THIRD POSTING - IMPACTS OF USING ICT AND WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION

Good day everyone! Welcome back! Well, let me give you guys a brief information about this task. This task is my third posting which discusses about the impact of information and communication technology (ICT) in few aspects. This informations are based on my findings done in Perpustakaan Tun Sri Lanang (PTSL) - electronic journal. My findings are based on few sites such as SCOPUS, EBSHOST and Pro Quest. To make it easier, you should click on the specific field and it will take you to those references. Just bring yourself to click on the given space about the topic. Within few seconds, you are able to get the information.

ICT has loads of definitions by its own. Based on the link below, http://searchciomidmarket.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid183_gci928405,00.html. ICT is defined as an umbrella term that includes any communication device or application, encompassing: radio, television, cellular phones, computer and network hardware and software, satellite systems and so on, as well as the various services and applications associated with them, such as videoconferencing and distance learning. ICTs are often spoken of in a particular context, such as ICTs in education, health care, or libraries. The importance of ICTs lies less in the technology itself than in its ability to create greater access to information and communication in underserved populations. Many countries around the world have established organizations for the promotion of ICTs, because it is feared that unless less technologically advanced areas have a chance to catch up, the increasing technological advances in developed nations will only serve to exacerbate the already-existing economic gap between technological "have" and "have not" areas.

ICT is always connected to the technology and I have to say that without it, we are nothing. Almost each single thing we do now is depending on the technology existence. Wonder where and how we would be without them! The existence is so very important and it cannot be neglected by any means. Based on the wikipedia, technology is defined as a broad concept that deals with a species' usage and knowledge of tools and crafts, and how it affects a species' ability to control and adapt to its environment. In human society, it is a consequence of science and engineering, although several technological advances predate the two concepts.

I choose to explain on the impact of using ICT in education. Education scope over here is very general and wide. Here, I am going to explain in detail about everything you guys should know about the effects of ICT in education. ICT has benefits the students in many ways. There are few websites that I have worked on in order to come up with a brief explanation about the effects. One of it focuses on the effects in science education.

Teaching process with the use of ICT has developed changes in few aspects which include the process characteristics, what knowledge and skill were learnt and how it changed their organization, compiled under one by observations, interviews and also document analysis. Reviews such as lab stimulators, various software, sensors, graphic calculator, electronic blackboards and not forgetting the Internet. The Internet is a worldwide collection of networks that link millions of businesses, government agencies, educational institutions and individuals.

Each of the networks on the Internet provides resources that add to the abundance of goods, services and information accessible via the Internet. Through the Internet, the society or better still the students has access to global information and instant communications which certainly helps the students to perform much better in their studies. These teaching strategies used by them for active, authentic, collaborative, constructive and reflective learning. Through the usage of ICT, the teachers perform better lessons, lab exercises and assessment tools. Apart from that, the students showed more motivation, participation, collaboration and learning. Students were said to expand their knowledge in study area. All these happen for one main reason and that is to look ahead the existence and even the instructions are said to be equipped with technological skills.

On the other website, different prospective can be seen. Reports on the outcomes of a British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (BECTA) carried out a study which emphasizes the views of teacher trainees and their mentors in two different school subjects on what strategies, inventions and resources had a positive impact on their ability to use ICT effectively in subject teaching. All the focuses, studies done on the importance of progression in the ability to organize ICT effectively in subject teaching. It has been said that those entering the teacher profession in the United Kingdom should be able to use new technology effectively. One of the aims of the study is to see the impact of ICT on teaching and learning processes between one subject and another. The usefulness of ICT will vary according to the nature of the school subject to ideas about the nature of the subject discipline and to views about the purposes of inflicting the subject on young people.

Presence of ICT can be seen in integrated learning packages such as ‘Research Machines’ Success Makers Software. These software shows that there are certain increasement in moving students forward in mathematics. Similarly, we should know the situation that has face by the instructors before technology usages seen clearly. Downes survey reported that almost half of the trainees surveyed did not use computer. Not only that, also in the report written by Her Majesty’s Inspectors in schools found that only 6 % of new teachers used computers even once in the year of teaching (HML, 1998). Mary associated research had been done to show the growth of ICT in education. Research done by the National Council for Education Technology reported that some attribution of ICT were well suited to enhancing learning in particular school subjects, data logging in science and databases in history.

Several examples of ICT usages can be detected. Usages of laptop computers have showed the use of ICT. One can access to the Internet at any time of the day with wireless connection. Life made easier when the laptops can be connected to the projector easily and without any complications. Apart from that, ICT has said to boast student’s confidence about the study. Some teachers felt that classroom that uses ICT, such as computer and data projector, offered a more helpful route in many matters. Helping the lessons to be more efficient and attractive also proves the impact of ICT in education. Impacts of using ICT have also improved student learning outcomes and students’ attitude to work in certain subjects.

The other part of the focus is on the impact of ICTs on higher educational sector. As we all know, there are no longer varsities that are not using the technology devices. ICT are currently used for research, for networking and for teaching and finally learning purposes. ICT will enlarge the possibilities for connection between varsities and at the same time give students who are unable to find facilities to travel an opportunity to benefit themselves from that. To be more precise, in 1922 Thomas Edison predicated that “the motion picture is destined to revolutionize our educational system… and in after years if will support largely, if not entirely, the use of textbook.” (Dreyfus 2001:27) claims on the potentials of ICT for education and development need critical experiment. The World Wide Web or known as the Internet is widely increasing among everyone and this can be viewed at this website http://www.mediafire.com/?ixnz2iqy141. Data is shown in a table format. You are required to download it in order to view the data.

By looking at the data, I can safely say that the ICT has improved many people at an alarming rate. Though the Internet, there are loads of stuffs that one can use to develop knowledge and improve insights in certain fields but the question is how many of them really do that? Wikatmojo expresses his concern about the future whereby students will be more prone to use the Internet for fun, like chatting and surfing the porn sites and has also said that recently some of them uses the Internet to hack and buy products illegally.

Along with that, the ICT has connected to the teaching that makes it much more interesting. We cannot deny the fact that nowadays teaching incorporates some of the technologies that has made teaching more easier. Just take a look at the last years where the teachers teach the students by just using a blackboard. Any important data or shall I say information from the Internet cannot be viewed and students knowledge about it would be very limited. Not only that, images and graphics regarding the study in that matter cannot be showed to them. All they can do is to teach them with by using just paper and notes without having sufficient notes.

If we were to take a look at West, the Internet is increasingly being used in teaching. The usage of Internet will be used more frequent and widely to get source of information. Varsities are no longer using blackboard as a medium to teach and this disinterest might emerged from the importance of Internet. Through the existence of Internet, it also makes certain contras to some. Dreyfus for example, argues that distance learning creates more problems to the younger generation, especially students.

Distance learning makes it harder for both students and teachers from the most essential element of education embodied human contact (2001). Apart from that, a study on distance learning in United Kingdom articulates several problems. Problems that involve high cost of expenses, level of skills required and the challenging patterns of styles required. Here, the students are compared to the electronic pets (Tamagotchi’s) that required constant and labor-intensive care (Miller et al 2001).

At these days, the electronic mail (email) has become the most element of ICT in teaching. This is because it enhances students contact between them. Email is used by everyone in this century and I have to say it makes everything possible. Students that are involved in tasks and assignments do not have trouble themselves to print out those sheets in order to hand in. All they have to do is just hand in through online. That is what all of us are doing! Not only time consuming but it is also very convenient.

That is about the information technology. As for the wireless technology, it is said to be very prominent nowadays. The wireless technology has come into its own and has created a very big impact towards the society. In this section, I am going to concentrate on the education aspect. For the varsity students, wireless technology has become so transparent in so many ways. It does not matter whether it includes the hand phones, Wi-Fi networking for laptops, tablet PC or even personal digital assistants (PDA).

According to Wikipedia, tablet PC is a notebook or also known as a slate-shaped mobile computer. This tablet PC was introduced by Pen Computing in the early 90s. Tablet PC has a touch screen or also known as graphics tablet allows the user to operate the computer with a stylus or digital pen, or a fingertip, instead of a keyboard or mouse. For further information about Tablet PC can be viewed at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tablet_PC.

PDA is a handheld computer. They were designed as personal organizers whereby all the tasks can be done in a very appropriate manner. There are few features of PDAs. The basic features include a date book, address book, task list and memo pad. Data that is stored into the PDA can be done by using a desktop computer. Communication to PDAs is provided by the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN). More details about PDAs can be viewed at: http://www.pdaed.com/vertical/tutorials/whatispda.xml.

Basically all the telecommunication courses are incorporating the wireless technology in their study. In addition to that, some varsities have made some commitment by establishing wireless programs and provide significant hands-on laboratory experience with the course work. One of these applications can be seen in the University of South Florida when it required students from the Electrical Engineering course to take up a two credit wireless and microwave laboratory course.

In conclusion, we can say that either the information technology or wireless technology has brought upon several importances and created a positive impact to many of them. The existence of these both features has created an impact on education which makes it more outstanding that before. Though some may think that the ICT and wireless technology have contras in few of the application, the postive impact still wins. What matters here is how you take it and apply those features in daily lives.

References on this information can be viewed at the websites below:

http://www.infomuworld.com/smpp/content

http://www.springerlink.com/content/j340w01503830r35/fulltext.html

http://www.springerlink.com/content/r777x6072773u667/fulltext.html

http://www.springerlink.com/content/pq66400qh831n143/fulltext.html

http://www.scopus.com/scopus/record/display.url?view=basic&eid=2-s2.0-

Any doubts about the impacts of using ICT and wireless technology in education can be clarified at the websites above. Hope you guys have a brief knowledge on what is posted. Feel free to leave your comments. Thank you!