When you consider what kind of learning the critical outcomes are designed to encourage you will realise that ICT's primary role is to support the development of people and their life skills. This is a clear distinction from the surface value of ICT, which is to assist educators with administrative tasks and lesson preparation and to assist learners with information retrieval and the production of reports, and similar activities.
No amount of mere technology will achieve the kind of learner that the critical outcomes envisage. It will require a healthy investment in time and commitment from the side of the educator (the kind of commitment that you are showing by participating in this module) before the impact of ICT will be felt in the quality of the learner. In fact, ICT is not the crucial factor at all. ICT can merely enhance the opportunities that the educator and learner will have to develop the range of skills envisaged by the critical outcomes.
"... two main observations seem to emerge. The first is the central importance of the teacher, not the technology, in whatever happens with computer technology in schools. The second is that the role of the teacher, and the educational paradigm underlying that role, must change in order for the potential of information technology as a problem-solving tool and as a stimulus for fundamental curriculum change to occur."
Table 1: The role of ICT in helping achieve critical outcomes
Critical outcomes |
Role of ICT |
| 1. Identify and solve problems and make decisions using critical and creative thinking |
As an information technology, ICT provides learners with rapid access to the information that they need to make informed decisions and solve problems. |
| 2. Work effectively with others as a member of a team, group, organisation, community |
Collaborative project-based learning using information skills develops these aspects through interaction in global ICT-enabled communication. |
| 3. Organise and manage themselves and their activities responsibly and effectively |
Management and organisation of information using ICT provides an avenue for the achievement of this outcome. |
| 4. Collect, analyse, organise and critically evaluate information |
This outcome is the essence of information literacy, research modules, WebQuests, scientific investigation. ICT is poised to provide the support in providing access to information, processing of data (spreadsheet), organisation of data (databases) and presentation of conclusions. |
| 5. Communicate effectively using visual, symbolic and/or language skills in various modes |
This clearly involves a lot more than word processing. It includes image processing and all communications technologies. Structured and purposeful use of e-mail enhances electronic communication skills. It also includes the full range of publishing tools, from newsletters to presentations and web sites. |
| 6. Use science and technology effectively and critically, showing responsibility towards the environment and health of others |
As a technology, ICT provides many opportunities, but the challenge is to be critical about its use and to ensure that it is always the most appropriate tool for the specific purpose. |
| 7. Demonstrate an understanding of the world as a set of related systems by recognising that problem-solving contexts do not exist in isolation |
Use of ICT expands the world of the learner and broadens horizons through exchanges with others and with information outside the immediate environment. |
In summary, it is up to the educator to provide the opportunities for ICT to be considered as a tool to enhance learning - not the traditional learning characterised by memorisation and exam focus, but learning that is driven by critical questions and characterised by critical thinking. It is therefore not a matter of ICT can help the achievement of critical outcomes, but how successfully you can design learning that the critical outcomes encourage. If you succeed in that, ICT will be a most valuable resource.
When designing learning activities use the following checklist that will help you to consider the critical outcomes:
- Have I included activities that involve higher order thinking skills ? (critical outcomes 1, 4, 5, 7)
- Do I require the learners to make decisions and solve problems? (critical outcomes 1, 7)
- Do the learners work in groups? (critical outcomes 2, 3)
- Will the learners engage with members of the community? (critical outcomes 2, 7)
- Are the learners required to take some responsibility in managing their learning? (critical outcomes 3)
- Will learners be required to work critically with information and produce their own information? (critical outcomes 4)
- Will learners be required to communicate their thoughts and ideas in some way? (critical outcomes 5)
- Are learners given a choice of how they wish to express their thoughts and ideas? (critical outcomes 5)
- Will learners collaborate with other learners locally and abroad? (critical outcomes 2, 5, 6, 7)
- Will learners use ICT or other technologies during learning? (critical outcomes 6)
- Are learners encouraged to think critically and investigate issues in depth? (critical outcomes 7)
- Are learners encouraged to examine issues in their local community, regionally and globally? (critical outcomes 7)
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