Cyber Times International Journal of Technology & Management

The information and communications technology (ICT) is rapidly changing the whole scenario of education. Due to its influence on the conduct of learning and teaching methodologies and materials it is transforming practices in significant ways. For instance, the integration of new technologies like that of computer-mediated communication with multimedia courseware, electronic libraries and databases has led to the emergence of a whole new kind of educational experience like e-learning or networked learning. This paper looks into what opportunities ICT can offer to educators and educational providers to redesign the nature of their educational practices.....which include the ascending roles of teachers from being ‘providers and deliverers of subject matter content’ to becoming ‘moderators and facilitators of learning’ within student-centered models of learning and teaching. The paper also throws light on some of the models [such as ‘computer-supported collaborative learning’ (Koschmann, 1996) [10], ‘computer-supported problem based learning’ (Koschmann et al, 1996) [10], and ‘distributed problem based learning’ (Koschmann, 2002 [11])] within student-centered learning and teaching.

In fact this essay is an attempt to urge the educators and educational technologists and the students about the basic processes and practices of the learning and teaching transaction like:

• subject matter representation;

• students’ engagement with that subject matter content;

• encouragement of socialization and interaction;

• assessment of learning outcomes; and

• provision of feedback to students.

and there by the paper emphasizes how ICT can be used to integrate such basic practices and processes to achieve rich and productive learning environments.

However this paper will be of interest to educators and courseware developers in all sectors of education and training who are integrating ICT into their teaching activities. And it also will be useful to teachers in the higher education sector who have wat to exploit the opportunities provided by ICT for leveraging the learning and teaching transaction.