CHAPTER 2: OPERATIONALISATION OF THE KEY CONCEPTS AND
4.6 BENEFITS OF ICT AND THE INTERNET IN HIGHER EDUCATION
Use of ICT and the internet in education offers an exclusive opportunity to solve a multitude of challenges with regard to access and dissemination of information.
Lalitbhushan, Arunita and Alka (2014); Manisha (2014) and Habib (2017:2811) emphasize some major advantages of using the internet as an academic tool at institutions of higher learning:
a) Motivating Factor
The internet serves as an inspiring tool for many students. Young people are very fascinated with technology (Habib, 2017:2811). Academics must take advantage of this interest excitement and enthusiasm about the internet for the purpose enhancing learning. For already enthusiastic students, the internet provides them with extra learning activities not readily available in the classroom.
b) Fast communication
The internet stimulates fast communication regardless of geographical barriers.
Students can join collective projects that comprises students from different countries in the world (Manisha, 2014). The internet affords students an easy way to communicate with fellow students in other institutions of higher learning. This can stimulate collaboration and sharing of resources among students.
82 c) Cooperative learning
The internet facilitates cooperative learning, instigates dialogue and creates a more engagement within student and their lecturers (Habib, ibid.). For example, learning management systems like Blackboard allow students to get involved in class discussions and share content and information, which is not possible without the internet. Academics are also able to share information with students, and be part of discussion by offering guidance.
d) Locating research materials
Apart from communication, research is what takes many people to the internet (Lalitbhushan, Arunita & Alka, 2014). There are many resources on the internet than the school library can offer. Students are expected to embark on research projects, and without the internet, it could prove to be difficult to conduct a genuine study. The internet affords students with array of online resources
Thus, ICT in higher education, and the internet in particular, improves teaching and learning processes, affords the facility of online learning which include access to information to millions of students who cannot enjoy the benefits of higher education due to several factors such a time, cost, geographical location and other factors.
The application of e-learning has imperative impacts on higher education. at this point in time, students can openly choose the most suitable learning approach in accordance with their preferences and/or commitments. Literature reveals that effective e-learning execution is a way to resolve realistic issues of learning and achievement (Govindasamy, 2002). This section highlights main advantages of e- learning as encapsulated from literature (Zhang, Zhao, Zhou & Nunamaker, 2004;
Derouin, Fritzsche, & Salas, 2005; Sife et al., 2007; Al-Din & AlRadhi, 2008):
a) Information accessibility: students are able to access learning content regardless of time and space. Another thinkable advantage of information accessibility is that learning technologies can serve learners’ special needs.
b) Adaptivity and adaptability: it could be very challenging to accommodate teaching approaches, content presentation, and learning trails to an individual student in a traditional learning style, but this is possible through e-learning.
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c) Efficient interaction: e-learning provide additional and alternative interaction opportunities between students and academics out of campus, and even after normal work hours.
d) Cooperation and collaboration: both can be improved using available communication tools in LMSs such as forums, wiki, and chat as well as assigning students into different groups to work together.
e) Teaching and learning in a synchronous or an asynchronous mode: lecturers and students can choose the most applicable means to disseminate and obtain information.
f) Reducing cost: e-learning eliminate traveling costs, and save time and effort.
g) Promoting teaching quality: e-learning functionalities are used to incorporate pedagogical philosophies and models and make lectures more interactive.
Student enrolment at institutions of higher learning in many countries, including South Africa, is on the rise. It is common to see an academic lecturing 500 or more students in a class. With adverse shortage of resources in terms of books and other relevant materials, this compromises the quality of teaching and learning. Thus, it is of significance to invest on the use of ICT and the internet in particular which comes with an array of information and unlimited sources and materials for students.
As revealed by the UNESCO (2011) and the Intel World Ahead Program (2009), internet-based teaching and learning empowers students to, among others, become more motivated to learn and be more involved in the subjects they study, develop technology-skills, team skills and other 21st century skills that produce higher quality work, improve research and problem-solving skills, acquire better knowledge about a subject and to develop creativity and higher-order thinking.
The UNESCO (2007) reported that cooperation on sharing and dissemination of information through the internet has proved to be an effective way in which academics and students can communicate with their counterparts from other countries. For society, integrating ICTs and the internet into teaching and learning creates economic progress occurs from the better-educated workforce and from direct job creation in the ICT industry; education is tailored to the needs and abilities of learners, and so drop- out rate reduces; and lifelong learning is permitted and promoted, resulting in
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education being more available to everyone, at all ages (International Institute for Communication and Development, 2010).
When ICT is employed in education given the right circumstance, they enhance, improve, and expand basic skills in reading, writing, and they can encourage and engage students to learn and become more independent and responsible for their learning. Moreover, (Onodugo, 2016) highlights that ICT assists to relate academics to the practices of today’s work. Technology, the internet in particular, supports active learning, inspire innovative teaching, reduce the isolation of academics, and encourage lecturers and students to become active researchers and learners.
Other benefits of ICT and internet integration in education is that it can be used in retrieving essential instructional content of subjects, and collaboration can be ensured with academics in the world. In addition, academics and students can also have up to date knowledge of a subject area.
The internet contributes to academic growth, for instance, e-learning can be used for both initial and continuing development through courses, workshops, and other activities, where students and lecturers learn about integrating ICT and the use of the internet across curriculum to support learning. (Anderson, 2019:2) indicate that there are numerous international gateways of on-line resources to support academics’
development, which include the ICT in education, established by UNESO, Paris;
Education Network of Australia, advanced by Education Institute, Adelaide; Institute of Education Technologies in Education, established by UNESCO, Moscow among others. These portals afford opportunities for users to ask questions, post materials, submit assignments and sharing of information between academics and students worldwide.
Additionally, ICT in and the internet in particular shifts attention from teacher-centered to student-centred learning, where students become active participants in the learning practice, develops and share information, contribute and learn in collaboration with other students in the world. As a result, academics become learning facilitators, mentors, and co-learners and not just providers of information (Anderson, 2019).
The internet with an array of information on every subject, extensively improve students’ problem-solving abilities, offer opportunities for student-constructed
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learning, increase the preparation of students for most careers and abilities, and improve confidence and attitude of students (Cakir, 2012). The best predictors for achievement gain in the use of ICT and the internet had positive attitudes towards the use of the internet by both academics and students, consistent access to the technologies, and training in the use of technology, among others (Al-Hariri & Al- Hattami, 2016).
Emanating from that view, ICT and the internet are important for modern educational development for any country in the world. Thus, developing countries including South Africa should recognise and enhance the fundamental roles of ICT, and ensure the better use of the internet in the institutions of higher learning. This recognition could bring about development of specific ICT related policies so that the country’s education system could take advantage of the importance of ICT and the internet for educational purposes.
The subsequent section discusses the challenges related to access to online information resources.