IMPACT OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY ON HIGHER EDUCATION: A STUDY ON PRE-SERVICE TEACHER TRAINING

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has paved the way for a new horizon of skill sets in the teaching-learning ecosystem. The long-standing traditional methods of the Indian educational system have been uprooted to pave way for a new approach to education that has led to the post-COVID machine learning era. This article explores the educational implications of information and communication technology (ICT) and assesses the impact of the use of ICT in pre-service teacher training courses. It focuses on integrating ICT-based teaching and learning in the highly neglected higher education system in India, particularly with reference to West Bengal. The importance of the digitalization of resources and the use of OER are also discussed.  Analyzing data from 180 trainee-teachers pursuing B.Ed and M.Ed courses attending government and private colleges in eastern India, this study finds that ICT-based learning will be effective in the future educational scenario, especially in developing country such as India. Exploration of the gap in the practical and theoretical implementation and determining the attitude of student-educators’ attitudes and perceptions towards ICT-based education in rural and urban areas are the core study areas of this research. The findings shall help the policy-makers frame a practical design for implementing technology-based education in higher studies especially Pre-service Teacher-training programmes.

Key words:-Digitalization of resources, OER , Pre-service teacher training.