Integration of Educational Technology: Emerging Challenges and Concerns
Sarat Kumar Rout
Programme Officer,
DEP-SSA, IGNOU, New Delhi
Introduction
The term Educational Technology (ET) by nature is very inclusive which comprises wide range of conventional aids like maps, charts, diagrams and models, audio visual aids such film projector, overhead projector; audio cassettes/radio and video cassettes/television. It also includes newer digital based media such as computer, fax, email, interactive multimedia, all forms of teleconferencing, online classroom, web based learning, blogs, pod cast, e-learning, etc. The purpose of newer digital based technologies is not to oppose the traditional technologies but to solve the teaching and learning related problems more prudently than earlier days. However, the traditional technologies merged with newer technologies and incarnated in new Avtar namely ‘Information and Communication Technology’ (ICT) because of its pervasive nature and increased learning opportunities as per the needs and convenience of the education system. Historically, ICT has been emerging on and of the concepts of ET. Advances in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) during the last 20 years in India have had a significant social and economic impact in general and educational domain in particular. ICT have potentially revolutionized the human thought, feeling and behaviour by enabling any person anywhere in the world to exchange visual and aural experiences with any other person at any other place in the world. ICT is not confined to production of an audio, video or any form of media presentation. It is a holistic approach to the design, development, implementation, management and evaluation of learning environment which engage learners constructively. It refers to the process in which learning problems are analyzed and solutions are thought of through application of principles of communication, learning, instructional design and mediated pedagogy. These days the newer and more powerful technologies are being introduced to shape the future of education for delivery and managing extensive amount of information. Thus the development of technology and worldwide networking together with innovative pedagogical changes transformed conventional education to a new pedagogical paradigm namely IT supported and ICT enhanced learning.
Role of Technology Enabled Education
Several studies conducted by argue that the use of new technologies in the classroom is essential for providing opportunities for students to learn to operate in an information age. It is evident, as Yelland (2001) argued that traditional educational environments do not seem to be suitable for preparing learners to function or be productive in the workplaces of today’s society. She claimed that organisations that do not incorporate the use of new technologies in schools cannot seriously claim to prepare their students for life in the twenty-first century. Iding, Crosby and Speitel (2002); Shamatha, Peressini and Meymaris (2004); Romeo (2006): Grabe and Grabe (2007) pointed out that technologies enabled classroom produces following observable changes: Facilitating learning for children who have different learning styles and abilities, including slow learners, the socially disadvantaged, the mentally and physically handicapped, the talented, and those living in remote rural areas; making learning more effective, involving more senses in a multimedia context and more connections in a hypermedia context.
Ultimately the education will become highly interactive, engaging the student every 20 seconds or so for a response, much in contrast to present-day passive lecture methods; allow students to move independently between learning areas as necessary, managed by technology; give opportunity to students to develop valuable skills such as team work, self organization, and provide a broader international context for approaching problems as well as being more sensitive response to local needs.
Major ET Policy Initiative So Far
Strategic policies can provide a rational, a set of goals and a vision for introduction of ICT in education systems and how students, teachers, parents and the general population might benefit from its use in schools. It is almost three decades now and various schemes and programmes have been initiated both at governmental and nongovernmental level to develop ICT skills in teachers and teacher educators working in schools and teacher education institution in different levels across the country. Before switching to main issues and problems encountered in the way integration of ICT in education in India, the authors would like to present a synoptic view on some of the major initiatives so far undertaken by organization like MHRD, NCERT, NCTE, UGC, IGNOU, NGOs and various universities in this direction.
Computer Literary And Studies (CLASS) project had initiated in 1984 for senior secondary student. It has been mainly perceived as an awareness programme and failed due to technological compatibility of the then BBC provided PC. Again a revised CLASS project was introduced in 1993-94. Subsequently, National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) had initiated significant effort to integrate multimedia technologies in classroom teaching through PMOST and SOPT in past years to train teachers and teacher educators. Another milestone effort had been made by GOI by introducing the Computer Aided Learning (CAL) under the District Primary Education Programme (DPEP) in 1994. Further, NCERT in its National Curriculum Framework for school education released in 2000 had also emphasized on access to global information sources and prescribed text book on information and communication technology. The Tenth Plan (2002-2007) outlined goals for improving access and reducing disparities with the help of common school system, expansion and diversification of the open learning system as well as reorganization of teacher training and greater use of ICT. Subsequently, ICT @ School was one of the important central government schemes formulated in the five year plan. Its important objective was promoting usage of ICT in government and government aided schools (particularly in rural areas) and providing ICT infrastructure.
In 2002, the Indian government launched a project called Vidya Vahini to provide for IT and IT-enabled education in 60,000 schools in India over three years (India has about 1.1 million schools), as part of Rs. 6,000 crore (USD 1.2. billion) project. Beginning with a pilot covering 150 schools the government proposes to equip each school with a computer lab equipped with Internet, Intranet and television to facilitate video-conferencing, Web-broadcasting and e-learning (Kumar, A., October 9, 2002). In September 2002, Technology Tools for Teaching & Training in India (Project T4) was launched in Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, and subsequently, in the state of Madhya Pradesh. The program offers interactive radio instruction (IRI) and educational television for mathematics, science and English as a second language and is designed to reach some of the hardest to reach populations. In September 2004, EduSat as India’s first dedicated education satellite was lunched. With footprints covering the entire country, EduSat makes it possible for receive Direct to Home quality broadcasts of Educational programs using any television set and a low-cost receiver.
Bridges to the Future Initiatives is a partnership between the International Literacy Institute (ILI) at the University of Pennsylvania (USA), Byrraju Foundation, IIIT, and other agencies in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The programme aimed at providing literacy programs in the local language to out-of-school youth and primary school students, using computer infrastructure in schools after hours. Results of a two-year long impact study show dramatic results in putting drop-out youth back into school, and raising learning achievement of in-school children aged 8-10 years in poor rural settings (Wagner, Sridharan & Daswani, January 9, 2007). On May 20, 2006, the Government of India, Ministry of HRD, Department of Secondary and Higher Education issued an order for the constitution of an Integration Action Plan (IAP) to implement broadband connectivity in all secondary schools. Indira Gandhi National Open University’s (IGNOU) board of management had approved the National Open and Distance Learners Library and Information Network (NODLINET) initiative in 2007 on recommendations made by different state open universities and distance education institutions. In 2007, the expert committee set up by the ministry for Human Resource Development (MHRD) had endorsed the initiative of Every Village a Knowledge Centre. Mission 2007 seeks to establish 600,000 Village Resource Centres by August 15, 2007, coinciding with India’s celebration of 60 years of independence (Swaminathan, M.S. November 25, 2006). Establishing connectivity and covering the ‘last mile’ were imperative to that ambitious plan.
· 2009: National Policy on ICT in School Education
The mission of ICT Policy in School Education is to devise, catalyse, support and sustain ICT and ICT enabled activities and process in order to improve access, quality and efficiency in the school system. (GOI, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of School Education and Literacy Website (c))
Emerging Challenges
An overview of the ICT policy initiatives of Government of India for last two decades shows that India has made substantial improvement to integrate ICT in education. However, lateral analysis shows that policy processes are fantastically complex and they very rarely linear and logical. Often there is a dichotomy between reform rhetoric and translation into practice. The reason of the dichotomy lies in the ambiguous and flawed character of computing in educational policy and discourse. Without a solid rationale, educational computing continues to lack a clear direction and purpose, which ultimately undermines its effectiveness. The policy should reflect pedagogical managerial principles. All stake holders of education such as learners, teachers, community, educational administrators, policy makers and so on should be fully aware of the policy parameters so that they can use the policy as the mechanism to systematize ICT enabled education. “Unless a specific policy exists and decision-makers have a clear strategy in place, it is difficult to integrate ICT effectively and bring about desired improvements in the reach and quality of education (UNESCO, 2008)”. Having much of the policy initiatives at governmental and non governmental level, our educational institutions still encounter numerous challenges and issues, Some of them are briefly discussed here.
1. Infrastructure Related Challenges: A country’s educational technology infrastructure is based on top of the national telecommunications and information infrastructure. Several studies conducted on utilization of educational radio and television revealed the poor utilization of school broadcast programmes (Shukla, 1984; CIET, 1975; Biswal, 1980; Nagaraju, 1982; Goel, 1982; Muhkapadya, 1993; Sesharatnam, 1994; Basu, 1996; CIET,2004; Rout, 2007). The common reasons of such a sorry state of affair were (i) small seize classroom;(ii) non availability of multiple RCCPs and TV to accommodate multi sections students of a single classroom; (iii) irregularity of electricity; (iv) radio and television sets are out of functioning order, etc.According to Becta (2004), the inaccessibility of ICT resources is not always merely due to the non-availability of the hardware and software or other ICT materials within the school. It may be the result of one of a number of factors such as poor organisation of resources, poor quality hardware, inappropriate software, or lack of personal access for teachers. Similarly, Cox et al. (1999) found that the majority of teachers agreed that insufficient ICT resources in the school and insufficient time to review software prevent teachers using ICT. According to Osborne and Hennessy (2003), the limitations on access to hardware and software resources influenced teachers’ motivation to use ICT in the classroom.
2. Teacher Related Challenges: ET to be successful throughout the educational system requires five important competencies on part of the teachers namely (1) skills with particular applications; (2) integration into existing curricula; (3) curricular changes related to the use of ET (including changes in instructional design); (4) changes in teacher role and ( 5) underpinning educational theories. Ideally, these should be addressed in pre-service teacher training and enhanced in-service. Researches on the use of ICTs in different educational settings over the years invariably identify, as a barrier to success, the inability of teachers to understand why they should use and how exactly they can use to help them teach better. Unfortunately, most teachers’ professional development in ICTs is heavy on “teaching the tools” and light on “using the tools to teach.” A worlwide survey conducted by Pelgrum (2001) of nationally representative samples of schools from 26 countries, found that teachers’ lack of knowledge and skills is a serious obstacle to using ICT in primary and secondary schools. Further teachers attitude, motivation, anxiety over being replaced by technology and inherited resistance to use technologies are the significant causes of non utilization of technologies for teaching and learning process. (Phutela, 1994; Rout, 2007). At a broader level, Becta (2004) argued that resistance to change is an important barrier to teachers’ use of new technologies in education. This can be alleviated only if teachers have a keen understanding and appreciation of their changing role.
3. Capacity-building Related Challenges:The barrier most frequently referred to in the literature is lack of effective training at preservice and inservice level. One finding of Pelgrum’s (2001) study found that there were not enough training opportunities for teachers in the use of ICT’s in a classroom environment. Providing pedagogical training for teachers, rather than simply training them to use ICT tools, is an important issue (Becta, 2004). Cox et al. (1999) argued that if teachers were to be convinced of the value of using ICT in their teaching, their training should focus on the pedagogical issues. The results of the research by Cox et al. (1999) showed that after teachers had attended professional development courses in ICT they still did now know how to use ICT in their classrooms; instead they knew how to run a computer and set up a printer.
4. Technical Support Related Challenges: Without both good technical support in the classroom and whole-school resources, teachers cannot be expected to overcome the barriers preventing them from using ICT. Pelgrum (2001) found that in the view of primary and secondary teachers, one of the top barriers to ICT use in education was lack of technical assistance. Technical support requirements of an institution depend ultimately on what and how technology is deployed and used, general competencies that are required would be in the installation, operation, and maintenance of technical equipment (including software), network administration, and network security. Without on-site technical support, much time and money may be lost due to technical breakdowns.The Becta (2004) report stated, “if there is a lack of technical support available in a school, then it is likely that technical maintenance will not be carried out regularly, resulting in a higher risk of technical breakdowns”. Many of the respondents to Becta’s survey (2004) indicated that technical faults might discourage them from using ICT in their teaching because of the fear of equipment breaking down during a lesson.
5. Language and Content Related Challenges: English is the dominant language of the internet and major software produced in the world market. An estimated 80% of online content is in English. For country like ours where English language proficiency is not high particularly at elementary and secondary level, especially outside metropolitan areas, this represents a serious barrier to maximizing the educational benefits of the World Wide Web.Content development is a critical area that is too often overlooked. The bulk of existing ICT-based educational material is likely to be in English or of little relevance to education in especially at the primary and secondary levels. There is a need to develop original educational content (e.g., radio programs, interactive multimedia learning materials on CD-ROM or DVD, Web-based courses, etc.). These are tasks for which content development specialists such as instructional designers, scriptwriters, audio and video production specialists, programmers, multimedia course authors, and web-developers are needed. Like technical support specialists, content developers are highly skilled professionals and are not historically employed by primary and secondary schools.
Major Concerns
Equity of access, cost-effectiveness, quality, and sustainability are four broad intertwined and overaching concerns which must be addressed while considering the overall impact of the use of ICTs in education. These are presented here briefly.
a. Sustainability of Educational Technology Projects
One aspect of development programs that is often neglected is sustainability. The long history of development aid has shown that too many projects and programs start with a bang but all too soon fade out with a whimper, to be quickly forgotten. This is true for many ICT-based educational projects as well. In many instances, these projects are initiated by third party donors—such as international aid agencies or corporations. Not enough attention is paid to establishing a mechanism by which the educational institution or community involved can pursue the project on its own or in partnership with other stakeholders after the initiating donor exits. But cost and financing are not the only barriers to sustainability. According to Cisler, the sustainability of ICT-enabled programs has four components: social, political, technological, and economic.
· Economic sustainability refers to the ability of a school and community to finance an ICT-enabled programme over the long term. The need to develop multiple channels of financing through community participation.
· Social sustainability is a function of community involvement. The school does not exist in a vacuum, and for an ICT-enabled project to succeed the buy-in of parents, political leaders, business leaders and other stakeholders is essential. In short, a sense of ownership for the project must be developed among all stakeholders for sustainability to be achieved.
· Political sustainability refers to issues of policy and leadership, the innovative nature of ICT-enabled projects, leaders must have a keen understanding of the innovation process, identify the corresponding requirements for successful adoption, and harmonize plans and actions accordingly.
· Technological sustainability involves choosing appropriate technology that will be effective over a long period. In a rapidly changing technology environment, this becomes a particularly tricky issue as planners must contend with the threat of technological obsolescence. At the same time, there is the tendency to acquire only the latest technologies (which is understandable in part because these are the models which vendors are likely to push aggressively). Generally, however, planners should go with tried and tested systems; stability issues plague many of the latest technologies. Again, the rule of thumb is to let the learning objectives drive the technology choice and not vice versa—the latest technologies may not be the most appropriate tools for achieving the desired educational goals.When making technology decisions, planners should also factor in not just costs but also the availability of spare parts and technical support.
b. Equity of Access to Technology
There is a serious concerns that the use of ICTs in education will widen the existing divisions drawn along economic, social, cultural, geographic, and gender lines. 14 percent schools have computer in schools with percentage of such schools as high as 85.88 percent in Chandigarh, 85.84 percent in Delhi, 79.93 percent in Kerala and 89.74 percent in Lakshadweep compared to only 0.68 percent in Bihar and 3.59 percent such schools in Uttar Pradesh (DISE, 2008-09). Thus introduction of ICTs in education, when done without careful deliberation, can result in the further marginalization of those who are already underserved and/or disadvantaged groups (girls, children with special needs). Failure to meet the challenge would mean a further widening of the knowledge gap and the deepening of existing economic and social inequalities which will definitly deprive a large slice of student population to be the part of global community. Though there is some evidence that that educational opportunities are being opened to individuals and groups who are constrained from attending traditional universities at higher education and adult training. Each of the 11 so-called mega-universities, the biggest and most well-established open and distance institutions in the world (which include, the Indira Gandhi National Open University of India, the Open University of the United Kingdom, the China TV University System, the Universitas Terbuka of Indonesia, and the University of South Africa, among others) has an annual enrollment of more than 100,000, and together they serve approximately 2.8 million.
c. Cost effectiveness of Technology
whether ICT is “cost-effective” in educational settings, a definitive conclusion may not be possible for a variety of reasons such as lack of data, differences in programs, problems of generalization, and problems of quantification of educational outcomes and opportunity costs. The introduction of computers represents additional costs for schools, particularly in primary schools where there are no strong curricular arguments for investment in computers. In secondary schools, spending money on computers may be justified by the curriculum but this will come with significant increases in total school expenditure. Data on cost of computer use per student in both primary and secondary schools in fact suggest cost-ineffectiveness. Therefore technology should be available at cost that schools with less funds can also afford it, or else there would be lot of disparity among poor and rich schools. This disparity can now be seen between private and government schools. Educators must also weigh the costs of technology with the costs of other learning materials and program resources to arrive at an appropriate balance for their classrooms.
d. ET Learning Enhance Quality Education Opportunities
Third concerns is that does ICT supported learning enhance the quality of education in general and elementary education in particular. The impact of educational radio and television broadcasts on the quality of basic education remains an under-researched area, but whatever little research has been attempted, it suggests that such interventions are as effective as traditional classroom instruction. Of the many educational broadcast projects, the Interactive Radio Instruction project has been the most comprehensively analyzed. Findings provide strong evidence of the project’s effectiveness in raising the quality of education as demonstrated by increased scores on standardized tests as well as improved attendance. Russell( ), in his comprehensive review of research, claims that there is “no significant difference” between the test scores of learners taking ICT-based distance learning courses and those receiving face-to-face instruction. However, others claim that such generalizations are inconclusive, pointing out that the large number of articles on ICT-based distance learning does not include original experimental research or case studies. There is as yet no strong evidence that this new learning environment fosters improved learning outcomes. What does exist are qualitative data based on observations and analysis of student and teacher perceptions that suggest a positive impact on learning. The use of technology in the curriculum should be based on the needs of the children, the focus of the curriculum, and whether the technology will add to children’s educational opportunities and experiences. The teacher’s role is to create an environment in which children become aware and explore, and then act to support their exploration and inquiry in many different ways. Good pedagogy and sound learning objectives should guide the choice of materials and tools, including technology, to be used in learning activities Bredekamp and Rosegrant, (1994); Davis and Shade (1999).
e. Technology Promotes Social and Interpersonal Relationship
Responsive interactions provide a sense of well-being that enables children to associate with others and participate positively in educational activities. Children need opportunities to interact with the people and objects in their environment, and to learn from their surroundings. Experiences and interactions with peers and adults allow children to construct knowledge of patterns, understanding relationships between objects or events, and learn ways to solve problems. Play is important for social, emotional and intellectual development and, as such, should be included as a vital part of early childhood education. Concerns that technology speeds up the pace of learning and cuts down on childhood can be reduced if playtime is included as an essential part of the children’s daily routine, including any technology use. Used appropriately, computers can be a positive element of children’s play and learning as they explore and experiment (Clements and Nastasi, 1993). Studies show that when computers are located in the classroom, children’s developmental gains from using appropriate software are significantly greater than when they are in a computer laboratory (Davis and Shade, 1999). Therefore, arranging the classroom to allow and encourage conversation around the computers is essential in creating opportunities for student interaction and social behaviour.
f. Technology Accommodates Cultural Diversity
McLuhan (1989) proposed more than ten years ago that we are living in a global village, meaning that we are exposed to a much wider range of experiences and cultures than any previous generation, thanks to the information technology. The current development of a multicultural and networked society (Castells 1998) is leading to a polarisation of local and global cultures, and the localisation of global products. It means that the technology providers, publishers and teachers developing the materials have to be aware of these social aspects which make the materials more suitable for broader markets and diverse customers and students. Designers must choose course content in which the cross-cultural aspects are either of minimal relevance or integral to the content. On the other hand Technology can be used to affirm children’s diversity. Early childhood educators must devote extra efforts to ensure that the software in classrooms reflects and affirms children’s diverse cultures, languages, and ethnic heritages. Like all educational materials, software should reflect the world children live in. It should come in multiple languages, reflect gender equity, contain people of colour and of differing ages and abilities, and portray diverse families and experiences. (Haugland and Shade, 1994).
References:
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Sarat Kumar Rout
Programme Officer,
DEP-SSA, IGNOU, New Delhi
Introduction
The term Educational Technology (ET) by nature is very inclusive which comprises wide range of conventional aids like maps, charts, diagrams and models, audio visual aids such film projector, overhead projector; audio cassettes/radio and video cassettes/television. It also includes newer digital based media such as computer, fax, email, interactive multimedia, all forms of teleconferencing, online classroom, web based learning, blogs, pod cast, e-learning, etc. The purpose of newer digital based technologies is not to oppose the traditional technologies but to solve the teaching and learning related problems more prudently than earlier days. However, the traditional technologies merged with newer technologies and incarnated in new Avtar namely ‘Information and Communication Technology’ (ICT) because of its pervasive nature and increased learning opportunities as per the needs and convenience of the education system. Historically, ICT has been emerging on and of the concepts of ET. Advances in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) during the last 20 years in India have had a significant social and economic impact in general and educational domain in particular. ICT have potentially revolutionized the human thought, feeling and behaviour by enabling any person anywhere in the world to exchange visual and aural experiences with any other person at any other place in the world. ICT is not confined to production of an audio, video or any form of media presentation. It is a holistic approach to the design, development, implementation, management and evaluation of learning environment which engage learners constructively. It refers to the process in which learning problems are analyzed and solutions are thought of through application of principles of communication, learning, instructional design and mediated pedagogy. These days the newer and more powerful technologies are being introduced to shape the future of education for delivery and managing extensive amount of information. Thus the development of technology and worldwide networking together with innovative pedagogical changes transformed conventional education to a new pedagogical paradigm namely IT supported and ICT enhanced learning.
Role of Technology Enabled Education
Several studies conducted by argue that the use of new technologies in the classroom is essential for providing opportunities for students to learn to operate in an information age. It is evident, as Yelland (2001) argued that traditional educational environments do not seem to be suitable for preparing learners to function or be productive in the workplaces of today’s society. She claimed that organisations that do not incorporate the use of new technologies in schools cannot seriously claim to prepare their students for life in the twenty-first century. Iding, Crosby and Speitel (2002); Shamatha, Peressini and Meymaris (2004); Romeo (2006): Grabe and Grabe (2007) pointed out that technologies enabled classroom produces following observable changes: Facilitating learning for children who have different learning styles and abilities, including slow learners, the socially disadvantaged, the mentally and physically handicapped, the talented, and those living in remote rural areas; making learning more effective, involving more senses in a multimedia context and more connections in a hypermedia context.
Ultimately the education will become highly interactive, engaging the student every 20 seconds or so for a response, much in contrast to present-day passive lecture methods; allow students to move independently between learning areas as necessary, managed by technology; give opportunity to students to develop valuable skills such as team work, self organization, and provide a broader international context for approaching problems as well as being more sensitive response to local needs.
Major ET Policy Initiative So Far
Strategic policies can provide a rational, a set of goals and a vision for introduction of ICT in education systems and how students, teachers, parents and the general population might benefit from its use in schools. It is almost three decades now and various schemes and programmes have been initiated both at governmental and nongovernmental level to develop ICT skills in teachers and teacher educators working in schools and teacher education institution in different levels across the country. Before switching to main issues and problems encountered in the way integration of ICT in education in India, the authors would like to present a synoptic view on some of the major initiatives so far undertaken by organization like MHRD, NCERT, NCTE, UGC, IGNOU, NGOs and various universities in this direction.
Computer Literary And Studies (CLASS) project had initiated in 1984 for senior secondary student. It has been mainly perceived as an awareness programme and failed due to technological compatibility of the then BBC provided PC. Again a revised CLASS project was introduced in 1993-94. Subsequently, National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) had initiated significant effort to integrate multimedia technologies in classroom teaching through PMOST and SOPT in past years to train teachers and teacher educators. Another milestone effort had been made by GOI by introducing the Computer Aided Learning (CAL) under the District Primary Education Programme (DPEP) in 1994. Further, NCERT in its National Curriculum Framework for school education released in 2000 had also emphasized on access to global information sources and prescribed text book on information and communication technology. The Tenth Plan (2002-2007) outlined goals for improving access and reducing disparities with the help of common school system, expansion and diversification of the open learning system as well as reorganization of teacher training and greater use of ICT. Subsequently, ICT @ School was one of the important central government schemes formulated in the five year plan. Its important objective was promoting usage of ICT in government and government aided schools (particularly in rural areas) and providing ICT infrastructure.
In 2002, the Indian government launched a project called Vidya Vahini to provide for IT and IT-enabled education in 60,000 schools in India over three years (India has about 1.1 million schools), as part of Rs. 6,000 crore (USD 1.2. billion) project. Beginning with a pilot covering 150 schools the government proposes to equip each school with a computer lab equipped with Internet, Intranet and television to facilitate video-conferencing, Web-broadcasting and e-learning (Kumar, A., October 9, 2002). In September 2002, Technology Tools for Teaching & Training in India (Project T4) was launched in Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, and subsequently, in the state of Madhya Pradesh. The program offers interactive radio instruction (IRI) and educational television for mathematics, science and English as a second language and is designed to reach some of the hardest to reach populations. In September 2004, EduSat as India’s first dedicated education satellite was lunched. With footprints covering the entire country, EduSat makes it possible for receive Direct to Home quality broadcasts of Educational programs using any television set and a low-cost receiver.
Bridges to the Future Initiatives is a partnership between the International Literacy Institute (ILI) at the University of Pennsylvania (USA), Byrraju Foundation, IIIT, and other agencies in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The programme aimed at providing literacy programs in the local language to out-of-school youth and primary school students, using computer infrastructure in schools after hours. Results of a two-year long impact study show dramatic results in putting drop-out youth back into school, and raising learning achievement of in-school children aged 8-10 years in poor rural settings (Wagner, Sridharan & Daswani, January 9, 2007). On May 20, 2006, the Government of India, Ministry of HRD, Department of Secondary and Higher Education issued an order for the constitution of an Integration Action Plan (IAP) to implement broadband connectivity in all secondary schools. Indira Gandhi National Open University’s (IGNOU) board of management had approved the National Open and Distance Learners Library and Information Network (NODLINET) initiative in 2007 on recommendations made by different state open universities and distance education institutions. In 2007, the expert committee set up by the ministry for Human Resource Development (MHRD) had endorsed the initiative of Every Village a Knowledge Centre. Mission 2007 seeks to establish 600,000 Village Resource Centres by August 15, 2007, coinciding with India’s celebration of 60 years of independence (Swaminathan, M.S. November 25, 2006). Establishing connectivity and covering the ‘last mile’ were imperative to that ambitious plan.
· 2009: National Policy on ICT in School Education
The mission of ICT Policy in School Education is to devise, catalyse, support and sustain ICT and ICT enabled activities and process in order to improve access, quality and efficiency in the school system. (GOI, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of School Education and Literacy Website (c))
Emerging Challenges
An overview of the ICT policy initiatives of Government of India for last two decades shows that India has made substantial improvement to integrate ICT in education. However, lateral analysis shows that policy processes are fantastically complex and they very rarely linear and logical. Often there is a dichotomy between reform rhetoric and translation into practice. The reason of the dichotomy lies in the ambiguous and flawed character of computing in educational policy and discourse. Without a solid rationale, educational computing continues to lack a clear direction and purpose, which ultimately undermines its effectiveness. The policy should reflect pedagogical managerial principles. All stake holders of education such as learners, teachers, community, educational administrators, policy makers and so on should be fully aware of the policy parameters so that they can use the policy as the mechanism to systematize ICT enabled education. “Unless a specific policy exists and decision-makers have a clear strategy in place, it is difficult to integrate ICT effectively and bring about desired improvements in the reach and quality of education (UNESCO, 2008)”. Having much of the policy initiatives at governmental and non governmental level, our educational institutions still encounter numerous challenges and issues, Some of them are briefly discussed here.
1. Infrastructure Related Challenges: A country’s educational technology infrastructure is based on top of the national telecommunications and information infrastructure. Several studies conducted on utilization of educational radio and television revealed the poor utilization of school broadcast programmes (Shukla, 1984; CIET, 1975; Biswal, 1980; Nagaraju, 1982; Goel, 1982; Muhkapadya, 1993; Sesharatnam, 1994; Basu, 1996; CIET,2004; Rout, 2007). The common reasons of such a sorry state of affair were (i) small seize classroom;(ii) non availability of multiple RCCPs and TV to accommodate multi sections students of a single classroom; (iii) irregularity of electricity; (iv) radio and television sets are out of functioning order, etc.According to Becta (2004), the inaccessibility of ICT resources is not always merely due to the non-availability of the hardware and software or other ICT materials within the school. It may be the result of one of a number of factors such as poor organisation of resources, poor quality hardware, inappropriate software, or lack of personal access for teachers. Similarly, Cox et al. (1999) found that the majority of teachers agreed that insufficient ICT resources in the school and insufficient time to review software prevent teachers using ICT. According to Osborne and Hennessy (2003), the limitations on access to hardware and software resources influenced teachers’ motivation to use ICT in the classroom.
2. Teacher Related Challenges: ET to be successful throughout the educational system requires five important competencies on part of the teachers namely (1) skills with particular applications; (2) integration into existing curricula; (3) curricular changes related to the use of ET (including changes in instructional design); (4) changes in teacher role and ( 5) underpinning educational theories. Ideally, these should be addressed in pre-service teacher training and enhanced in-service. Researches on the use of ICTs in different educational settings over the years invariably identify, as a barrier to success, the inability of teachers to understand why they should use and how exactly they can use to help them teach better. Unfortunately, most teachers’ professional development in ICTs is heavy on “teaching the tools” and light on “using the tools to teach.” A worlwide survey conducted by Pelgrum (2001) of nationally representative samples of schools from 26 countries, found that teachers’ lack of knowledge and skills is a serious obstacle to using ICT in primary and secondary schools. Further teachers attitude, motivation, anxiety over being replaced by technology and inherited resistance to use technologies are the significant causes of non utilization of technologies for teaching and learning process. (Phutela, 1994; Rout, 2007). At a broader level, Becta (2004) argued that resistance to change is an important barrier to teachers’ use of new technologies in education. This can be alleviated only if teachers have a keen understanding and appreciation of their changing role.
3. Capacity-building Related Challenges:The barrier most frequently referred to in the literature is lack of effective training at preservice and inservice level. One finding of Pelgrum’s (2001) study found that there were not enough training opportunities for teachers in the use of ICT’s in a classroom environment. Providing pedagogical training for teachers, rather than simply training them to use ICT tools, is an important issue (Becta, 2004). Cox et al. (1999) argued that if teachers were to be convinced of the value of using ICT in their teaching, their training should focus on the pedagogical issues. The results of the research by Cox et al. (1999) showed that after teachers had attended professional development courses in ICT they still did now know how to use ICT in their classrooms; instead they knew how to run a computer and set up a printer.
4. Technical Support Related Challenges: Without both good technical support in the classroom and whole-school resources, teachers cannot be expected to overcome the barriers preventing them from using ICT. Pelgrum (2001) found that in the view of primary and secondary teachers, one of the top barriers to ICT use in education was lack of technical assistance. Technical support requirements of an institution depend ultimately on what and how technology is deployed and used, general competencies that are required would be in the installation, operation, and maintenance of technical equipment (including software), network administration, and network security. Without on-site technical support, much time and money may be lost due to technical breakdowns.The Becta (2004) report stated, “if there is a lack of technical support available in a school, then it is likely that technical maintenance will not be carried out regularly, resulting in a higher risk of technical breakdowns”. Many of the respondents to Becta’s survey (2004) indicated that technical faults might discourage them from using ICT in their teaching because of the fear of equipment breaking down during a lesson.
5. Language and Content Related Challenges: English is the dominant language of the internet and major software produced in the world market. An estimated 80% of online content is in English. For country like ours where English language proficiency is not high particularly at elementary and secondary level, especially outside metropolitan areas, this represents a serious barrier to maximizing the educational benefits of the World Wide Web.Content development is a critical area that is too often overlooked. The bulk of existing ICT-based educational material is likely to be in English or of little relevance to education in especially at the primary and secondary levels. There is a need to develop original educational content (e.g., radio programs, interactive multimedia learning materials on CD-ROM or DVD, Web-based courses, etc.). These are tasks for which content development specialists such as instructional designers, scriptwriters, audio and video production specialists, programmers, multimedia course authors, and web-developers are needed. Like technical support specialists, content developers are highly skilled professionals and are not historically employed by primary and secondary schools.
Major Concerns
Equity of access, cost-effectiveness, quality, and sustainability are four broad intertwined and overaching concerns which must be addressed while considering the overall impact of the use of ICTs in education. These are presented here briefly.
a. Sustainability of Educational Technology Projects
One aspect of development programs that is often neglected is sustainability. The long history of development aid has shown that too many projects and programs start with a bang but all too soon fade out with a whimper, to be quickly forgotten. This is true for many ICT-based educational projects as well. In many instances, these projects are initiated by third party donors—such as international aid agencies or corporations. Not enough attention is paid to establishing a mechanism by which the educational institution or community involved can pursue the project on its own or in partnership with other stakeholders after the initiating donor exits. But cost and financing are not the only barriers to sustainability. According to Cisler, the sustainability of ICT-enabled programs has four components: social, political, technological, and economic.
· Economic sustainability refers to the ability of a school and community to finance an ICT-enabled programme over the long term. The need to develop multiple channels of financing through community participation.
· Social sustainability is a function of community involvement. The school does not exist in a vacuum, and for an ICT-enabled project to succeed the buy-in of parents, political leaders, business leaders and other stakeholders is essential. In short, a sense of ownership for the project must be developed among all stakeholders for sustainability to be achieved.
· Political sustainability refers to issues of policy and leadership, the innovative nature of ICT-enabled projects, leaders must have a keen understanding of the innovation process, identify the corresponding requirements for successful adoption, and harmonize plans and actions accordingly.
· Technological sustainability involves choosing appropriate technology that will be effective over a long period. In a rapidly changing technology environment, this becomes a particularly tricky issue as planners must contend with the threat of technological obsolescence. At the same time, there is the tendency to acquire only the latest technologies (which is understandable in part because these are the models which vendors are likely to push aggressively). Generally, however, planners should go with tried and tested systems; stability issues plague many of the latest technologies. Again, the rule of thumb is to let the learning objectives drive the technology choice and not vice versa—the latest technologies may not be the most appropriate tools for achieving the desired educational goals.When making technology decisions, planners should also factor in not just costs but also the availability of spare parts and technical support.
b. Equity of Access to Technology
There is a serious concerns that the use of ICTs in education will widen the existing divisions drawn along economic, social, cultural, geographic, and gender lines. 14 percent schools have computer in schools with percentage of such schools as high as 85.88 percent in Chandigarh, 85.84 percent in Delhi, 79.93 percent in Kerala and 89.74 percent in Lakshadweep compared to only 0.68 percent in Bihar and 3.59 percent such schools in Uttar Pradesh (DISE, 2008-09). Thus introduction of ICTs in education, when done without careful deliberation, can result in the further marginalization of those who are already underserved and/or disadvantaged groups (girls, children with special needs). Failure to meet the challenge would mean a further widening of the knowledge gap and the deepening of existing economic and social inequalities which will definitly deprive a large slice of student population to be the part of global community. Though there is some evidence that that educational opportunities are being opened to individuals and groups who are constrained from attending traditional universities at higher education and adult training. Each of the 11 so-called mega-universities, the biggest and most well-established open and distance institutions in the world (which include, the Indira Gandhi National Open University of India, the Open University of the United Kingdom, the China TV University System, the Universitas Terbuka of Indonesia, and the University of South Africa, among others) has an annual enrollment of more than 100,000, and together they serve approximately 2.8 million.
c. Cost effectiveness of Technology
whether ICT is “cost-effective” in educational settings, a definitive conclusion may not be possible for a variety of reasons such as lack of data, differences in programs, problems of generalization, and problems of quantification of educational outcomes and opportunity costs. The introduction of computers represents additional costs for schools, particularly in primary schools where there are no strong curricular arguments for investment in computers. In secondary schools, spending money on computers may be justified by the curriculum but this will come with significant increases in total school expenditure. Data on cost of computer use per student in both primary and secondary schools in fact suggest cost-ineffectiveness. Therefore technology should be available at cost that schools with less funds can also afford it, or else there would be lot of disparity among poor and rich schools. This disparity can now be seen between private and government schools. Educators must also weigh the costs of technology with the costs of other learning materials and program resources to arrive at an appropriate balance for their classrooms.
d. ET Learning Enhance Quality Education Opportunities
Third concerns is that does ICT supported learning enhance the quality of education in general and elementary education in particular. The impact of educational radio and television broadcasts on the quality of basic education remains an under-researched area, but whatever little research has been attempted, it suggests that such interventions are as effective as traditional classroom instruction. Of the many educational broadcast projects, the Interactive Radio Instruction project has been the most comprehensively analyzed. Findings provide strong evidence of the project’s effectiveness in raising the quality of education as demonstrated by increased scores on standardized tests as well as improved attendance. Russell( ), in his comprehensive review of research, claims that there is “no significant difference” between the test scores of learners taking ICT-based distance learning courses and those receiving face-to-face instruction. However, others claim that such generalizations are inconclusive, pointing out that the large number of articles on ICT-based distance learning does not include original experimental research or case studies. There is as yet no strong evidence that this new learning environment fosters improved learning outcomes. What does exist are qualitative data based on observations and analysis of student and teacher perceptions that suggest a positive impact on learning. The use of technology in the curriculum should be based on the needs of the children, the focus of the curriculum, and whether the technology will add to children’s educational opportunities and experiences. The teacher’s role is to create an environment in which children become aware and explore, and then act to support their exploration and inquiry in many different ways. Good pedagogy and sound learning objectives should guide the choice of materials and tools, including technology, to be used in learning activities Bredekamp and Rosegrant, (1994); Davis and Shade (1999).
e. Technology Promotes Social and Interpersonal Relationship
Responsive interactions provide a sense of well-being that enables children to associate with others and participate positively in educational activities. Children need opportunities to interact with the people and objects in their environment, and to learn from their surroundings. Experiences and interactions with peers and adults allow children to construct knowledge of patterns, understanding relationships between objects or events, and learn ways to solve problems. Play is important for social, emotional and intellectual development and, as such, should be included as a vital part of early childhood education. Concerns that technology speeds up the pace of learning and cuts down on childhood can be reduced if playtime is included as an essential part of the children’s daily routine, including any technology use. Used appropriately, computers can be a positive element of children’s play and learning as they explore and experiment (Clements and Nastasi, 1993). Studies show that when computers are located in the classroom, children’s developmental gains from using appropriate software are significantly greater than when they are in a computer laboratory (Davis and Shade, 1999). Therefore, arranging the classroom to allow and encourage conversation around the computers is essential in creating opportunities for student interaction and social behaviour.
f. Technology Accommodates Cultural Diversity
McLuhan (1989) proposed more than ten years ago that we are living in a global village, meaning that we are exposed to a much wider range of experiences and cultures than any previous generation, thanks to the information technology. The current development of a multicultural and networked society (Castells 1998) is leading to a polarisation of local and global cultures, and the localisation of global products. It means that the technology providers, publishers and teachers developing the materials have to be aware of these social aspects which make the materials more suitable for broader markets and diverse customers and students. Designers must choose course content in which the cross-cultural aspects are either of minimal relevance or integral to the content. On the other hand Technology can be used to affirm children’s diversity. Early childhood educators must devote extra efforts to ensure that the software in classrooms reflects and affirms children’s diverse cultures, languages, and ethnic heritages. Like all educational materials, software should reflect the world children live in. It should come in multiple languages, reflect gender equity, contain people of colour and of differing ages and abilities, and portray diverse families and experiences. (Haugland and Shade, 1994).
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