IV.1 Information and Communication Technology
Concept of ICT
Meaning & Definition
ICT is technology that supports activities involving information. Such
activities include gathering, processing, storing and presenting data.
Increasingly these activities also involve collaboration and
communication. Hence IT has become ICT: information and
communication technology.
Some underlying principles
Technology does not exist in isolation
ICT contributes at various points along a line of activity
ICT is used in activities – the ICT use depends on the activities
The key outputs of educational activities are context are
knowledge, experience and products
The output should be useful to the users (self and others)
What is a useful concept of ICT?
It depends on the local culture and the particular ICT available and how it is
configured and managed. The understanding, management and configuration
of the available technology might vary the concept of ICT from
a collection of tools and devices used for particular tasks, eg,
publishing, course delivery, transaction processing...
an organised set of equipment (like a 'workshop') for working
on information and communication
components of integrated arrangements of devices, tools,
services and practices that enable information to be collected,
processed, stored and shared with others
components in a comprehensive system of people, information
and devices that enables learning, problem solving and higher order
collaborative thinking, that is, ICT as key elements underpinning a
(sharable) workspace.
Creativity or Productivity?
Mrs. Megha Gokhe TSCER 1 of 68
,IV.1 Information and Communication Technology
Stephen Heppell of Ultralab proposes a set of dimensions for considering
these two orientations.
Creativity Productivity
quality assurance quality control
learning tools teaching machines
standards Standardisation
participative
(people) interactive (ICT)
creative Predictable
building
delivering content
community
Stephen also reports that using ICT to support creativity is commonly found
in small, democratic, high value economies focused on smartening up.
Conversely economies that are large and low value (focused on minimising
costs including labour costs) tend to be focused on using ICT to support
productivity (at least in the short term).
Lets focus on the three words behind ICT:
-INFORMATION
-COMMUNICATIONS
-TECHNOLOGY
A good way to think about ICT is to consider all the uses of digital
technology that already exist to help individuals, businesses and
organisations use information.
ICT covers any product that will store, retrieve, manipulate, transmit or
receive information electronically in a digital form. For example,
personal computers, digital television, email, robots.
Information and communication technology (ICT)
Mrs. Megha Gokhe TSCER 1 of 68
,IV.1 Information and Communication Technology
Information and communication technology, or ICT, is defined as the
combination of informatics technology with other, related technologies,
specifically communication technology.
In this book, these three definitions have been collapsed into a single, all
encompassing, definition of ICT. This definition implies that ICT will be
used, applied, and integrated in activities of working and learning on the
basis of conceptual understanding and methods of informatics.
Aims & Objective
Information and communication technology (ICT) has become, within a
very short time, one of the basic building blocks of modern society. Many
countries now regard understanding ICT and mastering the basic skills and
concepts of ICT as part of the core of education, alongside reading, writing
and numeracy.
UNESCO aims to ensure that all countries, both developed and developing,
have access to the best educational facilities necessary to prepare young
people to play full roles in modern society and to contribute to a knowledge
nation. Because of the fundamental importance of ICT in the task of schools
today, UNESCO has previously published books in this area as a practical
means of helping Member States: for example, Informatics for Secondary
Education: A Curriculum for Schools (1994) and Informatics for
Primary Education (2000). Rapid developments in ICT now demand a
completely new document in place of the first of these publications.
This book has two key purposes. The first is to specify a curriculum in ICT
for secondary schools that is in line with current international trends. The
second purpose is to outline a programme of professional development for
teachers necessary to implement the specified ICT curriculum successfully.
9
ICT AND EDUCATION
All governments aim to provide the most comprehensive education possible
for their citizens within the constraints of available finance. Because of the
pivotal position of ICT in modern societies, its introduction into secondary
schools will be high on any political agenda. This book gives a practical and
realistic approach to curriculum and teacher development that can be
implemented quickly and cost effectively, according to available resources.
Mrs. Megha Gokhe TSCER 1 of 68
, IV.1 Information and Communication Technology
The curriculum is designed to be capable of implementation throughout the
world to all secondary age students. The programme of teacher professional
development relates closely to the ICT curriculum, and particularly to the
stage of development that schools have reached with respect to ICT.
CURRICULUM AND TEACHER DEVELOPMENT
Keeping pace with technological development and the changing
competencies required of both students and their teachers requires a state-of
the- art curriculum and appropriate teacher development.
Professional development for teachers
Teachers need to be adequately prepared to implement a state-of-the-art ICT
curriculum. Indeed, introducing any new curriculum calls for careful
preparation, management, resourcing, and continuing support. In the case of
an ICT curriculum, even more concerns have to be considered. Educational
research studies show that programmes of professional development for
teachers are most effective if directed to the stage of ICT development
reached by schools. The implications of these research findings are that
teacher development is best conceived as an ongoing process, with many
professional development activities conducted in schools.
Availability of resources
In any educational system, the level of available resources places a
restriction on the degree to which any new subject can be introduced into the
school curriculum, especially where only the most basic facilities have so far
been provided. But ICT is of such importance to the future industrial and
commercial health of a country that investment in the equipment, teacher
education, and support services necessary for the effective delivery of an
ICT-based curriculum should rank high in any set of government priorities.
The curriculum proposed takes account of these resource issues and
specifies minimum requirements for effective delivery in different
circumstances. Information and communication technology, or ICT, is
defined as the combination of informatics technology with other, related
technologies, specifically communication technology.
Mrs. Megha Gokhe TSCER 1 of 68
Concept of ICT
Meaning & Definition
ICT is technology that supports activities involving information. Such
activities include gathering, processing, storing and presenting data.
Increasingly these activities also involve collaboration and
communication. Hence IT has become ICT: information and
communication technology.
Some underlying principles
Technology does not exist in isolation
ICT contributes at various points along a line of activity
ICT is used in activities – the ICT use depends on the activities
The key outputs of educational activities are context are
knowledge, experience and products
The output should be useful to the users (self and others)
What is a useful concept of ICT?
It depends on the local culture and the particular ICT available and how it is
configured and managed. The understanding, management and configuration
of the available technology might vary the concept of ICT from
a collection of tools and devices used for particular tasks, eg,
publishing, course delivery, transaction processing...
an organised set of equipment (like a 'workshop') for working
on information and communication
components of integrated arrangements of devices, tools,
services and practices that enable information to be collected,
processed, stored and shared with others
components in a comprehensive system of people, information
and devices that enables learning, problem solving and higher order
collaborative thinking, that is, ICT as key elements underpinning a
(sharable) workspace.
Creativity or Productivity?
Mrs. Megha Gokhe TSCER 1 of 68
,IV.1 Information and Communication Technology
Stephen Heppell of Ultralab proposes a set of dimensions for considering
these two orientations.
Creativity Productivity
quality assurance quality control
learning tools teaching machines
standards Standardisation
participative
(people) interactive (ICT)
creative Predictable
building
delivering content
community
Stephen also reports that using ICT to support creativity is commonly found
in small, democratic, high value economies focused on smartening up.
Conversely economies that are large and low value (focused on minimising
costs including labour costs) tend to be focused on using ICT to support
productivity (at least in the short term).
Lets focus on the three words behind ICT:
-INFORMATION
-COMMUNICATIONS
-TECHNOLOGY
A good way to think about ICT is to consider all the uses of digital
technology that already exist to help individuals, businesses and
organisations use information.
ICT covers any product that will store, retrieve, manipulate, transmit or
receive information electronically in a digital form. For example,
personal computers, digital television, email, robots.
Information and communication technology (ICT)
Mrs. Megha Gokhe TSCER 1 of 68
,IV.1 Information and Communication Technology
Information and communication technology, or ICT, is defined as the
combination of informatics technology with other, related technologies,
specifically communication technology.
In this book, these three definitions have been collapsed into a single, all
encompassing, definition of ICT. This definition implies that ICT will be
used, applied, and integrated in activities of working and learning on the
basis of conceptual understanding and methods of informatics.
Aims & Objective
Information and communication technology (ICT) has become, within a
very short time, one of the basic building blocks of modern society. Many
countries now regard understanding ICT and mastering the basic skills and
concepts of ICT as part of the core of education, alongside reading, writing
and numeracy.
UNESCO aims to ensure that all countries, both developed and developing,
have access to the best educational facilities necessary to prepare young
people to play full roles in modern society and to contribute to a knowledge
nation. Because of the fundamental importance of ICT in the task of schools
today, UNESCO has previously published books in this area as a practical
means of helping Member States: for example, Informatics for Secondary
Education: A Curriculum for Schools (1994) and Informatics for
Primary Education (2000). Rapid developments in ICT now demand a
completely new document in place of the first of these publications.
This book has two key purposes. The first is to specify a curriculum in ICT
for secondary schools that is in line with current international trends. The
second purpose is to outline a programme of professional development for
teachers necessary to implement the specified ICT curriculum successfully.
9
ICT AND EDUCATION
All governments aim to provide the most comprehensive education possible
for their citizens within the constraints of available finance. Because of the
pivotal position of ICT in modern societies, its introduction into secondary
schools will be high on any political agenda. This book gives a practical and
realistic approach to curriculum and teacher development that can be
implemented quickly and cost effectively, according to available resources.
Mrs. Megha Gokhe TSCER 1 of 68
, IV.1 Information and Communication Technology
The curriculum is designed to be capable of implementation throughout the
world to all secondary age students. The programme of teacher professional
development relates closely to the ICT curriculum, and particularly to the
stage of development that schools have reached with respect to ICT.
CURRICULUM AND TEACHER DEVELOPMENT
Keeping pace with technological development and the changing
competencies required of both students and their teachers requires a state-of
the- art curriculum and appropriate teacher development.
Professional development for teachers
Teachers need to be adequately prepared to implement a state-of-the-art ICT
curriculum. Indeed, introducing any new curriculum calls for careful
preparation, management, resourcing, and continuing support. In the case of
an ICT curriculum, even more concerns have to be considered. Educational
research studies show that programmes of professional development for
teachers are most effective if directed to the stage of ICT development
reached by schools. The implications of these research findings are that
teacher development is best conceived as an ongoing process, with many
professional development activities conducted in schools.
Availability of resources
In any educational system, the level of available resources places a
restriction on the degree to which any new subject can be introduced into the
school curriculum, especially where only the most basic facilities have so far
been provided. But ICT is of such importance to the future industrial and
commercial health of a country that investment in the equipment, teacher
education, and support services necessary for the effective delivery of an
ICT-based curriculum should rank high in any set of government priorities.
The curriculum proposed takes account of these resource issues and
specifies minimum requirements for effective delivery in different
circumstances. Information and communication technology, or ICT, is
defined as the combination of informatics technology with other, related
technologies, specifically communication technology.
Mrs. Megha Gokhe TSCER 1 of 68
