All About Information And Communication Technologies in Education

Alongside the pervasive appearance of ICT, and supported by it, lifelong learning has become a reality in working and social life. Completed formal education leads naturally to further development and up-dating of knowledge and experience, both inside and outside the workplace. The responsibility for this is shared between the individual and the employer, but the driving force rests within the individual human being, who must be self-confident and motivated by the urge to acquire new knowledge. Those leaving school and entering society must be equipped to relearn, to learn what is new, and to learn more on a lifelong basis (OECD, 2000).

Strategies to spread the use of ICT in education are entering a new development phase. Thus far, resources have been spent on the technical infrastructure, but on learning and not merely on what technology itself. The intention must be to take advantage of the new opportunities which ICT affords to promote quality learning processes: it enables schools to develop the learning environment in ways that give students a more active role, that support the ability to find information and transform it into knowledge (OECD, 2000).

ICT can be used to support learning in many different ways in schools. This extends beyond individual students use of learning to use on computer software on a computer. It includes, among other things, interactive presentation using touch sensitive whiteboards, specialist devices like data loggers for the collection of data in science lessons, e-mail based applications to support learning communities, links between schools, and the schools' use of enhanced student information system.

We believe, “The intension must be to take advantage of the new opportunities which ICT affords to promote quality leaning processes: it enables schools to develop the learning environment in ways that give students a more active role, that support the ability to find information and transform it into knowledge” (OECD, 2000).