Student Opinions Regarding Information and Communication Technology in the Education System: An Empirical Study of Punjab Universities

Introduction

The word Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is a combination of two words i.e. ‘information’ means processed data that enhances the knowledge of the user and ‘technology’ means the use of computer and other electronic devices to communicate. Information and communication technology is commonly used in almost all the fields of human endeavours because of its most distinguishing features like fast processing speed, automatic, interactive, storage and communication facilities. It is the most essential driving force promoting economic growth in the field of education, business, transportation, communication, military, agriculture, scientific exploration, health care, etc.

The tools used in ICT digital infrastructure include the internet, computer programs, databases, knowledge bases, ICT devices, etc. Some of the most commonly use ICT tools and digital technologies are as follows:

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  Interactive white-boards, Projectors

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  Desktop Computers, Laptops:

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    Combination of internet connectivity with computers and laptops

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  WWW(World Wide Web):

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    Electronic mail

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    Research

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    Education and Self-improvement

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    E-newspapers/magazines

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    Interactive games

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  Storage Devices:

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    Floppies, CDs, DVDs

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  E-journals/ E-books/ E-databases

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  LAN-WAN connectivity

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  Printers/Speakers

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  Computer-mediated conferences:

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    Video conferencing

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    Telemedicine

Impact Of Ict On Education

The emergence of ICT in this technological era is a wondrous gift that has brought massive changes in education and information studies. It plays a critical role to contribute to substantial improvements in the conventional education and learning system through its interactive, interesting and dynamic E-content. Some of the advantages of using ICT in the education system are as follows:

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  ICT enhances the quantity and quality of the education system in distance institutions and also lower the cost of data exchange.

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  ICT provides opportunities for the students to speedy and easier access to more relevant and current information as compared to printed textbooks.

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  With the usage of ICT, students feel more confident and professional by relating her/his knowledge to work practices.

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  ICT makes classroom teaching or learning more interesting and productive, by using various ICT tools or digital technologies.

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  ICT enables the students to learn the lecture or lesson from remote faculty experts and also helps the students to build a connection with the world.

The present paper aims to study the university student’s opinion regarding the implementation of the latest ICT tools/hardware and software in education or learning system related to gender, locality, educational level, government and private university in the Punjab state of India. It also explores to know about the accessibility of ICT tools and infrastructure in the universities, their usage by the students and to examine whether it is an effective tool to enhance the productivity of the students in their studies.