ICT in Biology

what is ict

ICT or Information and Communications Technology broadly refers to tools and services that handle and communicate information. Some of the most common examples of ICT are mobile phones and televisions.

ICT is widely used in our everyday life, and its need is ever-growing in the education sector. Images, audios, videos, presentations, or a combination of these used for teaching constitute ICT in education. So, ICT in education meaning would be using information and communication to improve the delivery of education in every way. 

Technology in education isn’t something new, but not many have information about ICT in education industry. This is because ICT comes with several constraints, one of which is ensuring access to electronic devices for every kid. But with more institutes investing in ICT, the problem should soon be resolve

What is the need and importance of ICT in education?

Today’s classrooms are full of young minds who are technologically conscious. By using a combination of audio-visual learning resources alongside the traditional blackboard, institutes can facilitate better learning opportunities for students.

For these children, electronic devices have become a way of life. By using ICT in classrooms, children can be eased into education using tools they are already familiar with.

Introduction

Criteria for implementation of ICT in Biology teaching Some of the students felt that Biology as a tough subject, because of the theory part. Learning of Biology can be made easier and more comfortable by integrating ICT tools in instructional strategies for teaching Biology. For this, the teacher education programme should give more emphasis on ICT training for the student teachers to apply ICT in their instruction. The curriculum of the teacher education programme should be revised by incorporating the innovative technological equipments for the dissemination of knowledge. Future teachers should be though with all these instructional technologies. So, that the learning process is made easier and students will be more benefited.Integrating ICT pedagogy will lead for quality higher education. The process of teaching- learning process should be modified according to the needs of the changing technology enabled education. ICT directly improves the quality of education and indirectly improves the economy of the country.

Effect of ict on biology

Effect of ICT elements on biology teacher skills inmaking ICT-based teaching materials: Table 8 showsthe  results  of  multiple  regression  analysis  (Stepwise)on  all  respondents  which  show  a  significant  effect(sig. p<0.05)   on   biology   teacher   skills   in   makingICT-based aids (Table 2).Table 2 shows ICT skills have the greatest influence(78.9%), followed by Teacher’s ICT facilities (3.0%) andbiology teacher’s ICT knowledge (0.3%). The resultsshowed a correlation between ICT skills and allindependent variable groups was 0.822 (R multiple). Thelevel of variance in variables allied significantly with allindependent variables is explained through R multiplewhich shows the regression model with the R2 is 82.2%Table 9.The first most influential variable on biology teacherskills in making ICT-based teaching  materials  is  skills(β = 1.327, t = 13.688 and Sig. = 0.000) with 78.9%effect. The increase of 1 unit in ICT skills increasesbiology teacher skills in making ICT-based teachingmaterials by 1.327 units. The second most influentialvariable  is  biology  teacher’s  ICT  facilities  (β = -0.561,t = -5.732 and Sig. = 0.000) with an effect of 3.0%. Theincrease by 1 unit in ICT facilities improves teacher skillsin making teaching aids by -0.561 units. The third mostinfluential  variable  is  knowledge (β = -0.074, t = -1.991and Sig. = 0.048). An increase in 1 unit of biologyteacher’s ICT knowledge improves skills in preparingteaching aids by -0.074 units.The value R = 3.963 shows a correlation betweenteacher skills in preparing.

Preparing teaching aids and the three predictor variables. Additionally, R squared (R2 = 0.822)shows the correlation and influence of independent variables on skills in making ICT-based teaching aids. Table 1 shows the value of F = 177.250, (DK = 3,256) sight the level of p (sig. p = 0.000)<001. The value of R2 was 82.2%,  the  skills  in using ICT were 78.9%, facilities3.0% and ICT 0.3%. Overall, these variables have significantly influenced the skills  of  teachers in preparing teaching aids.

The results of this study have the oretical and practical implications. The research show biology teacher’s attitude towards ICT, its biology teacher ICT facilities and theirbiology teacher ICT knowledge were a determining factor of their skills in using ICT and preparing teaching aids. Furthermore, gender has a significant effect on teacher’sattitude towards ICT and their knowledge. However, itdoes not have a significant effect on facilities, skills inusing ICT and the knowledge in making teachingmaterials. The first most influential variable on theteacher’s skills in making ICT-based teaching aids is their skills while the second is facilities and the third theirknowledge. The positive correlations are shown in therelationship between teachers ‘ICT facilities and theirattitude ICT knowledge and attitude towards it, skills inpreparing teaching aids and their attitude and teacher’sskills in making ICT-based teaching aids and thefacilities. There is a need for policies to increase ICTfacilities and teacher’s knowledge as well as their attitudetowards ICT through funding adequate education training and workshop.

CONCLUSION

Integrating computers in teaching biology allows bringing educational content closer to students, facilitation of learning, revision and acquisition of knowledge, as well as its usage. It also allows integrating the teaching process into modern technological developments. What does this kind of teaching enable? Such teaching has a lot of advantages: 1. Students develop their personalities through all aspects, at all levels, because this kind of teaching is also applicable to students with lower levels of knowledge; 2. It helps to complete a number of tasks and to advance the lesson objectives; 3. It helps students to fuse multiple types of knowledge and to expand it; 4. It encourages students to be creative and increases the research method; 5. Students acquire the habit of turning their individual work into collective work because they will be networked into joint work etc. Why is this manner of work with the application of ICT better than the ordinary type of instruction? There are a number of reasons. Disadvantages of the traditional lesson: 1. The lesson will not be interesting if students just sit and listen to the teacher and then reply to questions: 2. Inert atmosphere; 3. Students are not concentrated in the classroom and the teacher it cannot control it; 4. The teacher may not know how much the student has mastered the course material 5. The teacher has no opportunity to ask various questions Benefits of e – learning 1. All students are involved in the work during the lesson 2. There is interest in finding new content 3. The atmosphere is not inert 4. The teacher has feedback on the level of students’ knowledge 5. All students will be engaged in the teaching content 6. There are questions of different nature 7. All students repeat the teaching unit 8. Through revision of the teaching material the students will further acquire a certain degree of knowledge.