Projects: Teaching and Learning
Using ICT in the classroom to enhance teaching and learning /
The ICT in Education programme has implemented several cross-cutting "teaching and learning" projects with the goal of enhancing the quality of teaching and learning in the Asia-Pacific region. These projects combine teacher-training with initiatives to develop locally-relevant and innovative content.
ICT pervades modern society to the extent that many countries now regard the mastery of information and communication technology as a core element of basic education alongside literacy and numeracy. But ICT is more than just another subject for students to study; ICT has the potential to be a valuable tool in enhancing the quality of teaching and learning. For example, the use of radio programmes in classrooms can provide interesting and relevant content in subjects such as social studies and English language; while computer simulations and visualization technologies can help students to learn complex concepts in more concrete ways.
An examination of countries in the Asia-Pacific region has shown that in this region ICT is not being used to its full potential in enhancing the quality of teaching and learning. There are both technical and capacity-related barriers that have to be overcome. Many countries of the region do not make use of ICT at all in their education systems due to technical barriers (such as lack of infrastructure, equipment and connectivity) but even in countries where the technical barriers have been overcome and ICT is present in classrooms, other kinds of barriers remain. In these countries, ICT is often used simply as a supplement for existing pedagogical practices. However in order to fulfil the potential of ICT as a tool for enhancing teaching and learning, ICT must be fully integrated into pedagogical processes, which requires a cognitive shift on the part of educators, curriculum developers, administrators and policy-makers.
Projects which focus on ICT use in teaching and learning that have been implemented as part of the UNESCO ICT in Education programme include:
- UNESCO SchoolNet - Strengthening ICT in Schools and SchoolNet Project in ASEAN Setting
- Improving Management and Delivery of Technical and Vocational Education (TVE) through the Application of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)