Information and Communication Technology in Learning

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Table of Contents

Abstract
Introduction
Results
Discussion of Findings
Conclusion
References

Abstract

The ability to collect information and categorize it for the further critical analysis is an imperative step in education. Therefore, tools for improving the students’ ability to perform the specified actions is needed. ICT should be seen as a critical tool in building the motivation levels among students. Increasing their understanding of the process, and promoting the active learning among them.

The purpose of the paper was to study the effects that the application of ICT produces in the academic setting. Specifically, the connection between the adoption of ICT tools and learners’ propensity toward developing critical thinking skills, as well as general data management abilities, has been examined. It was hypothesized that the adoption of ICT strategies and the use of e-learning tools, particularly, interactive boards, allows improving the quality of learning systematically and helps to teach students to manage data appropriately.

According to the results of the experiment during which the students had to work with an interactive board, the incorporation of ICT into the academic process allows students to acquire the needed abilities faster and teaches them to perform the tasks associated with data management. Students showed the ability to categorize data and manage the recently obtained information respectively, thus building the foundation for the future development of critical skills.

Nevertheless, the incorporation of the specified strategies is recommended to be coupled with the techniques that will involve peer support among learners and the enhancement of teachers’ ability to use the corresponding tools. Thus, a gradual improvement is expected to occur.

Introduction

The integration of ICT resources into the process of education is critical to the development of skills associated with critical thinking in students. In the current study, an exploration of the ways in which educators deploy ICT in their studies was conducted to determine the significance of the identified approach and determine key themes in the use of the specified technology. The analysis and discussion that ensued showed that the use of ICT tools contributed extensively to learners’ ability to work with vast amounts of information by introducing different categories and assigning specific characteristics to each set of data.

The use of disruptive innovations in the classroom environment opens a plethora of opportunities for enhancing learners’ performance. Studies have shown that there might be a correlation between the introduction of ICT into the academic environment and the performance delivered by students (Khan, Khan, U-Din, & Jan, 2015). For instance, a recent article on the issue of applying IT innovations in the academic setting has shown that the use of ICT, in general, and their integration for the transition to e-learning, in particular, allows for a gradual improvement of skills (Günaydin & Karamete, 2016).

In addition, ITC helps to encourage independence among students, fostering the idea of self-directed learning among them (Gurbuzturk, 2018). Therefore, the application of ICT tools should be seen as the introduction of a range of opportunities for improving students’ academic progress and encouraging them to succeed.

The use of smart boards should be seen as a particularly inspiring opportunity. According to the existing research, smart boards are the perfect tool for building awareness about the importance of self-directed learning, critical skills, and analytical abilities among students (Günaydin & Karamete, 2016). Being one of the most common ICT tools utilized in classrooms, smart boards should be seen as the key tools in introducing learners to multimedia materials and encouraging the further acquisition of knowledge (Gurbuzturk, 2018). Therefore, the incorporation of ICT into the contemporary academic environment is likely to produce the platform for the rapid enhancement of learning and the development of critical thinking skills in students.

Results

An overview of the information obtained in the course of the data collection has shown that the combination of traditional methods of information management and the use of ICT in the classroom environment contributes significantly to the successful learning process. All of the cases considered in the research have shown an increase in the students’ ability to classify data with the help of the proposed devices. As shown in Table 1, the teachers that currently teach at school and apply ICT have contributed to a gradual progress of their students, whereas the D Group respondents have spurred smaller progress. Specifically, the smart board used in several cases has proven to be especially efficient in assisting learners to understand the concept of classification.

Table 1. A and D: Comparison.

Improvement	Currently Not Teaching	Currently Teaching
Reasoning skills	19	28
Analytical abilities	22	43
Critical thinking	21	23
Engagement with the materials	4	7
Proper use of technology	1	4
Allocation of the available resources	15	23
Self-directed learning	3	8
Collaboration	26	59
Mean	13,875	24,375

Specifically, teachers from Group A claim that technology has opened new opportunities for their students’ progress. According to one of the participants, ICT “means creating engaging lessons which incorporate ICT to move students more actively engaged.” Thus, the inclusion of the specified tools is critical to the enhancement of learning.

Discussion of Findings

The observed phenomenon signifies that ICT are not only valuable but also critical additions to the academic setting due to the opportunities for increasing learners’ ability to collect, arrange, and analyze data. The specified skill has become especially important in the modern environment, where the data flow is unceasing and increasingly vast (Khan et al., 2015). Thus, by using ICT tools that will help learners to manage information properly, educators will create the platform for students’ further academic progress. As the line chart in Figure 1 shows, both A and D groups utilizing IT techniques have affected students’ performance positively.

Furthermore, the study has shown that the application of interactive boards as the means of assisting students in systematizing the obtained information also spurs the students’ ability to conduct research and perform both inductive and deductive reasoning (Gurbuzturk, 2018). The fact that ICT allow learners to obtain an intrinsic ability to understand the nature of research shows that the specified technology has to be included into the range of tools used in classrooms.

The identified outcomes align with the assumptions made by Günaydin and Karamete (2016). Moreover, the specified devices will help to create the platform based on which learners will engage in evidence-based research and, thus become able to connect theoretical ideas and the practical application thereof (Gurbuzturk, 2018). Thus, the outcomes of the study indicate that using ICT as the foundation for promoting critical thinking, analytical abilities, and reasoning skills is essential.

Conclusion

Technological innovations have become an inseparable part of the modern education, and ICT tools are likely to have a profoundly positive effect on students’ ability to think critically, collect data, categorize it, and process it to produce meaningful outcomes. The integration of ICT into the learning process is an essential stage in improving the quality of education and promoting lifelong learning. For this purpose, the application of integrated instructions involving peer assessment and the active communication among learners is required. Therefore, using ICT, in general, and interactive boards, in particular, to illustrate specific information and assist students in collecting and analyzing data is necessary.

References

Günaydin, S., & Karamete, A. (2016). Material development to raise awareness of using smart boards: An example design and development research. European Journal of Contemporary Education, 15(1), 114-122.

Gurbuzturk, O. (2018). Investigation of elementary education students’ attitudes towards the use of smart boards. International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 11(1), 55-61.

Khan, M. S., Khan, I., U-Din, S., & Jan, R. (2015). The impacts of ICT on the students’ performance: A review of access to information. Research on Humanities and Social Sciences, 5(1), 85-94.

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