ICT teacher handbook/ICT and society

ICTs and Society Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are being mentioned in many discourses across several areas, with the potentialities of defining a new way of working. ICTs refer to the infrastructure and devices that constitute creating information content, organizing, processing and representation of the information, as well as communication of the information. Across the world, ICTs are now being used in education systems as methods of improving educational outcomes, in school administration processes as well as a separate body of knowledge by itself.

Understanding ICTs – a brief history

Information as well as the communication have been one of the defining characteristics of the human society. One might argue that ICTs started with the depictions of events in cave paintings. Historically, many societies and cultures have used different and multiple ways of organizing, representation and transmission of information. These differences exist in the manner of recording, the content recorded, ways of access and the scope of the transmission. Improved and easy access to information and knowledge significantly enhances people's overall life opportunities and has the potential to alter structures in society. Traditionally, difference in access and use of information by various sections of the society has led to marginalization and inequity.
ICTs are perhaps nearly as old as humanity itself, as human beings needed to communicate with one another, beginning with symbolic (non verbal) ways, before language was invented. Language could be seen as first 'ICT', it enabled (oral) communication amongst human beings. Yet oral communication had the limitation of space and time, meaning that the speaker and the listener had to be in the same space and time.
Script was the next ICT, invented around 5,000 years ago1, which enabled information to be held distinct from the communicator and be made available beyond the limitation of space and time that oral communication imposed. Writing also enabled easier recording of human history and thus the invention of script was a landmark in the history of ICTs. Invention of printing technologies scaled up the 'writing' process and enabled mass production of books. The invention of radio and television created the 'mass media' in which simultaneously the same message could be transmitted to thousands of people. Each ICT invention enabled the processes of information creation, sharing, storing and communicating to be easier, quicker, more efficient (reaching more people) etc. Each invention was a significant event in the evolution of human communication processes and in the explosion in the availability of information. Each step also resulted also in shifts in the way information became accessible to sections of society.

The digital paradigm

Information and communication have historically been drivers of social processes and systems. What makes the new framework different is the advancement in the digital technologies surrounding information and communications. We are now perhaps in the middle of the next epochal movement in the history of ICTs, the use of digital2 methods of accessing, creating, modifying sharing, storing information as well as for communication.
The digital format of resources has caused such an explosion of information since creation, storage and dissemination of information has become much easier and cheaper than before. Increasingly, production and consumption of information becoming increasingly important, not only from economic but even more so from social and cultural perspectives. This digital knowledge society is developing new structures and adjusting existing structures, along the lines of information flow. These pathways of information flow can also create more marginalization and exclusion if all the participants in society are not equipped with the skills to function in this society.
Another key aspect of ICTs is in the possibilities of connecting and their impact on communities and organization. By their very structure, ICTs also allow new possibilities for network structures of organizing and communicating information. Networks, while been existing throughout history, have had to compete with traditional, hierarchical-vertical modes of information and communication dissemination. The digital paradigm is allowing for new capabilities and potentialities of the network structures.

Movement of ICTs

Knowledge model / Basis	Method	Storage	Sharing	Publishing (mass sharing)	Features
Oral / Language	Oral	Human memory; Speaking - Hearing	Not possible	Requires synchronicity of space and time
Written / Script	Text	Books	Physical	Not possible	Share knowledge across space and time, but in limited manner
Print / Printing	Text	Books	Physical	Books	Explosion
Mass Media/ Radio, TV	Analogue -Audio, video	Cassettes and similar analog devices	Physical	Over broadcast media	Mass reach across space and time
Digital (ICT)	Digital methods (text / audio / video editors)	Digital storage like hard disks	Email	Websites, blogs, Wikis – 'desktop publishing'	Information spreads fast and wide1. Much easier construction and much Wider possibilities – text, audio, video

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/ Basis
 

Method Storage Sharing Publishing (mass sharing) Features Oral / Language Oral Human memory Speaking - Hearing Not possible Requires synchronicity of space and time Written / Script Text Books Physical Not possible Share knowledge across space and time, but in limited manner Print / Printing Text Books Physical Books Explosion Mass Media/ Radio, TV Analogue -Audio, video Cassettes and similar analog devices Physical Over broadcast media Mass reach across space and time Digital (ICT) Digital methods (text / audio / video editors) Digital storage like hard disks Email Websites, blogs, Wikis – 'desktop publishing' Information spreads fast and wide4. Much easier construction and much Wider possibilities – text, audio, video

Like the ICTs invented earlier, the invention and mass use of digital ICTs is having significant implications for society across various spheres of polity, economy, governance, media etc. We will explore these implications briefly in the next section.
Students are digital natives
While many teachers would have been born before the digital revolution, our students are all from the generation born after the after the beginning of the mass use of cell phones (the second generation or 2G cell phone technology was available for mass use from 1991)! Mark Prensky, who works in the ICTs and education space, says children are 'digital natives5', who have been born in an environment with access to digital technologies, while your teachers are 'digital immigrants' who have lived a large part of their lives before mobile phones became popular and for who these technologies may still seem unnecessary and unfamiliar. For student teachers, growing up in the digital technology paradigm, learning to navigate the digital world is an essential skill). Think and talk it over with your students “Communication Technology and the Evolution of Knowledge”, Journal of Electronic Publishing, Volume 9, Issue 2, Summer 2006, Hilary Wilder and Sharmila Pixy Ferris, says that print ICT facilitated the scientific revolution that led to the industrial age. Can you draw a parallel to the digital ICT and the information age? What kind of changes are happening in the creation, processing, storing and sharing of information using digital technologies.

This phenomenon creates an interesting inversion in the school environment, in almost all other areas, the teacher is more familiar than the learner, while in case of ICTs (more specifically in the skill of using ICT devices and methods), it can often be the opposite! Research also suggests that younger people are quicker to pick up a technology than older people. Secondly, the experience and insights of teacher educators can help student teachers to develop a critical perspective towards digital ICTs, which is essential, since digital ICTs have huge potential for doing good as well as harm. One point to note is that, one technology does not replace the earlier one, rather the earlier technologies tend to continue, thus creating a richer environment of multiple ICTs.

ICTs and implications for polity, society and economy

Political

The political processes in most countries have been impacted by digital ICTs (henceforth, unless the context requires otherwise, we will use the term ICTs to mean digital ICTs). Politicians now participate on virtual platforms that allow them to communicate with people directly. For e.g. Twitter which is a 'micro blogging' platform, is used by many political leaders, as well as government departments to communicate its work and information. Mass movements have also used digital networking tools to collaborate and support action. It is believed that during the recent Egypt struggle for democracy, protests were coordinated using social networking platforms/tools, which made them more effective. The counting of votes has now become a fraction of time, used earlier, through 'electronic voting machines' and in a large country like India with a large voter base, counting for an entire constituency can be completed in a matter of hours. Think and talk it over with your students The use of Internet by people mobilising in Egypt during the 'arab spring' is discussed in detail in 'Internet Activism and the Egyptian uprisings : transforming on-line activism into the off-line world' by Tim Eaton (source - https://www.westminster.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/220675/WPCC-vol9-issue2.pdf ). Read this article and discuss the concept of 'mediated mobilisation'. Can a variation of such a strategy be used for instance by women, to protest against liquor shops in villages? Can you create a group of your student teacher colleagues, using a tool like 'whatsapp' to discuss ways/methods of raising awareness against domestic violence? The listed article was sourced using 'Google Scholar' a search engine that provides links to scholarly / academic articles. Can you search Google Scholar for articles of interest to you.

Digital technologies also allow unauthorised access (even spying). Emails and documents can be 'hacked' and accessed. A large part of our ICT infrastructure is privately owned, and the companies which often provide it 'free' (of cost) to users, may be using the information users feed, to monetise the same as well as share it with others. The sharing of such information both authorised by us (when we agree to the 'terms of use' of the software/tool), as well unauthorised, can be for the commercial gains of the company (they can sell or hire this information to advertisers for example), or for political purposes (to enable governments or other agencies to spy on us). There have been news items recently that the National Security Agency of the US has been tapping into global information networks and accessing private and confidential information from all over the world, including communications of leaders of different countries. ICTs make such tapping much simpler and easier, since the data passing over the global networks can be easily 'hacked' and a copy of the information shared with the people conducting such espionage. Thus the digital nature of ICTs can be both greatly beneficial as well as greatly harmful for furthering human rights and development. Hence a critical perspective is essential, and as a teacher we need to be cautious against the hype that surrounds ICTs, as a panacea for all problems. In this unit, we will discuss the challenges and problems posed by ICTs, in every discussion on their benefits also, to enable you to keep a balanced and critical perspective. Think and talk it over with your students If all your emails are being read, would it have any impact on your writing emails / communications. Imagine, if there was a CCTV (closed circuit Television) in your classroom that was passing on information about the classroom processes to someone outside, would it have any impact on the classroom transacions. Think, make your points and discuss. Read the page www.enwikpedia.org/wiki/panopticon. This will be discussed in more detail in unit 3 on Internet safety. Socio-cultural Since communication is the essence of social processes, the introduction of ICTs has dramatically impacted most of our socio-cultural activities and processes. With the mass use of the cell phone, we now assume that we can reach anyone anytime. This kind of access enables us to plan interactions / activities in much more efficient ways. Even twenty years back, the best of possible communication situations, one was not sure, if one could reach another person using a land-line / fixed line phone. In the absence of email, the formal communication method of a letter sent over postal services (sometimes derisively termed 'snail mail') meant a gap of several days before communication could be established. The reduction in communication time, has opened up numerous more possibilities for each of us (who are part of this digital world). Social networking platforms are connecting millions of people to create 'virtual communities' or groups. Such interactions with large number of people who may not be physically proximate, opens new possibilities for friendships and learning. Of course, we also hear several anecdotes of how people can be naively trusting of 'friends' on such networks and get exploited or fooled6. It is necessary to exercise diligence and caution in making friends on such platforms. The mass sharing of information through the digital networks is also perhaps accentuating and speeding up the assimilation of dominant cultures, which began with the advent of mass media. Wherever one travels, we can see the popular symbols – 'Mac Donalds' and 'Pizza Huts'. The shopping malls across cities look familiar with the similar brands available on sale. There is research to suggest that this process is undermining local contexts and cultures. UNESCO study has documented the decline of local cultures and languages and tha many languages have become extinct and many dying. As teachers, your role would be in resisting this, by promoting digital avenues for storing and sharing local culures as well. For instance, the Wikipedia encyclopedia has more than 5 million articles in English but less than 1% of that in Kannada. Documenting local cultures, resources, literature and sharing it in digital formats on public digital platforms is an important priority for our society, one in which teachers would need to have an important role. Think and talk it over with your students BBC study - source - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12419672 In 2000, 75% of stored information in the world in analogue format such as video cassettes, but by 2007, 94% of it was digital" Email has become the primary communication tool for a significant number of people 1.88 billion – The number of email users worldwide. 294 billion – Average number of email messages per day. (42 emails for every human being) Web 2.0 world – blog / wiki as collaborating and publishing knowledge 255 million – The number of websites as of December 2010. 21.4 million – Added websites in 2010. (Population of the world 6.89 billion, India - 1.17 billion) Amazon, the worlds largest book seller now sells more e-books than books (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8443804.stm)

On the other hand, Eli Pariser tells us the Internet is also allowing each of us to be enclosed in our own 'filter bubbles' – we access information based on our beliefs/ thoughts/ biases. Recogising these tendencies, search engines such as the google search engine, filters out any information we seek, and privileges information which is in line with our past searches. However this can be a dangerous process, which will increasingly curtail what we access. Learning often comes from interacting with the unknown and unexpected and when each of us is taken along the line of our own dominant thoughts, it can create alienation and automation. The daily newspaper provides the 'same' information to all and hence serves as a basis for some common thinking and discussions and can allow some 'bridging' of divergent perspectives. However, when each of us is accessing a different information store, Pariser argues that such bridging becomes difficult. Think and talk it over with your students Pariser says in 'Filter Bubble', “The creators of the Internet envisioned something bigger and more important than a global system for sharing pictures of pets … (and supported the idea of a) "civilisation of Mind in cyberspace" – a kind of worldwide metabrain. But personalised filters sever the synapses in that brain. Without knowing it, we may be giving ourselves a kind of global lobotomy instead. ” Do you agree with this statement? We can see more examples of this in the section on Internet. Economic For several centuries, society was agrarian, meaning most people worked in agriculture, food (and related items) production was the most significant part of the gross domestic product (GDP). With the industrial revolution in the 18th century, industry / manufacturing sector became very important and its contribution to a nations GDP crossed that of agriculture. Think and talk it over with your students Society is changing, moving from an Agricultural society → Industrial society → Knowledge society. The table below lists highlights relating to the processes of production. Kind of society Agricultural society Industrial society Knowledge society Basic production Food Goods Services / knowledge Basic material Land Capital Knowledge / Information India in 1950 (2010) 70.00% (15) 20.00% (28) 10.00% (57)

ICTs have affected the nature/shape of many industries and occupations. Typewriters, film role based cameras have become extinct. Information based 'service' industries such as travel and tourism, financial services, insurance, have been significantly impacted. Many 'digital' occupations have also begun, such as software engineering, digital photography, system administration, desk top publishing etc. In the work and education course, you could touch on some of these occupations. The possibilities of establishing information networks which can facilitate rapid communications and decision making has led to the creation of very large scale transnational corporations. They are able to support decentralised working, yet retain overall control through by better 'Management Information Systems. Such networks are also on the other hand, supporting decentralised production and collaborative production projects, such as FOSS or Wikipedia. Yochai Benker has written quite a bit about how ICTs are promoting new collaborative methods of production and his 'Wealth of Networks' is worth reading. Governance Democratic Governments have in the past struggle to share information transparently with citizens and also support citizen/ community participation in their activities. This has been to the large volumes of information being generated and stored across thousands of paper files which has made sharing difficult if not impossible. Slow modes of communication also lead to delayed communication with the public. However, increasingly, governments are using ICTs to improve information processing and sharing, leading to greater transparency. India has passed the Right to Information Act, 2005 and the use of 'pro-active' disclosure through the Internet is seen as a very important way of meeting RTI needs. Apart from information transparency, transaction processing too has been simplified in many areas. The land records in Karnataka have been digitised through the Bhoomi project, which has made getting mutation information easier. Booking of travel tickets has become simple, and in case of education, admission, examination administration etc. has also become quicker and more efficient.

ICTs and implication for knowledge processes

As discussed earlier, ICTs have caused an explosion of information as well as provided new channels for communication. This has affected institutions, structures and processes relating to learning and knowledge. For instance, earlier, formal learning methods were either physical / face to face or 'open and distance'. Now both have acquired digital elements to look more like each other in the form of new 'blended models' of learning. Face to face modes have acquired digital modes of interaction to allow for more intensive/extensive learning possibilities beyond the physical interactions. Traditional ODL modes (which had very little interactions, and none amongst learners) are also allowing for regular interactions amongst learners and with faculty through digital modes, that makes it more like face to face programmes. More on this is discussed in the unit dealing with Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and Open Educational Resources (OER). PLCs can use blended models to provide maximum support to learning. Thus digital methods have opened up numerous channels for self learning and peer learning. 'Massive open online courses are online courses aimed at unlimited participation and open access via the web. In addition to traditional course materials such as videos, readings, and problem sets, MOOCs provide interactive user forums that help build a learning community (source from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massive_open_online_course) On the other hand, with more and more materials being available and accessed digitally, some vendors have begun bundling select resources into proprietary devices and selling/licensing the same. Apple is a leader in this effort, and has entered into contracts with many American universities, in which it bundles thousands of resources into its I-pad device and makes it available to the students. On one hand, this makes it easy for the student to access a large number of resources easily and such resources would be selected through a process of scrutiny thereby enabling some quality benchmarks. Apple also allows digital annotations etc of these resources which can be student modified material, available on the same device for easy reference. However, by restricting free sharing and access to the Internet, Apple decides what should be learnt, thereby appropriating an important political and pedagogical process. This has implications for teacher agency as well as larger issues of educational aims. ICTs can be extremely seductive and keeping a critical perspective will help us examine both the benefits as well as the limitations/dangers while making our choices. Increasingly the Internet, itself is in a similar danger of moving from an open place where all can access all information, to walled gardens, where you can only access what the provider wants you to. For instance, Facebook is offering, in many countries, free Internet access, but instead of to the entire Internet, it is only to a few websites that Facebook allows. This makes Facebook, a private for-profit company, the arbiter / gate keeper of the Internet to those opting for this. By creating a distinction between the sites, it offers free access to, and other sites, Facebook is violating a principle called net neutrality' in which all websites should have the same conditions of being accessed to. At a superficial level, the offer of Facebook for free selective Internet access may seem benign. However, if more and more opt for this, then the meaning of Internet would change for them. Having only a selective access, as decided by a company (which could be based on its commercial considerations), can greatly distort possibilities for a free informational space, that can promote awareness, learning, discussions, debates – all necessary for evolving a democratic society.