Changes

Historically, human beings have used different ways of organizing and  presenting information, and for communication. Language, script, print, mass media such as radio and television have been important information and communication technologies (ICTs). Whenever a new ICT is introduced, we see significant changes not only to education and knowledge processes, but also to larger socio-cultural, political and economic structures and processes. In the last few decades, digital ICTs are being widely used. The ease of creating and sharing information using digital technologies has caused an explosion of information in society, creating what is termed as an “information society” (a term used by the sociologist Manuel Castells to describe our current society). In this course, ICT refers to digital technologies. It includes digital infrastructure and digital processes that allow the creating, processing, organizing and presentation of information, as well as communication.

This course is new. It has not been offered by the D.El.Ed. programme prior to the syllabus revision.  

Digital Information and Communication technologies (ICT) have become an important part of societal processes, including education. Teachers need to have a critical understanding of the role being played by ICT in education and larger social processes, as well as develop digital skills in integrating ICT into their professional development and teaching-learning processes. Hence the course is being offered as a part of teacher studies.  

Development of digital literacy skills is required for all, to navigate this ‘information society’. Teachers, student teachers and teacher educators need to be able to use ICTs for their professional development, through self learning, peer learning, in digital resources creation and in teaching-learning. They must develop a critical understanding of the larger positive and negative implications of the design and adoption of ICTs in society. Recent curricular (NCFTE, National ICT Curriculum) and policy (ICT Policy in School Education) documents on education in India have recognized the importance of integrating ICT in school education.

Historically, information and communication have  been important factors in social processes and systems.  We are now surrounded by networks created using digital ICTs, through which information flows constantly. Our notions of time and location are changing; the world seems to be becoming smaller and smaller where distance is no longer a barrier to commercial or social contact.  If we live in Bengaluru, or other big cities,  it is difficult to imagine being without all the networked infrastructure that plays a crucial part in our daily lives. Now, in villages too, many people are connected by mobile phones. This is seen by some as a shift from an 'industrial society' to an 'information society,' where information is seen as an important resource in itself. It is the digital format of resources that has caused such an explosion of information, the creation, storage and dissemination of information has become easier and cheaper.  Increasingly, production and consumption of information is becoming increasingly important, from economic, social and cultural perspectives. These changes are also impacting the nature of learning and of education systems, in many positive and negative ways.

The ICT Mediation paper will be part of the ‘Teacher Development Studies’ in both years of the program. In both the years, the ICT Mediation paper seeks to keep technology learning situated within educational processes and hence is described in a generic way without reference to any specific application. This is in line with the National ICT Curriculum as well.

 

It is hence essential that student teachers need to understand the nature of this phenomenon and its implications for education as well as for larger society, the shaping of which, in itself, is an important aim of the education system. It is also inevitable that the education system will adopt ICTs. Therefore the teacher-educator and student-teachers must be prepared by understanding the philosophical, socio-cultural and political implications, of ICTs in education. Since ICTs are also technologies, along with such understanding,  building basic skills for personal and  professional purposes is necessary.

[[Category:TE year 1 hand book]]

[[Category:TE year 1 hand book]]