Role of Information and Communication Technology in Religious Education

By : Mubashir ahmad shah and Mukhtar ahmad bhat, Ph.D. scholars at Department of Political
science, University of Kashmir.

Abstract

Religious Education is the academic field of multi-disciplinary, secular study of religious beliefs, behaviors
and institutions. Religious Education has been researched and gained much importance in the recent
years. It is the information and communication technology which plays an active role in the growth and
spread of religious education. It makes it easier to translate all religious material into that language which
is easily readable to all people. Information and communication technology help the people to learn
religious education by enabling them to consolidate and deepen their knowledge, understanding and
skills. It offers unprecedented opportunities to enhance religious education. It improves access to
religious education both in its distance and online learning. This paper sought to examine the role of
information and communication technology in Religious Education. In this paper, it will be examined the
role of information and communication technology in enhancing religious education in the modern world
and also its positive as well as negative implications.

Keywords: Religious, information, technology, consolidate, unprecedented, enhancing

Introduction

Religious education is the academic field of multi-disciplinary study of religious doctrines, beliefs,
customs and institutions. Religious education originated in the nineteenth century, when scholarly and
historical analysis of the Bible, Islamic, Hindu and Buddhist texts were first being translated into European
languages. Today religious education is practiced and researched by scholars worldwide. In its early years,
it was known as Comparative Religion or the Science of Religion and, in the USA, there are those who
today also know the field as the History of Religion (associated with methodological traditions traced to
the University of Chicago from the late 1950s through to the late 1980s). The present study investigates
the role of ICT in religious education. The ICT has become a topic of discussion in the technological arena
and it plays a vital role in different sectors and education in particular. It refers to technologies that
provide access to information through telecommunication. It includes internet, wireless networks, cell
phones and other technology instruments. ICT technologies are generally accepted as a modern
educational instrumental level. The pervasiveness of ICTs from cell phones to low-cost video cameras,
personal digital assistants, and laptops wirelessly connected to the internet has changed the way people
live, work and play. The role of ICT in religious education seems to be nascent. Aikonen (2011) noted that
the usage of ICT in religious education instructions came late in the 1990s with very little interest shown
by churches, students and religious education instructors. The present age is the information age, which
requires having information and making relation for getting required information. The importance of
ICT in religious education is that it will help people, to learn about different cultures e.g. what
different people belief and their way of life and it helps the people to learn their own perception
of life. It develops people’s knowledge and understanding of different religions, other religious
traditions and other world views of religions. It offers opportunities for personal reflection and
spiritual development. It enhances people’s awareness and understanding of religions and beliefs,
teachings, practices and forms of expression, as well as of the influence of religion on individuals,
families, communities and cultures. All these values will make a person good and caring in society;
know what is right and wrong such as; drug dealing is wrong. If people learn these values, it will
benefit the society, by making it a safer place to live in, without crime. It is the ICT which plays
very important role in fulfilling these objectives. The terms which plays a key role in enhancing religious
education are:

E-Learning: It is a learning program that makes use of an information network- such as the internet, an
intranet (LAN) or extranet (WAN) whether wholly or in part, for course delivery, interaction and/or
facilitation. Web-based learning is a subset of e learning and refers to learning using an internet browser
such as the model, blackboard or internet explorer (Tinio, 2002)

Blended Learning: refers to learning models that combines the face-to-face classroom practice with e-
learning solutions. For example, a teacher may facilitate student learning in class contact and uses the
model (modular object-oriented dynamic learning environment) to facilitate out of class learning.

Learner- centered learning environment: It is a learning environment that pays attention to knowledge,
skills, attitudes, and beliefs that learners bring with them to the learning process where its impetus is
derived from a paradigm of learning called constructivism. In the context of this article, it means students
personal engagement to the learning task using the computer and or the internet connection.

Thus, we can say religious education have become worldwide phenomena through ICT. It is the ICT
which changes and influencing all aspects of life.

Meaning of religious education

Religious education is the term given to education concerned with religion. It may refer to education
provided by a religious institution, for the instruction of faith or various aspects of religion. Religious
education is the academic field of multi-disciplinary, secular study of religious beliefs, behaviors and
institutions. It describes, compares, interprets and explains religion, emphasizing systematic, historically
based, and cross-cultural perspectives. Religious education is the teaching of a different religions and its
varied aspects, beliefs, doctrines, rituals, customs, rites, and personal roles. In Western and secular
culture, religious education implies a type of education which is largely separate from academia, and
which regards religious belief as a fundamental tenet and operating modality, as well as a prerequisite
condition of attendance. The secular concept is substantially different from societies that adhere to
religious law, wherein "religious education" connotes the dominant academic study, and in typically
religious terms, teaches doctrines which define social customs as "laws" and the violations thereof as
"crimes", or else misdemeanor’s requiring punitive correction. It is moreover a matter of history that
religion and education are regarded by most men as having a very close connection with each other. The
conviction is widespread that religion and education are not enemies, but staunch allies. Religious
education means the culture and training of the intellect, the emotions, and the will, so that they shall
function in the highest way about the highest objects and in the most wholesome harmony, so that the
pupil shall know the true, appreciate the beautiful, and will the good; so that he shall be at one with the
Divine, and, what is the same thing, at one with his own ideal self, rejecting and repudiating his worse and
lower self, and bringing into being that higher unity and reconcilement in which all life and love, all
purpose and endeavor, all things within and without, are "bound with golden chains about the feet of
God”(The Meaning of Religious Education Frederick Tracy Ph.D. Published online: 10 Jul 2006). Religious
Education is an essential component of a broad and balanced education. Religious Education is concerned
with the deep meaning that individuals and groups make of their experiences and how this helps them
give purpose to their lives. It provides opportunities to explore, make and respond to the meanings of
those experiences in relation to the beliefs and experiences of others as well as to one's own. The
purposive slogans of religious education is that to maximizing of harmony and cooperation and the
minimizing of hostility and conflict.

Role of ICT in religious education

It has been globally acknowledged that ICT have revolutionized the world in almost all
aspects. ICT refers to use of the digital knowledge which facilitate people in processing and
communicating information. The emergence and wide spread adoption of ICT has significantly
influenced the life styles of religious people as well. It is affecting the religious practices and ethics
in the form of hate speech and spread of misconception regarding religious notions. ICT have
capability to do with having the skills to use and access Religious education resources, also this
allows people to communicate with one another through emails. This is vital in schools because
children can have debates on issues in Religious education. ICT capability involves technical and
cognitive proficiency to access, use, develop, create and communicate information appropriately,
using ICT tools. Learners demonstrate this capability by applying technology purposefully to solve
problems, analyse and exchange information, develop ideas, create models and control devices.
Research that backs this suggestion is from National Association for Community College
Entrepreneurship (NACCE - NGO) which state that ‘suggest that ‘Information technology can also
revolutionise forms of teaching and learning through providing easier and fuller access to
information, ideas and people. Information technology is one of the easiest ways of encouraging
the urge to learn in a child’ NACCE (1999 p.109). This quote is good because children can be
motivated to learn where by if children just in the class listening to the teacher may bore them
but if children can explore by themselves, they may learn more about Religious Education issues.
The positive aspects of ICT in RE are that it will raise standards and it will give children new
opportunities to learn in different ways. According to DFES (2004) state that ‘ICT in Religious
Education has three key stages of national strategy-: Use of ICT raises standards in Religious
Education because this will support teachers to improve lesson design, to transform teaching and
learning; to engage and motivate pupils more effectively. Secondly it will provide opportunities
for pupils to learn in alternative and challenging ways using a wide range of sources of information
and techniques to support critical thinking’. I believe this quotation is important because some
children may find researching not very exciting or boring, but if they use ICT to explore websites
or other resources; this will stimulate children to want to learn about Religious education issues.
Using ICT effectively in Religious Education can help children to explore and be creative when
designing posters or doing power point presentations. BECTA (2009) p.2 states that ‘ICT allow
pupils to investigate or be creative in ways not possible otherwise’. BECTA (2009) p.2 suggests
that ‘ICT can facilitate safe communication with peers and other communities, locally, nationally
and globally’. Child can critically evaluate resources found via the computer. BECTA (2009) p.2
state that ‘engage pupils in the selection, critical use and interpretation of a wide range of
information’. This will also help children to understand new facts on RE issues. BECTA (2009) says
that ‘ICT can help pupils to understand important, and complex, ideas. ICT will help children tell
the class about their research and what they have learnt and share it with the children. BECTA
(2009) p.2 suggests that ‘support pupils in organising, recording, reporting and communicating
findings.

The strengths that ICT will bring to Religious Education, it will allow children to work well
and they gather more information from resources online, CD-ROMs and from videos such as
teacher’s TV or you tube to help their studies. This will give children information on historical and
recent events in RE than other resources such as books or stories. QCDA state that ‘ICT enable
pupils to work effectively and to access much more information than non-ICT sources can allow’.
This will also allow children to talk to other children online about issues in Religious Education.
Broadbent and Brown (2002) state that ‘pupils in essentially monocultural and monofaith
communities can exchange emails and digital photographs with pupils in the multicultural and
multi faith communities. Another quote related to this top ic I that ‘the interactive way in which
information is stored, processed and presented enables pupils to explore models and to
communicate effectively with others. Teachers can edit information to meet the needs of the
children such as when creating power point presentations. QCDA state that ‘the provisional nature
of information stored, processed and presented using ICT allows work to be changed easily to
meet the needs of different audiences.

Positive Implication of ICT in Religious education

The application of ICT in religious education achieves the following in students, teachers and entire
world:

a. Nobody is shielded from information, which is an empowerment.

b. There is a mental development.

c. The world becomes a global village with the use of ICTs.

d. Students information and data are not in the danger of being lost easily.
e. Many people can be taught at the same time and also a purposeful result is achieved.

f. It increases our knowledge of those ICT materials.

g. It awakens and fosters development – social development, intellectual development, cultural

development, human development, economical development, information communication technological
development, etc.

Negative Implications of ICT in Religious Education

ICT materials have also so anomalies that go with their application in religious education. These
anomalies can be or not intended.

1. The improper use of ICTs may lead to fraud – spamming, phishing, etc.

2. Student’s crack their brains in order to manipulate the computer do their hidden agenda which would
not have been thought of if ICT materials were not applied in religious education and education in general.

3. Many teachers task their students heavily and illegally too to get for themselves these ICT materials.

4. The ICT materials make some people lazy and stop the student from getting the values in books.

However, the advantages and disadvantages are in a polarity and this may bring to note whether to
continue or not the application of ICT in religious education. To a greater extent considering the
productivity of ICT in religious education, the advantages suppress the disadvantages so much. We can
always work against the disadvantages drawn from the use of ICT materials but we cannot avoid or
prevent the advantages coming forth. They speak for themselves any time anywhere. So, we should not
and never think about not applying ICT in Religious Education because nothing can stand in for their
purposeful good results.

CONCLUSION

TO conclude we can say that ICT plays a catalytic role in enhancing the learning of religious education
and it is recurring and unavoidable. ICT also focuses on modification of the role of teacher in providing
religious education. The use of ICT will enhance the learning of students and also it helps them to think
independently and communicate creatively. Being aware of the significant role of ICT in our life, especially
in the religious education, religious education authorities should be wise enough in implementing the
strategies to empower ICT in supporting the teaching and learning processes in the classroom. ICT enables
self-paced learning through various tools such as assignment, computer etc. as a result of this the teaching
learning enterprise has become more productive and meaningful. ICT helps facilitate the transaction
between producers and users by keeping the students updating and enhancing teacher’s capacity and
ability fostering a live contact between teacher and the student through email, e-learning, web-based
learning including internet, intranet, TV audio-videotape. Across the past twenty years the use of ICT
fundamentally changed and the practices in procedures of nearly all forms of Learning. Religious
education has gained a lot of momentum over the years due to the ICTs role in modern world. ICT is one
of the producing rapid change in our society. It can change the nature of education and roles of students
and teacher in teaching learning process. Internet and computer literacy should be made compulsory to
keep the students and teachers in the right and proper pedestrian. Government should include in the
budget funds that will boost the procurement of ICT materials in the education sector in general and
religious education in particular. So, we should use ICT in teacher education in 21st century as because
teachers only can create a bright future for students.

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