**1. Introduction**

Supporting school teachers to integrate technology into schools'self-efficacy can have a significant impact on future success and the proper use of technology within the school system for cognitive learning [1]. Klein and Richard [2] accentuate the phenomenon of the digital divide, which is conceived as 'a situation where some populations have access to ICTs while others have very little or no access at all which can impact negative on cognitive skills'. Mietule et al. [3] also assert that the use of ICTs in education is hoped to expand education to remote places and, consequently, help bridge the digital divide and thus enable positive metacognition, especially when adopting ICTs in teaching and learning. The twenty-first-century society is driven and shaped by computers, and thus, cognitive learning in chronicling ICT in teaching and learning is core. This has a huge impact on the way people live in modern society. For example, ICT has literally changed the way we study, work, entertain ourselves, conduct our business affairs, find information, etc. The present researcher developed an interest in this study to explore more on the selected schools which are still underprivileged and have limited computer facilities to implement computerintegrated teaching and learning.

Information technology can take over the traditional presentational and organisational roles of teachers. This has implications for both teachers and learners; it can provide an additional or alternative source of knowledge and information, which may reduce the dependency of learners on the teacher. The integration of computers into teaching and learning in schools will free up the teacher's time and enhance students' repertoire of learning skills; the integration will also enable greater student autonomy. This would also allow students to maximise their active role in learning.

Although computer integration has been implemented to rectify the past, most schools in the deep rural areas of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa are still under-resourced as compared to schools in the urban areas. Hassan and Mirza [4], in their paper about digital literacy in Teachers of the Schools of Rajouri, reflect that there is no doubt that Information Communication and Technology can aid the instructional process and facilitate learners learning in the classrooms as metacognition in ICT adoption is carried through. This chapter, therefore, intends to investigate the integration of ICT during the teaching and learning encounter in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.

### **2. Literature review**

Around the world, globalisation and the increasing spread of ICTs have had an immense impact on all spheres of life, including education [5]. However, due to different levels of development, different countries across the globe have varying levels of capacity to take advantage of ICTs. In general, developed countries, such as the United States, countries in West Europe and countries in the East, can harness the potential of ICTs for both economic and social purposes (including educational development), whereas developing countries in South America and Africa are struggling to embrace the same technologies. The concept of the digital divide is often used to describe this phenomenon [6]. Africa is a developing continent. The lack of a developing infrastructure for information and communication technologies is widening the gap between Africa and the rest of the world [7]. In response to this underdevelopment, Jiboku and Osifo [8] argue that Africa has adopted a renewal framework, the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), which identifies ICTs as central in the struggle to reduce poverty on the continent. Padayachee [9] argues that ICTs have the potential to overcome barriers causing social and geographical isolation, increase access to information and education, and enable the poor to participate, making an impact on their lives. With the advent of democracy in South Africa, the adoption of the country's new constitution provides a basis for curriculum transformation and development [10]. The constitution states that everyone has the right to further education, which the state, through reasonable measures, must make progressively available and accessible. However, more than 10 years into the new democracy, the legacy of apartheid continues to be felt in the education system [11]. In the apartheid regime, institutions were built under the previous administration on the basis of race, and apartheid theory and structural inequality were pervasive. As a result of the unequal distribution of resources, historically black schools are frequently under-resourced, whereas so-called historically white schools are frequently equipped

### *Chronicling Information Communication Technology into Teaching and Learning… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.113790*

with full-fledged resources. This situation negatively impacts on the quality of teaching and learning to the extent that employers and the higher education (HE) sector have no confidence in the programmes offered in further education and training (FET) institutions. In addition, how the official curriculum is delivered also needs to be addressed. Many teachers regard themselves as the only bearers of knowledge and, therefore, rely on teaching methods that do not engage learners in active learning. Teachers are often also preoccupied with the race to complete the syllabus in preparation for the examinations, resulting in learners' prior knowledge not being acknowledged sufficiently. The ultimate result is learning experiences that are uninspiring. The Thintana project aims to make educators computer-literate through School Net [12]. The Thintana I-Learn project operates in Gauteng, the Northwest, Kwa-Zulu Natal, the Eastern Cape, the Northern Cape, Mpumalanga and the Free State. Stilwell, C. Bel [13], in their paper on Information Needs of Learning at Emzamweni High School, Inadi, South Africa, provides an explanation that the Thintana project equips schools with infrastructure and technical programmes. So far, it has equipped more than 200 schools all over South Africa [14]. Thintana trains trainers in all provinces. They also conducted a mentoring course that trained 141 mentors. The Intel Project is an organisation that impacts free teaching and learning resources for learners worldwide [15]. Intel Corporation has invested over \$1 billion worldwide in this education initiative. Intel enables the design and delivery of innovative technology solutions [16]. Intel offers classroom tools and resources that integrate technology to better equip learners with twenty-first-century skills. Interactive Learning provides quality multi-media learning resources free to students and teachers throughout the UK, Ireland and a few other countries, emphasising math and science from Grades 7 to 12. It also provides educational technology solutions by giving information on how schools can improve the quality and delivery costs of educational services through these solutions. At the OR Tambo inland schools in the Eastern Cape, the purpose of the Intel Project is to take computers to classrooms and teach academic subjects using computers. The vision of one of the selected schools in OR Tambo inland was to provide quality education to learners from Grade 10 to Grade 12, to uplift and empower them to play a responsible and meaningful role in society, both nationally and internationally. The researcher should see from the vision of one of the selected schools in OR Tambo inland to provide quality education to learners from Grade 10 to Grade 12. The school is committed to computer-assisted education, as providing students with opportunities for acquiring computer literacy skills was one of the primary objectives of the selected schools. To this end, those schools plan to introduce computer science as an academic subject for Grades 10–12 as part of their 2030 vision. The principal and staff are dedicated to these ideas, striving to give their best, providing the best opportunities and life experiences, and acting in a manner that is professional and caring. It is envisaged that on a weekly basis, learners from Grades 10 to 12 will have to attend compulsory one-hour computer classes, but this has not yet been implemented due to a lack of resources. In South Africa, as far as improving the quality of life of citizens is concerned, e-education assumes a pivotal role [17]. According to the draft white paper on e-education, it is about connecting learners and teachers and providing professional support services and platforms for learning. The South African education system is now undergoing dramatic changes [18]. The previous education system was ill-suited to the needs of its children. During the last few years, however, both the government and private organisations have come forward to make our education system a modern one. The government's Draft White Paper on e-Education has highlighted the contributions made by some

organisations towards the South African education system [19]. This chapter will adopt the evolutionary model of the integration of computer-assisted education, as shown in **Figure 1**. An evolutionary model of the integration of computer-assisted learning with four phases is demonstrated in **Figure 1**. The integration of computer-assisted education is neither computer literacy nor computer awareness. It means using the computer which is the best medium to support the learning goal [20]. Ran and Secada [21] aver that integrating computer-assisted education implies a move towards a different kind of teaching. A whole-school awareness looks at the aims of general secondary education: meeting new demands of society in students skills, reforming the curriculum, training teachers in new skills, internal school organisation, hardware provision and maintenance, stabilising funding policies, support by technical staff, equity of access for all students, software development and provision, development and provision of complementary materials, and copyright policies of software.
