Africa Virtual University - AVU

• Online
• Blended mode: online and face to face
• Face-to-face

1. Rationale

Information and communication technologies (ICT) have become one of the fundamental building blocks of modern society. Many countries now regard the mastering of the basic skills and concepts of ICT as an inevitable part of the core of education. To this end, various new models of education are evolving in response to the new opportunities that are becoming available by integrating ICT and in particular Web-based technolgies, into the teaching and learning environment. The effective integration of such applications however, depends to a large extent on teacher’s familiarity and ability with the IT learning environment. Science teachers need to know exactly how ICT is used as a teaching and learning tool, for their own purposes and to help students to use them. This module is about the integration of ICT as a tool in the Physics/science classroom with the overall aim of increasing the effectiveness of teaching and improving students’ learning. The module outlines a programme of objectives and related activities for an ICT enhanced learning environment in Physics teaching and learning.

2. Prerequisite and Knowledge

• ICT Basic Skills
• Access to a computer
• Access to Internet* (highly recommended for many activities)

3. General Objective(s)

• Know how to use ICT as a tool for designing new learning environments for their own subject-specific purposes to help their future students to use ICT.
• provide the student-teacher with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to better use technology in their lesson-planning and lessons, research, communication, problem-solving, and continuing professional development.

4. Specific Objective(s)

• Critically apply the pedagogical principles of ICT integration in education.
• Develop and facilitate ICT-based learning activities in the context of teaching Physics.
• Analyse and evaluate appropriate content and context for the use of ICT in Physics teaching.
• Use appropriate and varied communication and multimedia tools (emails, websites etc) in teaching and learning Physics.
• Use ICT efficiently in research, problem solving and project-based learning in Physics.
• Use ICT efficiently for professional development in the context of teaching and learning Physics.
• Integrate ICT appropriately into Physics curriculum activities that will foster students ownership of their ICT-rich learning environment.

4. Time

120 hrs (40hrs. focusing on general teaching skills in the use of ICTs in education; 80 hrs specific to the use of ICT in Physics)

5. Material

Computer with Internet access, video conferencing equipment, CD-ROM, video projector, television.