Issue and Challenges in Integrating ICT in Teaching and Learning in Our Malaysian School

ICT applications have become an important part of teaching and learning. The Ministry of Education has invested a huge effort in terms of funding and training to equip teachers and students with ICT skills. In your opinion, what are the issues and challenges in integrating ICT in teaching and learning in our Malaysian schools.

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) have created a new global economy “powered by technology, fuelled by information and driven by knowledge”. This globalization and these technologies changes has bring a significant impact on the education sector or institutions worldwide including Malaysia. Regarding to this phenomenon the Malaysia Ministry of Education has put so much effort in funding, training the teachers and students as well as the schools to equip them with ICT skills and appliances. There is no doubt to say that ICT have a lot of benefits in helping our education system to be more effective as the modernization of other developed countries. However, does ICT really affect the traditional system of teaching and learning?

            There are many issues have been raised regarding the implementation of ICT in teaching and learning in our Malaysian’s school. An ICT role give us advantages for example, update pedagogical approaches to e-learning and teaching and offers access to a lot of data and information, and thus can create a new interesting way of learning. Although ICT provides many benefits, but the total cost to be incurred is just too much. Not all the schools in Malaysia have all the ICT appliances and not all students especially from rural area can afford to buy themselves a laptop. Therefore, this case should be discussed further, so that we can implement ICT without worrying how much it cost.

            Teaching and learning with ICT became a complex process due to the many barrier appear. The barrier can be divided into two categories that is extrinsic and intrinsic barrier. First barrier that face by the student and teacher are lack of confident. Other than that, the most barriers are lack of effective training for teacher. Some of the teacher may not expose using ICT in the classroom especially the veteran teachers. So they may face some problem when using ICT in the classroom environment. Students will have not much time to learn when ICT were used in the classroom. This due to the lack of time when deal with technologies.

ICT are nowadays spread widely all over the world including in rural area. This is because, to make sure that rural people follow the development of the technologies. ICT can make student in rural area increase their knowledge faster and easier than before. ICT also help the education system in rural area became more systematic and bring good quality in rural school.  However, the implementation of ICT in rural area was not that successful. This is because most of the students from that area are not well prepared with the knowledge of ICT. They are not exposed to the uses of ICT in their daily life compared to the students in the urban area. In addition, some of the rural area is not well equip with the internet connection browsing, so they cannot search any information or gain another source of knowledge through internet.

Although there are some of the barrier and problem but ICT can prepare our children for successful lives and carriers in an increasingly technological world. Malaysia’s National Philosophy of Education calls for “developing the potential of individuals in a holistic and integrated manner, so as to produce individuals who are intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, and physically balanced and harmonious.” From the intellectual aspect, ICT helped to fulfil the education philosophy. One of the government efforts to achieve the education philosophy is “Smart School”. The Malaysian Smart School aim is to capitalize on leading-edge technologies and rapid deployment of the MSC’s infrastructure to jump start deployment of enabling technology to school. So if we looked at the good side of implementing ICT in all Malaysian schools, we can precisely predicted that there will be many benefit for both teacher and learner when use ICT. The uses of ICT will enhance the learning experience for students, helping them to think and communicate creatively.

FILA CHART

Facts	Ideas	Learning Issues	Action
·         The application of ICT in teaching and learning ·         The Ministry of Education has been put a lot of effort ·         The funds and training are be given to teachers and students to equip them with ICT skills.	·         ICT has been well-known as one of the important technology in world wide. ·         A new global economy “powered by technology” has created ·         ICT used to facilitate the teaching and learning process effectively ·         The use of ICT will help Malaysia be on par with other developed countries. ·         Implementation of ICT in Malaysia will help to achieve the goal of education philosophy. ·         Raise educational system quality. ·         Produce teachers and students who are qualified and skilled in ICT	·         What is ICT? ·         What are the roles of ICT in education system? ·         How much does will it cost by implementing ICT in Malaysia’s education? ·         What are the challenges that teachers and students will face in using ICT? ·         How does ICT will help the students from the rural area? ·         Does ICT enhanced learning effectively works? ·         How to help or train the teachers to have ICT skills in order to create an effective learning environment? ·         How ICT can create a new, open learning environment? ·         Does ICT can help to achieve the philosophy of education’s goal?	·         Read and analyse related books and journals. ·         Find related sources from the internet. ·         Form a group discussion and discuss on the topic.

References

Chan, Foong-Mae. ICT in Malaysian Schools: Policy and Strategies. Retrieved from http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/apcity/unpan011288.pdf on 29 September 2012 

John Lee (2009). Properly using the ICT in the classroom. Retrieved from http://educationmalaysia.blogspot.com/2009/02/properly-using-ict-in-classroom.html  on Sept 29, 2012.

Policy and on ict in education Malaysia. Retrieved from http://www.mscmalaysia.my/sites/default/files/pdf/publications_references/Policy%20on%20ICT%20in%20Education%20Malaysia%202010.pdf  on 27 September 2012.

Role of ICT in learning. Retrieved from http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/usingglowandict/roleofictinlearning.asp  on Sept 29, 2012.

Sadiah Baharom (2011). Teach and learn science through PBL: A teaching and learning resource for PBL in teacher  education. Tanjung Malim, Perak : Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris.