SMART SCHOOL IN MALAYSIA
Introduction
One of the seven applications identified
under the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) was introduced the Smart School
Flagship. The concept of the Smart School based on the creative teaching and
learning processes. Technology will become important guiding principle of the
Smart School. Through the Smart School, teaching and learning processes become
more systematic and improvement the school management processes. The Smart
School also exposes their student in practice self-accessed and self-directed
learning at their own learning pace.
The objectives of Smart School are to jumpstart the MSC toward and to
prepare the citizens for the information age through an innovative education
delivery process. Based on the MSC towards, propose of create Smart School are
to build a knowledge-based economy among community, contributing the growth of
the ICT industry and creating a pool of talent resulting in high-value job
creation.
The Smart School application gives benefits of technology to the
teachers, students and administrators. The most important benefits that
students will get is they will familiar with the ICT world for example in using
tools such as computers, scanners, printers, and video at earlier stage in
life.
Overview
of the Progress of Smart School
The
Smart School Flagship was one of the seven applications identified under the
Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC). The propose of Smart School are to produce the
creation of high- value jobs in the country and improving national
productivity. The Smart School was launched in July 1997 by Tun Dr Mahathir
Mohamad, the Prime Minister of Malaysia at that time. There are four waves of
the Smart School implementation plan, wave 1-The Pilot (1999-2002), wave 2- The
Post-Pilot (2002-2005), wave 3- Making All Schools Smart (2005-2010) and wave
4- Consolidate and Stabilise (2010-2020). The Pilot Wave and the Post-Pilot
Wave were focused on identifying measures to correct any problem that may rise
before the Smart School is rolled out too all school in Malaysia. At the end of
2010, all schools in Malaysia will be smart school. And the wave 4 began since
1 January 2011.
The Smart School implementation
contains two phases according to The Conceptual Blueprint, a Pilot Project
phase and a broad roll-out phase. In the Pilot Project phase, there are 87
Pilot schools ware involved. Computer laboratory model, a limited classroom
model and a full classroom model were the three methods of technology that used
in the Pilot Project phase. The findings of the Pilot Project were used by the
Ministry of Education to prepare a Master Plan to ensure that all schools in
the country become smart school by the year 2010. For the broad roll-out phase,
the Government of Malaysia is expected to play the role in conducting Smart
School project like prepare the guidelines and provide the basic facilities to
school based on their needed and actively encourage all schools to become Smart
School on their own initiative by using their own financial resources and
expertise. The Pilot Project period was hugely subsumed by development
activities for application, installation, testing and integration. As a result,
the actual usage of the total solution was not fully realized until early 2003
when the complete Smart School Integrated Solution (SSIS) was deployed and
accessed by users.
In wave 2- the Post-Pilot, the
ICT-enabled teaching of Science and Mathematics in English (PPSMI) was
introduced as several enhancement efforts to expand the role of ICT in
Malaysian schools. The government’s school computerization project aimed at
equipping all schools with PCs and a computer lab, and the SchoolNet project
which provides connectivity to all schools. With the PPSMI, the SSIS must make
the transition to English for Science and Mahematics teaching. The combination
of PPSMI and SSIS will produce strengthen teaching-learning in classroom
because PPSMI produce teaching courseware and SSIS produce learning courseware.
The Smart School Management System (SSMS) was improving the user-friendly
aspects and steps also be taken to integrate parallel efforts such as the
PPSMI, the school computerization program and the SchoolNet project.
The MoE has developed a visionary plan
to ‘make all or minimum 10000 schools smart by 2010’. Between 2006 and 2010,
there are more activities that focused on ensuring that all schools are
equipped with the basic requirement such as hardware, courseware and training
for the implementation of the Smart School. The period between 2006 and 2010
also see the culture of using ICT for teaching, learning, and management more
visible. As the result, the right policies in place having along with a good
supporting infrastructure, courseware, training and the on-going change
management procedures. The period between 2010 and 2020 will present
opportunities for the advancement of the Smart School applications being
implemented in schools.
Teaching and
Learning Components In Smart School
The main components in Malaysian SS is that the management and the
administration which are associated with four domain; skills, processes,
policies and technology. Underneath the main components , there is teaching and
learning which are associated to four aspects; curriculum which is designed to
help students achieve overall and balanced development; pedagogy which allows
for appropriate mix of learning strategies to ensure mastery of basic
competencies and promotion of holistic development; assessment which is
designed to give accurate feedback of students readiness, progress, achievement
and aptitude; and materials which is cognitively challenging and motivating by
combining the best of network-based, teacher-based and courseware materials(Kementerian
Pelajaran Malaysia). SS also have main goals which focus on the need to develop
a skilled work force for the Information Age and also to promote goals of
National Philosophy of Education:
1.
Provide
all-round development of the individual.
2.
Provide
opportunites to enhance individual strenghts abd abilities.
3.
Increase
perticipation of stake holders.
4.
Democratise
education.
5.
Produce
a thinking and technology-literate workforce.
(Smart School Project Team, 1997)
In the management field, there are nine primary components;
security, school governance, students affairs, educational resources, external
resources, facilities, human resources, financial management and technology
which promote a stable and condusive SS society.
From security based, SS is guarded and secured from three prior
aspects; physical, IT and students safety. Hurley(2012) said that, a student
safety is most important, this because they are among all are the nation’s
future pillar. Therefore, SS has included the students’ safety as of their
vital point. Then, with the up-to-date and dynamic technology, the IT safety
plays an important role to ensure that the students are not using the IT
wrongly or might be deceived by those who take advantages from others weakness.
In making sure the management are in track, they also apply a firm
school governance which supervise communication management, curriculum
management, public relations, community involvement and school policy making.
Curriculum management is the teaching planner; academic based or co-curriculum
based that is monitored by specific education institution to achieve the
objective in education that is manage by the superior of the SS(Smith, 2000).
It includes skills, values, norms, and cultural values which the school are
trying to instill and practice among its members. Other than that, the
management are trying to inculcate a society-friendly members among its
students by creating broad public relations. Besides, this also help to make
the students more reliable on society tasking and this will make the community
around involve with the activity or program. This indirectly develop the
self-esteem of the students as they need to deal and communicate with people
outside the age range(Mind Tools, 2012). Lastly, the school are adhering a
school policy making which are suitable for the school with the guidelines
lined by the government. The policy are made in parallel with the situation and
condition of the school at certain circumstances.
After that, the management also supervise the students affairs of
the SS. It consists of several aspects; students profile, performance
evaluation, test administration, counseling, health and insurance. In order to
keep reach of the students, students profile are being filed from their young
age at the school until they finished schooling there(California Department of
Education, 2012). This will make it easier for teachers or whomever related to
make a reference if happen to occur something. Then, the performance evaluation
of a students are being revised from time to time to ensure an all rounded
student is nurture. Next, the students affairs also include the counseling
session, health treatment and insurance coverage. This indicates that SS are implementing
the most effective methods in making sure that the students affair are well-served.
The next components in management system are educational and
external resources. The educational resources consists of two domains that are;
resource database and input to curriculum management. Both of this are
important in making sure that the source use in teaching is right and precise.
The resource database usually are guided by the Ministry and followed by the
school. Whilst, input to curriculum management are the guided planner lined by
the Ministry and the school apply it to the students. Then, the external resources consists of two
domains; database management and liaison with external resources.
Facilities which comprise of facility scheduling, facility
maintenance, asset management, and alternative usage are also included in the
management field of SS. The next component is human resources which monitor
about teacher scheduling, hiring, promotion or transfer, vacation or sickness,
human resources skills and staff training management. This is where the welfare
of teachers and staff are being organized and arrange. Other than that, SS pays
much attention to the financial management because it is the utmost source that
would supply for the school’s appliances. The domain in this components are ; budgeting,
reporting, accounting, purchasing, project funding, long-term planning, audit
and control. Lastly is technology which consist of long-term planning, system
implementation, system maintenance, training and field support management.
Technology plays an important roles as in SS the school itself stands as a
technology-based school. Therefore, any lacking in technology would make the
system, management, administration and students in less efficient zone to
conduct teaching and learning specifically.
Next, the teaching and learning components in SS are curriculum,
pedagogy, assessment and materials. Curriculum is which it take into account
the overall development of the students. It also emphasize on the knowledge,
skills, values and language to adapt with the Information Age. Whilst, pedagogy
is a method of varied learning strategies that ensure a basis competencies and
overall development among the students. It also caters the teachers to apply
different learning styles. Last but not least, materials is where the teachers
varied the materials in teaching in order to keep up with the curriculum and
teaching-learning needs. The materials provided also need to be network-based,
teacher-based and materials-based so the teaching and learning process takes
place smoothly.
Challenges
Faced Since Inception Of Smart School In Malaysia
Since
ICT is newly introduced to our country culture especially ICT application in
education process, some of teachers experienced “techno-anxiety”. Sometime
because of simple mistake they cannot proceed their lesson and have to cancel
the classes. ICT devices also need to be
keep in certain special condition. ICT device are preferred to be keep
in cool air conditioning places, they are sensitive to places with dust, wet or
too hot. It also takes time to be repaired because there are not so many people
or maintenance which are expert with ICT devices.
ICT
taking time for class preparation. Switches, wires, projector, screen all the equipments
need to be set up before a lesson to be start. All of this preparation takes
time and the time will be wasted. Sometime students also help the teacher to
set up all those things. Other than that, the coverage of internet also not so
in good condition. Thus, waiting for internet access also can wasted the period
of a lesson.
ICT equipments expenditure is highly cost.
Government has spent 6 bilion for ICT devices in education initiative like
smart school. This one of the most intensive spended money of government for
education. Nevertheless, the usage of ICT in school in still not achieve the
satisfactory level, whether of its quality and quantity. From ministry research
2010, it meet up with about 80 percent of teachers are using ICT less than one
hour a week. From the research, it discover that only one over three students
stated their teacher are using the ICT
devices provided regularly. UNESCO (2012) state that the use of ICT among
teacher is just as an applicance as word processor.
One
more challenges of using ICT is the development of ICT knowledge in rural
areas. People in rural areas are not expose to ICT as well as people in city.
There were less teacher, less campaign to encourage them to use ICT. Less and
low coverage of internet also disturbing the teaching and learning process. So,
teacher and student in rural are still prefer to use chalk and talk methode.
The
Use Of Technology As Enablers
What is mean by ICT as enablers in teaching and
learning? ICT as enablers in teaching and learning is mean by the utilization of ICT in a well appropriate plan to increase
the efficiency of teaching and learning process. In teaching process ICT can
help to increase the teaching scope. From ICT application teachers can provide
an education which challenging the mind of student in their learning process.
ICT as tutorial for students. ICT is believed as
tutorial when it is used to convey the content of lessons based on the sequence
that has been provided in guideline. From Shahwiran Shahrani in article
Penggunaan Teknologi dan Komunikasi (ICT) dalam Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran,
tutorial education covers expository learning, demonstration of a phenomena
which is shown in a controlled sequence and provide exercises which controlled
by system. This is mean that the tutorial software covered the component of
presenting information, educating, provide exercises and assess the
achievement. Before starting the learning lessons, teacher must plan how to use
the ICT. The planning must cover the location of ICT equipment whether the
lesson conducted is in or out of the class, its utilization whether in group or
individual and the its utilization whether in or out of the class and out the
school period. Shahwiran Shahrani also stated in her writing that using ICT as
tutorial is suitable for class with big number of students which the students
have different level of intelligence. While the other student completing the
tutorial that is projected, teacher can focus to the group of weak students in
that class. Other than that, it can help teacher when they have to attend
courses. Teacher can live ICT tutorial of their subject to class representator
to project the tutorial in classes.
Next is ICT as exploration devices. What is mean by
ICT as exploration devices? ICT is very
helping to teacher and students to explore much more information from CD-ROM,
internet information portal and much more compare to the textbook content.
Student can learn and study a phenomena through simulation. Teacher and student
can access video from the internet to find source of video for them to get more
understanding for a student and to get teaching material for teacher. Learning
from simulation is one of the constructivism approach. It give students chances
to feel the real situation and this encourage student to think creative to
solve problem. Using ICT as exploration devices is suitable when a lesson need
student to solve a problem in real life, activity which related to research for
future or activity for lesson which in form of simulation. With the help of
ICT student will be more active in class
and they will more attention to lesson in class as simulation provided is
interesting and interactive to help them to get better understanding to
understand a lesson. This also encourage student towards self learning as they
are have inquiry to understand more of a lesson.
ICT as communication devices. ICT as devices to
deliver, to receive and to share information in various form of electronic
media are the example of how ICT is said as communication devices.
Communication is in form of various mode such as audio, video, grafic, text or
the combination of a few mode. How do it help in education? Teacher can ask
student to send e-mail of their homework instead of carrying heavy exercise
book of students. Student also can share information with their friend although
far distance disrupt them.
As
a conclusion, ICT implement in education was a plan which are its effect is
taking for a few years to get its result and pattern of its usage. It was a long
time planned plan. In the beginning when ICT was newly introduced many teacher
feel it hard to be used. But nowadays, ICT are not the problem in teaching
learning pocess. Everyone now has at least now the basic skill to use ICT. ICT
in smart school has its pro and contra . All the problems can be solved now as
many access to how maintainnce the ICT devices.
