Unleashing the Capabilities of Universities Through Information and

Communication Technology

by: JOSE Q. MACABALLUG, DTE

This challenge lies mostly upon how teachers and school administrators alike should make ICT serve educational institutions in such a way that its full capabilities as a teaching-learning environment shall be unleashed to fulfill its vision and mission in the context of a knowledge-driven society.

ICT may present a more effective and lower-cost form of instruction given the rising cost of higher education and the declining quality of graduates.

Computer-mediated teaching-learning structures utilize to a great extent experiential, discovery and inquiry-driven approaches of teaching and learning, hence the boredom and dread that a student might feel may instead be turned into excitement and enthusiasm.

Computer literacy becomes the “ability to use ICTs to identify and search efficiently for specific information in order to build knowledge and develop critical and creative thinking.”

That the teachers’ level of computer literacy determines the readiness of a university or its level of ICT integration into the classroom.

Students cite flexibility in choice of subject/degree and in timetables, geographic/economic advantage, diverse ways of learning and sources of information, better managed contact with staff, enhanced self-esteem and quality of educational experience, greater employability, improved personal lifelong learning strategy, among others.

Faculty members on the other hand gain benefits from ICT through the following: greater flexibility in schedules and place of teaching that allows for improved opportunities for sharing of resources, closer and more fruitful contact with students, global exposure, better methods of presenting difficult or rare materials and location, better management of students with more heterogeneous backgrounds, etc

One is that there is an urgent need among school administrators and personnel to understand the diffusion process of ICT adoption and what the success and failure of innovation indicates for the entire university.

School officials and administrators must ensure that appropriate support for ICT integration in the classroom and in administrative structures are in place before any of these advantages could be realized and eventually sustained.

Such administrative support may be in the form of the following: structuring of electronic resources to support students’ view of the institution, particularly their views on the courses and learning support environment; providing internet access to all staff, faculty and students to enable them to interact with one another online, utilizing all possible learning and teaching techniques that optimizes value in each contact with minimum delay and inconvenience;

creating or adjusting university policies to accommodate changes in the modes ofdelivery of services to students, faculty and staff; ensuring that ICT physical and human infrastructures in the university are well-equipped with required standards and efficiency; allowing for inter-university linkages and networks; among others.

The university must recognize that in order to have an ICT-based administrative structures and teaching-learning environment, faculty members and all categories of students must acquire or learn core ICT skills.

Who dares to teach must never cease to learn.