Professional Practice, Education, And Freedom In American Universities - Essay Example

Professional Practice, Education and Freedom in American Universities Overview/abstract Technological advances and particularly the inventions and innovations in the computer and information technology field have resulted in widespread improvement of many societal facilities. These advances promote efficiency in different mechanisms and also enhance freedom and understanding among the global community. This Knowledge Area Module investigates the application of different Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools to enhance freedom and education in America. This is done through the identification, analyzing, and exploring different ICT tools and how they foster improved education and freedom among the American students. The Knowledge Area Module also explores the development of new rules and regulations based and formulated in line with the developments in the ICT sector. In this Knowledge Area Module, a survey of the usability of ICT tools for the disabled students is conducted. This study helps the researcher identify ICT tools being used and the technological gap remaining so that ICT can be used for promoting education and freedom of expression among the disabled children. This allows students of all types; whether handicap or normal, from different racial backgrounds and continents to cohabit and study together in heterogeneous schools. BREADTH This section of the core Knowledge Area Module II, principles of human development focuses on the study and evaluation of different information and communication technology tools that are used in the education sector. Emphasis is laid on ICT tools that particularly foster freedom in the American universities. This is based on the fact that computers are applicable to all including the physically handicapped. This is also coupled with the development in the telecommunications field that has made information readily available to all. Second and corollary to the first objective is to critically evaluate the effects of the application of ICT in the education sector. These effects include psychological, sociological, legal and promotion of freedom and liberalization. This is statistical in nature and helps in quantifying these effects. It involves conducting investigations as to how ICT has brought flexibility in the academic field. There is the need to evaluate various ways that ICT has promoted the development of freedom among the American students, this freedom encompasses both legislative freedom and freedom of expression especially among the disabled students who are at most times alienated and their views ignored. Lastly, most schools have heterogeneous students. This is difficult considering the fact that disabled children have to use specialized equipment and facilities. It is therefore necessary to seek solutions to these predicaments. Any restrictive disability can be addressed by proper and effective use of ICT tools. It has also been proven that disabled children suffer withdrawal symptoms and are mostly alienated from the other students. The research on different ways and means of applying information technology to assist the disabled students is necessary. DEPTH In this section of the core Knowledge Area Module II, principles of human development, a detailed literature review is conducted. This review focuses on a detailed study of the effects of using information and communication tools on the student. The review covers all psychological, sociological and other effects that result from the use of this modern technology. The different information and communication tools will be analyzed and their effects studied in depth. Previous uses of information technology in fostering freedom among the American students will be reviewed in depth. The areas that the literature review will focus on are (a) effects of ICT on education system (b) ways through which ICT promotes education (c) methods through which ICT fosters improved freedom among the students and (d) ways through which ICT promotes the learning and freedom of expression among the physically handicapped. Also a critical and extensive research about the rules and regulations adapted by different schools and how they promote or hinder the application of information communication technology will be done. Lastly a review of the different effects of ICT on children with disability will be conducted. A detailed review of the different ICT software’s and hardware used by the disabled children will be conducted. The review will cover the adaptability and the limitation of the already developed ICT skills that assist the disabled learn. The review will help in determining the most formidable way of applying ICT in heterogeneous schools. A 20 page report will be drafted on the topic covering all the areas of this literature review. An annotated bibliography containing a summary of 20 different research papers in this field will be provided. APPLICATION In this area of the core Knowledge Area Module II, principles of human development, the theories and concepts studied in the depth component will be tested for practical applicability in the practitioner’s area of interest. The study will involve (a)the research of different rules and regulations adapted by different schools and how they promote or hinder the application of information communication technology (ICT), This will be done through the administering of a questionnaire. The feedback from the questionnaire will provide quantitative data that will provide necessary proof for justifying the researcher claims. the data obtained from the questionnaire will be tabulated and subjected to analysis (b) Analyze the different methods of improving education and freedom of expression in the school the study is conducted. (c) A survey of the amount of money required to install ICT tools in heterogonous schools will be conducted, this will serve as an illustrative example or as a master piece to guide principals and school heads on the cost of improving ICT services in their respective schools. Funds will be solicited from the school to enable the implementation of the proposed reforms in the school of study. From the study, practical financial evaluation of the use of ICT tools in promoting education and freedom among the students will be done. (d) To critically analyze different effects of ICT on children with disability, another questionnaire will be formulated. From the questionnaire, quantitative and qualitative data on the most formidable way of applying ICT in heterogeneous schools will be derived. Again the data colleted will be subjected to analysis in order to draw conclusive results that will lead to the improvement of the education and particularly in heterogeneous schools. TABLE OF CONTENTS BREADTH Introduction …………………………………………………………………….. 1 Availability of ICT in Schools …………………………………………………. 2 Extent of ICT Knowledge ……………………………………………………… 4 Effects of ICT Application …………………………………………………….. 6 Extent of ICT use Among the Handicapped …………………………………… 8 Availability of Special Learning Equipment ………………………………….. 10 Need for ICT among the Children ……………………………………………….12 BREADTH SBSF 8110: THEORIES OF SOCIETAL DEVELOPMENT Introduction This paper set out to analyze how development in the area of Education can be enhanced through the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Information has played a major role in changing the world today. These changes have been experienced in terms of the enhanced speed, reduced distance and quality of the information transmitted. In terms of speed, the use of the internet, fax, telephony and modern mass media has ensured that communication is almost instantaneous no matter how far on the globe the communicator lives from the recipient (Weick, 1995). With this great role that ICT is playing in our day to day lives these days, it is imperative that its use be integrated in all the learning process in educational institutions for two main reasons. First, ICT reigns supreme in the world after school, thus the transition from a student to a member of the workforce can be a much smother and less awkward process (Allen, 1994). Secondly, ICT use can be used to broaden the approach to learning. Computer technology has opened up boundless possibilities for research, conferencing and idea exchange for students. These qualities can be used to enhance the learning process and as a motivation for students (Shelly, 1999). When it comes to the issue of disabled learners, the opportunities availed by computers is boundless (Wray, 2005). Computers of today can talk to blind students, communicate to the deaf and dumb through text a graphics, enable the disabled to perform nature studies without moving around and generally allow the sharing of ideas over great distances without any actual physical movement. Availability of ICT in Schools Research carried out in the United States shows that it is still the country with one of the highest levels of ICT availability in schools in the world, with a computer available to per child in school and for 88% of all children at home (IICD, 2008). This has been made possible through government policy and the intervention of philanthropic individuals and organizations. However, when it comes to the use of ICT in the instruction process, Americans still lags behind the adventurous Asian Tigers such as Japan, Malaysia, South Korea and India (IICD, 2008). Extent of ICT Knowledge The extent of ICT knowledge in the US is one of highest in the world. Among the Younger generation aged between 5 and 55 years, the knowledge exceeds 92% (IICD, 2008). This makes the application of ICT a highly tenable exercise. There are ample personnel to train children on its use both as teachers at school and important backup as parents at home. The innovation of talking computers has also proved to be quite useful to blind students, though this is still technology in its developmental stages (Taylor, 2002). Teachers can therefore do with some refresher courses to ensure that they adjust accordingly to a syllabus that shall incorporate ICT to enable them handle both students with disabilities and those who need special attention. ICT makes learning more interesting because in any case, if the students do not use computers to learn, they will still use them as electronic toys to play games, which are very entertaining, but contribute little to their intellectual development in the right direction (IICD, 2008). Moreover, it is the responsibility of education officials to ensure that they integrate the syllabus with the children’s games as a way of keeping learning going even at the children’s leisure time. For the disabled children, sometimes not using modern ICT is not an option. This depends on the kind of disability (Laanan, 2006). A student with hearing problems is better off with a computer that provides both letters and graphic animations (Webster, 1986.). The visual impact of the computer plus the fact that the students can operate it themselves, which makes it a more powerful tool than television. It is due to this realization TV manufacturers have also come up with remote controls able to control games and replay rapidly recorded scenes. This is all in an effort to ensure an interactive interface between the viewer and the screen. The computer offers much more than this and so it can be fully integrated as a central resource of learning (Weick, 1995). References Gibbons, M. (1998). Higher education relevance in the 21st century. [Internet]. Available at: http://www1.worldbank.or/education/tertiary/publications.asp. [Accessed May 1, 2009.]. Haywood, H. C. (2004). Thinking in, around and about the educational curriculum; the role of cognitive education. International journal of disability, development and education. 51 (3): 231-252. Jina, H., Sandnes, F.E., Huang, Y.P., Law, L.C., Kris, M.Y (2008), Students' Strategy-Preferences for Managing Difficult Course Work, IEEE Transactions on education, 51(2) : 157-165 Van der Merwe, D. and Möller, J. 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Laanan, L. F. (2006). The role of career and technical education in Iowa community colleges. Community College Journal of Research & Practice, 30 (4), 293-310. Weick, K. (1995). Sense making in Organizations, New Orleans: Sage. Read More