Small Scale Research-Education the Increasing

Small scale research-Education

The increasing popularity and continuous invasion of information and communication technology (or ICT) as a new communication tool in people's everyday lives have made it imperative for organizations and institutions to adopt and use ICT in their daily activities and operations as well. Educational organizations and institutions, in fact, are one of the first groups tapped to use ICT as this would greatly benefit students and educators alike. Through e-Learning, educational institutions can take advantage of ICT and use this to communicate limitless knowledge to a broader set of learners (i.e., anyone who has access to ICT).

This assumption, that educational institutions must be the "early adopters" and integrate and institutionalize ICT, brings into fore the benefits that educational organizations/institutions can get from ICT usage. Apart from having a broader reach (more learners/users) and easier access to and faster transmission of knowledge, e-Learning and ICT integration in education ultimately leads to improved and better quality of education. Moreover, ICT addresses the issue of equal access to education, bridging the 'knowledge gap' between learners who have and does not have access to educational content.

The significant role that ICT plays in improving the quality of education requires an evaluation if indeed, ICT is an effective tool positively influencing the quality of education. For the proposed small scale research on education, the main research question is, "Is ICT an effective tool in improving the quality of education?" To further explore this research question, specific components related to ICT usage and improved quality of education are further explored. These components include the following: (i) determining the nature and dynamics involved in ICT usage in educational institutions (including e-Learning, if available/applicable); (ii) identifying the profile or demographics of 'learners' (students and educators) who utilize ICT as tools for further educating themselves; (iii) identifying the profile of educational institutions wherein ICT usage is available, used and/or promoted; and (iv) determining the effect of ICT usage on the quality of education provided in the institution.

To answer these sub-questions and consequently, the main research question, the mixed-method approach is the most appropriate design for this research study. Combining both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, the Researcher will apply these methods and integrate at the analysis stage all key findings to create a holistic picture of how ICT usage has influenced improved the quality of education in educational organizations/institutions.

For sub-question (i), the recommended approach is qualitative, specifically, ethnography and in-depth interviews of ICT users in the educational institutions selected. Ethnography will include observation of the users as they utilize ICT in researching or studying for a subject or a specific field of study as part of a curriculum or course requirement. in-depth interviews, meanwhile, will be conducted during and/or after the observation stage as further verification and validation of the Researcher's assumptions and observations during the ethnography stage.

In addition to interviewing and observing ICT users, it is recommended that the Researcher will conduct a small scale survey of all ICT users intercepted in the educational institutions throughout the data collection period. This small scale survey will help create a general profile of ICT users in the educational institution, which will help the Researcher provide a general picture of the "ICT user" in the context of education and/or e-Learning.

Profiles of educational institutions, meanwhile, will be conducted through discourse analysis, specifically focusing on promotional materials / content for ICT use in the campus. These promotional materials will serve as the Researcher's indicator in identifying whether the educational institution is a strong or weak supporter or advocate of ICT usage as an alternative mode or tool for learning. This sub-question is included in this study because the Researcher believes that determining an educational institution's priority programs with regards to ICT usage in learning/education has a role in influencing the quality of education provided in said organization/institution.