| Danial Norjidi |
WITH the major role that information and communication technology play in today’s world, online learning has also become an important tool in the education sector.
This was highlighted yesterday during the closing ceremony of a regional training programme on the Development of Online Teaching and Learning Materials at the SEAMEO Voctech Regional Centre.
In a speech at the ceremony, Dr Haji Mohd Zamri bin Haji Sabli, the Director of SEAMEO Voctech Regional Centre said, “As mentioned in my welcoming message of this training programme, in today’s world where information and communication technology is playing a major role in people’s daily lives, how a student learns is dependent on how the student reacts to the sophisticated system offered by these technologies.
“Thus, it is not surprising that online learning is accepted as an important tool in the education sector, and as educators, teachers and trainers, we have a vital role to play.
“Online learning provides a more flexible system of information dissemination which is not confined to only regular day time activities but can also take place in a variety of locations such as homes, schools, libraries and open fields.
“With online learning, educators, teachers and trainers will be able to reach learners in different setups using the available diverse ICT resources. This will reduce the limitation of time, space and place that have become a great hindrance and challenge to education delivery.”
He noted that the development of online teaching and learning often involves the construction of knowledge, creativity and innovation.
The significance of technology and online learning was further alluded to during a speech by Eko Himawan, Head of Chancery at the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Brunei Darussalam, the guest of honour at yesterday’s closing ceremony.
He highlighted that this situation necessitates that the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in the region adopt and make online learning technology available in classrooms to support the needs of TVET practices.
“We are all aware that the development of e-learning in recent years has immensely affected education policies and pedagogies that lead to an increasing integration between curricular content, learning strategies and technology practices,” he said. “The use of the Internet has produced a huge transformation on students learning and offered them a virtual, neutral space to enact a positive change through negotiation of meanings, identities and practices.
“The development of online teaching and learning often involves the co-construction of knowledge, creativity, innovation and shift on what is ‘valued’ and what can be achieved through collective participation, rather than individual effort.”
He said that this creates opportunities for collaborative problem solving, self-directed learning and cooperation towards building up expertise and skills across different networks dedicated to the development of the Southeast Asian region.
“What we must remember, in the pursuit of using technologically advanced resources and means in making our teaching and learning more interesting, meaningful, interactive and student-centred, it is still important for us to develop our students’ soft skills,” he added.
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