Positive and Negative Impacts of ICT on Education

ICT stands for Information Communication Technology. ICT is widespread and essential to play a meaningful role in changing and modernizing educational systems as well as the way of learning. It is part of many aspects of our daily lives.

ICT refers to the technology that access to information. It includes any product that will store, restore, operate, or receive information in a digital form. ICT is similar to IT that ICT focus more on communication which includes internet, wireless network and other communication mediums. There are some examples of ICT tools, such as computing industry, telecommunications, and electronic display.

The computing industry includes Internet, computer hardware and software. Internet means a worldwide system of interconnected networks and computers. As we know that it is very useful for everyone today. For example, there are 5 out of 10 students using their iPad to search information while teacher is teaching. It is general and easy to have internet in the 21st century.

Then, software is the various kinds of programs to operate computers and devices. It is often divided into two different types of software which is application and system. Application software is a program designed for users. It also called and-user programs includes database programs, word processors, communications, games, graphics and spreadsheets. In contrast, system software consists of programs that interact with the computer at a very basic level. This includes assembler, debugger, compilers, file management tools, operating system and utilities for managing computer resources. Nonetheless, hardware is the physical aspect of computers and other devices. This could be monitor, CPU or memory chip. The item is something you can touch. The examples of hardware including the computer we touch and the mouse we use to click on this page.

Another example of tool is telecommunications which it means communication by electronic as through cellular phones, radio, video and others. We always get the latest news and information from all these media. For example, when we are driving to somewhere that very emergency, we usually open the radio to listen about the situation whether jam or not.

Last but not least, electronic display that include calculator is one of the tool of ICT. Electronic means operating, produced, or done by the action of electrons. Calculator helps people to solve the problem a lot and also in the society especially for the accountant. For example, calculator in the computer helps to solve the problem for every company.

As a result, modern information and communication technologies make a way for people to communicate with others across the world. For this reason, ICT is often affects the education today. Moreover, ICT in education can also be broadly categorized in the following way as a subject (computer studies), a tool to support traditional subjects (computer- based learning, presentation, research) and as an administrative tool (education management information systems). ICT is not only has great impact on education but also provided some bad impact to the educators. Similarly, ICT also has some great impact on practitioners and schools.

Positive Impact on teaching, learning and attainment

For education, the purpose of ICT is generally to familiarise students and teachers with the use and workings of computers, related social and ethical issues. It is generally believed that ICT can empower both teachers and learners. It promotes change to education in 21st century. ICT not only transforms teaching but also the learning processes. The transformation gets to increase learning gains for students that provide learners an opportunity to develop creativity, communication skills, and other thinking skills. Besides, smart solutions for the future including laptop learning, e-learning, smart classrooms, didactic equipment and stimulations is the key to education today. An entire learning environment is needed in which students, teachers, administrators, and parents can easily communicate and collaborate with each other, share secure information around the clock, and, ultimately, access a world of knowledge beyond classroom walls.

Referring to the picture above, we can see that ICT is very useful to society, especially to students in colleges. According to ICT adviser Harriet Price, an ICT-rich educational experience brings benefits to the students. She says that technology is an important part of student’s everyday lives. She makes sure that the necessary software and hardware is available for students to use, while also helping them develop their own ICT skills. More than half of the students in the groups have a computer or laptop at home as well as access in College so that they can search for information regardless of time and place.

As we know, ICT making all schools “smart”. That means everyone get different information and knowledge from ICT. For example, when we have difficult in the study, this is the way to search the definition online immediately. Computers are also provided in every area of different country in the schools, colleges or labs. It helps students to get the chance to do assignments or group projects by saving a lot of time. It also increases students’ knowledge at the same time. Besides, students who have laptops themselves can bring their machines with them. ICT make everyone comfortable by using it.

Based on the research of internet, training is provided in some of the college in Europe as well as to make students to learn to become more independent in their work. Therefore, ICT is provided for the students to have quick and easy ways in doing research, and to train society. It has a great impact for students to have an easier way for research and information compared to the earlier period. For example for our assignment in the previously, we have to go to the library to collect or gather information. It is not only a waste of our time but also there is a limit to the information we can get. And now, ICT is saving our time in doing the work and there is no limit to the information.

On the other hand, we can have our self-test before the exam. Besides buying the books for exercise, we can get the question from the Internet. It makes students more comfortable to have a test. ICT is also like a learning centre that could help to share ideas and understanding to the students. It teaches us the grammar and improves our English by ourselves. For example, when we are working in pairs and yet by using ICT that students can experience with collaborative learning. ICT represent as the local champions. It supports local needs for the learners which mean social information can be found easily.

In fact, ICT empowers students to engage in the learning process and give them an interest in their personal education. By integrating ICT into the classroom, students have the ability to learn more effectively, collaborate with each other, and explore the world around them. Anytime, anywhere access to internet-based tools is necessary to encourage learning inside the classroom and beyond. For example, students who are always online or having facebook, they will always explore something and share with their friends. It unknowingly makes them more collaborate with each other, However, ICT provided e-learning to the learners. It is a flexible learning to those who are busy in their own things. For example, they have some people working since they are young. They work because of the family financial. Indeed, they are the people who want to work and study at the same time. E-learning is a way for them to study at home. It is useful and benefit for them. Other than that, hints and tips are the best practice for them to share their knowledge and opinion if they have their own ideas.

Today, ICT brings many benefits to the younger generation especially for students. For example, some of the students who work part-time also can find some time to do their College work. In addition, most of the time students like to use word processing from the computer itself. It is also quick and easy to edit their work and improve their presentation by using ICT. For example, we always use computer as the resources to get our work done in a time. Similarly like now, I using Microsoft Word to do my individual assignment. Besides, the Worldwide Web is the only way to have quick and easy access to information on any topic. ICT gives easy access to a world of knowledge and ICT which including quick guide is to learn ‘the basic’ of how to use the functions or applications. For example, printer is the one machine that will always show us the quick guide before we press start.

Referring to the information from the internet that I know with a range of ICT equipment, it improved the behaviour management through better tracking of students. It helps not only to gain in understanding but also analytical skills which include improvements in reading comprehension as well as increase knowledge. For example, we have to read and understand the essay from the web-sites before we choose the article. It improves our understanding by reading. Moreover, ICT unknowingly help students improve in their development of writing skills such as spelling, punctuation, editing and grammar. Students can become more fluent and original in their work. For instance, when we always read the article from the internet, we will get influence by the way the writer writes on the article.

Based on the research of Software and Information Industry Association 2000, students who used educational technology in colleges are more successful because they are more active in learning and in increasing their self-esteem. ICT then enhances and extends the possibilities of learning across the curriculum. Thus, ICT provides more opportunities to show their hard work to audiences or teachers as well as it is within 24 hours. For instance, we always see some students’ work on the internet and it actually written by the writer himself. ICT help to show the ability of the students. ICT would be important to their future career or to employment. Students get to gain confidence because they could do things and show things they had not been able to do before, that students could explore more and share more ideas with others.

In fact, ICT also gives educators the opportunity to transform the way learning happens, and enable student development. ICT present a range of tools that teachers or lecturers use to present and display as part of their teaching and help educators interact with students as well as engage them in a more meaningful way. These technological tools can be purposefully designed for education, for example, software or hardware used in the context such as word processors and spreadsheets. Computer tools help students and teachers manipulate complex data-sets. This then provides the context for effective discussion that help to develop subject understanding. ICT is beneficial for teachers to share resources, expertise and advice. It is also easier to plan and prepare lessons and design materials for students. Sometimes, ICT helps teachers to access up-to-date students and school data, anytime anywhere. Teachers can enhance their professional image by using ICT.

From a teaching point of view, teachers used these devices to deliver to a whole class, and could use the digital content effectively that was available to them. Teachers also reported that ICT offered them enhanced resources to support learning through teaching. The levels of interaction, the immediacy and the ability to refresh work, were all indicated as ways in which ICT could enhance the range of teaching approaches taken. In some colleges, teachers were expecting more of the students used ICT- whether this was due to the higher pace in lessons, work being done more quickly.

Negative impact on teaching, learning and attainment

On the other hand, there is some negative effect of the ICT on education. In college, computer is not enough for teachers to make the best use of ICT in the classroom. Based on the research of Sandhoitz, it will take a lot of time in the classroom even up to a year with the support of experienced teams. Teachers always depend on the information that searched from the web. It may make a mistake. Information from the web or internet that mostly came or wrote from personal’s opinion. It is not all facts by the way. Teacher who depend more on the ICT do not perform well as a teacher. For example, they may not check through the details of the work that searched from the web.

Students, however, feel lazy to attend the class if they can easily get the study material from the web. It will change their behavior to become more irresponsible. Let’s say lecturer give an assignment to the students, they may not understand if they never attend that class. The technological reliability was important and yet the students could respond negatively to a resource, both of teaching and technology. Across the school or colleges, students might not value ICT that spent too much time on presentation needs and copying without reading and understanding. At the same time, students will search the information from the web and caught by “cutting and pasting”. Through this type of behavior, reliability of the students will be affected. By then the students will access the internet for other things, for example, facebook, MSN, Yahoo, Twitter and others. While the lecturer having the lesson in front, they will not pay more attention to the lecturer.

Then, it had created severe problems to the students. To those who always play computer games and use instant messaging, they will choose online communication rather than having real life conversation with the teachers. For example, when they are having flu and will not be attending the class or lesson, they might e-mail the lecturer rather than call the teachers. When the problem deteriorates, students will become less confident when they meet outsiders. Furthermore, the students sitting in front of the computer for a long time may cause health problem. Health problem such as stress and eyes strain can affect a student in their education. By then ICT may also created some illegal act such as pornography. Those students who are affected by pornography may suffer in their studies. The students will waste time by using ICT better than study on their work. Overall, the evidence on the impact on attainment of learning through ICT remains inconsistent.

Great impact on practitioners and schools

The introduction of ICT into schools has had an impact on teachers in terms of their overall workload that including planning, lesson preparation as well as on the ways in which these are coordinated and managed within the school and wider educational context. The availability of ICT itself has sufficiently enhanced learning and teaching. Teachers have to be confident in their own ICT capacity and understand the potential benefits of using ICT in education area.

In addition to that, using ICT is to support teacher development for e-learning. Like students, teachers learn in different ways and they need to be able to access support when needed. The provision of improved connectivity, among other developments, has allowed teachers to take advantage of online access to resources. For example, lecturers always give example of mass communication from the internet. As a result of access to resources at a time, teachers have greater control over the planning and preparation. By then teachers have expressed concern about knowing which resources are worthwhile and more research on the impact and availability of online resources. Such case studies provide evidence of changes in the ways in which teachers are approaching their role within the classroom. It is a better understanding of how teachers interact with the online environment.

Then, there is an impact of ICT in the classroom on the teacher’s role. While gaining confidence and competence in the use of the technologies is to support e-learning, evidence is on the impact of using ICT on other aspects of the teacher’s role. Some forms of learning through ICT, the use of shared resources and collaborative learning, where the teachers facilitates rather than direct learning, might be difficult for some to accept. For instance, teachers and students open the same page from internet is easier for teachers to explain. Teachers will not waste their time on giving their own example.

Next, it is an impact of ICT on administration and overall workload. Once teachers have brought the technicalities involved with classroom- related hardware and software resources, they can enhance their teaching. This can be used to create additional teaching resources. Use of ICT for assessment purposes can also release valuable teacher time. Within schools, those specific technological developments such as connectivity via broadband access to internet will regard to the personalization of the learning experience. A key strand to embed ICT in schools has been and that of networking within schools and also across the education sector. Broadly speaking, schools recognize that systems can improve effectiveness and reduce costs. Across schools, using ICT to manage data was found to promote teaching and learning by facilitating more effective timetabling. The most effective tools were found to be school- devised systems and the use of Excel spreadsheets. As we know, school data was in forming the setting and in compiling reports to parents. For example, after teachers complete the report of students on the Microsoft Word, teachers get to save and print out at a time. Hence, teachers can have more time to prepare the work for the students.

Improved access to ICT, schools networks for teaching and planning were also identified as potential strategies. Use of ICT in schools tended to be raising the quality of the work produced by teachers such as presentations and reports, rather than saving time. For instance, after typing a report, teachers get to print out that one report as many as they want. ICT was also the key factor to improving efficiency, along with staff by using the software and hardware.

Furthermore, teachers also perceived benefits in managing, storing and other work such as preparing reports with the time saved. Looking ahead, ICT would make teachers more effective in their work over 12 months. To use ICT to support learning and teaching, schools need to be ‘e-confident’. That means displaying a number of characteristics at a level.

Thus, the Internet has increased significantly the range of resources to support and stimulate learning and teaching across the curriculum and at all levels. It has also provided the means by which access to range of services, including libraries and careers’ services, can be brought together in one place. As ICT becomes part of the everyday life of the schools, there is a need to ensure the participation in the learning opportunities provided. Here, teachers can identify their own professional development needs and find solutions.