KUALA LUMPUR: Findings from the Microsoft Asia EduTech Survey 2016, which polled close to 200 educators in the Asia Pacific, revealed that while almost all educators (96 per cent) are already influencing technology decisions in their work, nearly all of them (97 per cent) wish to do more.
They unanimously agree that technology will play a bigger role in transforming and improving education systems in the future.
The inaugural survey was conducted at the Bett Asia Leadership Summit 2015 in Singapore last November. Respondents included teachers from across all levels from preschool to postgraduate, as well as policy makers involved in education from across 18 countries in the Asia Pacific.
In brief, the survey covered the role of technology in classrooms, optimising its use and new ways of using it.
Most schools in Malaysia have adopted teaching and learning via technology as many teachers are well-equipped and readily progressing towards 21st century skills for students.
Paving the way for educators around the world to share ideas and best practices on how they can effectively use technology in education is the Microsoft Innovator Educator (MIE) Experts programme.
Aimed at self-driven educators who are passionate about their careers and with a collaborative spirit, the MIE programme was set up in 2003 to recognise global educator visionaries who use technology for better learning and student outcomes.
Every year, Microsoft selects MIE experts to take part in the Microsoft E2 Global Educator Exchange (E2), an event to showcase the amazing work of the world’s most innovative educators, giving them the chance to learn, work and celebrate with their peers.
This year, Microsoft Malaysia’s strategic partnership with the Education Ministry and Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) has reaped rewards, resulting in 113 submissions from teachers nationwide aiming to become MIE Experts.
Out of 26 shortlisted submissions, four were chosen to represent the country in Budapest, Hungary from March 8-10 at E2 2016.
Participation in the programme allows educators to build their capacity for using technology in both the classroom and curriculum to improve student learning.
The highlight of the event was the Global Educator Challenge awards which recognise those who have shown exceptional innovation in their fields and during competitive sessions at E2.
The four MIE Experts who represented Malaysia at E2 2016 were Nur Riza Alias (SMK Tanjung Datuk, Johor); Azizul Othman (MRSM Johor Baru, Johor); Hemawathi Gopinathan (SMK Yam Tuan Radin, Negri Sembilan); and Mohd Norhafees Jusoh (MRSM Tun Mustapha, Tawau, Sabah).
Microsoft Malaysia general manager Nik Ariff Nik Omar said: “At Microsoft, we believe in the power of the educator and school leader, and the impact they have when they are brought together and recognised for their achievements. Technology alone cannot build 21st century skills for students.
“We remain committed to working with the government, local partners, communities, schools and educators to use the power of information technology to deliver services and programmes that provide anytime, anywhere learning for all.”
MIE Experts programmes pave the way for educators around the world to share ideas, try new approaches and learn from each other.
“Through the programme, MIE Experts work closely with Microsoft to lead innovation in education — advocating and sharing their thoughts on the effective use of technology in education with peers and policy makers.
“The educators provide insight into new products and tools for education, and they exchange best practices as they work together to promote innovation in teaching and learning.
“Ultimately, we hope to see more MIE Experts in Malaysia benefiting from this programme, and creating immersive and inclusive learning experiences that will inspire lifelong learning for themselves, students, and their peers.”
The Education Ministry is committed to preparing teachers for 21st century learning by encouraging them to improve their knowledge of blended and e-learning.
Educational Technology Division director Zaidi Yazid said teachers face many challenges in developing and delivering effective teaching and learning material.
The challenges include shifting of teaching and learning strategies to fit into the demand for technological skills to enhance teaching as well as educating generation Y pupils who are digital natives.
“The ministry aims to equip students with the appropriate skills and knowledge so that they are able to meet exacting job requirements and are functional in the global society,” said Zaidi.
He added: “Teachers can take online courses offered in many recognised institutions and be certified. They get hands-on experience in using information and communications technology in education.”
Teachers’ Activity Centres are available for them to seek information and advice on how to be competent and creative while technological skills can also be acquired through Community of Practice (CoP) where best practices are shared online and offline.
CoP is very much voluntary in nature as teachers from their own group to discuss and support each other in overcoming issues in education.
“This is one way of encouraging teachers to be innovative before expecting pupils to do the same.
“Teachers in CoP learn, unlearn and relearn the pedagogy and andragogy appropriate for the new learning environment.”
MARA Education Technology Division director Kamaruzaman Jaffar said teachers in 21st century education should teach students life and work skills to compete globally.
“The world is changing at an unprecedented pace and so is the education system. Students no longer learn the traditional way.
“As for MARA, we try to adapt to the changes in teaching and learning. We have developed the MARA Smart Education platform at 12 MRSM colleges, providing teachers access to the latest software and computer technology.
“All MRSM teachers are provided with laptops to facilitate their preparation for teaching. They are also exposed to operation systems such as Android and Apple.
“Via cloud computing concepts, teachers create multi-courses online, online tests and quizzes with immediate feedback, as well as student assignments. There is a two-way communication between teachers and students with the use of emails and a forum.”
Kamaruzaman added that one of the advantages of technology is that it acts as an enabler for students to become independent learners.
He believes that students are more resourceful in their quest for information that is not restricted to the textbook or reference material.
“They develop the ability to access, digest and evaluate the information that is at their fingertips before re-constructing them to fit the task given.
“Students are accountable for the work they submit either on an individual or collaborative basis. They develop self-awareness of their work and ownership of their learning.
“Most of all, students will acquire higher order thinking skills since they need to be critical in selecting the most appropriate answers that come their way, making informed decisions based on the information obtained,” he added.
EDUCATORS TURN MIE EXPERTS
As an English language teacher, Kamilah Abdullah, who represented the country in E2 last year, said the most challenging part is encouraging students to use the language as much as possible.
From her observation, technology is one of the most powerful tools to support language use inside the classroom.
“I have carried out several projects involving the use of technology and students, who rarely talk, have to communicate when they need help with a task.
“Technology empowers learners to take charge of their learning. By using technology in class, students are free to learn at their own pace.
“I am a fan of discovery learning. So, most of my learning activities require students to construct their own knowledge and I facilitate the process to make sure they are on the right track.
“Usually, I give students one to two weeks to complete a task. Most of my teaching and learning are done in groups as it allows them to communicate and have deeper understanding of a topic,” she said.
Moreover, the topics that students research need to be interesting, enhance critical thinking skills and encourage them to be global citizens.
Kamilah added technology does not change the teachers’ role in class but helps them to vary their teaching strategy and empowers students’ learning.
“No matter how advanced the technology used in class, a personal touch and face-to-face interactions between the teachers and students are still vital to teaching and learning.”
This year’s E2 representative Nur Riza said technology is a bridge between the outside world and the classroom as students can experience it themselves via the computer screen.
“Teachers need to stay updated on the current technology. With learning tools readily available, teachers can have an engaging lesson to match students’ needs and learning styles.
“Since planning a lesson can be time-consuming, the tools can help teachers to prepare an interesting lesson in a short time.
“It may not be easy initially. Obviously, there will be a lot of obstacles but teaching skills will improve if teachers are able to overcome them.
“This is the challenge and teachers have to face it to become 21st century educators. It is time for us to open our minds and accept this change for our students’ future,” said Nur Riza.
She added that technology enables access to a variety of learning tools that enhance literacy and numeracy.
“Students learn faster if we are able to trigger their interest. The learning tools can accommodate their needs as the sources are numerous and are shared by people around the world.”
DIGITAL CLASSROOM OF THE FUTURE
MICROSOFT Skype for Business — part of Office 365 for Education — enables communication and collaboration from almost anywhere at any time on any device, across multiple platforms.
A single click activation of voice or video conference call means that educators of today can easily communicate, record and replay lessons in geographically dispersed classrooms.
The collaborative functionality of Skype also means that educational projects can be shared securely and worked on in real time without the need for multiple tools.
Microsoft Malaysia general manager Nik Ariff Nik Omar said: “One recent example of this tool in a successful classroom application was our first global Skype-a-Thon, which was held for 48 hours, from Dec 3-4 last year, to promote classroom without borders.”
He added: “Through Skype in the Classroom, students were able to circle the globe, visit places they once could only read about in books, and connect with people of all ages and cultures around the world — without having to leave their classrooms.
“In just two days of what we envisioned to be the digital classroom of the future, we received tremendous support from educators worldwide to connect as many teachers and students throughout the world as possible.”
The event recorded 1.4 million virtual miles (distance between participants of Skype calls) in one day, and a total of 3.04 million miles by the end of day two — three times the original target set by the company. The Skype-a-Thon campaign aimed to reach one million virtual miles.
Nineteen SMK Kempas, Johor Baru students enjoyed an engaging global #Mystery Skype challenge with schoolchildren in India (Redfields School) and Hungary (Balatonboglár Primary School) during the event.
Microsoft Malaysia managing director K. Raman contributed virtual miles by engaging with students at SM Pertama Islam Al-Azhar 1 Pusat in Jakarta, Indonesia.
In total, Malaysia contributed 8,700 virtual miles.
Throughout the two days, participants could choose a variety of educational activities, ranging from:
#Mystery Skype — a guessing game that encourages critical thinking, as students from each school take turns to deduce the location of their peers. In the process, they learn about geography, understand different cultures, while broadening perspectives on world history.
Talk with a Guest Speaker — students connect with educators and guest speakers around the world, including zoologists, software engineers and scientists, providing a wide range of real-life learning experiences globally.
Take Virtual Field Trips — students “travel” to the seven continents from the comfort of their classrooms.