ROLE OF ICT IN TEACHING AND LEARNING

Introduction:

Today’s age of 21st Century and it is also the age of information and technology (IT). Every aspects
of life are related to science and technology. Huge flow of information is emerging in all fields throughout the
world. Now information and technology is popularly using in educational field for making teaching learning
process successful and interesting for students and teacher both. In 1998, UNESCO World Education report
refers about student and teachers must have sufficient access to improve digital technology and the internet in
their classroom, schools, teacher educational institutions. Teachers must have the knowledge and skills to use
new digital tools to help all students achieve high academic standard. The quality of professional development
of teacher education depends on the extent of ICT integration in teacher education programme. According to
UNESCO (2002) “ICT is a scientific, technological and engineering discipline and management technique used
in handling information, its application and association with social, economic and cultural matters”.
Teachers are at the core of any living society. Technologies play an important role in training
programme of teachers. Students‟ accesses knowledge and information through TV, digital media, cable
network, internet and social media i. e. Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, Linkedinn, Igo, Line, Wechat etc. ICT is
very important for Preservice teacher education programme in the 21st Century. Without proper knowledge of
ICT, teacher cannot perform in his/her class room and it could not be said to be a complete one.
The scenario of the classroom is changing. There is a technological gap between the progress of the
society and instructional activities of the teacher in the classroom. If we see in our society on the one hand
technology has revolutionized our society and on the other hand the teaching learning activities at school level
have remained so far away from technology. In our classroom the knowledge is imparted by the teacher in an
ancient way, a teacher centric mode which is most of the time boring and not to gain interest to the student.
But present 21st Century’s education is student centric education. Students learn from multi sources and for
this reason use of ICT & Multimedia is very much essential in educational field and simultaneously teacher’s
knowledge of ICT and Multimedia also required.
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)
ICT 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 Technologies, (ICT’s) are one of
the major contemporary factors shaping the global economy and producing rapid changes in society. ICT have
fundamentally changed the way of learning, communicating, and business. ICT can transform the nature of
education, where and how learning takes place and the roles of students and teachers in the teaching learning
process.
ICT have the potential to enhance access, quality and effectiveness in education in general and to
enable the development of more and better teachers in particular. A personal computer is the best known
example of the use of the ICT in education, but the term multimedia is also frequently used. Multimedia can
be interpreted as a combination of data carriers, for example video, CD-ROM, Floppy disc and internet and
software in which the possibility for an interactive approach is followed.

ICT is an acronym that stands for “Information Communication Technologies”. Information and communication technologies are
an umbrella term that includes all technologies for the manipulation and communication of information. ICT considers all the uses
of digital technology that already exists to help individuals, business and organization. It is difficult to define ICT because it is
difficult to keep up the changes they happen so fast.
ICT is concern with the storage, retrieval, manipulation, transmission or receipt of digital data. The definition taken from the
guidance in the QCA schemes of work for ICT is “ICTs are the computing and communication facilities and features that variously
support teaching, learning and a range of activities in education.”

Why do we use ICT in teacher Education?

The classroom is now changing its look from the traditional one i. e. from one way to two-way
communication. Now teachers as well as students participate in classroom discussion. Now Education is based
on child centric education. So, the teacher should prepare to cope up with different technology for using them
in the classroom for making teaching learning interested. For effective implementation of certain student-
centric methodologies such as project-based learning which puts the students in the role of active researches
and technology becomes the appropriate tool. ICT has enabled better and swifter communication; presentation
of ideas more effective and relevant way. It is an effective tool for information acquiring-thus students are
encouraged to look for information from multiple sources and they are now more informed then before. So,
for this reason ICT is very much necessary for Teacher Education.

Recent Trends in Teacher Education:

Based on various changing needs of our society now emphasis is also given to the various educational
theory and educational practices. According to these theories and practices changes are also undergo in teacher
education also. It is natural that teacher education must include new technology. Teachers should also know
the right attitudes and values, besides being proficient in skills related to teaching. As we know the minimum
requirement of any training programme is that it should help the trainee to acquire the basic skills and
competencies of a good teacher. Now-a-days new trends in teacher education are Inter-disciplinary Approach,
Correspondence courses, orientation courses etc. Simulated Teaching, Micro Teaching, Programmed
Instruction, Team Teaching are also used in teacher education. Now-a-day Action Research also implemented
in Teacher Education. ICT acts as the gateway to the world of information and helps teachers to be updated.
It creates awareness of innovative trends in instructional methodologies, evaluation mechanism etc. for
professional development.
Although teachers consult each other more frequently, the teacher more eventually decides on
educational practice in his classroom. He is responsible and has the opportunity, as long as the results are
satisfactory to teach in the way he pleases. However, in practice due to some constraints on the part of the
teacher, the teacher educators rely on the chalk and talk method.
A component of ICT in some form or the other, and to different extents, is now an integral part of
the teacher education curriculum for all students, either at the diploma level (D.Ed.) or at the degree level
(B.Ed.). Even master degree programme in education leading to M.Ed. degree have also started introducing a
component of ICT in the curriculum. At the degree level an entire paper on ICT titled “Educational Technology
and Computer education” is offered to the students. So, most of the teacher training institutions are equipped
with an “education technology labs” and a computer lab with some or all of the following items of essential
ICT hardware and software as required by the NCTE guidelines and regulations.

 TV  Camera
 CD/VCD player  Video camera
 AM Radio cum Cassettes Player  Multimedia PC systems with monitors,
 Audio video cassettes hard disk drives, floppy.
 Overhead projector  Drivers, UPS, Printers.
 Projection screen  Networking.
 Slide projector  LCD projector. Etc.
Different Strategies for applying ICT in Teacher Education:
1. Providing adequate infrastructure and technical support.
2. Applying ICT in all subjects.
3. Applying new Pre-service teacher Education curriculum.
4. By using application software, using multimedia, Internet e-mail, communities, understanding
system software.
Role of ICT in 21st Century’s Teacher Education:

 Improves engagement
When technology is integrated into lessons, students are expected to be more interested in the subjects
they are studying. Technology provides different opportunities to make learning more fun and
enjoyable in terms of teaching same things in new ways. For instance, delivering teaching through
gamification, taking students on virtual field trips and using other online learning resources. What is
more, technology can encourage a more active participation in the learning process which can be hard
to achieve through a traditional lecture environment.
 Improves knowledge retention
Students who are engaged and interested in things they are studying, are expected to have a better
knowledge retention. As mentioned before, technology can help to encourage active participation in
the classroom which also is a very important factor for increased knowledge retention. Different forms
of technology can be used to experiment with and decide what works best for students in terms of
retaining their knowledge.
 Encourages individual learning
No one learns in the same way because of different learning styles and different abilities. Technology
provides great opportunities for making learning more effective for everyone with different needs. For
example, students can learn at their own speed, review difficult concepts or skip ahead if they need to.
What is more, technology can provide more opportunities for struggling or disabled students. Access
to the Internet gives students access to a broad range of resources to conduct research in different
ways, which in turn can increase the engagement.
 Encourages collaboration
Students can practice collaboration skills by getting involved in different online activities. For instance,
working on different projects by collaborating with others on forums or by sharing documents on their
virtual learning environments. Technology can encourage collaboration with students in the same
classroom, same school and even with other classrooms around the world.
 Students can learn useful life skills through technology
By using technology in the classroom, both teachers and students can develop skills essential for the
21st century. Students can gain the skills they will need to be successful in the future. Modern learning
is about collaborating with others, solving complex problems, critical thinking, developing different
forms of communication and leadership skills, and improving motivation and productivity. What is
more, technology can help develop many practical skills, including creating presentations, learning to
differentiate reliable from unreliable sources on the Internet, maintaining proper online etiquette, and
writing emails. These are very important skills that can be developed in the classroom.
 Benefits for teachers
With countless online resources, technology can help improve teaching. Teachers can use different
apps or trusted online resources to enhance the traditional ways of teaching and to keep students more
engaged. Virtual lesson plans, grading software and online assessments can help teachers save a lot
time. This valuable time can be used for working with students who are struggling. What is more,
having virtual learning environments in schools enhances collaboration and knowledge sharing
 between teachers.

OTHER FUNCTIONS OF ICT IN EDUCATION

1. ICT as object, it refers to learning about ICT, mostly organized in a specific course. What is being learned
depends on the type of education and the level of students. Education prepares students for the use of ICT
in education, future occupation and social life.
2. ICT as an ‘assisting tool’. ICT is used to as a tool, for example, while making assignments, collecting data
and documentation, communicating and conducting research. Typically, ICT is used independently from
the subject matter.
3. ICT as a medium for teaching and learning. This refers to ICT as a tool for teaching and learning itself, the
medium through which teachers can teach and learners can learn.
4. ICT as a tool for organization and management in schools.
Impact of ICT on Teacher Education in the era of globalization
1. Faster learning:
With the use of ICT students still learn up to twice as much in the half time that they would
in classroom teaching. This is because the course progress as fast as the students can without worry
for other student or an instruction.
2. Consistent instruction:
Every instructor has his or her own style, which may not the best for students. Some days the
instructor is on top form and delivers a great class. Other day he or she may be bored, tired or simply
unmotivated. With ICT the course is software driven and each student receives the same high quality
content.
3. Higher level of retention:
ICT can increase the retention over instructor led-training up to 40% according to ASTD.
4. Greater level of assessment:
With an ICT learning solution student activity can be tracked down to the finest level. Every
student response to quizzes, simulations and exams can be tracked and fed into customizable reports.
5. Up to date knowledge:
Globally, educational systems are under great pressure to adopt innovative methodologies and
to integrate Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in the teaching and learning
process, to prepare students with the knowledge and skills they need in the 21st century. Today a verity
of ICTs can facilitate not only delivery of instruction but also learning process itself.
6. Critical thinking and systems thinking:
Exercising sound reasoning in understanding and making complex choices, understanding the
interconnections among systems Problem identification, formulation and solution: Ability to frame,
analyze and solve problems.
7. Social Responsibility:
Acting responsibly with the interests of the larger community in mind, demonstrating ethical
behavior in personal, work place and community contexts. There is a need for students to develop
learning skills that enable them to think critically, analyze information, communicate, collaborate, and
problem-solve, and the realize the essential role that technology plays in realizing these learning skills
in today’ knowledge-based society. Representative of the ICT literacy skills are the following six arenas
critical to student’s success in the workplace.
8. No need for classroom:
Through ICT learning there is no actual classroom, no teacher or no textbooks, but it gives
the impression of studying in a classroom.
 9. Incredible saving of time and money:
ICT means no travel, no schedule conflicts, no equipment issues, consistent instruction, higher
retention and less money than instructor led training.
20th Century vs 21st Century Classrooms
20th Century Classroom 21st Century Classroom
Teacher Centered Student Centered
Passive Learning Active Learning
Textbook driven Research driven
Focus is on memorization of facts Focus is on what students know and can do
Learners work in isolation Learners work in collaboration
Literacy in 3R’s – reading, writing and mathematics.
Literacy in 3 C’s– critical thinking, creativity and
communication skills
Print is the primary vehicle of learning and Multiple forms of media and projects are used for
assessment learning and assessments
Lesson is focused on lower level of Bloom’s Lesson is focused on higher level of Bloom’s
Taxonomy- knowledge, comprehension and Taxonomy- analysis, synthesis and evaluation.
application.
Little or no freedom to the student Great deal of freedom to the student

Conclusion
As conclusion we can state that ICT helps in the professional development of teaching and learning
and individuals involved in the programmes of teacher education. It can be infused in the learning process so
as to acquire the knowledge and skill efficiently. ICT provides access to resources so that teachers can apply
new knowledge and skills they have learnt. Communication technology will be able to develop the capacity of
teacher and teacher educator and at same time, strengthen the capacity of teacher educator, which is the
fundamental requirement of effective transactional strategy.