Issues and rationale
Teachers and facilitators in both formal and non-formal education settings are trying to ensure the effective use of ICT. Contrary to many teachers' fears, they are not an endangered species. Teachers and instructors are not at risk of being replaced by computers, but with the advent of ICT and the development of a knowledge-based society, their role needs to be redefined.
Teachers are no longer dispensers of knowledge but rather proactive facilitators who promote collaborative knowledge-building and guide students to learn in a variety of environments, to navigate within and process a multitude of information resources and to use these resources in solving problems and making decisions on their own.
Many countries in the region have realized this need for redefining teachers' roles and have responded by launching professional development programs to train teachers in the use of computers. However, most of these training activities are crash programs which focus only on computer literacy and do not assist teachers to actually integrate ICTs in day-to-day classroom instruction. Learning to use computers and the Internet is a relatively simple task, but mastering ICT use as an effective tool to improve teaching and learning is certainly not.
Teachers need training not only in computer literacy but also in the application of various kinds of educational software in teaching and learning. Furthermore, they need to learn how to integrate ICTs into their classroom activities and school structure.
The quality of teachers is known in virtually all countries to be a key predictor of student learning. Therefore, teacher training is crucial. ICT can become a tool that, on the one hand, facilitates teacher training and, on the other hand, helps them to take full advantage of the potential of technology to enhance student learning.
In especially poor regions, many, if not most, teachers lack adequate training for the job they are doing. Thus, teacher training provides a relevant environment for ICT. This is not only because training teachers can create impacts on many more beneficiaries, but also because it is not difficult, even in poor countries, to bring most or all teachers to ICT, rather than having to take ICT out to all the teachers.