Availability and the use of ICT

When discussing the ICT tools that were available in Vietnamese universities to support students’ learning, the participants all mentioned that during the time they studied, there were some ICT tools provided to support their study. For example, Ha, who graduated from a Vietnamese University in 2008 explained:

At that time we were taught how to use computers and the internet, and in some “high technology” rooms, there were computers and internet access, but we

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could only attend when we learnt and practiced computer skills or had a “special” lesson. Most of the classes or lecture halls in my University were not equipped with technology like the internet or a sound system, so we were restricted in how we approached information. (Ha, Int.1)

According to all the participants, the lack of ICT application when they were studying in Vietnam was the main reason that students did not have many chances to access this for their study. Additionally, six participants explained that using ICT in learning was not necessary because it was not required by lecturers as explained by Lan “… lecturers did not require us to search more information from the internet or websites.... so I hardly used technology in the learning process” (Lan, Int.1). Similarly, Tri described “I didn’t apply much ICT to my learning because I thought it was not very necessary; students could have high scores without using ICT” (Tri, Int.1).

Another reason given for not using ICT was the lack of knowledge about ICT and how to apply it to support study. For example, Ha (Int.1) said when she was studying an English literature course in 2008, students in her class were “lucky to be supported by the British Council to grant internet-accessible cards”, but they “did not take much advantage due to not knowing how to use the internet to search for information”. Hence, even though there was some internet access, students still faced difficulty in using this technology.

Overall these participants did not have many opportunities to use ICT in Vietnamese universities to support their study for a variety of reasons. The learning environments that these participants encountered were not sufficiently equipped with technology tools; the students did not have the necessary knowledge for using them, and the use of ICT was not encouraged by lecturers.

In contrast, all the participants experienced the application of technology tools to support students’ learning whilst in Australia. The integration of ICT in education to assist students’ learning was applied in different forms. All the classes that the participants studied were fully equipped with the necessary technical tools. For

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example, Tri and Truong described that all the rooms had built-in technical equipment such as projectors, mica whiteboards and internet access (Tri & Truong, Int.2). Students were provided with different online services such as online learning material delivery, as mentioned above, and online communication.

All students had their own [email] accounts and could log in to online services of the University to find and receive information from the University. Specifically, they could use the accounts to access e-learning sites where they could receive necessary information …for their subjects. E-learning was also featured with an SMS service in case urgent communication was needed. Forum on e-learning sites was also an effective means of communication. In addition, students were also provided with email accounts of the University to contact and communicate with lecturers and other students. (Ha, Int.3)

Besides the use of ICT tools for information delivery and communication, six participants also shared their experiences about the tools used in the course evaluation and assessment. For example, in many subjects that Phung studied, “students were requested to do exercises and tests through the E-learning site” (Phung, Int.3).

The integration of ICT in education in Australia, as described by the participants, resulted in the increasing use of the learning tools amongst students. All the participants commented that using ICT in learning in Australia was considered a compulsory requirement for every student because “all learning activities are related to the use of technology” (Khanh, Int.2). For instance, Lan explained:

Here [in Australia], the application of information technology in the learning process is compulsory for every student, because all subjects require them to seek related learning sources from the internet or e-learning sites, such as subject outlines and lecture notes provided through the e-learning system. Doing exercises or assignments also requires students to search for online documents and make an online submission. (Lan, Int.2)

Similarly, Tri (Int.2) noted all students studying in Australia had to apply ICT because most issues related to subjects were presented online. When doing group exercises, he added, students often had to exchange and discuss through emails and/or forums because sometimes “they didn’t have conditions to meet their classmates and lecturers

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directly”. Students often applied ICT to search documents from different sources and websites for the purpose of learning and they also had to use information technology to present subject content in class (Tri, Int.2). Further, most of the participants agreed that they were interested in the use of technology because it was convenient and time saving. For example, Phung explained: “in the class presentations, technology could help students design posters, illustrations and they could present them on PowerPoint more easily compared to that of manual methods” (Phung, Int.2). Students could also access learning documents from different places and at different times at their convenience, hence “it helped students keep pace with the learning progress even… when they could not go to class due to sickness or a certain reason” (Ha, Int.3).

4.3.3 Summary

The findings regarding classroom arrangement demonstrated that Vietnamese classrooms were largely arranged in a Vietnamese “traditional” way. The classrooms often accommodated about 50-60 students, with rows of desks in a fixed line and with the lecturer sitting at the front on a platform higher than the class floor. This type of classroom arrangement was regarded by the participants as suitable for a one-way information transmission from lecturers to students. This classroom arrangement also helped the lecturer provide knowledge to a large number of students at the same time, but it was believed by participants to create a distance between lecturers and students. It was agreed that there were ICT tools available to support students’ learning in Vietnam during the time they studied. However, the availability and the use of ICT tools were limited because not many classrooms were equipped with ICT infrastructure and/or students were not always required to use such tools. Nevertheless, it should be recognised that these students had studied in Vietnam from 2001 to 2010, and this situation may have changed since then.

In the Australian learning environment, the participants indicated that there were often more opportunities to participate in learning activities due to their exposure to small classrooms often equipped with movable chairs, desks and technical tools such as

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projectors and computers. Some of the participants also found that studying in these small classrooms gave them a sense of proximity to lecturers and other students. In the small classrooms, various learning activities were also thought by the majority as being organised easily to engage students in learning activities such as group work and discussions.