An e-learning expert at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) has underscored the need to integrate ICT in schools in order to improve learning outcomes. Senior Assistant Director in charge of E-Learning Esther Gacicio said impacting knowledge to learners is more critical than certification.
“Having certification is one thing but you need to learn on how you are going to use your knowledge to impact on the learning outcomes in classrooms,” said Ms Gacicio during an ICT forum at Riara University in Nairobi. She praised the University for taking a leading role in ICT integration.
CHALLENGES
“ICT integration in schools is something we are grappling with and one of the challenges we have is that teachers are not well-versed with digital literacy,” said the assistant director.
She went on: “Now that you (Riara University) have the digital literacy, lead the way in doing ICT integration properly in this country. Be the ones who are going to help teachers next to you be they in public or private schools.” Ms Gacicio observed that some private and public schools have ICT devices but have no idea how to sue them. She asked ICT students at the university to lead in promoting the use of ICT.
She said acquiring ICT knowledge will improve teachers’ knowledge and will still be relevant in more than 10 years to come. In 2013, President Uhuru Kenyatta announced that all 1.2 million Class One pupils will get laptops and in May 2016, the project was rolled out.
The initial target was to provide the gadgets to all Standard One learners in 23,951 public primary schools in the country by December 2016. However, only about 19, 000 public primary schools countrywide have received the gadgets.
