Advantages of the Application of Information and Communication Technology - Research Paper Example

Abstract The study explores evidences about the application of the information and communication technology (ICT) in the EYFS and ECE phase. An in-depth analysis has revealed that in recent times the formative year’s development of children is greatly supported by the use of ICT in diverse ways. The findings have also revealed that the children are presently growing up in a digital environment where their different requirements during the early childhood years are being supported by notions such as technology literacy along with applications comprising Bee-Bot programming floor and digital audio players among others. Application of ICT in the EYFS facilitates to build up the emotional, social and personal development of the children. Table of Contents Abstract 1 Literature Review 3 Introduction 3 Definitions of the Key Words 4 ICT in the Early Years 5 Significance of the ICT in the Development of the Children in ECE and EYFS 6 7 Positive Impact of ICT in the Early Childhood Education Years and EYFS 7 Perceived Risk of ICT Application in the Early Childhood Education 8 Effective Application of ICT in the ECE and EYFS Phase 9 Advantage of ICT for the Children with Special Educational Needs 11 Discussion and Findings 11 Conclusion 14 14 References 15 Bibliography 19 Literature Review Introduction This review of literatures intends to provide an overview of the application and the importance of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) or Early Childhood Education (ECE). The concern associated with the introduction of ICT within the field of education during early childhood years mainly circles around the relationship of ICT with the ECE. In keeping with Shah & Godiyal (n.d.), the relationship that exists amid the application of the ICT in ECE pertains to the cognitive, social and the emotional elements among others with a motive to fulfil the requirements of the children (Shah & Godiyal, n.d.). In recent scenario, it is determined that learning of the children without the presence of ICT is not possible to imagine. It has been observed that in the present day context the children are getting acquainted with the computers at a very early age. This shows the relevance of ICT for developing the children’s learning. The educators are subsequently getting more interested in the application of ICT for educating the young learners (UNESCO, 2012). The use of ICT has extensively increased and is applied by the parents as well as the educators for meeting the requirements of the children. ICT is generally defined as the medium that enables to derive relevant information and foster communication with an objective to comply with the digital era. In case of the application of ICT within the ECE, it includes the facets such as hardware, digital camera, the internet and telecommunication among others. In this regard, various reasons have been identified pertaining to the application of ICT in the early years of the child education, which will be briefly discussed within the study. This study intends to discuss the extent of the support that ICT application provides to the children’s ECE and EYFS. Definitions of the Key Words In the context of ICT, various reasons have been given to support the application of this technology within ECE. ICT is defined as the integration of the telecommunication that is applied within diversified fields with a motive to ease the working activities. It is also applied vastly in the modern day scenario to provide ample information when required (Siraj-Blatchford & Whitebread, 2003). In this regard, it has been determined that ICT application lays a greater impact on the people along with the environment that surround children’s learning’s during their early years. Apart from this, it has also been observed that the application of the ICT opens up the doors of opportunities that usually strengthen the education practices of ECE. An increased integration of ICT within the diversified fields of practice, policy and curriculum among others has been observed (Heinrich, 2011). Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) within the domain of United Kingdom government’s Childcare Act 2006 is regarded as the set standard that frames the necessity to be met by the providers of care to children beneath the age of 5 years. EYFS mainly aims at providing quality and ensuring the fulfilment of basic requirements in the early years of child education. It also provides a foundation base for the children’s progress. Application of EYFS fosters partnership amidst the different practitioners (Crown, 2013). On further note, after having a brief idea about the ICT and the importance of its application in the EYFS, it is necessary to gain a comparative understanding about the vital stages associated with ECE and EYFS. It has been recognized that early years of the child lays a greater impact on the rest of their lives. In keeping with education, ECE frames an important phase that enables the children to learn in their own way. This provides a clear understanding about the concept of two broader terms in this study i.e. ICT and ECE (Ruane, 2010). ICT in the Early Years ICT is looked upon as the component that includes physical as well as social world, which mainly surrounds the young children in their developmental years. In the view of Bolstad (2004), focus has been directed towards the sharing of experiences of the early childhood with the wider world. There are various opportunities associated with the application of ICT. It primarily enables to enhance the learning of the children and provide them better understanding of their surroundings as given by Siraj-Blatchford & Whitebread (2003). According to Mary & David (2006), the use of ICT accelerates the practitioners’ learning. An in-depth analysis has assisted in determining that strong emphasis is being laid upon the integration along with the development of ICT. In the present day context, ICT as a concept has gained momentum in the learning process of ECE. According to Kalas (2013), ICT is keenly integrated in terms of a vital constituent of ECE. He laid emphasis on the diversified areas that are associated with the development of the child’s learning. The diversified areas being considered include ‘ICT and the Literacy’, ‘ICT and the mathematical understanding’ and ‘ICT and Science’ among others that contribute greatly to the children’s learning (Kalas, 2013). Significance of the ICT in the Development of the Children in ECE and EYFS In the views of Shah & Godiyal (n.d.) and Yelland (2011), the application of ICT in the early years of education related to children mainly concentrates on the quality aspects of the learning. ICT technologies present novel opportunities to strengthen many aspects of early childhood education practice such as children’s learning and play experiences, practitioners’ professional learning and development along with relationships and communication between early childhood centres, parents, and other people (Yelland, 2011; Shah & Godiyal, n.d.). The modern day children live in the midst of an environment which is rich in communication. As mentioned above, the application of ICT in EYFS has given leverage to the children in enhancing their capabilities and competencies with regard to the effective flow of communication. In addition to this, it has been further observed that the key modes of communication which the children usually encounter in their daily life are electronic media along with the digital methods. Correspondingly, according to Bolstad (2004), ‘Technology Literacy’ is a form of providing literacy to the children in the era of digital age. In this regard, it has been noted that the schools and the education centres are widely applying this technique to increase the efficiency of the children. In the 21st century purview, it is affirmed that significant support is being obtained from the education institutions and the parents to integrate ICT into the curriculum and the practice among others as discussed by Morgan & Blatchford (n.d.).Dahl (2008) and Siraj-Blatchford & et. al. (2002), have conveyed the importance of ICT in EYFS. They have given information that curriculum frames the base constituent during the foundation stage. The authors have highlighted that there are certain hardware and software applications made available for educational practitioners, which are being designed for the children and their learning needs. Few examples are Bee-Bot programming floor and Digital Audio Players among others. There are greater evidences that the young children within the age group of 3-5 years are essentially being growing up in an environment which is driven by a digital set up. This scenario reflects a vast difference from the traditional environment. EYFS framework ensures acceleration in the participation of the children, improved services along with high quality learning. Contextually, Crown (2012) provides an overview of the basic characteristics of the effective learning along with the area of the development. Apart from this, the emotional, social and the personal devolvement of the children are fostered by the implementing ICT in the EYFS. Positive Impact of ICT in the Early Childhood Education Years and EYFS Children generally remain curious about the surrounding things. They endure the zeal within themselves with respect to learn new things. In the early years, it is the tendency of the children to indulge in various activities and also to be involved in communication with various people within their surroundings. Henceforth, when the ICT is applied within the particular context, it eases the process of the childhood learning. The concerned technology assists in the delivery of the activities along with the contents with a motive to provide support to the young children. Furthermore, it has also been ascertained that implementation of ICT in educating the children in their early years i.e. EYFS replicates a positive impact. It assists the children in developing their creativity and providing them ample scope to learn things from the external sources (New Zealand Ministry of Education, 2014). On further insight given by Siraj-Blatchford & Whitebread, (2003), apart from developing child’s learning, it ensures literacy development as well. In the similar context, ICT assists the children in observing, memorising and sharing their experiences and ideas with teachers and parents. Furthermore, changes in the application ICT gradually enables to minimise and eliminate the gap between the oral and written forms of learning with regard to EYFS. In the light of ICT application, it has further been observed that it aids in the development of mathematical and problem-solving skills along with augmenting their logical reasoning by developing the children’s level of confidence. Moreover, ICT is also applied with an objective to control and plan the competencies of the children. ICT in the EYFS also provides strong support to the children coming from diversified cultural backgrounds (Kalas, 2010; Pae, 2009). Perceived Risk of ICT Application in the Early Childhood Education In keeping with the perceived risk associated with the application of the ICT, it is deemed to have given rise to a question with respect to emotional, social and developmental requirements of the children. Apart from positive impact of ICT on the early childhood education along with EYFS, observations reveal certain adverse impact of ICT as well. Responsively, the adverse impacts incorporate harmful effects associated with the use of computer for a longer period (Hatherly, 2009). It further entails the negative effects pertaining to the child’s development on the basis of the societal context. An in-depth analysis further reveals that the extensive use of ICT might create a hurdle in the cognitive behaviour of the children. The aforementioned reasons depict the general concerns associated with the adverse impact of ICT on ECE. There are certain specific concerns that depict the potential harm of the ICT application. There remains a high chance in the context of the children getting exposed to the unwanted contents such as sexual or violent nature. Besides, the use of computers might displace the other learning and play activities. In fact, observations have revealed that application of ICT in the ECE phase might usually create a hurdle in the social, emotional and cognitive development associated with the children (Shah & Godiyal, n.d.). Effective Application of ICT in the ECE and EYFS Phase According to Whitebread & Coltman (2008), it is equally important that ICT is also applied with a motive to support planning, information management and administration. It has been noted that ICT has greatly supported in creating as well as maintaining the electronic records along with databases. It helps the children, educators and parents to derive necessary information when required. For instance, ICT is used for storing, accessing and sharing the information of the children’s learning. In this regard, it has been further ascertained that by using computers, it becomes convenient for the educators and the parents to search new information from the external sources that ultimately accelerate the effectiveness of the children’s learning (Flavell, 2006). However, on further note, it has been ascertained that ICT implementation fosters sharing of information in between the educations centre, agencies and the organisation as mentioned by Han (2003). In the era of modernisation, it can be noted that educators and the parents are getting more interested in providing their children with the best possible learning from the surrounding. Additionally, it has been observed that implementation of the ICT ensures to connect with other people that results in the effective sharing of knowledge thereby enhancing the efficiency of the children’s learning in the ECE phase as per the discussion of Bolstad (2004). In accordance to Fu (2013), school culture also plays an important role in integrating the ICT application. The prevailing culture within the school is mainly associated with the attitude of the educators and the perception of the children. Correspondingly, it is necessary for the teachers to have a positive perception with regard to the application of the ICT within the schools. This entire scenario reflects the importance of effective application of ICT within the ECE phase of the children. Advantage of ICT for the Children with Special Educational Needs ICT also supports the learning of the children suffering from Down syndrome. Children facing Down syndrome endure the strength of visual learning rather than listening. It becomes difficult for such children to learn things by listening to the voice. As conveyed by Wood (2014), ICT assists in providing them with the opportunity of learning things by visualising it. The children suffering from Down syndrome usually face difficulties with regard to speech and language. Non-verbal mode of the communication acts as the best medium for such children. In light of such development, ICT frames the best mode in providing non-verbal learning to the children. In addition, spoken disabilities often create frustration amidst such category of children. ICT application helps in providing them better environment for gaining momentum with respect to learning under the adverse circumstances. This ensures the development of confidence amidst the children. ICT application also provides ample opportunities to the children facing Down syndrome with a motive to ensure the development of their self-esteem and the level of confidence. ICT application has given leverage not only to the learning capabilities of the normal children but has also fostered the development within the children suffering from Down syndrome in the ECE. Discussion and Findings ICT as determined from the literature review provides a decisive edge to the children in terms of their early childhood learning i.e. EFYS. The literature review provided an overview that in recent times the ICT application has been accelerated in the education institutions to foster EYFS. It has been well identified that the application of ICT in the EYFS has laid an impact on the learning of children during the early childhood education. Correspondingly, it has been identified that the implementation of ICT in the EYFS has enabled the children to develop their skills and competencies by gaining knowledge from the external sources and applying it in their daily life. ICT application also provides opportunity to the children to derive knowledge from their surroundings. The literature review has provided an idea that surrounding environment of the children lays a greater impact on their early year’s development. Various findings have been derived from the literatures of different authors. It has been ascertained from the finding that the ICT in the EYFS application provides the practitioners’ a better understanding of the information. This in turn results in the effectiveness of the children’s learning in the ECE phase. Application of ICT assists in the development of diversified areas of children. The diversified areas incorporate the social, emotional and cognitive development. The application of ICT in the EYFS also fosters ‘Technology Literacy’ amidst the children in their ECE phase. The findings also reveal that the ICT application has both the positive as well as the negative aspects on the children. The application of ICT also offers to address the distinct needs of children suffering from Down syndrome. However, it is determined that there are certain perceived risks associated with indiscriminate use of ICT in the early childhood years for children’ learning development. In the formative years children generally do not possess the capability to differentiate between the right and the wrong. Responsively, there often emerge scenarios of information abuse wherein the unblemished mind of a child is confounded by unwanted contents and images. This in turn can profoundly impact the level of cognitive and emotional development as a child might get misdirected towards wrong information. Conclusion ICT has emerged as a domain of technology that has provided leverage to the society as a whole. There are various advantages of the application of ICT in EYFS in recent scenario. It can be well observed from the aforementioned study that in the era of the technological advancement, ICT holds a better place within the society. The review of literature also provides an overview of the practitioner’s learning that results in the development of the children’s basic knowledge in the EYFS phase. It has been identified from the study that children during their early years usually learn from their surroundings. Thus, it is imperative that the plethora of benefits that can be derived from the multifaceted use of ICT in the fields of EYFS is positively utilised. In order to attain greater support from ICT for the children’s learning in the early years, the concerned guiding authorities such as parents, teachers and other educators need to take a major stand so that information abuse is restrained. They need to refine the content that is channelized to children in their daily activities with the aid of ICT in the EYFS. Education and learning should be made an invaluable and fun based endeavour for children in their early childhood years wherein ICT can play a decisive role to ensure that children not only learn new things but also develop a sense of moral values for their surrounding environment. The application of ICT in the ECE and EYFS phase renders a profound impact on the effective development of children’s learning. References Bolstad, R., 2004. The Role and Potential of ICT in Early Childhood Education: A Review of New Zealand and International Literature. Ministry of Education, pp. 1-89. Crown, 2013. Improving the Quality and Range Of Education and Childcare from Birth to 5 Years. Department for Education and HM Treasury. [Online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/improving-the-quality-and-range-of-education-and-childcare-from-birth-to-5-years/supporting-pages/early-years-foundation-stage [Accessed March 6, 2014] Crown, 2012. Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Early Education, pp. 1-44. Dahl, S., 2008. A Review of the Evidence on the Use of ICT in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Research Report, pp. 1-107. Fu, J. S., 2013. ICT in Education: A Critical Literature Review and Its Implications. International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology (IJEDICT), Vol. 9, Iss.1, pp. 112-125. Fagan, T., No Date. Learning, Teaching and ICTs: an Early Childhood Perspective. CORE Education, pp. 2954-2960. Flavell, L., 2006. Investigating the place of the ‘T’ in ICT in Early Childhood Education. ACE Papers, pp. 1-14. Han, C. C. W., 2003. Challenges of Using ICT in Hong Kong Early Childhood Settings. Australian Computer Society, pp. 1-4. Heinrich, P., 2011. Key Elements of An ICT Vision Statement. Slide Share. [Online] Available at: http://www.slideshare.net/naaceconferences/key-elements-of-an-ict-vision-statement [Accessed March 6, 2014]. Hatherly, A., 2009. ICT and the Greatest Technology. Early Childhood Folio, Vol.13, pp. 7-11. Kalas, I., 2010. Recognizing The Potential Of ICT In Early Childhood Education. UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education, pp. 3-148. Mary, H. & David, W., 2006. ICT In The Early Years. McGraw-Hill International. Morgan, A. & Blatchford, J. S., No Date. Using ICT Parents and Practitioners in Partnership in the Early Years. Document, pp. 4-45. New Zealand Ministry of Education, 2014. Using ICT to Link with Families. Introduction. 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Teaching and Learning in the Early Years. Routledge. Yelland, N., 2011. Knowledge Building with ICT in the Early Years of Schooling. He Kupu, pp. 32-44. Bibliography Blatchford, I. S. & Blatchford, J. S., 2006. A Guide to Developing the ICT Curriculum for Early Childhood Education. Trentham Books. Campbell, A. & Scotellaro, G., 2013. Learning With Technology for Pre-Service Early Childhood Teachers. Early Childhood Australia. Mallard, H. T., 2005. Foundations for Discovery. Ministry of Education, pp. 3-14. New Zealand Ministry of Education, 2014. Purchasing ICT: A Guide for ECE Services. Overview. [Online] Available at: http://www.lead.ece.govt.nz/ManagementInformation/ICTInfrastructure/PurchasingICTAGuideForECEServices.aspx [Accessed March 6, 2014] Waddell, A. T. & McBride, R. M., 2008. New Research on Early Childhood Education. Nova Publishers. Zevenbergen, R. & Logan, H., 2013. Computer Use by Preschool Children: Rethinking Practice As Digital Natives Come To Preschool. 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