Many people in Greece understand that socio-economic and technological realities require a new system of education in their country in order to compete and survive in the Information Age. Computers and electronic networks potentially provide instant access to the world’s accumulated knowledge, in both verbal and visual forms.
There are some major trends identified in Greek schools that have adopted computers:
■ a shift from whole class to smaller group instruction;
■ a shift from lecture and recitation to coaching;
■ a shift towards more engaged students;
■ a shift from a competitive to a cooperative social structure;
■ a shift from the primacy of verbal thinking to the integration of visual and verbal thinking.
ICT was introduced in the educational environment in the late 1980s. At this time, the Greek government started to supply PCs to one classroom (a PC laboratory) in secondary schools. The plan for setting this up had to be continued for many years so that all secondary schools in Greece could have an educational infrastructure with PC support and a web-based information network. Every educational policy that has been implemented on the last decade addresses the development of educational ‘informationising’. Since schools prepare children for life, they should also prepare them to deal with computers. Nowadays, as well as becoming literate and numerate, children also need to develop computer skills.
Challenges And Opportunities. According to the policies and strategies of Infosociety (Management service for implementing Infosociety, Ministry of Finance): ‘ICT evolves ceaselessly, causing rapid changes in the way that we work, communicate, deal and entertain ourselves. A different society is created globally, the so-called information society which provides new challenges and opportunities in development, prosperity and quality of life’ (see www.infosociety.gr for more details). The educational system has to face the challenge and prepare the citizens of tomorrow as they will live in a different environment from that of their parents – one of constant change, in which knowledge will become obsolete in a short time.
For this reason, Infosociety’s planning (White Bible: Strategy and Acts, 2002) included the following points (see www.infosoc.gr/content/downloads/strathgikh.pdf):
■ All educators in primary and secondary schools should be trained and encouraged to use ICT in their classroom.
■ The curriculum should be adapted to the new circumstances created by the rapid development
of the new technologies. ■ The ICT infrastructure (computer laboratories, networks, etc.) should be improved in schools and universities.
■ Lessons related to ICT and multimedia technologies should be compulsory for all in primary, secondary and higher education.
■ E-learning should be implemented in education, as it appears to be the ‘learning of tomorrow’ (European Ministers of Education had a conference about e-learning in Lisbon on May 2000, at which they underlined its crucial importance).
■ Students should learn how to learn the use of computers tends to subvert the prevailing, didactic view of education that holds sway in our society.