ICT in education
Implementing
information and communications technology (ICT) in education in Nepal is a very
hot topic of discourse these days. The ICT Master plan (2013-17) considers use
of ICT in education as one of the strategies to achieve the broader goals of
education. The recent School Sector Development Plan (SSDP) 2016-23 aims to use
ICT as a significant tool to improve classroom delivery, maximize access to
teaching learning materials and enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of
educational governance and management. But the question is how far we are
implementing ICT for teaching and learning, and how much support we have
received to implement ICT in education.
Whenever
there is a discourse on the use of ICT in education, a very firm image of
barriers gets erected in our minds. A teacher or any learner immediately begins
to talk about lack of ICT-related physical infrastructure. But again, the
question is this: Are we using ICT in teaching and learning the way we are
expected to use it owing to lack of infrastructure? From my observation of ICT
use in Nepal and the developed countries, and my study of some literature, this
question calls for a critical assessment.
Web
applications
If
university professors and senior and junior school teachers can use social media
platforms like Facebook, Twitter and others pretty much effectively to meet
their purposes, can’t they use web applications created for educational
purposes for teaching and learning? Can’t they use free web applications such
as Edmodo (learning management tool), Kahoot and Socrative (quiz tools) and so
on in their own classrooms? Will there be still some barriers, for instance,
internet connectivity and lack of other ICT devices? Can they use these
applications reasonably with the available resources in their setting? To me,
these questions directly question the existing ICT policy and use of ICT in
education, and demand further research. Therefore, they cannot be answered
immediately here.
Nevertheless,
through my own practice, observation and study, I can state that we might cite
lack of ICT infrastructure as an excuse for not using ICT in education, which
US professor Peggy A Ertmer calls a first-order barrier. The major barrier can
be the users’ lack of confidence and knowledge about using it, which she calls
a second-order barrier. In Nepal, the second-order barrier may be playing a
more crucial role than the first-order barrier. It is not that our teachers
aren’t using technology in their classrooms because there is no ICT
infrastructure. It could be that they need some ‘how tos’ to use the web
applications and resources in the current pedagogical setting. Here’s a very
basic example: If a teacher is connected to a cellular network which he uses
frequently to check status posts on Facebook, he also can use it to check
his Edmodo, a learning management tool.
Teachers
can provide notes and assignments through this platform. They will enjoy
exploring in the course of teaching and learning, and make learners explore
further. And as regards learners, they can check the notes and assignments at
home through the resources available in their own places. In some contexts
where ICT infrastructure is almost non-existent, the above example can be an
ideal thought. Nevertheless, in a majority of teaching-learning contexts, it
seems pragmatic and therefore, applicable due to wide coverage of cellular
networks and easy availability of smart phones and their high use.
For
this to happen, we need to be in a position to raise awareness among our
teachers about how the available ICT resources can be used in the present
setting. Then our teachers will not be able to give the excuse of lack of
infrastructure for not using the technology. They will also be able to instruct
the learners as per their interest. Learners of this age group become motivated
when they find a learning ambience where ICT is integrated.
This
definitely does not mean that we should always compromise on resources, and
that we should not build ICT infrastructure. We have to enhance them, and in
the meantime, keep working with the available resources so that our entire
education system is not left behind compared to the global modern education
system. Now the question is who will raise awareness among the teachers on the
use of the available ICT resources for teaching and learning.
For
the answer, we need to run regular robust practice-oriented and academic
discourses, and identify the experts among us who can shoulder the
responsibility of being in a big community of practitioners and sharing their
insights with colleagues. Merely waiting for advanced technological support and
infrastructure is not the solution. Actually, it can be a big excuse which
eventually turns into a barrier. We need to act from the place where we are
now.
Teach
the teachers
No
doubt, there are some privately-run organizations which are developing
contextual digital teaching learning materials. But again, the matter is how
far we are using them and other freely available resources. Probably not to the
extent expected by our policies. Therefore, it’s high time we instilled
confidence in our teachers to use technology effectively.
They
might need some very basic training, and the pedagogical benefits of the
potential web applications need to be clearly explained to them so that
they can comprehend the purpose of their use. We have numerous challenges, no
doubt, and the roads ahead are uneven; but at the same time, we have
opportunities to try them in a different way that suits our local context by
acknowledging our contextual limitations. ICT in education should not always be
a big buzz word in academia; it should be our practice which needs some
substantial research to see where exactly we stand.