Information and communications technology has become a pervasive tool in education reform, with ICT to be integrated into a elearning, eteaching and etraining platform.
That requires investment in computers, network equipment and Internet infrastructure, not pedagogical or didactic coaching. Yet, hardware alone does not guarantee full effectiveness and many factors are involved to ensure the success of computer applications for both teachers and students. The right guidelines are needed for teachers.
Several studies from the Learning Sciences Research group emphasise that technologyenhanced learning must support the four fundamentals of learning -active engagement, participation in groups, frequent inter¬action and feedback, and connections to realworld contexts.
Educator Seymour Papert said learning is most effective when people are also active in making tangible objects in the real world. Students need to apply what they learn in school to problems they encounter outside. His theory that "teaching at students is replaced by assisting them to understand and help one another to understand problems in a handson way with technology" is worth considering.
Students learn best by active¬ly constructing knowledge from their experience as well as by interacting with peers and teachers to exchange ideas and get some feedback from other students through informal social conversation and gestures
Guidelines must be clearly defined before computers are brought into classrooms. They should not just be installed there. Schools also need teacher training, curriculum design and student measurement so PCs can improve teaching quality.
We need designbased research to investigate the learning performance, instructional design and classroom settings both with and without technology. The research team has to determine what ICT factors influence learning and then recommend specific guidelines for the evaluation of technology in education. The outcome may convey the real understanding of learning innovations via ICT.
Researchers should focus on interactions and engagement among teachers and students by means of pedagogical and technological measurement. The research should examine the learning experiences with computers in real situations and broadly measure the successful cases in general.
Policymakers must incorporate technologyenhanced learning selectively into educational reform. The implementation tasks should be designed with a holistic agenda, real practice and quality control.
Using ICT to improve education is not easy for both students or teachers. There are various technologies with many ways to deploy them. Without clear procedures and guidelines, the attempted use may fail.
The Education Ministry must study the ICT boom before committing to investments in computer technology nationwide, or it could become a waste.
Priyakorn Pusawiro
Learning Scientist
Computer Engineering Department, KMUTT
Pusawiro@cpe.kmutt.ac.th
