 Welcome to our program of KK Handic State Open University. Dear viewers, I, Indrani Kalita from Department of Education KK Handic State Open University today going you to present your topic on role of ICT in the field of education. So viewers, we all know what is ICT because in our general term we used the concept of ICT in our everyday life but what actually the ICT means that is we are going to proceed now. Our first concept that is what is it that is what ICT is. It is actually an acronym that stands for information communication technology. Actually there is no universally accepted definition for ICT because the concept methods and application involves in ICT are constantly goes on changing. In simple term we can see ICT covers any product that will store, retrieve, manipulate, transmit or receive information electronically in a digital form. For example the things which we are using in our day to day life that is the personal computers, the digital televisions, emails, robots etc. Now comes here what are the uses of ICTs. Now today ICTs includes laptops, wirelessly connected to the internet, personal digital assistants which are low cost video cameras and cell phones which become affordable, accessible and integrated in a large section of society throughout the world. Now ICT can be used in a two ways. One as a tool and another as a method. So as a tool we can use ICT in a four ways. First is the informative tool. It provides vast amount of data in various formats such as audio, video and documents. Secondly it is a situating tool. It creates a situation which the students experiences in real life thus simulation and virtual reality is possible. Thirdly it may be used as a constructive tool that means to manipulate the data and generate analysis and fourthly it may be used as a communicative tool. That means it can use to remove the communication barriers such as that of space and time. Now the second use of ICT that is as a medium. So what are the mediums through which we can use the concept of ICT? The mediums are in a three ways that is voice, video and print. In the voice medium we can use the instructional audio tools that include interactive technologies as well as the passive ones. In the video sense we can use the instructional video tools that include still images, pre-recorded moving images and real-time moving images combined with audio conferencing. And thirdly the ICT can be used as a medium as a print medium. In print medium the instructional print formats that includes textbooks, study guides, workbooks and case studies. Now we all know that ICT can be used in a two-form that is the tool and as a medium. So we can say here ICT is also allowed for the creation of digital resources like digital libraries where the students, teachers and professionals can access research material from any place at any time. Use of ICT in education develops higher-order skills such as collaborating across time and place and solving complex real-world problems. It improves the perception and understanding of the world of the student. Thus ICT can be used to prepare the workforce for the information society and the new global economy. Now we all know that ICT is being used in the classroom teaching at the present world because the today's wall is the world of technology. So we cannot just say that ICT is being used only in the higher level only in the distance education. No it has been used in different stages of education. So we must know what are the stages of education where the ICT at present is being used. The first ICT is being used right at the primary level in the present 21st century. So how the ICT is being used in the primary level? The use of ICT provides ways and means of improving as well as shortening the general education period so that students can grow as good satisians and at the same time meet the demands of technological society. This can be achieved through two strategies. One is through curriculum development and another is through appropriate methods of instruction. Now ICT in higher education. So ICT is not just a new activity as it started out as a computer assisted learning that is CAL. Earlier its use was restricted to a small specialist group of enthusiastic academics but now our approach should be to view the role of ICT in terms of the way it can affect conventional teaching situations. Our third concept that is ICT in distance education. We all know the distance education provides learning to the learners with the help of the latest technological devices. It is nothing but the use of ICT in the field of education. Multichannel learning is the hallmark of distance education. The successive generation of distance education have actually built up upon only exception in the internet generation where all the challenges have been integrated into one. Even in the intermediate version distance instruction adopt the following delivery modes. So these are the modes where the distance education is distance education has used the ICT mediums for providing learning to the learners. First is the printed material. Second the radio and television. Thirdly audio and video program. Fourthly personal contact or interactive and fifthly the formative that is in text questions and summative that is end of module test. Now we have learnt how the ICT is being used in two form that is as a tool and as a medium. We have also came across the concept how ICT is being used in different stages of education that is primary higher even in the distance education. Now what are the tools that is being used which we are seeing as ICT in the field of education. So these are the technological devices which are used in all the field of education right from primary to the higher and that of the distance education too. Firstly the e-readers. So electronic readers are like small and flat computers capable of holding vast amounts of information particularly electronic version of books. Secondly it's the laptop computers. While computers used to be bulky machines relegated to desk offices and labs laptops allow students to take their computers into the classrooms. Even without the internet laptops make it easier for some students to take notes in class electronic notes and can be sent to peers who did not attend class. Thirdly the another electronic device that is mp3 player. So it may also be used for classroom purpose. We all think mp3 player is only used for the music purposes or for the video purposes or with your audio purposes but it can be used for language classes because mp3 player is very much effective to learn different kinds of languages in the classroom. With the help of mp3 player the student can listen to and practice their verbal communication outside the classroom. Next is the interactive whiteboard. It can be used to display computer images like slideshow presentations and videos and to make real-time notes that the class can see. Combining the advantages of traditional blackboard with a computer technology enables teacher to increase the interactivity of their lesson and to save them for future classes. So in the traditional mode we have seen the use of blackboards but now the ultimate use of ICT we can see in every classroom situation right from primary to any other stages of education. The use of interactive whiteboard is a very common one. It is the most useful one through which any kind of class recording can be presented for the future purpose. Next is the overhead projectors. It is a very basic but reliable form of projector. It displays images onto a screen or wall. This saves time since the transparency can be pre-printed and used repeatedly rather than having materials written manually before each class. Next is the educational television. It is the most potential means for educating masses that means this form of educational television is not only used in the formal education system but it is also used in the non-formal and informal system because a huge masses for the purpose of adult education we can give a small example that is the purpose of adult education we can use the educational television because it helps to give education to a large masses at the same time. So it helps in narrowing the gap of progress between developed and developing countries of the world. It can be an important central media in providing functional, formal and non-formal education to the masses of this world. Next is it's a very common one that is teleconferencing. So teleconferencing or interactive television is a two-way electronic communication between two or more individuals who are at a separate locations. It combines TV viewing with interactivity of the internet and personal computer. Another electronic gadget that is tele lecture. It is primarily a one-way information transmission taken by the teachers with a very limited opportunity of questioning or comments. It is usually followed by pre-telecast preparation and follow-up. Next is the video. It is important medium of learning which is being used on a large scale in modern times and we can also add here that video is the most important and the most latest technology which is being used in the field of education because through video the learning can be most effective because we all know whatever the students see besides reading whatever the students see they can learn it more. So the latest things which is used in the field of education is the education given through videos. Next is the video text. It involves the transmission of display text and graphics and their reception on a television set. Now video text is of two types. One is the broadcast video text and another is the interactive video text. It is very useful in distance education in disseminating information regarding courses and programs available. Now how can ICT enhance classroom teaching? That means we can also in a simple form we can also say what kind of merits or advantages of ICT for classroom teaching. It is useful both in the conventional traditional modes in every kind of education system. ICT is one of the gifts it is a kind of gift of God. It is a kind of gift of science which has been given in the field of education. So ICT helps enhance the classroom teaching in the following ways. Here the first is use of ICT minimizes the gap between the teacher and the taught. It has made the learning activity in classroom students centered. It has enhanced the ability of creative thinking among the students. It saves time, money and effort. It encourages to pay individual attention among the students. It helps in the curriculum construction of classroom teaching scientifically. So overall after giving a discussion about what is ICT? How the ICT is being used in the classroom teaching? What are the electronic gadgets that are being used as a form of ICT in the field of education? In a very brief in a concluding remark I would like to say in order to educate students to be lifelong learner and successful contributors to the new global market educators must change the way they teach and the way the students learn. We need to remember that if we want to help the students to achieve a high level of competency and competitiveness we have no choice but to make technology an integrated tool in the field of education. That's all. Thank you.