ONLINE ASSIGNMENT

EDU-03 TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATION IN EDUCATION

RELEVANCE OF ICT IN EDUCATION AND ROLE OF

TEACHER AS A TECHNO-PEDAGOGUE

Submitted by
Aparna K S
First year B Ed
Social science
Relevance of ICT in education and Role of teacher as a Techno-pedagogue

Introduction
Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) is the type of technology employed in the
shape of tools, equipment and application support, that helps in the collection, storage, retrieval,
use, transmission, manipulation and dissemination of information as accurately and efficiently as
possible. It is for the purpose of enriching the knowledge and developing communication, decision
making as well as problem solving ability of the user. ICT will not only include hardware devices
connected to computers, and software applications, but also interactive digital content, internet and
other satellite communication devices, radio and television services, web-based content
repositories, interactive forums, learning management systems, and management information
systems. These will also include processes for digitization, deployment and management of content,
development and deployment of platforms and processes for capacity development, and creation of
forums for interaction and exchange. The ICT Policy in School Education aims at preparing youth
to participate creatively in the establishment, sustenance and growth of a knowledge society leading
to all round socioeconomic development of the nation and global competitiveness.

Relevance of ICT in Education

What is ICT

ICT stands for Information and Communications Technology. As the name suggests are tools that
handle information and produce, store, and disseminate information. ICT comprises of both old
and new tools. Old tools include radio, TV, Telephone. New tools comprise computers, satellites,
the Internet, and wireless technology. It exists in multiple forms like audio, video, audio-visual,
and texts. It refers to the latest technologies and a repository of simple audio-visual aids such as
slides, radio, cassette, and film. According to Blurton, ICT is defined as “A diverse set of
technologies, tools, and resources used to communicate, create, disseminate, store, and manage
information.” These technologies include computers, the internet, radio, TV, etc.
ICT in Education
Today we do not need to go any further than our own home or even room, to see some form of
ICT in our lives. Whether it be a computer, plasma TV, or mobile phone, we all have them in some
part of our lives. In today’s society, people as consumers of ICT, all strive for the one dream – the
dream of a connected life.

This makes ICT a lifestyle choice for much of the population. In addition, this lifestyle choice is
changing the way we communicate, increasing the rate of consumerism, and changing how we
interact and gather information.

ICT has invaded and transformed many aspects of our lives to the extent that we live in an
environment that is dominated by technology which itself is consumer-driven. No matter how we
perceive its presence, there is no denying that it is an important part of our lives and that it is here
to stay.

Objectives of using ICT in Education

The objectives of ICT in education include:

• Providing accessibility through online medium of education.

• Improving the quality of teaching, especially in remote areas.

• To increase transparency in the education system.

• To strengthen the policies, rules, and laws in the education system.

• To analyze the learning and participation of the students and measure its effectiveness.

• Measuring and evaluating students’ behavior, involvement, and retention in the learning
process.

• To analyze students’ performance, placement, and application of knowledge.

Key issues to remember in relation to the importance of ICT in Education are that:

1. E-learning or Online Learning: The presence of ICT in education allows for new ways
of learning for students and teachers. E-learning or online learning is becoming
increasingly popular and with various unprecedented events taking place in our lives, this
does not only open opportunities for schools to ensure that students have access to
curriculum materials whilst in the classroom but also allows them to ensure students
outside the classroom such as at home or even in hospitals can learn.
2. ICT brings inclusion: The benefits of ICT in education is of such that students in the
classroom can all learn from the curriculum material. Students with special needs are no
longer at a disadvantage as they have access to essential material and special ICT tools can
be used by students to make use of ICT for their own educational needs. Despite this, it
opens up new issues related to the 'digital divide' and providing access to ICT tools and
resources for those who are less fortunate.
3. ICT promotes higher-order thinking skills: One of the key skills for the 21st century
which includes evaluating, planning, monitoring, and reflecting to name a few. The
effective use of ICT in education demands skills such as explaining and justifying the use
of ICT in producing solutions to problems. Students need to discuss, test, and conjecture
the various strategies that they will use.
4. ICT enhances subject learning: It is well known these days that the use of ICT in
education adds a lot of value to key learning areas like literacy and numeracy.
5. ICT use develops ICT literacy and ICT Capability: Both are 21st-century skills that are
best developed whilst ICT remains transparent in the background of subject learning. The
best way to develop ICT capability is to provide them with meaningful activities,
embedded in purposeful subject-related contexts.
6. ICT use encourages collaboration: You just have to put a laptop, iPad or computer in the
classroom to understand how this works. ICT naturally brings children together where they
can talk and discuss what they are doing for their work and this in turn, opens up avenues
for communication thus leading to language development.
 7. ICT use motivates learning: Society's demands for new technology has not left out
children and their needs. Children are fascinated with technology and it encourages and
motivates them to learn in the classroom.
8. ICT in education improves engagement and knowledge retention: When ICT is
integrated into lessons, students become more engaged in their work. This is because
technology provides different opportunities to make it more fun and enjoyable in terms of
teaching the same things in different ways. As a consequence of this increased engagement,
it is said that they will be able to retain knowledge more effectively and efficiently.
9. ICT use allows for effective Differentiation Instruction with technology: We all learn
differently at different rates and styles and technology provide opportunities for this to
occur.
10. ICT integration is a key part of the national curriculum: The integration of digital
technologies or ICT is a significant part of the Indian Curriculum for example, and this is
a trend that many global governments are taking up as they begin to see the significance of
ICT in education.
11. We live in a “knowledge economy": This is an economy where it is vital to have the
ability to produce and use information effectively. It is a time when ICT is pervasive and
permeates throughout all industries in the economy whether it may be health, education,
environment or manufacturing. The significance of ICT in the Indian economy was
emphasized in many studies and articles.

ICTs will continue to be a significant part of our future as it connects itself to more and
more parts of our lives. It will continually evolve and change because we all like a choice.
We like to use ICT for personal growth, creativity, and joy, consumption, and wealth.

Role of teacher as a Techno-pedagogue

A Techno- Pedagogue is a person who focuses on the user of technology and whose
expertise is in electronic pedagogy methods and theory. A techno pedagogue is not a systems
administrator or network administrator that is job for the technical person you hired when you
thought they could also help your teachers apply technology in the classroom. The techno
pedagogue is a person who sits with your teachers and helps them see the practical uses and
appropriate uses of technology to attain their educational goals. This person’s expertise is
grounded in educational theory curriculum development and course design. This person stays
abreast of new developments in technology and helps to flitter new information to other teachers
in a manner that can be understood by the less techno savvy. The techno pedagogue also designs,
model courses that use technology for other teachers to learn from. They exist in the training of
new teachers and help the programme make decisions regarding the acquisition and use of
technology in the organisation.
Techno pedagogy is a type of bilingualism one foot in human needs and processes and the
other in technology and all its potential. A techno pedagogue can oversee the design, production
and even implementation of online environments, interfaces and tools that supports learning on
diverse processes. The techno pedagogue communicates and works easily with information
architects and programmers as well as professionals and administrators translating from one to the
other. Needs, assessment and technical specifications are both part of the techno pedagogue daily
work. This bridge is part of the new reality of our digital society, the capacity to maximise the
potential of technological tools to meet needs that are lest we forget always human. Techno
pedagogy refers to the united potential of technology and to transform individual and
organizational practices. It is rich and nuanced conversation between the technological
possibilities.
Teaching with technology is complicated further considering the challenges newer Technologies
present to teachers. In our work, the word technology applies equally to Analogue and digital, as
well as new and old, technologies. As a matter of practical significance, however, most of the
technologies under consideration in current literature are newer and digital and have some inherent
properties that make applying them in straightforward ways difficult.
Most traditional pedagogical technologies are characterized by specificity (a pencil is for writing,
while a microscope is for viewing small objects); stability (pencils, pendulums, and chalkboards
have not changed a great deal over time); and transparency of function (the inner workings of the
pencil or the pendulum are simple and directly related to their function) Over time, these
technologies achieve a transparency of perception they become commonplace and, in most cases,
are not even considered to be technologies. Digital technologies—such as computers, handheld
devices, and software applications—by contrast, are protean (usable in many different ways; On
an academic level, it is easy to argue that a pencil and a software simulation are both technologies.
The latter, however, is qualitatively different in that its functioning is more opaque to teachers and
offers fundamentally less stability than more traditional technologies. By their very nature, newer
digital technologies, which are protean, unstable, and opaque, present new challenges to teachers
who are struggling to use more technology in their teaching.
Also complicating teaching with technology is an understanding that technologies are neither
neutral nor unbiased. Rather, particular technologies have their own propensities, potentials,
affordances, and constraints that make them more suitable for certain tasks than others. Using
email to communicate, for example, affords (makes possible and supports) asynchronous
communication and easy storage of exchanges. Email does not afford synchronous communication
in the way that a phone call, a face-to-face conversation, or instant messaging does. Nor does email
afford the conveyance of subtleties of tone, intent, or mood possible with face-to-face
communication. Understanding how these affordances and constraints of specific technologies
influence what teachers do in their classrooms is not straightforward and may require rethinking
teacher education and teacher professional development. Social and contextual factors also
complicate the relationships between teaching and technology. Social and institutional contexts
are often unsupportive of teachers’ efforts to integrate technology use into their work. Teachers
often have inadequate. Experience with using digital technologies for teaching and learning. Many
teachers earned degrees at a time when educational technology was at a very different stage of
development than it is today. It is, thus, not surprising that they do not consider themselves
sufficiently prepared to use technology in the classroom and often do not appreciate its value or
relevance to teaching and learning. Acquiring a new knowledge base and skill set can be
challenging, particularly if it is a time-intensive activity that must fit into a busy schedule.
Moreover, this knowledge is unlikely to be used unless teachers can conceive of technology uses
that are consistent with their existing pedagogical beliefs.
Furthermore, teachers have often been provided with inadequate training for this task. Many
approaches to teachers’ professional development offer a one size- fits-all approach to technology
integration when, in fact, teachers operate in diverse contexts of teaching and learning.
At the heart of good teaching with technology are three core components: content, pedagogy, and
technology, plus the relationships among and between them. The interactions between and among
the three components, playing out differently across diverse contexts, account for the wide
variations seen in the extent and quality of educational technology integration. These three
knowledge bases (content, pedagogy, and technology) form the core of the technology, pedagogy,
and content knowledge (TPACK) framework.
Content Knowledge
Content knowledge (CK) is teachers’ knowledge about the subject matter to be learned
or taught. The content to be covered in middle school science or history is different from the
content to be covered in an undergraduate course on art appreciation or a graduate seminar on
astrophysics. Knowledge of content is of critical importance for teachers. This knowledge would
include knowledge of concepts, theories, ideas, organizational frameworks, knowledge of
evidence and proof, as well as established practices and approaches toward developing such
knowledge. Knowledge and the nature of inquiry differ greatly between fields, and teachers should
understand the deeper knowledge fundamentals of the disciplines in which they teach. In the case
of science, for example, this would include knowledge of scientific facts and theories, the scientific
method, and evidence-based reasoning. In the case of art appreciation, such knowledge would
include knowledge of art history, famous paintings, sculptures, artists and their historical contexts,
as well as knowledge of aesthetic and psychological theories for evaluating art .The cost of not
having a comprehensive base of content knowledge can be prohibitive; for example, students can
receive incorrect information and develop misconceptions about the content area .
Pedagogical Knowledge (PK) – “Teachers’ deep knowledge about the processes and practices or
methods of teaching and learning. They encompass, among other things, overall educational
purposes, values, and aims. This generic form of knowledge applies to understanding how students
learn, general classroom management skills, lesson planning, and student assessment.”
Technology Knowledge (TK) – Knowledge about certain ways of thinking about, and working
with technology, tools and resources. and working with technology can apply to all technology
tools and resources. This includes understanding information technology broadly enough to apply
it productively at work and in everyday life, being able to recognize when information technology
can assist or impede the achievement of a goal, and being able continually adapt to changes in
information technology
Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) – “Consistent with and similar to Shulman’s idea of
knowledge of pedagogy that is applicable to the teaching of specific content. Central to Shulman’s
conceptualization of PCK is the notion of the transformation of the subject matter for teaching.
Specifically, according to Shulman (1986), this transformation occurs as the teacher interprets the
subject matter, finds multiple ways to represent it, and adapts and tailors the instructional materials
to alternative conceptions and students’ prior knowledge. PCK covers the core business of
teaching, learning, curriculum, assessment and reporting, such as the conditions that promote
learning and the links among curriculum, assessment, and pedagogy”
Technological Content Knowledge (TCK) – “An understanding of the manner in which
technology and content influence and constrain one another. Teachers need to master more than
the subject matter they teach; they must also have a deep understanding of the manner in which
the subject matter (or the kinds of representations that can be constructed) can be changed by the
application of particular technologies. Teachers need to understand which specific technologies
are best suited for addressing subject-matter learning in their domains and how the content dictates
or perhaps even changes the technology—or vice versa”
Technological Pedagogical Knowledge (TPK) – “An understanding of how teaching and
learning can change when particular technologies are used in particular ways. This includes
knowing the pedagogical affordances and constraints of a range of technological tools as they
relate to disciplinarily and developmentally appropriate pedagogical designs and strategies”
Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) – “Underlying truly meaningful and
deeply skilled teaching with technology, TPACK is different from knowledge of all three concepts
individually. Instead, TPACK is the basis of effective teaching with technology, requiring an
understanding of the representation of concepts using technologies; pedagogical techniques that
use technologies in constructive ways to teach content; knowledge of what makes concepts
difficult or easy to learn and how technology can help redress some of the problems that students
face; knowledge of students’ prior knowledge and theories of epistemology; and knowledge of
how technologies can be used to build on existing knowledge to develop new epistemologies or
strengthen old ones”

CONCLUSION
ICT played significant role in improving the standards in education, hence its inclusion in the
curriculum is a step in the right direction. The implementation and use of ICTs in education have
a positive impact on teaching and learning. Hasty changes in the technologies are signifying the
role of ICT in future will grow extremely in the education. It will also increase the flexibility so
that learners can access the education regardless of time and place in the 21st century. It would
provide the prosperous atmosphere and motivation for teaching- learning process which seems to
have a deep impact on the process of learning in education by offering new possibilities for learners
and teachers. It supports a wide range of broader educational objectives including independent
learning, collaboration with others and communication skills. Integration of ICT into education
becomes fruitful and efficient only when it is preceded by proper planning and management. The
best educators bring different experiences and reference outlines to the classroom. In today's
situation, educators who use innovation in teaching and learning play a vital role. Technology has
improved learning, made teaching and learning more curious. Therefore, it is necessary to further
expand the lecturer's technical teaching ability so that the technical teaching method has a positive
attitude. The technical teaching method may be the key choice of the meta teaching cross-method.
In the past two decades, the development of technical teaching ability has been considered in the
higher teaching framework in the world. The use of technical teaching skills can eliminate some
of the stimuli and instructive avoidance barriers that lead to poor achievement and insufficient
learning. Although it is necessary to arrange and execute activities to improve some technical
teaching skills in higher education, the investigation of the current situation has found many
components that hinder the technical integration of higher education. Separate from innovation-
related methods, government and higher education will acquire methodologies that create viable
technical teaching capabilities, media arrangements, and support capabilities. Finally, innovation
can never replace high-quality education. Without technical education talents, no electronic
transmission can achieve outstanding results.