Stepping up tech efforts

SHIFT Seven of the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 aspires to “leverage ICT to scale up quality learning across Malaysia”.

In line with this aspiration, the Education Ministry is stepping up efforts to integrate technology into the daily classroom teaching and learning.

In this exciting and challenging time, school leaders and administrators, teachers, students, parents and the community have their respective roles to play to ensure the success of this Information-Communication-Technology (ICT) initiative.

I learned with interest that a Technology Implementation Matrix (TIM) has been mapped out, with one axis depicting “Characteristics of the Learning Environment” and another “Level of Technology Integration into the Curriculum”.

With five levels of Technology Integration, ranging from Entry, Adoption, Adaptation, and Infusion to Transformation and five Environment Characteristics from Active, Collaborative, Constructive, and Authentic to Goal Directed, there are altogether 25 correlated cells.

Accordingly, Tables of Descriptors (roles and responsibilities) for teachers, students as well as instructional settings respectively are formulated with each table containing 25 cells.

This means that teachers and students know clearly what they need to do and achieve in specific learning settings in order to reach the anticipated level of technology integration in their curriculum pursuit.

Of immediate concern are the prevailing learning environment and the availability of technology hardware and software in most schools. Misconceptions, shortcomings and unbelief that lead to resistance have to be addressed before a firm foundation can be laid for a full-fledged launch of technology integration into classroom teaching and learning.

First, the mindset that the setting up technology-based teaching aids is tedious needs to go. A multimedia approach to teaching generates greater interest and enthusiasm in learners. When properly executed, it makes a difficult lesson easier to understand. The approach also encourages active participation by learners, thereby eliminating classroom boredom and extends learners’ attention span. These benefits make whatever additional preparatory works worthwhile and satisfying. Moreover, with practice, patience and experience, setting up a multimedia lesson presentation will soon become second nature, or even enjoyable. Hence, all “traditional” teachers must have a transformation of their mindsets. As they say, “the message can be the same, the method has to be changed”.

Second, teachers, parents and students should be more far-sighted and look beyond just exam results. No doubt, teachers are saying they are already very hard pressed for time to complete the required syllabuses and all forms of trial exams.

Our examination system is undergoing transformation changes, with more of them heading towards being more school-based. As questions are going to be more varied and challenging, students will need to be creative, innovative and critical in order to do well. Examination questions will see changes in their format and time allocation to accommodate these new initiatives. In this regard, technology integrated teaching and learning will best prepare students for the new challenges.

Third, the premise that TIE will incur great cost and expenditures must be challenged. While the Education Ministry will ensure that every school will eventually be equipped with the basic and necessary ICT infrastructure including software, it is the school that will ensure that each and every of its classes has adequate and effective access to these facilities.

Here lie the roles of school leaders and administrators, the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) and the community at large.

They should strive to help spruce up the school ICT capacity and capability. With the right attitude and approach, the sky is the limit. This has been proven by some of the more active schools and PTAs. The school can tap on the professional skills and knowledge available from parents, the local private sectors and community members.

These experts can sit in special committees the school set up to help advise, initiate, manage and supervise some of the ICT-based projects. There is just so much a school head and his/her team of administrators can deliver. For more fruitful results, they need to reach out to their community. This incidentally is also the thrust of Shift Nine of the Blueprint that invites schools to “Partner with parents, community, and private sector at scale”.

TIE demands a wholesome and holistic approach even at its onset. By doing it right, students will have a most conducive learning environment, and an enjoyable schooling experiences that will also prepare them for their next level of study and future life challenges.