DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY

FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS

UNIVERSITI PENDIDIKAN SULTAN IDRIS

SBI3013

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY IN BIOLOGY

SEMESTER 1 2016/2017

SMART SCHOOL

By:

NAME MATRIC GROUP

NUMBER
AISYAH NAZURAH BINTI MOHAMMAD TAMIZI D20162075554
SUZICA JOHNNY JUSIM D20162075560 B
KAMILIA BINTI SALEHUDDIN D20162075561

Lecturer:

DR AZMI BIN IBRAHIM

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Abstract

This report was written about the Smart School Program that has been launched by
our Ministry of Education Malaysia to prepare the upcoming generation to become a
competitive workforce, creative thinking, and all-around development individuals. This
report written based on our presentation that we had prepared as required by our lecturer, Dr
Azmi Bin Ibrahim. Our presentation is about the Issue and Challenge in Smart School.

In this report, there are some brief about of introduction about this Smart School
programme, which is the overview of Malaysian Smart School programme progress. Other
than that, we also input the issue and challenge in this Smart School programme and the ways
to overcome the issue and challenge.

1.0 Introduction

Nowadays, we live in the world which is undergoing the massive transformation

about as a result of the digital revolution. The effect of the transformation is very
significantly in the world education. Education is a very important part of a country because
it has role to educate young generation who are responsible for the countrys future
developments. Education in Malaysia is an on-going effort towards to further developing the
potential 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.

Therefore, our government take serious about the information technologies is the one
of important part in to develop our country. So that, government put their concerns and efforts
into education sector to obtain advantages from it. Then the Smart School were introduced,
the students also were encouraged to learn the Information and Communication Technologies
(ICT) in school and they are also equipped with enough facilities such as computer and
internet access in the rural area.

The Integration of ICT is does not just only give benefit during teaching and learning process.
This new technologies have created a opportunities learning that challenges traditional
schools. Besides that, this ICT also can assist teachers to overcome the obstacle and become
successful technology user. Students also can increase knowledge about this ICT and apply
the 21st century skills.

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 i. Background of Malaysia Smart School

Smart school in Malaysia was launched in 1999. The Ministry of Education Malaysia
(1997) defined Malaysian Smart School or locally known as Sekolah Bestari as a learning
institution that has been systematically reinvented in terms of teachinglearning practices
where school management prepare children for the Information Age as well as to promote the
goals of the National Philosophy of Education. It is the 7th shift in the recent Malaysia
Education Blueprint (2013 2025), which states the Ministrys intention in leveraging ICT to
scale up quality learning across Malaysia. It acts as a platform for the Ministry of Education
to produce a technologically literate, critically thinking work force, which is prepared to
participate fully in the global economy of the 21st century (Ghavifekr & Mohammed Sani,
2015). It also acts as a spur to achieve the Malaysians Vision 2020 to make Malaysia a leader
in information and communications technology internationally. The Ministry also intends to
expand 1Bestari (WiFi) to all schools.

The Smart School project was built based on international best practices in both the
primary and secondary education (Ministry of Education, 1997). Besides that, the Malaysian
Ministry of Education is encouraging other schools to equip themselves with appropriate
levels of technology according to their means and capacities. Schools are encouraged on their
own initiative to seek assistance from various stakeholders, parents, community and private
sector organizations as the Ministry of Education can only provide technology to schools in
stages (Ghavifekr, 2012; Khalid Abdullah, 2009). Under the Smart School project, about
8,000 schools will be equipped with computer facilities by the end of 2005. By 2010, it is
projected that about 10,000 primary and secondary schools will have computer facilities.
More schools will obtain computers with Internet connection and teachers will be encouraged
to use them in their classroom teaching (MoE, 1997). In 2004, Malaysia had more than 4000
schools with computer laboratories and two years later about 9,200 schools had been
equipped with broadband Internet access (MoE, 2006).

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 ii. What is Smart School?

The smart school can be defined a learning institution that has been systematically
reinvented in terms of teaching-learning practices and school management in order to prepare
students to cope and leverage on the Information Age. The teaching and learning environment
comprises four components:

1. Curriculum Designed to help students achieve overall and balanced

development
Integration of knowledge, skills, values and correct use of
language across the curriculum
Intended learning outcomes explicitly stated for different
levels of the abilities, ensuring all students gain equal access
to quality learning, and allowing for self-paced learning
across grades.
Multidisciplinary, thematic, and continuous across learning
areas
Integration of knowledge, skills, and attitude suitable for
information age.
2.Pedadogy Appropriate mix of learning strategies to ensure mastery of
basic competencies and promotion of holistic development
- Encouragement of learning activities to promote
creativity and experimentation with content-independent
subjects while maintaining sufficient rigour in content
dependent subjects
- Overall, trend towards student-centre learning activities
with increase in age and maturity
Allowing for individual differences inn learning styles to
boost performance
The classroom atmosphere is compatible with different
teaching-learning strategies
3.Assessment This scope in Smart School is holistic in that it covers not
only achievements but also readiness, progress and aptitude.
Such an approach will give various information regarding
the students style and abilities.
- For example, the assessment system will be online.
Online assessment means that the items for smart
assessment will be stored in computerized item bank and
be made available to users on terminal through
networking.
The integration of technology as a tool to facilitate
assessment will create a climate here assessment can be
provided for each students virtually on demand. With item

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4. Teaching and
learning materials
banks and networking, teacher, students, assessments worker
can be engage in assessment activities whenever they are
ready.
Assessment will be inducted in various forms which is
classroom assessment, school based assessment and
centralized assessment because to allow different
demonstrations of strength, abilities and knowledge.
Meets curricular and instructional needs, cost effective, as
well as cosmetically and technically adequate
Cognitively challenging, attractive, motivates students to
learn, and encourages active participation.
Combines the best of network-based, teacher based and
courseware materials.

iii. Technology enabler

Technology has many roles to play in Smart School. In order to prepare

facilities teaching and learning activities to assisting with school might include
the following :
- The classrooms with multimedia courseware and presentation facilities
eg.projector,speaker,microphone, computer etc, and e-mail or groupware for
collaborative work.
- Library/Media centre with database centre for multimedia courseware, and
network resources like access to the internet.
- Multimedia Development Centre with tools for creating multimedia materials and
catering to varying levels of sophistication
- Administration Offices capable of managing database of students and facilities,
tracking students and teachers performance or resources, and distributing notices
and other information electronically.
- Server Room equipped to handle applications, management databases, and web
servers to provide security and telecommunications interface and access to
network resources.
- Computer laboratory for teaching , such as Computer Studies as a subject, and
readily accessible multimedia and audiovisual equipment
- Studio with a control room for centralized audiovisual equipment, video
conferencing studio, professional networking tools, such as e-mail and groupware.

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 iv. Initiative of Smart School

The Malaysian Smart School was initiated about 18 years ago as the technology revolution
also introduced in the country. In order to keep up the changing world of technology, there is
some efforts need to start with the young generation with more holistic information about
technology. The Malaysian Smart School initiative has five main goals which is focus on
need to develop a skilled work force for the Information Age and to promote the goals of
National Philosophy Education:

1. Produce a thinking and technology-literate workforce

2. Democratise education
3. Increase participant of stakeholders
4. Provide opportunities to enhance individual strengths and abilities
5. Provide all-around development of individual ( Intellectual, Physical, emotional,
spiritual)

v. There are four of Implementation waves in the Malaysian Smart School:

Wave 1 Pilot phase (1922-2002)

88 school nationwide selected
Divided to 2 phases: Pilot Project phase and a broad roll-out
phase.

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 87 Pilot schools were involved in the Pilot Project phase.
Experienced 3 models of technology.
-Computer laboratory model (Level B), a limited classroom
model (Level B+), and a full classroom model (Level A)
Wave 2 Post-Pilot (2002-2005)
Massive computerization phase to all 10 000 schools
Monitoring and corrective action key in attaining target
Information and Communication Technology as a key enabler
for learning
Further enhancement of Management System utilization
Wave 3 Making All Smart School( 2005-2010)
Leveraging all ICT initiatives
Strategic Roadmap
Roadmap-roles of different stakeholders and customer
School, Community, Ministry of Education, state and industry
stakeholders.
Wave 4 Consolidate and Stabilize( 2010-2020)
Innovative practices using ICT enculturated
Present opportunities for the advancement of the smart School
applications being implemented in schools.
Applications of the Smart School and other ICT initiatives
would have converged into effective Smart School solution
By 2020, the teaching- learning scenario could be very much
different from the one we have today.

2.0 Issues in Integrating in Teaching and Learning in Malaysian School

2.1 Teachers attitude

A teacher or an educator is a person who helps others to acquire knowledge,

competences or values. Teachers may provide instruction in literacy and numeracy,
craftsmanship or vocational training, the arts, religion, civics, community roles, or life
skills. To become a teacher in the 21 st century, they should equip their skills with the
knowledge of how to use technologies in their teaching.

The negative attitude of teachers is a challenge that must be faced by the

Ministry of Education. The teachers in school usually more prefer the traditional way
to teach in the classroom and they are not ready to change their mind set, using the
computer is waste of time. They think it is waste of time maybe because the processor
takes longer time and slow when they use the software in school or they do not have
to do any preparation to run their teaching if they are still using the white board and

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 text book. They are also lack of ICT knowledge and exposure in using technology. It
is a burden for the teachers to implement their teaching using the technologies that
were provided to them.

2.2 Students attitude

The greatest issues itself is the students. Students nowadays are passive. They only
learn the things that were taught in the classroom. They hope every material is
provided by their teacher. Students are unknowledgeable and not well informed in
technology and ICT especially in rural areas. As the result, lots of computers broke
down because the students do not know the correct way to use it. For example, they
turn off the plug without shut down the computers. Although the action look simple, it
brings a greater effect in broke down the computers.

When the students are first introduced with the computer and ICT, they
probably know how to play the games in computer first than for the learning use. It is
because as we already know, students love to play the games. They are secretly
playing the games when the teacher gives them an ample time to do their homework
via computer. Some of the students are also prefer to learn in traditional way. They
feel that learning process using the whiteboard or blackboard is more effective and
easy. Hence, the government, Ministry of Education, teachers and also the parents
must work together to make the Smart School implement.

3.0 Challenge in Integrating in Teaching and Learning in Malaysian School

3.1 Finance

In implementation of smart school, the main emphasis that should be given by the
school administration is managing the resources wisely. This is important to make
sure that school and infrastructure can well-organized. Integrating ICT into teaching
and learning is a complex process and may encounter a number of difficulties and
challenges that the Ministry of Education will need to focus on to drive the education
system forward towards a virtual school environment where digital content will be the
norm. . Not to forget the cost and maintenance fees for the facilities are high and in
rural area, not all parents and students can afford it. To overcome this problem, the
government should give more budgets to the Ministry of Education to maintain and
provide the equipment for all school in Malaysia.

3.2 Lack of facility

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Such will include lack of technological infrastructure and teaching materials in school
especially in rural area. The limited internet connection and not update to date system
will affect the learning process such as it will make the students loss their interest as
they think it is too complex and hard because some of the newer courseware provided
to the school cannot be used on the older computer. The shortage of computers also
occurs. Some of the students may not use the computer and because of it, the students
might not understand what the teachers want them to learn. The continuous upgrading
of infrastructure need to be concern and take action as the technology and information
of the world is upgrading and increase from time to time

3.3 Lack of ICT technical support

A lot of school in Malaysia lack of people who knows ICT very well. Teachers do not
usually have much knowledge or training in the use of IT except the teachers who was
major in IT during their university time. Reece and Walker (2006) emphasise the point
that with this lack of training comes lack of confidence which can effects the
effectiveness of the lesson. Delay on lessons and events can be delayed if no one
unable to do anything if the equipment and software have problems. Schools need a
good technician to overcome this problem.

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4.0 Conclusion

In order to make this Smart School Programme becomes reality, the issues and challenges
need to be taken care to ensure this programme succeed. Based on the challenges which have
to be faces by this Smart School Programme, all party strength are needed in order to
approach this problem. Every party must plays their roles in order to educate our Malaysian
citizens and give exposure to them about this Smart School Programme. One of the solutions
is by organizing a campaign about this Smart School Programme. This campaign should be
taken part from all parties by having target delivery people. They can use the technology as a
medium to educate Malaysian about this programme such via the mobile phone, radio,
television, magazines, advertisement, pamphlet and others. Through the campaign, we hope
people will learn and know how to implement the technologies in teaching and learning
through the technologies.

The ministry of education need to provide a lot of seminars for the teachers especially
for the teachers who have been in teaching line in a long time to know how to implement
their teaching via technologies. The teacher needs to be a careful mix of intensive training
and counselling to help teachers adapt to the new environment Nowadays, a lot of newer
teacher knows how to use technologies but didnt use it in their teaching because it takes a
long time just to open the computer. In order to avoid, this problem arise, the school should
replace, upgrade the computer and provided better coordination between the various agencies
involved in the smart school. Newer computer take a short time to open it. The teachers also
need to make a lesson plans in advance such as book the laboratory computer in early date.
Thinking through projects and owning a personal calendar can help in this kind of situations.

To overcome the students issues, the teachers should implement their teaching with a
lot of games as it is equivalent to the 21st century education such as fast furious game where
the students need to be fast enough to solve problems that have been given by the teachers.
Students have become accustomed to new technologies and are always eager to learn new
skills and discover fun activities. CCTV is needed to be installed in the computer laboratory
to ensure the students do not play during learning process. Lastly, each school need to have a
system integration engineer who has a broad range of skills including software and hardware
engineering and interface protocols.

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 In conclusion, there are others strategies that can be used to ensure that this Smart
School Programme can achieve its vision and target. Therefore, all parties whether
government and non-government institutions should play their role so that our education
system especially in terms of teaching and learning process using ICT can be succeed.

5.0 Reference

Kamarudin Husin, Siti Hajar Abdul Aziz. (2004) Pedagogi Asas Pendidikan. Kuala Lumpur.

Kazayano Enterprise

Allan Collins, Richards Haverson (2012). Rethinking Education in the Age of Tachnology :

The Digital Revolution and the Schools. Retrieved from

http://llk,media.mit.edu/courses/readings/Collins-Rethinking-.pdf.

Hadi Salehi and Zeinab Slehi. (2012). Challenges for Using ICT in Education: Teachers

Insights, 2(1). Retrieved from

http://www.ijeeee.org/Papers/078-Z00061F10037.pdf

Simin Ghavifekr, Ahmad Zbidi Abd Razak, Muhammad Faizal A. Ghani, Ng Yan Ran,

Yao Meixi et al. (ND). ICT Integration in Education: Incorporation for Teaching and

Learning Improvement, 2(2). 24-44. Retrieved from:

http://www.mojet.net/articles/pdf/v02i02/v02-102-03.pdf.

Victoria L. Tinio (ND). ICT in Education. 1-32. Retrieved from :

http://www.saigontre.com/FDFiles/ICT_in_Education.PDF

Bahagian Teknologi Pendidikan Malaysia. The Malaysian Smart School. Retrieved from:

http://www.jaet.jp/katudou/seminar_ict/Malaysia.pdf

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