UNIVERSITI PENDIDIKAN SULTAN IDRIS

TBC 3013 INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION

TECHNOLOGY IN BIOLOGY
PBL : MALAYSIAN SMART SCHOOL

NO. NAME MATRIC NO.

1. WAN MASTURAH BT WAN MAD MOHTAR D20081032356
2. SITI NORISWANA BT SAFIAI D20081032385
3. SUZIATI BT IBRAHIM D20081032364
4. RAJA NUR AIMI BT RAJA IBRAHIM D20081032328

LECTURER’S NAME: PROF DR SOPIA MD YASSIN

GROUP :A
Content Analysis- PBL

Problem Senario

Malaysian Smart School

In 1996, Malaysia identified information and communication technology (ICT) as one of

the key foundations for its projected transition from a production-based economy to a
knowledge-based economy by 2020. The Smart Schools initiative is one of the flagship
applications that are part of Malaysia aims to capitalize on the presence of a leading-edge
technologies and the rapid development of the MSC’s infrastructure to jump-start deployment of
enabling technology to schools. This was done by creating a group of 90 pilot Smart Schools in
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 primary and secondary schools in
Malaysia will be Smart Schools.

As a senior officer from the Ministry of Education, prepare a presentation to a group of

science teachers from Brunei who is interested to know about the Smart Schools initiatives,
focusing on the teaching learning component and the use of technology as enablers contained in
the Smart School Concept. You also need to provide an overview of the progress made so far and
challenges faced since the inception of Smart Schools in Malaysia.
File chart

FACTS IDEAS ISSUES ACTION

Malaysia government Malaysia wants to be What is the Smart Search in internet

aims to capitilise developing nation. School concept?
technologies

ICT change P-economy The use ICT during In what ways are Search in internet
to K-economy teaching and learning. ICT is apply in
learning and
learning?

Primary and secondary To produce a new What are the Search in internet
school in Malaysia will generation which are advantages of using
be smart school. ICT literate. ICT as enabler?

The government creates All schools are What is the progress Search in internet
a group of 90 pilot smart equipped with of Smart School
school in 1999. computer lab. since its inception?

Smart Schools initiative Educate pupils to be What kind of Search in internet

is the flagship lifelong learners. support did Ministry
application. of Education
provided to the
school?

A group of Science What were the Search in internet

teachers from Brunei challenges and
interested to know about problems and how
Smart School concept on they were
teaching learning overcome?
component and the use
of technology.

How many Search in internet

components are
there in Smart
School concept?

Why Smart School Search in internet

was introduced?

Essay: The Challenges and Problems and How They Were Overcome The Problems.
 Since inception of Smart Schools in Malaysia, there are some issue and challenge in
integrating ICT in teaching and learning. One of the challenges is lacking of ICT skill among
teachers. Most of the teachers are phobic to use the computer and others technologies in
conducting teaching and learning session. They are not confident when in applying and
integrating ICT in teaching process. They worry that they will unable to cope when something
goes wrong. They are also not confidence about their ability to cope with unreliable hardware
and software. This situation will not be happened if they make some preparation before teaching.
Most of the teachers also do not have the good quality training in process to develop their skill
using ICT in teaching. Besides, in other case teachers actually have basic ICT competence but
they do not feel competence to use ICT as a core teaching medium. Thus when they are not more
practicing, they will forgot what they are learning before. The teachers also rely heavily on their
colleagues, including librarian and technician to help them keep up to date with ICT. But when
they are too rely on them, they are not develop their skill. They have to try by themselves and
believe that they are able to use it without depends on the others.

There are many ways to overcome which provides the good quality training for the
teachers that do not have basic computing. The teachers should attend the course to get the new
knowledge about ICT. The training must be included the plenty of help and guidance and the
trainer must be a good and experienced trainer. The training course should give them chance to
explore more about ICT. From the training, the teachers will know about how to apply the
knowledge that they are learning from the course within curriculum. Other than that, the
government should provide more computer technician to every school. So, the teachers can ask
them for help if they have any problem in handling ICT in teaching process. Other than that, the
colleagues must give them support and do not look down to them.

The next challenges and problems that we have to face in introducing Smart School
concept on teaching learning component and the use of technology is abuse of ICT. ICT do have
many great benefit but it also comes with great problem too especially when the pupils have use
ICT for wrong purpose. For example in class, the students tend to find improper information in
class instead of looking the information for their studies. This had always happening in class
where there is a computer for each student in the class. They will find information such as sex
videos, pornography and violence videos. When they watch such videos and pictures, they will
tend to imitate the action that they saw. The students are in the age range where they cannot
really make the best decision for themselves. They know that what they do was wrong but they
still do it because they do not understand the consequences of watching this kind of things. They
only think about enjoyment and how to have fun. When these students try out the bad thing that
they learn from internet, social and violence problem will arise. School will face many problems
because of this.

There is some way that can help overcome the abuse of ICT among students. First is by
parent guidance. Parents should teach and advise their children not to use ICT for improper
things. They must make sure that their children know which action is right to do and vice versa.
By this way, student will decide the best and right thing to do when they use ICT. Second way to
overcome abuse of ICT among students is by teacher monitoring students during classes to make
sure that the students do not do something other than their study using ICT. Usually in school, all
pages that been opened in students’ computer will be recorded and always monitored by teacher.
Of course it is impossible for both parents and teacher to monitor the students all the time but
they can install the porn blocking software into the computer in school and home. This can avoid
the children to see all the porn even though the student has intended to do so.

Besides that, the related facilities of technologies are not enough is another issues or
challenges that must be faced. Most schools in rural area especially in Sabah and Sarawak
reported that the computer labs were not adequate in number. A number of schools did not have
enough computers for students’ use. Hardware problems related to the LAN, PCs, servers, LCD
and projectors were also reported. The integrating in teaching and learning process need enough
infrastructure like computer laboratory, apparatus that related with use of ICT, and preparation
and maintenance computer. The inefficient maintenance system of the technology in school will
cause the problem of integrating process cannot be carried out properly. The financial allocation
that is late given and not enough is one of the problems of financial that occur.

There are some problems occur in school at rural area where there have no internet
connection and electricity. Only the schools in big cities can access to ICT facilities for
education. This problem causes the students and teacher difficult to surf internet to get
information about the topic and hard to use the electronic material because have no electricity.
The way how to overcome this problem is the government should raise the annual budget
allocation for education. Then the budget is notified and planned to be allocated for the
implementation of ICT for education like providing enough facilities and also to build the lab
computer in every school for students and teachers’ use. The Government should increase its
investment to enhance the quality and quantity of telecommunication infrastructure, as well as
ICT infrastructure for education. The school must be supported by sufficient infrastructure (such
as modem, PCs, server, LCD projectors, etc) and are released from paying the cost of internet.
The government should make availability for schools to have free access to the internet.

The other problem that we are facing in progress of Smart School is financing. One of the
greatest challenges in ICT use in education is balancing educational goals with economic
realities. People always argue the rational we use ICT in teaching and learning process. This is
because they can’t see the right purpose using this ICT. Is there any differences when use the old
method rather than this. The ICTs in education programs also require large capital investments
and the developing countries need to be prudent in making decisions about what models of ICT
use will be introduced and to be conscious of maintaining economies of scale. Ultimately it is an
issue of whether the value added of ICT use offsets the cost, relative to the cost of alternatives.

Put another way, is ICT-based learning the most effective strategy for achieving the
desired educational goals, and if so what is the modality and scale of implementation that can be
supported given existing financial, human and other resources? They also confuse what ICTs as
educational tools can do, if they are used prudently, is enable developing countries to expand
access to and raise the quality of education. Prudence requires careful consideration of the
interacting issues that underpin ICT use in the school—policy and politics, infrastructure
development, human capacity, language and content, culture, equity, cost, and not least,
curriculum and pedagogy. So, actually we still do not know the accurate reason why should we
use this opportunity in educational field because some of the other country needs more financial
support to the important thing.

But there are a few ways to overcome potential sources of money and resources for ICT
use programs like the grants from the Ministry of Education. From this the rural problem can
have a change to use the ICTs. Besides, the sector-public which is the sector partnerships to
either pilot or fast track ICT-based projects is a strategy that has gained currency among
Ministries of Education in developing countries. These partnerships take many forms, including
private sector grants with government counterpart contributions, donations of equipment and
education-related content by corporations to state-run schools, and the provision of technical
assistance for planning, management, and strengthening human resources at the grassroots level.
Multilateral organizations and international aid agencies have also driven many of the most
significant ICT in education efforts in the developing world. But the financial litmus test of ICT-
based programs is survival after donor money has run out. Our citizen stay does not have a big
hand to help MoE to increase our capital. Other than that, many ICT-based education programs
funded by aid agencies or by corporations could not be sustained because government failed to
step in with the necessary financing; nor were the local communities in a position to generate the
resources needed to continue these programs.

Only in this way can educational institutions in developing countries can be more
effectively and equitably address the key needs of the population which is can help the
population as a whole respond to new challenges and opportunities created by an increasingly
global economy.