The Impact of the learning environment on a learner. ICT rich environment.

An ICT rich environment has an impact on the inquiring mind of a learner.
Inquiry can be defined as 'a systematic investigation'. Dewey (1938) is most commonly associated with being the founder of inquiry based learning.
Grabe and Grabe (2001) give five roles of technology learning:
- Tools to support the construction of knowledge.
- As information vehicles for exploring knowledge to support learning-by-constructing •
- As a context to support learning by doing
- A social medium to support learning by conversing
- An intellectual partner to support learning-by-reflecting

The main aim of inquiry learning is to identify strategies to achieve a goal and gather evidence to reflect on the processes and look at the next steps.
An inquiry-based approach is different to traditional teaching methods. Where as a traditional method of teaching is more teacher centered, inquiry-based learning encourages students to take the lead. It is a student lead approach where teachers are seen as facilitators for learning. Inquiry based learning is versatile, flexible for students, highly motivating and also remains focused on the real-world. ICT programs and equipment enhance the learning curiosity of the students. ICT has helped advance learning for teachers and students. In previous traditional classrooms, the setting would be teacher-led with a blackboard at the front. In more recent years, many schools have gone under a technological transition. Nearly all schools have smart boards in place of black boards and also have Ipads and other tablets for use by the pupils. A number of Applications have been developed to enhance students learning at any part of the learning spectrum, from the early years to higher education.
Another example of how ICT can benefit education is through 'Moodle'. This web based application is the saviour for all students! It allows users such as teachers to upload powerpoint slides and other relevant pieces of information such as journal articles or book extracts for students to read. It benefits students as it allows them to find all relevant information in one place which could make it more likely for them to engage with the subjects. It also allows students to open up forums to have a debate about a subject. An application like this could be used in any educational setting from foundation phase to higher education.

In conclusion, I feel that an ICT rich environment has a positive impact on learning experience when compared with traditional teaching methods. The use of ICT allows individuals to be more creative, explore options and also research topics. It allows the learner to become more independent when exploring a topic and only provides experiences to benefit them.