प्रयोगकर्ता:Deepak Chander Ojha/प्रयोगस्थल
IMPORTANCE OF ICT OR INTERNET BASED LEARNING IN TEACHING AND TRAINING Deepak Chander Ojha Instructor Educational Training Center Janakpurdham, Dhanusha Abstract Teaching and training is becoming one of the most challenging professions in our society where knowledge is expanding rapidly and modern technologies are demanding teachers and trainers to learn how to use these technologies in their teaching and Training. While new technologies increase teachers’ training needs, they also offer part of the solution. Information and communication technology (ICT) can provide more flexible and effective ways for professional development for teachers, improve pre- and in-service teacher training, and connect teachers to the global teacher community. This paper analyses and organizes a use, importance and variety of approaches found in ICT uses in teacher training. Key Terminology It is important to discuss various concepts related to the key terminology that will constitute the focus of this paper, in particular the use of the terms Information and Communication Technology, or ICT ,Use of ICT or Internet for Training and Teaching, Educational ICT tools, Main Advantages and Disadvantages of Educational tools for education, and Advantages and disadvantages of ICT or a online learning. Introduction "ICT"is the Information and Communication Technologies. "ICT in Education" means "Teaching and Learning with ICT".The education sector is crucial for developing the human capital of countries to innovate and find solutions for sustained and equitable growth. ICT can be used to improve the quality of education by enhancing educational content development, supporting administrative processes in schools and other educational establishments, and increasing access to education for both teachers and pupils via distance learning. It offers opportunities for students and young people, particularly those living in rural communities, to broaden their horizons and improve their employment prospects. Anderson and Glen (2003) explain the origins of the educational application of the term information and communication technology (ICT), as deriving from previous terms like information technology (IT) and new technologies. They comment that the addition of communication to information technology (IT) emphasizes the growing importance attributed to the communication aspects of new technologies. They define ICT as generally related: …to those technologies that are used for accessing, gathering, manipulating and presenting or communicating information. The technologies could include hardware (e.g. computers and other devices); software applications; and connectivity (e.g. access to the Internet, local networking infrastructure, video-conferencing) (ibid: 52). Leach and Moon (2002) defend a differentiation in interpretation between older and newer technologies in terms of their potential impact for educational transformation. There have been they note ‘past disappointments with technologies’ (ibid:6). In line with several writers they believe that it is the reach of new cybernetic technologies that can provide new and potent opportunities to revolutionize both access to, and the quality of professional learning. The ‘revolutionary’ potency lies principally in new technology features such as web 2.0 where interactive written communication, multi-media text/image/sound/video combinations, hypertext creation, many-to-many communication in forms hitherto unthought of, provide opportunities for learners to become producers of knowledge and not just consumers of information (Papert 1993, 2004; Leach and Moon 2002; Kirschner and Davis, 2003; Warschauer, 2006; Thompson, 2009). 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 and Training 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? Use of ICT or Internet for Training and Teaching In the ICT's for learning School Information Kit 2002-2003,(Education Queensland, 2002) six key ICT drivers are identified as providing the necessary conditions for successful learning with ICTS. These are; • Learning, teaching and the curriculum- integrating ICTs into subject and curriculum areas. • Learning and development- ensuring teachers have the necessary capabilities to effectively engage with and use ICTs as a tool for learning • ICT infrastructure - ensuring teachers and students have access to modern ICTs • Connectivity - making connections with the people, data and information required to learn. Connecting to each other and to the Internet. • ICT support - initiating innovative support measures to remove some of the burden from teachers so that they can concentrate on the core business of teaching and learning. • Innovation - acknowledging and encouraging schools and teachers to not rest on their laurels but to commit to improvement.
as main content focus of teacher training Most of the early ICT teacher training programs in the 1990’s 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. as core technology for delivering teacher training
ICT is used as the major way of providing the learning experience of teacher training. The content of this approach does not necessarily focus on ICT skill itself but rather covers a variety of ICT applications. As you will see in the two examples below, the digital technology is frequently becoming the core technology of ICT teacher training. The case of the Virtual High School (VHS: http://www.govhs.org/website.nsf) in the USA provides an example of the Internet-based ICT teacher training. VHS is a non-profit organization that facilitates a collaborative of participating secondary schools; for every semester a participating school offers a VHS NetCourse that school can enrol up to 20 students in VHS courses. A limited number of student-only schools are allowed to enrol students (10 per semester) on a trial basis, for a single year, after which they must train a teacher and join VHS as a fully participating school. The VHS has developed two graduate-level online professional development courses for teachers of participating high schools: a 26-week Teachers Learning Conference (TLC) course which trains teachers to develop and teach a Net Course for VHS and a 15-week Net course Instructional Methodologies (NIM) which trains teachers to teach an existing online VHS course.
The TLC is designed to train teachers to become online course instructors and course developers whereas the NIM is designed to prepare classroom teachers to become online course instructors only. The TLC provides instruction on the pedagogy and methodology that each teacher will need to develop an effective NetCourse to be offered to the VHS students. A facilitator, a veteran VHS teacher, is assigned to each TLC participant to ensure that they have the correct resources to achieve training objectives. The focus the NIM is on content and curriculum, as well as good online course delivery. Experienced facilitators are assigned to help NIM participants access the correct resources and monitor each participant's progress. Both of the teacher training courses at VHS use the Internet as the main delivery technology and focus on ICT-pedagogy integration in an online learning environment. Support given by facilitators of these courses is known as an important factor which helps teachers have positive experiences with technology and integrate technology into their own teaching (Freeman, 1997). Another case of adopting ICT as the core delivery means of teacher training can be found in the LearnLink project (http://www.aed.org/learnlink) supported by USAID and AED. The project has implemented computer-mediated professional development programs to improve training and support services for teachers in several developing countries (Fontaine, 2000; Collis & Jung, 2003). For example, in Guatemala, the project includes the development of culturally appropriate Mayan language instructional materials, and improvement of teacher’s professional skills in Mayan languages. Necessary equipment and multimedia computer labs have been installed in several teacher training schools in the Quiche region and instructional materials for bilingual teacher preparation, including an interactive multimedia system on CD-ROM to train teachers in oral and written languages have been developed. In Morocco and Namibia, the Computer Assisted Teacher Training project has started to develop computer-assisted teacher training courses and construct communications network to facilitate interaction among teacher trainees, teacher trainers, and inspectors. Moreover, collaboration and information sharing among peers across the provinces have been emphasized. Similarly, the Connectivity for Educator Development project in Uganda has been designed to improve professional development for primary school teachers, with a focus on multimedia-assisted teacher training and digital library resources. The US-Brazil Learning Technologies Network is an Internet-based learning environment and clearinghouse on the role of ICT in education and promoting interactive collaboration between teachers in the two countries. The LearnLink project is still under implementation. Some of the expected outcomes include: increased collaboration and interactions among educators in each country or among countries, institutionalization of support for learning technology in each country, greater ICT access for teachers and students, ICT-based curriculum reform, and enhancement of pedagogy. An Internet-based online teacher training is recently introduced and has been found to provide a flexible and interactive training environment for teachers (Jung, 2003). However, costs related to the online training cannot be ignored in most parts of the world and effective online training pedagogies for ICT teacher training have yet to be explored.
to facilitate professional development and networking
Whereas the use of ICT as core technology for delivering teacher training can be found in limited contexts, there are many examples of ICT, particularly Internet and Web-based communication technologies, being used to support teachers' on-going professional development and networking. Many countries have developed a website or websites to provide online resources for teachers and facilitate teachers’ networking based on the assumption that professional development should be an integral part of daily practice for all teachers and the use of the Internet would enhance continuous professional development activities of teachers, connecting teachers to larger teaching communities and allowing for interaction with expert groups. Specific examples are discussed below. The UK Virtual Teacher Centre (http://vtc.ngfl.gov.uk) website provides a "Career Development" area which provides a variety of learning and teaching resources and links to support teachers’ continuing professional development. Under "Support Providers", for example, teachers can find a range of resources for professional development, such as the ICT Support Network Directory which provides easy access to ICT provision and training. Teachers also find a link to the New Opportunities Fund (NOF), which is currently providing ICT training for teachers and librarians. “International Professional Development” helps teachers learn from and contribute to educational ideas and best practice throughout the world. TeacherNet UK (http://www.teachernetuk.org.uk), an independent professional association for teachers, also supports teachers’ professional development and national and international teacher networking. The Korea’s EduNet (http://www.edunet4u.net/) is an integrated educational internet services for K-12 students and teachers managed by the Korea Education and Research Information Services. Through the EduNet, teachers can search the materials according to training institution, content, instructor, year of publication and type of training, and download them for self-training. These online materials can be also used for individual study in conjunction with face-to-face courses, or as learning resources for online teacher training courses offered by educational institutions.
US Teachers Network (http://www.teachnet.org), a nationwide, educational nonprofit organization, identifies and connects innovative teachers exemplifying professionalism and creativity within public school systems. This network promotes interactive collaboration among teachers and educators to improve teaching and student achievement, provides resources for designing their own professional development, disseminates the work of outstanding classroom teachers, and attempts to provide teachers with the knowledge and skills needed for good teachers. At the international level, the World Bank’s World Links for Development (WorLD) (http://www.worldbank.org/worldlinks/english/index.html) program provides Internet connectivity and training for teachers, teacher trainers and students in developing countries in the use of ICT and other technologies in education. WorLD then links students and teachers in secondary schools in developing countries with schools in industrialized countries for collaborative learning via the Internet. SchoolNet SA (http://www.school.za), a South African organization providing supports to educators and learners who wish to use ICT in education;Singapore’Clearinghouse(http://www1.moe.edu.sg/iteducation/resources/welcome.htm), a website created by Ministry of Education to provide ICT resources and internet educational resources including lesson plans for various content areas for teachers;
SwedishSchoolnet(http://www.skolutveckling.se/skolnet/english/index.html), a website to stimulate the use of ICT in schools; and European Schoolnet (http://www.eun.org/eun.org2/eun/en/index.html), the European framework for the co-operation between the European Ministries of Education on ICT use in education. One of the best ways to develop teachers’ ICT skills and promote ICT-pedagogy integration in their teaching is the provision of ICT-based training environments where on-demand access to materials, peers, and networks of experts where expertise and advices can be obtained and active discussion can take place in relation to technology or pedagogy. In this regard, the approach of using ICT to support teachers’ on-going professional development and networking can be very effective as long as organized support is provided (Pacey, 1999). 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 (http://www.ncrel.org/cw/) is a resource developed by the federally-funded (USA) North Central Technology in Education Consortium for K-12 teachers, school administrators and extended to adult literacy educators. It uses videotape and CD-ROM to help US teachers to 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 (http://www.satir-ritas.org) 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 (http://www.unicef.org/teachers/) also illustrates the application of this approach to ICT teacher training. It is designed for international collaboration between teachers in 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). Source: Jung, I. (2005). ICT-Pedagogy Integration in Teacher Training: Application Cases Worldwide. Educational Technology & Society, 8 (2), 94-101. Educational ICT tools Educational ICT tools can be divided into 3 categories: 1. Input source, 2. Output source 3. Others. See the following graph：
MAIN ADVANTAGES OF ICT TOOLS FOR EDUCATION
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 EDUCATION 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
After all 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 in Japan, 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" and "Presentation skill" in subject areas such as mathematics, science, and social study. Integrating ICT into education 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.
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF ICT OR A
ONLINE LEARNING
ADVANTAGES:
(1) Extendibility, Accessibility, and Suitability - Users can proceed through a training program at their own pace and at their own place. They can also access the training at any time, receiving only as much as they need. In other words, “just in time and just enough."
(2) Quicker (and cheaper) turnaround of finished product.
(3) Collaborative and exploratory learning environments.
(4) Easy and affordable training delivery - Chances are (and you’ll want to access this before embarking on WBT) your audience has access to a browser. Validate what browser(s) your audience has and what version(s) and you can capitalize on the delivery vehicle.
(5) Cross Platform - WBT can be accessed by web browsing software on any platform: windows, MAC, Unix, etc. Basically, you can deliver your training course to any machine over the Internet or company intranet without having to develop a different course for each unique platform.
(6) Inexpensive worldwide distribution - No separate or distinct distribution mechanism is needed (i.e., distributing CD-ROMs for CBT training). WBT can be accessed from any computer anywhere in the world while at the same time keeping delivery costs down.
(7) Reduced technical support - Web-based training courses decrease some of the more “potent and deadly” technical support issues that often enshroud technology-based training.
(8) Ease of content update - The changes you make to any of your content are immediately available to your learning audience across the world.
(9) Installation options on private networks for security or greater bandwidth. If you opt for intranet delivery, you have more control over plug-ins and bandwidth, giving you more options for inclusion in your WBT.
(10) Travel cost and time savings - Learning is delivered directly to the learner instead of the other way around.
(11) Web browsers and Internet connections are widely available - Most computer users have access to a browser, such as IE4 or Netscape and are connected to a company's intranet, and/or have access to the Internet.
(12) WBT-based development is easier to learn and pick up then CBT-based development. You should be able to draw from a larger pool of WBT developers than is available for creating traditional CBT.
(13) Vast, untapped market for training - The untapped WBT market is still large. If you’re looking for commercial markets, the Internet also offers a huge audience hungry for material via the Net.
(14) Access is controllable - You can direct and monitor who receives web training ¬when, how many times, and in what sequence.
(15) Billing options - You can bill— and collect on that bill— through Net distribution, billing by user ID, number of accesses, date/time of access, or any other means by which you want to assess usage.
(16) Direct access to many other training resources - The Internet gives access to the largest library in the world. Capitalize on the offerings that have already been created, and use them to enhance the learning you are distributing.
DISADVANTAGES: (1) Limited formatting of content in current browsers -The WBT you create will not resemble the CBT you might be familiar with because of Net bandwidth constraints. So if your content relies on a lot of media “bells and whistles,” or particular formatting, the Net might not be the best delivery medium. (2) Bandwidth/browser limitations may restrict instructional methodologies ¬Again, you are constrained by the technology. If your content relies on a lot of video, audio, or intense graphics, and your audience isn’t on a T1 line, Net delivery will only frustrate your learners. (3) Limited bandwidth means slower performance for sound, video, and large graphics. Know the bandwidth available to your audience— and what’s reasonable “wait” time for them— before you commit to the Net. On average, most mobile end-users are still running on a 28.8 kpbs connection. (4) Someone must provide web server access, control usage, and bill users (if applicable) - The Net doesn’t magically solve all of your resource issues. Plan on having someone oversee some of these issues. (5) Time required for downloading applications - Again, be very, very aware of download times— and we still recommend looking at delivery options considering a 28.8 kpbs modem if you are delivering training to an external audience or over the Internet. Your training might be great, but if your audience isn’t patient enough to wait for it to download, it doesn’t matter. (6) Student assessment and feedback is limited - The Internet provides a wonderful means to get all kinds of information back and forth to your audience, but it also makes it harder to assess some types of student feedback and information. (7) Many, if not most, of today's web-based training programs are too static, with little if any interactivity - This is probably due to the bandwidth limitation, but if we deliver poor, page-turning training, we can’t expect stellar results from our learners. (8) Cannot design and develop robust multimedia courses -The bandwidth limitations of the Net constrain what can be delivered effectively. (9) Are computers replacing human contact? - The Net is not right for all training. (10) Newness -It may take longer designing and developing WBT courses, the first time around. Because of its recent emergence to the training arena, new technologies always require time, experience, and money in order to take full advantage of its capabilities. The great thing, however, is you’ll learn new skills and knowledge with each new course. (11) Web-based training has high-fixed costs -Some people assume that since you don’t need a CD-ROM drive, you have no additional costs. Not so. It’s important that you consider doing a pilot before proceeding further into the WBT game. Validate what works well, when, and at what it cost. Source: Gary W. James corporate trainer and instructional design consultant at Allen Communication ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF ONLINE LEARNING Necessity of incorporating internet technology in teaching and learning today in Nepal's contast • Internet skills are important for employment, quality of life, etc.; our students need to master them no matter what their field or profession. • Like reading, writing, or mathematics, internet skills need to be applied across the curriculum. It is my contention that they are best learned through practice in many different areas, not taught in isolation. Combination of technology with personal contact and support is optimal for pedagogy • For faculty: community is absolutely crucial for faculty seeking to successfully integrate technology into their teaching, including hands-on, discipline-specific teacher training; practical, project-based activities; just-in-time advice and help; long-term mentoring and support • For students: internet technology must be thoroughly integrated into the structure of the course (content, learning goals, assessment); the best assignments bring the fruits of internet use into the classroom
References
Jung, I. (2005). ICT-Pedagogy Integration in Teacher Training: Application Cases Worldwide. Educational Technology & Society, 8 (2), 94-101.
Gary W. James corporate trainer and instructional design consultant at Allen Communication ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF ONLINE LEARNING
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TechnoKids Inc., 2097 Bates Common, Burlington, ON, Canada L7R 0A5 Phone: 905-631-9112 Toll Free: 1-800-221-7921
Barbara F. McManus, January 13, 2000,Creative Teaching with Internet Technology Sitti Maesuri Patahuddin
The University of Queensland ,Use of the Internet for Teacher Professional Development and for Teaching Mathematics: Supports and Inhibitors
Mary Hooker,GeSCI,Dublin, Ireland,April, 2009