NST
Forty-seven out of 88 schools under the Smart School Flagship pilot programme have shown a marked increase in information and communication technology (ICT) use compared to the 2006 baseline rating.
By end of last year, 25 out of 47 schools attained five-star rating.
The objective of the monitoring programme is to measure the schools' progress every quarter through a key performance index survey and Smart School Qualification Standards (SSQS) guide with star ranking (from the basic one star to advance plus five star).
Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) senior manager for smart schools Dr Norrizan Razali says SSQS will evalute the success or failure of the smart school programme. It is an easily replicated model to optimise ICT use in education for the 10,000 schools in Malaysia.
"An outcome study will confirm to what extent smart schools have met the objectives," adds Norrizan.
"However, we are confident that through various programmes and with support, smart schools will be a reality," says Norrizan.
On the remaining 41 smart schools, MDeC and the ministry will be giving them full attention this year.
The 47 assessed schools will continue to be monitored. None of the 88 smart schools are in the one-star category.
The star rating is merely an indicator of the progress of a school. It is a useful monitoring tool that enables stakeholders to make relevant decisions.
There are also school-based training modules and site visits throughout this year.
On another development, the United Nations has developed new guidelines called ICT Competency Standards for Teachers to help instructors use ICT tools better.
The guidelines will be presented to education ministries from more than 100 countries to help policymakers and teacher-training developers plan the use of ICT.
Professor Dr Zoraini Wati Abas from Open University of Malaysia's Faculty of Education and Languages says the introduction of the new guidelines into Malaysia's education system is timely.
In the United States, the International Society for Technology in Education has developed standards for administrators, teachers and students and these have been adopted, adapted or referred to by more than 90 per cent of American schools.
Zoraini Wati says these guidelines are well thought out by experts and practitioners, and are based on best practices. However, the guidelines can be customised for Malaysia.
National Association of Private Education Institutions president Elajsolan Mohan says the new guidelines can significantly improve Malaysia's education system if properly implemented.
Students will be able to harness information for problem-solving, and innovate and create new knowledge.
Gurpardeep Singh of Asia Pacific University College of Technology & Innovation says Malaysia should only adopt the new guidelines, provided there is a strong focus on the learner and learning outcomes as opposed to merely enabling technologies, such as ICT.
He says ICT is primarily an enabler and may not be appropriate for all learning activities.
"We should look at technology in a broader sense. For example, knowledge of aerospace and avionics can be used to support, enhance and integrate learning in many subjects," says Gurpardeep.
Without this mindset, the use of ICT will not be effectively exploited.
Forty-seven out of 88 schools under the Smart School Flagship pilot programme have shown a marked increase in information and communication technology (ICT) use compared to the 2006 baseline rating.
By end of last year, 25 out of 47 schools attained five-star rating.
The objective of the monitoring programme is to measure the schools' progress every quarter through a key performance index survey and Smart School Qualification Standards (SSQS) guide with star ranking (from the basic one star to advance plus five star).
Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) senior manager for smart schools Dr Norrizan Razali says SSQS will evalute the success or failure of the smart school programme. It is an easily replicated model to optimise ICT use in education for the 10,000 schools in Malaysia.
"An outcome study will confirm to what extent smart schools have met the objectives," adds Norrizan.
"However, we are confident that through various programmes and with support, smart schools will be a reality," says Norrizan.
On the remaining 41 smart schools, MDeC and the ministry will be giving them full attention this year.
The 47 assessed schools will continue to be monitored. None of the 88 smart schools are in the one-star category.
The star rating is merely an indicator of the progress of a school. It is a useful monitoring tool that enables stakeholders to make relevant decisions.
There are also school-based training modules and site visits throughout this year.
On another development, the United Nations has developed new guidelines called ICT Competency Standards for Teachers to help instructors use ICT tools better.
The guidelines will be presented to education ministries from more than 100 countries to help policymakers and teacher-training developers plan the use of ICT.
Professor Dr Zoraini Wati Abas from Open University of Malaysia's Faculty of Education and Languages says the introduction of the new guidelines into Malaysia's education system is timely.
In the United States, the International Society for Technology in Education has developed standards for administrators, teachers and students and these have been adopted, adapted or referred to by more than 90 per cent of American schools.
Zoraini Wati says these guidelines are well thought out by experts and practitioners, and are based on best practices. However, the guidelines can be customised for Malaysia.
National Association of Private Education Institutions president Elajsolan Mohan says the new guidelines can significantly improve Malaysia's education system if properly implemented.
Students will be able to harness information for problem-solving, and innovate and create new knowledge.
Gurpardeep Singh of Asia Pacific University College of Technology & Innovation says Malaysia should only adopt the new guidelines, provided there is a strong focus on the learner and learning outcomes as opposed to merely enabling technologies, such as ICT.
He says ICT is primarily an enabler and may not be appropriate for all learning activities.
"We should look at technology in a broader sense. For example, knowledge of aerospace and avionics can be used to support, enhance and integrate learning in many subjects," says Gurpardeep.
Without this mindset, the use of ICT will not be effectively exploited.
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