Computer technologies and other aspects of digital culture have changed the ways people live, work, play, and learn, impacting the construction and distribution of knowledge and power around the world. Graduates who are less familiar with digital culture are increasingly at a disadvantage in the national and global economy. Digital literacy—the skills of searching for, discerning, and producing information, as well as the critical use of new media for full participation in society—has thus become an important consideration for curriculum frameworks.

Common educational applications of ICT:

• Laptop: Less expensive laptops have been designed for use in school on a 1:1 basis with features like lower power consumption, a low cost operating system
• Tablet: Inexpensive learning software (“apps”) can be downloaded onto tablets, making them a versatile tool for learning.
• Smart Board Interactive white boards allow projected computer images to be displayed, manipulated, dragged, clicked, or copied.
• E-readers Features of e-readers that can contribute to positive use include their portability and long battery life, response to text, and the ability to define unknown words.