Ict In Schools A Means For Transforming Teaching Education Essay

The application of Information and Communications Technology ( ICT ) in schools is perceived as a agency for transforming instruction and acquisition procedure, and has therefore been met with important enthusiasm. The underdeveloped universe besides perceives ICT as a tool that will advance socio-economic, political, and sustainable development and as portion of the nucleus of instruction, aboard reading, composing and numeracy. This perceptual experience is emphasized in schools in Ghana. Students and students can make their prep on the cyberspace, because such services and installations exist on the cyberspace. The cyberspace can besides ease high quality instruction in the schoolroom every bit good as enrich the learning accomplishments of instructors. Harmonizing to Griffiths ( 1999 ) , in most underdeveloped states, though information engineering has been introduced, it is non to the full incorporated. In Ghana, witting attempts are being made by authorities to distribute the usage of information engineering in all sectors. As a consequence, the authorities of Ghana has passed a policy ( ICT for Accelerated Development ) to defend the class in advancing information and communications engineering in Ghana. In the ICT for Accelerated Development Policy, it stated that â€Å" policy attempts shall be directed at utilizing ICTs to ease system of E-learning and E-education every bit good as life-long acquisition within the population at big † .1.2 Statement of the ProblemIn order to accomplish the aims of the new educational reform ( 2007 ) and ICT4AD policy of the state, coachs and pupils should be encouraged to develop involvement in the usage of ICT Tools such as Web Based Learning ( WBL ) Tools to heighten instruction and a cquisition of the class. This is premier exampled by the manner coachs and pupils of Konongo-Odumase Senior High School abandon the usage of WBL Tools. The coachs and pupils are supposed to take advantage of WBL Tools to heighten instruction and larning yet as it is now, they do n't. It is as a consequence of this job that, the research worker seeks to utilize the WBL tools to better instruction and acquisition.1.3 Purpose of the StudyThe chief intent of this survey is to better instruction and acquisition of ICT in Konongo-Odumase Senior High School. This intent is intended to be achieved by look intoing into the non use of WBL Tools. The information gathered will assist convey out intercessions that would better instruction and acquisition of ICT through the usage of WBL. Specifically, this survey is aimed at: Use appropriate methods to heighten pupils understanding during ICT lessons. Use immediate feedback to pupils to actuate them to analyze the topic. Monitoring pupil ‘s public presentation through WBL Tools. Keeping the involvement of both coachs and pupils in the instruction and larning procedure by utilizing an easy manner of accessing information.1.4 Research QuestionsHow will you utilize WBL to assist actuate pupils to go active in the survey of ICT? What method of learning will outdo aid to better instruction and acquisition? To what extent would the given of immediate feedback to pupils actuate them to analyze ICT? Is it utile for instructors to utilize WBL Tools to learn? How will the pupils develop involvement in the class?1.5 Significance of the StudyThe result of this survey would convey to bare the importance of WBL to schools and other affected establishments in general. It will assist make a more efficient mechanization for the modern-day coach to student instruction and acquisition procedure. It is hoped that this survey will convey to bare the demand for WBL Tools and sharing of resources with the schools with connectivity.1.6 Restriction of the StudyIn malice of all the attempts put into the survey by the research worker, the research was saddled with the following jobs, which were possible reverse that influenced the concluding consequence. Not all the questionnaires administered were responded and returned. Time restraints in footings of limited periods to subject the long essay and other immaterial factors facilitated the choosing of Konongo-Odumase Senior High School. Some respondent intentionally or out ignorance gave inaccurate responses. Some respondents were hard to be interviewed due to their heavy agendas therefore the figure interviewed was smaller than anticipated.1.7 Boundary line of the StudyAll pupils in all secondary schools in Ghana offer ICT as a topic. However, this survey is narrowed down in range to fiscal and clip restraints. It hence confined itself to merely first twelvemonth pupils and a few coachs.Chapter TwoLiterature ReviewDefinition of Web-Based DirectionKhan ( 1997 ) defines Web-Based Instruction ( WBI ) as: â€Å" †¦ a hypermedia-based instructional plan which utilizes the properties and resources of the World Wide Web to make a meaningful acquisition environment where acquisition is fostered and supported. † Relan and Gillami ( 1997a ) define WBI as: â€Å" †¦ the application of a repertory of cognitively oriented instructional schemes within a constructivist and collaborative acquisition environment, using the properties and resources of the World Wide Web. † Web-Based Instruction, besides called Web-Based Training, is defined by Clark ( 1996 ) as: â€Å" Individualized direction delivered over public or private computing machine webs and displayed by a Web browser. WBT is non downloaded CBT, but instead on-demand preparation stored in a waiter and accessed across a web. Web-based preparation can be updated really quickly, and entree to developing controlled by the preparation supplier. † Though the above definitions are non indistinguishable, there is a common subject, which is that WBI takes advantage of the Internet and World Wide Web to present information.Importance of Web-Based DirectionWBI, which is an emerging field in instruction, is however, a portion of the rapid growing that is the Internet. Reasons for the growing of WBI include: promotes growing of distance instruction economically ( dependable and cheap beginning ) as compared to computing machine based preparation, unrecorded broadcasts, picture tapes, and so on, ( Relan and Gillani, 1997b and Santi, 1997 ) , enables scholars who prefer or are required to larn outside traditional schoolrooms to go to categories at their places or offices, ( Bannan and Milheim, 1997 ) , and provides bringing medium, content supplier, and capable affair in one bundle, unlike other mediums, such as computing machine based preparation, that require a separate bringing mechanism ( McManus, 1996 ) . Nichols ( 1995 ) predicts that: â€Å" The possible benefit from explicating rating methodological analysiss for the Web [ for instructional stuffs ] depends on whether or non the Web will go a lasting medium or a passing craze? In fact, the Web will probably shortly go the most popular medium for the bringing of distance instruction type stuffs. † The development of information engineering has easy changed the manner people interact with computing machines. This alteration has besides reached the learning procedure: distance acquisition, where pupil and instructor are connected by engineering alternatively of a schoolroom, is going a feasible option to traditional instruction methods, and is poised for major growing over the following several old ages. However, understanding how to utilize the World Wide Web ( WWW ) to back up preparation and acquisition activities presents a significant challenge for the interior decorators and judges of this emerging engineering. Particularly they have to understand how communicating and interaction, two cardinal characteristics of the acquisition procedure, are changed by the computing machine engineering. Furthermore, they have to research the possibilities of successfully teaching via webs while turn outing the acquisition and cost effectivity of these advanced systems. Get downing from t he theoretical background presented in Chapter 2 and 3, we present a model for the development of web-based acquisition environments. These tools can be considered a peculiar signifier of interactive multimedia: computer-stored information, which is connected and retrieved via links. An interesting development of interactive multimedia analyzed by the text are shared interactive multimedias, new Internet tools in which different users, who are at the same time shoping the same web site, can pass on with each other. The usage of computing machine engineerings to heighten larning began in late '60s with the attempts of innovators such as Atkinson and Suppes [ 1, 2 ] . Since that clip the presence of computing machine engineering in schools has increased dramatically, and anticipations are that this tendency will go on to speed up. In peculiar, the visual aspect of Internet-based information and communicating engineerings is altering how preparation is being conducted in many colleges, universities and private companies. As noted by Federico [ 3 ] â€Å" we are in the thick of a paradigm displacement in instruction and preparation from schoolroom centric to web centric † ( p.653 ) . On one side the development of information engineering has easy changed the manner people interact with computing machines. Technological progresss have bit by bit shifted the focal point off from computing machines as such, and toward what people really do with them. The most apparent mark of this alteration has been the creative activity of wholly new synergistic communicating environments like Computer Mediated Communication and Computer Supported Collaborative Work made possible by the increasing power and flexibleness of today ‘s information engineering [ 4 ] . In fact non merely does the usage of the World Wide Web non vouch effectual larning [ 6 ] . Inappropriate utilizations of engineering may impede acquisition. For illustration, it is good known that pupils can blow a batch of clip surfing the Internet. The first studies of Web-based Learning appear in the early 1990s edifice on 30 old ages of computer-assisted direction. Advocates claimed computer-assisted direction is superior to text-based, talk, and traditional educational methods for grounds that include control by the scholar over content, clip, and topographic point of acquisition ; sweetening of acquisition, logical thinking, and efficiency ; and cost nest eggs. Many surveies that reported advantages contained methodological defects and reported advantages unrelated to computer-specific characteristics. Web-based acquisition ( WBL ) represents a farther development of computer-assisted direction. Technical advantages of WBL include cosmopolitan handiness, easiness in updating content, and hyperlink maps that permit cross-referencing to other resources. These proficient progresss, specifically hyperlink and seeking capablenesss, fit the constructivist larning theory, where scholars search out and make their ain cognition bases. However, as was apparent with computer-assisted direction, possible advantages may non interpret into important betterments in educational results. Web-based larning environments can function as motivational, instructional, mold, feedback, and appraisal tools. These environments besides can impact the cognitive and societal behaviours of pupils ( Mayer 2001 ; Wallace 2001 ) .What is web-based acquisition?Web-based acquisition encompasses all educational intercessions that make usage of the cyberspace ( or a local intranet ) . There are presently three wide categorizations or constellations within WBL: tutorials, on-line treatment groups, and practical schoolrooms. The differentiations between these constellations are frequently blurred, and in fact a given WBL intercession might utilize a combination of two or three, but the deductions for learning warrant a conceptual, albeit at times arbitrary, separation. On-line tutorials are similar to face-to-face talks. They by and large consist of information structured by the instructor in a manner that will ( hopefully ) facilitate acquisition. Tutorials are frequently enhanced by char acteristics such as multimedia ( sound, images, films, and lifes ) , links to online resources ( full-text diary articles or related web sites ) and other countries within the class, and self-assessment tools. Effective online tutorials frequently besides make usage of schoolroom instances. Online treatment is similar to the face-to-face little group session. As with any little group, there may be an component of didactic instruction from the teacher ( eg a brief tutorial ) but the bosom of the instruction lies in group treatment. Teachers take on the function of facilitators – specifying the range of the treatment, monitoring and steering the treatment as needed, and supplying or assisting pupils to happen extra resources. Communication among group members can be asynchronous ( hold between directing a message and having the response ) or synchronal ( unrecorded ) . Virtual schoolrooms are computer-based simulations of schoolroom brushs. It is besides deserving observing wha t WBL is non. The cyberspace has found many maps in ICT instruction in which the primary purpose is non an educational intercession designed for web-based bringing. These include archives of face-to-face talks ( eg Power- Point slides or videotaped talks ) and class course of study, on-line disposal of trials and class ratings, and administrative communications. While surely utile, these maps do non represent WBL.The Role of WBLTsWeb-based acquisition tools ( WBLTs ) , besides referred to as larning objects in the literature, are defined in this survey as â€Å" synergistic web-based tools that support larning by heightening, amplifying, and steering the cognitive procedures of scholars † ( Agostinho, Bennett, Lockyer, & A ; Harper, 2004 ; Butson, 2003 ; McGreal, 2004 ; Parrish, 2004 ; Wiley, et Al. 2004 ) . WBLTs offer two notable characteristics that can cut down the impact of possible obstructions instructors face when utilizing engineering. First, typical WBLTs are designed to concentrate on specific constructs, doing them easy to larn, easy to utilize, and more attractive to busy pedagogues who have small clip to larn more complex, advanced package bundles ( Gadanidis, Gadanidis, & A ; Schindler, 2003 ) . Ease of usage besides makes WBLTs more toothsome to instructors who are discerning about utilizing engineering ( Kay, Knaack, & A ; Muirhead, in imperativeness ) . Second, a broad scope of WBLTs exist including drill-and-practice appraisal tools ( Adams, Lubega, Walmsley, & A ; Williams, 2004 ) or tutorials ( Nurmi & A ; Jaakkola, 2006 ) , video instance surveies or supports ( Kenny, Andrews, Vignola, Schilz, & A ; Covert, 1999 ; MacDonald et al. , 2005 ) , general web-based multimedia resources ( Van Zele, Vandaele, Botteldooren, & A ; Lenaerts, 2003 ) , and selfcontained synergistic tools in a specific content country ( Bradley & A ; Boyle, 2004 ; Cochrane, 2005 ) . Furthermore, in contrast to other larning engineerings burdened with execution challenges and costs, WBLTs are readily accessible over the Internet and instructors need non worry about inordinate costs or non holding the latest version ( Wiley, 2000 ) . It is speculated that the wide choice of readily accessible WBLTs will do it easier for instructors to incorporate WBLTs into a schoolroom environment. In drumhead, barriers to utilizing engineering reported by instructors such as clip, limited accomplishment, fright of engineering, and limited entree to engineering are partly addressed by easy-to-use WBLTs that are readily accessible in a broad assortment of pedagogical formats.WBLT Research in Middle and Secondary School ClassroomsExisting WBLT or larning object research is limited to the sphere of higher instruction. Out of the 41 empirical surveies reviewed for this paper, 29 ( 70 % ) focussed on WBLT usage in higher instruction, whereas merely eight ( 20 % ) examined WBLT usage in center or secondary school schoolrooms ( Brush & A ; Saye, 2001 ; Ilomaki, Lakkala, & A ; Paavola, 2006 ; Kay & A ; Knaack, 2007a ; Kong & A ; Kwok, 2005 ; Liu & A ; Bera, 2005 ; Lopez-Morteo & A ; Lopez, 2007 ; McCormick & A ; Li, 2006 ; Nurmi & A ; Jaakkola, 2006 ) . Four surveies examined in-between school pupils ‘ usage of WBLTs. Kong & A ; Kwok ( 2005 ) looked at nine-year-old pupils ‘ independent usage of WBLTs for 15-20 hours while trying to larn about fractions. Students who used WBLTs significantly outperformed pupils who did non utilize WBLTs. Ilomaki et Al. ( 2006 ) examined 11 and 12 twelvemonth old pupils utilizing WBLTs to analyze eating wonts. Teachers and pupils did non measure the effectivity of the five hebdomad, WBLT unit, but the pedagogical schemes used by the teachers were described in item. Liu & A ; Bera ( 2005 ) examined in-between school pupils ‘ usage forms with regard to a scope of WBLTs. Eighty-two per centum of the pupils generated successful solutions utilizing WBLTs. Finally, Nurmi & A ; Jaakkola ( 2006 ) reported that synergistic, simulation-based WBLTs produced significantly better consequences than drill-and pattern WBLTs. Five surveies looked at the usage of WBLTs in the secondary school schoolroom. Brush & A ; Saye ( 2001 ) reported that pupils tended to look at superficial content in a WBLT when left to their ain devices and that more active counsel and construction was needed when utilizing information based WBLTs. Ilomaki et Al. ( 2006 ) explored the pedagogical affordances of WBLTs in three countries: nutrition, sense of the encephalon, and multiple intelligences. Kay & A ; Knaack ( 2007b ) used a comprehensive appraisal tool to measure the usage of WBLTs and found that overall utility, clear instructions, organized layout, and good theme/motivation were peculiarly of import to pupils. Lopez-Morteo & A ; Lopez ( 2007 ) reported that pupils perceived synergistic, recreationbased, collaborative WBLTs positively. Finally, McCormick & A ; Li ( 2006 ) completed an extended survey analyzing the attitudes of 770 secondary schools instructors from six different European states toward utilizing WBLTs from the CELEBRATE aggregation. Overall, 70 % of the instructors thought WBLTs were utile. Just over half the instructors felt WBLTs were good designed, although this was clearly dependent on the type of WBLT chosen. Over 50 % of instructors experient Internet jobs while utilizing WBLTs. In add-on, approximately 60 % of all teachers thought WBLTs improved their instruction and felt that pupils were more engaged. Overall, WBLT-use research is positive, albeit slightly ad hoc and inconsistent in informations aggregation schemes. Two surveies gathered user public presentation informations, ( Kong & A ; Kwok, 2005 ; Nurmi & A ; Jaakkola, 2006 ) , four surveies collected descriptive informations ( Brush & A ; Saye, 2001 ; Ilomaki et al. , 2006 ; Liu & A ; Bera, 2005 ; McCormick & A ; Li, 2006 ) , one survey implemented a formal study ( Kay & A ; Knaack, 2007a, 2007b ) , and one survey accumulated anecdotal studies ( Lopez-Morteo & A ; Lopez, 2007 ) . With the exclusion of McCormick and Li ‘s ( 2006 ) paper, all eight old surveies looked at pupil perceptual experiences entirely ; teacher feelings of how good the WBLTs worked were non examined.Feedback in web-based acquisition applicationsTesting and appraisal are widely used in web-based acquisition applications, and e-learning Systems. Computer-based testing has a figure of advantages, viz. : facilitation of informations analysis coevals of speedy or sometimes even immediate consequences decrease of clip for trials development addition in user motive in the instance of frequent measuring possibilities of proving at any clip entreaty to a great figure of users/respondents with a big assortment of penchants, features, instruction, ends, etc. By and large, there exist many types of jobs of proving and appraisal in web-based larning systems, including both more proficient 1s such as user individuality confirmation and security issues and more general facets such as personalisation and version of assessment procedure. Lack of interaction between pupils and instructors is one of the chief jobs in web-based acquisition applications ( Mory, 2003 ) . During the acquisition procedure a pupil performs a figure of actions where feedback is important, for illustration in appraisals or in feedback chiefly consists of information about the trials consequences presented to a user. In web-based larning systems feedback presented by computing machine is normally aimed to replace feedback given to the pupil by the instructor and to better pupil public presentation ( Mory, 2003 ) . The chief function of feedback in web-based systems is to inform and to actuate the user to increase his or her attempt and attending. In web-based larning systems feedback plays a important function in interaction. The feedback is particularly of import in proving and appraisal that is organised within the learning procedure. Harmonizing to Brusilovsky and Miller ( 1999 ) proving constituents are the best developed synergistic constituents in web-based instruction. However, we consider these constituents as being ill designed still. Most of the current testing constituents in e-learning and other web-based applications do non back up feedback version. They do non give information about the user ‘s public presentation in the most suited clip and signifier for him or her. In traditional distance acquisition ( external, but non computer-based acquisition ) feedback has been examined from a figure of different positions ( Hyland, 2001 ) . The surveies have shown that pupils particularly wanted elaborate feedback and remarks. The feedback was expected to supply positive remarks on strengths, non obscure generalizations. It is recommended that unfavorable judgment in feedback be constructive and that pupils should hold a opportunity to react to remarks ( Hyland, 2001 ) . Harmonizing to Mory ( 2003 ) the feedback mechanisms that are used by pupils have changed with the progresss and growing of web-based larning systems. The usage of student-centred and constructivist attack in larning system supposes the usage of learner-to-learner interaction and provides meaningful equal and teacher feedback ( Dabbagh,2002 ) . Harmonizing to Bischoff ( 2000 ) pupils need regular feedback in order to cognize how their public presentation was evaluated, how they could better it, and how their classs are calculated. The effectual elements of on-line learning include frequent and consistent online feedback, diplomatic online feedback, and appraising online feedback. Based on qualities of on-line feedback ( multidimensional, nonevaluative, supportive, pupil controlled, seasonably, and specific ) outlined by Schwartz and White ( 2000 ) and Mory ( 2003 ) has suggested that feedback in the web-based acquisition system should hold the undermentioned qualities: prompt, seasonably, and thorough online feedback ongoing formative feedback about on-line group treatments ongoing summational feedback about classs constructive, supportive, and substantial online feedback specific, nonsubjective, and single online feedback consistent online feedback. In web-based acquisition applications the chief maps of the testing constituent are to measure the users, to give the user information about his or her public presentation, to actuate the user, and to concentrate the user ‘s attending on farther interaction with the system. Feedback differs from rating, where the chief end is to rate and enter the consequence of the testing for the intent of measuring the user. There are several chief jobs with feedback in web-based applications. First of wholly, there is the job of feedback representation. It is widely argued in favor of expressed presentation of feedback, but there are excessively few thoughts about what should be included into feedback and what sort of construction it should hold. Naturally, the feedback should match to the undertakings and to the single features of the user. The effectivity of different types of feedback in web-based acquisition system has been by experimentation studied by Mandernach ( 2005 ) , who evaluated the educational impact of showing assorted degrees of computer-based, on-line feedback ( no-feedback, knowledge-of-response, knowledge-of-correct-response, topic-contingent, and response contingent ) . The consequences of this survey have shown that the type of computer-based feedback did non hold any influence on pupil acquisition, but at the same clip the pupils reported distinguishable penchants for knowledge-of-response and response-contingent computer-based feedback. This allowed to reason that the pupils prefer feedback that is direct and clearly addresses the rightness of their response. The other job of feedback is the clip of its presentation. The user could be provided either with immediate or with delayed feedback. Harmonizing to Mathan ( 2003 ) the job of feedback timing is of important importance for tutoring systems. H e argued about the tradeoff between the benefits of immediate and delayed feedback: while immediate feedback is more effectual, delayed feedback supports better transportation and keeping. The advantages and disadvantages of immediate and delayed feedback can alter with different larning ends and scenes. The of import inquiry of feedback is that it can pull attending off from the undertakings increasing the clip required to put to death them. Harmonizing to Oulasvirta and Saariluoma ( 2004 ) disrupting messages such as feedback in human-computer interaction influence the extent and type of mistakes in retrieving. We argue that the jobs of feedback discussed could be partly solved by version of feedback to the undertakings and to the features of an single user. Feedback version in web based applications can supply a user with feedback that is the most appropriate for his or her personal features, existent temper, behavior, and heed ( Choe et al. , 2004 ) .