NEW INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND LEARNING

NEW INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND LEARNING

Today IT is used in all levels of education, such as Formal, Informal and Non formal. People at various  age level are able to use IT for their lively hood as Children at home, Teachers at school, Adults for various activities, etc.

IT at Home and Pre School

Very young children are fond to respond to voices or they are touch sensitive even before speech  development. Thus they are able to press buttons or switches to operate  electronic medias to  produce sounds, games, etc. Children who learn IT informally at home are likely to be high achievers at school.

IT in Primary School

Children acquired computer literacy through playing  with ‘Key Board’ while playing games. Thus they learn the functions of key board and other components. They are also exercised the movements of ‘Mouse’.

Functions:

1.     Making course wears – drill-and-practice, tutorials, simulations, etc.

2.     Logic games – for practice problem solving.

3.     Learning languages – language laboratory, drill-and-practice, etc.

4. Use of Printers – permanent record   of      theirs works, to

produce class       news papers, etc.

      5. For organizing computer assisted     learning and computer

managed     learning – use of audio-video discs, power point

presentations, etc.

IT in Secondary School

1.     Hardware and software training can be started.

2.     Initiation of IT to provide interactive learning through multimedia and internet.

3.     Learners are able to develop courseware packages for different subjects

4.Give chances to work with computer based learning programmes.

5. Give opportunities to prepare     assignments and project report         using computer and printer.

6.  Give importance to simulations in    secondary schools.

IT in Teacher Training

To enhance quality education ensure IT training along with Pre-service and In-service teacher education. Teachers should have trained to select programmes of real educational values.

Guide lines for selecting programmes:

Ensure that:-

-does it provide feedback,  diagnosis and    remedial experiences?

-         does it provide student with learning      laboratory?

-         does it allow progress by performance?

-         does it provide continuous evaluation and    gives anticipated educational goals?

DOMAINS OF TEACHER TRAINING

1.     Electronics and control technology

2.     The computer as an instrument – computer studies, computer arts and music, instrumentation, etc.

3.     Computer assisted and computer managed learning

4.     Information Technology associated with electronic office, word processing, information retrieval, etc.

IT in Higher Education

It is an essential one in Higher education. Teachers should allow students to use various technologies for learning. Computers are vitally important by providing simulations, modeling, designs, etc. for various levels of students.

The Spatial Data Management System  can also be used for higher education. Spatial Data Management System is a  technique for organizing and retrieving information by positioning it in a spatial frame work. It is a multi-dimensional window for seeing a vast data in various forms. It is a system for displaying the information to the user in many ways such as vision, sound, touch, etc.

Online Computer Library Centers plays a vital role in higher education by providing libraries with a centralized acquisition and cataloguing services. Internet services are also provided in libraries which provides e-books, journals, etc.  It also enables the learner for interactions with experts, scholars, etc.

It in Vocational and Continuing Education

Vocational and continuing education agencies are using the advantages of information technology in the following forms:

1.     Simulations

2.     Video discs/Cassettes 

3.     Cable and open circuit Televisions

IT for Nonformal  Learning for Adults

Adults can learn nonformally from computers in their own homes. They can also learn through interactive video discs, cable televisions, network televisions, internet, etc.

Some Adult Learning Sources:

•      News services

•      Electronic male system

•      Message system

•      Health and medicine Information

•      Travel and leisure information

•              Games and educational services, etc.