Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), Children, and Education

Wahyu Fahmi Pribadi

English Education, English Department

Semarang State University

Indonesia

mifahmi18@gmail.com

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.

References

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Coley, Richard J., John Cradler, and Penelope K. Engel. Computers and Classrooms: This Stratus of Technology in U.S. Schools. Princeton, N.J.: Educational Testing Service, 1997.

Davidson, Jane, and L. June Wright. " The Potential of the Microcomputer in the Early Childhood Classroom.: In Young Children: Active Learners in a Technological Age, edited by J. L. Wright and Daniel D. Shade, pp. 77-91. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children, 1994.

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