Information and Communication
Technologies (ICT), Children, and Education
Wahyu Fahmi
Pribadi
English Education, English Department
Semarang State University
Indonesia
Abstract
The major focus
of the paper is on teaching and research carried out with Indonesian children
in elementary school. Over the past seven years children in these grades at an
inner-city school have used computer-based multimedia software to solve simple
problems and produce electronic products at an appropriate cognitive level. The
first explanation focuses on the utilizing of information and communication
technologies (ICT) and the children in the school. The appropriateness of using
learning technologies with young children to ascertaining which types of
computer-related experiences and environments are most effective for learning.
Beside that, the use of ICT with young children suggest there are many areas of
education where technology can benefit learners. The computer's role in the
home and elementary schools is the second topic of this paper. Most of the children use computers
only occasionally -- and usually only when their teachers want to add variety
or rewards to the curriculum. When children do use computers, they serve as
potential catalysts for social interaction. Computers may engender in advanced
cognitive type of play among children. In one study, "games with
rules" was the most frequently occurring type of play among preschoolers
working at computers.
Keywords: children, education, ICT, learning.
1.
Introduction
Nowdays,
ICT is one of the most common terms discussed in our everyday lifes. Technologies
have become ubiquitous at all levels of schooling in developed countries, here
is computer. As technology in general, and information and communication
technologies (ICT) in particular, permeate our education systems there is
increasing concern that young children are being “fast liner” through the
basics of educational uses of ICT.
Although
the ubiquitousness of computers in schools for young children, there are both
confusion and contradiction concerning ICT and young children. The paper
commences with brief summaries of some early years curriculum statements,
position papers and selected research from around this world. There is a
considerable body of research reporting educational advantages that arise from
young children using ICT in a variety of learning situations. There are also
reports from both government and independent bodies on the amount and type of
computer use at home and at school.
ICT
in general context includes a board range of digital technologies mostly of
electronic information-processing technologies. It can be used in
developmentally appropriate ways with very young children.
2.
Objectives
Based on the problem statements, the objectives of the paper are:
1.
To describe how the ICT can influences
the young children in elementary schools.
2.
To find out the improvements in young
children’s technological skills and knowledge using ICT for young children.
3. Review of Related Literature
ICT
has been found to be a very important step in education around the world. It can be used in the classrooms to make
learning more fun and interesting and therefore more effective, but more
importantly it can be used to teacher the teachers. There is potential with today’s technologies
to train teachers in high quality teaching skills even when they are in extreme
rural conditions, unable to attend training sessions. Technologies can reach people that could not
be reached before, and everyone in the education system benefits.
The
study conducted by Syed Noor-Ul-Amin (2009) entitled “ICT as a Change Agent for Education” The purposes of the study are
to know how far the information and communication technologies (ICT) have
become commonplace entities in all aspects of life. Across the past twenty
years the use of ICT has fundamentally changed the practices and procedures of
nearly all forms of endeavour within business and governance. Education is a
very socially oriented activity and quality education has traditionally been
associated with strong teachers having high degrees of personal contact with
learners. The use of ICT in education lends itself to more student-centred
learning settings. But with the world moving rapidly into digital media and
information, the role of ICT in education is becoming more and more important
and this importance will continue to grow and develop in the 21st century. ICTs
for education refers to the development of information and communications
technology specifically for teaching/learning purposes, while the ICTs in
education involves the adoption of general components of information and
communication technologies in the teaching learning process.
Ting
Seng Eng (2005) studied “The impact of
ICT on Learning”, that with the introduction of computers, the precursor of
our modern-day ICT, and the promising potentials of computer-based instruction
and learning, many researchers and funding agencies were led to invest much of
their resources to investigate the possibility of computers replacing teachers
in key instructional roles. The introduction of ICT in schools can be likened
to that of the invading species to the ecosystem. There will be a time of
adjustment and adaptation by the principals, teachers and students as each
seeks to find its place in the new learning environment and interacts with the
new technology.
The
major focus of the paper is on teaching and research carried out with
Indonesian children in elementary school. Over the past seven years children in
these grades at an inner-city school have used computer-based multimedia
software to solve simple problems and produce electronic products at an
appropriate cognitive level. Working in collaboration with the teachers of
these grades, investigations have been made in the areas of ideas for
developing aspects of information literacy, a project-based learning approach,
and different pedagogical approaches in the classroom.
4. Analysis
Children and Computers
In the last decade of the twentieth
century research moved from questioning the appropriateness of using learning
technologies with young children to ascertaining which types of
computer-related experiences and environments are most effective for learning. Just a
decade ago, only 25 percent of the licensed elementary schools had computers.
Now almost every elementary school has a computer, and the ratio of computers
to students has dropped from 1:125 in 1984 to 1:22 in 1990 of every elementary
schools; also, the amount of time children use these computers may vary widely.
We can, nevertheless, expect most children to have one or more computers in
their elementary schools and homes in the twenty-first century. We must think
carefully, however, about how we choose to use computers with the children.
Almost
75% of the young people had access to computers at home. The young children in
this group (ages 5 to 7) were asked to differentiate between playing games and
not playing games. On average young children spent 2.2 hours each week playing
games and 3.1 hours using a computer for something other than playing games.
Time
spent using a computer anywhere averaged 11.5 hour/week for all students. Of
this amount 7.5 hour/week occurred at home, with 5-7 year old children
reporting 4.4 hour/week and 16+ year olds 10.7 hour/week. Among students the
majority of reported home use was for game playing (89% for 5 7 year olds) and
homework (85% for 11-14 year olds).
|
At school
|
At home
|
At home or school
|
Elsewhere
|
|
93%
|
75%
|
98%
|
1%
|
The
use of ICT with young children suggest there are many areas of education where
technology can benefit learners. Among
the benefits noted were improvements in mathematical problem solving and
increases in language skills such as vocabulary size and use, reading and
spelling. In addition there are references to increased social development and
improved social interaction. Because these studies tended to focus on aspects
of language or mathematics, they do not report on improvements in young children’s
technological skills and knowledge.
The
Computer's Role in the Home and Elementary Schools
What is happening in homes and schools? Unfortunately,
most children use computers only occasionally -- and usually only when their
teachers want to add variety or rewards to the curriculum. Unfortunate children
use mostly drill-and-practice software, their teachers stating that their goal
for using computers is to increase basic skills rather than develop problem-solving
or creative skills.
However, this is changing. More fortunate young
children are becoming more likely to have computers in their classrooms. More
early childhood teachers are choosing open-ended programs based on
developmental issues. Placing computers in kindergartners' classrooms for
several months significantly increases children's skills; placing them in the
home yields greater gains. However, in the home, children more often play
computer games than use instructional software. This is especially unfortunate.
We need additional software and programs that bridge the school-home and
entertainment-learning gaps.
When children do use computers, how do they interact?
Contrary to initial fears, computers do not isolate children. Rather, they
serve as potential catalysts for social interaction. Children spent nine times
as much time talking to peers while on the computer than while doing puzzles.
Researchers observe that 95 percent of children's talking while using Logo is
related to their work. Children prefer to work with a friend rather than alone,
and they make new friends around the computer. There is greater and more
spontaneous peer teaching and helping .
As estimated, near the turn of the century the ratio
of children to computers will be 10:1, which meets the recommended minimal
ratio. In classrooms with proportionally fewer computers, aggressive behavior
ma be increased.
Children's interactions at the computer are affected
by the software they are using. Open-ended programs like Logo foster
collaborative groups characterized by patterns of goal setting, planning,
negotiating, and resolving conflicts. Drill-and-practice software can encourage
turn taking, but it also engenders a competitive spirit. Similarly, gamelike
programs with aggressive content can engender the same qualities in children.
Games involving cooperative interaction can improve children's social behavior.
A computer simulation of a Smurf environment. This may be due to features of
the computer; in the computer environment, the Smurf characters could literally
share the same space ad could even jump "through" one another. The
forced shared space of the computer program also caused children to talk to one
another more.
In addition, computers may engender in advanced
cognitive type of play among children. In one study, "games with
rules" was the most frequently occurring type of play among preschoolers
working at computers. So already prevailing patterns of social participation
and cognitive play were enhanced by the presence of computers. In a similar
vein, children are more likely to get correct answers when they work
cooperatively, rather than competitively, on educational computer games.
5. Summary and Recommendation
In
any learning environment for children, ICT based activities should never
replace the use of concrete materials and manipulatives. Children must be
permitted to explore books, measure water and sand, draw with pencils and
crayons, and write on paper, together with all the other traditional
experiences of kindergarten and primary school. However there are many ways
computerbased activities can be used to complement and enrich the learning
experiences of young children.
Over
the past decade many studies have indicated that there are real and measurable
educational benefits for young children who have ICT integrated into their
lassroom experiences. These benefits cover content in many curriculum areas as
well as affective and personal development.
There
is an abundance of computer-based learning activities and experiences in almost
every curriculum key learning area available to classroom teachers. The
examples presented have shown that it is within the capability of teachers to
develop activities that offer some choices to young learners, are linked to
curriculum learning objectives, and are small group activities that foster
communication and social skills.
We believe that having young children use computers in
new ways -- to pose and solve problems, draw, and do all about languages -- can
help them learn and develop their skills in languages.
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