ICT as Constructive Tool

ICT as Constructive Tool

Constructive tools are general-purpose tools that can be used for manipulating information, constructing one’s own knowledge or visualising one’s understanding.  The term ‘constructive’ stems from the fact that these tools enable students to produce a certain tangible product for a given instructional purpose. 

For example, web authoring applications allow students to create their own web pages and communicate their ideas to the world.  This is a tool used in the manipulation of information, construction of new knowledge and visualisation and understanding of new information or knowledge. Constructive tools, such as Microsoft Word, or PowerPoint are being widely utilised in the education sector and other organizations mostly in the form of presentations, reports, and letters etc.

Constructive Social media tools

The authoring tool is also used to create websites, digital camera, Moviemaker, animation software, drawing and painting programs, wikis, and interactive whiteboard. These programs can allow users to organise and present their ideas in attractive formats. Social media such as Facebook, twitter and blogs are used by people to share their works and passion through which they gain popularity.

We were taught how ICT acts as a constructive tool and as an activity we were asked to produce video using simulation. We had a good learning from it as we got to be creative and use our own styles and ways of presenting our work through audios, videos and music. Through this activity we could share about our locality and advertise it to the ones who have never been to, before.

Advertisement on Thimphu 

For this, I presented the popular and unique features we can see in Thimphu area. It was a 10 minutes long video where i talked about why one must visit Thimphu. I learned that such tools like simulation can be beneficial in showcasing many aspects of the content in a small area like single slide. 

Jonassen and Carr (2000) discussed learning with technology from a constructivist perspective.  They suggested that computers could be used as mindtools for the construction and facilitation of the learning of higher-order thinking skills.  Mindtools included computer applications such as ;

    Ø  databases,

    Ø  spreadsheets,semantic networking programs                                   

    Ø  expert systems,

    Ø  modelling tools,

    Ø  micro-worlds,

Using mind tools to represent what they have learnt engages students in a variety of higher order thinking, such as evaluating, analysing, connecting, elaborating, synthesising, imagining, designing, problem solving, and decision-making.