Information and communication technologies (ICT) are influencing every discipline under the sun including education. It is affecting every aspect of education from teaching-learning to assessment and evaluation. It improves the effectiveness of education. It aids literacy movements. It enhances scope of education by facilitating mobile learning and inclusive education. It facilitates research and scholarly communication. Impact of ICT and its potential for the education field is manifold. It positively affects all the stakeholders of the education field. The chapter discusses the same along with the various projects and schemes adopted by the country to spread ICT literacy and competency.
TopIntroduction
“Education for All” is a global movement led by UNESCO (United Nation educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), aiming to meet the learning needs of all children, youth and adults by 2015.It faces three major challenges:
To succeed in “Education for All” movement, access to education should be provided to all irrespective of gender, physical, geographical, language, economical, social or any other barrier. The poorest people, residents of remote areas, and the most disadvantaged populations - for example, girls and members of ethnic and religious minorities, physically challenged people are the main category of people to whom education should reach. To deal with varied needs of learners from different stratum is a complex issue to handle in a traditional mode of teaching learning. It demands for an open and flexible approach of education and distance or virtual modes of learning. These advanced demands of education delivery cannot be met in the developed and developing world without the help of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) (UNESCO, 2009). The impact of ICT on trainers, learners, researchers and the entire learned society is tremendous. It is changing the contours of the education delivery system in the world by enhancing access to information for all. It also ensures effective and inclusive education. ICT supports the concept of open learning where the thrust is upon enhanced student access and the development of student autonomy.