Proceedings of National Conference; INDIACom-2007
Computing for Nation Development, February 23 – 24, 2007
Bharati Vidyapeeth University Institute of Computer Applications and Management, New Delhi.
ICT in the Changing Teaching-Learning Environment
Ravi S. Bhattacharjee Dept. of Physics, SGTB Khalsa College , Delhi-
ABSTRACT
The Demands of a Knowledge Society, demands a paradigm
shift in the Education Sector. The skills to be imparted to the
students is far from reproduction of information. The new
demands are an organization of Knowledge in an ever
increasing space of group environment. ICT wires up groups
and networks across boundaries, which is an enabling factor to
this world as a global village.
The paper aims at building a case for integrating ICT to the
curriculum such that contemporary demands can be met. Hence
the teaching Learning process must be revitalized through a
combination of human input and technological input (ICT) .
KEYWORDS
. The Emerging Knowledge Society and its needs:
INTRODUCTION
Current Research in Education, in general, and Science
Education in particular, suggests that with the intervention of
modern Information Technology and changing Social norms
the prevailing structures that were built by the demands of
sound research outcomes(e.g. research demanded by Security
considerations of nations) are slowly giving away to more
heterogeneous demands1
The earlier demands for sound outcomes, set the terms for of
what contributes to knowledge, who is allowed to participate in
its production, and how accreditation is organized. This lead to
a strict disciplinary character in the organization of Scientific
Knowledge.
However, with the passage of time products emerging from the
system could not find a place back in the system and hence
diffused into a space that was more heterogeneous and in many
cases more interdependent. This, therefore has necessitated into
a form of knowledge which is governed by
1. a context of application involving a broad range of
perspectives:
2. Trans-disciplinary;
3. Heterogeneity.
In terms of organization the new model has flatter hierarchies
and organizational structures which are transient .This makes
the model more socially accountable and reflexive.
Accreditation and quality control, is now a more wider, more
temporary collaboration of people working on a problem that is
more specific and localized.
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Keeping in pace with these changes in Social perspectives,
Education must be geared to create autonomous learners who in
groups specialize to solve problems driven by discovery and
innovation. Hence the necessity for a paradigm shift in which
training is not for specializations that lead to division of labour
inside already constituted disciplines, but to performers in a
innovative problem- oriented, transdisciplinary milieu.
It is, therefore, imperative to create a structure that imparts the
necessary skills with a degree of flexibility that can be adjusted
to the specific needs of the times. To create appropriately
trained manpower, therefore, requires a program that imparts
the necessary skills without losing itself in overspecialization.
Research in education seems to suggest that a “new definition
of learning is based on cognitive, philosophical, and
multicultural research perspectives. These perspectives suggest
that meaningful learning occurs whe a learner has a knowledge
base that can be used with fluency to make sense of the world,
solve problems, and make decisions. Learners need to be self-
determined, feel capable, and continueally strive to acquire and
use tools they have to learn. The need to be strategic learners
who have repertoire of effective strategies for their own
Learning. Finally, they need to me empathetic learners who
view themselves and the world from perspectives other then
their own”.2.
As learning is redefined, the curriculum needs to involve
students in real world, relevant tasks. The students must be
engaged in holistic tasks which utilizes students” prior
Knowledge. This leads to a collaborative “class room” (beyond
the boundaries of four walls) characterized by shared
knowledge among teachers and students, shared authority
amongst teachers and students, teachers as mediators, and
heterogeneous groupings of students.
ICT as a tool for meeting the demands:
It is , therefore, imperative that Education must be geared to
create autonomous learners with the teacher as the facilitator. A
survey by Harvey and Green 3 seems to suggest an hierarchy of
characteristics in a learner as demanded by the job market as
1. Willingness to Learn
2. Commitment
3. Dependability / reliability
4. Self- motivation
5. Team work
 Proceedings of National Conference; INDIACom-2007

6. etc.
To build in such an environment , it is required that a structure
be created that imparts the necessary skills with a degree of
flexibility that can be adjusted to the specific needs of the
times.
Clever use of the wired information available in the world
today, along with the easy networking opens the opportunities
of organizing “groups” of “students” beyond the precincts of
four walls to establish a truly multidisciplinary, multi
dimensional teaching- learning mileau. The teacher as a
facilitator is available to this huge group, as the multimedia
technology can literally have the same person at various
regions of space at the same time.

A Pilot project:
The author was involved in a pilot project wherein an attempt
was made to make the existing classroom structure cross the
established conventional boundaries.
Software and Hardware interfaces were developed to equip
Labs. with the Culture of online data acquisition , analysis and
Simulation. A suitable integration of Computer skills within the
existing curricula not only helps in reversing the trend of
dwindling classrooms for pure Sciences but also make the
process of teaching learning more contemporary. A Computer
based learning system is not only cost-effective but also helps
the learner to learn at his pace in a non-linear fashion – making
references and cross references.
In this light the a package was developed for the
Commonwealth Science Council (CSC) sponsored project “ for
developing multimedia modules to explain some key concepts
in some key concepts in different branches of Science and
Mathematics e.g. the breakthroughs , which marked the birth of
modern Science during Renaissance.

CONCLUSION
An intelligent mixture of Human Resource ( Teachers) and It
opens up the vistas for an absolutely imaginative new
paradigm, which should help in producing multidimensioned
individuals.

FUTURE SCOPE
The movement towards a “virtually” connected global village
will only increase in more and more challenging and
imaganitive solutions to the large complex problems of the
world ( DNA sequencing for example)

REFERENCES
.

[1] Gibbons M. Limoges et al, The new production of

knowledge: the dynamics of Science in Contemporary
Societies, Saga Publications
[2] M.Kulieke et al: NCREL, Oak Brook, 1990

[3] Harvey and Green ,: Transforming Higher Education

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