How has the use of ICT has enhanced the quality of learning and Essay

How has the use of ICT has enhanced the quality of learning and teaching across the curriculum at Key Stage3 - Essay Example The UK is hardly alone in asking these questions. Other countries such as Singapore and the United States have had similar government-led initiatives for investing in hardware, software, connectivity, content, and teacher training. Singapore’s Masterplan for Information Technology (IT) in Education was launched in 1997 with the aim to â€Å"continually anticipate the future needs of society and work towards fulfilling those needs† (SeokHoon, 2003, p.283). IT-based teaching and learning was envisioned as a means to â€Å"facilitate such development, and open possibilities for designing new curricula and methods of assessment to meet educational objectives† (SeokHoon, 2003, p.283). IT was also seen as a key enabler for â€Å"more effective education administration and support for communication and collaboration among schools and the community† (SeokHoon, 2003, p.283). The first Masterplan covered four key â€Å"dimesions† in achieving these objectives: (1) curriculum and assessment; (2) learning resources; (3) teacher development; and (4) physical and technological infrastructure (SeokHoon, 2003, p.284). After a five-year investment of two billion Singapore dollars by the Singapore government from 1997 to 2002, and strategic partnering with key industry players for hardware and content development, Singapore’s Masterplan was considered a phenomenal success. A second Masterplan has thus been created with the following goals: (1) Children will use IT for active learning; (2) IT will enhance the connections among curriculum, instruction, and assessment methods; (3) Teachers will use IT effectively for professional and personal growth; (4) Schools will have greater capacity and autonomy in the use of IT for school improvement; (5) An active research program in IT in education will be developed; and (6) A dependable and flexible infrastructure will promote widespread, effective use of multimedia resources