Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) is one of the tools being used in the process of teaching and learning science nowadays, to be in line with the modern world of technologies. Technological tools such as overhead projectors, LCD projectors, computers, laptops, ipad, tablet, interactive whiteboard, smart board, television with video players, websites, blog, LMS and others are widely provided and being used in schools in Brunei Darussalam.
The uses of these technological tools are to enhance learning besides to point out that textbook is not the only source for education to take place. The major reason of using ICT in the learning process is to equip students with cognitive skills (computer literate). It is more on the holistic approach and hence education must provide information, skills, and experiences that are relevant to the world in which students will live and work. This is where literacy in ICT is vital for both teachers and students in the learning process especially in science subject.
In science education, the use of ICT may help the teacher and students in various ways. Such as;
1. Teacher can make the science lesson more interesting by using PowerPoint slides (decorative slides, animated slides and others) by which may stimulate students’ interest in learning science.
2. Help teacher in explaining difficult science concepts by using simulation or videos.
3. Save more times of the lesson. Since writing down on the whiteboard may takes lot of times (chalk and talk method). Teacher may use the extra times to conduct activities or experiments.
4. Teacher can provide interactive activities for the students by using the interactive whiteboard or smart board.
5. Teacher can create a blog for his or her class. By which students can access to that blog for live chat, forum, quizzes, inquiries about their science subject with their teacher and classmates. Teacher may also upload any recent and important info, news, classwork, homework or projects in that blog.
6. Science teachers can also seek up to date information in science around the world at their fingertips by browsing through internet from trusted websites. Teachers may not only use the internet to seek old and new information but can also find some suggestions in teaching science concepts from other educators or facilitator around the world.
7. Help the teacher to find resources for their teaching on the spot, from any trusted websites besides from textbooks which sometimes are outdated and not available during that time.
8. Students may develop cognitive skills in using ICT from the activities or presentation provided by their teacher to be used in their future career.
9. Help students to be more creative as been said in the SPN-21 that students and teachers should technology literate in their teaching.
10. Creating ‘e-learning’ for students and teacher especially for students who are not able to come to school due to medical reasons and other personal problems.
11. As delivery tools (email, online libraries, journals, books, students' work) from teacher to students and vice versa.
12. Management tools (assessment of students, record keeping of marks).
13. A cheap, fast way to access a huge amount of resources that are regularly updated.
14. Accessible all the time, by which allowing students to continue their work at home.
15. May improve teacher and students communications through forum, chat, discussion in class blog or maybe LMS.
16. Teacher can do presentation or demonstration of some dangerous science practical to students with computer and projector without any harm.
17. Students can access online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, animated videos, pictures, e-books and others.
18. Students can socialize and shares their ideas and views with others through live chat and forum.
However, with all the advantages and important contributions of ICT in science education, there are also some disadvantages. Some of the disadvantages that teacher and students may face are;
1. Time consuming for teacher to set up the devices (before lesson start).
2. Time consuming in preparing the slides. As teacher have other workload to be done (marking students books, administrative tasks, extracurricular activities and others).
3. Teachers with less experience in handling ICT tools will find it hard.
4. The technological tools may be broken down suddenly or attacked by virus, by which the teacher cannot access to their work, lost their works or no teaching materials to be use if the teacher has not prepared a backup plan.
5. Sometimes internet connection is quiet poor and limited connections in some areas or no connection at all especially the rural areas.
6. Not all schools are provided with enough ICT tools. Sometimes the computers are not enough for a class of students.
7. Some school only have one ICT lab, by which every class must take turn and have to booked in advance.
8. Not all students are computer literate.
9. Not all parents can provide computers for their children at home.
10. Students may misuse the internet for other purposes besides educations.
11. Students may waste most of their precious time browsing some of the non-educational web pages.
Despite of all the disadvantages mentioned above, the use of ICT in science education to a greater extent has proven to have a positive influence in student’s academic achievement. Interesting and interactive science lesson, science projects, activities, quizzes that used ICT, has stimulate and arouse student’s interest directly and indirectly towards learning science. These may then produce a better academic result in science subjects. Not only that, students may have a much better understanding and enriched with science knowledge, which they can apply in daily lives. Besides that, school leavers may equip with computer skills which give benefits for them during job seeking compared to the non computer literate. This meet one of the aim of SPN 21 (Sistem Pendidikan Negara Abad Ke-21), that is to equip students with 21st Century skills and Brunei Vision 2035; the accomplishment of its well-educated and highly skilled people.
