Background On IT In Education

Information technology is playing a critical role in developing educational systems. There are different ways of accessing resources of learning which contributes to increasing the level of education. 

There are different ways of learning anywhere and anytime such as using E-learning. Integration of technology can bring equality as it accommodates different people (disabled people included), so as to easily access relevant resources.

Distance learning can also contribute to the quality of education; people can do online courses. Communication channels in education are one of the virtual interactions that allow an increase in efficiency within different institutions. This blog will discuss the methods of using and accessing resources of learning.

As technology becomes more advanced, information technology ensures improvement in educational systems. Educational systems could prove to be less time consuming in processing and collecting information. The incorporation of  IT in education improves the quality of education and makes it more effective. 

The convenient and immediate access to information provided by information technology has been helpful in the improving of education through the introduction of collaborative learning.

Collaborative learning is efficient and communication between users can be more direct. Educational systems provided by information technology have made a great change for users by creating an equilibrium on the learning field. 

Author : Adelia Mokhera

Editor  : Daryl Kekana   

IT in Education Survey

Introduction

The aim of the survey was to determine how effective IT in education is in today’s youth. The questions were set out in a way that would help us see how much knowledge the 21^st century generation knows about IT, and how they can actually incorporate in in education.  In our blog, we speak about how to make the most out of IT in education.  This would result in educating the youth around us on the different aspects of technology and its resources.

Target group

Our survey was created with the intention of students, from schools and universities, to answer. Students ranging between the ages of 15 to 24 years old completed the survey. However, any person would be able to answer it due to the simplicity of the questions and the layout whereby it was created.

Method used

The questions were based on contributions from all group members. The survey was created using a free online survey creator, known as Survey Monkey. It took the recipients more or less, 40 seconds to complete it. The following link was sent to all the students who answered it: 
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DPVPYFP

Survey Results

 

   Do you think that it is necessary for all schools to have access to technology?

Out of the 60 people surveyed, 1 person skipped the question. 52 people agreed that it is necessary, 4 people said maybe and 3 people disagreed.

      How has information technology been integrated into your classroom?

Out of the 60 people surveyed, 1 person skipped the question. 33 people said that digital projectors were implemented into their classrooms, 31 people said they integrated e-learning into their learning routine and 29 people said they used laptops as well as computers.

Additional comments were given by people such as additional learning materials are acquired from online platforms and white boards, tablets, digital dictionaries as well as smart phones are used in the classroom. One person said that technology is not integrated in their classroom.

      Do you think that you are computer literate?

Out of the 60 people surveyed, 40 people said that they had an adequate amount of skills, 14 people said they had basic skills and 6 people agreed to being computer literate.

       In your opinion, what do you think are the greatest challenges facing IT in education?

Out of the 60 people surveyed, 1 person skipped the question. 32 people said that there is a lack of knowledge of resources that are available to them, 27 people said access to these resources is difficult and 26 people said there are not enough resources for everyone.

Additional comments were given by people such as the fact that there is a lack of funding and insufficient IT user support to cope with technical problems.

       How has information technology affected academic performance?

Out of the 60 people surveyed, 1 person skipped the question. 28 people said that they used it to gain additional resources for a better understanding of a topic, 26 said it aided them with their homework and assignments and 5 people said it was a distraction.

One person said that it revolutionized their teaching-learning lifestyle positively. 

Recommendation and Conclusion

From the survey above, we have deduced the following:
Implementing information technology in education will be difficult as the infrastructure required for it to work correctly is not readily available.
The knowledge required for the system to operate properly is limited to basic knowledge or no knowledge at all.
Therefore we can conclude that it is best that the integration of technology in education be kept at a minimal.

Collaborative Learning

Collaborative learning is an educational approach to teaching and learning that involves groups of students working together to solve a problem, complete a task, or create a product. An approach to collaborative learning can be done through the use of multiple technological devices.

As it stands, smartphones and tablets are the best tools to use. These devices can load standard programs like chrome book and one note but are simplistic and portable technological devices, which can easily substitute for textbooks at the students’ convenience. These devices allow for audio-visuals, immediate Internet access, teacher-peer interactions and effectively connect the students onto one learning platform controlled by the educator. At the moment there is a hole to be filled in South Africa’s education system, a hole created by unqualified and unmotivated teachers. This hole can be filled through technology, where students can immense themselves in the endless knowledge that exists globally, thus further increasing students’ educational interests and giving everyone the access to a world class education.

The main advantages of using technology for collaborative learning are: Learning is made more easy and is more efficient, less paper is required which is beneficial for the environment, students have a wider platform to further acquire their information, tasks and assignments are sent and submitted in a more efficient and affluent manner. Communication between teachers and students can be more direct and further engaging to ensure that all students understand the material at hand. The acquiring of technological skills can be both useful and the key to educational efficiency.

Collaborative learning using technology is taking its steps globally, however once incorporated properly, technology can prove to be a turning and an equilibrium point in the educational system; not only in South Africa, but globally too.

Author : Daryl Kekana
Editor  : Musa Rikhotso

References

1. (Unknown) CL1 - More Information: What is Collaborative Learning?. 2016. CL1 - More Information: What is Collaborative Learning?. [ONLINE] Available at: http://archive.wceruw.org/cl1/cl/moreinfo/MI2A.htm. [Accessed 27 April 2016].

2. (unknown) Why Some Schools Are Selling All Their iPads - The Atlantic. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/08/whats-the-best-device-for-interactive-learning/375567/. [Accessed 28 April 2016].

3.Stewart, A, 2013. Tablet PC use in teaching and learning: A case study. Thesis, 1, 2-10.

4.Anon, 2016. news & tips. [online] HotChalk Lesson Plans Page. Available at: <http://lessonplanspage.com/using-smartphones-and-other-pdas-in-class-these-days-its-cool/> [Accessed 28 Apr. 2016].

Communication Channels in Education

Communication channels are media used for the transfer of information both within an organization and externally amongst other organizations.

In an increasingly technological world, various forms of communication channels are being used within the education sector. Emails, apps, websites, open course ware, etcetera are being utilized by primary, secondary and tertiary educational institutions to communicate with both the learners and their respective parents.

This type of virtual interaction allows for an increase in efficiency within the institution. Homework, assignments and notifications can be communicated across a broader spectrum and with minimal effort required.  These communication channels could also be used for communique between employees with relation to specific tasks at hand.

However, not all students and/or parents have access to these online communication channels, putting them at a disadvantage. 

OpenCourseWare

OpenCourseWare (OCW) describes free, online university-level courses made available by various tertiary educational institutions. These courses are accessible to anyone at any given time via the internet.

A number of the top universities have put some of their courses online for public usage. This includes the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford and Harvard.

OCW has the potential to provide a tertiary education to those unable to receive one otherwise. It also enables students to have a wider variety of resources, bettering their understanding of the course material.

Although OCW provides the necessary materials required to further a person’s understanding of a topic, it does not award any form of qualifications and solely depends on the individual’s desire to learn. It is also dependent on the individual’s access to the internet. This can prove to be troublesome for many. 

Author : Kimone Naidu
Editor  : Devona Mudaly

References: 

Communication Channels [Online] Available from: http://mangementchallenge.weebly.com/communication-channels.html [Accessed 25 April 2016]

Slideshare(2012) What is OpenCourseWare? [Online] Available from: http://www.slideshare.net/stephanieverbeken/presentation-opencourseware-ku-leuven-on-diverse-2012?next_slideshow=1  [Accessed 25 April 2016]

Communication Channels in an Organisation (2015)[Online] Available from: http://study.com/academy/lesson/communication-channels-in-an-organization-types-definition-examples.html [Accessed 27 April 2016]

Wikipedia (2012) Opencourseware [Online] Available from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenCourseWare  [Accessed 26 April 2016]

Open.edu: Top 10 Open Courseware Collections (2010) [Online] Available from:  http://onlineuniversityrankings2010.com/2010/open-edu-top-50-university-open-courseware-collections/  [Accessed 28 April 2016]

Updated Educational Information Including Online Libraries

Up-to-date information is easily found these days. Effortlessly, one can have the most recent information relevant to them at their fingertips. This is all possible with the help of Information Technology (IT). 
IT provides a basis for online libraries which are easily accessible that anyone can have information in no time. It serves as a resource for people to get up-to-date information. Therefore, one can educate themselves through the internet without any actual help from a physical institution or teacher. 
WITS itself uses an online library service for students who need quick access to textbooks for assignments, work etc.

IT in education is becoming more common and actually a “need” nowadays. Students, teachers, alumni and more use technology to make their learning and teaching more efficient, thus making their lives easier. In education, people can access the internet and other resources such as e-books, videos, websites, news etc. that assist them in learning in an environment that interests them.

Work can get done quickly and accurately and skills are learnt by using IT in education.  For example, the SA iPads for schools project gives students a chance to use technology in the classroom, thus assisting them in their future careers.

However, the question remains; how do we know if this information is up-to-date or not? The internet is a vast source of information that is either factual, false, opinion-based etc. There is no way of knowing what is really up-to-date and relevant to us. An example is that of wikis since many of them are opinion-based and anyone can edit it.

In my opinion, even though one has so much access to resources such as books from online libraries, one must make their own decision to sort out this information through instinct and skill which can be developed through more practice. IT has its pros and cons but I believe it can make the world a better place for humanity.

Author : Zainab Mohammed

Editor  : Adelia Mokhera

Links and References:

http://www.core.co.za/ipad-education/

https://prezi.com/mbovazewn3g9/edtech-9-useful-educational-tools-to-engage-communicate-and-keep-up-to-date-in-the-academic-environment/

http://www.wales.ac.uk/en/OnlineLibrary/OnlineLibrary.aspx

WikiEducator (2009) Need and importance of IT in education [Online] Available from:

http://wikieducator.org/Need_and_Importance_of_Information_Technology_in_Education  [Accessed 25^th April 2016]

Fedena (2015) Role of IT in education [Online] Available from:

http://www.fedena.com/blog/2015/10/the-role-of-information-technology-in-education.html  [Accessed 25^th April 2016]

Open University (2010) What is the online library? [Online] Available from:

http://www.open.ac.uk/library/library-videos/what-is-the-online-library  [Accessed 26^th April 2016] 

Access To Variety Of Learning Resources And Immediacy To Information

Access to variety of learning resources :

Being a part of the technological age, IT is helpful as it provides plenty of resources to advance the teaching skills and learning ability of learners. With the aid of IT, it is easier  to create different forms of teaching, for example; audio visual education.

The resources for learning are being improved and expanded in such a way that now with these vivid and vast techniques forming part of the IT curriculum, students can now regard computers as tools to be used in almost all aspects of their studies.

Learners are encouraged to make use of the newer multimedia technologies to communicate ideas, describe projects, and order information in their work.

Immediacy to information :

IT has provided immediacy to education in a way that the pace of importing knowledge, from computers and web networks, are very fast and one can be educated anywhere at any time.

Newer technologies are being introduced into well-established patterns of working and living without drastically changing them. For example, the traditional office, with secretaries working at keyboards and notes being written on paper and manually exchanged, has remained remarkably stable, even if personal computers have replaced typewriters.

Author : Alecia Ellan
Editor  : Kimone Naidu

References:

WikiEducator (2009) Need and importance of IT in education [Online] Available from: http://wikieducator.org/Need_and_Importance_of_Information_Technology_in_Education [Accessed 27th April 2016]

Wikipedia (2016) Universal access to education [Online] Available from: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_access_to_education

[Accessed 27th April 2016]

NAGT (2015) Immediacy in the Classroom: Research and Practical Implications [Online] Available from: http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/affective/immediacy.html

[Accessed 27th April 2016]


Links:

• http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/online/index.htm
• https://www.coursera.org/course/ictinprimary

Distance Learning

Distance learning can also be defined as asynchronous learning. Distance and asynchronous learning is for students who want to study from home or abroad. Massive open online courses are being offered on the internet, providing inter-active participation between students and lecturers. Distance learning has become popular, by virtual schools and universities offering their curriculum and course materials online. 
Distance learning utilizes interactive radio instruction (IRI), interactive audio instruction (IAI), online virtual worlds, webinars, e-mails and webcasts, all of which are referred to as e-Learning.  Many online and open schools and universities use a “self-paced delivery” which allows for learners to accomplish the completion of the course in accordance with their time, skill and commitment levels. In addition, the benefits of distance education is, it allows for a flexible scheduling structure, minimizing time constraints which may be imposed by personal responsibilities, or if an individual is working and studying simultaneously. 
Distance learning minimizes the need for institutional buildings and infrastructure. Distance education has been a more cost-effective form of learning, and can sometimes save students a significant amount of money as opposed to traditional education. And lastly by being involved in global institutions, the learner is able to communicate with a variety of individuals who contain different backgrounds which could positively impact on their learning process, as they are able to combine new opinions with their own. 
The disadvantages of distance learning are that it could provide obstacles such as distractions due to the lack of discipline that traditional education provides. The lack of reliable technology could negatively impact a learners learning process. The lack of advanced technology skills can lead to an unsuccessful experience. And lastly, students become comfortable with communicating online, but however find it difficult to socialize in real life, which may negatively impact them.

Author :Devona Mudaly

Editor  : Zainab Bibi Mohammed

References:

Distance Education 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distance_education 
[Accessed on 24 April 2016] [ONLINE]

Trends in distance education research 
[Accessed on 26 April 2016 [ONLINE] 
https://www.academia.edu/11056576/Trends_in_Distance_Education_Research_A_Content_Analysis_of_Journals_2009-2013

The Distance Education Accrediting Commission

www.deac.org/ [Accessed on 25 April 2016] [ONLINE]

Promotion Of Anywhere And Anytime Learning Via e-Learning

E-learning stands for electronic learning. This encompasses the collaboration of technology in the classroom but moreover in education as a whole. With e-learning an educator is able to deliver part or all of their lesson via the internet and the student then has access to it anytime and anywhere as long as they have a reliable internet connection.

It has not been easy trying to incorporate technology into the learning routines of learners. A number of challenges have risen such as the following:

• There is a lack of motivation on the part of students due to the fact they need to be have a drive in them that enables them to actually do the work.
• Contrary to popular belief that students need to be tech savvy in order for them to use the interfaces that come with e-learning, students actually just need to know they basics as they can be taught how to use the interfaces. The real work lies with the instructors. The instructors need to make the interfaces simple but meaningful.

With disadvantages and challenges comes benefits. The following are the benefits:

• It is cost and time effective.
• Students are able to track their progress and work on more exercises by themselves if they need help.
• It is more discreet thus making students more comfortable with regards to interacting with their teachers.
• Teachers are able to teach each student at different paces because they can deal with each students individually.

There have been a lot of discussions when it comes to e-learning as a whole because learning institutions are slowly moving away from paper-based learning to electronic learning for a number of reasons. This transition has brought about blended learning. Blended learning is the combination of technology and face-to-face teaching. In this way, the teacher still interacts with the students majority of the time.

Author : Kanyisa Kabane

Editor  : Tanki Mphatsoa

Bibliography:

https://sites.google.com/a/ccpsnet.net/anytime-anywhere-learning/i-m-a-parent/benefits

http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2013/jun/19/technology-future-education-cloud-social-learning

http://elearningindustry.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-online-learning

http://elearningindustry.com/5-common-elearning-challenges-overcome

http://www.virtual-college.co.uk/elearning/elearning.aspx

How IT Can Make Learning Fun

It is important for learning to be made interesting because most learners tend to lose concentration if what they are being taught isn’t captivating. So how do we make the classroom interesting?

Information technology is the key to fun classrooms. Several professors who focus on visual literacy have conducted a study that proves that our brains store information in long term memory when we are shown the information as opposed to reading the information. Teachers can take advantage of this fact and apply the theory in the classroom. Videos are one way of making the most of this. They can be accessed on YouTube since almost any topic is covered there.  Alternatively, teachers can just make the videos themselves. Video games are fun and the good news is that they can also be educational, covering a variety of subjects. Social media is also a good tool when it comes to making learning fun. It provides platforms such as blogs and vlogs for students and teachers to interact outside the class room. Classroom participation is also a way of keeping learners interested, so introducing clickers is a good way of initiating participation, learners can answer clicker questions that way you can also tell what area they are lacking in. For the schools with little resources, simple power point presentations can be made more interesting by pictures that relate to the topic.

Thanks to information technology and these helpful hints the phrase “School is fun” will no longer be a myth.

Author : Tanki Mphatsoa

Editor  : Kanyisa Kabane

References:

http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/11/04/how-the-power-of-interest-drives-learning/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_educational_video_games

http://www.washington.edu/teaching/teaching-resources/engaging-students-in-learning/teaching-with-technology-2/

http://www.gov.pe.ca/newsroom/index.php?number=1047927&lang=E

Access To Education For Disabled Children Through IT

Information technology has brought drastic changes in the life of disabled children. IT provides various applications and resources to educate children with disabilities.

Research shows that unless provided early with special training(using IT), people profoundly deaf from birth are incapable of learning to speak and that a delay in learning language may cause a child's academic progress to be slower than that of children who can hear.

The academic lag tends to be cumulative, so that a deaf adolescent may be four or more academic years behind his or her hearing peers.

Deaf children who receive early language stimulation through sign language and IT however generally achieve academically alongside their hearing peers.
So we can say these children have better access to education through IT.

This implies that the integration of IT in teaching is a central quality in the educational system, more especially for the disabled.

There are two equally important reasons for integrating IT in teaching. Pupils must become familiar with the use of IT, since almost all jobs in the society of the future will depend on it, and it must be used in teaching to make learning more effective especially for the disabled.
Thus we all have a better and equal access to education, all thanks to IT.

Author : Musa Rikhotso
Editor : Daryl Kekana

References:

1. Use of ICT in Teacher Education Article by MP Barodiya, 2015

2. Special Educational Needs and Disability: The Basics by Janice Wearmouth, Chapter 1

3. Deaf-blind infants and Children: A Developmental Guide by John M Mcinnes, Jacquelyn A Treffry Chapter 1.

4. Neuroplasticity. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuroplasticity [Accessed 24 Apr. 2016]