SPATIAL DESIGN FACTORS FOR ICT INTEGRATION IN LEARNING: A CASE OF PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN KENYA.

Abstract

Over the last two decades, the rapid growth of ICT has become one of the most important topics discussed by the scholars in education. This is due to the capability of ICT in providing a dynamic and proactive teaching and learning environment. In line with the current digital era, teachers are required to integrate ICT in their daily teaching and replace their traditional methods with modern tools and facilities. ICT integrated learning has affected the type of activities carried out by both the teachers and the learners alike. This in turn has affected the design of the various associated spaces in schools. Primary schools in the region are however ridden with poor construction and overcrowding, which hinders effective ICT integration. With the government keen to deliver its Digital Literacy Program, schools should evaluate their building needs in order to be effective learning spaces. The main focus of this paper is on the effective design of schools in line with ICT integration in the curriculum. More specifically, this paper aims at identifying spatial design factors that support ICT integration in learning spaces. The main objective of the study is to find the relationship between ICT integration in the curriculum and spatial design of learning spaces. Data for the study has been obtained through case studies carried out in three public primary schools. Research methods engaged were mainly observation of learning environments and carrying out interviews especially on school-going children among other methods. The findings clearly show that public primary schools, to a great extent are mismatched in terms of spatial design for ICT integration. It is therefore recommended that architects take great strides in building primary schools that are flexible, affordable, durable and community-centred to ensure safety and security of the equipment