Republic of the Philippines

Davao Oriental State College of Science and Technology

INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION AND TEACHER TRAINING
Guang-guang, Dahican, City of Mati, Davao Oriental, 8200

Name: Cheryl Marie N. Lituañas Section: EDE1

The Emergence of ICT in Education

Learning is an ongoing lifelong activity where learners continuously pursue knowledge.

Conventionally, students attend schools to learn. Within the four corners of the classroom, learning
takes place. However at the dawn of the 21st century, technology emerged and the people were
captivated with its functions and efficiency.

Computers, the internet, television and projectors have been widely used in today’s
educational field. Collectively these tools are known as Information and Communication Technology
(ICT). According to Kent and Facer (2004) “ICT is being applied successfully in instruction,
learning, and assessment and is considered a powerful tool for educational change and reform”. If
used appropriately, educational quality will be raised and students may connect learning to real life
situations (Lowther, 2008; Weert and Tatnall, 2005).

Weert and Tatnall (2005) have pointed out that learners strive to seek knowledge; they
change their expectations and depart from traditional approaches. As time goes by they are expected
and willing to seek out new sources of knowledge. Learning and teaching will no longer depend
exclusively on printed materials. Multiple resources are abundant on the Internet, and knowledge can
be acquired through video clips, audio sounds, and visual presentations. Online course materials, for
example, can be accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Since learners are actively involved in
the learning processes in ICT classrooms, they are authorized by the teacher to make decisions,
plans, and so forth (Lu, Hou and Huang 2010). ICT therefore provides both learners and instructors
with more educational affordances and possibilities.

But along with the benefits, ICT in education also has its barriers and challenges such as:
School inspectors focus more on the quantity of course content and student test scores than on ICT
usage (Yildirim 2007); A lack of appropriate administrative support for the effective use of ICT (Lim
2007); Administrative mandates to improve examination results, which shifts the focus away from
using ICT to engage students in higher-order thinking activities (Goktas, Yildirim and Yildirim
2009); and academic dishonesty. It will be very difficult for the teachers to monitor whether their
students cheat or not, plagiarize or not.

Technology became an important part of the educational system. This changed and reformed
approaches in teaching. Implementing ICT in schools and in education has its benefits and
difficulties. In order to successfully integrate ICT in learning, many aspects should be considered.
The teacher is not the only party involved in this process. The students, as well as the parents, have
their own part to play.