The role of information and commnication technology in education

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Access to computers and Internet Connectivity

The present study found that access to working computers was a major problem. An average of only 14 working computers to a WorLD school is considered a limited number. The study shows that as many as 33 learners on average per school (Table 3.3) took part in the project, which means that there were more than two learners to a computer. Lack of adequate hardware was reported as a major barrier to the WorLD programme in the South African Country Report (McGhee and Kozma: 2001). In addition to the number of persons per computer and inadequacy of hardware was the question of Internet availability, which was only 25%.
Half of the teachers suggested that the provision of more and better computer equipment and more and better technical training would improve the use of computers for education in the WorLD programme (Table 4.37). This reinforces the point made earlier concerning refurbished computers.
Sixty-nine percent of learners (Table 4.42) believe that the introduction of computer studies as a subject in schools will help improve the rate of utilization of the computer as a learning tool and hence improve the WorLD programme. It is supposed that the introduction of computer studies will make provision for a dedicated teacher and capacity in terms of time and personnel for computer-related subjects and issues, not only in WorLD schools but also in the future integration of ICT in education in South Africa.

 Cost

Cost was not investigated in this study. It was, however, an issue that impinged on the immediate utilization and sustainability of the programme. Half (50%) of the teachers indicated that the programme was an expensive venture to be undertaken. Sixty-two percent of them concluded that the cost of maintaining the computer system may be out of the reach of the school in the future. Telephone costs were reported as a major barrier to the implementation of the WorLD programme in Senegal.
Lundall and Howell (2000) point out that cost, and particularly the cost of Internet access, has been cited as the most important factor for limiting Internet use in schools in South Africa. Table 4.36 draws attention to cost as an important phenomenon. As pointed out in James (2001:105), the non-availability of financial sustainability models in “soft” funding projects from grants provided by funding agencies render the medium- to long-term future of projects very fragile and with limited social impact. In this case evidence suggests that financial problems were visible in the short-term period of the project.

Summary

Chapter 5 provided a detailed analysis of the research data and literature available to determine the findings of the study. The study established that, whereas WorLD teachers were adequately trained to deliver ICT education, technical and learner training was not adequate. It was also established that the existing pedagogy, as well as existing information resources in WorLD schools, do not support ICT education. The study found that, in spite of adequate teacher training, there was not enough time to implement the skills gained by teachers in the WorLD programme.
Learners did not experience problems with reading or accessing content in WorLD schools. Nevertheless, they were unable to access information from computers for collaborative projects because they lacked the skills to do so. While multimedia can be used effectively to  enhance ICT education, most schools do not have the required equipment to use multimedia.
Finally, although the cost of computer systems was not a feature of this study, it was observed as a major factor in utilizing ICT in the WorLD programme. The project may not be sustained if the cost factor is not given attention and resolved.

Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 The World Links for Development programme
1.2 Introduction
1.3 Background to the problem
1.3.1 Researcher’s observations
1.3.2 The role of information and commnication technology in education
1.3.3 ICT for education in South Africa
1.3.4 Efforts to equip South African schools with ICT
1.4 Problem statement
1.5 Purpose of the study
1.6 Objectives of the study
1.7 Research questions
1.8 Justification of the study
1.9 Scope and limitations of the study and its context in relation to other studies
1.9.1 Scope of the study in relation to the WorLD programme
1.9.2 Context in relation to other studies
1.9.3 Limitations of the study
1.10 Product
1.11 Organization of thesis
1.12 Summary
Chapter 2: Literature Review
2.1 Introduction
2.2 How relevant is information and communication technology (ICT) in education?
2.2.1 What is the socially determined rationale of utilizing ICT in education?
2.2.2 How relevant are computers in schools?
2.2.2.1 How do computers enhance teaching and learning in schools?
2.2.2.2 How do computers enhance access to information for education?
2.2.2.3 Do computers contribute to distance and collaborative education?
2.2.3 Barriers to utilizing ICT in the social context in developing countries
2.3 How successful was the training provided to teachers and students in WorLD schools to enable them to utilize computers for collaborative school projects?
2.3.1 Pedagogical skills for utilizing computers in education
2.3.2 Training required to effect computer assisted education
2.3.3 Computer skills
2.2.3.1 Technical computer skills
2.3.4 Information skills
2.4 What information resources (computer laboratories, Internet, libraries, multimedia centres) exist in the schools and do the schoos have media teachers?
2.4.1 Direction regarding school resource situation for ICT education
2.4.2 What is the school resoce situation for ICT education in South Africa?
2.4.3 What role can the teacher librarian play in ensuring the use of ICT i schools?
2.5 To what extent are computer teachers able to handle school computer projects, attend to computer systems and attend to their normal school lessons in South Africa?
2.5.1 What is the situation regarding computer teachers schools in South Africa?
2.5.1.1 Teaching of computer skills in schools in South Africa
2.5.1.2 Computer Studies as a formal school subject in schools South Africa
2.5.2 Time as a factor for teachers to deliver on WorLD projects
2.6 What is the literacy level of WorLD schools pupils in terms of reading, accessing and using information in the English language?
2.6.1 Is the lack of resources a possible factor causing low languag proficiency in English in many South African schools?
2.7 How far can multimedia fill the gap in the utilization of ICT in South African WorLD schools?
2.7.1 What is the educational relevance of multimedia?
2.7.2 What multimedia equipment is required to effect ICT education?
2.8 Which other factors contribute to the success or failure of the WorL programme in South Africa?
2.8.1 Lessons drawn from school ICT projects across the world and South Africa
2.8.2 What other challenges are likely to hinder the utilization of ICT in education in African communities?
Chapter 3: Research Methodology
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Literature search and review
3.3 Research methods employed in the study
3.4 Data collection method and technique
3.5 Research population
3.6 Data analysis
3.7 Summary
Chapter 4: Data Presentation and Analysis
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Teacher/school data
4.3 Data covering research questions
Chapter 5: Interpretation of DatA
Chapter 6: Summary of study findings, conclusions and recommendations
List of References
Appendices

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Utilization of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for education in South Africa: An examination of the World Links for Development (WOrlD) programme