ISSUES & TRENDS IN PRIMARY MATHEMATICS EDUCATION Ict in education

ICT IN EDUCATION ICTs includes the following ICTs help to radio TV computers internet satellite technologies ICTs help to expand access to education strengthen the relevance of education raise educational quality

A WORD OF CAUTION The full realization of the potential educational benefits of ICTs is not automatic. The effective integration of ICTs into the educational system requires suitable technology curriculum & pedagogy teacher competencies institutional readiness

SOME OF THE CHALLENGES The effective integration of ICTs Technology – accessible & suitable hardware – computer labs, notebooks, computers software eg GSP, Mathematica etc Curriculum & pedagogy curriculum that emphasises technology Teacher competencies must provide teachers with technical support Institutional readiness policies & environment

ICT IN MATHS ED: BENEFITS ICTs expand access to education Asynchronous learning – not everything has to be done face-to-face; anytime, anywhere Access to remote learning resources – the internet allows access to digital libraries, materials, researchers etc

ICT IN MATHS ED: BENEFITS ICTs prepare students for the workplace Technological literacy – pupils gain an important competitive edge in the modern world ICTs also promote other 21st century skills – eg inventive thinking ie creative use of info, being responsible in using resources

ICT IN MATHS ED: BENEFITS ICTs improve the quality of education Increases pupils’ motivation and engagement – video clips, animation attract pupils Improves pupils’ basic skills – teachers can use repetitive cycles & reinforcement Enhances quality of teacher training – online tutorials for teachers, tele-conferencing etc are available

ICT IN MATHS ED: BENEFITS Teachers can create student-centred learning environments easily Active learning – use of charts and graphs to display collected data can enhance pupil inquiry, analysis and construction of knowledge Collaborative learning – pupils work as teams & share info easily using computers Creative learning – pupils can explore and find new or more creative solutions to a problem

THE USES OF ICTs IN EDUCATION Computers and the internet Learning about computers and the internet Learning with computers and the internet Learning through computers and the internet Combines learning about computers and the internet and learning with computers and the internet Students do research online, download materials, present a powerpoint presentation and write up a report that may include (Excel) charts and calculations

THE USES OF ICTs IN EDUCATION Computers and the internet are also used in distance education Open University of Malaysia UniTAR Asiaeuniversity

ISSUES IN THE USE OF ICTs IN ED. Four important issues must be addressed when we use ICTs in education Does ICT-enhanced learning really work? Is it really effective? How much would ICTs in education cost? Is there equity of access to ICTs in education? Will it widen the economic, social and academic gap between sections of society? Are ICT-enhanced educational projects sustainable over the long term?

ICTs IN ED: THE KEY CHALLENGES The challenges of educational policy and planning What are the implications for policy and planning? Do we have clear objectives, guidelines, targets and a time-frame for the ICT initiative?

ICTs IN ED: THE KEY CHALLENGES The challenges of infrastructure What are the infrastructural requirements? Do we have sufficient bandwidth eg SchoolNet, KPMNet? Do we need more labs? Do all students have access to computers/notebooks?

ICTs IN ED: THE KEY CHALLENGES The challenges of capacity building Do we have the teachers? Are our teachers competent in using computers / notebooks for teaching? What kinds of further training is required? What about our administrators?

ICTs IN ED: THE KEY CHALLENGES The challenges of language and content Are our teachers and students sufficiently competent in the English language to access the resources on the web (80% in English)? How quickly can we develop locally meaningful content in BM? Who will be responsible (BTP) and how much will it cost?

ICTs IN ED: THE KEY CHALLENGES The challenges of cost Can we afford it eg giving each teacher a computer? Will we be able to maintain the project eg repair costs/ Will the software need to be updated? How much will it cost to upgrade hardware and software in the future?