Technological Transformation in Education: The Impact of ICT on ELT

 

    In the primordial ages, humans' roles were limited to survival due to their small populations and lack of diversity in race, ethnicity, culture, and religion. As time passed, humans evolved, discovering new aspects of the world and adapting their ways of living. Education, including objectives, learning methods, curriculum, textbooks, system, and tools, is also evolving. The 21st century is built on the idea of an information era, where we can access and receive innumerable information around the world. This era requires mastering skills such as media literacy, information literacy, Information Communication Technology literacy, computing, etc., to function in this knowledge society.

    Digital literacy is essential for understanding and managing information in an information society. It involves critical thinking, evaluation, collaboration, creativity, communication, and netiquette. Digital literacy skills include critical thinking, evaluation, collaboration, creativity, communication, online safety skills, and functional skills. With the constant bombardment of information, it is crucial to be digitally literate to identify the most important information and distinguish between legitimate and misleading news.

    The evolution of technology usage in English language teaching has significantly changed the way education works. For example, during the Covid-19 pandemic, face-to-face activities were restricted to prevent virus transmission, and the learning system was adapted to include online classroom activities, exams, and report cards. ICT (Information, Communication, and Technology) in education, especially English Language Teaching (ELT), has been utilized to communicate, create, disseminate, store, and manage information in ELT. There are nine approaches to utilizing ICT in ELT: CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning), MALL (Mobile Assisted Language Learning, RALL (Robot Assisted Language Learning), TELL (Technology Enhanced Language Learning), Blended Learning (The combination of face-to-face and online learning), Flipped Learning (Students autonomous online learning before face-to-face classroom meeting), LMS (Learning Management System, Online classroom learning platform), TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge), and SAMR (Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, Redefinition).

    ICT's role in teaching changes the learning pace, as teachers are no longer present in front of students but instead explain material in front of their devices. Assignments and projects are done online, and practice and assessment are done online. However, ICT brings advantages such as more teaching-learning material resources, increased students' critical and creative thinking, promotion of autonomous learning, improved digital literacy skills, increased positive attitude towards technology application, enhanced motivation in learning, ease and flexibility for long-distance learning, and a paperless/eco-friendly teaching environment.

    Despite these advantages, ICT also brings disadvantages, such as low teachers' knowledge and attitude towards ICT in teaching, challenges in maintaining student motivation in autonomous learning, insufficient policy and institutions, lack of facility and technological support, health issues, and high costs and maintenance.