Role of IT in Education

The Role of Information Technology in Education is exploring the potential for teaching and learning. With rapid developments in the field of information technology (IT), most of the university students demand IT in their educationfor two reasons: (1) It helps the course material be presented in a more comprehensible way; (2) it gives them familiarity with the high-tech tools which they can use in their future careers. Some of the universities are making changes to their curriculum and also making arrangements to be more inviting to students by introducing new methods of education like field trips to big companies, and inviting company representatives to give seminars as part of the curricula so that the students are exposed to their practical career scenarios.

IT provides a lot of facilities in the Education Sector like the uses of computer provide a tool in the Education system is known as Computer Based Education (CBE).CBE involves Control, Delivery and Evaluation of learning.There are number of methods in which educational institutions can use computer to educate the students.Some of the interesting developments for the education sector are: Internet i.e.  used to access the desired information using search engine and Computerization of Administrative tasks i.e.Most of the academic institutes use computerized systems for student enrollment, fee management, examination administration etc. Classrooms are equipped with smart boards, projectors, sound systems, tele/video-conference systems, television and other high-tech equipment’s. The classes are also held in computer labs and the topic of the lecture can be immediately simulated, programmed, or demonstrated on computers. Information technology has taken the educational landscape by storm, increasing the learning potential of students and empowering teachers with engaging presentation tools and advanced class-management systems. From preschools to institutions of higher education, electronic devices such as laptops, tablets, smartphones, and even smart-boards has opened access to large amounts of information. These tools also promote wider participation in the academic community and benefit educators and students alike. The application of educational technologies to instruction has progressed beyond the use of basic drill and practice software, and now includes the use of complex multimedia products and advanced networking technologies. 

Today, students use multimedia to learn interactively and work on class projects. They use the Internet to do research, engage in projects, and to communicate. The new technologies allow students to have more control over their own learning, to think analytically and critically, and to work collaboratively. Specific purpose smart devices using embedded application programs are crucial for standardization and maintenance of high-tech tools in education.The changing role of IT in higher education has been well documented. Information technology serves as the foundation for the business of the institution, supports new advances and approaches to teaching and learning and provides new capabilities in research.Information technology benefits the management of classrooms by its ability to create and organize in a virtual space. Many schools have adopted Learning Management Systems (LMS) that centralize aspects of courses in such a virtual space. Teachers can post Notes, eBooks, media, and quiz that are automatically graded. Assignments can also be posted and submitted online and grades can be viewed in a single virtual space. Students can access the documents in the LMS anytime and need not be worry about losing a paper or carrying a textbook. LMS also facilitates communication, interaction, and collaboration between students and teachers, providing opportunities to send messages, chat, create wikis, compose documents, blog, and share information much like social media sites.

Ms. Anisha Tandon

Assistant Professor

Department of Management Studies