Week 1: Why integrate ICT in teaching and learning?
Channel: SOUL
Date: 16/02/2018

ICT has become a priority not only for any government. It has become one of the various themes and priorities in the international communities. UNDP considers ICT as an enabler of progress in education (UNDP, 2001). Likewise, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) reported that modern ICT has the potential in reducing poverty in Asia and Pacific. ADB’s ICT initiatives in education highlight projects on improving skills training in poor rural areas. Specifically, it includes ICT components like assessment, training, e-learning systems development, and among others. Similarly, the World Bank promotes access and use of ICT to stimulate sustainable economic growth, improve service delivery, and promote good governance and social accountability. World Bank’s program on ICT focuses on three pillars: infrastructure, skills development, and the use of ICT applications in specific sectors and context like education (World Bank). Moreover, UNESCO believes that ICT can address the challenges faced in the teacher education (UNESCO, 2011a). UNESCO has initiatives related to the use of ICT in teacher education by supporting existing teacher development communities of practice, multi-stakeholder partnerships, capacity building of policy-makers and the development of international standards on ICT competencies for teachers.