UNIVERSITI PENDIDIKAN SULTAN IDRIS

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SSI3013
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY IN SCIENCE
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TOPIC : IMPLEMENTATION OF SMART SCHOOL IN MALAYSIA

GROUP MEMBERS :
NO NAME MATRIC NO
1 NAJWA NAZUHA BINTI BABA D20152072044
2 ZETY AKHTAR BINTI MOHAMED D20152072013
3 NUR AISAH BINTI ISMAIL D20151070984

GROUP: A
LECTURER: ENCIK AZMI BIN IBRAHIM

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Table of contents………………………………………………………….. 1

Introduction……………………………………………………………….. 2

Implementation of Smart School in Malaysia…………………………….. 3

Malaysian Smart School Implementation Plans…………………………... 3

Characteristics of a Smart School in Malaysia……………………………. 4

Advantage of Smart School……………………………………………….. 5

Smart School challenges in Malaysia……………………………………... 6

Conclusion………………………………………………………………… 9

References…………………………………………………………………. 10

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Introduction

Malaysian Smart School is a learning establishment that has been thoroughly conducted in
terms of learning practices and teaching and school management to give children the
Information Age. Smart School has become one of the major Multimedia Super Corridor
(MSC) that will be implemented in 2000. In early 1996, the Ministry of Education has
established a concept of Smart School concept. There is teaching and learning based on
creative thinking. Technology is a significant element of the Smart School concept when the
Smart School project be real as one application that is part of the Multimedia Super Corridor
(MSC). There are five important goals in the Smart School that are individual (intellectual,
physical, emotional and spiritual) developments, creating opportunities to develop individual
strengths and capabilities, documenting education, increasing stakeholder engagement, and
producing knowledge and technology.

In 1996, Malaysia identified information and communication technology (ICT) as the basis
for more advanced countries. In stating this objective, the government also admitted that such
an evolution would necessitate a workforce capable of utilizing ICT to generate new
economic opportunities. To develop this talent, the government has proclaimed under the
Eight Malaysia Plan (RMK 8) the necessity to restructure the nation's education system in
accordance with Vision 2020. Smart School Flagship is one of seven applications identified
under the Multimedia Super Corridor Initiative (MSC). Based on a critical view of the
creative teaching and learning process, The Ministry of Education (MOE) planned the Smart
School conception. Technology is realized as a supporter and will be the main guide of Smart
Schools. As a result, Smart School operates on the basis of the Concept of Teaching and
Learning in relation to the Curriculum, Pedagogy, Teaching and Teaching of Intelligent
Materials.

We can revolutionize learning in the ways we never expect with the Smart School
creativities. The Pilot and Post-Pilot Phases have assisted in recognizing weaknesses and
corrective actions have been recognized for improvement. Ensuring the successful
implementation of Smart School expansion across the country requires specific steps such as
long-term implementation plans for the 2005-2020 period that will set performance targets to
be met by key players. This plan needs full government approval and support in terms of its
commitment to Smart School goals.

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Implementation of Smart School in Malaysia

According to the new environment created by the information period, training and
learning new skills are being inevitable. Retraining the skills of group working to coordinate
the information age has created special conditions for education. Smart schools are one of the
strategies adopted by schools in response to today's modern needs. Smart school is a learning
institution that has been systemically integrated with ICT in terms of teaching-learning
practices and school management in order to prepare children for the Information Age.
Malaysia has developed a successful roadmap for development of smart school system.

The Smart Schools initiative is one of the seven flagship applications that are part of
Malaysia’s Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) project. The Government of Malaysia aims to
capitalise on the presence of leading-edge technologies and the rapid development of the
MSC’s infrastructure to jump-start deployment of enabling technology to schools. This will
be done by creating a group of 90 pilot Smart Schools by 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 10,000 of Malaysia’s primary and secondary schools will be
Smart Schools. The concept of smart schools in Malaysia was introduced by the Malaysian
Government with the aim of providing better learning opportunities to Malaysian students.
The idea of the Smart School was based on the introduction of Information Technology into
the school process, in administration, academics, and from a management standpoint.

Malaysian Smart School Implementation Plans

As technologies are deployed to improve global information access, the role of

education will continue to grow and change. Objectives of the Smart School in Malaysia
based on the National Education Philosophy are produce mind-driven and tech savvy
workforce, democratize education, enhance the interests of stakeholders, fostering a holistic
development of individuals and provides opportunities to enhance the strengths and
capabilities of individuals.

A Smart School should never be defined as just hardware and infrastructure. As

elaborated in the Smart Schools blueprint, it involves creating an enriching curriculum which
will enhance critical thinking skills which is a pedagogy that seeks to make learning more
interesting, motivating, stimulating, and meaningful like a holistic assessment system
and teaching-learning materials which will accommodate students’ differing needs and
abilities.

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 Figure 1 : Implementation Waves of Smart School in Malaysia

Characteristics of a Smart School in Malaysia

In the Smart Schools technology education is combined with science and technology
in the area of science and technology. Science and technology are two different bodies of
knowledge, whereas technology education adopts principles from both fields. Smart School
management system have nine primary function which are technology, security, school
governance, student affairs, educational resources, external resources, facilities, human
resources and financial management. The characteristic of Smart School is very different
with normal national school. These are the characteristics of smart school in Malaysia:

 Student-centred teaching and learning or catering to different learning styles

 Students exhibit Higher-Order Thinking Skills which is self-paced, self-accessed,
self-directed
 Teachers and administrators skillful in using ICT in daily tasks
 Creative and innovative teachers using ICT as enabler and accelerator for better
teaching and learning
 Smart partnerships with various agencies

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Advantage of Smart School

1) Students act as active learners

Students act as active learners in Smart Schools. Creative and innovative aspects are focus.
So, school develop creative problem solving skills to meet the new situation. Students act
with courage in making decisions and are responsible for the decision. Students will make
information adventures around the world to find and gather data. Students will be able to
reach a source of local, national and global information. Internet also allows interaction
between students and teachers, teachers and teachers and other people around the world.

Figure 2

2) Access of online resources

A variety of teaching and learning methods will be used in Smart Schools such as innovative,
technology-based strategies such as discussions with friends, distance learning, the use of
data as a source of information, process information. Process information and linking the
findings to the electronic reference encyclopedia, learn from electronic courseware and
electronic communications and student and teacher interact either in small groups
or individual is part of the teaching and learning courses. At the same time, students can learn
or discuss everywhere and anytime with their classmate. Look at figure 1 show students learn
and discuss in small group and it will encourage students to gain more information and
change the ideas.

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 3) Ease of understanding

There are many topics in the curriculum which are very difficult to understand. Teachers
cannot be just taught by using chalk and blackboard. Teachers require an interaction teaching
approach. So with the smart school program, teachers can use multimedia to teach that topic
to the students.

4) Improves the academic performance

It is often seen that the students studying in a smart school get a better result than the students
studying in a regular school. This is because the use of technology at the school can increase
the understanding of the students. For example, teacher can use multimedia when they are
teach in the classroom and at the same time the topic become clearer and the base of the
subject become stronger. Obviously, the students with better hold of the subject and with
strong basic knowledge of the subject will score more in exams, so that it can make school
rank increase as an increase of students’ results.

5) Equipped with the latest technology

Provide a range of education software for teachers, school and colleges. So that, various
methods of teaching and learning are use. Besides, educators can get more students engaged,
improve collaboration, and most importantly make learning fun. Collaborative learning (CL)
can be defined as a set of teaching and learning strategies promoting student collaboration in
small groups (two to five students) in order to optimise their own and each other’s learning.
Research has demonstrated that CL can promote academic and social educational outcomes.

Smart School challenges in Malaysia

1. Inadequate Financial Resources

Smart school as a learning institution has been systemically reinvented in terms of teaching-
learning practices and school management in order to prepare students for ICT (information
and communication technology) in the digital world. According to 2013, Ministry of
Education’s websites, Malaysia has 7,745 primary schools and 2,340 secondary schools.
Infrastructure development for schools includes the installation of ICT facilities to all schools
in Malaysia. Planning for the 10,085 schools is carried out in phases as follows:

 2001 : 2,400 schools

 2002 : 2,000 schools

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  2003 onwards the rest of the schools: 10,085 schools

The Smart School is an educational institution that practices the teaching and education
management practices that foster a systemic change aimed at enabling students to overcome
the challenges faced by the information technology era. Smart School is equipped with
computers and compatible software that offers incredible scope and potential for self-learning
and interactive learning. Based on the planning by the Ministry of Education to achieve the
goals of Vision 2020, we can see that the Ministry of Education needs to spend a lot of
money or allocation. This is because each school need to use a lot of money to improve the
ICT system to be sophisticated in line with world development. Each and every month, newer
and better-designed products are released on the market along with software. Since our
country is still experiencing serious financial difficulties, this vision seems to be a burden on
the government.

2. Limited internet coverage at schools

Communications and Multimedia Ministry has said that Malaysia’s Internet speed is slower
than some of its Asian neighbours as priority is given to coverage areas. The ministry pointed
out different countries have different priority policies for broadband services. How does a
school want to carry out learning using ICT if the problem is still disturbed. This problem
will inconvenience both students and teachers in the school because it will interfere their
learning sessions. The Ministry of Education should take this issue seriously as it can ruin the
goals of Vision 2020.

3. The Technological Infrastructure in school.

Now days, there are some schools that do not have complete ICT equipment in their schools.
The problem is due to capital inadequate school to provide ICT equipment. Mostly happen at
rural school because they are far from the city so they are least of ICT facilities. Compare to
urban school that more advance and they complete all the ICT equipment with computer lab.
This problem such a big problem to teachers and student to achieve a goal of smart schools
due to insufficient facilities to them explore world of ICT.

Besides, certain school are put computers in the classroom some of school put all the
computers in the lab that are provided at the school. There are those who owns a connection
to the Internet, some are not. So that, not all student can access and retain information on that
time.

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 4. Technical Support or technician at computer lab

When the government has confidently provided the necessary ICT facilities in the computer
lab is certainly damage of facilities will occur. Therefore, each laboratory will need at least a
technologist if there is any problem. However, almost every school where there are no skilled
technician to solve this problem. Teachers at the school also do not have a skilled of ICT
knowledge to repair if there are any problems. This problem may cause teaching process
disrupted. Teachers’ lack of technological skills in integrating optimal use of ICT into the
curriculum is reportedly also the reason for the challenges. This is because, teacher still used
traditional method to teach or conduct students in the class.

5. Teacher training

Additional training and counseling are needed to help teachers adjust to the overall new
environment. It is important to eliminate natural disasters and concerns about the redundancy
that will arise from radical changes in teaching methods and therefore teachers will have a
very important role in this case. This exercise should focus on changing teachers' minds, so
they can understand that Smart Schools must deliver the best and best environment for self-
learning and self-learning in the classroom. This will involve a comprehensive refinement
training program, important additional infrastructure and special encouragement, covering
both local and foreign. Teachers will play an important role in creating conditions that will
encourage creative self-learning and are not totally dependent on the teacher.
6. Learners attitude
Currently, students are less active or passive in the learning process. They just listen to the
teacher and do nothing but wish the teacher fully. While teachers hold the responsibility of
the teaching process and related to the application of technology, students also need to play
an active role in determining the direction of each learning based on participation and
activity. The software is produced and designed to facilitate active, creative and critical
student engagement with content that can help improve the experience of building and
rebuilding their ideas and experiences of understanding the content presented. Smart School
will give students a successful transition to a more modern and global environment. The
current system gifts students with the weakest and most stringent blocks. Technology at
Smart Schools will help provide relaxation to relieve this pressure in the system. This will
allow students to quickly complete the course and assessment faster than usual. Hence,

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students should not keep on following the traditional way of learning, but need to follow the
innovation progress instead.

Conclusion
As a conclusion, there are various ways that can be used deliberately throughout the teaching
and learning process, so that it plays an active role rather than a stimulant. Computer-assisted
instruction has been shown in various studies for ease learning in many ways. The computer
can be used as an assistant in teaching students in core academic subjects. But, the computer
only tools. Students need to be independent in learning and need to master traditional
learning techniques as well as modern techniques. Teachers and parents must be involved in
the development of children so that children will not be alone in the field of learning. The
assistance of skilled teachers is crucial in pursuing the government's mission to improve
education in Malaysia. For any change, monitoring and evaluation program is the most
important element. Education ministries should always act fast in addressing any problems
that arise so that learning processes in smart schools can go smoothly and achieve their goals.

In our opinion, we strongly agree with the smart school program in Malaysia. It is
because, smart school designed to help student achieve overall and balanced development.
Student also has integration of knowledge, skills, values, correct use of language and
attitudes. Technology education enables students to work and live in this world and it
prepares all subjects with more meaningful to them. The smart school redeveloped the way of
teaching and managing school’s processes by using the technology utilities.

Smart School eventually will deliver an excellent prospect for the Ministry of
Education for innovations to achieve the highest educational standards and become a global
leader in this field. There is clearly a need to learn from successful and sustainable projects
worldwide and then combine this learning with unique local needs to create something
beyond and yonder. The challenge ahead is very good, but the result will be just as great.
Next, smart school encourage student to be more creative. For example, visual
learning using smart technologies serves students better by using elements like graphs,
images, charts and presentations. The students thus learn effectively and therefore are capable
of retain more information.
Lastly, the smart school management need strong, professional administrators and
teachers who can articulate school goals clearly, lead teaching at the school and elicit strong
parental and community support to meet its objective.

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References:
Bakar, N. F. (2012, December). Malaysian Smart School.

Green, T. (2005). Using Technology to Help English Language Students Develop Language
Skills: a home and school connection.

Mohammad Sani Ibrahim, A. Z. (2013). Smart Principals and Smart Schools. Turkey:
Elsevier Ltd.

Riichiro Mizoguchi, Pierre Dillenbourg, Zhiting Zhu. (2006). Learning By Effective

Utilization of Technologies. Amsterdam: IOS Press.

Verner, S. (2018). 5 ways to promote your students' intrinsic motivation to learn English.
Retrieved from fluentu: https://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator-english/motivating-
students-to-learn-english/

Zainudin, F. (2015, October 31). The Malaysian Smart School: A Conceptual Blueprint.
Retrieved from Slideshare: https://www.slideshare.net/Fadzliaton/the-malaysian-
smart-school-a-conceptual-blueprint-54597455

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