Information and Communication Technology in Education
What this domain tests
ICT in Education tests digital literacy, pedagogical integration and safe, lawful use of technology. You need to select tools by learning purpose, not novelty, and to recognise infrastructure and equity constraints in Sri Lankan schools.
Core rules and concepts
- TPACK: technological, pedagogical and content knowledge must intersect; a tool is useful only if it serves the content and the pedagogy.
- SAMR: Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, Redefinition. Substitution alone is not transformation.
- Blended learning: face-to-face plus online/offline resources; plan for low bandwidth and shared devices.
- OER and copyright: check licences; do not upload textbook scans or student images without permission.
- e-Safety and data protection: strong passwords, minimal personal data, parental consent for publishing student work, reporting cyberbullying.
- Assistive technology: text-to-speech, screen magnification, captioning and adapted keyboards support inclusive education.
- Sri Lankan resources: e-Thaksalawa and national e-learning content; use official portals and verify links.
Worked example
A teacher has one projector and no student devices and wants students to explain the water cycle. Which integration is strongest? Reasoning: a student-made poster plus a projected animation used for prediction and whole-class discussion is realistic and learner-centred; a WebQuest requiring one device per student is not feasible; showing a video with no interaction is substitution at best. The teacher should plan an offline group task, then use the projection for feedback.
Traps
- Choosing a tool first and inventing an objective afterwards.
- Assuming every student has a smartphone or data.
- Treating a PowerPoint as transformation; it may be a direct substitute.
- Ignoring accessibility, consent and copyright.
- Confusing ICT literacy (using tools) with ICT integration (using tools to learn subject content).