Integrating Information and Communication Technology into Education: A Study of the iSchools Project in Camarines Sur, Philippines

Abstract

The need for sustainable development arose from overexploitation of natural resources. One of the significant roles of humanity is to ensure proper utilization of such resources, and fulfillment of this role requires an understanding of the global consequences of local actions. An integration of instruction about the consequences of exploitation into educational curricula will be an advantage to make people aware of the need for humanity as stewards of the environment.
The second United Nations Millennium Development Goal is “Achieve universal primary education.” Increased use of information and communication technology (ICT) in schools can be expected to attain progress towards this goal and to prepare students for participation in the information society. The use of ICT as an innovative approach to teaching sustainable development is a challenge, especially in the primary education sector, where the foundation for human development is being laid
I surveyed 10 public high schools in the Philippines (Camarines Sur Province) that served as participants in the Commission on Information and Communications Technology Human Capital Development Group (CICT-HCDG) iSchools Project in 2009, and I found that the project made major contributions toward the integration of ICT into the educational programs of these schools. For example, before project intervention, 1 desktop computer served 256 students, and 1 desktop computer served 7 teachers; after intervention, 1 desktop computer served 1 or 2 teachers, and 1 desktop computer served 19 students.
After the implementation, almost half (42.3%) of the teachers became regular, confident computer users. Many (40.6%) regularly and confidently used word processing software, and some occasionally used spreadsheet software (33.9%), presentation software (30.8%), and the internet (33.8%) for classroom instruction, communication, and research. All the surveyed schools were able to establish computer laboratories. The schools had partnered with state universities and colleges and deployed student-teachers on practicum to help teachers integrate ICT into basic subject teaching. After the implementation, they started to develop institutional websites and were preparing for the adoption of computer-enabled library management systems.