Information and communication technologies in education

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Content

information communication teaching language

Introduction

Main part

MAIN PART

1. The role of ICT in teaching foreign languages

2. Using modern applications to improve the effectiveness of teaching foreign languages

3. Using ICT in secondary schools and its impact on training information technology teachers

Conclusion

References

Introduction

Today, we cannot imagine our personal and professional lives without the use of computers and smart devices as they play a vital role in all spheres of modern life. The application of the information technology in foreign language learning and teaching has already become integral part of our language classroom. Consequently, a vast number of educational platforms and software programs have been created and become the perfect complement in reaching proficiency and fluency, and language courses integrated by technological support are the most effective and attractive for students who want to be successful in language learning. The use of ICT in language learning maximizes a lot of new possibilities for effective communication for both teachers and the students not only to develop their language skills, but also they broaden knowledge of using ICT successfully to make teaching and learning better. For this reason, I have decided to present the effective ways of using of ICT in foreign language teaching and learning.

In this global outbreak period, it is actual topic to promote of using of ICT by distance learning and teaching foreign languages. The use of technology in foreign language learning and teaching, as some analysis show that ICT contribute in: improving reading comprehension and writing skills, develop listening comprehension and good speaking competences, supporting teacher-student collaboration, creativity, autonomous learning, as well as the activation of already acquired knowledge. Trying to keep up with the requirements of current society and to take advantage of the advances in technology, teachers all over the world implement information communication technologies (ICT) in the classroom in order to deliver content effectively and address students' needs. Computer based instruction already occupies an increasing role in teaching foreign languages. We are not a big fan of technology nor are we very skilled in using it, but we have to admit that technology greatly enhances teaching and learning foreign languages. However, we should not forget that teaching and learning are social processes and require communication between teacher and learners; therefore technology facilitates but does not replace these social processes (Bates & Poole 2003)

ICT - Information and Communications Technology has the proven power to change the world. This acronym refers to the merging of audiovisual and telephone networks with the computer single unified system of cabling. Thus, ICT includes any communication device - including radio, television, cell phones, computer and network hardware, satellite systems, etc. Today, ICT technologies have embedded themselves as commonplace entities in all aspects of life. This gives us further evidence that the world is rapidly moving towards increased adoption of digital technology.

The introduction of informational technologies in the educational environment of english language lesson allows you to enhance and to stimulate the interest of students, activate their thinking, the effectiveness of learning, individualize instruction, increase speed of presentation and assimilation of information and rapid adjustments knowledge if necessary.

The use of computer in learning English language for different purposes:

-- when explaining new material to the maximum solubility, for optimum consolidation of the material studied,

-- to improve the monitoring of students ` knowledge,

-- to organize an interesting and fruitful work on the subject

These lessons can be completely tailored to the use of the computer is in the office at various stages of english lessons.

According to scientists, teachers and modern students is more developed visual and emotional memory. In this regard, the use of educational software that contains lots of educational information, is equipped with animated demonstrations, hypertext links, video stories and other multimedia attributes, facilitates the implementation of psycho pedagogical approaches. At the same time established that the perception of a relatively large amount of text on the monitor screen is difficult, therefore, the text of this volume, with whom the student works must be in a printed textbook.

From the foregoing it can be concluded that in the modern scientific-methodical literature, computer technology in English language teaching: fully implement the principle of clarity in teaching; provides training tailored individual characteristics of students; maximize the use of analytical and imitative abilities of students; to fully mobilize their internal resources; to create conditions to control the formation of speech skills and abilities; to ensure self-control.

The subject matter of the study is to study the experience of using information technologies in the process of teaching a foreign language to students in a linguistic university.

The object of the study at the moment - is the development of communicative skills of the trainees, i.e. practical knowledge of a foreign language. Main purpose of is also a foreign language, which makes it suitable for oral and written communication, as in the future professional activity, and to further self-education. In combination with other competencies of foreign language communication competence in the future it will give each of the graduates the opportunity to be successful in the professional field and to fully realize their potential. And the task of the teacher is to educate a person the ability to communicate, to educate themselves. Necessary for the modern process of foreign language teaching is to create optimal conditions in order to make this process meaningful, effective and interesting for students. To my view, teachers use different methods and techniques that help to intensify the work of the students. In this invaluable assistance in this process renders the use of computer technology and Internet resources.

The Aim of the study. Teachers of new generation should be able to select a qualified and apply precisely those technologies that are fully consistent with the content and objectives of study subjects, contribute to the harmonious development of students based on their individual characteristics.

The structure of course paper consists of introduction, main part, conclusion and reference.

1. The role of information and communication technologies in teaching foreign languages

The role of ICTs in education is becoming more and more critical. The higher education sector has advanced with the help of various ICT tools such as smart devices, smart boards, online classrooms, digital cameras, projectors, video conferencing tools, audio recording tools, and many more. The specificity of the subject foreign language makes possible the use of computer technology in full in almost all these cases.

ICT is not only influencing, changing, and supporting the content that is being learned in higher education institutes but also changing the way students are learning. There has been a systematic movement from content-centered curricula to a competency - based curricula with the aid of various ICT tools. Similarly, there is a movement away from teacher-centered learning to student-centered forms of knowledge. ICT has facilitated a modern learning approach where students are encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning. Students are increasingly turning towards the web and online subject matter experts from who they will learn, thus creating an environment of independent learning. In traditional high schools, colleges and universities, universities provided minimal choice for students for when the learning would take place. Typically, the students would accept the learning schedule prepared by the university. Ahmedova, L. T., Normuratova, V. I., Teaching English Practicum, 2011, 109p.The use of ICT tools allows students to optimize their learning experience by choosing when they wish to study based on their routine or body clock. Learners are free to participate in learning activities when time permits or be assured of no interruption. This freedom and flexibility have significantly increased the opportunities for many students to participate in formal programs. It has also provided learning opportunities for many more learners who previously were constrained by other commitments. The use of online technology learning has enabled learning to become an activity that is no longer set within programmed schedules and slots. The various technologies can provide asynchronous support for learning so that the need for real-time participation is avoided while the students can benefit from the communication and collaboration that the online system provides.

It is not only students, but even teachers benefit from these tools as they can decide what periods in the 24X7 envelope can be utilized for teaching and interacting with the students? The continued and increased use of ICTs has also changed where the students learn. While the concept of flexibility in the location of education is not new to the prevalence of distance education programs for years. Yet, for most universities, students do not choose the place of their location. With ICT and advancements in Ed Tech tools, off-campus delivery of courses is an option for students who were unable to attend the class for any number of reasons. Additionally, the use of ICT tools instead of a traditional classroom setting has given way to learning in work-based settings with students able to access courses and programs from their workplace. J.J.Jalolov, G.T.Mahkamova, Sh.S.Ashurov, English Language Teaching Methodology (theory and practice). -“Fan va texnologiya”, 2015, 336p.The advantages of education at the location of choice is not only increased convenience to the students but also financial savings and time-related savings with travel. The concept of technology powered `any place learning' also ensures that learners enroll in courses offered by any institute across the world rather than only applying for local educational universities. The advantages of this include extended course offerings and the opportunity to digitally interact with co-learners and students from differing backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives. The computer can be effectively used for discovering new lexical material, new samples of statements. At the stage of consolidation and application of the generated knowledge and skills, the computer can be used in a wide variety of communicative tasks and situations on the basis of personality characteristics of the students. He can create the optimum conditions for the successful development of the program material, while ensuring adequate and feasible load for all students. Using Internet resources allows students to bring communication activities to reality.

Computer widely used as a means of exercising control over the activities of the trainees from the teacher, as well as a means of self-control. Computer testing can be used as a method of final or interim audit. Depending on the capabilities, students can be tested on personal computers in the local school network or the Internet. Fast results with this test allows the instructor to make timely adjustments to the educational process, to prevent lag, work individually with students. Student as it helps to understand what success he has achieved in the study of a foreign language and on what he needs to work harder. Teachers of our department compiled training test items containing a large database, which includes all the main topics of the course of English. Students have a good opportunity to perform these tests in computer classes, both independently and under the supervision of an instructor.

This type of work we have practiced in preparation for the exams conducted in the form of computer based testing, as well as during the preparation of the intermediate state control. Performing the test yourself, the student can see clearly makes a mistake and correct answers. If the execution of tests carried out under the guidance of a teacher, the student has the opportunity to consult on options for answers in which mistakes were made. Experience with the use of computer technology in the process of preparing for exams and ISC shows that students are much faster and more intelligent learn learning material. Having analyzed the responses of students, the teacher, in turn, sees weaknesses of each student, as well as errors specific to the whole group, allowing you to work differentially, given knowledge of each. Since each student works, as they say " one-on- one with a computer," the teacher an opportunity to see an objective assessment in points of the student, which puts the computer. The student also sees a realistic assessment of their knowledge and this sometimes causes him to reconsider their self-esteem. But in this kind of work, there are also disadvantages. Communicating with the computer, the students read the sentence, choose the answer without uttering anything aloud, i.e. speech apparatus in this kind of work becomes passive, which is highly undesirable when learning a foreign language. In this regard, we use this form of work with a computer periodically.

The computer allows the display to present the elements of cross-cultural nature, especially the environment and situation. It is very comfortable for multimedia presentations in Power Point. Application of computer presentations in the classroom allows you to enter a new lexical, grammatical, regional studies material in the most fascinating way, implementing the principle of visibility, which contributes to more lasting learning information. Independent creative work of students to create computer presentations allows you to expand the stock of active vocabulary, increase interest in learning a foreign language and culture. This technology promotes teaching a foreign language with the help of worldwide World Wide Web, which provides great opportunities and services of information and communicative nature. Using Internet resources increases the activity of the students and the teacher's role changes, it increases the level of student's motivation, desire to find himself and explore the necessary information. Thus, the learning process is beyond the time frame of the lesson. Teaching using Internet resources allows communication at different levels: teacher-student, student - student, student - friend, etc. while students have access to an unlimited amount of fresh information and a huge selection. Working alone in the Internet, students improve skills proficiency, develop critical thinking, enhance cognitive independence. Using Internet resources changes the role of the teacher, she becomes a coordinator and consultant. The popularity of the Internet and computer technologies among young people and in society as a whole has created serious grounds for the successful integration of ICT into educational process. When teaching foreign languages an important place is given to ICT, which allows the introduction of new technologies, new techniques, shifting the emphasis to the independent work of a student, making the training diverse. This situation increases the effectiveness of the classroom work and makes the independent work of students more efficient. There is an opportunity to use the Internet as a teaching tool both for training all types of speech activity, and for research work and education. The application of information and communication technologies in education has, in modern conditions, an increasingly significant impact on the quality and competitiveness of the national education system. The integration of Uzbek education into the world educational system is connected with the observance of the fundamental international standards requirements.

World practices in the field of new technologies and forms of teaching, methods of educational activities managing and the quality of the learning process, the creation of electronic educational resources are widely used in teaching foreign languages in Russian universities. National standards of the ICT use are coordinated with international standards and regulations. At the lessons of foreign languages, one should integrate the linguistic, sociocultural and communicative approaches, taking into consideration teaching a foreign language for specific purposes. To achieve these goals, it is very important to use the whole potential of Internet resources. The Internet offers users various options that can be used by students and teachers: e-mail, participation in videoconferences, publication of research articles in the on-line system, numerous reference catalogs and search systems.

Using ICT, a teacher has an opportunity to monitor the knowledge and skills of students in the network, making the learning process more individual. The undoubted advantage of using ICT is to achieve mobility of learning, because using e-mails and forums, teachers and students can provide feedback, they can receive the necessary consultations, using the time in the classroom more effectively. The use of ICT is more efficient within the framework of a certain model of training, developed in terms of the educational goals. Dudeney G., Hockly N. 2007, How to teach English with technology, Pearson Longman, 347p.

The end of 1990's and beginning of 2000's marked a new era in foreign languages teaching in Uzbekistan when all stakeholders including teachers, students, schools, colleges, and universities started to feel that they were ready for change in the way foreign languages were taught and learned. Nevertheless, there was uncertainty on how these changes would be implemented, what kind of changes should be introduced, who would be the initiator of the changes and what people's reactions would be to the changes in the education sector. The reason for uncertainty was due to the fact that for almost a century in Uzbekistan there was not held any consistent reforms in foreign language teaching. The reforms in foreign language teaching in Uzbekistan mainly touched upon teaching English language in all levels and stages of education.

Teaching using Internet resources allows communication at different levels: teacher-student, student - student, student - friend, etc. while students have access to an unlimited amount of fresh information and a huge selection. Working alone in the Internet, students improve skills proficiency, develop critical thinking, enhance cognitive independence. Using Internet resources changes the role of the teacher, she becomes a coordinator and consultant. Attention on the formation of tasks based on Internet resources, while in the teaching process are possible if a teacher carefully selects the tasks.

2. Using modern applications to improve the effectiveness of teaching foreign languages

According to Dudney and Hockly the ICT is an interactive and collaborative medium that allows the creation of text and activities that can easily be shared in public which helps students discover the language they are learning and its use.

There are a number of online courses, educational platforms and software programs which assist learning and teaching foreign languages. In this regard, foreign language teachers of today should be ready to provide their students with the opportunity to learn using technology in the classroom. According to the implementation of the ICT in education, UNESCO, Microsoft and Intel have created the” UNESCO ICT competency framework for teachers” in 2015, which is a guide for teachers on how to become more effective in the ICT-based lessons. Gorchakova-Sibirskaya, M.P. Innovations in vocational education: pedagogical technologies: textbook. allowance / M.P. Gorchakova-Siberian. - M: 2001, 45-49p.

This competency framework explains to teachers a clear perspective how to use ICT to communicate and collaborate with students “to use ICT to communicate with other students, for example for them to submit their project reports online”, UNESCO ICT competency framework for teachers. and many others. Having read the framework, teachers they learn when and where to use the technology in the process of teaching, the use the ICT to create blogs and online platforms where the students can share their projects and as well, exchange information and notes with each other. materials and methods ICT stands for Information Communications Technology. It is often referred to as only IT, but the C is added to underline the communicative aspect of the term. According to Kent “ICT in education point of view refers to Information and Communication Technology such as computers, communications facilities and features that variously support teaching learning and a range of activities in education. Estling Vannestal lists several benefits of using ICT in the language classroom.

First of all, ICT helps to create more variation in the classroom, which might lead to increased motivation in the students and thus better conditions to learn the target language. As the Internet is full of free, authentic and up-to-date materials that language teachers can use in their teaching. The Internet provides a good opportunity for students from all over the world to interact with each other through emails, online calls or in a chat room. Despite what the means of communication chosen, ICT is likely to help develop the understanding of other cultures in the students that participate.

Now, during the period of quarantine, the role of ICT in education is being promoted in our country. We have started with the e-learning platforms in education by distance learning. For instance: The digital educational platform has all the necessary functions for organizing distance learning in schools in Uzbekistan. This will allow students not to interrupt the learning process while at home, study subjects independently and communicate with the teacher remotely. Through this appication, teachers can give out homework and video teaching materials, and students can submit completed work for verification. As a result, teachers put marks in an electronic journal or give comments on finalizing answers. Private messaging, posting announcements, creating groups are also available. In the appication distance education functions are simple and affordable. Teachers have the opportunity to download presentations on the theoretical side, as well as tasks to test knowledge, leave comments on improving the work. Through the digital educational platform, the educational process in schools can be continued during the quarantine period. Kent. L, 2004, ICT in education, 305p.

Mostly, pre-school and school multimedia lessons are being shown by local TV channels and via social online websites. One of the most efficient medium for teaching foreign languages is television. The television appeals both to the ears and eyes. The lessons are being recorded and being telecasted by TV channels. This shows significant impact on the minds of the students. Television plays as a companion, entertainer and instructor in present learning and teaching foreign languages. However, university students and teachers of higher education are using various educational platforms such as Google Classroom, and other free educational platforms.

Obviously, many users of these platforms to learn and to deliver online lessons are facing challenges and they have different opinions and experiences. What we must admit in this global outbreak period, the use of ICT has only positive impact on our way of thinking, learning and teaching. The book “Technology and second language learning” written by Mark Warschauer, described two distinct perspectives of how to integrate technology: by the cognitive and social approaches. In cognitive approach, learners construct their own individual knowledge by exploring language and culture in meaningful audio-visual contexts and whereas the social approach emphasizes the social aspect of language acquisition where learning a language is viewed as a process of socialization. From this perspective, students need to be given opportunities for authentic social interactions to practice real life skills. This can be achieved through student collaboration on authentic tasks and projects. Singhal, M. (1997). The Internet and Foreign Language Education: Benefits and Challenges.The Internet TESL Journal, 1997, 6p.

However, until the period of quarantine, students were being taught in language laboratories in all educational institutions of our country. A language laboratory is a room which is equipped with computers and technological materials for the practice of listening comprehension and speaking to help the students to master the target language (Singhal, M. These laboratories play an essential role in language learning where the students will have the opportunity to be in the room to listen to native speakers' conversation, songs, watch films or have access to the internet to enrol online free courses offered by top universities of the world on the educational platforms such as Canvas, Udemy, Udacity, Coursera and others.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

Best practices of integrating ICT in learning and teaching foreign languages As being ESL/EFL teachers, we have the key role in facilitating in distance learning and teaching foreign languages. There is a wide array of free educational software applications and platforms that make English learning resources more accessible and they promote more personalized and meaningful learning for students, along with a healthy dose of classroom collaboration. For example: Google Drive, Edmodo, Kahoot, wordpress, and etc. These tools can be used to enhance and facilitate deeper and more authentic learning.

Edmodo

As a free social learning platform for students and teachers where presentations, books, materials, essays, songs and what resources are used during academic year can be saved here and teachers can create a class library to give students easy access to these at any time. Students find Edmodo (www.edmodo.com) as easy to work on it as it increases interest and motivation. Moreover, photos of group work projects of students or individuals, weekly spelling tests, multiple-choice quizzes can be posted so that all the students can see and do them for best practice.

Kahoot

Kahoot (www.kahoot.com) is a platform that is used to administer quizzes, discussions or surveys. It is a game-based classroom response system played by the whole group in real time as it is the perfect tool to engage students with a new topic. As a teacher, anyone can use Kahoot to create any educational games to encourage students towards competing in the classroom.

Google Drive

Google Drive is a file storage and synchronization service developed by Google. It can be used for writing projects, podcasts, and presentations to collaborate with students by providing general feedback on the projects or tasks. Speech Peek is an online portal that allows ESL/EFL teachers to create interactive speaking and listening exercises for students to complete and submit remotely. It is one of the useful online portals and an extremely effective way to improve and assess students' speaking and pronunciation skills. Through logging www.speechpeek.com, students make tape recorders so that teachers correct the recordings. A group blog One of the useful ways of displaying the creative work is to set up a class blog on Wordpress.com or social websites using Telegram, Facebook, or Twitter which reflect the ways in which students communicate on a day to day. They provide the opportunity for reading, writing as listening tasks. The advantage is that students can instantly leave comments to each other's posts.

Podcasts

Podcasts are an easy way to record your own audio so that the students listen to practice. Alternatively, teachers can post podcasts on a class blog. Vodcasts As podcasts, short video recordings (called vodcasts) can be sent to the students or they can record their own. These can be something as simple as speaking into the screen for a couple of minutes on a topic of your choice. Or teachers might give short explanation of an item of grammar in front of the board for the students to watch at home.

Lyrics Training

Lyrics Training is an awesome website to learn a language with music. Students will watch and listen to a music video and fill in the missing lyrics of the song. The webpage offers a vast collection of songs that can be used for all proficiency levels such as beginner, intermediate, advanced and expert. Learning and teaching with music help students to become proficient in any foreign languages.

Colingo

Colingo is a web platform which offers live, online, teacher-led group conversation classes, personalized training and private tutoring for learning English with native speakers.

Online surveys and quizzes

There are sites eg.surveymonkey.com, Google surveys which allow teachers to create online surveys and questionnaires for the students to complete. This is also fun way to find out students' views on a range of topics. There are also sites quizlet.com which allows students to learn and test them by using variety of quiz types that the site will generate. Chernilevsky D.V. Didactic technologies in higher education, 2002, 397 p.

If you want to do project work which can continue in and out of the classroom over a period of time, you have a number of options for blending technology into your face-to-face lessons. Obviously the students can research a topic online, but they can also present their findings in a number of ways. One option is to have them create an online poster using GLogster.com or Padlet.com which let you post a combination of text, images, video and audio onto a poster. If you would like to flip your classroom, all you need to do is video record yourself giving the language presentation at the board. For example, you might present a new grammar point and illustrate it with a timeline and load the video onto YouTube and ask students to watch at home before coming to the class. And also, you use Presentme.com or my brainshark.com which let you post your slides and record your voice while talking about each slide. These are all interesting and motivating ways for students to show evidence of learning.

3. Information technology in secondary schools and its impact on training information technology teachers

In my opinion ICTs provides - motivation to learn. ICTs such as videos, television and multimedia computer software that combine text, sound, and colourful moving images can be used to provide challenging and authentic content that will engage the student in the learning process. Technology is a tool that can provide another way for children to learn and make sense of their world. ICTs play a fundamental and crucial role in teaching learning process at secondary class level. It makes teaching learning process more effective and successful. The usage of ICTs in schools is the implementation of new technologies without having analyzed their appropriateness, applicability and impact on various environments and contexts. The present studies identify the impact of ICTs in secondary school education students in government and private schools. The result revealed that impact of ICTs is highly significant on the based on type of schools.

The use of ICT in schools requires skilled teaching staff and visionary school leadership. Teachers and school leaders need to be knowledgeable about the potential that ICT presents during teaching and learning in schools. According to Higgins & Moseley, where this knowledge is lacking, policies formulated by government and investments made towards implementation of ICT in schools, frequently miss opportunities to realize the desired school reforms. The use of ICTs in Uzbekistan generally increasing and dramatically growing. However, while there is a great deal of knowledge about how ICTs are being used in developed countries, there is not much information on how ICTs are being introduced into schools in developing countries. The use of ICTs by teachers to teach the students is highly advantageous. This is because its enable them to demonstrate understanding of the opportunities and implications of the uses for learning and teaching in the curriculum context; plan, implement, and manage learning and teaching in open and flexible learning environment (UNESCO, 2004). The integration of ICT may have a considerable impact on the work of teachers, in particular, if ICT is conceived as a tool that supports a change in pedagogical approach.

Not only teachers need to change their roles and class organization, but in particular they need to invest energy in order for themselves but also for their students to get ready to introduce and manage new learning arrangements. According to Ching, ICT plays a unique but complementary role in each of these approaches, with new technologies requiring new teacher roles, new pedagogies and new strands to teacher education. To be successful integration of ICT depends on the ability of teachers to merge technology with new pedagogies. To achieve this, there is a need for extensive preparation, adequate time, and ongoing support for teachers to ensure they have the knowledge, skills, and confidence in teaching with ICT. The need to provide teacher education programs and professional development facilities for practicing teachers and pre-service teachers cannot be overemphasized.

The Office for Standards in Education predominantly recommend such teacher-centered, whole-class, didactic teaching strategies which teachers of IT can find difficult to put into practice. There are features of teaching and learning IT that make a constructivist approach the only workable pedagogy. IT teachers cannot be `gods of knowledge' as the content domain and the technology change too rapidly, and pupils may have better knowledge of these than teachers. This obstructs detailed, systematic instructional design and teacher-centered, didactic control of the learning process, and undermines traditional relationships between teachers and pupils. IT teachers who attempt to use didactic, whole-class, teacher-centered approaches to teaching IT often struggle to retain pupils' attention. Even though pupils may be highly motivated, they can be disinclined to sit and listen to the teacher or to wait for other pupils to complete their work as the teacher takes the whole class step-by-step through precise operational procedures. Where learning materials based on traditional, systematic instructional design are used, learners tend to deviate from the given sequence or abandon it entirely, preferring to try and make sense of the situation rather than following a series of rigid steps (Boyle, 1997).

ICT enhancing Teaching-Learning Process:

The main consideration of ICT based education is the improvement of the teaching-learning process. The integration of information and communication technologies can help revitalize teachers and students. This can help to improve and develop the quality of education by providing curricular support in difficult subject areas. Teachers need to be involved in collaborative projects and development of invention change strategies, which would include teaching partnerships with ICT as a tool. Contemporary learning theory is based on the notion that learning is an active process of constructing knowledge rather than acquiring knowledge and that instruction is the process by which this knowledge construction is supported rather than a process of knowledge transmission. In this domain learning is viewed as the construction of meaning rather than as the memorization of facts. Learning approaches using contemporary ICTs provide many opportunities for constructivist learning through their provision and support for resource-based, student centered settings and by enabling learning to be related to context and to practice (Berge, 1998). Teachers generate meaningful and engaging learning experiences for their students, strategically using ICT to enhance learning. Students enjoy learning and the independent enquiry which innovative and appropriate use of ICT can foster. They begin to acquire the important 21st century skills which they will need in their future lives.

ICT Enhancing the Quality and Accessibility of Education:

ICT increases the flexibility of delivery of education so that learners can access knowledge anytime and from anywhere. It can influence the way students are taught and how they learn as now the processes are learner driven and not by teachers. This in turn would better prepare the learners for lifelong learning as well as to improve the quality of learning. In concert with geographical flexibility, technology-facilitate educational programs also many of the temporal constraints that face learners with special needs. Students are starting to appreciate the capability to undertake education anywhere, anytime and anyplace. One of the most vital contributions of ICT in the field of education is easy access to learning. With the help of ICT, students can now browse through e-books, sample examination papers, previous year papers etc. and can also have an easy access to resource persons, mentors, experts, researchers, professionals and peers all over the world. This flexibility has heightened the availability of just-in-time learning and provided learning opportunities for many more learners who previously were constrained by other commitments. Wider availability of best practices and best course material in education, which can be shared by means of ICT, can foster better teaching. ICT also allows the academic institutions to reach disadvantaged groups and new international educational markets. As well as learning at any time, teachers are also finding the capabilities of teaching at any time to be opportunistic and able to be used to advantage. Thus, ICT enabled education will ultimately lead to the democratization of education. ICT has the potential to remove the barriers that are causing the problems of low rate of education in any country. It can be used as a tool to overcome the issues of cost, less number of teachers, and poor quality of education as well as to overcome time and distance barriers.

ICT Enhancing Learning Environment:

ICT presents an entirely new learning environment for students, thus requiring a different skill set to be successful. Critical thinking, research and evaluation skills are growing in importance as students have increasing volumes of information from a variety of sources to sort through. ICT is changing processes of teaching and learning by adding elements of vitality to learning environments including virtual environments for the purpose. ICT is a potentially powerful tool for offering educational opportunities. It is difficult and may be even impossible to imagine future learning environments that are not supported, in one way or another by ICT. ICT provides opportunities to access an abundance of information using multiple information resources and viewing information from multiple perspectives, thus fostering the authenticity of learning environments. ICT may also make complex processes easier to understand through simulations that again contribute to authentic learning environments. Thus, ICT may function as a facilitator of active learning and higher order thinking. The use of ICT may foster co-operative learning and reflection about the content. ICT environment improves the experience of the students and teachers and to use intensively the learning time for better results. The ICT environment has been developed by using different software and also extended experience in developing web based and multimedia materials. ICTs have an important role to play in changing and modernizing educational systems and ways of learning.

ICT Enhancing Learning Motivation:

ICTs can enhance the quality of education in several ways by increasing learner motivation and engagement, by facilitating the acquisition of basic skills and by enhancing teacher training. ICTs are also transformational tools which can promote learner centered environment. ICTs, especially computers and internet technologies enable new ways of teaching and learning rather than simply allow teachers and students to do what they have done before in a better way. ICT has an impact not only on what students should learn but it also plays a major role on how the students should learn. Unlike static, text or print based educational technologies, ICT enhanced learning recognizes that there are many different learning pathways and many different articulations of knowledge. ICTs allow learners to explore and discover rather than merely listen and remember. The World Wide Web also provides a virtual international gallery for students' work. ICT can engage and inspire students, and this has been cited as a factor influencing ready adaptors of ICT.

Impact on student motivation

1. ICTs motivate teachers and students

There appears to be a general consensus that both teachers and students feel ICT use greatly contributes to student motivation for learning.

2. Access outside of school affects user confidence.

Students who use a computer at home also use them in school more frequently and with more confidence than pupils who have no home access.

3. Where to place computers has an impact

Placing computers in classrooms enables much greater use of ICTs for `higher order' skills than placing computers in separate computer laboratories (indeed, fewer computers in classrooms may enable even more use than greater numbers of computers located in separate computer labs). Related to this is an increasing attention given to the use of laptops by both teachers and students (and in some places, `computers-on-wheels'), as well as, to a much lesser extent, to the use of personal digital assistants and other mobile devices.

4. Models for successfully integrating ICT use in school and after school hours are still emerging

There are few successful models for the integration of student computer use at home or in other 'informal settings' outside of school facilities with use in school.

5. The appropriate ages for introducing computers to students are hotly debated

On a general level, appropriate ages for student ICT use, in general, are unclear. However, it is clear that certain uses are more or less appropriate, given student ages and abilities. Emerging research cautions against widespread use at younger ages.

6. ICTs can promote learner autonomy

Evidence exists that use of ICTs can increase learner autonomy for certain learners.

7. Gender affects impact

Uses of ICTs in education in many cases to be affected by the gender of the learner.

8. The `pilot effect' can be an important driver for positive impact

Dedicated ICT-related interventions in education that introduce a new tool for teaching and learning may show improvements merely because the efforts surrounding such interventions lead teachers and students to do `more' (potentially diverting energies and resources from other activities).

It is generally believed that ICTs can empower teachers and learners, promote change and foster the development of `21st century skills, but data to support these beliefs are still limited. There is widespread belief that ICTs can and will empower teachers and learners, transforming teaching and learning processes from being highly teacher-dominated to student-centered, and that this transformation will result in increased learning gains for students, creating and allowing for opportunities for learners to develop their creativity, problem-solving abilities, informational reasoning skills, communication skills, and other higher-order thinking skills. However, there are currently very limited, unequivocally compelling data to support this belief.

1. ICTs are very rarely seen as central to the overall learning process

Even in the most advanced schools in Asian countries, ICTs are generally not considered central to the teaching and learning process. Many ICT in education initiatives in LDCs seek (at least in their rhetoric) to place ICTs as central to teaching and learning.

2. An enduring problem: putting technology before education

One of the enduring difficulties of technology use in education is that educational planners and technology advocates think of the technology first and then investigate the educational applications of this technology only later.

Impact on student achievement

1. The positive impact of ICT use in education has not been proven In general, and despite thousands of impact studies, the impact of ICT use on student achievement remains difficult to measure and open to much reasonable debate.

2. Positive impact more likely when linked to pedagogy It is believed that specific uses of ICT can have positive effects on student achievement when ICTs are used appropriately to complement a teacher's existing pedagogical philosophies.

3. `Computer Aided Instruction' has been seen to slightly improve student performance on multiple choice, standardized testing in some areas

Computer Aided (or Assisted) Instruction (CAI), which refers generally to student self-study or tutorials on PCs, has been shown to slightly improve student test scores on some reading and math skills, although whether such improvement correlates to real improvement in student learning is debatable.

4. Need for clear goals

ICTs are seen to be less effective (or ineffective) when the goals for their use are not clear. While such a statement would appear to be self-evident, the specific goals for ICT use in education are, in practice, are often only very broadly or rather loosely defined.

5. There is an important tension between traditional versus 'new' pedagogies and standardized testing

Traditional, transmission-type pedagogies are seen as more effective in preparation for standardized testing, which tends to measure the results of such teaching practices, than are more `constructivist' pedagogical styles.

6. Mismatch between methods used to measure effects and type of learning promoted

In many studies, there may be a mismatch between the methods used to measure effects and the nature of the learning promoted by the specific uses of ICT. For example, some studies have looked only for improvements in traditional teaching and learning processes and knowledge mastery instead of looking for new processes and knowledge related to the use of ICTs. It may be that more useful analysis of the impact of ICT can only emerge when the methods used to measure achievement and outcomes are more closely related to the learning activities and processes promoted by the use of ICTs.

7. ICTs are used differently in different school subjects

Uses of ICTs for simulations and modeling in science and math have been shown to be effective, as have word processing and communication software (e-mail) in the development of student language and communication skills.

8. Access outside of school affects impact

The relationships between in-class student computer use, out of class student computer use and student achievement are unclear.

9. However, students in Uzbekistan reporting the greatest amount of computer use outside school are seen in some studies to have lower than average achievement the presumption is that high computer use outside of school is disproportionately devoted to computer gaming.

10. Users believe that ICTs make a positive difference

In studies that rely largely on self-reporting, most users feel that using ICTs make them more effective learners.

Teachers of IT have more difficulty controlling the focus of pupils' work in the classroom because, for example, pupils may have full access to all the features of the software they are using, and to all other installed software.

In other secondary-school subjects, teachers have much greater control over classroom activities and the texts, worksheets, and other learning resources made available to pupils. From the constructivist perspective, the role of the teacher and the purpose of learning materials are to facilitate active learning, during which learners construct their own understandings, rather than to design tightly specified, linear teaching programmes that impose given knowledge structures on the learner (Strommen & Lincoln, 1992). Teachers cannot transfer meanings or concepts direct to passive learners but can only orientate their learning (Von Glaserfeld, 1996). Learners are expected to have ownership of the learning process, experience with construction of their own knowledge, and self-awareness of the knowledge construction process.

Using IT involves using more expensive resources more frequently than in other curricular activities. However, there is insufficient hardware in many schools for pupils to have access whenever they need it, and pupils may have to share computers even in IT subject studies. The hardware and software available in schools are not consistent between and often within schools, with different hardware platforms available and a variety of different software in use. In addition, the technology changes rapidly and often unpredictably, with the result that schools must re-equip more frequently than in other subjects and forward planning is more difficult. Many schools re-equip in sporadic bursts due to bid-based funding, and government initiatives, such as the Technical and Vocational Educational Initiative, the Technology Schools Initiative and the National Grid for Learning, have helped some schools but not all. As a result, IT teachers cannot assume that sufficient modern IT resources will be consistently available, and the provision of these can vary dramatically from school to school.