Transformational Value of ICTs in Teacher Education: Learnings from India

Abstract

PCF5 Theme: Children & Youth // In an era where the world of education and learning are changing rapidly, bringing new realities and challenges to Teacher Education Institutions ( TEI’s), through innovations in use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) has important implications. Today Teacher Education in India is being overhauled and redesigned to include the changes taking place across the world. New opportunities and possibilities especially those in electronic and other related applications for skill development outside formal learning arrangements stimulate the reform of the existing educational provisions. The past decade has seen efforts made at different levels not merely to spread the use of computer and related technologies but also to integrate the same in the core functioning of institutions i.e. teaching- learning. In this direction, the GOI has initiated several programmes starting with the Computer Assisted Learning and Teaching (CALT) in late 1980’s. Under this teacher educators were provided initial training in the use of computers. Other schemes include financial support to acquire hardware, setting up of computer labs and other resource supports. All these developments posed new questions on the regulatory capacities of the organizations, infrastructure development, the way teacher educators view learner and learning, available technology and ICTs and provisions of teaching and learning. // This paper focuses on the success stories of Indian Teacher Education Institutions in ICT application, integration and use for and in the teacher training programmes, on issues and challenges associated with use of ICT in enhancing teacher quality and enabling and enhancing the ICT use in the associated schools. It also attempts to put forward the new opportunities and benefits to the system. This paper also attempts to look at the efforts put in by Government of India, the corporate interventions and the institutional efforts in Integrating ICT in teacher education with an aim to bring a transformation in teaching learning and improving teacher quality. To some extent attempt has also been made to look at the challenges the institutions and the Governments may come across in implementing and integrating the ICT at various stages of teacher preparation and the perceived threats. // Paper ID 619