The effects of Information and Communication Technologies Essay

In the last few years India has made rapid strides as a developing nation. Education has played a key role in that. Educational institutions, which lay down the foundation for learning and understanding, have reached out to the corners of the country. The purpose of this paper aims to bring together the findings and key points from a review of significant part of the available literature associated with ICTs for Education and ICTs in Education. This review set out to identify and evaluate relevant strategies in national and international research and initiatives related to measuring and demonstrating the effective use of ICT for education. Schools, colleges, IIMs, IITs and other professional institutions are no longer confined to the metros but are reaching out to the fringe areas as well. What has been critical in this regard is that not only the sources of education have increased, but the manner in which knowledge is imparted has also gone a sea change, courtesy the information an d communication technology. Summary: Information and communication technologies (ICT) have become commonplace entities in all aspects of life. The use of ICT in education lends itself to more student-centred learning settings. Effective use of ICT for Education, along with ICT use in the teaching learning process, quality and accessibility of education, learning motivation is shown in this paper. The introduction of the term ‘ICT’ (information and communication technology) around 1992, when e-mail started to become available to the general public (Pelgrum, W.J., Law, N., 2003). The concept of mobile learning was emerged about a decade ago and got recognition as a new research field. 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. The world moving rapidly into digital media and information, the role of ICT in education is becoming more and more important and this importance will continue to grow and develop in the 21st century. According to a United Nations report (1999) ICTs cover Internet service provision, telecommunications equipment and services, information technology  equipment and services, media and broadcasting, libraries and documentation centres, commercial information providers, network-based information services and other related information and communication activities. According to UNESCO (2002) information and communication technology (ICT) may be regarded as the combination of ‘Informatics technology’ with other related technology, specifically communication technology. The 1990s was the decade of computer communications and information. ICTs for education refers to the development of information and communications technology specifically for teaching/learning purposes, while the ICTs in education involves the adoption of general components of information and communication technologies in the teaching learning process. ICT enhancing teaching and learning process: The field of education has been affected by ICTs, which have undoubtedly affected teaching, learning and research (Yusuf, 2005). Teachers generate meaningful and engaging learning experiences for their students, strategically using ICT to enhance learning. ICT enhancing the quality and accessibility of education: ICT increases the flexibility of delivery of education so that learners can access knowledge anytime and from anywhere. ICT enhancing learning Environment: ICT presents an entirely new learning environment for students, thus requiring a different skill set to be successful. ICT enhancing learning motivation: ICTs can enhance the quality of education in several ways, by increasing learner motivation and engagement, by facilitating the acquisition of basic skills, and by enhancing teacher training. ICT enhancing the scholastic performance: Based on the extensive usage of ICTs in education the need appeared to unravel the myth that surrounds the use of information and communication technology (ICT) as an aid to teaching and learning, and the impact it has on students’ academic performance. Scope of Mobile Learning: Information and Communication Technology is playing a vital role to shaping the learning method, by providing better resources to learn remotely. Mobile technology was presented in 1990s and become the most popular way of communication. Mobile learning facilitates learners to move effortlessly over varied positions and to connect up learning in different localities. CONCLUSION: Education has become one of the most important issues not only for the individuals but for organizations and governments around the world. Since the world is changing rapidly with the advancement in technology informal ways of learning are also required for that purpose. ICTs for education refers to the development of information and communications technology specifically for teaching/learning purposes, while the ICTs in education involves the adoption of general components of information and communication technologies in the teaching learning process. This literature review has sought to explore the role of ICT in education as we progress into the 21st century. Mobile enabled technology has played an important role to build and implement new solutions for informal learning. The adoption and use of ICTs in education have a positive impact on teaching, learning, and research. The overall literature suggests that successful ICT integration in education. References: An Effective use of ICT for Education and Learning by Drawing on Worldwide Knowledge, Research, and Experience, ICT as a Change Agent for Education (A LITERATURE REVIEW), Syed Noor-Ul-Amin, Ph.D Research Scholar, Department Of Education, University Of Kashmir e.mail:syd_aman@rediffmail.com. Volume 4, No. 8, May-June 2013 International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer Science RESEARCH PAPER, Available Online at www.ijarcs.info