ICT AND HEMISPHERIC COMPATIBLE LEARNING

*A.S. Arul Lawrence

Introduction The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) offers new and innovative modes of learning for all students at all educational level. ICT includes capturing, processing, storing and communicating information electronically within a digital medium. ICT refers to technologies which are being used for collecting, storing, editing and passing on information in various forms (SER, 1997). The functions of ICT in education (SER, 1998, Moonen J & Kommers P, 1995, Pilot, 1998) are listed below: 1. ICT as object: It refers to learning about ICT as specific courses such as 'Computer Education.' Learners familiarize themselves with hardware and software including packages such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and others. 2. ICT as an assisting tool: ICT is used as a tool for making assignments, collecting data, communicating and conducting research. ICT can bring about class rooms without papers, books or walls when teachers are ready to realize the potential of this powerful tool. 3. ICT as a medium for teaching and learning: ICT is the medium through which teachers can teach and learners can learn as easy, clear and effective. Hemispheric Compatible Learning Brain is the organ of learning (Hart, 1983), every part of the brain controls different functions of learning. Especially the two hemispheres play different role themselves. The left hemisphere appears to be specialized for languages functions for speaking, reading, writing and understandings language and for analytical functions, such as mathematics. The right hemisphere appears to be specialized for nonverbal abilities, musical abilities and perceptual &spatiomanipulative skills, such as maneuvering through space, drawing or building geometric designs, working puzzles and painting pictures (Springer and Deutsch, 1981). The enhanced cooperation between both the hemispheres in the learning process is called hemispheric compatible learning. Hemispheric compatible learning is also called Brain-Based Learning or Brain Dominance or Cerebral Dominance. * Faculty, U.S.P. College of Education, U.S.P. Nagar, Tenkasi 627 804.

ICT and Hemispheric Compatible Learning There are 12 core principles of hemispheric compatible learning and ICT fulfills each and every principle. Principle 1: All learning engages the physiology. One reason so much traditional teaching involves students sitting in their assigned seats is the belief that the brain is somehow separate from the body and the body is not very involved in learning. The research on brain tells us that the body and mind are totally interconnected. ICT place the major role in interconnecting the brain and body. It makes use of the senses like visual, auditory and tactile. All students learn more effectively when involved in experiences that naturally make use of their senses. Principle 2: The Brain/Mind is social. Language, beliefs, our state of mind and access to higher order learning are deeply influenced and affected by the way we relate to others and how others relate to us. ICT helps to easily relate one person to another in any part of the world at any time. All students learn more effectively when their social nature and need for relationship are engaged and honored. Principle 3: The search for meaning is innate. The need to make sense of things is characteristic of every human being from infancy to adulthood. It has been called the explanatory drive (Gopnik, Meltzoff, and Kuhl, 1999). Every human being is interested in exploring new ideas/knowledge and things which is the basic nature of the brain. ICT provides the up-to-date knowledge to the students in an interesting, easy and effective way. All students can learn more effectively when their interests and ideas are engaged and honored. Principle 4: The search for meaning occurs through patterning. Patterning refers to the meaningful organization and categorization of information. All human beings are driven by a need to identify, name and organize the configuration of elements or patterns that make up their known world. The brain is designed to perceive and generate patterns and resists having meaningless patterns imposed on it. ICT is about increasing the patterns students can use, recognize and communicate. All students increase learning when new patterns are linked to what they already understand.

Principle 5: Emotions are critical to patterning. Emotions are central to human life. They are a part of every thought, decision, and response. Powerful learning is enhanced by rich emotional experiences, guided and moderated by higher order functions. All students can learn more effectively when appropriate emotions are elicited by their experiences. ICT provides rich emotional experiences to them. Principle 6: The Brain/ Mind process parts and wholes simultaneously. The Brain is designed to make sense of the world. The world that surrounds any one of us at a given time contains an infinite amount of information. Making sense of experiences requires both a big picture and playing attention to the individual parts. The experiences of the whole provide a story, a model, or an interesting example of what can be achieved. The details or parts are taught as students follow their urge to create or understand something of larger significance to them. With the help of the ICT we can provide a whole picture of the story as well as the significance part. All students can learn more effectively when their experience gives them a sense of the whole that links the details (facts and information). Principle 7: Learning involves both focused attention and peripheral perception. It is well known that before human beings can learn or make effective decisions, they must pay attention. Attention is a natural phenomenon guided by interest, novelty, emotion and meaning. Attention is critical to memory. ICT engages students attention and perception in broader and deeper aspect in various situations. All students can learn more effectively when their attention is deepened and multiple layers of the context are used to support learning. Principle 8: Learning is both conscious and unconscious. Learning involves layers of consciousness. Some learning requires a person to consciously attend to a problem that needs to be solved or analyzed. Some learning at a deeper level requires unconscious incubation in the same way that the creative insights of artists and scientists sometimes occur after the mind has done some unconscious processing. When ICT is used in the form of Audiovisual Aids in the classroom, the audio form results in conscious learning whereas the video form results in unconscious learning by the students.

Principle 9: There are at least two approaches to memory. One is to store or archive isolated facts, skills and procedures. The other is to simultaneously engage multiple systems order to make sense of experience. Memory is what makes any type of performance possible, so memory is indispensable for survival and success. The key distinction that ICT make and understand is between rote memorization which is the hallmark of traditional approaches to teaching and the dynamic memory that is engaged in everyday experiences. All students can learn more effectively when taught through experiences that engage multiple ways to remember. Principle 10: Learning is developmental. All human beings have in common, a predictable process of development. All learning builds on previous learning and we now know that this process is accompanied by changes in the physiology and brain which are altered by experience. Using ICT we can teach the students of all according to their individual differences such as age levels, IQ levels, attitude, personality and interest. All students can learn more effectively if individual differences in maturation and development are taken into consideration. Principle 11: Complex learning is enhanced by challenge and inhibited by threat associated with helplessness and fatigue. For every human being on the planet, from birth till death, threat tied to fear and helplessness incapacitates the most promising kind of learning, including higher order thinking (executive functions). Relaxed alertness is the ideal mental state for higher order functioning. ICT is creating an environment that fosters the relaxed mental state which is the primary goal. All students can learn more effectively in a supportive, empowering and challenging environment. Principle 12: Each brain is uniquely organized. The paradox that faces education is that human beings are both similar and different. Yet every individual has a unique genetic blueprint. ICT genuinely raise a standard which addresses each individual as unique with unique characteristics, capacities, and needs. All students can learn more effectively when their unique, individual talents, abilities, and capacities are engaged.

Conclusion The current educational system in our country has failed to give equal importance to both hemispheres of the brain. It emphasizes more on the left brain. Unfortunately, the right brain is not recognized and it is responsible for extra curricular activities like sports, arts etc. ICT fulfills the all the core principles of the brain by giving more importance to both the hemispheres, because both of them are important in over all activities of the students (Levy J, 1985). Therefore Modern education system should utilize ICT as a tool for providing quality and effective education. References: Caine (1991), Making connections teaching and the Human Brain, ASCD, Alexandria, Virginia. Coasta, A (2001), Developing minds; A resource book for technical thinkers ASCD, Alexandria, Virginia. Jenson, E. (1998), Teaching with Brain in mind, ASCD, Alexandria, Virginia Siddhqui, M.A. (2004), Challenges of Educational Technology, APH, Publishing Corporation, New Delhi. SER (1997), ICT en arbeid: advies informatie- en communicatietechnologie en arbeid, Den Haag: SER Sociaal-Economische Raad. Pilot, A. (1998), De student als junior medewerker, Utrecht: IVLOS, University of Utrecht. Moonen, J. & Kommers, P. (1995), Implementatie van Communicatie- en Informatietechnologie in het onderwijs, Enschede: OCTO, University of Twente. Karen Huffman et al, Psychology in Action, Barbara Williams Palomar College San Marcos, California. Websites http://www.teachingwithbrain http://www.brainbasedlearning/caine.html http://www.coe.sdsu.edu/eet