Assessing the use of information and communication technologies for learning in emerging countries

With globalization and the revolutions in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), the world economy has undergone fundamental re-structuring from an industrial economy to a one that is based on knowledge facilitated by innovative technologies. Given the capability of Information Technology to dramatically increase the amount and timeliness of information, the implication of ICT on emerging countries, as producers and users of ICT, became evident. In the education sector, the utilization of ICT in the sharing of knowledge has become an important strategic pillar for economic development in the 21st century. In this area, simulation role-play games were developed as effective tools to enhance students' learning process and are increasingly being used to replace traditional role-play games. However, it is still unclear whether such imported ICT solutions can yield the same expected results in emerging countries. Based on an experimental design involving two groups of students playing the manual and computerized Beer Game, this study aims to examine how imported ICT-based learning tools can enhance students' learning compared to methods traditionally used in emerging countries. This study provides useful insights to both researchers and educators interested in understanding the opportunities and challenges in adopting ICT solutions to enhance education sectors in emerging countries.