COMPUTER-BASED TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PROCESS OF TEACHING/LEARNING SCIENCES IN COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL: SOCIO-EDUCATIONAL ASPECTS

The role of ICT in education in whole and particularly in science education is very important topic. It is worth emphasizing that in recent years, a general degree of integrating ICT in the process of teaching has increased in Lithuania as well as in other countries. The growth is characteristic not only at university level but also at other levels of the education system. It is accepted that ICT makes the process of teaching/learning more effective and beneficial whereas the education system starts functioning faster. The development of ICT and the process of globalization determine alteration in the education system as well as in the whole society. The implementation of new technologies in the educational process raises new possibilities for both teacher and learner, enhances education quality and makes the educational process more versatile. On the other hand it is necessary to devote all our efforts to monitor the process of using ICT in general schools. It is necessary to conduct regularly researches of different scale for better understanding of a situation of use ICT in the teaching /learning process. Pilot research Student and Computer-Based Technologies was conducted in October – November, 2009. To collect the required data, an anonymous questionnaire was prepared. Research sample consisted of 211 respondents who were 1st year university students (freshmen). In the majority of cases, the students learn to use computer independently, whereas next comes help provided by friends and family members. It has been established that computer-based technologies are very rarely used during the lessons of other subjects. The respondents think that using computer-based technologies in the classroom during the lessons of sciences has the highest impact on cognitive abilities (knowledge acquisition, self-sufficient studies etc.).