ICT as communicative tool

                              ICT as communicative tool 

 From discussion on ICT as communicative tool I learned that it is a systems which enable easy communication between the teacher and students or among students. Communication tools allow learners to learn and interact with each other or with teacher beyond the physical barrier either by space, time or both of the classroom. Examples of communicative tools include e-mail, electronic bulletin boards, chat, teleconferencing and electronic whiteboards.

Communicative tools can be divided into two sub-categories, Synchronous and Asynchronous. Synchronous communication tools (e.g., chat, electronic whiteboards or videoconferencing), enable real time (simultaneous) communication. These tool   is use for instructional activities that require higher degrees of interaction, both the person should be online at the same time as a telephone call and video conference for solving urgent problems or issues.

While using Synchronous communication tool we can get immediate response, instant feedback and can act upon it. But it lack to provide time to think what we want to say or our response to another. Synchronous communication would be difficult if speed of data connection are slow and due to many other side discussion, many lose focus.

Asynchronous communicative tools (e.g., e-mail, electronic bulletin boards, vle discussion forum, we chat, blog and etc.) here the exchange of information between people is not ‘live’, but somehow delayed. This tool is more appropriate for activities that require more time in analyzing before responding or those that are not urgent in nature. It does not require the people communication to be logged on the internet at the same time.

As we get more time to analyze the message, given answers can be even more meaningful as it has gone through process of elaboration. Some of the disadvantage of using Asynchronous communicative tool can be no immediate response, we don’t even know if the other person has received your message and the message loses human contact

                                                     vle discussion forum

                        Exchanging information on we chat 

                
Fig: using Google hangout for video conferencing

Reflection on informative tool

                                         ICT in teaching and learning

 First class on END419 has been discussing on how to integrate ICT in teaching and learning. From the discussion I knew that ICT have a potential to transform the nature of education- where and how the students learn and role of teachers in learning process. ICT provide powerful tool to help leaners access vast knowledge resources, consult with experts and solve complex problems using cognitive tool.  Due to ICT in teaching and learning teacher are no longer the source of information so in that case they can as a facilitator to validate and synthesize information collected by learners.

                                          ICT as informative tool

From the Session in informative tool, I knew that it includes all the applications that provide vast amount of information in various forms, such as test, graphics, sound and video. As ICT has become large source of information provider learners can find as many information as they want, this clearly indicate that ICT is used as informative tool.

Information provided by ICT can be used by teachers for planning lessons beside this students has ample of opportunities to choose any style of learning based on their ability. Example, I learn better through video and graphics (visual learner) so, I can choose information based on that format. Not only the information but the format provided to learners play a vital role in consuming the information.

We have different source of information like television, internet, radio and mobile phone. Among the mentioned source internet (social media, mail and blogs) rank top followed by others. Because internet is a worldwide source of information as it provides an enormous database from which the user can access global information and most people prefer it. If I relate it to our current situation, shutting down schools and college due to COVID-19 learning and teaching are happening through use of ICT. Students are taught through television as information can reach to every students around the country. College students use VLE (Virtual Learning Environment), mail and WeChat forum where tutor upload notes (videos, audio and graphics) and discuss.

Informative tool play important role in learning and teaching. For students it add on what they know and enhance their critical thinking as they need to verify the information they obtain. This is how ICT is consider as informative tool.