In this paper, Arti Agrahari presents a novel idea of how Information and Communication Technologies can be used in Education.
ABSTRACT
Education is a developmental factor for any country. Today, since technology is involved in every activity, technical education plays an important role in enhancing the quality of life, human resource development, etc. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is a powerful tool to enhance the quality of teaching and learning. ICT has the potential to improve the quality of education to a great extent, if used properly. The use of social media in learning is suggested, to improve upon the traditional way of teaching, develop knowledge levels and skills for communication along with developing a new understanding with others to participate effectively in society. Thus, it can cause a social impact on the development of a country through a sustainable and effective system of education.
INTRODUCTION
Education is central to the development of a country, through which a person can improve his or her quality of life, and leads to a broad social benefit to himself or herself. Education enriches people’s understanding and empowers the nation. Education also plays a very crucial role in ensuring progress on the economic and social front. But the traditional way of teaching and learning is not making any strides in India. According to a recent report, rather than just expanding the access to education, Indian policymakers should focus on enhancing the quality of education in the country. This enhancement can be achieved by implementing the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education. Using ICT tools for learning, students can get the opportunity to become creative and productive. A major gap exists between the rural and urban communities due to the lack of quality education. The underprivileged people living in rural area lack the access to modern information technology. ICT has the potential to overcome the challenges of traditional problem of isolation of underprivileged people. It can result in major educational and consequently societal reform. Since the traditional way of teaching and learning is memory-based, teacher-centric, ICT tools can help learners to move away from such a restrictive system to work collaboratively, ask questions and share materials while developing creative thinking and problem solving skills.
IMPLEMENTATION
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is technology used to share, create, display, store, transmit or exchange information through electronic means. It consists of communication devices like television, radio, mobile phones, various information-sharing applications and services available on the internet etc. Proper implementation of ICT can enhance the way of teaching and learning. There are various ICT tools which can be used in education. Here we specifically focus on social media i.e. Facebook and Twitter applications, since in India, these applications are mistakenly considered as a waste of time and access to these applications are blocked in schools and colleges. In a paper entitled AN APPLIED STUDY ON EDUCATIONAL USE OF FACEBOOK AS A WEB 2.0 TOOL: THE SAMPLE LESSON OF COMPUTER NETWORKS AND COMMUNICATION, by Murat Kayri1 and Özlem Çakır, when the average values of the group were examined, it was reported that the attitudes towards educational use of Facebook was above moderate levels. THE EFFECT OF TWITTER ON COLLEGE STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND GRADES, by R.Junco, G.Heibergert and E.Loken provides experimental evidence that Twitter can be used as an educational tool to help engage students and to mobilize faculty into a more active and participatory role.
Twitter is an online social networking service that enables users to send and read short 140-character messages called “tweets”. It allows its registered users to read and post tweets, but unregistered users can only read them. Twitter can be accessed through mobile phones, website interface, etc. We find Twitter to be an important study tool because of the following reasons:
- Teachers and students can connect to each other on a wider and/or personal level.
- Twitter is present in our mobiles and computers so the conversation can take place beyond the classroom.
- Customized learning is available in Twitter i.e targeted learning.
- Multimedia resources like YOUTUBE can be quickly connected with through Twitter
- New opportunities are provided by Twitter to connect to other new educational content and learning communities.
- The brief nature of tweeting supports a rapid learning environment.
Facebook is an online social networking service which permits registered users to create profiles, share videos and pictures, add friends, post updates and and receive notifications. Groups can be created on Facebook for people with common interests and can be organized or categorized into different lists. We find it a compelling platform because of the following reasons:
- Language Development: Facebook requires users to communicate in a written format so students need to express themselves in writing whichhelps to develop a proper written communication skill.
- Interpersonal Communication: Facebook develops interpersonal skills which are key to personal as well as career development. In every format the interpersonal skills should be encouraged.
- Group Collaboration: Facebook users can collaborate with multiple groups by engaging with friends. This is required to develop team-building skills and also have exposure to project-based learning.
- ICT Skills: It encourages students to learn without the need of monotonous lectures given in classroom. There is interaction at all levels, keeping them engaged at every step.
RECOMMENDATION
This paper suggests the effective implementation of ICT in education for improving the current education system. The effective implementation requires commitment from both students and teachers, as well as support from the government. Government should increase fund allocation for education and training systems to be put in place since lack of resources is a major hindrance to developing modern educational tools. The teacher should be confident enough to use the technology and should be consistently trained in order to get hands-on experience of various tools before even beginning to implement their usage in their classrooms. The outlook should be changed and the best use of various technology should be made by developing a positive attitude towards such usage. Policy makers should encourage the adaptation of ICT in education. Awareness programs should be conducted in schools and colleges and parents of students must be reached out to.
IMPACT
The use of ICT in education can cause a positive social impact in the development of the country. It contributes to creating an innovative learning environment in many ways since the access to ICTs is available anywhere, anytime. It motivates the teachers and students to participate in active learning by way of collaborative, creative methods for evaluative learning. It improves the quality of education which is the need of the hour, leading toward a sustainable education system.
CONCLUSION
The ultimate aim of this paper is to present the positive impact that the adoption of ICT in education will have, if implemented. The use of ICTs in education can transform teaching and learning. It can influence the learners to learn, query, develop creative thinking skills, and explore more enhancing student performance and personal development. The application of Facebook and Twitter is found to be useful in developing such useful real world skills. Hence, ICTs are found to be a useful tool in revamping the current education system.
REFERENCES
- ICT in education and its barriers by Devashish Goswami, Asst Prof, Department of Computer Application, HKBK Degree College, Bangalore, India.
- AN APPLIED STUDY ON EDUCATIONAL USE OF FACEBOOK AS A WEB 2.0 TOOL: THE SAMPLE LESSON OF COMPUTER NETWORKS AND COMMUNICATION, by Murat Kayri1 and Özlem Çakır, Department of Computer and Instructional Technology, Yuzuncu Yil University, Van, Turkey
- THE EFFECT OF TWITTER ON COLLEGE STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND GRADES, by R.Junco, G.Heibergert and E.Loken
