ICT Revolutionizing Education

This book presents a peer reviewed selection of extended versions of ten original papers that were presented at the 15th International Symposium on Computers in Education (SIIE 2013) held in Viseu, Portugal. The book provide a representative view of current Information and Communications Technology (ICT) educational research approaches in the Ibero-American context as well as internationally. It includes studies that range from elementary to higher education, from traditional to distance learning settings. It considers special needs and other inclusive issues, across a range of disciplines, using multiple and diverse perspectives and technologies to furnish detailed information on the latest trends in ICT and education globally. Design, development and evaluation of educational software; ICT use and evaluation methodologies; social web and collaborative systems; and learning communities are some of the topics covered.

Este informe cita ejemplos de utilización de las TIC en diferentes regiones del mundo - África, la región árabe, Asia y América Latina - y proporciona un buen ejemplo de los cambios que las TIC aportan a los sistemas y políticas de educación. La gran diversidad que ofrecen los países seleccionados - Jordania, Namibia, Rwanda, Singapur y Uruguay - en términos de desarrollo económico y educativo, sugiere que lo que está en juego no se limitan a un determinado grupo de países privilegiados.

This volume provides examples of current developments on the role of ICT for education, development, and social justice within an international context. Chapters draw on advanced contemporary thinking from scholars and practitioners in the field to present case studies of how ICT can be used to promote sustainable development and social justice. Social justice is understood in a wide sense as the pursuit of democracy, justice and development in the struggle against any form of oppression; it is within this context that ICT is explored as a tool for social change. The objectives of this book are: - To analyze the philosophical, historical, political, and cultural backgrounds and contexts that are constitutive of contemporary challenges and tensions in the role of ICT for education, development, and social justice around the world; - To appreciate the contextual and international dimensions of the tensions and challenges faced by educators around the world and contribute to ongoing efforts to sketch a vision for addressing their needs; - To explore ways in which ICT in education can promote social justice and contribute toward sustaining communities around the world

The proliferation of technology has affected all aspects of human life, yet the continuing possibilities of their effects on education have yet to be fully explored. When viewed separately, one may believe that only paltry solutions can be wrought from online and web-based education; however, when applied and studied in a dynamic, interactive sense, these advancements may alter the very notion of learning and education. Revolutionizing Education through Web-Based Instruction is a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary exploration of the emerging digital opportunities available to educators. This book presents contemporary theoretical frameworks as well as practical research findings that support the use of these new computer-assisted teaching techniques. The myriad of research-based topics featured in this book allow for a thorough, diverse discussion about education, technology, and the intersection therein. This title is an invaluable resource for instructors, students of education, and researchers and professionals in the fields of knowledge management.

With increasing global challenges, the Belt and Road initiative seems to offer one possible platform to think about different possibilities and pathways to promote international collaboration and development covering Asia, Europe, Africa, and other countries. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education, as a key focus, provides valuable perspectives for governments, inter-governmental and non-governmental agencies wanting to innovate and advance both ICT and education independently and collaboratively. This book highlights the burgeoning of ICT in education in eleven countries, with particular emphasis placed on the context of the Belt and Road Initiative. ICT has increasingly important roles in education including improve teaching and learning qualities, as well as equity in education. The prominent contributors describe the state-of-the-art of ICT in education in eleven countries based on six major themes (policy perspectives, infrastructure, educational resources, ICT integration into practices, students’ ICT competence, and teachers’ professional development). We hope the in-depth discussions included in this book would provoke more academic and policy insights globally.

This study examined the extent of educational transformation in Rwanda through ICT focusing on progress and challenges. Based on Activity Theory, the study used quantitative and qualitative research approaches. Recorded materials including official records and reports, public, private and personal documents, were analyzed to trace documentary information on the phenomenon under study. The findings show that programmes, projects, plans and policies to promote ICT infrastructure, hard and soft, in education were put in place. However, given the achievements registered in infrastructure, access, awareness and skills, this integration is still far from being at its fullest. Discrepancies in access, awareness and skills were registered between rural and urban areas, among levels of education and among different clusters of end users. Indeed, the ICT tool-end user ratio is still very high at all levels of education. It was recommended that enough funds be allocated to ICT infrastructure and literacy in an equitable way to allow equal chances of access and awareness for all education end users, that is urban as well as far-flung areas, women and men, young and old and all levels of education. Furthermore, the provision of ICT tools should be accompanied with adequate funds for maintenance and replacement. Government paid technicians should be availed to educational institutions. The government should also learn from the experiences of countries where ICT in education has succeeded remarkably.