Application of Information Technology To Enhance Management School Education A Theoretical View

Application of Information Technology to Enhance Management School Education: A
Theoretical View
Swarnima Jaiswal (Gold Medalist)
Senior Research Fellow,
Banaras Hindu University,Varanasi.
E-mail: [email protected]
Mobile no: +91 9793097071
Abstract
Computer was introduced into education in 1970s. Over the past several decades it has
been used in a variety of ways for a variety of purposes. One of the earliest uses of computers
in education was to operate as a supplement to the teachers’ classroom instruction. Since then
there has been an evolution of best technologies. As computers gained in sophistication, they
became proxy for teachers, creating a rich learning environment for its users using databases,
spreadsheets, presentation and several other research tools across all subject areas. Next the
Internet impacted technology use and suddenly there was a volume of knowledge available to
students along with a network of people across the world that enhanced communication and
exchange of ideas. But, In spite of all these sophistications it is wise to remember that a
computer is just a tool and can only calculate or obey commands and cannot think of its own.
Thus, to use information technology to improve learning processes, the pedagogical
assumptions underlying the design of information technology for educational purposes must
be understood. This paper discusses and analyses some of the changes that have been brought
by the Information Technology in the teaching, learning process of our education system.
Keywords
Information technology, teaching learning process, Information society
Introduction
The combination of education and technology has been considered as the main key to
human progress. One of the basic functions of education is preparation of students for life.
Education feeds technology, which in turn forms the basis of education. In the process,
Information rich societies were being created and thus, they are now dominating and are
controlling the information throughout the world. Information rich society promotes new
practices and paradigms for education where the teacher has to play a new role of mentoring,
coaching and helping students in their studies rather than to play the conventional role of
spoon feeding in the classrooms. The student teacher dynamic has drastically changed since
the introduction of technology based class structure. The international society for technology
in educational (ISTE) emphasizes that the teachers of today should be prepared to provide
technology-based learning opportunities to the students. In fact, preparation for applying the
technology and awareness of technology to enhance the quality of the students learning
should be one of the teacher's basic skills. Students can be involved in skill oriented activities
in group learning environments for accumulated knowledge. The instructor is no longer the
king of the classroom but a middleman between information and student. The students can
now receive and use information of all kinds in more constructive and productive way rather
than depending upon a teacher. They can interact and share learning experiences with their
teachers and fellow learners in knowledge construction and dissemination process.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE EDUCATION SECTOR
In different ages people used different but limited materials and methods for communication
such as rocks and stones, papyrus, palm leaves, animal leather and handcrafted manuscripts
for storing and transmitting the information from one place to another and to the next
generation. However, with the advent of the era of technology, the communication and
learning resources are being widened, with the vivid and vast techniques as part of the IT
curriculum, learners are now encouraged to regard computers as tools to be used in all aspects
of their studies. Though computer could simply means a machine for performing calculations
automatically. But, today its role is not restricted to merely being a calculator. It does a vast
variety of job with tremendous speed and efficiency. Today people use computers in almost
all walks of life. Computers have now become an indispensable part of every profession. In
this sense, information technologies may result in knowledge explosion, computer technology
(software) may extend knowledge beyond the geographical boundaries of a state or country
providing relevant information to the relevant people round the clock. Among the devices
used are still and motion pictures, filmstrips, television, audiotapes, records, teaching
machines, computers, and videodiscs. At present, knowledge may be regarded as power and
it comes from having information. It can help the teachers and students in having up-to-date
information and knowledge. It was found that, other conditions being equal, more
information is taken in if it is received simultaneously in two modalities (vision and hearing,
for example) rather than in a single modality. They can facilitate perception of the most
important features, when carefully organized; furthermore, the learning is also enhanced.
Structure of management education in India is divided into major divisions as outlined

below:
 Institutions of national importance

 University departments
 Colleges affiliated to the universities
 Non University Autonomous Institutions
 Distance/Correspondence based Institutions
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES AND TEACHING LEARNING PROCESS

It is evident that information technology has affected changes to the methods, purpose and
the perceived potential of the education. Using information technologies students can decide
about their studies, learning time, place and resources in a better way. Students can work in
more supportive environments, seek help from teachers and fellows, and share their learning
experiences and ideas in productive fashion. While various authors differ in their opinion on
the degree, desirability and destiny of these changes, all agree that change processes have
certainly been far from over. These remarkable aspects can expand the quality and quantity of
instructional resources. They can serve learners at their ease in terms of time and place.
Numerous authors augur grave peril for educational institutions that refuse to integrate
information technology into each and every level of the education structure. Rashid (2001)
stated that:
 “Both teachers and learners can work with others at remote sites.
 The community of learners can expand to include virtually anyone who wishes to
obtain information and who is not excluded by policy or cost.
 They can provide real access to experts in universities, research laboratories, the
business community, government agencies and political offices.”
Some authors argue that while effecting these changes will be difficult in many situations, on
the other hand, some says that the contemporary information technology has by its very
nature, been an agent of change. The phases of this process as described by Marriam et al
(1997) are,
 “ developing awareness – recognizing that something is wrong or different;
 exploring alternative–researching for new ideas from other institutions and
acknowledging that change is needed;
 making a transition–leaving the old approaches behind (or dramatically changed);
 achieving integration-putting the pieces from the transition phase back together; and
taking action-putting new ideas into operation”.
While education in the past has been centred on teaching and learning, information
technology has affected changes to the aims of education, therefore now education is
increasingly perceived as the process of creating, preserving, integrating, transmitting and
applying knowledge.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE POTENTIAL OF EDUCATION

The use of information technology (IT) to support the classroom teacher and school managers
to organize a better the learning environment has received specific attention, many
applications or systems purport that this is one of their aims.
Students Use Information Technologies to:
 Participate in a media revolution, profoundly affecting the way they think about and
use information technologies.
 Extend the ability and skills of applying their learning in real situation.
 Working in groups for cooperative and collaborative learning
 Developing self-learning habits at their own pace and time.
 Learn with the teacher rather by the teacher.
 Develop inquiry-learning habits.
 Use right information at right time to achieve right objective.
 Review and explore qualitative data.
 Exchange learning experiences and information with others students and teachers
living anywhere in the world.
Teachers Use The Information Technologies to:
 Present the material in more interesting and attractive way.
 Guide and help students in searching the qualitative material.
 Make best use of time.
 Provide individualized instruction.
 Direct the students toward cooperative as well as collaborative learning activities.
 Diagnose the learning problem of students and help them to overcome.
EDUCATION IN THE EVER-CHANGING WORLD

A shift from lecture and recitation based teaching to the integration of visual and verbal
thinking.
Today, man has become the main factor of development as well as the, main risk factor.
Students learn by interactive technologies and teacher facilitates them on how to use and
reflect responses. When students work with information technologies, teachers reduce the
time they spend directing students; they spend more of their time facilitating student learning.
A shift from all students learning the same things to different students learning different
things
Present day educationalists often use terms ‘educating’ and ‘teaching’ interchangeably as if
they were absolute synonyms. Conventionally, all students had to learn the same things what
the teacher intended to teach them in a class. However, 'educating' is not identical with
teaching, the difference lies in the quality of the result achieved. Individual differences exist
among students at all levels of learning. 'Teaching' is geared towards transfer of particular
and therefore limited knowledge and skills. Information technologies enable teacher to cope
with these problems by working with students in small groups.
A shift from competitive to a cooperative goal structure
The traditional version of school instruction has not helped free up talents and aptitudes of
school students so far, which is indicative of the fact that teaching as a form of transferring
and accumulating knowledge is naturally handicapped. Collaborative and cooperative
learning approach provides learners the opportunities of extensive interaction. Unlike
traditional teaching, it forms a holistic picture of the world, thus shaping the versatile mind to
respond adequately to the non-classical complexity of the world. Students have access to
extensive databases and share their own work through networked communications to work on
collaborative projects that will enable one to perceive oneself as an integral part of the
environment responsible for the harmonious relationship between various components of the
society and to appreciate science as a tool to achieve harmony. Teachers with the help of
information technologies guide the students on how to share and interact in networked
collaborative learning environments.
A shift from assessment based on test performance to assessment based on progress
Competencies and skills are necessities to live a successful and productive life and these
results from undertaking creative projects rather than repeating or paraphrasing information
from lectures and textbooks. In other words, traditional teaching as a form of communicating
knowledge is running out of potential. The best projects include realistic tasks that generalize
a student’s learning and its application in new situations. It is a high time that we look for
new solutions as information technologies actively involve the students in different
competency based activities through skill oriented projects in real situations. It is this type of
knowledge that can be defined as a logically connected triad from a holistic world to holistic
knowledge, via holistic personality.
Conclusion
In this paper we discussed some of the changes that have been brought by the
Information Technology in teaching, learning process of our education system. With
information technologies learners are now able to participate in learning communities
throughout the world. IT tools have relative advantages as compared to conventional mode of
information sharing. They are independent and free in choice of their programmes of study
and access to resources. However, the faculty requires an institutional support so as to enable
them to effectively use it to the benefit of their students. They may learn collaboratively,
share information, exchange their learning experiences and work through cooperative
activities in virtual learning communities. Information technologies facilitate teaching
learning process in a more productive way. Internet as an invaluable source of information
for student give opportunities to access electronic libraries, e-books, catalogues and database
all over the world. So, launching the internet in classrooms as well as in administrative areas
can substantially enhance the opportunities of modern education and will allow human
resource to use online database/resources. In nutshell, information technologies are
restructuring our teaching learning process and we need to restructure our educational system
so as to meet the International standards.
References
 Aggarwal, A. (2000), Web-Based Learning and Teaching Technologies:

Opportunities and Challenges, Idea Group Publishing.
 Berger, A. N. (2003), The economic effects of technological progress: evidence from

the banking industry, Journal of Money, Credit, Banking.
 Marriam, S. B. & Cafarella, R.S. (1997), Learning in Adulthood: A Comprehensive

Guide, San Francisco, Jossey-Bass Publishers.
 Gopal, C., Gagnon J. (1995). Knowledge Information, Learning and the IS Manager.
Computerworld, Marion.
 Menon, B. (2000). Emerging Communication Technologies and the Society, Indian

National Science Academy, New Delhi.
 Rashid, M. (2001), Trends and Issues in Distance Education.
 Broadbent, M., Weill, P., and St. Calir, D., (1999) The Implications of Information
Technology Infrastructure for Business Process Redesign”, MIS Quarterly,23(2).

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Application of Information Technology to Enhance Management School Education: A

Structure of management education in India is divided into major divisions as outlined

 Institutions of national importance

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES AND TEACHING LEARNING PROCESS

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE POTENTIAL OF EDUCATION

EDUCATION IN THE EVER-CHANGING WORLD

 Aggarwal, A. (2000), Web-Based Learning and Teaching Technologies:

 Berger, A. N. (2003), The economic effects of technological progress: evidence from

 Marriam, S. B. & Cafarella, R.S. (1997), Learning in Adulthood: A Comprehensive

 Menon, B. (2000). Emerging Communication Technologies and the Society, Indian

 Rashid, M. (2001), Trends and Issues in Distance Education.

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