1. ISSUES & TRENDS IN PRIMARY MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
Ict in education

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

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

11. 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?

12. 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?

13. 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?

14. 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?

15. 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?

16. 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?