Transforming Education with 21st Century Skills and ICT Literacy

Taaleem College of International Studies (TCIS) ^ | 17 Sept, 2012 | Dr. Vishwakirti Bhan Chhabra

[Taaleem India]

“A teacher can never truly teach unless he is still learning himself. A lamp can never light another lamp unless it continues to burn its own flame. The teacher who has come to the end of his subject, who has no living traffic with his knowledge but merely repeats his lessons to his students, can only load their minds. He can not quicken them.” – Tagore

A vibrant education sector is fundamental for developing human capital within countries. With an active and transformative education policy and a supportive infrastructure, the development of a knowledge-based population can apply itself to sustained and equitable growth. Information & Communication Technology (ICT) can play a vital role in increasing access to education as well as providing better quality education. Today, almost a full decade into the 21st century, we live amidst an unprecedented revolution in the advancement of ICT; which could be an extremely powerful enabler in efforts to bring positive and sustainable development to countries around the globe.

ICT can improve the quality of education and heighten teaching efficiency through pre-service training and programs that are relevant and responsive to the needs of the education system. This will allow teachers to have sufficient subject knowledge, a repertoire of teaching methodologies and strategies, professional development for lifelong learning. These programs will expose them to new modern channels of information, and will develop self-guided learning materials, placing more focus on learning rather than teaching.

However, it is important to point out that ICT is used to enhance teaching styles, and should not replace the role of the teacher. ICT helps create structured and systematic teaching, enhancing educational content development and supporting administrative processes for better management.

ICT can enable teachers to transform their practices by providing them with improved educational content and more effective teaching methods. Continuous teacher training in updating and enhancing their methodologies is critical to effective education policy and practice to keep pace with the constant advancement of technology. Through online teaching resources and other interactive educational materials, teacher development can be greatly improved. ICT can improve the learning process through the provision of more interactive educational materials that increase learner motivation and facilitate the acquisition of basic skills. The use of various multimedia devices such as television, videos and computer software can offer a more challenging and engaging learning environment for students of all ages.

By supporting management and reforming administrative procedures more effectively, ICT would serve as an incentive for leaders and staff at all levels to institutionalize its use. Clearly there is great potential for ICT to enhance education around the globe going forward.

With a shift from the traditional teacher-centered pedagogy to more learner-centered methods, active collaborative learning environments facilitated by ICT contribute to the creation of a knowledge-based student population. In addition, ICT skills that come along with this shift in pedagogy are also useful for students hoping to transition into today’s job market, which in many countries is increasingly demanding these skills. Developing a critical mass of knowledge workers with proficient ICT skills will greatly improve long term economic opportunities. With the same vision, Taaleem College of International Studies (TCIS), Mohali in association with Asian International College (AIC), Singapore is offering a Post Graduate Certificate in Digital Pedagogy (PCEDP) ; a professional development programme that focuses on the application of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for pedagogical transformation. Taking full advantage of available emergent information and communications technologies, the PCEDP represents engaging, state-of-the-art training in technology-mediated education. It will encourage innovation in both teaching strategies and curriculum design among professional educators in right through K-12 system to professional education including tertiary and vocational education. The launch of this program underscores the institution’s commitment to the pivotal role that teachers play in the success of every pupil. For more details about college and courses, once can visit at www.taaleem.edu.in For any suggestions, questions and feedback for the author, kindly write to vbhan@taaleem.edu.in

Author: Dr. Vishwakirti Bhan Chhabra Head of College Taaleem College of International Studies