Hello everyone! In this wonderful week, I have given another task by my lecturer to write about the impacts of using ICT or wireless technology in various field such as in society, education, business, health and computer assisted language learning: applications and prospects. In this given list, I have decided to write and discuss about “The impact of using ICT and wireless technology in Education” for my assignment in third posting. Based on all my researches and findings from five references such as SCORPUS, ProQuest, EBSCOhost, Computer Database and LISAnet at Tun Sri Lanang Library (PTSL)in UKM, it is really proven that technology (ICT) has a tremendous impact and role in education. ICT (information and communications technology - or technologies) is 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.
In the field of education, technology is playing a significant role in various aspects including teaching and learning process,data keeping, presentations in various occations such as meetings, seminars, forums and others.In other word,education without technology is merely lame. Besides that,the use of information technology in education and training has undergone several paradigm shifts over the last three decades. Very recently the notions of e-learning (learning supported by digital electronic tools and media) and m-learning (e-learning using mobile devices and wireless transmission) have emerged. These terms are often associated with a simplistic understanding of facilitating learning by delivering learning content. Content delivery using mobile devices has had some successes, for example the BBC’s ‘Bitesized revision’ materials delivered via SMS to mobile phones. The learning was facilitated by delivering content to students however, it was structured to encourage students to discuss the content. Other content-led m-learning possibilities include ‘just-in-time’ training in specific skills (such as how to operate a machine). So content delivery to mobile devices may well have a useful place in m-learning, however, there is an imperative to move from a view of e- and m-learning as solely delivery mechanisms for content. In this view, the learner is just a special type of customer and the learning content is another type of e-commerce product. This simplistic view ignores the fact that modern education and pedagogy, irrespective of different background theories and schools of thought, converge in their high valuation of active, productive, creative and collaborative learning methods much beyond the ‘absorption’ of codified information.
Moreover,ICT is supporting tools in learning process and particularly collaborative learning scenarios. These technologies offer the possibility of moving away from the stand-alone computer, thus allowing interaction with several devices and making information accessible through a wireless connection to a server. These technologies offer new opportunities for individuals who require information especially in the field of education. Therefore, many researchers as well as academicians are currently exploring the potential of mobile and wireless devices for supporting their learning and teaching processes.
In addition to the above fact, the usage of ICT has a decisive impact on the expectations of the design and the use of new mobile and wireless technologies in education. With the help of the newly invented technologies the objectives in the field of education; especially in teaching and learning process the quality of the service is optimised in terms of availability across time and space or in terms of multimedia support. Of course, improvements on these scales can also able to create interest using the technology with a distinct orientation.
Besides that, if these new technologies are used to support active and collaborative forms of learning and teaching process in education, there will be no doubt that computing devices allow for exploratory activities not bound to a special location, for example field trips, without losing the potential of taking electronic notes and retrieving information of various types. Such notes, ranging from data collections and digital images to handwritten annotations, can be easily exchanged and downloaded.These activities can be continuously monitored and coordinated between places, even in classrooms and training settings with more or less fixed locations, the use of mobile and wireless technologies may lead to substantial changes as small handheld or embedded devices are no longer dominating the interaction in the way that an explicit computer does. This can help us to move the technology to the background and to set the focus more on interpersonal relations and on the task at hand.
Furthermore, the approaches of learning with the use of the newest technology in the most creative and innovative ways has a great impact in the teaching process. The point is that the learning environment, including such aspects as the roles of learners and teachers, types of activities and physical settings, should not be adapted to the available technology but vice versa. The technology should be designed for and adapted to the learning needs with the hope that better technology should adapt and serve better. For intance, bluetooth is a data communication system increasingly provided in PDAs and mobile phones, giving reasonably high speed communication (up to 720 kilobits/ s) over short distances (up to 10 m. Whereas,GPS A system using satellites to provide positioning information, now with an accuracy of 5–10 m. Can be used to provide Location Based Services (LBS), such as showing where the user is located on a map, providing directions, or to sending information relevant to the location (such as a tourist guide). An extension of GPS, called Differential GPS (DGPS), can give an accuracy of about 2 m. GPRS is also a method of sending data to and from mobile phones, by producing ‘packets’ of data that are transmitted via the GSM system. The differences from GSM are that data can be sent about 10 times faster, and that the user only pays for each packet sent or received rather than for the time spent connected. GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) the digital voice telephony system used for mobile phones in more than 100 countries and the de facto standard in Europe and Asia. Designed for voice communications, it can also be used for slow speed (9.6 kilobits/ s) data connections.
In addition, IrDA A standard defined by the Infrared Data Association to transfer data between computers without cables, via infrared light. The data rate can be up to 16 megabits/s but the devices must be within clear line of sight and less than about 2 m apart. Can also be used to remote control devices and LAN (Local area network) An interconnection of computers within a restricted area such as a campus or school, usually with high speed connections of 10 or 100 megabits/ s. Usually requires cables between each computer, though wireless LANs are becoming more common.PDA (Personal Digital Assistant - sometimes called Handheld). A handheld computer, originally focused on supporting mobile office needs such as finding contacts or managing a diary, now with a broader range of personal tools. Some provide communication through GPRS or WLAN. Its data can be synchronised with a desktop computer or network. SMS (Short Message Service)or system used for sending text messages between mobile phones. The message length is limited to 160 characters.
MMS Multimedia Messaging Service. An extension of SMS for sending multimedia messages, such as pictures and graphics. Besides that, Tablet PC It has the power and functionality of a conventional laptop computer, coupled with a fold-flat or detachable touch-sensitive screen. Has the ability to record handwritten notes and diagrams.at last, WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) A method for delivering worldwide web information to mobile phones. It uses a version of the HTML web description language, WML, designed to describe pages of content for delivery over slow speed connections and display on devices with small screens and one-hand navigation without a keyboard. The need for WAP is now reduced, with new handheld devices able to display normal HTML web pages.
The considerable investment that has gone into introducing ICT into schools hardware, software, networking and staff development, It will be deemed worthwhile if there is evidence that it has made a commensurate impact on the performance levels and progress of pupils. In drawing conclusions from the available literature, it is necessary to acknowledge the extent and nature of the evidence available. The usage of ICT able to create motivation. At present the evidence on attainment is somewhat inconsistent, although it does appear that, in some contexts, with some pupils, in some disciplines, attainment has been enhanced. There is a need for more systematically gathered evidence although it is already apparent that, where ICT has been successfully embedded in the classroom experience.
In addition ICT also has created independence in learning. In which Understanding of the extent to which ICT can support creativity, including critical thinking skills and problem solving abilities, is developing, although some of the evidence appears contradictory. In the studies encountered, positive findings were associated with a range of technologies, particularly those with strong visual elements such as digital video, drama-oriented software and multimedia presentations. In general, impact is most clearly observed where tasks have clear educational aims, are designed to maximize the potential of the ICT in use and are perceived as purposeful by pupils.
Moreover, some areas of the curriculum have been the focus of considerable ICT development. Apart from initiatives to support literacy and numeracy, evidence of positive impact has been reported in mathematics, modern foreign languages, science, history, geography, physical education and the creative arts.There has been considerable development in the provision of online resources for teaching across subject areas, from a range of sources, commercial and pubic. More specifically, learning of modern foreign languages has benefited greatly from the increased availability of online resources as well as technologies such as digital video and photography, while animations and simulations have enabled pupils to grasp more complex concepts in mathematics and the sciences.
Nowadays, the range of technologies available for use in the classroom has increased rapidly as the infrastructure in schools has developed. Interactive whiteboards (IWBs) have been the focus of a considerable number of studies, large and small, in no small part due to government endorsement and support for them. Display and presentational software, including animations and simulations, combined with IWBs, help pupils to develop an understanding of abstract concepts through concrete examples and graphical images of, for example, microscopic processes. Mobile technologies are growing in availability and, given their attractiveness to pupils, are gradually being introduced to support various educational initiatives, usually with a focus on communication. They have been shown to be effective in supporting learning for disaffected and ‘hard to reach’ pupils, where attending school is problematic for personal or family/cultural reasons. Laptops, which teachers have found particularly useful for management and administration, have been less enthusiastically received by pupils, who prefer the smaller technologies such as PDAs and multi-function mobile phones. Mobile technologies are being developed for use with hard-to-reach learners and in projects aimed at improving access to ICT for those pupils without a computer in the home.
In addition, educational software developers are beginning to capitalize on pupils’ enthusiasm for games and gaming, potentially benefiting the development of a range of skills including decision making, information processing and team working. Whole school approaches to implementing ICT supported education have often been more successful in primaries than in secondary schools; this appears to be a function of their size and the greater commonality of approach used. Technologies with a visual dimension digital video, photography, video conferencing engage pupils and provide a stimulus for collaborative working and discussion and, where the pupils are in control of the technology, give them a sense of ownership and control of the learning process. Such technologies appear to be especially effective when used with groups of pupils with special or additional needs. Learning platforms and virtual learning environments, are often used as repositories or communication technologies, although there is evidence that they are, for many schools, becoming central to a whole range of activities, linking various technologies and applications. They can make a significant contribution towards personalizing the learning and teaching experience, for both pupils and teachers. They have been shown to support discussion and collaborative activity as well as multi- and cross disciplinary work.
Furthermore, the needs of specific groups of pupils, such as those with special needs, the disaffected and the children of Travelers, are being addressed through various initiatives involving a range of technologies. Compared to the school population as a whole, the numbers in each group are relatively small and, as a result, much of the evidence of the impact of ICT use comes from small-scale studies. The very nature of the problems faced by the pupils involved means that the initiatives tend to be relatively intensive in terms of individual support. As a result, while the evidence may point to gains for the pupils involved, issues of scale and sustainability arise. There is a growing body of evidence on the positive impact that ICT can have on the learning of pupils with special educational needs, whether through adaptive or assistive technologies specially designed to support pupils with specific disabilities or through the use of mainstream technologies such as digital video and photography.
In addition, there is evidence that the new technologies are increasingly becoming integrated into the learning experiences of pupils and that learning is being enhanced by the new technologies, growth has been limited by the need to provide fast connectivity and a virtual learning environment (VLE) or learning platform. The little systematic evidence that exists indicates that good resources can have an impact on motivation and attainment. Once established, e-learning can offer flexible, personalised learning and bridge the gap between home and school learning. There is a concern, however, that there is not yet a good understanding of how teachers can support pupils and make the most of e-learning packages. A persistent theme in the literature is the extent to which ICT can make the learning experience more personalised, more targeted at the needs of the individual learner. Combinations of technology and applications give greater choice in relation to what, when and where to study, selecting according to interests, learning styles and preferences and need. Such systems can give the pupil more autonomy and independence with regard to learning and a range of sources of information to draw on. This can be unsettling for some teachers and may well change the dynamics of the pupil–teacher relationship. There is little in the literature on the potential impact on relationships in the classroom as schools develop e-capability and use ICT to support the learning process more widely. Internet has improve communication within schools has led to centralized attendance, assessment and recording systems, while links with the external world can support communication with parents and others within the local community as well as contact with schools and agencies in other countries.
At last but not least, Improving communication with parents is considered to be important in reducing the home–school divide in that parental attitudes to schools and their support for the work of the school are viewed as critical factors in ensuring that pupils gain as much as they can from the learning opportunities provided. While much is written about the potential for using ICT to bridge the gap between in- and out-of-school learning and to gain parental support, improved home–school links are as yet unrealized in many instances. This is an aspect that has developed relatively slowly, although there is evidence of the benefits to be gained if it can be realized, and studies are under way of alternative technologies, such as using PDAs to compensate for lack of access to a computer out of school. Other obstacles identified include limitations on the networks and connectivity as well as a lack of interoperability across systems. schools are becoming better at identifying the data to be gathered and in using it strategically, for self-evaluation and monitoring purposes Most schools are linked to the wider community and beyond through the internet, providing a rich source of resources for teachers and learning opportunities for pupils. Schools are developing links with schools in other countries through video conferencing, and with other services and agencies such as libraries and the careers services. However, as ICT becomes an everyday experience for pupils in classrooms, schools also have to consider how they ensure that all pupils have similar learning opportunities and the ‘digital divide’ does not develop into a system-wide disadvantage for those who have limited or no access to ICT out of the school. Pupils, teachers and parents seem to benefit from good home–school links using ICT and the newer, cheaper, mobile technologies might go some way to providing a solution.
In conclusion,. the development of ICT in schools is progressing unevenly across and within schools and technologies. Some seem to be content with achieving the government's targets in terms of numbers of computers and connectivity, while others are being highly innovative, attempting to capitalise on the benefits that ICT has been shown to bring. As schools grow in e-confidence, ICT becomes embedded in the everyday practices of the school, drawing on a range of technologies to support learning, teaching and attainment particularly with a longitudinal element, should shed light on the processes that schools go through in becoming e-confident and e-capable, the impact on relationships within the school, between home and school and across networks, and on pedagogical practice. Using ICT effectively in schools is about more than changing resources; it is about changing practices and culture.
