Impact of ICT Learning Methodology in Pakistan Higher Education Sector using Interactive Learning Tools

Assignment 1 for Course: Teacher: Assignment by: Employee ID:

Curriculum, Teaching, and Learning Ms. Unaeza Alvi Muhammad Noman Saeed 221270

Contents
Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................................3 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................3 History of ICT ..................................................................................................................................................3 ICT in Education ..............................................................................................................................................3 ICT and Open Learning ...................................................................................................................................4 Open Learning in Pakistan ..........................................................................................................................4 ICT Influence on Pakistani HEI (Higher Education Institutes) Curriculum ......................................................4

Executive Summary

Introduction
Information and communications technology which commonly termed as ICT is a more generic term for the integration of various communication ways with IT enabled technologies like telecommunications, software, hardware etc. for providing a seamless way for an end user for access and manipulate information upon its needs. Commonly ICT is now referred the convergence of AVC (Audio-VideoCollaborative) systems with telecom equipments (telephone, computer networks) through a single connection. ICT provides rapid access to the information upon requirement therefore currently all organization irrespective of their working area utilizes the ICT tools in their work environment. ICT is also used as a predominant term today in educational institute from School to University enlarging from Information Systems at the organizational end through the various sub areas of ICT study like Software & System/Hardware Engineering.

History of ICT
ICT is become a necessity for all areas of life and apply almost all sectors like Education, Military, Health etc. which ultimately aid to accomplish the future goalmouths. The Government/Organization responsible for the ICT development in their respective areas to achieve the target results develop ICT pilot projects based on their requirement after proper analysis and design, sustainability and impact of such mediations in society.

ICT in Education
Previously it was conversed that ICT and Curriculum have mutual relationship for provide effective learning to the student. Further, research has shown that the effectiveness in the use of ICT to support learning is a function of the curriculum content and the instructional strategy such that when appropriate content is addressed using appropriate strategies students and teachers will benefit (Cradler & Bridgforth, 2002). The new technologies and advancement in ICT of the current
digital age which were introduced and implemented in Education systems creates educators with a puzzling mix of promise and problem. ICT has been endorsed and have excessive faith of new education and acts as a single currency of the knowledge age. Thats why We have found that in most of the

teaching and learning methods, faculty members or students adopt the involvement of some tool or equipment e.g. Black Board, Overhead Projectors, Multimedia, Skype etc. Such involvement of tools in education is termed as educational technology and use to expedite the whole learning process.

ICT and Open Learning

ICT enhances the way of Education methods and recent advancement of IT tools revolutionizes the delivery mode of teaching. Open and Distance learning has unbolted a technological way to higher education for many students across the globe. The recent advancement and impact of ICT on education generate awareness to customary institutes/universities to offer distance learning courses and integrating the blended learning to supplement the traditional face-to-face classroom. Irrespective of cases, ICT is not only used for delivery of class materials and lectures but also for administration and management purposes.

Open Learning in Pakistan In Pakistan Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) offers distance learning courses since from 1974 and caters the students from secondary to Phd levels. AIOU uses both traditional and technological solution for providing the learning courses and resources to the vast majority of students not only in Pakistan but also covering the Gulf region. Like AIOU, another institute named Virtual University Pakistan (VU) was established which totally focus on e-Learning and eTools for providing ICT enabled courses to the country students. Virtual University blend the traditional and advanced distance learning tools like Learning Management Server, and TV programs etc. for catering its students needs however at the same time VU also faces some issues like non availability of teacher physically/interactively, lack of basic ICT knowledge at student level etc. In reality it feels that the Pakistani students at current stage not fully prepare to digest this ICT tools revolution in their curriculum probably because the tools are often in English language, students dont have sufficient basic ICT skills. Higher Education Commission Pakistan have started a project titled Online Lecturing and NetMeeting using IP-based Video Conferencing System in year 2004 for establishment of Video Conferencing infrastructure facility with the primary objective to bring together the e-learning environment at all Government owned/funded higher education institutes across Pakistan. The project turned in Virtual Education Project (VEPP) in 2010 which is currently under managed by L.E.J National Science Information Center, Karachi in collaboration with HEC under which courses were conducted for Undergraduate & Graduate students utilizing ICT interactive method of delivery lectures i.e. Video Conferencing. The course Speakers are mainly renowned scientist/teachers across the country as well as number of lectures has delivered by foreign speakers. ICT Influence on Pakistani HEI (Higher Education Institutes) Curriculum This is evident that both ICT and Curriculum have in mutual relationship therefore while designing the curriculum the role of the faculty member, the physical setting of learning class, ICT usage, instructional views of the faculty member and the whole education systems must keep in mind. There have also been a number of instances where the curriculum has been changed due to changes in technology. In some cases the invention of new technology has added content to the curriculum (e.g. technology based on electricity). In other cases new technology has made parts of the content obsolete (e.g. using calculators instead of logarithms for

calculation). And some technologies such as overhead projectors, videos and computers have led to the development of new methods of learning and teaching which were not feasible before their introduction. So in many ways technology can be seen to be affecting the curriculum both in terms of content and methodology. Already it would appear that the content and objectives of the curriculum are changing to

Cradler, J., & Bridgforth, E. (2002). Recent research on the effects of technology on teaching and learning. [online]. WestEd. Retrieved 25/10/2002, 2002, from the World Wide Web: www.wested.org/techpolicy/research.html