ICT facilities to enhance teaching and learning

Page 29
Feb 18. 2008

THE second phase of deployment of Information Communication Technology (ICT) facilities for the second batch of 250 senior high schools in the country will start next academic year.
The programme, which is being initiated by the government, would enable each of the 250 schools to have ICT facilities like computers, projectors, laptops and Internet connectivity for a year.
The deployment of the ICT facilities forms part of the educational reform, which took off in September last year.
Rev Emmanuel Dadebo, the Co-ordinator of the ICT in Education Programme at the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports, told the Daily Graphic that the programme was not only deployment of ICT per se, but integrating the technology in the teaching and learning process.
According to him, the learning styles of students had changed as they (students) wanted to use multi-media items in the learning process.
“Management is making frantic efforts in respect of the procurement and deployment of the ICT tools in schools,” he said and urged schools which had the facilities to continue to use them.
Rev Dadebo said once the ICT facilities were deployed, teaching and learning would be enhanced, while there would be better attitudinal training for the world of work and knowledge, as well as better communication and collaboration among other things.
These aside, he said, students would be more qualified to meet the requirements of the job market.
He said the ICT programme would impact positively on the professional development of teachers, and also make them adapt to the new learning methods or styles of students.
Rev Dadebo indicated that the acquisition of knowledge in the use of ICT by students would facilitate research, thereby leading to the discovery of new ideas aimed at enhancing national development.
The ICT in schools, he said, would bring about cultural diversity as students would learn more about the culture of other people, through the use of the Internet.