Report on Smart Schools
|
COURSE
|
SSI3013 - Information And Communication Technology In
Science
|
||
|
GROUP
|
B
|
SESSION
|
2012/2013
|
|
Lab Sessions
|
Friday 8.00 – 11.00 a.m
|
||
|
ASSIGNMENT
2 : Smart Schools in Malaysia
|
|||
|
LECTURER’S NAME
|
EN AZMI
BIN IBRAHIM
|
|
STUDENTS NAME
|
MATRIC NO.
|
|
RIDWAN BIN SHAMSUDIN
|
D20101037472
|
|
RASYID BIN ABDUL SALAM
|
D20101037524
|
|
MOHD NURUL AMRI BIN RODZI
|
D20101037539
|
INTRODUCTION
Education in Malaysia
is an on-going effort towards further developing the potential of individuals
in a holistic and integrated manner, so as to produce individuals who are intellectually,
spiritually, emotionally and physically balanced and harmonious, based on a
firm belief in and devotion to God. Such an effort is designed to produce Malaysian
citizens who are knowledgeable and competent, who possess high moral standards,
and who are responsible and capable of achieving high levels of personal
well-being as well as being able to contribute to the harmony and betterment of
the family, the society and the nation at large. In our country, the first
computer system was implemented in 1966. Since then, the Government has
launched many initiatives that integrate ICT in our lives. One of them is the
integration of ICT in education and training programmed through “Smart Schools”
programmed.
Malaysia intends to
transform its educational system, in line with and in support of the nation’s drive
to fulfill Vision 2020. This Vision calls for sustained, productivity-driven
growth, which will be achievable only with a technologically literate, critically
thinking work force prepared to participate fully in the global economy of the
21st century. At the same time, Malaysia’s National Philosophy of
Education calls for “developing the potential of individuals in a holistic and
integrated manner, so as to produce individuals who are intellectually,
spiritually, emotionally, and physically balanced and harmonious.” The catalyst
for this massive transformation will be technology- supported Smart Schools,
which will improve how the educational system achieves the National Philosophy
of Education, while fostering the development of a work force prepared to meet
the challenges of the next century.
The Smart Schools
initiative is one of the seven flagship applications that are part of
Malaysia’s Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) project. The Government of Malaysia
aims to capitalize on the presence of leading-edge technologies and the rapid
development of the MSC’s infrastructure to jump-start deployment of enabling
technology to schools. This will be done by creating a group of 90 pilot Smart
Schools by 1999 that will serve as the nucleus for the eventual nation-wide
rollout of Smart School teaching concepts and materials, skills, and
technologies. By 2010, all 10,000 of Malaysia’s primary and secondary schools
will be Smart Schools.
"Smart
School" is a Malaysian education system which learning institution that reconstructs
systematically teaching-learning and school management in order to prepared
children for Information Age. Smart School is defines as one that uses a technology
platform as mediums on which distance learning and specific teaching expertise
are made available to remote locations including the home, with out compromise
to the quality of information transfer and certified teaching methods developed
locally, regionally or internationally. In early of 1996, the Ministry of
Education was created laws of Smart School concept. There was teaching and
learning based on creative thinking. Technology as a important component in
Smart School concept when Smart School project exist as one of application that
are part of Malaysian Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC).
Teaching and learning
process were included the process of curriculum, pedagogy, assessment and
teaching-learning materials in a mutually reinforcing, coherent manner. The
curriculum process will help student achieve overall balanced development and
integrate knowledge, skills, values, and correct use of language. Then, Smart
School pedagogy will seek to make learning more interesting, motivating,
stimulating and meaningful. It is also involve the children mind, spirit and
bodies in the learning process. The strategies in Smart School pedagogy were
use an appropriate mix of learning strategies to ensure mastery of basic
competencies and promote holistic development, accommodate individual different
learning styles, so as to boost performance and foster a classroom atmosphere
that is compatible with different teaching-learning strategies.
Smart schools are
ICT-enabled learning institutions with new teaching-learning practices and
school management to prepare the children for the new economy. Smart School
Components are listed below:
Ø Teaching
and learning material
Ø Smart
school Assessment system
Ø Smart
Management system
Ø Technology
Infrastructure
Ø System
Integration
Ø Support
Service
Ø Professionally
Trained Teachers
Besides, the
governments also had set the objectives of the Smart School which are based on
Malaysia’s National Philosophy of Education, are as follows:
Ø To
produce a thinking and technology-literate workforce
Ø To
democratize education
Ø To
increase participation of stakeholders
Ø To
provide all-round development of the individual
Ø To
provide opportunities to enhance individual strength and abilities
The Vision 2020 has created
a big wave that caused a major transformation in our education system . The
challenge to develop the talents, skills, creativity and will of Malaysia’s
ultimate resources is mainly held by education and training agencies including
the Ministry of Education.
WHAT
IS THE TEACHING AND LEARNING COMPONENT IN SMART SCHOOL CONCEPT?
There are six
components contained in smart schools in Malaysia, they areTeaching and
Learning, Management and Administration, People, Skills and Responsibilities,
Processes, Technology, and Policies. I want to elaborate on the most important
part that is the Teaching and Learning component. In Malaysia Teaching and
Learning component of Smart School in are categories in four main areas, which
are curriculum, pedagogy, assessment and teaching-learning material. Each of
area will be the critical element in defining the teaching and learning
environment for Smart School students.
Curriculum is the scope
and content of a subject in educational institutions such as schools and universities,
which cover the prospective learning within and beyond the classroom. Usually,
it is determined by the Ministry of Education and the teachers should play a
role in determining the curriculum and subjects taught. The Smart School
curriculum was designed by combining the elements that enables the education
system to achieve the goals of National Philosophy of Education. The curriculum
shall be meaningful, socially responsible, multicultural, reflective, holistic,
global, open-ended, goal-based and technological. It also emphasizes the
all-round development that covers four domains that is communication,
cognitive, affective and physical. The integration of knowledge, skills, values
and correct use of language will form the new curriculum of Smart School. This
integration of elements is suitable for the challenge of the Information Age.
Curriculum of Smart School also incorporated elements of vertical and
horizontal integration. In addition, the co-curriculum activities will
reinforce the class learning and also make school more fun and interesting.
Finally, the concept of this curriculum will ensure that all students would
gain equal access to quality learning, and allowing for self-paced leaning
across grades.
Pedagogy is a strategy of teaching and learning,
classroom management, school organization and teacher-student interaction.
Student centered is the main element of pedagogy of smart school that encourage
student to be more independent in their study.
The innovative and attractive teaching method is used in Smart School to
provide different learning horizon and experience for the student. As we know,
student nowadays is quite different from the previous generations of student,
example like the way of thinking, studying, interacting and using of technology.
In addition, the way on how teachers teach student have been changed entirely
to ensure that student can follow and catch up the syllabus prepared in the
school. For an example, the possible
role of students and teacher in classroom is range from teacher-centered to
student-centered. Also, there are appropriate mixing of learning strategies to
ensure mastery of basic competencies and promotion of holistic development. So,
combination of role in classroom with learning strategies will results in an
overview of different classroom environment. The key factor in choosing the
classroom environment is the need to deal with diversity of skills, ability and
learning style of students. The pedagogy used in Smart School will
incorporating high level thinking skills and values in classroom and preserving
students enthusiasm for learning with age.
The Smart School
assessment system is holistic, that covers not only achievement, but also
readiness, progress and aptitude. This approach will give various information
regarding to the student learning styles and abilities. The assessment also is
element-based, where is focused on the element that the student must possess or
develop throughout the curriculum. The
assessment system also is criterion-referenced, which is evaluating the
individual performance based on the predetermined set of criteria. It also
learner-centered, where flexible system of assessment which is administered on
an individual basis is done. The integration of technology as a tool enables the
on-line assessment and conducted in various form in order to allow
demonstration of strength, abilities and knowledge. It also uses multiple
approaches and instrument and will be continuous and on-going.
The teaching-learning
material of Smart School is also specially designed to support the
teaching-learning process in Smart School. The selection of teaching material
covers five main areas which meets curricular and instructional needs, that is
cost effective, as well as cosmetically and technically adequate. Smart School
teachers must be able to use technology as a tool in teaching and learning
process. The materials used must consider the students learning preferences.
This is because each student has different learning styles, so they need a
variety of materials to maximize their learning potential. Whatever materials
that are being used, it must meet the criteria which are cognitively
challenging, attractive, motivates students to learn, and encourages active
participation. The use of conventional media such as 3D objects and
audio/visual material that feature in Smart School is highly integrated with
computer-based media such as courseware and the teaching-learning material,
they can be acquired from wide range of
source, not limited within the school only.
HOW
ICT IS USED AS ENABLERS IN TEACHING AND LEARNING PROCESS?
In Smart School, the
use of ICT as supporting tool in teaching and learning process had given many
benefits. For each teaching-learning practices, ICT is widely use throughout
the process. For example, in self-exploratory learning, the uses of computer
provide the source of latest educational materials available locally, as well
as to external resources. For collaborative learning, ICT is used as a tool
that facilitates group work within the class and across the class. Distance
learning also can be convenient by using ICT that enable communication with
outside constituencies using technology such as video conferencing or email.
The use of software or courseware helps the student to stimulate learning in
experimental learning process and very useful for drill and practices purpose,
where it allows the students to practice on their own or with peer. In
research, reference and data collecting, ICT act as a tool to search, collect
and collate information. By using ICT, the electronic assessment can be
performing by using built-in assessment courseware.
PROGRESS
OF SMART SCHOOLS IN MALAYSIA.
As we all know the
smart schools project is one of the seven flagships initiated by MSC. It was
implemented as pilot stages in year 1999-2002.Smart Schools integrated
Solution(SSIS ) was given to 87 schools in the pilot phase . There are four
milestone that the government has planned for the smart schools project by year
:
Wave 1 – Pilot
(1999-2002) –Implementation on 87 schools.
Wave 2 – The post pilot
( 2002-2005) – Lesson learned from the pilot.
Wave 3 – Making all
schools smart (2005-2010) –Extending the digital information to all.
Wave 4 – consolidate
and stabilize (2010-2020) Technology
become an integral part of nation learning process.
By the end of wave 1
the pilot stage many lesson are learned from the implementation of the SSIS to
the 87 schools. One of them is the SSIS will only make the learning courseware
and the PPSMI will produce the teaching courseware, a combination of this two
will strengthen teaching and learning using ICT because the PPSMI is
specialized in the teaching and the syllabus of the education and SSIS is specialized
in the learning courseware.
Another good progress
from this smart schools project is the academic performance of Malaysian
students improved across all national examinations in core subjects – Language,
Mathematics and Science. Compared to assessment scores in 1997 before the
launch of the Smart School programme, Primary School scores increased by 11.4
per cent in the year 2009, Lower Secondary scores by 6.4 per cent and Malaysian
Certificate of Education scores by 3.4 per cent.
The most significant
progress that can be seen is the improvement of ICT awareness at schools in
rural area. To encourage other rural schools to benefit from this smartschools
scheme,in 2006, 50 rural schools have been selected to be role-models so that
other schools in rural area can learn how to use ICT in teaching and learning
from them. “The initial 88 role models selected in 2006 were very advanced in
the adoption of IT. We are now in the third phase of making all schools –
including rural ones – smart by 2010. Therefore, it will be more beneficial to
have rural schools share their experiences and best practices because other
rural schools can relate better to them,” says Datuk Badlisham Ghazali, CEO,
Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC), which is co-leading the Smart School
project with MOE.
MOE also launched
EduWebTV.com under the wave 3 milestone , so students from both rural and urban
schools can see good teachers speak on difficult topics. “We have eight
channels with more than 1900 videos that children, parents and teachers can
access for free. If we find a topic particularly tricky, we get a teacher who
specialises in that area, film the lesson and post it up on the web site,”
describes Datin Dr. Siti Zaleha Abdullah Sani, Director, Educational Technology
Division, MOE. EduWebTV.com has clocked 22 million hits since it started in
March 2008.
Other than that MOE has
implement Smart Schools Qualification System (SSQS) .This system function to
monitor the using of ICT in the schools because in recent years, focus has
shifted from infrastructure issues to whether teacher and learner are using ICT
effectively. In SSQS schools are given Star Ranking each year based on their
performance in four areas – use of ICT, competency of end-users, adoption of
applications provided by MOE and IT infrastructure. Until October 2009 MOE has
awarded “Smart School Rating” to 7575 schools, they need to get at least 3 star
to get the Smart School Rating. Of the 7575 Smart Schools, 67 per cent are at
three-star ranking, 32 per cent at four-star and 1 per cent at five-star..
According to Dr Norrizan Razali, Senior Manager, Smart School Department a
three star rating is for schools that had used the infrastructure of ICT given
by MOE in their teaching and learning only, for them to get 4 to 5 star the
need to re-create, collaborate and share materials within themselves and with
other schools or the greater community.
CHALLENGES
AND ISSUES
As we all occur to know, when we
want to excel in something there will always be challenges and issues that will
arise before we are successful, this is the same with this smart schools
project. Since the inception of smart schools in Malaysia there are many
challenges arises and needed to overcome. In the pilot stage the challenges
that can be identified are
- Infrastructure readiness
- Connectivity
- Change management
- Parallel ICT initiatives
- Training
- Technology obsolescence
- Policies
Connectivity
problems occur is closely related to the infrastructure readiness problems,
because some of the infrastructure in the rural area still not up to standard,example
like the internet connections.This cause its effectiveness in teaching and
learning in ICT to be lowered because they doesn’t have necessary ICT tools and
proper internet connectivity.The training of theachers is also one of the
challenges because the teachers still need to be trained for them to be skilled
handling the ICT tools .Most of the teachers
in schools come from non ICT generation so they cannot handle the
teaching and learning using ICT effectively and prefer to use the conventional
ways of teaching. Ironically when the teachers dont want to use the ICT in
their teaching and learning the ICT tools will be left out and ignored.This
will lead to the technology obsolescence problem.
In 2003 there are also challanges
where the Smart School courseware was found to be under-utilised as schools
preferred to use the newer courseware produced to teach Science and Mathematics
(PPSMI) by the MoE. Since, Science and Mathematics were being taught in English
in Primary Years 1 to 3 and Secondary Forms 1 to 3, while the Smart School
courseware was in Malay Language. Teachers were also not keen on using the SS
courseware as they found usage of materials directly related to exam
preparation saved precious teaching time.
The Smart Schools Management System (SSMS) also face some difficulty to
be implemented at schools .This is because there are many system to be
implemented at once and schools found this hard to handle. Most Principals and Heads of
schools that they had problems utilising three of the SSMS component - Financial
managament , personnel management ,premises and facilities management.
Last but not least money play an important role in this Smart Schools
project. Government has invest large amount of money in implementing Smart
Schools in Malaysia.From the infrastructure to workers its all need to be
paid.The MOE has faced a challanges in maintaining this smart schools project
for it to work out effectively if not all the government hard work will be
thrown out in vain.
REFRENCES
1. Tony Pua. (2006, June).Smart Schools Audit. Retreived October
8, 2012, from http://educationmalaysia.blogspot.com/2006/06/smart-schools-audit.html
2. Kelly Ng. (2010,April).MAKING MALAYSIA'S SCHOOLS SMARTER.Retreived
October 8,2012, from http://www.futuregov.asia/articles/2010/apr/30/making-malaysia-schools-smarter/
3.(2005, October).The Smart School Road map 2005-2020:An Educational Odyssey. Retrieved
October 10, 2012 from http://www.slideshare.net/mariating/smart-school-roadmap
4.(2007). Smart School Project in CLM
Countries. Retrieved October
6,2012, from http://www.msc.com.my/smartschool/events/clmv.asp
5.(2008). All About Smart Schools. Retrieved October 6 , 2012, from http://www.msc.com.my/topic/About+Smart+School
PBl Report Issues and Challenges in ICT
PBL REPORT
PROBLEM STATEMENT:
ICT application have become an important part of teaching and learning.
The Ministry of Education has invested a huge efforts in terms of funding and
training to equips teacher and students with ICT skills. In your opinion, what
are the issues and challenges in integrating ICT in teaching and learning in
our Malaysian schools.
FILA CHART:
Facts
|
Idea
|
Learning Issue
|
Action Plan
|
1.
The government has started integrating ICT in teaching and learning in
Malaysian school long time ago.
2.
Nowadays, ICT application has become one of the main important thing in the
teaching and learning session in schools.
3.
The government has use a lot of money to prepared the teachers and the
students, so that they will have appropriate ICT skills.
4.
There are
a lot of issues that arises when the government implemented an ICT
application in Malaysian schools.
5.
Even though, this ICT application has a lot of benefits, there are many challenges in integrating ICT in teaching and
learning in our Malaysian schools.
|
1. Teachers lack skills and knowledge about ICT application.
2. ICT application helps the teachers to
deliver the knowledge effectively in more attractive way.
3. The Ministry Of Education should take
an appropriate steps to solved any problem regarding the implementation of
ICT application in schools.
|
1.
What are the importance’s of ICT application in teaching and learning?
2.
How to improve teachers skill in using ICT especially in the classroom?
3.
What are the issues that arises when the government want to integrate ICT
application in school?
4.
What is the challenges and effect in using ICT as a medium of teaching and
learning in the school?
|
1. Refer to the books in the library to find any information that related
about issues and challenges
in integrating ICT in teaching and learning in our Malaysian schools.
2. Refer to previous tesis, journal or articles regarding on this
topic.
3. By searching an information in the internet sources.
|
SYNTHESIZE PHASE:
ICT is an acronym that stands
for Information Communications Technology. ICT education is
basically government’s efforts to teach its current and emerging citizens a
valuable knowledge and skills around computing and communications devices,
software that operates them, applications that run on them and systems that are
built with them. The main aim of ICT in education means
implementing of ICT equipment and tools in teaching and learning process as a
media and methodology. The purpose of ICT in education is generally to
familiarize students with the use and workings of computers, and related social
and ethical issues.
The
use of ICT in teaching and learning provides opportunities for students to
learn effectively with minimal guidance. ICT act as a tools in helping teacher
during class lessons and also tools for students to perform independent
learning and exploration. Using ICT would enhance students'
understanding of a concept through imagination and simulation. The use of
graphics, illustrations, and what form of a diagram can be used to increase the
effectiveness of learning. In other words, teachers can deliver knowledge more easily and
interesting through the available programs on ICT’s tools.
Besides,
ICT also can become tools to enable the student to access information which
hard to come by. Before the revolution of education by using ICT, students face
difficulty in obtaining the references and information about their course and
assignment because the information in our country is limited and the sources
for that information are hard to find. Limited of information cause the
students to spend more time, energy and
money just to find the reference by searching the materials in the libraries
throughout Malaysia. But today we can explore a lot of information within and
outside the country only with the use of ICT as a medium of searching.
However,
one
of the issues that arise in integrating the ICT project into schools is the
lacks of informed leadership to handle this ICT projects in schools. Many
schools leaders that play in important part in carrying this ICT project into
their schools fail to have the required skills and understanding of the ICT to
implement this ICT in education at their schools. Therefore they struggle to
build both human and technical resources’ necessary to achieve the ICT outcomes
in their schools.
Another issue that arise in
integrating ICT in teaching and learning is the equity issue. Although the
government has spent a lot of effort in building the ICT infrastructures at the
rural area, there a still significant digital gap that exists among students in
rural and urban area. This inequalities exist because students in rural area
usually come from poor families ,low achiever, and still weak in English.
Therefore they cannot follow the teaching and learning in using ICT
efficiently. Another factor is the quality of infrastructure in rural area is
not as advanced like the urban area, example like the internet connections,
therefore the teachers in the rural area cannot fully use ICT in teaching and
this cause the teaching to be a bit ineffective.
Other than that there are also
issue where the teachers that are familiar and have adequate skills to use ICT
but they does not use them in their teaching process. The teachers prefer to
use the conventional ways of teaching by using chalk and board. They are too
attached to the old ways and feel more comfortable with it. They feel that they
can focus in what they can do best and save time because if they want to use
ICT in teaching they must learn and create many things to suite ICT ways of
teaching.
In overall, there are several challenges that our government
should overcome to ensure this programmed give a positive impacts. First of
all, a rigorous analysis of the present state of the educational system.
ICT-based interventions must take into account the current institutional
practices and arrangements. Specifically, drivers and barriers for ICT purposed
need to be identified, including those related to curriculum ,pedagogy,
infrastructure, capacity-building, language ,content, and financing
