Exploring the role and extent of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for pedagogic purposes: the case study of higher education in Vietnam

The study into the role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for highereducation in Vietnam is a topic of significant importance and value, adding theoreticalbackground and proposing practical solutions for policymakers to improve education qualityin the modern era. Results from a questionnaire of 512 students attending a university inVietnam, rated on a 5-point Likert scale, indicate that among the five ICT dimensions, thethree factors with the highest means are Usefulness, Reliability, and Internet Connection, withrespective means of 3.71, 3.94, and 4.14. Moreover, among the five pedagogic purposes withICT, results from the survey show that ICT contributes most significantly to "collaboration"and "creativity" among students, with an average of 3.82 and 4.29, respectively. The studyrevealed that the “Internet Connection” factor has the strongest impact on pedagogicpurposes, particularly on the aspects of "creativity" and "collaboration" among students, withcorrelation coefficients of 0.832 and 0.775.The research also carried out the thematic analysis method via interviews with 10 seniormanagers, who play a strategic role and contribution to ICT implementation in universities.The main difficulties identified from the interview results relate to the development of digitalstudy materials suitable for the diversity of training professions or developing a digital library;deploying an effective learning management system (LMS); and the digital divide with ICTcompetence gap between rural and urban areas. Internet infrastructure connectivity in remoteareas is still unstable, coupled with low average income leading to many students not havingthe means to excel their ICT skills from lower levels of education before entering university.One of the most important solutions proposed includes the combination of developing digitalstudy materials and courses for online learning, which requires long-term cooperationbetween universities with private firms and public sectors. Additionally, policies should besupplemented to increase government student loan amounts, facilitating students from lowincomeareas to purchase equipment serving educational purposes and national digitaltransformation in Vietnamese’s HE system.