THE ROLES OF INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PROFESSIONAL SPHERE



This article discusses the Roles of ICT in education. Information communication technologies (ICT) at present are influencing every aspect of human life.

Key words: information communication technologies.

This article discusses the Roles of ICT in education. Information communication technologies (ICT) at present are influencing every aspect of human life. They are playing salient roles in work places, business, education, and entertainment. Moreover, many people recognize ICTs as catalysts for change; change in working conditions, handling and exchanging information, teaching methods, learning approaches, scientific research, and in accessing information.

ICTs are making dynamic changes in society. They are influencing all aspects of life. The influences are felt more and more at schools. Because ICTs provide both students and teachers with more opportunities in adapting learning and teaching to individual needs, society is, forcing schools aptly respond to this technical innovation.

ICTs greatly facilitate the acquisition and absorption of knowledge, offering  developing countries unprecedented opportunities to enhance educational systems, improve policy formulation and execution, and widen the range of opportunities for business and the poor.

Operational definition of terms Information Communication Technologies (ICT) in this review article refers to the computer and internet connections used to handle and communicate information for learning purpose.

E-learning: - is a learning program that makes use of an information network- such as the internet, an intranet (LAN) or extranet (WAN) whether wholly or in part, for course delivery, interaction and/or facilitation. Web-based learning is a subset of e learning and refers to learning using an internet browser such as the moodle, blackboard or internet explorer.

Blended Learning: - refers to learning models that combines the face-to-face classroom practice with e-learning solutions. For example, a teacher may facilitate student learning in class contact and uses the moodle (modular object oriented dynamic learning environment) to facilitate out of class learning.

The Benefits of ICT in Education

The uses of ICT is making major differences in the learning of students and teaching approaches. Schools invested a lot for ICT infrastructures over the last 20 years, and students use computers more often and for a much larger range of applications. Several studies reveal that students using ICT facilities mostly show higher learning gains than those who do not use.

In recent years however, there has been a growing interest to know how computers and internet can best utilized to improve effectiveness and efficiency of education at all levels and in both formal and non formal settings. As there is a shift of theories explaining learning processes, ICTs become handmaiden for learning activities.

ICT provides a great deal of advantage in the delivery of equitable quality education thereby providing an opportunity to improve the lives of our people. The need to use new technologies to raise the quality and efficiency of education cannot be overemphasized. It is imperative that we expose our children, parents, and teachers to ICT to improve the quality of education and technical proficiency of our human resources, thus leading to increased productivity and accelerated development. We must also prepare our citizens to adapt to the global economy and participate in electronic commerce. In addition, we must provide our children with a greater understanding of other peoples and cultures, thus defending our renewed legacy of peace and tolerance.

Moreover, few of ICTs benefits to the classroom and the education process mentioned in the document are that ICTs:

• Offer the opportunity for more student centered teaching;

• Provide greater opportunity for teacher-to-teacher and student-to student communication and collaboration;

• Give greater exposure to vocational and workforce skills for students;

• Provide opportunities for multiple technologies delivered by teachers;

• Create greater enthusiasm for learning amongst students;

• Provide teachers with new sources of information and knowledge;

• Prepare learners for the real world;

• Provide distance learners country-wide with online educational materials;

• Provide learners with additional resources to assist resource-based learning.

Furthermore, the document states ICTs to cover all the technologies used for holding and communicating information and their use specifically in education with overall policy goals of:

• Producing ICT literate citizens;

• Producing people capable of working and participating in the new economies and societies arising from ICTs and related developments;

• Leveraging ICT to assist and facilitate learning for the benefit of all learners and teachers across the curriculum;

• Improving the efficiency of educational administration and management at every level from the classroom, school library, through the school and on to the sector as a whole;

• Broadening access to quality educational services for learners at all levels of the education system;