Resource 2: COL. (2011). Why use ICT in Education?

🌍 The Potential Benefits of Using ICT in Teaching & Learning

(Adapted from Commonwealth of Learning, 2011 – Openly Licensed)

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can strengthen teaching and support the curriculum in many ways:

1. Making Lessons More Engaging

  • ICT allows teachers to use videos, animations, and interactive content.
  • This helps explain difficult concepts more clearly than chalk and talk alone.

2. Supporting Different Learning Styles

  • Some learners understand best by seeing (visual), others by hearing (audio), and others by doing (hands-on).
  • ICT tools can combine all these, making learning more inclusive.

3. Improving Access to Curriculum Content

  • Digital resources such as Open Educational Resources (OER) provide teachers with free lesson plans, activities, and textbooks.
  • Students can access a wider range of materials than what is available in print.

4. Encouraging Student Participation

  • ICT helps move from teacher-centred to learner-centred teaching.
  • Students can research, create presentations, and work collaboratively.

5. Linking Learning to Real Life

  • ICT connects classroom knowledge to the wider world.
  • Students can explore real examples (science experiments, global issues, local data) that make lessons more meaningful.

6. Preparing Learners for the Future

  • ICT builds digital skills needed for jobs, further study, and everyday life.
  • Students learn how to search, evaluate, and use information responsibly.

7. Supporting Teachers

  • Teachers can save time in lesson preparation and marking.
  • ICT helps track student progress and adapt lessons to learners’ needs.
When used thoughtfully, ICT is not about replacing teachers – it is about giving them stronger tools to deliver the curriculum and help students succeed.

(Source: Commonwealth of Learning, “Why Use ICT in Education?”, 2011. Open access under Creative Commons.)

Last modified: Friday, 5 December 2025, 2:09 PM