ICT and Students’ Achievement.
The hype about ICT has also implications about
its effect on students’ achievement and engagement in learning activities.
There is a great deal of research in line with this (Liaw et al., 2007; Marwan
& Sweeney, 2010; Teyfur, 2010; Efe, 2011). The implications of it are
promising considering the infusion of ICT into every aspect of human life.
Human experience as we know it has been changing in interaction, entertainment,
commerce, health and education due to ICT. This change is immense and
irreversible. Teachers have no or very little power on the infusion of ICT in students’
lives. The positive impact of ICT on students’ achievement is what educators
would want to happen in a situation that is going to happen anyway. What they
need is to adopt themselves and their practice to make the best out of ICT.
However, it is not very easy for teachers to adopt effective integration
strategies into their teaching practice due to several barriers (Sang et al.,
2011; Blackwell, et al., 2013). It is not straightforward process to make
pupils achieve better trough ICT integration (Fairlie & Robinson, 2013;
Acun, 2014). A meta-analytic study about the relationship between ICT and students
achievement in comparison with traditional instruction have shown that ICT have
a positive impact on students achievement level (Liao, 2007). Some studies
suggest that if barriers to ICT integration are identified and properly
addressed ICT could be useful asset in every level of education (Blackwell et
al., 2013; Archer et al., 2014). There are other numerous studies claiming that
ICT positively affect students learning (Teyfur, 2010; Watson, Mong &
Harris, 2011; Pili & Aksu, 2013). The essence of these studies suggest that
because of ICTs’ flexible nature, educators (and pupils themselves) can find
ways to accommodate students need for better achievement. Despite these
theoretically sound advantages of ICT, there is a little evidence that it
actually makes any difference in students achievement levels in social studies
(Maddux & Cummings, 2004; Lai, 2008). Supporting the critical stance of
some researchers, there is also a recent quasi-experimental research showing
that there is no evidence that ICT has an effect on human rights, democracy and
citizenship education which falls under social studies research and teaching
area (Acun, 2014). Thus, it was necessary to design a research and formulate
research questions to examine the impact of ICT on students’ achievement in a sample
specific social studies course. There is also another issue related to ICT in
teaching and learning, the attitudes. Attitudes appear to be having an impact
on peoples’ use of ICT and using ICT in turn might be having an impact on
peoples’ attitudes towards ICT itself.
Computer
network, two or more computers that are connected with one another for the purpose of
communicating data electronically. Besides physically connecting computer and
communication devices, a network system serves the important function of
establishing a cohesive architecture that allows a variety of equipment types to transfer
information in a near-seamless fashion. Two popular architectures are ISO Open
Systems Interconnection (OSI) and IBM’s Systems Network Architecture (SNA).
There are three (3) general classes
of media types: coaxial cable, twisted pair and fiber optic cable.
11 Types of Networks in Use Today
1. Personal Area Network (PAN)
The smallest and most basic type of network, a
PAN is made up of a wireless modem, a computer or two, phones, printers,
tablets, etc., and revolves around one person in one building. These types of
networks are typically found in small offices or residences, and are managed by
one person or organization from a single device.
2. Local Area Network (LAN)
We’re
confident that you’ve heard of these types of networks before – LANs are the
most frequently discussed networks, one of the most common, one of the most
original and one of the simplest types of networks. LANs connect groups of computers and low-voltage
devices together across short distances (within a building or between a group
of two or three buildings in close proximity to each other) to share
information and resources. Enterprises typically manage and maintain LANs.
Using routers, LANs can connect to wide area
networks (WANs, explained below) to rapidly and safely transfer data.
3. Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)
Functioning
like a LAN, WLANs make use of wireless network technology,
such as Wi-Fi. Typically seen in the same types of applications as LANs, these
types of networks don’t require that devices rely on physical cables to connect
to the network.
4. Campus Area Network (CAN)
Larger than LANs, but smaller than metropolitan
area networks (MANs, explained below), these types of networks are typically
seen in universities, large K-12 school districts or small businesses. They can
be spread across several buildings that are fairly close to each other so users
can share resources.
5. Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
These types of networks are larger than LANs
but smaller than WANs – and incorporate elements from both types of networks.
MANs span an entire geographic area (typically a town or city, but sometimes a
campus). Ownership and maintenance is handled by either a single person or
company (a local council, a large company, etc.).
6. Wide Area Network (WAN)
Slightly
more complex than a LAN, a WAN connects
computers together across longer physical distances. This allows computers and
low-voltage devices to be remotely connected to each other over one large
network to communicate even when they’re miles apart.
The Internet is the most basic example of a
WAN, connecting all computers together around the world. Because of a WAN’s
vast reach, it is typically owned and maintained by multiple administrators or
the public.
7. Storage-Area Network (SAN)
As a dedicated high-speed network that connects
shared pools of storage devices to several servers, these types of networks
don’t rely on a LAN or WAN. Instead, they move storage resources away from the
network and place them into their own high-performance network. SANs can be
accessed in the same fashion as a drive attached to a server. Types of
storage-area networks include converged, virtual and unified SANs.
8. System-Area Network (also known as SAN)
This term is fairly new within the past two
decades. It is used to explain a relatively local network that is designed to
provide high-speed connection in server-to-server applications (cluster
environments), storage area networks (called “SANs” as well) and
processor-to-processor applications. The computers connected on a SAN operate
as a single system at very high speeds.
9. Passive Optical Local Area Network (POLAN)
As an alternative to traditional switch-based
Ethernet LANs, POLAN technology can be integrated into structured
cabling to overcome concerns about supporting traditional Ethernet
protocols and network applications such as PoE (Power over Ethernet). A
point-to-multipoint LAN architecture, POLAN uses optical splitters to split an
optical signal from one strand of singlemode optical fiber into multiple
signals to serve users and devices.
10. Enterprise Private Network (EPN)
These types of networks are built and owned by
businesses that want to securely connect its various locations to share
computer resources.
11. Virtual Private Network (VPN)
By extending a private network across the
Internet, a VPN lets its users send and receive data as if their devices were
connected to the private network – even if they’re not. Through a virtual
point-to-point connection, users can access a private network remotely.
Network
topology defines the layout, virtual shape, or structure of the network, not
only physically but also logically. A network can have one physical topology
and multiple logical topologies at the same time.
In a computer network, there are mainly six
types of physical topology, they are:
1.
Bus Topology
2.
Ring Topology
3.
Star Topology
4.
Mesh Topology
5.
Tree Topology
6.
Hybrid Topology
Following are the advantages of Bus topology:
1.
Simple to use and install.
2.
If a node fails, it will not affect other nodes.
3.
Less cabling is required.
Following are the disadvantages of Bus
topology:
1.
Efficiency is less when nodes are more(strength of signal
decreases).
2.
If the bus fails, the network will fail.
3.
A limited number of nodes can connect to the bus due to
limited bus length.
Following are the advantages of Ring topology:
1.
Easy Installation.
2.
Less Cabling Required.
3.
Reduces chances of data collision(unidirectional).
Following are the disadvantages of Ring
topology:
1.
If a node fails, the whole network will fail.
2.
Slow data transmission speed(each message has to go
through the ring path).
3.
Difficult to reconfigure(we have to break the ring).
Following are the advantages of Star topology:
1.
Centralized control.
2.
Less Expensive.
3.
Easy to reconfigure and upgrade(configured using a central
device).
Following are the disadvantages of Star
topology:
1.
If the central device fails, the network will fail.
2.
The number of devices in the network is limited(due to
limited input-output port in a central device).
3.
Network range is limited and maintenance cost
Following are the advantages of Mesh topology:
1.
Dedicated links facilitate direct communication.
2.
Maintains privacy and security due to a separate channel
for communication.
3.
If a node fails, other alternatives are present in the
network.
Following are the disadvantages of Mesh
topology:
1.
Very high cabling required.
2.
Cost inefficient to implement.
3.
Complex to implement and takes large space to install the
network.
Following are the advantages of Tree topology:
1.
Large distance network coverage.
2.
A Large number of nodes can be connected directly or
indirectly.
3.
Other hierarchical networks are not affected if one of
them fails.
Following are the disadvantages of Tree
topology:
1.
Cabling and hardware cost is high.
2.
Complex to implement.
3.
Hub cabling is also required.
Following are the advantages of Hybrid
topology:
1.
It can handle a large volume of nodes.
2.
It provides flexibility to modify the network according to
our needs.
3.
Very Reliable(if one node fails it will not affect the
whole network).
Following are the disadvantages of Hybrid
topology:
1.
Complex design.
2.
Expensive to implement.
3.
Multi-Station Access Unit(MSAL) required.
The Best Topology is Star Topology and Ring
Topology