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‘Technology Integrated Education: Management Information system

Series’
Kaushik Mukherjee

In this knowledge-based society, bring effectiveness in dissemination of information,

development of creative contents and incorporation of innovative information and
communication, technologies plays a vital role at all level of education system. For the
upcoming digital generation to create a digital teaching- learning environment, mastering ICT
(Information and communication technologies) skills and utilizing ICT is of most importance
in every educator’s professional life. E-content serves this purpose through its various forms
such as web-based learning, computer based learning, mobile-based learning, virtual
classrooms, and digital collaboration. It is a combination of text, audio, video, images,
animation with visual effects that is delivered via internet, satellite broadcast or mobile
technology.
It is commonly believed that learning is enhanced through the use of technology. Students
need to develop the technological skills in order to be productive members of society. For this
reason, providing a quality education includes the expectation that teachers use educational
technologies effectively in their classroom and those they help or assist students to learn the
skills to use technology.
Successful management of today’s education systems requires effective policy-making and
system monitoring through data and information. To this end, countries around the world
have invested significant resources into collecting, processing, and managing more and better
data through education management information systems (EMIS). However, all too often
EMIS design and development has been limited to information technology enhancements,
and/or data storage and maintenance, with insufficient attention paid to the management
environment in which EMIS operates and data utilization for policy decisions. This paper will
examine the technical, organizational, and institutional conditions that must be met in order
to enable information-based decision-making for effective system management. It will
highlight the fact that technical capacity building must be accompanied by the creation of the
demand for information and the nurturing of a culture of open communication, information
sharing, and information use.
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WHAT IS Technology Integrated Education?

Technology Integration is the use of Technology tools in general content areas in Education
in order to allow students to apply computer and Technology skills to learning and problem-
solving. Generally speaking, the curriculum drives the use of Technology and not vice versa.

WHAT IS AN Educational Management Information System (EMIS)?

The acronym EMIS stands for "Educational Management Information System". By definition
an EMIS is an organized group of information and documentation services that collects,
stores processes analyzes and disseminates information for educational planning and
management.
It is a collection of component parts that include inputs processes outputs and feed backs that
are integrated to achieve a specific objective. It is a system for managing a large body of data
and information that can be readily retrieved, processed, analyzed, and made available for use
and dissemination. It is a tool that uses systems theory, together with developments in
computerization, to create a comprehensive approach to the collection and use of vast
quantities of information on the education and training system. As the potential users of data,
managers are systematically provided with accurate and timely information so that decision-
making, planning, project development and other management functions and operations can
be carried out effectively. It is therefore imperative that all educational managers and
programmed implementers be conscious and capable of performing or managing their
information systems either manually or with computers. The latter is preferred considering
the new knowledge and power of the information age.

Aspects or Dimensions of Technology Integrated Education Management Information System

Figure 1. shows Aspects or Dimensions of Technology Integrated Education Management
Information System, underlying principles of an EMIS, can be understood in terms of six
main Aspects or Dimensions:
I. Needs of producers and users,
II. Data D information handling,
III. Storage of data,
IV. Retrieval of data and data analysis,
V. Computer and manual procedures,
VI. Networking among EMIS centers.
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Figure 1. Dimensions of Technology Integrated Education Management

Information System (EMIS)

Related data Collection of

Quantitative and Entire handling
sources: school,
Qualitative Data process within each
socio-economic EMIS centre
surveys and census

Storage mechanisms
Ministry of for data, and
Education and methods for fast
other Ministries retrieval and analysis
(Finance, Planning,
Labour, etc.) EMIS
Both manual and
computerised
features

private sector and

non-
governmental Network for the sharing
organization Needs of both
and exchange of producers and users
information from schools
to central level

The EMIS operates essentially as a subsystem within the general country arrangements and
organization for educational policy, planning and management, by establishing and
maintaining a systematic intersectional exchange and flow of information, an EMIS links the
Ministry of Education to other agencies and institutions in education and other sectors that
are also engaged in educational activities.
An EMIS aims to coordinate information resources such as the education statistics unit the
education information and documentation services, and units and departments holding
various administrative records for education. The aim is to integrate the various sources of
educational management information into one coordinated system to serve the entire country.
Characteristics of Technology Integrated Education Management Information System
1) Provides reports with fixed and standard formats - Hard-copy and soft-copy reports,
2) Uses internal data stored in the computer system,
3) End users can develop custom reports,
4) Requires formal requests from users.
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Functions of Technology Integrated Education Management Information System (EMIS)

Figure 2. Functions of Technology Integrated Education Management Information

System (EMIS)

Research and
Planning
Monitoring
and Evaluation
Management
and
Administration

EMIS

Figure 2. shows Functions of Technology Integrated Education Management Information

System, can be understood in terms of Three main Functions:
I. Management and administration of the education system
system,
II. Research on and planning of the education system
system,
III. Monitoring and evaluation of the education system
system.

Educational Application of Technology Integrated Education Management Information System

Figure 3. Educational Application of Technology Integrated Education Management
Information System (EMIS)

Strategic
Planning

System Operational
Administration Management

Figure 3. shows Educational Application of Technology Integrated Education Management

Information System,, underlying principles of an EMIS, can be understood in terms of Three
main Uses:
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Three levels of data use correspond to the activities and tasks of the education system. The
higher the level of detail and quantity of information there is to use, the lower the level of
decision-making. The quantity of data required decreases at higher levels of decision-making,
the information becoming more aggregated and synthesized, integrating all available data.
Education policy-makers are responsible for strategic decisions concerning the planning of
the whole of the education system. The category of decisions at this level concerns the
general policy and attainable medium or long-term objectives. The information required will
deal more with aggregates used for setting the objectives on the national, regional or
provincial level.
Education planners comprise decision-makers who are in charge of management and
operational control of the allocation of resources, for an efficient and equitable distribution.
This level translates the general objectives into more technical operational decisions. It
therefore requires more specific data to optimize the use of resources.
Education administrators perform administrative and operational tasks at the school, district
and provincial levels. Administrative decisions are made at to the local level and hence
require more detailed information.
While the three decision-making levels require distinct information, they are linked because
decisions at the policy level would be relevant and efficient inasmuch as they are based on
precise and reliable information gathered from the lower levels. The EMIS system should
integrate the complex relations between the different levels of decision-making to fulfill its
role as an education management information system.

Advantages to Technology Integrated Education Management Information System

There are larger benefits of technology invasion into the management function of the
institutions. The monitoring and productivity has come in positive aspect once the computers
are replaced manpower to perform arithmetical and analysis works. Apart from it, there has
been development of new software’s to inter-connect the departments of the institutions.
Many IT firms in India are constantly developing new software’s on daily basis by updating
and innovating from the old. Market is flooded with software’s. Following are few merits of
these software’s to the institutions. This Software’s manages all relevant information and
produces proper report whenever required which can help the institution for better
management. They are, Easy to use school software/college software,
A. Reliable and secure software,
B. Complete Automation of operations,
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C. Helps on Decision making for the Management,

D. Can manage Multiple Campuses,
E. Scalable, Customizable and Supports Multiple Modules,
F. Parents have access to all academic information about their wards through the
internet,
G. Easy performance monitoring of individual modules leading to uncomplicated error
detection,
H. Automated and quick report generation along with process turnaround time,
I. Centralized data repository for trouble-free data access,
J. Authenticated profile dependent access to data,
K. User friendly interface requiring minimal learning and IT skills,
L. High level data security,
M. Design for unproblematic scalability,
N. Elimination of people-dependent processes,
O. Minimal data redundancy.

Disadvantages to Technology Integrated Education Management Information System

There seem to be some institutional “headaches” that are quite prevalent in the Ministries of
Education. Although many require changes in social and economic conditions, government
structural reforms and social attitudes, some remain as challenges for the top management of
the Ministry. These headaches include:
A. Low salary (lower than other social sector profession),
B. High turn-over rate (higher than other sectors’ average),
C. Low motivation in education sector,
D. “Brain-drain” within the Ministry and the country (well trained staff leave),
E. Lack of data integration and quantitative analysis skills,
F. Lack of data and information sharing,
G. Lack of system and program monitoring and evaluation,
H. Lack of policy research and analysis,
I. Lack of optimal ways to manage resource allocation,
J. Too many uncertainties (lack of visions, goals, targets, ways of achieving them),
K. Major decisions are made but staff cannot explain why they are made,
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L. Lack of guidance for dealing with educational dilemmas such as “fees or free”,
“private or public”, “standardization or customization”, “skill or knowledge
teaching”.

Conclusion
The development of an Education Management Information System (EMIS) is essential in
the modern management of education systems. It is designed to support information based
decision-making processes. Computer technology, database tools, and technical skills provide
necessary assistance in the data and information production capacity for the education
system. However, an EMIS unit needs a clear vision to see and know what to produce, who
the product is designed to support, and which departments and units to include. The
development of EMIS involves nurturing a new management culture more than establishing a
data and information system. The process of data collection, integration, analysis, and
dissemination is important, but even more critically; it is the culture of data sharing,
information use, and organizational management that leads to the effectiveness of the EMIS
development. It is important to remember that EMIS development is not IT development.
No one wants just “policy talk.” Policy must be supported by evidence or analysis of the
evidence. EMIS is developed to provide that evidence. EMIS and other management
functions such as monitoring and evaluation, policy research and analysis, and budgeting and
planning together should provide the results of the analyses of that evidence. This is the
support that Ministries of Education need and policy makers in the Ministries of Education
deserve.

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