The Impact of New Information and Communication Technologies on Education: Implications and Trends in the Context of Knowledge-Based Economy

Purpose - In the context of knowledge- based economy, the new information and communication technologies (NICT) have a major impact in the training - educational process. The main objective of the study is to prove that the implementation of NICT in education has a positive impact and creates value for students. The paper is based on a marketing research, conducted on a sample of 100 persons aged between 19 to 23 years old (students at a university from Bucharest). The key question raised at this point is: "Do NICT make the training programmes in Universities more attractive to customers, i.e. students?". Design/methodology/approach - The research approach used is a combination of current literature review that aims to make a comparative study between the traditional and modern teaching methods and to analyze the importance of using modern methods and means in education. Originality/value - This methodology emphasizes the role and the importance of using modern teaching methods and means in the training-educational process. The main objectives of the study are: 1). presenting the impact of Knowledge Management in education, 2). highlighting the major trends in modern teaching, 3). identifying the principal characteristics of modern and traditional teaching methods, 4). the analysis of marketing research results regarding the impact of NICT on education; 5). highlighting the importance of using modern teaching methods and means in the educational - training process. Practical implications - The outcomes of the application underline the importance of using modern teaching methods and means in the training- educational process. The topic of the paper is popular and has potential for future research as the education system in Romania is constantly changing and reforming.