Education and New Communications Technology

 

The spread of information technology is already influencing education in schools in a number of different ways. The knowledge economy demands a computer literate workforce and it is increasingly clear that education can, and must, play a critical role in meeting this need. While household computer ownership has risen sharply in recent years, many children still do not have access to a computer at home. For this reason, schools are a crucial forum for young people to learn about and become comfortable with the capabilities of computers and online technology.

Over the past decade, the use of technology in schools has been utterly transformed, with a series of national initiatives aimed at modernizing and computerizing British schools. The average number of computers per school has increased dramatically; some 96 per cent of children aged five to fifteen have access to computers at school. By 1998 British secondary schools had an average of 101 computers apiece, while in primary schools the average was sixteen.

By 1998-9, 93 per cent of British secondary schools and 62 per cent of primary schools could access the Internet. The National Grid for Learning, which was launched in 1998, is designed to connect all schools, colleges, universities and libraries in the country by 2002. According to the 1997 policy paper, Connecting the Learning Society, the grid will allow educational institutions across the country to collect and share data with each other. Teachers will be able to discuss curriculum development and share teaching successes with counterparts in other schools. Students can access the grid – even from home computers – for additional materials to provide help in developing literacy and numeracy skills. Schools in isolated regions will be able to make links with institutions in other parts of the country and share learning activities. Students of foreign languages will be able to access native speakers of the language for practice and assistance.

 

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Dimensions of Globalization

 

You have probably heard many references to globalization, even if you are not entirely sure what it means. The concept of globalization is one that has become widely used in debates in politics, business and the media over the past few years. A decade ago, the term “globalization” was relatively unknown. Today it seems to be on the tip of everyone’s tongue. Globalization refers to the fact that we all increasingly live in “one world”, so that individuals, groups and nations become more interdependent.

Globalization is often portrayed solely as an economic phenomenon. Much is made of the role of transnational corporations (TNCs) whose massive operations stretch across national borders, influencing global production processes and the international distribution of labour. Others point to the electronic integration of global financial markets and the enormous volume of global capital flows. Still others focus on the unprecedented scope of world trade, involving a much broader range of goods and services than ever before.

Although economic forces are an integral part of globalization, it would be wrong to suggest they alone produce it. Globalization is created by the coming together of political, social, cultural and economic factors. It has been driven forward above all by the development of information and communication technologies that have intensified the speed and scope of interaction between people all over the world. As a simple example, think of the last football world cup, held in France. Because of global television links, some matches were watched by over 2 billion people across the world.

 

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