the • Clark, R.C. and Mayer, R.E. 2003. e-learning and the science of instruction. New Jersey,
smooth implementation of any ICT-based systems. STVU emphasizes the John Wiley & Sons.
• ITU. 2010. The world in 2010. ICT facts and figures. International Telecommunication
importance of a holistic approach that takes into account all aspects of the
Union http://www.itu.int/ ITU-D/ict/material/FactsFigures2010.pdf.
systems – network, platform, resources, application and service. Likewise, • Joung, Y.R. and Kim, S.Y. 2002. Design template framework of learning object for
KNOU has a four-phase strategy that incorporates needs analysis and design, reusable e-learning contents. The 16th AAOU Annual Conference Proceeding.
development, implementation and evaluation to make sure that the design
and development of course contents match the diverse learning needs and
capacities. Needs page 5ICT for higher education: case studies from Asia and
the Pacific assessment also plays a vital role in HKU’s plans in upgrading its
management systems. Various teams and committees comprising representatives
from many departments and disciplines were formed to share information and
seek their consensus as one way to increase their sense of ownership in the
process and outcomes. Perhaps, a more compelling factor for the successful
development and adoption of ICT in any educational institution is its readiness
for e-learning. Korea’s ICT infrastructure and standing is the envy of many
countries in the region. The Internet, mainly through broadband connections,
has reached more than 80 percent of Korean households in 2010 (ITU, 2010).
Likewise, Singapore is able to implement sophisticated systems based on its
fully established infrastructure and facilities. Australia and China are also
well positioned to do the same, but it appears that the level of development is
largely dependent on the commitment and resources of individual institutions.
India is still working to improve its readiness as a country on the whole.
More resource-rich HEIs in India have institutionalized the use of ICT into
their systems, but even they have several barriers to overcome before they
can achieve their objective to deliver high quality e-education seamlessly.
Finally, ensuring adequate resources is a common issue for all HEIs, even for
countries and universities which are better endowed. Under pressure to excel,
be competitive and not be left behind, both administrators and academic staff
are constantly reminded that they have to secure funding not only to sustain
the progress made, but also for future developments.

CONCLUSION
It must be remembered that integration of ICT into higher education cannot
be accomplished overnight. It takes years of planning and preparation, refining
and retuning the systems. The other thing to keep in mind is the rapid change
and development in technology. It is not uncommon to find innovative tools and

52
ICT in School Education (Primary and
Secondary)
Mrs. Nilofar*
Abstract
Information and communication technology has brought profound changes
to almost all aspects of our lives in recent years. It has transformed activities as
basic as how we work, communicate with each other, treat illnesses, travel, shop
and enjoy our leisure time. The pace of change shows no sign of slowing: indeed,
the development of ICT and its applications to areas such as the integration of
media, are continuing at even faster rates than heretofore. In a relatively short
period of time, ICT skills have become as fundamental to living a full life as
being able to read, write and compute. Ireland has been a leading player in
the development of the ICT industry. We have been a leading exporter of ICT
hardware and software, and many of the key businesses in the industry have
important bases here. Like other countries, we have also recognised that if our
young people are to live full lives in a world transformed by ICT, they need to
have opportunities to acquire and develop ICT skills from an early age. Since
the late 1990s, we have made considerable investments in ICT infrastructure
in schools, and in training for teachers and other professionals. Until now,
littlenational research evidence has been published on the impact that the new
technologies have had on schools and especially on teaching and learning.
This report examines the extent to which ICT has been used in schools at both
primary and post-primary levels and, more importantly, assesses the impact
that ICT has had on teaching and learning, including the ways in which ICT
is used to support the learning of students with special educational needs.
INTRODUCTION
Use of ICTs in school education: provides a study of trends and dominant
features of the use of ICTs for school education as profiled in different initiatives
*Assistant Professor, Chand BI BI College of Education for Women’s, Kalaburgi
326
ICT in School Education (Primary and Secondary)  327
♦
captured in the country reports. The essay highlights the spectrum of experiences
from high-end technology solutions to low-end TV/radio-based initiatives that
have been successful in different countries at the K12 level. The paper also
examines the key issues and challenges in the effective implementation of ICTs
in school education and provides suggestions to address these challenges and aid
the implementation of ICTs in school education. An observation of international
trends in application of ICTs in schools indicates that it is directly related to the
development of schools and the teaching and learning environment. It is observed
that new and emerging technologies are being integrated with the older technologies
to make ICT applications in education more effective. Educators are also showing
an increasing tendency to use mobile technology to enable access to education.
There is a great deal of effort being expended around the world on the development
of systems that will standardize the development of resources, catalog them, and
store them. These include learning objects, which are digital Web-based resources
created to support learning and can function as discrete entities or be linked in
order to relate to explicit concepts or learning outcomes. Repositories are libraries
where these digital resources are stored and provide teachers, students, and parents
with information that is structured and organized to facilitate the finding and use
of learning materials regardless of their source location.
ICT IN SCHOOL EDUCATION (PRIMARY AND SECONDARY)
The United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) two and three
are about achieving universal primary education and promoting gender equality,
respectively. The MDGs in education are defined in terms of participation and
completion of primary education by all children and the elimination of gender
discrimination in education. Despite the continued efforts of the various Governments
on universalizing the primary and elementary education, through a wide range of
programmes and schemes, access to quality education continues to be an obstacle
in the achievement of the education goals.
For instance, in India, during 2004 – 05, while the Gross Enrolment Ratio for
children enrolling in classes I to VIII was 97 percent, the Drop-out Rate for the same
classes was as high as 46 percent. The situation is more worrying at the secondary
education level (classes IX and X), where the enrollment is recorded at 53 percent
and the Drop-out Rate is as high as 60 percent1. Efforts so far have addressed to
a considerable degree, the concerns of equity as well as that of regional parity,
however concerns of quality have not received adequate attention. Recognizing
this, the Government of India’s flagship education programme at the primary
level - the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) - has streamlined its focus on ‘quality’.
The situation is similar across the South Asia. Selected Educational Statistics
2006 – 07; Government of India, Ministry of Human Resource Development.
NEED OF ICT IN SCHOOL EDUCATION
ICTs can provide new and innovative means to bring educational opportunities
to greater numbers of children of all ages, especially those who have historically
been excluded, such as populations in rural and remote-rural areas, girl children
328  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
facing social barriers, and children with disabilities and other compulsions. In
almost all the developing countries of South Asia, distance learning has been an
important component of the education policy of these nations. It is probably in this
domain that traditional ICTs like radio, television, and audio cassettes were first
deployed in the education space. In India, distance learning offered by institutions
like National Institute of Open Learning (NIOS) and Indira Gandhi National Open
University have used a combination of print and audio-visual material as well as
traditional face-to-face interactions to deliver their content.
• Enabling a knowledge network for students
• Training Teachers
• Broadening the availability of quality education materials
• Enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of educational administration and
policy
Scope of ICT
• ICT assists the development of good social skills in the classroom, the
development of cooperation between students and teachers, and the promotion
of peer tutoring in classrooms.
• ICT facilitates the development of students’ recording and presentation skills,
followed by independent and self-correcting skills and research and information
retrieval skills.
• ICT is important in reinforcing and consolidating skills and learning.
Potentials of ICT
ICTs in the developing world have the potential to enhance the education
experience for children who:
• live in rural and remote-rural locations
• have special learning needs
• have physical disabilities constraining their access to schools
• have dropped out and/or have kept themselves out of school for various
reasons.
• aim for excellence and fail to get satisfied in the current system
• Radio Broadcast
• Interactive Radio Instruction
• Television
• Virtual Schools
• Virtual Universities
• Motivate and engage learners
• Bring life to concepts and processes
• Foster inquiry
• Provide flexibility
ICT in School Education (Primary and Secondary)  329
•
Allow application of information
•
Provide access to world of information
•
Bring the world into the classroom
•
Offer collaborative opportunities and communication
•
Offer tutored and individualized learning
Teachers and learners in the developing world are no longer solely dependent
on physical media such as printed textbooks which are often times outdated. With
today’s technology, one even has the ability to access experts, professionals, and
leaders in their fields of interest, around the world at any given time.
In India, various ICTs have been employed over the years to promote primary
and secondary education. These include radio, satellite based, one-way and interactive
television, and the Internet. However, there have been enormous geographic and
demographic disparities in their use. Some states in the country currently have an
enabling environment in place that allows for a greater use
TEACHERS AND ONLINE LEARNING ACTIVITIES
ICT is an important source, which teachers may use to keep themselves
abreast of emerging issues, share knowledge, and reach out to students. Several
portals are being developed where teachers can network and share information
including best practices. In India, the Sakshat portal developed by the Government
of India provides teachers an opportunity to connect with each other and share
experiences. The Teachers of India, an online portal developed by the Azim Premji
Foundation and the National Knowledge Commission, was created with the objective
of providing a forum for teachers to freely interact with each other across languages,
facilitate the sharing of insights and best practices of teachers across the country
and provide access to resources, information, and new experiments in education
from all over the world in all Indian languages.
CONCLUSION
This scenario calls for the need for a standardized system for cataloging, storing,
and retrieving content in ways that enable users to access and organize resources for their
particular purposes as well as sharing it institutionally, nationally, and internationally.
There is a great deal of effort being expended around the world on the development
of such systems—ones that will standardize the development of resources, catalog
them (metadata) and store them. Learning objects are digital assets that can be as
diverse as a chapter in a book, a piece of text, a video or audio clip, or visuals on an
overhead transparency or PowerPoint slide, and can be used in a variety of teaching
settings, by course designers, managers, trainers, content writers, and learners.
REFERENCES
• Ahuja & anupam (1996) Moving towards inclusive education: An innovative teacher
training Experiment.
• Chauhan .s.s(1990) Innovation in teaching learning process . vikas publishing House
Pvt Ltd.
330  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦
• Joyce, Burce/Marsha W.(1950) Models of Teaching new delhi , Prentice hall of India
Private Limited.
• Kongwad – Educational Technology.
• Maygeri – Educational Technology & management.
• Santosh Vallikad (2009) Information & communication for teacher Education . Karnataka
publishers , distributers New Delhi.
• Sampat- Education Technology .
53
• S.k Mangal – Fundamentals of Educational Technology.
Advantage of ICT in Social Work
Rajkumar Rathod*

Abstract
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are electronic tools
used to convey, manipulate and store information. The exponential growth
of Internet access and ICTs greatly influenced social, political, and economic
processes in worldwide. Regardless of the level of practice, ICTs will continue
influencing the careers of social workers and the clients they serve. ICTs
have received some attention in the social work literature and curriculum,
but we argue that this level of attention is not adequate given their ubiquity,
growth and influence, specifically as it relates to upholding social work ethics.
Significant attention is needed to help ensure social workers are responsive to
the technological changes in the health care system, including the health care
infrastructure and use of technology among clients. Social workers also need
ICT competencies in order to effectively lead different types of social change
initiatives or collaborate with professionals of other disciplines who are using
ICTs as part of existing strategies. This paper also identifies potential pitfalls
and challenges with respect to the adoption of ICTs, with recommendations
for advancing their use in practice, education, and research.
Keywords: ICT, Ethics, Social work, Practice, Impact and Implications

INTRODUCTION
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are broadly defined as
technologies used to convey, manipulate and store data by electronic means. This
can include e-mail, SMS text messaging, video chat (e.g., Skype), and online social
media (e.g., Facebook). It also includes all the different computing devices (e.g.,
laptop computers and smart phones) that carry out a wide range of communication
and information functions. ICTs are pervasive in developed countries and considered

*Guest Lecturer, Vinutana College of MSW. Karuneshwar Nagar, Gulbarga.

331
332  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
integral in the efforts to build social, political and economic participation in
developing countries. For example, the United Nations (2006) recognizes that
ICTs are necessary for helping the world achieve eight time-specific goals for
reducing poverty and other social and economic problems. The World Health
Organization also sees ICTs as contributing to health improvement in developing
countries in three ways: (1) as a way for doctors in developing countries to be
trained in advances in practice; (2) as a delivery mechanism to poor and remote
areas; and (3) to increase transparency and efficiency of governance, which is
critical for the delivery of publicly provided health services.
Despite this interest in technology, the attention that the field of social
work has given to ICTs in research, education, and practice does not match
the efforts of other national and international organizations that view ICTs as
critical to improving the lives of disadvantaged and disenfranchised persons,
and necessary for all forms of civil engagement. The Council on Social Work
Education (CSWE) calls for the integration of computer technology into social
work education, but there are no explicit standards for integration or student
learning (CSWE, 2008; see also Beaulaurier & Radisch, 2005). Asking other
social workers, social work students, and social work educators can easily
reveal that many are unaware of the NASW technology standards. A review
of syllabi of social work courses will also show that ICTs, beyond e-mail
communication, are generally not present in the educational environment.
Consequently, social work students are not being adequately prepared in the
use of ICTs, which are integral in the workforce today and will become even
more important over time.
Need and Significance of the Study
Where will technology take social work in the 21st Century and beyond?
In other words, what does technology portend for social work practice in the
future? Can social workers effectively function in a technology-free environment?
This paper attempts to discuss these and other relevant questions. Specifically,
the paper tries to enumerate and discuss what the literature contains regarding
standards and principles social workers can observe, uphold, and apply as they
adapt and deploy technologies in social work. Technology, indisputably, has
impacted social work both in the way it is being taught and the way it is being
practiced. In this paper, I’ve tried to highlight the impact technologies have had
and continue to have on social work education and practice over the years as well
as concerns about the use of digital and Web-based technologies on the future of
the social work profession
Can social workers, like other practitioners in other disciplines, effectively
provide services in a technology-free environment? The answer to this question
is an obvious No. For the past three decades, technology has changed social work
practice and education so significantly to the point where, as was in the case of the
Philadelphia teen, it would be a daunting challenge for social work practitioners to
function effectively without technologies (Garrett, 2005; Waldman & Rafferty, 2008;
NASW & ASWB, 2005). The Council on Social Work Education (2008) recognizes
Advantage of ICT in Social Work  333
the importance of technology to social work practice and education and explicitly
acknowledges this in its Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards Policy 1.2.
Both the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the Association of
Social Work Boards (ASWB) (2005) equally recognize the centrality of technology
to social work practice, maintaining that technology has transformed social work
practice and offers new ways of providing services. This paper enumerates and
discusses what the literature presents regarding standards and principles social
workers can observe, uphold, and apply relative to the use of digital and Web-
based technologies to foster and ensure ethical and competent practice in the 21st
century and beyond. The paper also highlights concerns regarding implications of
the use of these technologies on the future of social work practice. Equally, the
paper underscores some crucial insights from the literature. Before proceeding
with this discussion, it will be helpful to briefly review the ICT literature.
Review of the Literature
Without technology, one can argue that social work practice today would be
ineffective. For social workers to effectively help service users, they need to manage
data and information (Parker-Oliver and Demiris, 2006). Mallon and Houtstra
(2007), for their part, discussed how landline telephones can be useful in group
therapy for rural clients and families experiencing difficulties and who, because of
distance, are unable to travel to service areas. They underscored what facilitation
skills workers need to have when conducting telephone-based group therapies.
They, like many others, emphasized the skills needed for using technologies to
effectuate practice.
The Impact of Technology on Social Work Practice
Technology has played and continues to play a significant role in social work.
Social workers and other professional service providers are using the internet to
interact with clients regularly (Farley, Smith, & Boyle, 2003). Such interactions or
Internet services may be question-and-answer chats, emails about appointments,
or weekly group-counseling sessions, which may be very helpful to home-bound
clients with small children, people with debilitating illnesses, or rural clients.
The National Association of Social Workers and the Association of Social Work
Boards (2005) equally underscore the impact of technology on social work. They
assert how technology has changed social work practice by engendering new,
yet challenging ways of delivering services to clients as well as obtaining and
processing information.
They acknowledge that technology has impacted every aspect of social work
practice, ranging from direct practice to macro or community practice. At the level of
direct practice, the use of electronic mail (e-mails) facilitates with less cost
communications among workers as well as between workers and clients (Bradley
& Hendricks, 2009). The Web has made it easy for online support groups to
be established and for both workers and clients to interact as well as to access
and retrieve information and needed resources online (Kaplan, Wade, Conteh, &
Martz, 2011; Art, 2009). At the agency or organizational level, technology has
334  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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made strategic planning, case management, budgeting, supervision, etc. relatively
much easier. At the macro or community as well as inter-agency level, the use of
technology equally facilitates consultation, Web-based or teleconferences, and
community needs assessment and asset mapping.
Implications for Social Work Practice
As alluded to already, incorporating technology into social work practice
hasserious implications for direct practice and, in fact, for the nature of social
work as a profession. One should not pretend about the fact that technology
has transformed the practice of social work today, and, as predicted by the
NASW and the ASWB (2005), we may have automated interventions in the
future. This will certainly risk the relevance of direct social work practice
with individuals. Does that mean direct social work practice will no longer be
needed in the 21st century and beyond? One cannot argue with 100%certainty
that direct practice will become obsolete, for there are some interpersonal and
intrapersonal issues that technology cannot resolve. As Dragon (2006) rightly
observes, applying technology to practice is good, but one should remember
that technology doesnot care for people. Technology is just a tool one utilizes
to facilitate care or service delivery. Three fundamental questions should entail
critical reflections when deciding on incorporating technology into practice.
These questions include: (1) Will technology improve social work practice? (2)
Will technology ensure quality services for our clients?(3) Given the reality of
digital inequality or divides (Aqili & Moghaddam, 2008;Mellander, 2011) and
owing to the fact that social workers have historically worked with individuals
living in poverty (NASW, 2008), will incorporating technology into social work
foster timely access to services? The practical implications of these questions
must always be considered as one adapts and deploys technologies in social work.
Further, while one should not shy away from adapting and using technologies
to enhance practice, one should never ignore or forget the historic mission of
the social work profession as explicitly stated in the Preamble of the NASW
Code of Ethics: The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance
wellbeing and help the basic human needs of all people, with particular attention
to the empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in
poverty. A historic and defining feature of social work is the profession’s focus
on individual wellbeing in a social context and the wellbeing of society….
The mission of the … profession is rooted in a set of core values … [which
include] service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of
the human relationships, integrity, and competence.
To live up to the historic mission of the social work profession in the age of
information and communications technology (ICT) make a number of suggestions
for practitioners to consider. First, workers should acquire sufficient knowledge and
skills relative to the appropriate use of technology. It is only by having relevant ICT
skills can a worker be able to adapt and incorporate technology in practice. Acquiring
relevant skills will involve utilizing new technologies and this will mean understanding
the nuances of these technologies. For example, one must know how privacy controls
Advantage of ICT in Social Work  335
of social media work if one should address issues of privacy on social networking sites
(Zur, 2011). Second, workers should not shed traditional practice models; instead,
traditional protocols should be adapted to the new reality. Third, practitioners should
adjust to the demands of new technologies. Finally and most importantly, workers
should always refer to the deployment of technology in social work practice.
Challenges and Pitfalls of ICTs
Despite the continued growth and expansion of technologies, many
disenfranchised and disadvantaged persons still do not have access to ICTs or
the Internet. While initiatives in the United States, and other respective countries
around the world, are attempting to provide access to everybody, significant
disparities within and across countries exist, particularly in African regions that
have low Internet market penetration (Alden, 2004). By developing a stronger
focus and infrastructure around ICTs in social work education, social workers
will be better prepared to participate in a range of policy initiatives to support
activities that seek to address these disparities in social, economic and political
participation.
In the training of social workers in ICTs, it is also important to recognize
that not all technologies have resulted in added value to education. For example,
Kirk up and Kirk wood (2005) argue that ICTs have failed to produce the radical
changes in learning and teaching that many anticipated. This underscores the
importance of ensuring ICT literacy among social workers – that is, having
the ability to access and evaluate information using ICTs (Chinien & Boutin,
2003). This will help social workers select the optimal tools from a wide range
of options.
Social work researchers and practitioners should work in earnest to document
both the successful and unsuccessful initiatives involving ICTs in the field. Case
examples can provide the basis for understanding how ICTs can be integrated to
enhance various aspects of the process.
CONCLUSION
The field of social work education, research, and practice is surrounded by
rapid developments in ICTs. In order to ensure that social work practice upholds
the standards and values of social work ethics, it is necessary that social workers
are competent and literate in ICTs. This will position social workers at all levels
of practice to help advance the lives of disenfranchised and disadvantaged persons
through greater access to education, knowledge and other resources. While numerous
ICTs have failed to realize their expected potential, the ongoing rapid growth of
ICTs has created a context in which social workers cannot resist technology, but
must understand the role it plays in everyday life.
REFERENCES
• Alden, C. (2004). For most Africans, Internet access is little more than a pipe dream.
Online Journalism Review. Retrieved online August 20, 2009 from http://www.ojr.org/
ojr/workplace/1079109268.php
336  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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• Asian Development Bank Institute. (2004). Proceedings of the International workshop
on improving E-learning policies and programs. August 9-13, Manila.
• Bargh, J.A., & McKenna, K. (2004). The internet and social life. Annual Review of
Psychology, 55, 573-590.
• Bargh, J. A., McKenna, K., & Fitzsimons, G. M. (2002). Can you see the real me? Activation
and expression of the “true self” on the internet. Journal of Social Issues, 58(1), 33-48.
• Car, J., & Sheikh, A. (2004). Email consultations in health care: 2--acceptability and
54
safe application. British Medical Journal, 329(7463), 439-442.
• Chandrasekhar, C. P., & Ghosh, J. (2001). Information and communication technologies ICT Education in School
and health in low income countries: The potential and the constraints. Bulletin of the
World Health Organization, 79(9), Geneva. Retrieved online August 24, 2009 from: Surekha K. Bandi*
http://www.scielosp.org/pdf/bwho/v79n9/v79n9a10.pdf
• Finn, J. (1999). An exploration of helping processes in an online self-help group focusing
on issues of disability. Health and Social Work, 24(3), 220-231.
Abstract
ICT has become part of everyday life and all sectors from banking to
tourism now depend heavily on ICT for carrying out their transactions. The
National curriculum framework 2005 has highlighted the importance of ICT
in school education. Unfortunately, in India, ICT is largely associated with
the use of computer and Internet. What one uses ICT for and how one uses
it, is not addressed sufficiently. Schools and colleges acquire computers,
Internet connection, and LCD projectors and then send their teachers for
crash courses that supposedly teach them to use technology. The trouble
is this whole approach is devoid of focus. Teachers have to be trained to
facilitate the learning process, make the process real, achievable, challenging,
yet exciting and not intimidating. Reducing teacher talk and encouraging
student discussion is extremely important. Everything need not be written on
the blackboard to be considered as taught. Many teachers think the computer
is used only to make the content look attractive Hence, ICT is not merely
to portray information but to interact, share, and thus learn. ICT provides
meaningful, absorbing media that makes teaching-learning more productive.

INTRODUCTION
ICT has become part of everyday life and all sectors from banking to tourism
now depend heavily on ICT for carrying out their transactions. The National
curriculum framework 2005 (NCF 2005) has highlighted the importance of ICT
in school education.

ICT in Schools
Why do we need ICT in schools? Was education not happening before
computers came into existence? Why is this paradigm shift necessary? The

*Research scholar, Karnataka state women’s university, Vijayapur.

337
338  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
shift is necessary because this is the age of information and technology, an age
that requires that teachers facilitate the gathering of this information and not
merely teach.
Unfortunately, in India, ICT is largely associated with the use of computer
and Internet. What one uses ICT for and how one uses it, is not addressed
sufficiently. Schools and colleges acquire computers, Internet connection, and
LCD projectors and then send their teachers for crash courses that supposedly
teach them to use technology. The trouble is this whole approach is devoid of
focus. But, until teachers are made to realize the need of ICT, no amount of
computerization can help.
What is Ict Supposed To Be Used for in The Class?
A question I often hear teachers who are unwilling to take the ICT plunge
is, ‘Can the student learn anything without the teacher explaining or intervening?
And my answer to that is, ‘Students also have ideas of their own and knowledge
that they gathered from daily life; this knowledge and ideas are not accepted or
utilized by teachers. Using ICT this can be achieved in a big way.’
Training a teacher in using ICT is more crucial than acquiring a large number
of computers. Teachers have to be trained to facilitate the learning process, make the
process real, achievable, challenging, yet exciting and not intimidating. Reducing
teacher talk and encouraging student discussion is extremely important. Everything
need not be written on the blackboard to be considered as taught. Many teachers
think the computer is used only to make the content look attractive! They need to
know that in 21st century, information is not difficult access, instead organizing,
sharing, and collaborating become essential skills. Hence, ICT is not merely to
portray information but to interact, share, and thus learn. ICT provides meaningful,
absorbing media that makes teaching-learning more productive.
There are two main areas that we have to look at if a paradigm shift in the
teaching process has to occur: the teacher’s role of teaching and the teacher’s
role of helping the student learn.
In the first one the teacher has to enhance teaching. Here, the teacher can
ask himself or herself, ‘How will ICT enhance my teaching?’ The teacher should
be aware of what lacunae exist in his/her teaching. The teacher should ask ‘Do
I need to be empowered? ‘What more can be done?’ ‘What is the most effective
way of teaching?’ ‘How will more students benefit from my teaching?’ ‘Will
ICT help me?’
The second role of the teacher: helping the student learn.
The Internet is full of information, textbooks are bursting with information.
But this information can become true knowledge only when the teacher makes
it meaningful. Here the teacher can use multimedia to make topics more
comprehensible.
Think of a teacher showing large number of different flowers while reading
out a poem on flowers, or teaching about the parts of a flower. Talking about the
freedom struggle is one thing and seeing a 2 minute video on the same topic is
altogether different. Preaching about rain water harvesting and showing a clipping
ICT Education in School  339
while teaching is different. Showing how bun ding is done, how crude oil is refined,
gives students the correct idea. Instead of boring the students with a decade old
chart on the respiratory system, showing a 1.5 minute video during teaching
takes the students to a different level of understanding. Listening to the voice
of Rabindranath Tagore while reading his stories, poems will help the students
associate with the author. The entire teaching-learning process gets a boost with
the appropriate use of ICT. It should be used to fill in the inadequacies that the
teacher is facing. The problem of large numbers, students not showing interest
can be tackled to some extent. Can use of ICT make teaching more meaningful,
get rid of rote memorizing?
The teacher needs to be fully aware of the fact that students can find
information, they need proper instructions, they need scope for creativity,
expectations of the teacher brings forth performance.
The present generation is a multimedia generation. It is not their fault. They are
numbed by too much of information and easy access to that information. How then can
we expect our students to sit and listen to lifeless sermons in class? The information
that is given in the classroom is redundant and presented in boring manner. NGC,
Discovery, Fox History can take one to places and time in minutes. They show so
much of the present and the past far and wide that one seems to learn unknowingly.
One search on Google and lo and behold! The information at your fingertips will
be difficult to assimilate. How does one harness this gargantuan accessibility of
information? How to make students use it appropriately and avoid brazen plagiarism?
Vague expectations, lack of innovation, poor scope for creativity make learning dull.
Mere use of computer or Internet doesn’t improve the learning output.
THE PROCESS SHOULD BE LIKE THIS.
Step one: What are the problems in schools, classrooms, exclusively related
to teaching-learning? Identify them. Large numbers, Lack of interest? Many drop
outs? Learning disability.
Step two: What is being done about these problems? Can use of ICT help?
Try making lectures, classes more technology laden to bring a difference. Observe
the difference in the classes.
Step three: What are the requirements of the teacher to do a better job? Do
the teachers feel that use of ICT to help them improve their teaching?
Step four: Are the teachers and students equipped with ICT skills?
Although ICT offers the opportunity to construct powerful learning experiences,
it is pedagogically neutral. That is, ICT can be used in support of traditional teaching
methodologies like the large group lecture, student note taking, and examinations.
Teachers can use a computer and projector to show slides to illustrate a lecture,
students can use lap tops to take notes during
The lecture, and multiple choice quizzes about the content of the lecture
can be put on a website. How these new ICT tools and resources will be used is
a human decision, not inherent in the technologies themselves.
ICT has the potential to be used as a supportive educational tool enabling
students’ learning by doing. ICT can make it possible for teachers to engage students
340  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦
in self-paced, self-directed problem-based or constructivist learning experiences;
and also test student learning in new, interactive, and engaging ways that may
better assess their understanding of the content.
A second way to assess the merit of ICT use in education is to consider what its
use enables students and teachers to do that they would not otherwise be able to do.
To explore this question, we consider five aspects of the educational use of ICT – 55
• supporting new pedagogical methods
• accessing remote resources Role of Technology in Future Education
• enabling collaboration
K. P. Nagabhushan Setty*
• extending educational programs and
• developing skills for the workplace
Modern constructivist educational theory emphasizes critical thinking, problem
solving, “authentic” learning experiences, social negotiation of knowledge, and Abstract
collaboration pedagogical methods that change the role of the teacher from Tutor must also move towards the goal of transforming the traditional
disseminator of information to learning facilitator, helping students as they actively paradigm of learning. However the most important development affecting the
engage with information and materials to construct their own understandings. That teaching – learning process in the coming decades is also may be the application
is, students learn how to learn, not just what to learn of information and communication technology. This ICT encompasses all
communication technologies such as internet, wireless networks, m-learning,
REFERENCES
Power point presentation (PPT), concept mapping, e-learning, Computer
• UNESCO’s World Communication and Information Report1999 written by Prof C. Assisted Learning (CAL) , Technology enhanced learning (TEL), satellite
Blurton from the University of Hong Kong
communication, digital television etc., Hence Technology can be perceived
• Experts’ Meeting on Teachers/Facilitators Training in Technology-Pedagogy Integration
18-20 June 2003 . Bangkok, Thailand
as a big change agent for education in future days. Technology demand
more effective and challenging teachers to cope up with the demand of the
future learners. In present day technology has became an important part of
education system. Teaching and Learning is changing with this new context.
The education system of the future will no longer be regarded as class room
and book bound, but rather as interactive through technology based medium.
This paper explores (1) The role of technology in present (2) New requirements
(3) New Competencies (4) Future trends of technology in Education. (5)
Technology and its benefits for students and teachers.
Keywords: ICT, Technology, CAL, TEL, m-learning.

INTRODUCTION
Formal and non formal, informal and invisible learning are living today in
an expanded education and in a virtual space through the network. At primary
and secondary Education, students start to use them in class, but the reality is that
now a days almost every student goes to school with a wide range of technological

*Asst. Professor of Education, Sri Venkateshwara College of Education,

Chitradurga 501Mail: nagabushankp123@gmail.com

341
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skills. Modern Technology trends in education include distance learning, open
source, social networks, mobile devices and online learning among other trends.
The Educational system of the future will no longer be regarded as class room and
book bound but rather as interactive and fun through Technology based mediums.
These trends furthermore ensure that most information is readily available, education
over vast distance is possible and the cost of education is reduced.
Educational Technology
The Technology is more than ever living in our society and it is an important
part of the education. Schooling and teaching is challenging with this new context.
Technology have some characteristics that make them an essential tool in our daily
life and for instance, in our schools. New technologies have changed the way we
communicate and the way we live and work.
NEW COMPETENCIES
For teachers to be able to integrate the use of Technology into teaching
various kinds of skills need to be developed. A vast array of competencies is
demanded such as
• Creativity
• Flexibility
• Logistic skills for assigning work and study places and grouping students.
• Skill for project.
• Administrative and organizational skills
• Collaborating skills.
Scope of Technology in Education
• Technology as a subject (i.e., computer studies)
• Technology as a tool to innovate teaching – learning practice
• Technology as an administrative tool (i.e., Education Management Information
Systems (EMIS)
• Technology is an expanding learning opportunity (i.e., distance learning
E-learning)
• Technology as a facilitator of higher – order thinking skills
What Does Technology Mean To Individuals and Society?
• Technology and the word of work
• Technology and skill/ Wage premium
• Technology and employment Technology as a source of economic growth
Advantages of Technology
• Convenience
• Flexibility
Role of Technology in Future Education  343
• Readily accessible
• Promotes research collaboration at individual and institutional level
• Less costly
FUTURE TRENDS IN EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY
Mobile Learning
Now advances in hardware and software are making mobile “smart phones”
indispensible tools. It is likely that mobile devices with internet access and computing
capabilities will soon overtake personal computers as the information appliances
of choice in the classroom.
Gaming
The phenomenal success of games with a focus on active participation, built
in incentives and interaction suggests that current educational methods are not
falling short and that educations games could more effectively attract the interest
and attention of learners.
Personalized Learning
Education systems are increasingly investigating the use of Technology to
better understand a student’s knowledge base from prior learning and to tailor
teaching to both address learning gaps as well as learning styles.
Tel Net
This is a very popular internet service which enables a user for log into another
computer to run software there. Telnet is a program which allows a computer to
establish a session with a remote host on the internet.
E-Education
The Development of e-Education has enabled distance education to overcome
the lack of interactivity inherent in earlier forms of distance based on correspondence
and mass media; but it looks as if it is also pushing up the costs of distance
education, e-learning materials available in electronic form.
E-Books
E-books have revolutionized the teaching-learning process. It can be effectively
utilized in the class room to enhance the learning process. The e-books can be
described that the electronic content that is transmitted and / or displayed on
a device or system to be read by the viewer similar in experience to reading a
physical book. It ensures rapid retrieval of discrete items.
E-Library
There are number of digital libraries containing e-copies of text books,
yearbooks, encyclopedias, journals, etc., available on the net. These information
are provided free as well as a nominal charge on registration.
344  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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E-Zine
News papers and magazines on the web represent an enormous source of
novel and up-to-date information. Some of the electronic magazines have their
own search engines and archives.
E-Journals
The publications of journals in electronics form are called as e-journals which
have brought significant changes in the global information process.
E-Learning
E-Learning refers to learning refers to learning and others supportive resources
that are available through a computer. In on line sessions, the computer displays
material in response to a learner’s request.
Redefinition of Learning Spaces
Schools around the world are re-thinking the most appropriate learning
environments to foster collaborative, cross – disciplinary, students centered learning.
TEACHER- GENERATED OPEN CONTENT
OECD school systems are increasingly empowering teachers and networks
of teachers to both identify and create the learning resources that they find most
effective in the classroom. Many online texts allow teachers to edit, add to, or
otherwise customize material for their own purposes, so that their students receive
a tailored copy that exactly suits the style and pace of the course.
Smart Portfolio Assessment
The collection, management, sorting and retrieving of data related to learning
will help teachers to better understand learning gaps and customize content and
pedagogical approaches.
Teacher Managers/ Mentors
The role of the teacher in the classroom is being transformed from that of the
font of knowledge to an instructional manager helping to guide students through
individualized learning pathways.
Technology Tool in Learning
According to Dricoll (1994) the constructive conditions for learning are
• Providing complex learning environments that incorporate
• Authentic activity
• Social negotiation as an integral part of learning
• Access to multiple modes of reflection
• Student centered instruction.
Role of Technology in Future Education  345
Technology Tool in Teaching
The following activities carried out by the lecturers which involves the use
of Technology
• They use some important tools in communicate with their students for example
e-mail, chat, routing slips, forms video conferences etc
• They can teach their students to use of specific computer programmes in
their professional field.
• Activities gradually being implemented.
• They should required their students to use Technology in activities related
to their subject.
Benefits for Teacher
• Gains in Technology literacy skills, confidence and enthusiasm
• Easier planning and preparation of lessons and designing materials
• Access to up-to-date pupil and school data, any time and anywhere.
Benefits for Students
• More focused teaching, tailored to students strengths and weaknesses through
better analysis of attainment data.
• Improved pastoral care and behavior management through better tracking of
students
• Grains in understanding and analytical skills, including improvements in
reading comprehension.
Benefits for Parents
• High quality student report – more legible, more detailed, better presented.
• Increased involvement on education for parents and in some cases, improved
self- esteem.
• Increased knowledge of children’s learning and capabilities, owing to increase
in learning activity being situated in the home.
CONCLUSION
Technology is indispensible to the functioning of modern societies, these
same technologies are equally indispensible to learning institutions. Students and
professors should address this change in our society as a chance to improve our
educational practices in order to achieve an education with quality. The changing
role of teachers, as we saw before, is an essential part of this changing process.
Their role should turn in a “guide of learning” better than in a “font of knowledge”
As Technology is incorporated in education the trend of a classroom and text book
based educational system is bbecoming more and more outdated. It can clearly be
seen that the education system should change to adapt to modern requirements and
to incorporate new technologies. By incorporating these technological trends into
346  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦
the educational system a higher quality education can be provided at a cheaper
cost and spread over a larger segment of the population.

REFERENCES
• Anderson Jonathan. Technology transforming Education a regional guide Bangkok:
UNESCO, 2010 56
• Brown. J.W and Thornoton J.W (1983), Technology, Media and Methods, McGraw
Hill, Newyork
• C.J.Bonk and C.R.Graham (Eds) The Handbook of Blended Learning; Global prospective,
Community Based Information Technology for
Local designs. San Francisco, Pfeiffer, 2006.
• Livingston,P. (2004) Laptops Unleashed: a middle school experience Learning and
Poverty Reduction
Leading with Technology
Dr. T. M. Geetha* and Roopa K. Nayakodi**
• Manivanna,M, “Computer Technology in Teaching and Learning” article from Edutracks
pg. 12-13, February 2006.
• Richerdson, W (2004) Blogging and RSS- the “What’s it? And how to” of powerful
new web tools for educators. Abstract
The biggest challenge today is to maximize the power of ICT in addressing
the issues relating to rural and poverty reduction. There is a need to focus
research on design, test and learn from innovative electronic media based
strategies. There is an urgent need to ensure access to ICT in rural areas or
disadvantage communities to disseminate simple practical knowledge which will
same lives increase, increase, awareness and stimulate development. Properly
used media can help to reduce the conflict and strengthen organization. The poor
have inadequate access to information, technology, expertise, and resources.
Communication through different media can help the poor to learn. Illiteracy
combine with lack of information is barrier in path to good governance.

INTRODUCTION
Nearly one of the three Asians is poor poverty rate growth (about 9%) is still
pervasive, especially in rural where 70% of India’s 1.2 billion population live. It is one
of the fastest growing economics in the world. And yet the riches are hardly redistributed
a cross the population. India’s government is well aware that poverty is a jaint barrier to
overcome if it is to fully develop the nation. A wild range of poverty policies have been
introduced since the 1950, which nonetheless took effect after 20 years of implementation.
There is simple and forward link between rural poverty and agriculture productivity.
The end goal is to race the productivity per person in order to alleviate poverty and
consequence policies should focus on investment and technological progress.

*Professor, Department of Education, Karnataka State Women’s University,Vijayapur

**Research Scholar, Department of Education, Karnataka State Women’s University
Vijayapur

347
348  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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It is claimed by multilateral agencies that the incidence of poverty (Proportion
of people below the poverty line) is slightly declining. The poor experiences
shortfalls in economic welfare; gaps in access to good quality education and
health care; deficiencies in the provision of physical infrastructure; and political
barriers that stifle personal initiative and self – development. They are unable to
participate in governance, which is necessary for a healthy democracy and peaceful
development. The Poverty encourages corruption, anti-social activities like drugs,
smuggling, prostitution, and all sorts of deviant behaviour. Poverty is considered an
unacceptable human condition. Moreover, despite the vast advances that are being
made in the spheres of science and technology, information and communication
technology (ICT), medicine, capital mobility, etc., income disparities are ever
widening, both within countries and nations- world’ rich and poor nations. The
trends in poverty reduction have recently worsened. The population growth in
the developing countries is also adding to absolute number of poor. Overcoming
poverty therefore remains the single most important challenge facing those involved
in the development activities.
Poverty constrains implementation of development initiatives because the
poor (the beneficiaries) are not able to participate and contribute effectively in
development efforts. However, this could not be fully achieved because of many
factors including illiteracy, lack of access to educational opportunities, and limited
access to information and resources by the poor. Human development is a key
ingredient in economic and poverty reduction. Any poverty reduction strategy
should have, among others, three key elements namely pro-poor economic growth;
social development; and good governance. The strategy must clearly state that
lack of human capital is one of the primary causes of poverty. Without access
to basic services, such as primary education and basic health care, the poor will
have little opportunity to improve their lives and will be unable to contribute to
economic growth.
ICT be used to build an effective bridge between the rich and the poor. Reduction
of poverty will help in successful globalization and development of old economies in
new digital economies. The technology advances particularly in the field of ICT have
been so rapid that it has changed the shape of all economic activities in the world,
and in pushing the world towards globalization. However, there is no demonstrated
serious effort (except experiments) on the part of public or private sector to bring
the benefits of ICT to the poor in terms of delivery of improved basic services like
education, health care, and in equipping the poor with necessary information and
skills to bring them into the mainstream of society so that they can be a productive
partners of globalization In reality, the information gap is increasing between the
haves and have not’s resulting into increased power flow towards the elite who
already possess the power and weakening those who are deprived of it which can
resulting increased poor populations, enlarged poverty, and potential social disasters.
These will further constrain optimization. Globalization of market might result into
increased gap between the rich and the poor countries and rich and the poor within
developing countries and rich and the poor within developing countries. There is
therefore an urgent need to bring information technology to the doorsteps of the poor.
Community Based Information Technology for Poverty Reduction  349
ICT is creating a distance-less world. It is helping economies expand at
an unprecedented rate, and competitiveness has become the motto of the day.
Rich countries will continue to become richer and rich people will become richer
faster than ever before resulting into a gargantuan ocean of the world’s poor. ICT
can introduce new ways of participation by the poor man, women and young
people in the global economy in cost-effective and poor-friendly ways issue of
poverty reduction. It serious efforts are not urgent made, the 21st century may see
the greatest paradox in history; unprecedented science and technology growth
oceans of impoverished poor suffering from illiteracy, ill-health, malnutrition,
overpopulation growth, etc.
Today’s communications media are excellent vehicles for conveying much-
needed information. Hi-tech based internet and digital technologies are not
only becoming a lot smarter, they are growing more user- friendly and can help
communities in fighting poverty by arming them with information, knowledge and
technologies. On the one hand, the affluent part of the world is hit by unprecedented
overflow of information which is fast increasing day by day. On the other hand,
millions of people effective communication links to the outside world. There is
therefore an urgent need to ensure access to ICT in rural areas or disadvantaged
communities to disseminate simple, practical knowledge which will save lives,
increase awareness and stimulate development. Properly used, media can help
reduce the conflict and strengthen organization. It can help reduce poverty through
providing information on how people of their type somewhere else are handling
their situation. The poor have inadequate access to information, technology,
expertise, and resources. Communication is no longer limited to radio or TV,
digital technology based telecenters can provide access to the disadvantaged in
rural areas to telephone and fax service, email, internet and electronic networks,
database and libraries. This information should radiate out so that the poor can
learn from the poor.
The illiterates are still in large numbers even after 550 years after Gothenburg
invented the art of printing. If the current trend continues, illiteracy will remain
a major development issue well into the 21st century. The prospect for human
development which is basis to poverty reduction is not very encouraging in countries
suffering from illiteracy and lack of access to information and resources. Illiteracy
combined with lack of information is a barrier in path to good governance and adds
to corruption. ICT based web site can work wonders in fight against corruption
and improved transparency in governance.
COMMUNITY BASED INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
As policy, all governments in the Asian region are investing more in
infrastructures and communications; as a result, more and more rural areas are
getting electrified. With the availability of energy energy in the villages, all types
of information technology could be brought without much additional costs. There
is no need to wait for roads and civil works; since, the dissemination of massages
with the developments in satellite facilities, WAP and other mobile connections
facilitates the expanded movement of information to the most rural and remote
350  Information and Communication Technology in Education Community Based Information Technology for Poverty Reduction  351
♦ ♦
villages. WAP phones (29 million) would outpace PC production. It is esteemed programs (both national and regional), TV spots which will be repeated several
that there will be more than 800 million Internet enabled mobile phone users. times during prime time and linked to popular programs, and new (to cater for
At the same time, using the community approach, the costs can be shared to decision makers), print journalism to be linked to the civic journalism concept by
ensure sustainability and investments in ICT based human development initiatives inviting a few selected journalists who are motivated to launch a civic journalism
at the grassroots make it viable because the village makes its own workstations. group especially tailor made for poverty reduction and interactive Internet pages
The availability of these concepts will help identify the constraints to be overcome dealing with poverty issues on a national and international scale. The awareness
and the effective strategies which can help in the efficient implementation of the campaign must also mobilize commitment from decision-makers and elite and
concept of taking knowledge to the rural poor. With relevant technology, more powerful including military, religious groups and business houses.
than 75 percent of the rural populations can be reached which today are not served
efficiently with basic services including education, health, information, skills, etc. CONCLUSION
In this context, ICT can help to empower the rural poor through equipping them For the above reasons, it is desirable to strengthen research efforts on
with education, giving them information on market data anytime and anywhere thus strategies of developing Information Communication capabilities in rural areas
helping them to get the benefit to market changes; likewise, health information can to empower and enable the poor in participating in development activities and
promote awareness about the importance of maintaining health from the viewpoint enable the development agencies to play a more catalytic and responsive role
of quality of life, financial well being of the family, village productivity, and micro in the developing member countries to address the issues relating to poverty
enterprise development. reduction. This will require active participation among the participatory agencies
The major issues to be covered by community media may include the need to carefully design a long-term and sustainable information technology- based
to manage the environment in a sustainable manner; exploding rate of population intervention to poverty reduction. Based on the results of researches, large-scale
and urbanization; food security human needs with regard to health, education and initiatives could be designed to ensure access to information technology to the
literacy; peace and democracy; and poverty reduction. All these challenges require poor with inbuilt evaluative research. Such researches will encourage and enable
information, knowledge, supported by participatory process of social change. the staff of participatory agencies to apply new and innovative approaches based
Communication is an essential element in this process because by establishing on ICT to address the issue of poverty reduction both through direct intervention
a dialogue with people, it can empower people to take decisions for their own and support to poverty reduction projects and programmes supported by various
development, increased participation, provide information as a basis for change, agencies. These experiences will be valuable opportunities for learning by doing
and innovation, and help in sharing of addressing their problems. Until development in a short period, and best practices for poverty reduction on a long-term basis.
communication is recognized as an essential component of sustainable development
strategies by policy and decision-makers there will be little hope for use of
information technology as resource for development interventions.
The “Smart Village” (Rural Information Technology Centre) concept being
tried in Malaysia to make access to the relevant information and education based
on cost efficient high-tech in rural areas is a relevant experiment in this connection.
Accessibility to information with quality – this is what media should be doing. Ideally,
poor should be an active participant in designing of programs, implementation of
programs, and Internet should feed the community with all information. It would
do well to set up communication centres (telecenters) – radio, TV, Internet –
as community devices requiring small facilities. Transition to more democratic
governments in many developing countries will make it more feasible to promote
participatory development process which can be further strengthened through
the use of modern media. This will help the development agencies to play their
catalytic role in poverty reduction more effectively because this will be a platform
for directly working with poor.
It is paramount to mobilize the media in raising awareness on poverty issues in
the developing countries and to go for a multimedia approach in order to organize
a maximum mobilization of the poor populations. Based on experience, it will be
appropriate to combine radio, TV, print and Internet, by special designed radio

52
Use of ICT in Higher Education
Dr. Rajeshwari G. Teggi* and Ramesh C Yanamashetti**
Abstract
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is a vehicle to enhance
the quality of the education. As the world is moving rapidly into digital media and
information, the role of ICT in education is becoming more important in the 21st
century. ICT helps to share availability of best practices and best course material
in higher education. ICT based education causes changes in the educational
objectives in the conception of the teaching and learning process. ICT allows
the academic Institutions to reach disadvantaged groups and new international
educational markets. Within the past decade, the new ICT tools have fundamentally
produced significant transformations in industry, agriculture, medicine, business,
engineering and other fields. The new teaching methodologies involve the use
of audiovisual, computer and telemetric tools on the part of lecturers.
Keywords: ICT, higher education, ICT tools, technology, teaching and
learning, ICT policy.
INTRODUCTION
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) is a diverse set of
technological tools and resources used to communicate and to create, disseminate,
store and manage information. This broad definition of ICT includes technologies as
radio, television, video, DVD, telephone, satellite systems, computer and network
hardware and software; as well as the equipment and services associated with these
technologies, such as videoconferencing and electronic mail (UNESCO, 2002).
ICT is potentially a powerful tool for extending educational opportunities and can
provide remote learning resources. ICT encourage students to take responsibility
for their own learning and offers problem centered and inquiry based learning
which provides easy access and information based resources. It is necessary to
acquire the ability to use technology as a tool to research, organize, evaluate and
*Assistant Professor, B.V.V.S College of Education, Bagaklot
**Lecturer, B.V.V.S College of Education, Bagaklot
352
Use of ICT in Higher Education  353
♦
communicate information and the possession of the fundamental understanding
of the ethical or legal issues and use of information [1]. Today knowledge of
networking, communication and retrieval technologies has become core to the
profession. Success of ICT-based education depends upon the teacher’s ability
to keep pace with the developments since teachers are responsible for quality
control, improvement of learning and the aggregate effectiveness of the learning
process. The main role of teachers will not be to transmit information and culture,
but rather to act as experts and leaders to motivate learning.
The following major aspects need to be addressed in a Policy for ICT in
Education:
1. Content/Digital Resources
2. Capacity Building
3. Monitoring and Evaluation Framework
4. ICT for Education Management
5. Implementation Plans 6) Financial Allocations
6. Political and Administrative support
7. Community Demand for ICT
8. Adapting a change in learning Processes
9. Staff Development and Training Programmes.
Though information is being considered as basic ingredient for the society,
ICT has, however, rejuvenated a new dimension to information i.e. as commodity.
Connection of networks, further, strengthens to a fast communication with a real
time feeling among people across the world.
• IT has made an intense impact on the society and also influenced on lives
of people immensely. The unequal access to ICT has led the society,
India in particular, to a massive divide digitally; digitally rich & digitally
poor, like:
• Communities those haves access to computers and the internet and those
have-nots;
• Similarly, no uniformity for accessing information through effective use of
ICT in the academic environment.
The Knowledge Economy And Society Depends for Its Growth on the
Combination of Four Independent Factors
• Production Of Knowledge
• Transmissions Of Knowledge
• Dissemination Of Knowledge
• Use Of Knowledge In Technological Innovation
Challenge
Creating the equal access to information and technology to the academic
community.
354  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
APPROPRIATE STEP
Bridging this gap in the country through digital and information literacy
programmes for the learner’s community would be an apt solution.
REASONS FOR DIGITAL DIVIDE
Internet is used by only 35% of the world’s population and that some 85%
of all uses and 90% of all hosts are in developed countries. Internet penetration
in India is only 10% of total population and, the above reasons may lead to: The
plan to achieve the 8 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015 will also
be affected.
Academic community will have to recognize and play their leading role and
responsibility as strong pillars in establishing the building of all academic affairs
and achieving the set goals.
In the ICTs environment, modern methods have been emerging in the class
room teaching and learning, so the instructional and learning needs of learners
has changed noticeably.
There is a need to prepare students in different ways like- making them
comfortable with technology and digital environment, and working with different
people and ideas collaboratively.
Role of Teaching Faculty
• The faculty can talk about academic competencies, methodology, problem
definition, research, the use of resources, etc.
• In the universities, a provision in the curriculum itself may be made to learn
about information literacy by the students to become lifelong learners and
also to fulfill the specific needs, both professional and personal.
• For strengthening information literacy in digital era, the training programmes,
courses, workshops and tutorials need to be designed and implemented by the
experts, including-librarians and subject specialists, faculty. This would be a
major step in providing information literacy education in digital environment
(Konnur & Rao, 2009).
• Information literacy education based on faculty-library collaboration will also help
students to access the information intellectually and use it critically, creatively
and ethically. It can reduce the faculty’s burden of having to deal with issues
such as plagiarism, referencing and critical evaluation of information (Torras
& Skagen, 2006).
Role of Learners
• Most of the time, students are in trouble in understanding the materials available
in digital form, however, they cannot use it in a right context, so they just
copy the contents. Therefore, in the present environment, students should
have to be academically skilled, methodologically competent, a team worker,
creative and information literate.
Use of ICT in Higher Education  355
• So, the students can discuss the need of relevant material, how to move forward
in this process, about frustrations in writing the projects and information
seeking and the related problems like teaching, consulting, research, and so
on. They should also collaborate in the design, application, and maintenance
of information access systems.
THE EMERGENCE OF NEW EXPECTATIONS
Alongside its fundamental mission of initial training, universities must cater
for new needs in education and training stemming from the knowledge-based
economy and society.
• An Increasing Need For Scientific And Technical Education,
• Opportunities For Life-Long Learning
• Close Involvement in Community Life.
Higher Education
• Active participation of Turkey in international projects (e-Europe+)
• Developing e-resources in Turkish (new or translated)
• Forming new job descriptions in line with the requirements of the knowledge
society.
• Ensuring that students in each discipline take a certain number of courses in
ICT
• Preparation of “national computer literacy certificate”
• Mobility of researchers/teachers and students
Main Objectives in Education
• Introduce
• creative
• flexible
• innovative
• way of thinking in the society
• Establish a system of Life-Long Learning for all citizens
• Encourage schools to integrate new technologies into their curricula.
• Increase the level of ICT literacy in society
At post graduate level
• Innovative research
• High quality leading edge research capacity
• Scientific proficiency
• International publications and networking
• Providing solutions for industrial problems.
356  Information and Communication Technology in Education Use of ICT in Higher Education  357
♦ ♦
ICT Can be Used as a Tool in the Process of Education in the Following ways Learning and innovation Skills
• Informative tool: It provides vast amount of data in various formats such as Students need to be prepared for increasingly complex life and work
audio, environments in the 21st century.
• Video, documents. Situating tool: It creates situations, which the student • Creativity and Innovation
experiences in real life. Thus, • Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
• Simulation and virtual reality is possible. Constructive tool: To manipulate • Communication and Collaboration
the data and generate analysis.
• Students need to be prepared for increasingly
• Communicative tool: It can be used to remove communication barriers such
as that of space and time (Lim and Chai, 2004. ICT Impact Attributes in Education
The following mediums are used for the delivery and for conducting the
• Brings positive changes in the social organization of the classroom; achieves
education process:
higher student-centric focus and delivery
• Voice – Instructional audio tools that include interactive technologies as well
• Enhances teaching and learning through dynamic, interactive, and engaging
as the passive ones
content
• Video - Instructional video tools that include still images, prerecorded moving
• Develops, enriches, accelerates, and deepens student skills
images, and real-time moving images combined with audio conferencing.
• Enhances learning opportunities and resources to the students and teachers
• Print – instructional print formats that include textbooks, study guides,
workbooks and case studies. (Bhattacharya and Sharma, 2007; National • Stimulates, motivates and sparks students’ appetite for learning and helps to
Programme on Technology. create a culture of success
• Relates classroom experience to work place, provide opportunity for connection
AGENDA between classroom and world
•
ICT and Twenty-first Century Skills
Impact of ICT on what is Learned
•
Impact of ICT in Higher Education
• Contemporary settings encourage curricula that promote competency and
•
National Initiatives
performance.
•
Institutional level e-Governance
• Curricula are now emphasising capabilities
Information & Communication Technologies (ICTs) comprise many
technologies for capturing, interpreting, storing and transmitting information • More concerned with how the information will be used than with what the
information is.
• Competency & performance-based curricula
• access to a variety of information sources;
• access to a variety of information forms and types;
• student-centred learning settings based on information access and inquiry;

Impact of Ict on How is Learned

• Competency & performance-based curricula
• learning environments centred on problem-centred and inquiry-based activities;
• authentic settings and examples;
• teachers as mentors rather than content expert
358  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
FRAMEWORK FOR ICT USE
ICT Stages in Learning & Teaching the impact of ICT on when and
where students learn
In the past educational institutions have provided little choice for students in
terms of the method and manner in which programs have been delivered. Students
have typically been forced to accept what has been delivered and institutions have
tended to be quite staid and traditional in terms of the delivery of their programs.
ICT applications provide many options and choices and many institutions
are now creating competitive edges for themselves through the choices they are
offering students. These choices extend from when students can choose to learn
to where they, they learn.
A.  Any Place Learning
The concept of flexibility in the delivery place of educational programs is not
new (eg. Moore & Kearsley, 1996). Educational institutions have been offering
Use of ICT in Higher Education  359
programs at a distance for many years and there has been a vast amount of research
and development associated with establishing effective practices and procedures
in off-campus teaching and learning.
USE OF THE TECHNOLOGY
However, has extended the scope of this activity and whereas previously off-
campus delivery was an option for students who were unable to attend campuses,
today, many more students are able to make this choice through technology-
facilitated learning settings. The scope and extent of this activity is demonstrated
in some of the examples below.
• In many instances traditional classroom learning has given way to learning
in work-based settings with students able to access courses and programs
from their workplace. The
• The advantages of education and training at the point of need relate not only
to convenience but include cost savings associated with travel and time away
from work, and also situation and application of the learning activities within
relevant and meaningful contexts.
• The communications capabilities of modern technologies provide opportunities
for many learners to enroll in courses offered by external institutions rather
than those situated locally.
• These opportunities provide such advantages as extended course offerings
and eclectic class Cohorts comprised of students of differing backgrounds,
cultures and perspectives.
• The freedoms of choice provided by programs that can be accessed at any
place are also supporting the delivery of programs with units and courses
from a variety of institutions,
There are now countless ways for students completing undergraduate degrees
for example, to Study units for a single degree, through a number of different
institutions, an activity thatProvides considerable diversity and choice for students
in the programs they complete.
B.  Anytime Learning
In concert with geographical flexibility, technology-facilitated educational
programs also remove many of the temporal constraints that face learners with
special needs (eg. Moore & Kearsley,1996). Students are starting to appreciate the
capability to undertake education anywhere, anytime and anyplace. This flexibility
has heightened the availability of just-in-time learning and provided learning
opportunities for many more learners who previously were constrained by other
commitments (eg. Young, 2002).
• Through online technologies learning has become an activity that is no
longer set within programmed schedules and slots. Learners are free to
participate in learning activities when time permits and these freedoms
have greatly increased the opportunities for many students to participate
in formal programs.
360  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
• The wide variety of technologies that support learning are able to provide
asynchronous supports for learning so that the need for real-time participation
can be avoided while the advantages of communication and collaboration
with other learners is retained.
• As well as learning at anytime, teachers are also finding the capabilities of
teaching at any time to be opportunistic and able to be used to advantage.
Mobile technologies and seamless communications technologies support
24x7 teaching and learning. Choosing how much time will be used within
the 24x7 envelope and what periods of time are challenges that will face the
educators of the future (eg. Young, 2002).
The continued and increased use of ICTs in education in years to come, will
serve to increase the temporal and geographical opportunities that are currently
experienced. Advancements in learning opportunities tend to be held back by the
ICT capabilities of the lowest common, Denominator, namely the students with
the least access to ICT. As ICT access increases among students so too will these
opportunities.
EMERGING ISSUES
A number of other issues have emerged from the uptake of technology whose
impacts have yet to be fully explored. These include changes to the makeup of
the teacher pool, changes to the profile of who are the learners in our courses and
paramount in all of this, changes in the costing and economics of course delivery.
A.  Expanding the Pool of Teachers
In the past, the role of teacher in an educational institution was a role given to
only highly qualified people. With technology-facilitated learning, there are now
opportunities to extend the teaching pool beyond this specialist set to include many
more people. The changing role of the teacher has seen increased opportunities
for others to participate in the process including workplace trainers, mentors,
specialists from the workplace and others. Through the affordances and capabilities
of technology, today we have a much expanded pool of teachers with varying roles
able to provide support for learners in a variety of flexible settings.
This trend seems set to continue and to grow with new ICT developments
and applications. And within this changed pool of teachers will come changed
responsibilities and skill sets for future teaching involving high levels of ICT and
the need for more facilitative than didactic teaching roles (eg. Littlejohn etal., 2002).
B.  Expanding the Pool of Students
In the past, education has been a privilege and an opportunity that often
was unavailable to many students whose situation did not fit the mainstream.
Through the flexibilities provided by technology, many students who previously
were unable to participate in educational activities are now finding opportunities
to do so. The pool of students is changing and will continue to change as more
and more people who have a need for education and training are able to take
advantage of the increased opportunities. Interesting opportunities are now being
Use of ICT in Higher Education  361
observed among, For example, College students studying university courses to
overcome limitations in their college programs and workers undertaking courses
from their desktops.
C.  The Cost of Education
Traditional thinking has always been that technology-facilitated learning
would provide economies and efficiencies that would see significant reductions
in the costs associated with the delivery of educational programs. The costs
would come from the ability to create courses with fixed establishment costs,
for example technology-based courses, and for which there would be savings in
delivery through large scale uptake. We have already seen a number of virtual
universities built around technology delivery alone (eg. Jones International
University,www.jiu.edu).
The reality is that few institutions have been able to realize these aims for
economy. There appear to have been many underestimated costs in such areas as
course development and course delivery. The costs associated with the development
of high quality technology-facilitated learning materials are quite high. It has
found to be more than a matter of repackaging existing materials and large scale
reengineering has been found to be necessary with large scale costs.
Likewise costs associated with delivery have not been found to diminish as
expected. The main reason for this has been the need to maintain a relatively stable
student to staff ratio and the expectation of students that they will have access to
teachers in their courses and programs. Compared to traditional forms of off-campus
learning, technology-facilitated learning has proven to be quite expensive in all
areas of consideration, infrastructure, course development and course delivery.
We may have to brace ourselves for the advantages and affordances which
will improve the quality of education in the near future to also increase components
of the cost.
BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES OF ICT
ICT provides student support services such as course outlines, digitally recorded
classroom material, discussion groups, laboratory manuals and lab assignments,
lecture notes, live lectures for later viewing and re-viewing, links to course specific
websites, online tutorials, supplementary readings, and virtual office hours for
teacher-student consultations. Virtual libraries are a particular boon to students as
they cut down on costs of acquiring expensive textbooks, journals and reference
material. Tools are available on the Internet to assist both teachers and students
to manage writing assignments to detect and avoid the pitfalls of plagiarism and
copyright violations. ICT improve the quality and the quantity of educational
provision. Introducing ICT systems for teaching in developing countries has to
consider about high opportunity cost of installation, investments in hardware and
software’s and in human skills and training. Technology-facilitated learning has
proven to be quite expensive in all areas of consideration, infrastructure, course
development and course delivery.
362  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦
CONCLUSION
Integration of ICT in higher education is inevitable. In the coming years
the thrust will be on the use of ICT to strengthen the system in the mode of
opens and distance learning. Institutional and sector-wide higher education ICT
policy and planning should identify the specific role of ICT in enhancing research
capabilities and provide for adequate infrastructure backed by capacity building. 58
Digital libraries, access to online databases, networking etc. can be enhanced
through inter-institutional collaboration to ensure optimal usage of ICT expertise ICT in School Education in India
and resources. EDUSAT and DTH will be promoted, wherever feasible, to enhance
access to information and resources. A broadcast Server for digital storage, retrieval Vijaylaxmi S. Pawar* and Prof. V. V. Malagi**
and transmission of broadcast quality educational audio-video programmers will
be deployed. Digital libraries, access to online databases, networking, etc., can
be enhanced through inter-institutional collaboration to ensure optimal usage Abstract
of ICT expertise and resources. The wide adoption of ICT calls for mindsets
and skill sets that are adaptive to change. Though higher education institutes in Right to Education is the primary right of every citizen of India,
developed countries have policies on the generative role, there are controversies whether a child resides in a high profile society or in a far away not
about balancing long-term academic research with short-term technology transfer so developed secluded village, according to the Article 45 of Indian
projects. Institutional and sector-wide higher education ICT policy and planning Constitution the basic elementary education must be provided to all the
should identify the specific role of ICT in enhancing research capabilities and children up to the age of fourteen years. Even after 64 years of independence
provide for adequate infrastructure backed by capacity building. Teacher has to some States in India are still struggling to achieve Universal enrolment,
adapt continuous professional development in the educational uses of technology. retention and quality education. There are about 1303996 or more than
In this sense, teachers have to be ready to make use of the possibilities that ICT one million rural schools among 6, 38,000 villages in India. Schools in
offer, such as different learning contexts, focused on the students, presenting them rural areas are promoted to raise the level of education and literacy in
with several types of interaction, offering different degrees of control of their own rural India. The main aim of running these types of schools in India is
learning, adapting to their personal interests, promoting collaborative tasks and to increase the rate of literacy in rural areas. More than 40 percent of
developing autonomy in their work and study India’s population is illiterate and cannot read or write. Schools in rural
areas are inadequate and often equivalent to being non-existent. Thus,
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University, Vijayapur.
• Snehi Neeru, ICT in Indian Universities and Colleges: Management and Change, 2009,
**Registrar (Evaluation) and Professor, Department of Studies in Education, Karnataka
vol. 13, issue 2, ISSN – 0972 - 2149.
State Women’s University, Jnana Shakti Campus Toravi, Vijayapur (Bijapur)-586108
drvvvmalagi@gmail.com.

363
364  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
rural education. However the level of improvement in accessibility of
ICTs in rural schools did not reached the expected level. Also provide
some suggestions for effective implementation of the national policy for
ICT in education in rural areas.
INTRODUCTION
Right to Education is the primary right of every citizen of India, whether a
child resides in a high profile society or in a far away not so developed secluded
village, according to the Article 45 of Indian Constitution the basic elementary
education must be provided to all the children up to the age of fourteen years.
Even after 64 years of independence some States in India are still struggling to
achieve Universal enrolment, retention and quality education. There are about
1303996 or more than one million rural schools among 6, 38,000 villages in India.
Schools in rural areas are promoted to raise the level of education and literacy in
rural India. The main aim of running these types of schools in India is to increase
the rate of literacy in rural areas. More than 40 percent of India’s population is
illiterate and cannot read or write. Schools in rural areas are inadequate and often
equivalent to being non-existent. Thus, government’s initiative to set up schools
in rural areas came into picture. According to Just Indian Schools the conditions
of rural education in India, is improving steadily and the government is also
providing full support and providing with many initiatives. The fee structure
in these schools is also very low so that every child can study and afford it. As
per the 2011 census, 72.2% of the population lives in rural areas about 638,000
villages and the remaining 27.8% lives in more than 5,100 towns and over 380
urban agglomerations. Among all the above mentioned educations techniques
adequate in rural India have to change according to the 21st Century. The main
aim of this study is to elevate the Scope, Purpose and Methodology adopted for
computer education in Rural India.
RURAL STUDENTS AND EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
Effective communication skills pave the path to success. Communication
skills can be inherent or can be learnt. “A wise person never quarrels” i.e. one who
knows how to communicate according to the need and appropriate the situation
never quarrels. There are many instances of failure of person because of poor or
bad communication skills. There may be various reasons of poor communication
among rural students and there are many remedial measures so as to improve
communication skills. India being the rural country, the students from rural part
need prime attention. This paper focuses on how to develop their communication
skills in English. So that rural students can improve their personality and compete
with urban students in their studies and career selection. The communication in
English needs to be developed so as to make India a developed country. There are
various reasons, which contribute to the above stated problem; it is considered
that teaching English is one of the main reasons.
ICT in School Education in India  365
Conceptual Framework
•
Impact of medium on personality development
•
Impact of medium (language) on communication skills
•
Importance of communication skills in interviews and presentations
•
Speech & personality – A judgmental factor
•
Teaching English –Methodology used.
•
Communication skills & Career opportunities
1.
English teacher should be careful at the beginning of the year to restrict his
or her own spoken English to simple sentences using limited vocabulary.
2. English teacher to read aloud certain short passages from the book to the class.
3. Awareness of right pronunciation of words should be prompted by the use
of phonetic transcription and a key to the symbols used.
4. Teacher should encourage group activities of oral drills in the use of grammatical
patterns.
5. Teacher should attempt simple oral composition in the beginning.
6. English teacher make students to read aloud fully composed written reports.
7. Dramatization may be used to improve the students’ spoken English.
Practical Suggestions for Improving English
1. Students should be given writing practice by copying from textbooks.
2. Students should be taught basic patterns of sentences.
3. Verb patterns should be taught in detail.
4. Provide detailed knowledge of tenses.
5. Give sufficient exercises in writing correct spellings.
6. Practice writing small paragraphs.
7. Students should be trained to prepare the substitution table.
ICT in Rural Education
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is one of the rapid
development technological fields in the global society. Among the developing
countries India reached a significant position in development of ICTs. Particularly
in the field of education its development is tremendous. There is no doubt in the
near future’s development will based on ICTs. However benefits of ICTs are not
reached expected level in the rural areas still the rural population living with
minimum level of ICTs facilities especially the poorest of the poor. Both Central
and State Governments and NGOs are allocating huge amount for the development
of ICTs and rural education. However the level of improvement in accessibility of
ICTs in rural schools did not reached the expected level. This paper gives ideas
to improve the rural education through ICTs, especially the computer related
technologies. Also provide some suggestions for effective implementation of the
national policy for ICT in education in rural areas.
366  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
A.  Need Based ICT Education in Rural Areas
Due to various developmental activities in education department, rural schools
have improving its infrastructure facilities. But the development is not uniformly
in all rural areas; still many areas are neglected from even basic infrastructure
facilities. Though, governments are providing ICT facilities to rural schools many
of them are not working properly. The reasons such as, lack of accessibilities of
the facilities by the beneficiaries, beyond the level knowledge of users and not
full fill their needs or beyond their level of needs. Thus, whenever implement the
ICTs related programmes in the rural areas, should be assess local conditions and
priorities needs of rural students. The assessment of needs should be following
the methods of dialogue, survey and discussion with beneficiaries in rural areas.
First they have to understand the real benefits of the programme then only it will
sustain in long term and perform effectively in rural areas.
B.  Create Awareness on ICT Education
Before provide knowledge through computer related technologies, should
have to create knowledge on ICT education and its usage to the rural school
students. Due to their lack of awareness in the field of ICTs, rural students are
not paid interest in the computer based education, some of them initially paid
their interest later they are not follow, this because majority of rural ICT related
programme failure even in initial period. The making awareness and motivation
are not only to the students also the instructors of the ICT programme in rural
schools.
C.  The Vision of the ICT for Education
ICT for education should more concern about upliftment of rural community
in this connection the Vision is: “Integrated Development for Education and
Economic Empowerment for Rural Students” The integration should be concentrate
on rural life condition as well as provide information about urban areas educational
developments. The ICT for education programme not only provide computer
education to rural students but also it should provide information on higher education,
employment opportunities in various fields. In school education, for example there
is separate syllabus for moral class or life education it has included some vocation
training class like farming, vocational training of tailoring and weaving etc. But most
of the schools did not follow effectively these classes. So this ICT for education
programme can provide these same training and awareness through computer based
education technologies with effectively. Also the computer based education will
disseminate information on new technological developments from local to global
level. It will be a good approach to understand to the rural students about the social
and technological development of world also they can easily understand to connect
with their rural life condition. This kind of ICT related educational programme will
provide employment opportunity to computer and other educated youths in rural
as well as areas. Also it will help to rural school students to understand computer
related training and wide knowledge about resent developments in world.
ICT in School Education in India  367
D.  ICT- Rural Development Department (ICT-RDD)
This department will get latest information from IT and other related
departments and will update the RKM’s and will provide training to ICT instructors
for the latest updates at rural community centre. The purpose and theme of the
ICT Rural Development Department is the same with an amendment that it will
work only for the development of the 70% population which need more attention
and care and can be more productive for the development of country, but its cyclic
process and hope it will accelerate rapidly with the passage of time.
The main stress is given on development of education level on the basis of
ICT in Rural Community. Following are the important objectives that will uplift
the rural education.
• To provide employment related education through computer technologies
for school students at the standard of 8th to 12th.
• To integrate various government self employment training institute to work
for the ICT education programmes.
• To disseminate worldwide current science and technological related information
to rural students.
• To create awareness for effective utilization of local resources for development
of economic condition.
• To develop Rural Knowledge Network to enhance the E learning capabilities
among rural peoples.
• To provide a forum for the exchange of knowledge and national experiences in
promotion of ICT for development in the rural area through Training Centre.
• To produce a tested set of resource and training materials on concepts, issues
and approaches to promote and realize the access of ICTs for all through
Rural Kiosk Machine.
RURAL RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT SOCIETY (RRDS)
Rural Reconstruction and Development Society (RRDS) is a voluntary
organization started by a group of likeminded social workers in the year 1991 to
reach out to the poor and needy Dalits, Tribals, Fisher folk, Women, children and small
and marginal farmers in the remote parts of rural areas of Nellore District, Andhra
Pradesh and works irrespective of caste, creed, color, religion and sex. RRDS has been
playing a facilitative role in the social transformation of community and empower
the disadvantaged people by guiding individuals and community-based organizations
(CBO). The promoted peoples organizations are perceived as power equations of
the poor that can successfully address prevailing values, rituals and procedures as
well as existing situations and conditions that contribute to marginalize and exploit
Vision
The vision of RRDS is to attain total empowerment of the target group by
creating a society without poverty, illiteracy, sickness, child labor and gender and
social inequality and oppression among tribal, Dalit and other marginal communities.
368  Information and Communication Technology in Education ICT in School Education in India  369
♦ ♦
Mission • http://www.dise.in/Downloads/Use%20of%20Dise%20Data/Savita%20Kaushal%20
&%20%20Sudhanshu%20S.%20Patra.pdf
The mission of RRDS is facilitating total empowerment of poor and to attempt
• IJEDICT, A sustainable model for use of ICTs in rural Pakistan, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 116-
for an alternative development system ‘for the people - by the people and with
124, 2007.
the people’ towards achieving basic education, health and livelihoods for all with • M. Ali and D. A. Mission, ―ICT Education Case Study,‖ Research on Information And
gender and social equality. Ommunication Technology, 2003.
• Chalkier, D. (Ed.). (1999). Leadership for rural schools: Lessons for all educators.
RRDS Key Missions Lancaster, PA: Technomic Publishing Company Inc
• Gender, Tribal, Dalit and fisher-folk empowerment in a participatory approach. • DeYoung, A. J., (Ed.). (1991). Rural Education: Issues and Practices. New York: Garland
Publishing, Inc.
• Sustainable development, natural resource management livelihood and food
• Haas, T., & Nachtigal, P. (1998). Place value: An educator’s guide to good literature
security for all. on rural lifeways, environments, and purposes of education. Charleston, WV: ERIC
• Education for all and child labor elimination. Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools.
• Education and empowerment of disabled communities. • Hall, G. E. (1974). The concerns-based adoption model: A developmental conceptualization
of the adoption process within educational institutions. Austin, TX: Research and
• TB, HIV/AIDS Health for all and alternative health practices.
Development Center for Teacher Education, University of Texas.
• Advocacy, Lobbying and documentation. • Hannel, G. I. (2003). Highly effective questioning: Developing seven steps of critical
thinking. Phoenix, AZ: Hannel Educational Consulting.
GOAL • Harmon, H.L. (2003). Rural Education. In James W.
The goal of RRDS is to create self-governing communities and their • Guthrie (Ed.), Encyclopedia of education, (2nd edition),pp. 2083-2090. NY: Macmillian
organizations for poverty reduction through achieving basic rights, basic education, Reference.
health security, gender and social equality and livelihood security for the poor. • Howley, C. B., & Harmon, H. L., (Eds.) (2000). Small high schools that flourish: Rural
context, case studies and resources. Charleston, WV: AEL, Inc. Leadership and Assistance
CONCLUSION for Science Education Reform. (2006). Join a growing network of leaders working to
reform K–12 science education programs. Washington, DC: National Science Resources
The important aspect is involvement and interest of teachers, education Center. Available online: http://www.nsrconline.org/school_district_resources/ind.
department and the end user of the student community in rural areas. These two
things can achieved through continuous motivation and provide better awareness
about the importance of the ICT Programmes. Another major challenge is monitoring
and evaluation of the overall Programme. This has to be done by the concern school
education department. The government can be appointing suitable persons to monitor
the ICT Programme in schools. But the person should have better knowledge on all
over the Programmes like computer skill, technical knowledge on various fields, and
knowledge on local resources and its management. All the practical and theoretical
works of the exports from the different fields has to be collected in the CDs and
display in schools through computers. Here the challenge is computer knowledge of
the instructors who are working in the schools. So the instructors selected must have
basic knowledge of various technologies related to development aspects. Another
major challenge is knowledge of the local resources and its utilization. The knowledge
on local resources can be acquired from elders in the rural areas and related research
institutions, historical events, books. But it should be compiled like a syllabus and
provide information to students. It should be simple and understandable to all students.

REFERENCES
• J. Stiemen. Managing Director, IICD. (November 2007). ICT for Development and
Education, pp. 16-21, [Online]. Available: http://www.iicd.org/files/icts-for-education.pdf
• S. Kaushal and S. S. Patra. (2009). Elementary Education in Bihar: Some Reflection of
DISE Data. pp. 3-4. [Online]. Available:

59
Blended Learning Approach: Using Technology
in and beyond the Classroom
Asha Kumari B.*
Abstract
In recent years, ICT has paved the way for the advance of the paradigm
shift through providing more flexible way of learning. Blended learning is a
student-centered approach that effectively integrates learning experiences of
students through online and face-to-face environments. It is a coherent design
approach that openly assesses and integrates the strengths of face-to-face and
online learning to address educational goals. It is necessary to gain a deep
understanding of need, potential and strategies of blended learning approach.
This thematic paper has made an attempt to define blended learning, discuss its
origin, and online tools used for creating an effective blended learning experience.
Keywords: Blended learning, Online resources, Technology in classroom
INTRODUCTION
Due to increased student enrolment and diversification, improving the
quality of student learning experiences has become more important in teaching.
Though with many advances in technology, classroom practices continue to be
dominated by teacher-delivered lectures in class. Many years of research in the
area of teaching methodologies reflect unidirectional learning through lectures,
which shows up a lack in student attention and limited opportunities to develop
essential skills. A growing body of literature highlights the need to rethink
our approach to classroom learning and describes pedagogical innovations that
foster higher-order thinking, improve information analysis and learning skills,
and enhance opportunities for active and applied learning. These approaches
represent an ongoing paradigmatic shift in education from teacher-centered
*Doctoral Research Scholar, Department of Education, Regional Institute of Education,
Mysore E-mail: kotraiah.asha@gmail.com
370
Blended Learning Approach: Using Technology in and beyond the Classroom  371
♦
instructional strategies to learner-centered instructional strategies. In this light
did the blended learning approach was visualized by integrating the online and
face to face environments.
ROOTS OF BLENDED LEARNING APPROACH
The concept of blended learning is rooted in the idea that ‘learning is not
one-time event but, is a continuous process’. Blending provides various benefits
over using any single learning delivery medium alone (Singh, 2003).
Blended learning does not come out of nothing, but has a solid theoretical
foundation. Along with theoretical bases of constructivism, and other learning
theories, the ‘First principles of instruction’, which are advocated by Merill, also
give rise to blended learning. According to him, learning is promoted when:
• learners are engaged in solving real-world problems
• existing knowledge is activated as a foundation for new knowledge
• demonstrated to the learner
• applied by the learner and
• integrated into the learner’s world
It can be viewed as a pedagogical approach that combines the effectiveness
and socialisation opportunities of the classroom with the technologically enhanced
active learning possibilities of the online environment, rather than a ratio of delivery
modalities (Dziuban, Hartman & Moskal, 2004).
Learning can be effective when the learner is given the right task (problem-
centred tasks) to accomplish by informing them of the right method (such as activation,
demonstration, application, and integration) to use. To realise the goal of optimising
learning outcomes , the blended learning approach is visualised so that this enables
effective instruction to come into play as learners are not only presented with real
world problems to solve, but also are provided with how to solve the problems
BLENDED LEARNING APPROACH
Blended learning is a student – centred approach to create a learning experience
whereby the learner interacts with other students, with instructor and with content
through thoughtful integration of online and face to face environments. It also
refers to the planned implementation of the learning model that integrates student
– centred, traditional in-class learning with other flexible learning methodologies
using mobile and web – based online ( especially collaborative) approaches in
order to realise strategic advantages for education system.
A well-designed blended learning experience thoughtfully organizes content,
support materials, and activities via synchronous and asynchronous learning events,
all of which are delivered in a variety of modes ranging from traditional lecture
to online tutorials. Communication and collaboration are necessary functions of a
blended approach. Because formative assessment is embedded throughout learning
events, the learner assumes responsibility for his or her learning.
In contrast to teacher-centered, rote-learning approaches, blended learning
environments provide multiple ways to access content and to demonstrate mastery. As
372  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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a result, they lend themselves more readily to differentiation of content and
process. A blended approach also gives the learner the opportunity to be more
responsible for his or her learning, which creates a learning situation that may be
more meaningful on an individual level. Because the learner comes to construct
knowledge through personal effort, she or he is more likely to demonstrate
understanding beyond rote memorization, and to transfer what she or he has
learned to new settings.
Characteristics of Blended Learning
A successful blended learning classroom will exhibit tangible characteristics
that promote increased achievement and student engagement (Hobgood, 2013).
The blended learning classroom:
• combines two different settings for learning and instruction, i.e., both offline
in the traditional face-to-face classroom and online that usually occurs through
the use of the internet
• uses the dual settings of both online and offline to share content, and to
establish and enhance student communication and interaction
• is a flexible learning environment where the amount of time spent online
versus traditional instruction is dependent on the nature of the instruction,
the individual needs of the students, and the preference of the instructor
• uses both structured and unstructured learning
• encourage students to take significant ownership of many of their learning
experiences as the freedom to interact and collaborate with peers, without
teacher intervention, is highly motivating for some students
• creates a structured core curriculum of learning activities that are taught
through a variety of instructional methods
• supports an environment where students start on small tasks and work their
way into more complex projects
• provides technical support for students and meets them where they are
Blended Learning Approach: Using Technology in and beyond the Classroom  373
• provides an easy-to-use learning environment that encourages student-directed
learning
• is an interactive, innovative learning environment where each student utilizes
a variety of learning resources and settings to become engaged, invested and
motivated to find academic and personal success
NEED FOR BLENDED LEARNING
Blended learning strategies vary according to the discipline, the class level,
student characteristics and learning outcomes, and have a student-centred approach
to the learning design. Blended learning can increase access and flexibility for
learners, increase level of active learning, and achieve better student experiences
and outcomes.
For teaching staff, blended learning can improve teaching and class management
practices. A blend might include:
• face-to-face and online learning activities and formats
• traditional timetabled classes with different modes, such as weekend, home-
based etc.,
• well established technologies such as lecture capture, and/or with social
media and emerging technologies
• simulations, group activities, site-based learning and practical
Blended Learning – Different Types
There are numerous ways of using blended learning that can be incorporated
successfully into the classroom.
• Fully online curriculum with all learning done online and at a distance and
no face to face component
• Fully online curriculum with options for face-to-face instruction , but not
required
• Mostly or fully online curriculum with select days required in classroom or
computer lab
• Mostly or fully online curriculum with select days required in classroom or
computer lab
• Mostly or fully online curriculum in computer lab or classroom where students
meet everyday
• Classroom instruction with significant, required online components that extend
learning beyond the classroom and beyond the school day.
• Classroom instruction integrating online resources, but limited or no
requirements for students to be online.
ADVANTAGES OF BLENDED LEARNING
Blended learning, which combines face-to-face learning with a mixture
of online activities, has been considered as both a cost-effective way to relieve
374  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
overcrowded classroom and a convenient alternative to the traditional classroom
experience. Blended learning approaches enhance learning outcomes through:
• inclusion of more differentiated/personalised instruction
• increased access to resources, experts and learning opportunities
• more authentic and student driven tasks being incorporated into the curriculum
• higher student engagement
• greater opportunities for collaboration (especially beyond the classroom and
involving the wider school community)
• exposure to a wide of technologies and acquisition of contemporary literacy skills
• better access to infrastructure and, anytime, anywhere learning
Example: One of the best known examples of blended learning is the flipped
classroom. It gives teachers more time to work with individual students in the
physical classroom, and to ensure that students are better prepared for work in
the physical classroom. In the flipped classroom, the teacher makes teaching
material- most often video but also other learning materials available in the online
classroom, so that students can work on those at home. Teacher then uses the
physical classroom to work with any issues the students may have.
FOR STUDENTS
Students have reported that they prefer and enjoy the blended course format.
More specifically, here are the main reasons that students prefer blended (Jawad,
2003). Students:
• enjoy greater time flexibility, freedom, and convenience by working part of
the time online from home
• have an opportunity to interact more with the instructor and fellow students
since there are numerous opportunities to do so both in class and online
• get an access to unlimited up-to-date resources available via the web
• can learn at their own pace
• have ways to often develop or enhance skills in time management, critical
thinking, and problem solving
• enjoy increased success as measured by fewer course withdrawals and somewhat
higher grades
• can participate more in class discussions since they can choose environment
— online or face-to-face — in which they feel more comfortable
• usually receive more frequent feedback from their instructors as well as peers
• acquire useful skills from using the Internet and computer technology
FACTORS PROMOTING SUCCESSFUL BLENDED LEARNING
The literature on blended learning is dominated by insider accounts of its
introduction in campus-based courses, generally using a learning management
system and often including online discussions. These reports are often highly
descriptive and factors that might promote successful blended learning are of
Blended Learning Approach: Using Technology in and beyond the Classroom  375
ten hidden in the form of concluding observations, and recommendations and
rarely identified more explicitly. The recommendations that follow are grouped
under four headings which have been developed from the emergent literature,
where there is an overall emphasis on pedagogic factors.
Institutional Success Factors
• Blended learning models are to be developed that respond to local, community
or organisational needs rather than using a generic approach (Sharpe, Benfield,
Robert and Francis (2006).
• The institutional building blocks are in place including organisational readiness,
sufficient technical resources, motivated faculty, good communication and
feedback channels with students (Tabor, 2007).
• The room for staff to develop their own meanings for blended learning, currently
poorly defined to include face-to-face classes and active learning and build
commitment to the concept (Sharpe, Benfield, Robert and Francis (2006).
• Blended learning should be introduced as a scholarly and transformative
redesign process within the institution, that rebuilds the course rather than
simply adding on technology (Sharpe, Benfield, Robert and Francis, 2006:
Littlejohn and Pegler, 2007; Garrison and Vaughan, 2008).
• There should be institutional practice of carrying out regular evaluations and
publicising the results (Sharpe, Benfield, Robert and Francis, 2006).
Regarding Teachers
• The importance of, the need for, continuing professional development for
teachers with sufficient time for development should be acknowledged
(Vaughan, 2007).
• The importance of dealing with teachers’ fears of loss of control, lower student
feedback grades and general uneasiness about the impact of online learning
on classroom relationships should be considered (Vaughan, 2007).
• The impact on teachers’ workloads must be taken into account. Creation of
shareable and reusable digital resources in an effort to ensure that blended
learning is sustainable that cuts on costliness in terms of both institutional
and teacher investment (Littlejohn and Pegler, 2006).
Regarding Students
• Students’ learning maturity and readiness for blending learning with its demands
for independent learning must be considered (Tabor, 2007).
• Student expectations, especially their ideas that fewer face-to-face classes mean
less work and the need to develop more responsibility for their learning and time
management skills must be taken into account (Vaughan, 2007; Tabor, 2007).
• Consistent and transparent communication around the new expectations is
needed in order to help students understand the blended learning process
(Sharpe, Benfield, Robert and Francis (2006).
376  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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Pedagogic Considerations
• The combination of the virtual and physical environments should be made
on the basis of an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of each
environment as well as the appropriateness of choice to the learners involved.
• Examples of good practice in the online discussion literature can inform
blended learning design, for example, Meyer (2004), Walker and Arnold
(2004) have extended this by providing a pedagogical framework where the
different phases of the course utilise the strengths of the different media and
add value to the learning activities.
• In careful consideration of the role of the teacher, Gerbic (2006) found that
encouragement, reminders from the teacher and discussion of the rationale for
addition of online discussions was not especially effective in connecting online
discussions to the classroom and the course and the new online environment
was marginalised by the students. The more effective process involved the
teacher providing feedback on the quality of the online discussion in the
face-to-face class and activities which prepared and skilled students for
their online activities. The teacher’s attention in class to the new virtual
environment legitimised it as part of the course and endorsed its importance
for learning.
Challenges of Blended Learning
Though blended approach has many positives to its credit, there are also many
challenges that need to be overcome to make the approach more effective. Following
are the few challenges faced for effective implementation of blended approach.
• Unrealistic student expectations
• Student-perceived isolation
• Technological problems for students
• Invasiveness into other areas of life
• Time commitment
• Technological problems for institutions
• Lack of support for course redesign
• Difficulty in acquiring new teaching and technology skills
Digital Tools to Support Blended Learning and their Application in
Classroom Transactions
Following are some examples of digital tools that can be used to support
learning and teaching in a blended environment.
• Blogs
Learning and Teaching Strategies
• Commentary and analysis: Blogs are an ideal tool for disseminating regular
commentary and opinion. These blogs might be written by a single author
Blended Learning Approach: Using Technology in and beyond the Classroom  377
or several. Multi-author blogs in particular can provide an opportunity for
improving communication and increasing impact.
• Supporting research projects: Blogs make an ideal tool for recording the
process of completing a project and distributing findings.
• Learning Journals: Students can use blogs to support and develop their
learning. These blogs are often reflective and might be private, shared with
a teacher or completely public. It allows learners to document their learning
and can enable the instructor to gauge a students’ depth of understanding
about a task or unit content.
• Learning communities: This could be in the form of a group blog for a
unit involving teachers and / or students using it to share information and
discuss topics. Learning communities can also be loosely connected networks
involving many individuals reading and commenting on each other’s blogs
around a common theme.
• Resource sharing: Blogs can be used as a resource sharing tool allowing
students to share, review and critique resources.
• Collaborative authoring: Blogs can be used to develop a ‘publication’. The
commenting functionality allows readers and collaborators to comment on
each other’s text.
• Blog journaling: creating a list or bullet points of main concepts and/or
reporting events
• Discussion boards
Learning and Teaching Strategies
• Theory-practice: make links when teacher poses questions, students share
experiences, problems and solutions which will differ between work places
• Critical thinking: Examine past events or current topics and pose challenging
or counterchallenging statements/ideas proposed.
• Brainstorm: Stimulate ideas ahead of lectures, tutorials, field trips or guest
speakers.
• Create threaded discussions around assigned readings. Threads may include
pre-reading (anticipation) activities, interpretations, evaluations.
• Cooperative Debate: In groups or individually, students present perspectives
on particular issue, followed by a whole group consensus-building discussion.
• Collaborative Writing: in groups students work together to create a single
document formulating proposals and analytical reports, which they then post
to the larger group for discussion.
• Live Internet streaming
Learning and Teaching Strategies
• Guest speaker: Invite an author or expert from a specific discipline area to
be available for students to interview or for a topical discussion.
378  Information and Communication Technology in Education
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• Demonstrations: Perform demonstrations about complex mathematical or
scientific equations.
• Debates: Ask students to participate in live debating or to discuss topical
issues.
• Revision: Ask students to prepare questions to prompt discussion about topics
for revision prior to assessments.
• Exploration: Explore complex problems from an issue arising from a unit
reading; pose a problem and entice students to take a deeper look.
• Debates: Ask students to participate in live debating or to discuss trending
issues.
• Polling: Ask students for their opinion via the polling feature capabilities.
• Web/video conferencing
Learning and Teaching Strategies
• Feedback: Allow students to report on field trips, clinical practice or
placement.
• Collaborative experiments: Ask different groups (e.g. tutorial classes or
students from another institution) to conduct the same experiment to each
other and then discuss outcomes.
• Host fortnightly or weekly discussion session based on readings, books or
texts.
• Problem-solving challenges: On a weekly/fortnightly rotation ask students
to formulate a problem to challenge other groups of students. During the
session, students discuss how they worked together to solve the problem.
• Mind mapping
Learning and Teaching Strategies
• Cause –effect diagrams: Create cause-effect diagrams that show outcomes
of an experiment.
• Flowchart: Create a flowchart of events that led to a significant moment in
history.
• Brainstorming: When students are working in groups, scope out ideas to
help in the development of the project.
• Twitter
Learning and Teaching Strategies
• Feedback: Report on a placement experience with a tweet about their
reflections.
• Mathematical analysis: Develop mathematical constructs or problems from
mash-ups that analyse Twitter usage statistics to develop student skills in
comparisons, ratios, percentages, interpreting graphs.
Blended Learning Approach: Using Technology in and beyond the Classroom  379
• Problem-solving: Use Twitter as a problem-solving space where all group
members contribute. Depending on group members and the complexity of
the problem, each student writes at least one tweet in order to collaboratively
solve the problem. Screen capture or copy and paste the Twitter timeline and
submit as a group assignment.
• Reflection: Post and reply to discursive comments regarding an upcoming
topic to deepen understanding through reflection and sharing – referred to
as back-channelling.
• Screen capture/recording
Learning and Teaching Strategies
• Vignette: Make a recording to lead students through steps on how to complete
a particular skill.
• Navigation: Record a video that leads students through a navigation of website
such as an online museum or institute E.g. Exploratorium (www.exploratorium.
edu) or the Smithsonian Institute (www.si.edu)
• Concept mastery: Create a screen recording for teaching particularly difficult
or complex concepts.
• Problem solving: Have students screen capture their pathway through the
events of a timeline, the steps of a task, or the solution to a problem they
have solved and share it with their peers.
• Open education resources
Learning and Teaching Strategies
• Anchored instruction: Use a short ‘anchoring’ that students can watch and
revisit. Create a problem solving context or environment to ‘anchor’ student’s
interest in the video.
• Digital storytelling: Using multimedia software such as iMovie, enables
students to create their own instructional, historical or autobiographical video.
• Expressive dimension: Listen to Literary analysis of many great works such
as those of Shakespeare adding a more expressive dimension
• Prediction: Play a portion of a video and then ask students what they think
will happen next.
INFLUENCE OF BLENDED APPROACH ON STUDENT LEARNING
Evidence from a wide range of disciplines supports the use of blended learning
to improve student outcomes. Improvement in student outcomes associated with
blended learning is described, in part, by constructivism, which views knowledge
not as a finite and defined body of facts and concepts, but as continuously evolving
and dynamically constructed by the learner in interaction with others and with the
environment. The constructivist view of learning promotes utilization of active
learning to engage students in the learning process through meaningful activities
380  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦ ♦
that prompt them to reflect on ideas, self-assess content mastery, gather information,
and apply it to problem-solving. This theoretical approach also emphasizes the
importance of information resources and tools linked to the learning environment
and made available to students prior to class in order to facilitate independent, self-
paced knowledge building and development of thinking skills with self-assessment
opportunities. Students very well receive the blended – learning approach and they
reflect positively on learning foundational content prior to class and using class
time for active learning exercises (Poon, 2013).
Also, in specific, students generally liked using online videos as it gives them
more choice, control, accessibility and depth, however, students missed the real
social interaction and motivation from the classroom lecture. These findings align
with other studies that report positive student perceptions of blended learning.
CONCLUSION
In a blended learning approach, attention is given to the overall instructional
design of the learning experience. While thoughtful planning is essential, blended
learning is a fluid process whereby learning needs, moments of insight, and unique
pathways evolve. Ideally, the learner is offered more choice in how the learning
experience unfolds. This kind of flexibility makes it easier to differentiate instruction,
satisfying the needs of a diverse population of learners. Technology is used as a
tool for learning and to promote a discovery-based approach to online learning and
is not necessary in all blended learning scenarios. A well-weighed incorporation
of the online resources with the transactional methods
Blended Learning Approach: Using Technology in and beyond the Classroom  381
• Gossart (2015): Characteristics of Blended Learning Classrooms in Grades K-12,
Retrieved June 25, 2015 http://www.ncea.org/department-news/characteristics-blended-
learning-classrooms-grades-k-12\
• He, K. K.: The New Developments in the Theory of Educational Technology from the
Perspective of Blended Learning (I). E-Education Research.(2004)
• Huang, Ma(2013): Towards a Design Theory of Blended Learning Curriculum,
Retrieved June 24, 2015 from http://ksei.bnu.edu.cn/upload/paper/TowardsaDesign
TheoryofBlendedLearningCurricul um.pdf
• John & Watson (2010): Blended Learning: The convergence of Online and Face to Face
Education Retrieved June 29,2015 from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED509636.pdf
• Kwak, Menezes & Sherwood (2013): Assessing the impact of blended learning on
student performan ce, Retrieved June 28,2015 from http://www.uq.edu.au/economics/
abstract/494.pdf
• Poon, Joanna (2013) : Blended Learning: An Institutional Approach for Enhancing
Students’ Learning Experiences, Retrieved June 28,2015 http://jolt.merlot.org/vol9no2/
poon_0613.pdf

REFERENCES
• Amaral & Shank (2010): Enhancing Student Learning and Retention with Blended
Learning Class Guides, Retrieved June 29,2015 from http://www.educause.edu/ero/
article/enhancing-student-learning-and-retention-blended-learning-class-guides
• Bergman, Jonathan & Sams, Aaron (2012): Why Flipped Classrooms Are Here to Stay,
Retrieved June 2, 2013 from http://www.cblohm.com/inthenews/why-flippedclassrooms-
are-here-to-stay-educat ion-week
• Clarke, S., Lindsay, K., McKenna C., & New, S.: INQUIRE: a case study in evaluating
the potential of online MCQ tests in a discursive subject. ALT-J, Research in Learning
Technology (2004)
• Cortez, Rankine & Gina(2013): Fundamentals of Blended learning, Retrieved June
26,2015 from http://www.uws.edu.au/data/assets/pdffile/0004/467095/Fundamentals_
of_Blended Learning.pdf
• Deakin & Gerbic, Phillippa(2008): Success factors for blended learning Elizabeth Stacey
Deakin Retrieved June 28,2015 fromhttp://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/melbourne08/
procs/stacey.pdf
• Fahlvik, Morten ( 2013): The blended classroom, Retrieved June 27, 2015 from http://
www.tceacon vention.org/2014/handouts/Proposal141399.pdf
• Fisher, Douglas & Frey, Nancy (2012): Engaging the adolescent learner, Retrieved
June 26, 2015 fromGarrison, D. R., & Kanuka, H.: Blended learning: Uncovering Its
Transformative Potential in Higher Education. Internet and Higher Education. (2004)
• Gossart (2015): Benefits of Blended learning, Retrieved June 26, 2015 from http://
www.macmillan englishcampus.com/about-us/pedagogy/benefits-of-blended-learning/
 Awareness of Information and Communication  383
♦
2. To evolve recommendations for policy decisions on the basis of the findings
of the present study.

METHOD
Survey method of research has been used in the present study. The investigator
60 selected 100 secondary school students studying in High school secondary Bagalkot.
Sample random sampling technique was adapted for the selection of sampling in
Awareness of Information and Communication the present study.

Technology among the Secondary Students Data Analysis

Hypothesis-1: There is no significant difference in awareness of Information
Dr. B. L. Lakkannavar* and communication Technology with respect to gender.

Table-1:  Difference Between Male and Female Student’s Awareness of

Information and Communication Technology
INTRODUCTION
The role of information and communication Technology in teacher training Category N Mean S.D T,Value Remark
should be considered in larger prospective. Modern Technology is registered as a
major determinant for development of nation, Thought india is the fourth largest Male 51 20.70 2.60 .267
user of the Internet, The percentage of the total Population using internet is IN Not Significant
Female 49 20.57 2.42
SIGNIFICANT. The ICT revolution would provide unique solution for enhancing
the overall academic ambience in higher education, especially in teacher education Hypothesis-2: There is no significant difference in awareness of Information
throughout the country, the use of ICT not only increases productivity and creativity and Communication Technology with respect to Locality.
but also encourager self-directed learning.
Table 2: Difference Between Rural and Urban Students in Awareness of
WHAT IS ICT Information and Communication Technology
ICTs stands for information and communication technologies they are
divers set of technological tools and resources used to communicate and Category Mean S.D ‘t’ value Remark
to create, disseminate, store and manage information these technologies Rural 49 20.67 2.78 .130 Not
include computers, the internet, broadcasting technologies ( Radio and TV) Urban 51 20.60 2.22 significant
and telephone, the potential of each technology varies according to how
it is used hadderd and daxeler identify at least five levels of technology Hypothesis-3: There is no significant difference between Government and
used in education, presentation, demonstration, drill and practice, interaction Private school students in awareness of Information and Communication Technology
and collaboration although computers and internet are the ICTs that enable
interaction and collaboration. Table-3:  Difference between Government and Private School Students in
Awareness of Information and Communication Technology
Objectives of the Study
1. To Find out of the awareness of the ICT among the Higher Secondary Category N Mean S.D ‘t’ value Remark
students. Government 41 20.75 2.95 9.23 significant
Private 59 25.55 1.80
Hypothesis-4: There is no significant difference between Kannada and English
*Assistant Professor, Dept of Education Karnataka State Women`s University,
students in awareness of Information and Communication Technology
Vijayapura - Mail: bllakkannavar@rediff.com

382
384  Information and Communication Technology in Education
♦
Table-4:  Difference Between Kannada and English Students in
Awareness of Information and Communication Technology

Category N Mean S.D ‘t’ value Remark

kannada 42 20.80 2.94 .547 Not
English 58 20.51 2.15 significant

Major Findings of the Study

• There is no significant difference between male and female students in their
awareness towards Information and Communication Technology.
• There is no significant difference between Rural and Urban students in their
awareness towards Information and Communication Technology.
• There is significant difference between Government and Private school students
in their awareness towards Information and Communication Technology.
• There is no significant difference between Kannada and English medium
students in their awareness towards Information and Communication
Technology.

CONCLUSION
There is a significant between the government and private higher secondary
school students on Information and communication technology awareness. It proves
that the of school influence on ICT awareness. Therefore, to increase awareness of
ICT as one of the subject at High school students in all subject students, it is the
era of technological revolution, so we have to incorporate the computer assisted
teaching for each subject to improve the quality of teaching and learning.

REFERENCES
• Allen, L. Edward. (1957). “Techniques of attitude scale construction”, Appleton-century
Crafts, Inc., New York.
• Best, J. W. (1963). Research in Education, Prentice hall of India (p.t) Ltd, New Delhi
• Garrett, H.E. (1973). Statistics in psychology and education, Vakils, Feffer and Simons
Ltd., Bombay.