2. ROLE OF ICT IN HUMINISING EDUCATION
SUBMITED BY
DHANYA.S
I MED
BMM (II) T C
KOTTARAKARA
3. INTRODUCTION:-
The 21st century is the age of ICT. A remarkable trend in the field of education during the
last few decades all over the globe has been the use of ICT in making education productive,
giving instruction a more powerful and scientific base, extending the educational opportunities
to the masses and creating a new learning environment and information rich society.
MEANING OF ICT
According to UNESCO, ICT may be defined as, ”it is a scientific technology and engineering
discipline and management that requires technique used in information handling and
processing, their applications, computers and their interaction with men and machine and
associated social, economic and cultural matter.
The term ICT involves three major phrases: information, communication technology and
computer technology.
Information: - when raw data, numbers are processed, it is called information. Information is
the content of all massages we receive from other people and the world at large as well as
those we originate ourselves and send back in exchange.
Communication Technology: - when ideas, emotions, experiences and information are
exchanged between two or more persons it is referred as communication. It can be
represented as sender – message / media – receiver.
Different types of communication: - There are different types of communication based on
medium of communication. They are radio communication, microwave communication,
satellite communication, telecommunication etc.
Computer Technology: - A computer is a programmable multi- use machine that accepts raw
data facts, figures and processes it into information.
Educational implication of ICT
1) ICT increases the access to education.
2) It improves the quality of education by developing new ways of interaction in the
teaching- learning process.
3) It provides specialized tools for the learners with severe limitations like visual, mental or
hearing impairment, so that they learn and acquire knowledge at their own pace.
4) It provides opportunities for lifelong education.
5) It enhances the teacher’s quality both in terms of teaching and research.
6) It enables the distance education system to be more effective.
4. 7) It provides equal opportunities to the large number of learners to obtain education and
information.
8) It can provide motivation to the learners.
EDUCATION OF THE LEARNING DISABLED
A learning disability (LD) is a hidden handicap that does not disfigure the child or
leave visible signs, thus inviting understanding or support from others.
It is a disorder that affects people’s ability to either interpret what they see and
hear or to link information from different parts of the brain.
Definition of learning disability
“LD” is a generic term that refers to a heterogeneous group of disorders manifested
by significant difficulties in the acquisition and use of listening, speaking, reading, writing,
reasoning or mathematical abilities or of social skills – Federal Inter Agency Committee
(1985)
ICT In education of disadvantaged & disabled students
Learning technology could be useful tool to help teacher’s meet diverse student’s
needs. With the establishment of a series of education acts for students with special
needs, more and more students with special needs have opportunities to be involved in a
regular classroom.
People with disabilities face numerous barriers when it comes to accessing
technology. Grant, Light and Luckin argue that user centered designs are the most
effective way of improving disabled persons access to technology. However, effective as
they might be, user-centre designs are far from practical. This analysis establishes that
‘universal design’ is a much more practical and efficient way of bringing equality in access
to technology for disabled persons.
Universal design learning
Universal Design for learning (UDL) is a frame work for designing educational
environments that able all learners to gain knowledge, skills, and enthusiasm for learning.
This is accomplished by reducing barriers to the curriculum and providing rich support for
learning.
Universal Design for learning is mean to meet the widely divers students divers needs
for learning by diverse goals, materials, methods and assessments. Through universal
design for learning, teachers develop appropriate goals designed to address the needs of a
wide range of students and implement instructional methods responsive to individual
difference (Rose and Meyer, 2002).
5. The term ‘INCLUSION ‘
The term ‘inclusion’ means educating students with disabilities in regular classrooms.
It is part of the least restrictive environment principal of IDEA (The Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act)
Characteristics
The inclusion of students with a variety of abilities
Students feeling that they are an integral part of the class room.
Students sharing a common education experience.
Students with and without abilities equally sharing the setting.
Addressing the needs of the entire students.
Importance of choosing learning technology
Making education visible: - Learning technology could help teachers to improve their
curriculum.
e.g.:- Multi- media
Meet students diverse needs- Learning technology can help teachers to meet student’s
diverse needs. For e.g.:- translation software can help teachers to communicate with ELL
students.
Teach students learn to learning- Learning technology affords students assistance as
well as opportunities to learn by themselves.
Assistive technology: - The fascinating world of communication technologies grows
rapidly. Each day new devices & programs are developed to help students with
disabilities overcome many of their challenges. Assistive (AT) and instructional
technology tools contribute to the academic improvements for students with high-
incidence disabilities, specifically learning disability. Text to speech programs with and
without on screen highlighting of the spoken words has enabled students with reading
difficulties to demonstrate better results in word recognition, reading comprehension
and retention.
Special techniques- visually impaired and hearing impaired
The world health organization (WHO) has identified deafness and hearing
impairment as disabilities that are series enough to cause significant economic and
social problems. The economic and social problems can be avoided by the hearing &
visually impaired if sufficient education is acquired. Assistive technology mission is to
help people with disabilities and special needs by providing assistive products and
professional services for an active independent life.
6. The assistive device for deaf students
Hearing Aid: - The hearing aid is probably the simplest assistive listening device
that can be placed on the ear of the hearing impaired students.
Sound field system: - This is a wireless system of two parts: the teacher’s wireless
microphone and the speakers that are placed strategically inside the classroom.
TDD: - It is a modified telephone that allows people who are deaf or hearing-
impaired to communicate using the text capabilities of the device.
Assistive device for blind or low vision students
Large key calculators
Large print key board stickers
Hardware screen magnifiers
Blindness
Braille key board stickers
Narrator (PC),voice over
Third party screen reading software
CONCLUSION
Thus, the task of employment and integration of ICT in school education is facing
a lot of limitations and difficulties. However, there is a great need to bring positive
changes in this scenario and the school system cannot afford more to neglect the use of
ICT in managing its affairs. There is a strong link between a nation’s level of
development and the level of technology used for such development. The teachers,
educational authorities and policy makers, thus should become quite conscious that
information and communication technologies are of at most importance for the future
of education.
REFERENCE
1 Quazi Ferdoushi Islam, Educational Psychology (2012), Chennai, The Person Education
in South Asia.
2 Mangal.S.K and UmaMangal,(2009),Essentials of Education Technology,Delhi,PHI
learning Pvt Ltd
3. www.assisttch.com
4. www.brightbeduction.com
