ICT Policies and Issues: Implications for Teaching and Learning

Globalization has made Information and Communication Technology (ICT) a fundamental

part of our lives, creating a "networked society" organized around telecommunicated computer
networks. The powerful use of these networks has broken down boundaries and provided
opportunities for inclusion and collaboration, but it has also created a struggle for those without
access to technology. This has led to an imperative need to establish policies for the use of ICT
to ensure everyone has a place in the future.

Defining ICT Policy and New Technologies

ICT Policy is a course of action adopted by governments, organizations, or other entities

to guide decisions and achieve desired outcomes related to ICT. These policies provide a
roadmap and include principles and guidelines for using ICT in three main areas:
telecommunications, broadcasting, and the internet.

Technological innovations have increased the reach and speed of communications, and these
can be grouped into three categories:
▪ Information Technology: This involves the use of computers to process data, thereby
saving time and effort. Key components include computer hardware, peripherals,
software, and a user's computer literacy.
▪ Telecommunication Technologies: This category includes telephones, fax machines, and
the broadcasting of radio and television, often via satellites.
▪ Networking Technologies: The most well-known of these is the Internet, but the category
also includes mobile phone technology, Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP), satellite
communications, and other forms of broadband connectivity like cable and DSL.

The DICT Roadmap and ICT4E

In the Philippines, the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT)

has developed a roadmap to guide agencies on the use, regulation, and enhancement of ICT. A
key part of this is the ICT for Education (ICT4E) program, which supports the education sector's
efforts to incorporate ICT and provides the necessary infrastructure.

Some of the policy-recommended programs with applications for education include:

▪ ICT in Education Masterplan: A national roadmap for developing faculty in ICT in education
and a framework plan for ICTs in basic education have been created.
▪ Content and Application Development: This initiative, called the Open Content in
Education Initiative (OCEI), converts Department of Education (DepEd) materials into
interactive multimedia content and runs competitions to encourage the development of
education-related web content.
▪ PheDNET: This is a "walled" garden that hosts educational materials and applications for
students, parents, and teachers in the Philippines. All public high schools are intended to
be part of this network, with access restricted to DepEd-approved content.
▪ Community eLearning Centers: The "eskwela" program establishes these centers to
provide out-of-school youth with ICT-enhanced alternative education.
▪ eQuality Program: Through partnerships with State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), this
program aims to improve the quality of IT education and the use of ICT, especially outside
of Metro Manila.
▪ Digital Media Arts Program: This program builds digital media skills for government
agencies using open-source technologies, benefiting various organizations, including the
Philippine Information Agency and SUCs.
▪ ICT Skills Strategic Plan: This is an inter-agency approach to identifying policy and
program recommendations to address the demand and supply of ICT skills.

Issues on ICT and Internet Policy

Global issues related to ICT policy and regulation can be categorized into two sets:
▪ Access and Civil Liberties.
▪ Access to the Use of Internet and ICT: This refers to the ability for everyone to use the
internet and other media. While access is widely available in richer countries, it remains a
challenge in others.
 ▪ Infringement on Civil Liberties/Human Rights: This category includes specific internet
issues that relate to human rights and freedoms, such as freedom of expression, the right
to privacy, the right to communicate, and intellectual property rights.

Several issues stem from these concerns:

1. Freedom of Expression and Censorship: While international human rights conventions
guarantee free expression, the shift to electronic communication raises new issues. Some
electronic networks require individuals to give up certain rights to gain access. For
instance, a Microsoft Network (MSN) contract allows Microsoft to terminate access to its
sites at its discretion. Censorship restricts information by blocking (preventing access to
entire areas based on a "blacklist") or filtering (sifting data and eliminating "undesirable"
content). Defamation can also be used to silence critics and deter freedom of expression.

2. Privacy and Security: When users click "I agree" on a site's privacy policy, they may be
giving up private information to any authority that can access it. Privacy can be understood
in different ways: personal privacy (the right not to have one's private life interfered with),
privacy of communication (protection from interference with phone or internet
communication), and information privacy (ensuring data is only used for its intended
purpose and not disclosed without consent).

3. Surveillance and Data Retention: The use of electronic communication has led to indirect
surveillance, where evidence of activities can be traced without direct contact between the
agent and the subject. A powerful form of this is dataveillance, which uses personal
information to monitor a person's activities. Data retention involves storing and using
information from communication systems. Counter-surveillance or information security
can make surveillance more difficult.

4. E-pollutants from E-waste: ICT generates large amounts of electronic waste (e-waste)
from equipment like computers, televisions, and mobile phones. This is a growing problem
in both developed and developing countries, with toxic materials from e-waste posing a
significant management challenge. Remedies include standardization to increase the life
cycle of equipment and requiring recycling by both consumers and vendors.

Implications for Teaching and Learning

The policies and issues related to ICT have significant implications for both teachers and
learners.

For Teachers and Teaching

▪ Guiding Content and Methodology: ICT policies help guide teachers on what to teach
about ICT and how to prepare it. Given the rapid pace of technological change,
temperance in its use is a necessary caution.
▪ Technology as a Tool: Technology should be seen as a support tool for teachers, not a
replacement. The human touch remains a vital component of teaching, and teachers must
be aware of the limitations of various gadgets and tools.
▪ Privacy and Security Awareness: Teachers must be aware of the rules governing
technology use and the potential for their privacy and security to be jeopardized.
▪ Incorporating Issues into Content: All the issues discussed, such as privacy, censorship,
and e-waste, should be part of the teaching content, as teachers are encouraged to use
technology.
For Learners and Learning
▪ Guidance and Regulation: Although 21st-century learners may be more advanced than
some teachers, they still require guidance on effectively using and regulating technology.
They must understand both the positive and negative effects of technology use.
▪ Protection from Hazards: Learners need to be aware of the hazards that technology can
bring to their lives and how to be protected from them.
▪ Leveraging Technology for Learning: Learners should take advantage of the potential of
technology to develop higher-order thinking skills, build learning communities through
collaboration, and enhance their skills as 21st-century learners.
▪ Environmental Responsibility: Both teachers and learners should be mindful of the e-
waste being discarded.
Safety Issues and E-Safety Rules
The use of technology itself isn't a risk, but improper use can pose dangers to users.
Future teachers must be aware of the risks and how to safeguard learners in school, at home,
and in other digital spaces.

Risks in the Use of ICT

▪ Some of the risks associated with the use of digital technologies include:
▪ Exposure to inappropriate content, such as online pornography, extremist views, self-harm
sites, and hate sites.
▪ Cyber-bullying, including receiving sexually explicit messages or images.
▪ Privacy issues and the disclosure of personal information.
▪ Health and well-being concerns, such as the amount of time spent online and addiction to
gaming and gambling.
▪ Theft and fraud can occur through activities like phishing.
▪ Viruses, Trojans, spyware, and other malware.
▪ Social pressure to maintain online networks.
E-Safety
▪ e-safety addresses not only internet technologies but also electronic communications via
mobile phones, games, and wireless technology. It educates children and young people
about the benefits, risks, and responsibilities of using information technology.
E-safety aims to:
▪ Safeguard children and young people in the digital world.
▪ Emphasize learning to understand new technologies positively.
▪ Educate children about risks and benefits so they can feel confident online.
▪ Support learners and adults in developing safer online behaviors.
Safety Rules in Schools
▪ To ensure a safe environment, schools can implement several safety rules:
▪ Network Management: This includes ensuring no one logs on as another user, requiring
users always to log off, maintaining equipment for health and safety, providing guided
access to content, and having a secure disaster recovery system.
▪ Password Policy: Only authorized users should have individual passwords, which they are
not permitted to share. Computers should be set to lock when unattended for a while.
▪ Personal Mobile Devices: Mobile phones should be kept away from learners and only
accessed during breaks or when needed for class.
▪ Cameras: Taking pictures of children should only be allowed with permission from parents
or caregivers, and a camera should be dedicated solely for this purpose.
Setting Up an Educational Technology Room
▪ Safety rules for an educational technology room should include:
▪ Providing adjustable and tiltable tables, anti-glare screen filters, adjustable chairs, and
foot supports.
▪ Ensuring suitable lighting and adequate space between workstations.
▪ Planning work with frequent breaks.
▪ Preventing trailing wires and overloaded electrical sockets.
▪ Ensuring electrical equipment is safety-tested yearly, and food and drinks are kept away
from machines.
▪ Ensuring proper heating, ventilation, and a clear path to fire exits with available
extinguishers.