IMPORTANCE OF ICT IN INCLUSIVE EDUCATION
By Anand Ghodki, Nagpur, Maharashtra.
ABSTRACT:
Inclusive Education has increased the number of learners. Distance mode of education has the potential to cater needs of large number of learners. Information Communication Technology makes the work easier and thus facilitates inclusive education.
INTRODUCTION:
This paper is inter disciplinary. It belongs to the faculties of Public Administration and Distance Education. Study of a case of a local activity is done to analyse administrative problems. Thus it acts as academic work of Public Administration. At the same time, focus is on ‘ICT for Inclusive Digital Learning’. This topic comes under the coverage of Distance Education. In this paper, administrative problems are identified. Suggestions are given for improvement. Some activities have been highlighted for taking positive action and implementation.
The paper is written by using ‘case study method’. It analyses administrative aspect of the given case. Review of literature is done by the study of philosophical foundations in view of use of ICT in education. How far old thoughts of the well known administrative thinkers are relevant in the new situation? Descriptive study of contemporary ICT is done, in order to get idea of present scenario. It includes description of ICT-tools and techniques used by people. Study of previously held activity is done to analyse administrative problems in education. Suggestions are given to improve educational administration. Ideas are given to readers for experimentation and implementation.
BACKGROUND:
In olden days, education technology included use of audio visual methods in order to achieve greater impact. 16 mm films, magnetic tapes were in use. Today ICT i.e. information communication technology is in action. The new technology has power to reach many learners. Hence it has a potential to achieve the targets of inclusive education.
MAIN FOCUS:
Hypothesis of the paper is as follows.
ICT facilitates Inclusive Education. It makes the work easy.
Aim of this research is to find out how far the above mentioned hypothesis is correct. In the beginning let’s consider definitions of the technical terms.
ICT i.e. Information Communication Technology is the specialised branch of Information Technology. Inclusive education means that all students attend and are welcomed by their neighbourhood schools in age-appropriate, regular classes and are supported to learn, contribute and participate in all aspects of the life of the school.
Case Study Method is used to conduct the research work. Case of school’s computer lab is used for the research work. Experiences earned while working in the lab provided valuable inputs. Teacher-Training Programmes and Workshops held at local level were used for observations. ICT teachers’ training was held in lab. The lab was coordination centre for 36 schools of Hingna Taluka of Nagpur District. This coordination was done for the online aptitude test.
Issue of No Grant Basis:
In Maharashtra, the subject ‘Information Technology’ functions on no-grant basis. The schools are supposed to be financially self sufficient. They get permission to charge higher fees to cover expenses. In case of English medium schools, all the subjects function on no-grant basis. Whole school is run on ‘permanent-no-grant’ condition. On the other hand, aided schools get grants for salary and as well as for non-salary expenses. Most of aided schools are owned and run by local government, either Zilla Parishad or Municipality. In addition to this, some of the private schools get grants like those of ZP schools. All these aided schools charge low fees.
Thus two types of schools are functioning – with high fees and with low fees; with good infrastructure and with poor infrastructure. Unaided private schools having good infrastructure are charging higher fees. Now new legislation of RTE makes it compulsory to offer free education to poor students. Users of the school’s facilities are increased, but income remained the same. How to compensate this? How to overcome economic unbalance? That is the issue. On one hand, schools are not receiving any grant from government, since they run on PNG i.e. permanent no grant basis. On the other hand, financially poor parents expect free education for their wards. In addition to this, the teachers expect higher salaries due to increase in workload.
Consider a case of unaided private school involved in inclusive education. Training is to be provided to the teachers of neighbouring schools. There will be farce to face meetings, traditional workshops and seminars. Then there will be distance tuition. Remote training will be provided by way of Teamviewer, Ammyadmin or Anydesk. Contact will be maintained by email and messenger. So also, ‘social-networking’ will be used. All this work will require some money. Who should pay for it? That is the issue to be discussed.
Normally an unaided school charges extra fee for a particular extra work. The students pay additional fees as and when applicable. On the other hand, schools of aided sector have specific funds for different works. Students either pay fixed fee or avail scholarships. Thus financial conditions are contrasting in these two types of schools.
Issue of Outdated Computers:
Every six months, there is new emerging innovation in the world of computers. Old computers are not suitable to new softwares. Then the computers become outdated. Old computers need old type of spare parts. After a span of time the old spare parts become extinct and the computers become irreparable. Hence investment in computers is short-lived. Same is applicable to mobile phones. Old handsets become outdated when new technology is introduced, e.g. 4G technology. Old smart-phones became outdated due to this new technology.
PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS
Educational Thoughts:
Thinkers of distance education have discussed the problems and issues in detail. Few of the thoughts are picked up for this paper. It has been observed that ICT i.e. ‘Information Communication Technology’ is very much helpful to achieve the tasks of distance education.
(1) MICHAEL MOORE : According to Moore, transactional distance is determined by the amount of dialogue that occurs between the learner and the instructor. The dialogue can be better held by using various ICT tools. Some of the tools and techniques are as follows: Interactive Website, Blogs, Email, Messenger, Video Conference, Remote Access, Remote Desktop. In olden days there was postal communication as the main medium of dialogue. Now ICT has provided these new alternatives.
(2) CHARLES WEDEMEYER : Thoughts of Wedemeyer deal with Autonomy of Learner, Independent Study. It has been observed, that various ICT tools and techniques provide study material in multiple formats. ICT ensures easy and quick access to the study material. Thus it helps in the independent study of distance learner.
(3) OTTO PETERS: According to Otto Peters, “distance teaching / learning is an industrialised form of education”. The production of teaching materials for purposes of distance education is an industrialised process. ICT has an active role in this case. Manuscript can be quickly sent to production house by email. Technique of shared document enables working in a group while staying at different places.
Administrative Thoughts:
Thinkers of Public Administration expressed their thoughts mainly for the offices of government. There is one common overlapping area namely ‘Educational Administration’, which is the reason for consideration of administrative thoughts for this research paper. Secondly principals of administration are universal. Hence they can be applied to any field. A study of ‘administrative problems’ of a project of ICT can be undertaken. A study of ‘administrative improvement’ in implementation of ICT policy can be done. ‘E-Governance’ is the common area of interest for the faculties of Public Administration and Computer Science.
(1) MAX WEBER: According to Weber, “the combination of written documents and a continuous operation by officials constitutes the ‘office’ (Bureau) which is the central focus of all types of modern organized action”. In bureaucracy written documents are always there. Modern office has e-documents signed by digital signatures. It is observed, that ICT helps in production and circulation of documents. Computerization enables impersonal service. The automatic interactive machines strictly work to rule.
(2) FRED RIGGS : Riggs has used comparative approach in the study of Public Administration. Ecology of administration was the area of his study. According to Riggs, “there is influence of environment on administration”. Hence the social-environment should be considered while studying development administration. Western model of development cannot be applied in developing countries. It is concluded here that, western model of inclusive education, educational administration cannot be applied in India.
(3) FREDERICK TAYLOR : ‘The Principles of Scientific Management’ is a monograph published by F.W. Taylor. Let’s consider one of his four principles of scientific management. “Scientifically select, train, and develop each worker rather than passively leaving them to train themselves”. This principle can be applied to the field of educational administration. For achieving aims of inclusive education, skilled manpower is required at client locations. Taylor’s thoughts are useful here.
ICT ACTIVITIES
Information Communication Technology has changed the teaching learning process. It is helping both teacher and learner. Few of the tools and techniques are as follows.
CASE OF KAL CHACHANI
‘Kal Chachani’ is the Marathi word for aptitude test. It was newly introduced in Maharashtra, in 2015-16. Task was to conduct online aptitude test for 17 Lac students. At Taluka level, my task was to do coordination for 36 neighbouring schools. Initially telephonic contact was made with teachers to inform them about online inquiry form. Later on a “whats-app” group was created. Computer teachers of two schools used the technique of Remote Desktop. By using Teamviewer, AmmyyAdmin and AnyDesk, remote access was availed. Demonstration was given to these two school teachers by this method. It was the demonstration of inspection tool. I was working on their computers without physically visiting their computer labs. Mobile phone was used for speaking with each other. In rural area of Nagpur, visiting a place was time consuming. Rural schools were far away from city. In such a case, remote access became very useful tool.
CASE OF ICT TRAINING:
ICT was newly introduced compulsory subject at Class 10 level. Task was to give introduction to the ICT tools and relevant software applications. Teachers of neighbouring schools assembled in the computer lab of trainer’s school. Demonstration was given to illustrate the use of software. It was the demonstration of Audio and Video Conferencing. Skype accounts were used to make online contact. Table Top Mic was used for the audio contact. Computers were kept in adjacent rooms. Two teachers spoke with each other using Skype accounts. Similarly, a Digital Camera was used for the video contact. Flood light was used for better picture quality. Demonstration of live streaming of video was given.
SOME USEFUL ICT TOOLS:
1) Geogebra: This software is useful in the study of Algebra and Geometry. Equations can be solved. Geometric figures can be drawn using Geogebra.
2) Audacity: This is a software which can record and edit sound. It is useful to in conduction of ASL i.e. Assessment of Speaking and Listening Skills. Similarly it can be used to relieve a teacher from loud reading of lessons.
3) Interactive White Board: This is very much useful to teach computer work. Demonstration of computer work can be given on a large screen.
4) Cam Studio: The above mentioned demonstration can be packed in video file using Cam Studio software.
5) Exam Software: The software is used to organise computerised tests. Quick results, accurate evaluation, impartial treatment are the features of computerised exams.
CONCLUSION:
Development of ICT has changed the scenario of education. The new technology should be used effectively in each and every area of distance education, whether it is production of material, or support service or evaluation. Students are tech savvy and hence it becomes important, that teaching and evaluation should be executed by using ICT. The new development of ICT is helpful in achieving goals of inclusive education.
In case of inclusive digital learning, all the community members are to be covered. It means, there is increase in number of students. Face to face mode has limitations. The infrastructure cannot accommodate students beyond certain limit. Distance Education can solve this problem. It has potential to provide education to all. ICT facilitates this work. There are issues of finance and machinery, which can be dealt with proper management. In conclusion, ICT is helpful to distance education in general and inclusive education in particular. The hypothesis is found to be correct.
SUGGESTIONS:
(1) A development authority should be established to deal with the task of ‘Inclusive Education and ICT’.
(2) Western models of projects should not be blindly followed.
(3) Financial policy for ICT and Inclusive Education should be made.
(4) Professional training should be provided.
(5) Efficient machinery should be used.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
(1) Internet Search
(2) Administrative Thinkers by Sterling Publications
(3) IGNOU Study Material of MADE and MPA
(4) ICT Training Material of Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education.
FURTHER READING
Thoughts of eminent thinkers should be revisited in light of new technology. Relevance of old thoughts should be understood. In this way further research can be made. In this paper, case of local area is considered for the study. Similar cases of other geographic area can be studied. Comparative study of all this can be done.
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By Anand Ghodki,
Nagpur,
Maharashtra.
