Description

 Introduction

Information and communication technology (ICT), are technologies that provide access to information through telecommunication. ICT focuses mainly on communication technologies which include the internet and other communication mediums. This presents some great opportunities for educators to utilize ICT more effectively in education to ultimately improve the learning experience of learners and the quality of teaching received.

ICT refers to the grouping of the computer, media technologies and telecommunication. ICT are used to retrieve, process, gather, manipulate and present communicating information in an education system and include the IT connection and the hardware and software used (Anderson & Baskin, 2002). In the next section ICT in education will be discussed.

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education

ICT is providing an array of tools to manage data, and allow accessibility to a variety of content.  Education is a basic human right in South Africa, as stated under section twenty nine in the Bill of rights, each individual has the right to receive basic education, including adult education and access to further education. How ICT evolved have allowed specialists the opportunity to explore numerous possibilities. According to Ron, Oliver, 2002, ICT is a force that is able to bring about change in various aspects of human life. The way we communicate with one another, our way of teaching, the way we compile a shopping list, getting access to information, the way we do our banking, online shopping and even buying food online for example Uber eats. 

ICT in education is the model of education that use information and communications technology SOMETHING WRONG HERE – REWORD  to act as various support  platforms to deliver information. International research studies have shown that ICT can attempt to improve the student’s overall learning experiences. Wadi & Sonia, 2004) stated that “ICT helps to keep pace with the latest developments with the help of different technologies included in it”. 

Once lecturers use ICT correctly, it can assist to provide access to education, increasing the quality of education and aligning concepts in the classroom with how it is done in the workplace (Hare, H, 2007). No matter how much ICT awareness is becoming popular in the teaching and learning process, the way it is being used is an illusion in many colleges, this is due to ICT competency levels among lecturers who uses ICT facilities in teaching, (Brosnan, 2001).  

According to Cox and  Marshall, 2007 p.63 the contribution of ICT to students’ learning was very dependent upon the type of ICT resource and  the subject in which it was being utilized.

In the following section the department of higher education and training will be discussed and TVET colleges which will be explored for the purpose of this study.