What is ICT and why is it important?

Information and communications technology (ICT) is generally regarded as the overlap of computer information and telecommunications technologies, and their applications. In this document the term ICT is used to indicate the whole range of technologies involved in information processing and electronic communications, including the internet, electronic mail and videoconferencing.

In recent years ICT has had, and is continuing to have, an increasingly significant impact on all aspects of society. There are few areas of life, at home and in work, where this new technology has not made an impact. ICT expands our access to, and understanding of, the world at large. It allows people in all areas life to benefit from the power of computers as a personal tool, to collaborate in groups and to communicate locally and globally.

The importance of ICT cannot be overestimated. Young people in our schools today will require considerable ICT knowledge, skills and awareness if they are to be successful in their futures, and the economy will depend on a high level of ICT capability from its people if it is to develop technologically and to compete internationally.

As well as the need to develop ICT knowledge and skills for both individuals and society at large, ICT also offers the education process one of the most potentially powerful learning tools available. Not only can computers support learning across the whole curriculum, but communication networks also provide the learner with fast and searchable access to vast amounts of information. In addition to this, ICT supports a wide range of broader educational objectives including independent learning, collaboration with others and communication skills.

It is thus of vital importance that all young people have adequate access to ICT and that ...

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It is thus of vital importance that all young people have adequate access to ICT and that they develop the necessary skills, taking full advantage of the learning capabilities that ICT offers. Schools have a special responsibility to ensure that young people receive the provision that they are entitled to. As the 5-14 stages represent 9 out of the 11 years of compulsory education, they have a key role to play in developing ICT capability.

Several aspects of ICT are particularly significant for schools. These are:

the importance of developing ICT skills to meet the needs of the individual and society

exploiting the potential of ICT to support learning and teaching across the curriculum

the uses of ICT to support broader educational aims, such as positive dispositions towards learning, enhanced presentation of work, problem solving and investigative approaches

the potential for communicating and researching locally and globally, including access to a global bank of information

the ability to share ideas and work collaboratively

the ability to access expertise through a variety of techniques.

Ultimately the educational purpose of ICT should be to assist pupils to play their full part in society. They should be well informed about the current and potential applications of ICT and be skilled and effective in using them. They must be able to evaluate the effectiveness of the resources provided by ICT and determine when it is most appropriate to use them.

Growing out of such a rationale, these guidelines provide advice to assist teachers to develop ICT capability fully in young people and to realise the potential of ICT as a teaching and learning tool. The resulting experiences of ICT for pupils will ensure that they are equipped with ICT knowledge, skills and attitudes that they can apply across the curriculum and use to develop their understanding of the world at large.

These guidelines have identified the importance of ICT to the individual pupil, the contribution ICT can make to the development of other curricular areas and to learning in general. They have also clearly identified the impact of ICT on future prosperity in a knowledge-based economy. The overall aim of ICT 5-14 must, however, relate to the development of the knowledge, skills and informed attitudes of individual pupils; thus the aim is:

to develop in young people knowledge, skills and informed attitudes in relation to information and communications technology.

A number of objectives derive from this broad statement of aim. ICT in 5-14 will encourage pupils to:

develop confidence and skills in using ICT

make use of ICT to create and present their own ideas and material

use ICT to collect and analyse structured information and to solve problems

employ ICT to search for information and to research topics

use ICT to communicate and collaborate with others

employ ICT to control and model aspects of the environment

be aware of and be informed about the applications and implications of ICT in society.