Malaysia Education Blueprint:

Shift 7 Leverage ICT to Scale Up Quality Learning Across Malaysia

Assalamualaikum w.b.t and a very good morning to respective lecturers

and students. Given the title Leverage ICT to scale up quality learning
across Malaysia, the government had increased the number of ICT devices
until the ratio of student-to-device reaches 10:1. This shift actually covers up
the information and communication technology which is the important and
should be well-versed by both teachers and students during the teaching-
learning session.

In the blueprint, the effective use of ICT is required to foster students

to learn how to leverage ICT efficiently to scale up quality learning across the
country. The concept of E-Learning in Malaysia has been listed as one of the
key components of the National Key Economic Areas (NKEAs) of Malaysia,
under the Economic Transformation Programme, which drives our beloved
country, towards achieving high-income status as well as global
competitiveness and to this, one of the efforts vividly put in by the
government, particularly the Ministry of Education is through the 1BestariNet
project. According to Wikipedia, the term E-Learning is defined as the use of
electronic media and information and communication technologies (ICT) in
education. It is broadly inclusive of all forms of educational technology in
learning and teaching and always related to multimedia learning, technology-
enhanced learning (TEL), online education, virtual learning environments
(VLE) and others. Education is made a lot easier when technology is applied.
Technology will also further strengthen the foundation of ICT-enabled schools
as well as introducing proven ICT solutions into the education system.

Despite the fact that new technology has brought about various
benefits in the education world via ebooks, multimedia animations, videos
and interactive learning material, it can bring many negative impacts to us if
we do not make good use of it. There is a Chinese saying which goes, Water
can transport boats, yet it is able to sink it. A very simple example would be
when students spend too much time with their computers or Smart devices;
they might be doing something else instead of just studying. Issac Asimov,
an eminent American author and professor of biochemistry once said, The
saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than
society gathers wisdom. In fact, technology brings negative influence on our
daily productivity. Students tend to spend lesser time studying and doing
homework. In fact, they waste most of their time on social networking sites
like Facebook, Myspace, Twitter and others. 83% of youths around the
world have Facebook accounts. Our study shows people who spend more
time on Facebook spend less time studying, said Aryn Karpinski, a
researcher from Ohio University. National Literacy Trust also reported that
youngsters are spending up to 6 hours a day in front of the computer screen,
surfing social network sites and 75% of the pupils all over the world ranked
social network sites and gaming websites above books. Social networking
users also love is procrastinating of work. Therefore, excessive use of
technology decreases our daily productivity.