Understanding ICT in Education

This guide is designed to help you understand the fundamental concepts of Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) as it applies to education. It will define key terms and explore
how these concepts relate to each other.

Defining Basic Concepts in Understanding ICT in

Education
ICT is a broad field that has significantly impacted how we teach and learn. Understanding its
core components is crucial for effective integration into educational settings.

Technology
Origin: Derived from the Greek word teknologia, meaning "systematic treatment or craft." It
refers to the methods people develop to address their needs.
Definition (Greenwood Dictionary of Education): The apparatus, methods, and systems used
to carry out an enterprise or purpose.
Role: Technology acts as a medium of change, a tool, and a catalyst. It bridges the gap
between research, theoretical exploration, and real-world problems.

Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

ICT encompasses the tools and systems used for managing and processing information, and its
impact on knowledge dissemination. Multiple definitions highlight its multifaceted nature:

Electronic Tools for Information: ICT involves electronic tools used for gathering, recording,
storing, exchanging, and distributing information. (Anderson, 2010)
Information-Handling Tools: It refers to tools that generate, store, process, spread, and share
information. (UNDP, 2001)
Enabling Learning and Connection: ICT allows teachers and students to create, share,
connect, and reflect on their learning and that of others. (UNESCO, 2011)
Electronic Means for Information Management: This definition includes all electronic means
to access, create, collect, store, process, receive, transmit, present, and disseminate
information. (RA 10844, 2016)
Data Transmission and Exchange: ICT involves technologies associated with the
transmission and exchange of data in various forms (sound, text, visual images, signals)
using digital technology. (TESDA, n.d.)
Knowledge Dissemination: It is a subject concerned with technology and its impact on
managing and processing information and how knowledge is disseminated in society.
(Florencio & Andong, 2008)
Broad Technological Scope: This includes all technology used to handle telecommunications,
broadcast media, intelligent building management systems, audiovisual processing and
transmission systems, and network-based control and monitoring functions.
Diverse Technological Resources: ICT comprises a diverse set of technological tools and
resources used to transmit, store, create, share, or exchange information, including
computers, the internet, broadcasting technologies, and telephony.
Components of ICT

ICT is comprised of several interconnected components that enable its functionality:

Cloud Computing:
Description: The delivery of computing services over the internet. It involves data centers
accessible to many users online.
Benefit: Eliminates the need for local servers or personal devices for applications and
data storage. Users can access computing resources and services remotely, often on a
pay-as-you-go basis.
Examples of accessed services: Documents, emails, presentations, pictures, calendars,
chats.
Software:
Definition: Applications used to perform tasks on a computer.
Categories:
Application Software: Used for a specific need (e.g., word processors, spreadsheets).
System Software: Used to run the hardware (e.g., operating systems).

Hardware:
Definition: The physical components of a computer or electronic device.
Examples: Desktop computers, laptops, tablets, mobile phones.
Digital Transactions:
Definition: "Paperless," online, or automated transactions that occur between individuals
and organizations.
Examples: Online banking, credit card payments.
Digital Data:
Definition: Information stored on computer systems using specific machine language
systems, typically a binary language of zeroes and ones.
Representation: This binary language represents the contents of the data.
Example: The sequence
11011001010010000000010000000011000000001100101011100110101000111001100
10110110001110101010 represents digital data.
Internet Access:
Definition: The process of connecting to the internet using technology gadgets.
Mechanism: Involves signals (IP/SMS, Voice) transmitted through access points/routers
and transmitting towers.

Educational Technology

Educational technology focuses on improving the learning process through the systematic
development and application of technology.

Definition (Council for Educational Technology of the United Kingdom): The improvement of
the learning process by developing, applying, and evaluating systems, techniques, and aids.
Definition (Association for Educational Communication and Technology): The study to
facilitate learning and improve performances by the creation, use, and management of
appropriate technological processes and resources.
Systematic Approach: It involves a systematic way to design, carry out, and evaluate the
teaching-learning process, utilizing both human and technical resources.
 Practice of Facilitating Learning: It is the practical application of using methods and
resources in education to facilitate the learning process.
Systematic Design for Performance Improvement: Educational technology is a systematic,
iterative process for designing instruction or training to improve performance.
Management of Learning Resources: It is a field involved in facilitating human learning
through the systematic identification, development, organization, and utilization of a full
range of learning resources and managing these processes.

Instructional System

An instructional system is a structured approach to education that aims to improve teaching and
learning.

Scientific Approach to Education (Loughary, 1968): It is an attempt to design a curriculum

and develop instructional procedures and materials based on research about the teaching-
learning process. It views instructional systems as teaching-learning packages.
Systematic Design: The design of instruction is orderly, with internal logic, resulting in a
coherent plan where components align effectively. (Newby, 2000)
Development using Learning Theories: Instructional system design involves systematically
developing instructional materials based on learning theories.
General Steps in Instructional System Design:
1. Defining learning objectives.
2. Determining specifications for a system that meets the objectives.
3. Designing a system based on the specifications.
4. Developing the system (e.g., instructional materials, routines, training).
5. System debugging (trial runs and corrections).
6. System implementation and evaluation.
Five-Step Process for Curriculum Development (Lee, 1975):
1. Analysis of system requirements.
2. Definition of education or training requirements.
3. Development of objectives and tests.
4. Planning, development, and validation of instruction.
5. Conduct and evaluation of instruction.
Five Components of an Instructional System (Glaser, 1962):
1. Instructional Goals: System objectives.
2. Entering Behavior: System input.
3. Instructional Procedures: System operator.
4. Performance Assessments: Output monitor.
5. Research and Development Logistics: Analysis and evaluation.

Technology Tools

Technology tools are diverse resources used to enhance the delivery of instruction and support
online course content.

Definition: Software used to develop or support online course content. Historically, tools like
chalkboards and overhead projectors were considered technology tools.
Categorization based on Use:
Data/Calculation Tools: Electronic databases, spreadsheets.
Design Tools: Computer-Aided Design (CAD).
Discussion Tools: Blogs, forums, video conferencing.
 Communication Tools: Email.
Handheld Devices: Digital cameras.
Instructional Tools: Instructional software.
Interactive Tools: Interactive websites.
Publishing/Visual Tools: Digital cameras, scanners, graphics software.
Multimedia Tools: Presentation tools incorporating text, sound, and graphics.
Writing Tools: Word processing software.

Related Terms for Technology in Teaching and Learning

Several terms are used to describe the scope of technology in education:

Instructional Technology: Covers educational technology focused on instruction, rather than

school management. Examples include electronic whiteboards, smartboards, and virtual
classrooms.
Instructional Media: Highlights the ways of communication between the teacher and the
learner for educational purposes. Examples include visual media and audio media.
Instructional Aids: Emphasizes that these aids help make the teaching-learning situation
effective. Examples include audio aids, visual aids, and audiovisual aids.
Audio-Visual Aids: Emphasizes the use of multi-sensory experiences. Examples include film
projectors, TVs, computers, and multimedia.
Instructional Materials: Emphasizes that most media used by teachers are tangible tools or
equipment. Examples include print, audio, visual, audiovisual, and electronic interactive
materials.

Determining the Interrelation of Concepts in ICT in

Education
The concepts discussed above are not isolated but are deeply interconnected, forming a
comprehensive framework for understanding ICT's role in education.

Technology as a Foundation: Technology, in its broadest sense, is the underlying principle

and set of methods that enable all other ICT concepts. Without the systematic development
and application of technology, ICT tools and educational technology would not exist.
ICT as the Application of Technology: ICT takes the foundational principles of technology and
applies them specifically to the gathering, processing, and dissemination of information. This
is crucial for modern educational practices.
Components of ICT Enabling Functionality: The components of ICT (cloud computing,
software, hardware, digital transactions, digital data, internet access) are the practical
elements that make ICT tools and systems work. These components are essential for
delivering educational content and facilitating communication.
Educational Technology as the Pedagogical Application of ICT: Educational technology
leverages ICT components and principles to enhance the teaching and learning process. It's
about using these tools and systems effectively for educational goals.
Instructional Systems as Structured Frameworks for Educational Technology: Instructional
systems provide the systematic design and organizational structure for implementing
educational technology. They define how technology will be used to achieve specific learning
objectives, incorporating the components of ICT and the principles of educational technology.
Technology Tools as the Building Blocks of ICT in Education: Technology tools are the
 specific software and hardware pieces that are integrated into instructional systems and
utilized within educational technology frameworks. They are the tangible and intangible
elements that facilitate learning activities.

In essence, technology is the broad field of systematic methods. ICT applies these methods to
information. The components of ICT are the practical elements that enable its use. Educational
technology is the pedagogical approach to using ICT for learning, and instructional systems
provide the structured design for implementing these educational technologies. Technology
tools are the specific resources within this ecosystem.