Missing the Connection? Using ICTs in Education

This article summarises the benefits, drawbacks and questions relating to information and communication technologies (ICTs) depending on how they are used, where they are used and how they make a difference in the areas of development and education.

ICTs have in many instances increased the gap between developed and lesser developed countries and there is some question as to whether or not they are creating new ones. Are they providing an opportunity for developing countries to jump in and benefit from the power and advantages of ICTs and new technology? Yet some areas on the world are without electricity or telephones.

The author notes that this debate "has been largely rhetorical and lacks detailed consideration on the ways in which ICTs can be used in education in the developing world context." While many ICT have been put into practice, their impact on teaching and learning is still unknown. Examining ICT's can lead to placing emphasis on hardware rather than the skills that they can help achieve.

The implementation of ICT's requires financing and long-term planning. Developing countries can consider less expensive strategies according to the author "such as educational television combined with community learning centres or telecentres." And that "different kinds of ICTs in different settings may well mean countries develop their own models of best practice."

ICT's enhance education because they assist with information literacy and "the ability to access, use and evaluate information from different sources in order to enhance learning, solve problems and generate new knowledge. One aim of education should be to help learners become more independent and effective information seekers and critical users."

In the developing world, "the debate over which technologies are appropriate and relevant in education has received little attention." There is a need for computer maintenance, a need for parts, and their replacement, as well as training and a way to manage the associated costs. The author asserts that "developing effective partnerships with governments and the private sector is key to reaping the full educational benefits of ICTs" as well as collaboration between education, finance and telecommunications sectors.

The author concludes by suggesting that policy-makers consider:

• Who will pay for ICTs in schools?
• How should the private sector strike a balance between investing in training and infrastructure, such as software and hardware?
• What kind of software will be used?
• How do schools that obtain ICTs and infrastructure cover recurrent costs eg, Internet access and maintenance?

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