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ICT in Education

ICT in Education What is ICT? ICT is a term that can be translated as "Information and Communication Technology" or "Information and Communication Technology". It is a term that is increasingly replacing Information Technology (IT). ICT is a word that is attracting a lot of attention. Some of you may not be familiar with it. However, if you look around the world, ICT is widely spread and it is common to use the word "ICT" instead of "IT. Let's learn together about "ICT in Education," which is attracting attention not only in the educational field but also in the IT industry. Click here for Table of Contents 1. What is ICT education? Advantages of ICT Education 3. Disadvantages of ICT Education 4. Necessity and Prospects of ICT Education 1. What is ICT education? ICT education refers to educational methods that utilize the Internet and other information and communication technologies, such as PCs, smartphones, and tablet terminals, etc. The history of ICT education began in 2005, when the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology developed it as a teaching method to realize "easy-to-understand classes" for students. This ICT education aims to improve children's independent and collaborative learning and academic skills through the effective use of ICT in educational instruction. In fact, many schools that have adopted this teaching method have reported improvements in students' motivation to learn and academic performance. Why ICT Education? So why do we need ITC education?" The reason has to do with the rapid development of information and communication technology. In order to cope with the rapidly changing modern society, "the ability to utilize information" is becoming more and more important. The demand for "ICT education" has been attracting attention in recent years for the purpose of equipping children with "basic knowledge" so that they can independently select, utilize, and manage information and its means. Today, the Internet has become widespread and information is easily accessible. As technology advances in the future, it will become more important to know how to gather information efficiently, rather than to have knowledge as was done in conventional education. 2. Advantages of ICT Education ICT education is attracting attention because of its many advantages for both the children who receive education and the teachers. ➡Easy-to-understand lessons ➡Digital tools make it possible to conduct easy-to-understand classes that utilize images and videos for questions and explanations, which increases students' interest and motivation for learning. ➡It also increases students' motivation to learn by allowing them to use tablets for independent and cooperative teaching, rather than one-way teaching from the teacher. Students are more likely to actively participate in class. ➡For students, being able to use tablets is fun in itself. ➡It is possible to appeal to the visual and auditory senses using ICT to convey information that is difficult to convey using textual information alone, making it possible to promote efficient learning while having fun. Even students who are reluctant to raise their hands and speak up can easily participate actively in collaborative editing using a PC. ➡Teachers can conduct classes efficiently. ➡Using PCs and tablets is expected to reduce the time spent on writing on the board and the time required to prepare printouts. ➡Because they will be dealing with electronic data instead of paper, they will be able to use information more easily, and by using the Internet, they will be able to purchase information faster, which will lead to time savings in their work. Since the data is electronic, it will be easier for faculty members to share information such as materials they have used. Become familiar with digital devices ➡Digital devices have become indispensable in business today. Students will be able to use digital devices necessary for society at an early stage. 3. Disadvantages of ICT education While ICT equipment is convenient, it must also be managed and breakdowns must be handled. In addition, care must be taken to prevent information leaks, etc. These factors increase the burden on teachers. It is feared that these factors will increase the burden on teachers. Burden of purchasing terminals ➡When introducing ICT education, it is necessary to purchase specialized equipment. If the equipment is purchased privately, it will be the responsibility of the parents. In addition, costs are also incurred for possible problems with the equipment during use, repairs in the event of breakdowns, and the purchase of replacement equipment. This can be a burden for teachers who are not familiar with electronic devices. ➡Some teachers have a dislike of ICT equipment. It is anticipated that teachers will be uncomfortable with electronic devices and will not know how to use them well. There is also concern that students' thinking and creativity will decline. ➡While using ICT devices improves learning efficiency, students develop a habit of using the Internet to quickly look up anything, which may lead to a decline in students' thinking and imagination. These are typical disadvantages of ICT education. 4. Necessity and Prospects of ICT Education ICT education has many advantages, but it also has hidden disadvantages. However, as mentioned above, ICT can be expected to be an effective learning tool in terms of improving class comprehension and motivating students to engage in class. So, in what situations will the introduction of ICT be useful for children in the future? As times change and technology advances, ICT will be indispensable in most jobs by the time today's children enter the workforce. Therefore, it is very important to provide opportunities to think about ICT by creating an educational environment that uses ICT. Only by growing up in an educational environment that is adapted to the times will they be able to use the knowledge they acquire. The introduction of ICT is considered necessary to create an environment in which children will be happy to have received a Japanese education in the future. In the future, parents themselves will need to be flexible and adaptable to the changes of the times, rethinking the nature of education and the way they raise their children. The goal of ICT is not to digitize education, but to create an educational environment that utilizes digital technology. Finally, about ICT in education Digitalization and the Internet are expected to advance rapidly in the future. One of the objectives of education is to "foster creativity," and if this were the goal, ICT in education utilizing IT and the Internet might not be essential. However, it is very important to acquire knowledge and gain various experiences through the use of IT and the Internet, and if the power of the Internet is maximized, the creativity of each student will be further enhanced. As the Internet will become commonplace in the information society of the future, I believe that the use of ICT as a tool is one of the skills that we would like students to learn during their school education. Conclusion ICT in education means sharing information and knowledge between "people and people" and "people and things" respectively, utilizing "information transfer technology" and "information communication technology. While education offers unprecedented possibilities and efficiency in learning, it also presents many challenges. With the change from analog to digital technology, our daily life and learning environment are constantly changing into something new and more advanced and convenient. In order to survive in the coming era, the term "ICT" will become more familiar to us and will penetrate deeper into our lives. ICT in education can be thought of as "the maintenance, development, and operation of digital educational environments," rather than "the digitalization of education.
 elearning

"Tips for creating e-learning questions.

How to Effectively and Efficiently Create E-Learning Questions that Anyone Can Easily Create For those in charge of e-learning who are considering using e-learning and are not sure how to go about it. Generally, eLearning questions are used to check the level of knowledge acquisition and achievement. The main purpose is to check the level of understanding of the learning content, and it is desirable to select questions based on this purpose. However, this task is quite difficult. When e-learning is used, it is not enough to know only the learning content that is the "correct answer" to a question. In this article, I would like to explain how to effectively and efficiently create an e-learning program that anyone can easily create. The key to success in e-learning education is to provide students with both "good learning materials" and "good tests. Please take a look at this article. Table of Contents What are "good" questions and tests in e-Learning? 2. First of all, study materials! The process of creating e-learning materials 3. After creating learning materials, let's create questions and tests! Summary 1. What is a "good" question/test in e-Learning? The purpose of implementation is clear. To begin with, what is the purpose of e-Learning? Without a clear objective, it is impossible to start considering question specifications and creating questions and explanations. If you start the production process with unclear objectives, there is a high possibility of rework during the production process. It may cause delays in the question creation schedule, increase production costs, and even result in the creation of unintended and unrelated questions. The start of anything is crucial. To avoid regrets during the creation process, start with a clear idea of "What is the purpose? to avoid regrets during the process of creation. Validity and reliability The second condition is that the test questions have validity and reliability. The second condition is that the test questions must be valid and reliable. The purpose of the test is to question students about what they have learned through the course material and to measure their understanding of the material. Do not use concepts or ideas that are outside the scope of study for reasons that make it easier to create questions. This will cause confusion and increase the number of inquiries. Stress-free Answering When creating test questions, it is important to put yourself in the "learner's shoes. For example, a student who is asked a question about something he or she has not learned will be confused and say, "I have not learned this! They will be confused and think, "I didn't learn this! Even if the questions are within the scope of what they have learned, the content of the questions may cause unnecessary stress to the learner. Start with easy problems and gradually increase the difficulty level. The more problems they cannot solve, the less motivation they will have to learn, and the more they will stop working on the assignment itself. *Test questions should only ask clear and straightforward questions about what has been learned. The intent of the question should be clear. Make more use of phrased 'asserted sentences' when creating questions. Sentences that are wordy or double negative may lead to misunderstanding or misinterpretation. Use images and video materials. Most of the information we perceive comes from the visual sense. If you find yourself writing long sentences that lack cohesion, take the plunge and use images and videos more frequently. 2. First of all, learning materials! Analysis We examine the information necessary for creating learning materials, such as "what is the purpose of creating learning materials and who is the target audience," "how much learning time should be set aside and where should the goal be set," and "how to use the system.  ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ Design Based on the information solidified through the analysis process, we proceed with the preparation of "specifications for teaching materials," "structure of learning content," "schedule for creation," etc.  ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ Development Based on the design image diagram, we will actually create the teaching materials. The completed teaching materials are reviewed by a third party to ensure that they are easy to understand and use, and revisions are made and created.  ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ Implementation The completed teaching materials are used to teach the course to the participants.  ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ Evaluation After a certain period of operation, we will analyze whether the initial objectives have been achieved by understanding the trends of learners based on their course history and the results of questionnaires. This information will provide useful data for reviewing the educational content. 3. After creating educational materials, create questions and tests! Let's review the specific flow of "creating questions and tests" in e-Learning. Basically, questions are created in the following flow. Decide what to measure and by what standard. The main purpose of the test is to "check the level of understanding of the test content," but the breadth and depth of that understanding will depend on the purpose of the learning material paired with the test. The following three points should be confirmed. ▼ What is the purpose of the study material that is paired with the test? What is the purpose of the test based on the learning materials? ▼ What are the criteria for measuring the level of student understanding? Set the criteria for creating questions based on these points! Determine the question specifications (type, question format, whether or not explanations are provided, passing criteria, etc.) Once the objectives of the questions have been established, consider the test specifications necessary to achieve those objectives. The main specifications to consider include the following ▼ Types of testing There are several types of test formats. Select the most appropriate type according to your objectives. Pre-test: A test that measures the learner's current ability. Post-test: A test that measures the learner's knowledge gain by comparing it to the results of the pre-test. Confirmation test: A test designed to assess the learner's understanding of each unit of study. Completion test: A test that measures the learner's understanding of the entire course of study and certifies completion of the course if a set number of points have been achieved. ▼Test format The most commonly used testing formats are "multiple-choice," "multiple-answer," and "X-X" format. If you want to measure students' understanding more strictly, it is better to choose "multiple-choice" rather than "single-choice" or "multiple-choice" rather than "multiple-question" format. To further increase the difficulty level of the test, "Randomized" questions are available. This means that the order in which the questions are presented changes each time the test is administered. There is also "Choice Shuffle," which changes the order of the choices. There is also the "Writing" method, in which the test taker is asked to write down the answers in writing. It is important to understand that this writing style is difficult to grade after the test is administered. ➡Difficulty level "X-X type" < "Multiple Choice type" < "Multiple Choice type ▼Necessity of commentary It is necessary to decide whether or not to provide explanations after grading. For questions that simply ask about the content of the study material, explanations are not required. This is because if the score is below the passing standard, it would be more effective for the student to take the confirmation test after re-learning the parts of the test where knowledge is unclear. In the case of practice-type questions, explanations are generally provided. This is because practice-type questions are application questions that incorporate the knowledge learned in the study materials, and it is sometimes difficult to understand why the answers are given. The explanations are effective in helping students acquire an applied way of thinking. ➡In this case, the test is not merely "something to measure," but contains an element of "learning" in itself. ▼Passing Criteria While it is common to set a passing standard for a test, that standard should be adjusted according to the learning content and learning objectives. In some cases, as in the example below, a score of 100% may be required. 70% if you want all participants to acquire the minimum required knowledge 80% if a certain standard is required to be met 100% if a perfect response is required, etc. Prepare drafts according to the question specifications Unify question specifications Try to unify the specifications of the question text as much as possible. Multiple specifications may cause stress to learners and make it difficult for them to concentrate on answering the questions. The test draft should be written in "です・ます" or "da・ある" style. Care should be taken not to mix the two tones in one sentence. Again, this can cause unnecessary stress to the learner. Actual Creation Using the Question Creation Tool Once the manuscript is complete, we will actually create the questions. Here is a brief explanation of the creation process using our question creation tool, Quiz Generator. First, create a manuscript that conforms to the file format to be imported into the creation tool. Below is part of the Excel and text file screen used to import the test manuscript into our teaching material creation tool. The image of the teaching material created by importing this file (manuscript) into the tool is shown below. Sample questions ➡Sample questions created by our tool *As you can see, once the file (manuscript) is created for the question creation tool, the creation of questions and tests can be done in a short time (a few minutes). It also facilitates the revision process. Detailed work procedures can be found here ➡Create questions in a text file ➡Create questions in Excel ➡Analyze test results and make improvements Although the created teaching materials are loaded onto the LMS for operation, there is no point in just creating them. It is important to analyze the results of the test and create the next measures based on the results of the learner survey, or to improve the test itself. Points of analysis include the following Did we achieve our objectives? Are the questions appropriate for the learner's level? Are the acceptance criteria appropriate? Were the learners stressed out? ➡Continuous implementation of such analysis and improvement will enhance the quality of the test, as well as the quality of education and training utilizing e-learning, and lead to higher learner satisfaction. 4. Summary In this report, we have discussed the creation of questions using e-learning. Did you discover anything new? Let's take a brief look back. What is the purpose of e-learning? What is the purpose of e-learning? Let's understand the process of creating e-learning materials. After creating the materials, let's create questions and tests. How to use question creation tools to streamline the process. Analyze test results and make improvements. Finally, testing does not end when the test is administered. Test results and learner feedback (evaluations) need to be analyzed and linked to the next measure or test improvement. To this end, the person in charge of test creation must be familiar with the contents of the learning materials. Creating a test is a difficult task, but it is not that difficult if the objectives are clearly defined and procedures are followed. We encourage you to try your hand at creating questions using this article as a guide.
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