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WHAT IS ICT? ITS CONTEXT IN EDUCATION
Dave E. Marcial, Ph.D.
Silliman Online University Learning
Silliman University

ood day online learners! Welcome to the first week discussion of this course FOUNDATIONS OF ICT
IN EDUCATION. I hope you have browsed the preparatory readings I posted. The majority of my
discussion throughout the course is adapted from those references. For this week, we will discuss
ICT in the context of educational perspective. The scope of my discussion covers only the universal
understanding of ICT in education. The content of this lecture material is taken from my technical report
to the Commission on Higher Education through the Philippine Higher Education Research Network. At the
end of this week, you are expected to:
1. Define what is ICT in education.
2. Examine common benefits and challenges of ICT in education.
3. Identify common performance indicators for a successful ICT integration in education.
ICT refers to information-handling tools used to generate, store, process, spread and share information
(UNDP, 2001). ICT, as defined by the UNDP (2001), is fundamentally a diverse set of applications, goods
and services. It allows teachers and students to create, share, connect and reflect on their own learning
and that of others (UNESCO, 2011). Similarly, the Philippines Commission on Information and
Communications Technology defined ICT as the totality of electronic means for end-users such as
computer systems, office systems and consumer electronics, as well as networked information
infrastructure, the components of which include the telephone system, the Internet, fax machines and
computers. ICT tools are evolving and so implementation strategies have changed to better align to the
current needs. The study of Tan (2011) concludes HEIs should try to capitalize on 21st century tools and
technologies to address 21st century issues and challenges. These technologies include computers, the
Internet, broadcasting technologies and telephony that enables people to work together, and combine to
create networks every corner of the globe.
ICT has become a priority not only in any government. It has become one of the various themes and
priorities in the international communities. UNDP considers ICT as enabler of progress in education (UNDP,
2001). Likewise, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) reported that modern ICT has the potential in reducing
poverty in Asia and Pacific (ADB, a). ADBs ICT initiatives in education highlight projects on improving skills
training in poor rural areas. Specifically, it includes ICT components like assessment, training, e-learning
systems development, and among others (ADB, b). Similarly, the World Bank promotes access and use of
ICT to stimulate sustainable economic growth, improve service delivery, and promote good governance
and social accountability. Word Banks program on ICT focuses on three pillars: infrastructure, skills
development, and the use of ICT applications in specific sectors and context like education (World Bank).
Moreover, UNESCO believes that ICT can address the challenges faced in the teacher education (UNESCO,
2011a). UNESCO has initiatives related to the use of ICT in teacher education by supporting existing teacher
development communities of practice, multi-stakeholder partnerships, capacity building of policy-makers
and the development of international standards on ICT competencies for teachers.
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The use ICT in education is clearly not a new rally for the protection and promotion of life. There are many
evidences that the use of ICT in education provides useful pedagogical, social and economic benefits
(Rodrigo, 2001). Yap (2005) reported that the education sector garnered 20% of the Asias top IT-using
institution. Open universities, e-learning programs, mobile learning and computing, and among others, are
embraced also by the developing countries.
In developed countries, ICT in education is undeniably having produced significant positive impact. ICT is
changing the developed worlds attitudes and approaches to education (Loxley, 2004). Education in these
countries becomes more flexible, accommodating and increases range of potential learners. E-learning,
blended learning, open and distance learning, learner-centered environment and mobile learning are just
the few significant changes in these countries. Generally, ICT changed the way students learn; the way
teachers teach, and the way school operates. The use of ICT in education is a unique opportunity for
teachers. It provides significant benefits to the teachers as well as learners and other stakeholders. These
benefits include the provision of a qualitative access to education (Boyanova & Filipova, 2008). It also
offers cost reduction, self-paced training, knowledge consistency, time and place independence and access
to a global audience (Anido, Valero, Santos, Picos, Burguillo, Fernndez, Rodriguez, Caeiro, & Llamas,
2004). It promotes valid sustainable strategy (Hickey & Whitehouse, 2010). Further, it promotes changes in
attitudes, behaviour and values, as well as in the cognitive and perceptive processes (Carvalho de Sousa,
Sevilla-Pavn, Seiz-Ortiz, 2012).
In contrary, ICT integration in the developing countries, has been a long way to go and ICT infusion in
education is an emerging issue. Among the obstacles that teachers experience in integrating ICT in the
teaching and learning are lacking knowledge, outdated equipment, lack of time and lack of technical
competency (Hus, 2011). Other common obstacles (Marcial, 2012) include:
1. Limited number of Internet-connected PCs in the faculty room.
2. Inadequate number of electronic audio and visual equipment
3. Limited bandwidth that results to slow internet connection for online activities.
4. Inadequate number of computers available in the faculty room.
5. Lack of knowledge and training in using the available e-learning tools.
6. No enough time to develop e-learning materials for classroom instruction.
7. Get used and contented with the traditional mode of instruction.
8. Afraid to use computers and other electronic equipment.
9. Unavailability of software applications installed in the computer for faculty use
On the positive side, government, non-government organizations, industries and other stakeholders have
closely worked together to promote ICT for the advancement and betterment of life of every citizen. In the
Philippines, the government aimed to become an e-service hub, and the IT service sector has been growing
rapidly. Initiative toward innovative teaching and learning and becoming an ICT-enabled education has
started more than a decade ago. In 1997, a National Information Technology Action Agenda for the 21st,
also known as IT 21, was formulated to formalize the countrys vision to be globally competitive through
information technology (Republic of the Philippines National Information Technology Council, 1997;
UNESCO Bangkok). At the present time, the Philippines Digital Strategy (PDS) was formulated strategically
to make the country a digitally empowered, innovative, globally competitive, and prosperous society
where everyone has established, affordable and secure information access in the Philippines (Philippine
Digital Strategy, 2011). Among the many specific objectives, the PDS aims to use ICT in education and
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training as a means to provide equitable access to opportunities. As a result, empowered and improved
lives of every Filipino can be attained.
Despite of the documented international and national guidelines of ICT competency model for teachers,
there are only few published works focusing ICT in education in the Philippines. Presumably, there are
some unpublished theses and dissertations focusing ICT in education on specific domains, context, target,
coverage and scope. When searched at Yahoo, the search engine provides 35 results for the phrase "ICT in
education in the Philippines" as of August 2, 2012. Top in the list of the search results is the website of
UNESCO Bangkoks ICT in Education-Philippines. On the website, it listed substantive information about ICT
in education in the Philippines, including those case studies, projects and training in the past years
highlighting ICT in the basic education both primary and secondary schools. Likewise, Scopus provided 0
search results for ICT in education in the Philippines but 13 search results for keywords found in the
phrase "ICT in education in the Philippines". These studies include ICT in other fields such as in the basic
education (Espinosa, Caro, 2011), the school guidance (Vinluan, 2011), out of school youth (Kamei, 2010),
nursing (Bernal, Tolentino, Gavino, Fontelo, 2008), distant education (Ramos, Nangit, Ranga, Triona,
2007), and engineering mathematics (Carbonell, Tabamo, Guevara, Javier, 2003).
Another study on the use of ICT in schools is the study of Rodrigo (2005) about the quantification of the
digital divide that existed between schools in Metro Manila and schools in other countries. Although
Rodrigos analysis focuses on students, but her conclusion provides an idea of how Metro Manila schools
are challenged by the digital divides. Students in Metro Manila are among the digitally poor because of its
limited access to computers, software, and the Internet, described by Rodrigo. In the same manner, the
dissertation by Marcial (2010) on the prioritization and implementation of information technology in the
higher education institutions in the Philippines analyzes the landscape of information technology in the
country. The components included in the study were adopted from the top ten information technology
issues as published by EDUCAUSE in 2010 (Ingerman, Yang and the 2010 EDUCAUSE Current Issues
Committee, 2010). It includes security, funding, infrastructure, identity/access management, disaster
recovery, governance, teaching and learning, staffing and training, agility and responsiveness, strategic
planning, and enterprise resource planning. The study revealed that all the said components are highly
prioritized, but moderately implemented among the 97 higher education institutions from all over the
regions.
A study conducted by del Rosario (2007) entitled Technology Integration in Teacher Education Programs
in the Philippines, revealed the complexity of integrating technology because of many variables, that are
by themselves complex, influence technology integration. Accordingly, these variables include national,
state and school policies; state and local technology plans; funding; teacher skills; the rapidly changing
nature of technology; learning goals and objectives; teacher training and professional development; and
technology support. The results of del Rosarios research also point to emerging themes found to be an
attendant in technology integration. Rodrigo disposes that within the framework of developing countries,
the influence of modernization and the desire of these countries to become modernized and developed by
using ITs as strategic tools. Whether IT is introduced as an added course or infused into the curriculum. The
evolving nature of technology, in particular the emerging trend of mobile technology and how this impacts
technology use.

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According to Shyamal Majumdar, director general of the Colombo Plan Staff College for Technician
Education (cited by Oliva, 2008), ICT in education has at least four stages. These are emerging stage, which
means awareness; applying stage, which means learning; infusing stage, which means the use and
integration into the curriculum, and transforming stage, which means innovative learning by developing
new ways of teaching-learning using ICT.
A good illustration of the evolution of ICT in education is the Singapores ICT Master Plan in Education
(cited in UNESCO, 2011). It has three high-level goals of ICT in Education. Year 1997-2002 described the
state of shifting from an acquisition process of learning to one that engages higher order thinking like
application, synthesis and evaluation. The Internet, email and video conferencing tools are among the
sample tools used. Year 2003-2008 described the shift of learning from information receiving to
information processing and knowledge creation. Integration of ICT into the curriculum and leveraging ICT
for formative assessment and summative assessment are among the implementing tools at this stage.
Lastly, 2009-2014 it aims to have better integration of ICT right from the planning of curriculum and
assessment and calls for teachers to consider pedagogical applications of ICT starting from lesson design
and planning stage.
UNESCOs ICT Competency Standards for Teachers (ICT-CST) overall goal is to improve teacher practice. It
aims to achieve it in a way that contributes to a higher quality education system for a better informed
citizenry and higher quality workforce. It was hoped that, as a result, it advances the countrys economic
and social development. The intent of the UNESCO ICT-CST project is to connect education reform to
economic growth and social development that can improve the quality of education, reduce poverty and
inequity, advance the standards of living, and prepare a countrys citizens for the challenges of the 21st
century. (UNESCO, 2008) UNESCO's Framework emphasizes that acquiring ICT skills and be able to teach
them to students is not enough for teachers. Teachers need to be able to mold students become
collaborative, problem-solving, creative learners through using ICT so they will be effective citizens and
productive members of the workforce. The Framework addresses all aspects of a teacher's work such as
understanding policy, curriculum and assessment, pedagogy, ICT, organization and administration, and
teacher professional learning (UNESCO, 2011; 2008). As shown in figure 1, it is arranged in three different
approaches to teaching, Technology Literacy, Knowledge Deepening, and Knowledge Creation. The first
teaching approach aimed to let students use ICT to learn more efficiently. The second teaching approach
enables students to acquire an in-depth understanding of their school subjects and use it to complicated
and real-world problems. The third teaching approach enables students, citizens and the workforce they
become, to create the new knowledge required for more harmonious, fulfilling and prosperous societies.

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Figure 1. Framework of the UNESCOs ICT Competency Standards for Teachers

Another competency framework for teachers in the international arena is the National Educational
Technology Standards-Teachers (NETSS). The model aims to develop effective teachers in designing,
implementing, and assessing learning experiences. It consists of five (5) performance indicators: 1)
Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity 2) Design and Develop Digital Age Learning
Experiences and Assessments 3) Model Digital Age Work and Learning 4) Promote and Model Digital
Citizenship and Responsibility 5) Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership. As a result, teachers can
engage with students and enhance learning, enrich professional practice, and provide positive models for
students, colleagues, and the community (ISTE, 2008).
On the same way, the Philippines Commission on Information and Communication Technology formulated
in 2006 the National ICT Competency Standard for Teachers, also known as NICS-Teachers. The national
standard defines the competency outcomes, and the supporting knowledge and skills needed to deploy ICT
in performing the job roles related to teaching. NICS-Teachers is supported by various public and private
interest groups who seek to improve pre-service and in-service trainings of teachers on the use of ICT in
education. References of NICS-Teachers include ISTE NETSS and IFIP Curriculum-Professional Development
of Teachers. NICS-Teachers consists of four elements such as skill set standard that describes the key area
of competency, a descriptor that describes the covered skills set, statements that describe the outcome in
terms of the key areas of competence and indicators that determine the actions and the individual would
take to perform the scope of competence (see figure 2). Most importantly, NICS-Teachers consists four
domains of skill set. The first domain focuses on technology operations and concepts that include
competencies related to technical operations and concept, and productivity of various ICT tools like
computers and communication devices, as well as application available on-line or off-line. Secondly, the
domain focuses on social and ethical considerations that include competencies related to social, ethical,
legal and human issues and community linkage. Third is the pedagogical domain that includes
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competencies related to the use of technology in the components in instruction processes. These
processes are 1) planning and designing effective learning environments and experiences supported by
technology, 2) implementing, facilitating and monitoring teaching and learning strategies that incorporate
a variety of ICT to develop and improve student learning, and 3) assessing and evaluating student learning
and performances. Lastly, the teacher professional development.

Figure 2. Elements of NICS-Teachers (Adopted from CICCT)

In summary, ICT is the totality of electronic means for end-users such as computer systems, office systems
and consumer electronics, as well as networked information infrastructure, the components of which
include the telephone system, the Internet, fax machines and computers. ICT provides social, economic
and pedagogical benefits. On the other hand, ICT infusion is still a growing issue. There are many aspects of
integrating ICT in education. It concludes competency in: policy goals, tools and concepts, pedagogical use,
classroom management and organization, teacher professional development, and social and ethical skills.
ICT in education is multifaceted, and it is affected by many related variables. There is a need to take a
careful analysis of the many variables that affect ICT integration in education. While it is true that ICT can
support changes in pedagogy and improves in teaching-learning, providing computers in the classroom
does not improve outcomes. It should be well-planned.
For next week, we will discuss ICT policy goals, tools and concepts. Notably, an education policy for ICT in
education should be the primary policy in any institution (World Bank, 2003). Absence of these
complementary reforms may result to slow infusion of ICT in education. Inadequate government funding,
affordability, lack of infrastructure, and scarce skilled human resources are among the many reasons for
the diffusion of ICT in education (Loxley, 2004).
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