Introduction:
Thousands of years ago atthe dawn of human civilization, agricultural society evolved from the plough.In the second half of the eighteenth century, with the advent of the steamengine the industrial revolution took place in Europe. Now at the dawn of thenew millennium another revolution of entirely different kind is taking placeacross the globe -- a silent revolution, much more powerful and all pervasive-- it is information technology revolution. No wonder that the present age is beingcalled the information age.
The term informationtechnology or IT has been replaced by information and communication technologyor ICT which involves collection, storage, processing and distribution ofinformation. Computers, internet and electronic communication are integralparts of ICT. Texts, numbers, audios and videos are being exchanged throughoutthe world without space and time barrier. ICT has accelerated the pace ofglobalization. At the heart of the startling development in some of the developingcountries there lies ICT. Countries having access to and control overinformation will dominate the world economically and politically.
ICT is the backbone of any digital initiative. ICT covers the vastarea of information technology, communication technology and of course thetelecommunication technology; categorically processing of information andensuring connectivity. Digital Bangladesh is an Idea that includes the IT use formanagement, administration and governance to ensure transparency, accountabilityand answerability at all levels of society and state. One thing must bementioned that ICT is only a technology, a technology or a machine could not befunctional without a person behind. Philosophically convinced persons are thedriving force in establishing an idea in to society and state. Building of an ITeducated work force is the most important segment of digital Bangladeshinitiative. To develop this kind of generation it needs to an education policyand national human resource policy especially in education sector.
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The challenge Bangladesh faces is how to become a learningsociety and to ensure that its citizens are equipped with the knowledge, skillsand qualifications on information and communication technology (ICT) they willneed in the next century. ICT revolution imposes particular challenges oneducation systems in Bangladesh. These challenges reduce to three broad areas.The first has to do with participation in the information society; the secondconsiders how ICT impacts on access, cost effectiveness and quality ofeducation, while the third is to do with the way that ICT changes the educationprocess.
Formal education in computers was first started in1984 with the foundation of Computer Science and Engineering Department in BangladeshUniversity of Engineering and Technology. ICT education thereafter graduallyextended to the bachelor’s degree, higher secondary and secondary schoollevels. In Bangladesh, there are about 83,796 primary level institutions, 5,694and 15,748 junior and secondary level institutions respectively, 2,339 highersecondary and degree colleges and more than 1,000 ICT training institutes.
The introduction and status of ICT education inprimary and junior secondary, secondary and higher secondary, diploma, undergraduateand post-graduate levels, and career-oriented professional ICT trainingdescribes bellow.
Primary and juniorsecondary level
The first five years and the next three years of educationconstitute the primary and junior secondary levels respectively. Bengali andEnglish languages, history, geography, general science, mathematics andreligion are the major subjects taught at these levels. Students become, in avery small way, aware of computers and their vast applications through theirgeneral science textbooks.
Recently, the government formulated aNational Education Policy in the cabinet, which was endorsed by Parliament. Inthis Policy, introduction of ICT education at the primary and junior secondarylevel has not been included in the implementation period of 2010. A majority ofschools in the country cannot afford to buy computers for their students.Though a small number of city-based schools have very limited computerlaboratory facilities, yet they fail to make their students familiar withinternet, e-mail and related technology because of the lack of nationwidetelecommunication infrastructure and internet facilities. In addition, schoolteachers at these levels lack the minimum level of training on IT.
Secondary and highersecondary levels
The 9th and 10th years of a school-going student and the next twoyears of a college-going student constitute the secondary and higher secondarylevels respectively. Computer science was introduced as an optional subject forsecondary level students from the beginning of 1994, and about 150 schools werepermitted to start up the subject. Many more schools have shown interest, andthe quantitative expansion of ICT education at the secondary level isphenomenal. The National Education Policy has recommended compulsory computercourses from the secondary level of education. The Board of Intermediate andSecondary Education, Dhaka introduced computer science as an optional subjectin 1991. Already, more than 200 colleges have introduced computer science as anoptional subject for science stream students.
Moreover, about 30 polytechnic institutes of the country (mostlylocated in Dhaka) are offering four-year diploma courses for those who havegraduated from SSC in computer technology. Bangladesh Open University is nowoffering three-semester diplomas in computer applications.
Undergraduate andpost-graduate levels
At the moment Bangladesh has more than 30 public and 54 privateuniversities, 6 BITs and some national university-affiliated post-graduate institutesand colleges, which are offering courses related to computer science andinformation technology.
BangladeshOpen University is the only university in Bangladesh that is offering DistanceEducation. Established in 1992 by an act of Parliament, it has opened up newvistas in distance education in the country. Situated at a picturesque site ofGazipur, 30 km north of Dhaka, BOU has a printing and production division and amodern media centre. Construction of these organizational structures is almostcomplete, with financial assistance from ADB and the government of Bangladesh.BOU`s programmes are aimed at everyone, particularly working people and womenand those socially disadvantaged.
BangladeshOpen University relies heavily on print materials, electronic media likeradio-television and audio-video cassettes, tutorial services, computernetworking and the internet. The use of these techniques helps BOU to take itsacademic programs to the doorsteps of people far and wide. It makes room forin-house education.
Some other institutions have also initiated research programmes inIT-related fields. These include machine learning, pattern recognition, speechrecognition, automatic translation, computational algorithm, VLSI and 3-Dvision. Considerable research work has been done in the use of Bengali incomputers. Unfortunately, like R&D in other fields of science andtechnology, there is very little interaction between academia and industry.
E-learning
Although most commonly associated with higher education andcorporate training, e-learning encompasses learning at all levels, both formaland non-formal, that uses an information network—the Internet, an intranet(LAN) or extranet (WAN)—whether wholly or in part, for course delivery,interaction and/or facilitation. Others prefer the term online learning.Web-based learning is a subset of e-learning and refers to learning using anInternet browser (such as Netscape or Internet Explorer).
Blended learning
Another term that is gaining currency is blendedlearning. This refers to learning models that combine traditional classroompractice with e-learning solutions. For example, students in a traditionalclass can be assigned both print-based and online materials, have onlinementoring sessions with their teacher through chat, and are subscribed to aclass email list. Or a Web-based training course can be enhanced by periodicface-to-face instruction. “Blending “was prompted by the recognition that notall learning is best achieved in an electronically-mediated environment,particularly one that dispenses with a live instructor altogether. Instead,consideration must be given to the subject matter, the learning objectives andoutcomes, the characteristics of the learners, and the learning context inorder to arrive at the optimum mix of instructional and delivery methods.
Open and distancelearning
Open and distance learning is defined by the Commonwealth ofLearning as “a way of providing learning opportunities that is characterized bythe separation of teacher and learner in time or place, or both time and place;learning that is certified in some way by an institution or agency; the use ofa variety of media, including print and electronic; two-way communications thatallow learners and tutors to interact; the possibility of occasionalface-to-face meetings; and a specialized division of labour in the productionand delivery of courses.”
The Promise of ICTs inEducation
For developing countries ICTs have the potential for increasingaccess to and improving the relevance and quality of education. It thusrepresents a potentially equalizing strategy for developing countries. ICTsgreatly facilitate the acquisition and absorption of knowledge, offeringdeveloping countries unprecedented opportunities to enhance educationalsystems, improve policy formulation and execution, and widen the range ofopportunities for business and the poor. One of the greatest hardships enduredby the poor, and by many others, who live in the poorest countries, is theirsense of isolation. The new communications technologies promise to reduce thatsense of isolation, and to open access to knowledge in ways unimaginable notlong ago. However, the reality of the Digital Divide—the gap between those whohave access to and control of technology and those who do not—means that theintroduction and integration of ICTs at different levels and in various typesof education will be a most challenging undertaking. Failure to meet the challengewould mean a further widening of the knowledge gap and the deepening ofexisting economic and social inequalities.
How can ICTs help expandaccess to education?
ICTs are a potentially powerful tool for extending educationalopportunities, both formal and non-formal, to previously underserved constituencies—scatteredand rural populations, groups traditionally excluded from education due tocultural or social reasons such as ethnic minorities, girls and women, personswith disabilities, and the elderly, as well as all others who for reasons ofcost or because of time constraints are unable to enroll on campus.
Anytime, anywhere- One defining feature of ICTs is their ability to transcend timeand space. ICTs make possible asynchronous learning, or learning characterizedby a time lag between the delivery of instruction and its reception by learners.Online course materials, for example, may be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days aweek. ICT-based educational delivery (e.g., educational programming broadcastover radio or television) also dispenses with the need for all learners and theinstructor to be in one physical location. Additionally, certain types of ICTs,such as teleconferencing technologies, enable instruction to be receivedsimultaneously by multiple, geographically dispersed learners (i.e., synchronouslearning).
Access to remote learningresources- Teachers and learners nolonger have to rely solely on printed books and other materials in physicalmedia housed in libraries (and available in limited quantities) for theireducational needs. With the Internet and the World Wide Web, a wealth of learningmaterials in almost every subject and in a variety of media can now be accessedfrom anywhere at any time of the day and by an unlimited number of people. Thisis particularly significant for many schools in developing countries, and evensome in developed countries, that have limited and outdated library resources.ICTs also facilitate access to resource persons— mentors, experts, researchers,professionals, business leaders, and peers—all over the world.
The potential of ICTs to promote the acquisition of these skillsis tied to its use as a tool for rising educational quality, includingpromoting the shift to a learner-centered environment.
How can the use of ICTshelp improve the quality of education?
How can the use of ICTshelp improve the quality of education?
Improving the quality of education and training is a criticalissue, particularly at a time of educational expansion. ICTs can enhance thequality of education in several ways: by increasing learner motivation and engagement,by facilitating the acquisition of basic skills, and by enhancing teachertraining. ICTs are also transformational tools which, when used appropriately,can promote the shift to a learner-centered environment.
Motivating to learn- ICTs such as videos, television and multimedia computer softwarethat combine text, sound, and colorful, moving images can be used to providechallenging and authentic content that will engage the student in the learningprocess. Interactive radio likewise makes use of sound effects, songs,dramatizations, comic skits, and other performance conventions to compel thestudents
Digital Age Literacy
Functional literacy Ability to decipher meaning and express ideasin a range of media; this includes the use of images, graphics, video, chartsand graphs or visual literacy Scientific literacy Understanding of both thetheoretical and applied aspects of science and mathematics Technologicalliteracy Competence in the use of information and communication technologies Informationliteracy Ability to find, evaluate and make appropriate use of information,including via the use of ICTs Cultural literacy Appreciation of the diversityof cultures Global awareness Understanding of how nations, corporations, andcommunities all over the world are interrelated.
Inventive Thinking
Adaptability Ability to adapt and manage in a complex,interdependent world Curiosity Desire to know Creativity Ability to useimagination to create new things Risk-taking Ability to take risks
Higher-Order Thinking Creative problem-solving and logical thinking that result in sound
Effective Communication
Teaming Ability to work in a team Collaboration and Ability tointeract smoothly and work effectively with others Interpersonal skills Personaland social Be accountable for the way they use ICTs and to learn to use ICTs responsibilityfor the public good Interactive communication Competence in conveying,transmitting, accessing and understanding information High Productivity Abilityto prioritize, plan, and manage programs and projects to achieve the desiredresults Ability to apply what they learn in the classroom to real-life contextsto create relevant, high-quality products to listen and become involved in thelessons being delivered. More so than any other type of ICT, networkedcomputers with Internet connectivity can increase learner motivation as itcombines the media richness and interactivity of other ICTs with theopportunity to connect with real people and to participate in real world events
Facilitating theacquisition of basic skills- Thetransmission of basic skills and concepts that are the foundation of higherorder thinking skills and creativity can be facilitated by ICTs through drilland practice. Educational television programs such as Sesame Street userepetition and reinforcement to teach the alphabet, numbers, colors, shapes andother basic concepts. Most of the early uses of computers were forcomputer-based learning (also called computer-assisted instruction) thatfocused on mastery of skills and content through repetition and reinforcement.
Enhancing teacher training- ICTs have also been used to improve access to and the quality ofteacher training. For example, institutions like the Cyber Teacher TrainingCenter (CTTC) in South Korea are taking advantage of the Internet to providebetter teacher professional development opportunities to in-service teachers.The government-funded CTTC, established in 1997, offers self-directed,self-paced Web-based courses for primary and secondary school teachers. Coursesinclude “Computers in the Information Society,”“Education Reform,” and “FutureSociety and Education.” Online tutorials are also offered, with some coursesrequiring occasional face-to-face meetings.15 In China, large-scale radio and
Television-based teacher education has for many years beenconducted by the China Central Radio and TV University, the Shanghai Radio andTV University and many other RTVUs in the country.
At Indira Gandhi National Open University, satellite-based one-wayvideo- and two-way audio-conferencing was held in 1996, supplemented byprint-materials and recorded video, to train 910 primary school teachers andfacilitators from 20 district training institutes in Karnataka State. Theteachers interacted with remote lecturers by telephone and fax.
When used appropriately, ICTs—especially computers and Internettechnologies— enable new ways of teaching and learning rather than simply allowteachers and students to do what they have done before in a better way.
Active learning- ICT-enhancedlearning mobilizes tools for examination, calculation and analysis ofinformation, thus providing a platform for student inquiry, analysis andconstruction of new information. Learners therefore learn as they do and,whenever appropriate, work on real-life problems in-depth, making learning lessabstract and more relevant to the learner’s life situation. In this way, and incontrast to memorization-based or rote learning, ICT-enhanced learning promotesincreased learner engagement. ICT-enhanced learning is also “just-in-time”learning in which learners can choose what to learn when they need to learn it.
Collaborative learning- ICT-supportedlearning encourages interaction and cooperation among students, teachers, andexperts regardless of where they are. Apart from modeling real-world interactions,ICT-supported learning provides learners the opportunity to work with people fromdifferent cultures, thereby helping to enhance learners’ teaming andcommunicative skills as well as their global awareness. It models learning donethroughout the learner’s lifetime by expanding the learning space to includenot just peers but also mentors and experts from different fields.
Creative Learning- ICT-supported learning promotes the manipulation of existinginformation and the creation of real-world products rather than theregurgitation of received information.
Integrative learning- ICT-enhancedlearning promotes a thematic, integrative approach to teaching and learning.This approach eliminates the artificial separation between the different disciplinesand between theory and practice that characterizes the traditional classroom approach.
Evaluative learning- ICT-enhancedlearning is student-directed and diagnostic. Unlike static, text- orprint-based educational technologies, ICT-enhanced learning recognizes thatthere are many different learning pathways and many different articulations ofknowledge. ICTs allow learners to explore and discover rather than merelylisten and remember.
What is teleconferencingand what have been its educational uses?
Teleconferencing refers to “interactive electronic communicationamong people located at two or more different places. There are four types ofteleconferencing based on the nature and extent of interactivity and the sophisticationof the technology: 1) audio conferencing; 2) audio-graphic conferencing, 3)videoconferencing; and 4) Web-based conferencing.
Audio conferencing involves the live (real-time) exchange of voice messages over atelephone network. When low-bandwidth text and still images such as graphs,diagrams or pictures can also be exchanged along with voice messages, then thistype of conferencing is called audio graphic. Non-moving visuals are addedusing a computer keyboard or by drawing/writing on a graphics tablet orwhiteboard.
Videoconferencing allowsthe exchange not just of voice and graphics but also of moving images. Videoconferencingtechnology does not use telephone lines but either a satellite link ortelevision network (broadcast/cable).
Videoconferencing allowsthe exchange not just of voice and graphics but also of moving images. Videoconferencingtechnology does not use telephone lines but either a satellite link ortelevision network (broadcast/cable).
Web-based conferencing as the name implies, involves the transmission of text, andgraphic, audio and visual media via the Internet; it requires the use of acomputer with a browser and communication can be both synchronous andasynchronous.
Teleconferencing is used in both formal and non-formal learningcontexts to facilitate teacher-learner and learner-learner discussions, as wellas to access experts and other resource persons remotely. In open and distancelearning, teleconferencing is a useful tool for providing direct instructionand learner support, minimizing learner isolation.
For instance, an audio graphic teleconferencing network betweenTianjin Medical University in China and four outlying Tianjin municipalitieswas piloted in 1999 as part of a multi-year collaboration between TianjinMedical University and the University of Ottawa School Of Nursing funded by theCanadian International Development Agency. The audio graphic teleconferencingnetwork aims to provide continuing education and academic upgrading to nursesin parts of Tianjin municipality where access to nursing education has beenextremely limited. Other higher education institutions using teleconferencingin their online learning programs include the Open University of the UnitedKingdom, Unitar (Universiti Tun Abdul Ruzak) in Malaysia, Open University ofHong Kong, and Indira Gandhi National Open University.
How have computers andthe Internet been used for teaching and learning?
There are three general approaches to the instructional use ofcomputers and the Internet, namely:
1) Learning about computers and the Internet, in whichtechnological literacy is the end goal;
2) Learning with computers and the Internet,in which the technology facilitates learning across the curriculum; and
3) Learning through computers and the Internet, integratingtechnological skills development with curriculum applications.
What does it mean tolearn about computers and the Internet?
Learning about computers and the Internet focuses on developingtechnological literacy. It typically includes:
• Fundamentals: basic terms, concepts and operations
• Use of the keyboard and mouse
• Use of productivity tools such as word processing, spreadsheets,data base and graphics programs
• Use of research and collaboration tools such as search enginesand email
• Basic skills in using programming and authoring applicationssuch as Logo or Hyper Studio
• Developing an awareness of the social impact of technologicalchange
What about learning withcomputers and the Internet?
Learning with the technology means focusing on how the technologycan be the means to learning ends across the curriculum. It includes:
• Presentation, demonstration, and the manipulation of data usingproductivity tools
• Use of curriculum-specific applications types such aseducational games, drill and practice, simulations, tutorials, virtuallaboratories, visualizations and graphical representations of abstractconcepts, musical composition, and expert systems
• Use of information and resources on CD-ROM or online such asencyclopedia, interactive maps and atlases, electronic journals and otherreferences Technological literacy is required for learning with technologies tobe possible, implying a two-step process in which students learn about the technologiesbefore they can actually use them to learn. However, there have been attemptsto integrate the two approaches.
What does learningthrough computers and the Internet mean?
Learning through computers and the Internet combines learningabout them with learning with them. It involves learning the technologicalskills “just-in-time” or when the learner needs to learn them as he or sheengages in a curriculum-related activity. For example, secondary schoolstudents who must present a report on the impact on their community of anincrease in the price of oil for an Economics class may start doing research online, using spreadsheet anddatabase programs to help organize and analyze the data they have collected, aswell using a word processing application to prepare their written report.
Conclusion
It is generally agreed that ICT is a crucialresource in education. Children use computers from an early age and continue touniversity level. Children taught practical ICT skills that are transferable intothe work place. ICT education is a cheap, fast way to access a huge amount ofresources that are regularly updated, accessible 24/7 – allowing students tocontinue their work at home. It encourages of computer literacy, helpful in anincreasingly technologically orientated world. Teachers upload course documentsso that students misses a lesson, they can download information and do the workin their own time. Encourages student-driven lessons, where students takeresponsibility for their learning. Government sponsored learning toolsavailable to students. Government promises high-speed broadband internet accessfor every university, hospital and doctors' surgery which would allow schools tobe linked and to share resources. Educational Institutes becoming morecomputerized, proof that internet must be helping otherwise they would not bewilling to shell out to fit their schools with needed equipment.
There are some harmful matters of the internet in education suchas there is a lot ofincorrect information on the internet and students will learn more theory andless practical. Bing taught the wrong thing- Hacking, Creating Viruses, andPlagiarism. A lot of distraction such as porn, games, music, videos, chat rooms/messengers/emails as likes so.
ICT is very expensive - not all students get the sameopportunities. It can be boring sitting in front of a computer for a long time.Computers cannot interact on a personal level e.g. fuller explanation Itbecomes harder for the teachers to organise the teaching of new concepts. Somestudents find it hard to use computers. Learner minds are more likely to wander from their set task. Not allteachers are keen on ICT but, are forced to use it. Children lose socialinteraction and working on computers all day – bad for your health. Computersaren’t as reliable as teachers; computers can’t explain new concepts as well asa good teacher. If left to learn at their own speed, many students would fallbehind. Computers don’t have the motivating force that teachers have.
However, all the issues we should over come to effective use ofICT in education sector. More ever the learner can benefited to use of packages: word-processing,spreadsheets etc. There are special facilities for pupils with disabilities.The uses of ICT teacher and pupil communications are improved. ICT provideslinks with other schools or with businesses. Computers in schools provideswider access to ICT and encourages new ways of learning, it can repeat workagain and again and again and interactive teaching packages are available on CDfor different subjects. Children can learn in varied ways in the classroom. Thereare many CD-ROMs available for each level of the national curriculum.
Recommendations
Facilities should be built to promote ICT education andcomputer-aided education in all levels (primary to post-graduate). Donoragencies, non-government organizations and other development partners of thecountry should participate in building up the necessary capacity in this area.The mutually supportive roles of public and private finance point the way toraising the overall level of investment in ICT education and training.
Teachers are the most vital resource inpromoting modernization and higher standards; their recruitment, training,deployment and appropriate incentives are critical to ICT education system inBangladesh. Since there is an acute shortage of qualified teachers, short-termintensive training on ICT may be arranged. Wherever necessary an internationalfaculty or expatriate Bangladeshis working abroad may be invited as visitingfaculties at least once a year.
Modern and effective ICT networks need to be built to supporttraditional methods of teaching and learning and to increase the quantity andrange of education and training, for example, through distance learning.
The promotion of the study of foreign languages (mainly English)to increase the understanding of different cultures and enhance mobility in aglobalised ICT world
The developing of a culture of entrepreneurship in ICT education,not least in developing the closest R&D links between universities andcompanies.
Everyone should have access to ICT learning and training, not justthose who are intellectually gifted or economically privileged. Specialattention should be given to the needs of the disadvantaged. The use of ICT asa teaching tool and for delivery of distance learning can help stretch ourlimited teaching resources and provide a high quality education to all.
Everyone should be encouraged and enabled to continue ICT learningthroughout their lives, not just in the years of compulsory schooling.
For primary and junior secondary level, general science textbooksshould adequately cover fundamental concepts on computers and their numerousapplications. Differences between hardware and software, history of computersand their use, classification of computers, concept of computer network,internet and emails, introduction to computer peripherals and input/outputdevices should be introduced.
There should be uniformity in coursecurricula and degree requirements. Course curricula should be revised at nomore than two-year intervals.
Post-graduate programmes should be strengthened. Most of thegraduates leaving the country for higher studies do not return. A rigorous andstandard post-graduate programme will encourage more students to complete theirhigher studies in the country and eventually fill up the current vacuum ofqualified teaching stuffs. Books andjournals should be made available in the University libraries.
References
1. Internet
2. BTTB reports and online resources
3. Hanif Bin Azhar, Abdus Sobhan, M., Lutfor Rahman, M. ResearchActivities on Information Technology in Bangladesh; Proceedings of the NationalConference on Computer and Information Systems, 1997, Dhaka, Bangladesh
4. Source: Jung, In Sung,“Virtual Education at the Tertiary Level:The Experience of Korea”. Available Online
http://www.TechKnowLogia.org…Accessed 4 July 2002.
5. Source: Adapted from EnGauge. North Central Regional EducationalLaboratory. Available Online at
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