Assignment 1_ICT in Teacher Education

Case Studies in ICT in Teacher Education

by: EMMA LOU Z. REGALADO

1. Describe the Educational System of Bhutan.Itemize your answer.

• The Bhutan's Education System covers Kindergarten to Grade 12.
• The medium of instruction is English with additional lessons for teaching their national language, Dzongkha.
• Information Technology (IT) courses are offered in Grades 9 and 10.
• Computer classes are offered in Grades 11 and 12 but they are theoretical courses in programming and follow the Indian syllabus.
• There are two teacher education institutions, namely Paro College of Education and Samtse College of Education.
• Trainee teachers spend eight months as an apprentice teacher at a school before embarking on the Bachelor of Education programme.
• Prior to 2000, no ICT in Education modules were offered at either one of the colleges.

2. Discuss the SIF ICT in education project briefly.

The SIF ICT in Education project was initiated in 2000. It aimed to assist Bhutan's Ministry of Health and Education (MoHE) to introduce ICT into its Education System to help bridge the gap between the low ICT skills among pupils and the growing adoption of ICT technology in the workplace. Funding for the project was obtained from the Singapore Government and Philanthropic foundations in Singapore.

3. What is Bhutan's EIT Curriculum?

The ten- module curriculum of Bhutan that was developed known as "Enhanced IT" (EIT), is similar in terms of coursework demands to other courses offered in the Bachelor of Education programme, requiring a period of three years to complete.

The development process took approximately for one year. It started with an initial face to face meeting which was obtained in late 2002. Initially, the curriculum will only be offered at the Paro College but in time it will also be availbale at the Samtse College.

4. Explain the categories on the use of computer Technology in Education.

The use of computer technology in Education can be classified into three categories:

• Computers can be considered as an "object" which students learn about in hardware and software.
• Computer technologies can be an "aspect", which means using them as tools in subjects, such as computer- aided design courses, or as general tools in educational settings, such as the use of graphic design software to create web pages for a school.
• Computer technologies are the"medium" for instruction. In this category, computer technologies can be used for teaching and learning.
  
  References: Bhutan Government website
  http://www.bhutan.gov.bt.government/newsDetail.php?id=208%20&%20cat=6