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 Intel Malaysia and Malaysia's Ministry of
Education has announced their intention to jointly implement the ICT for
Education initiative, a major milestone in the Malaysia's goal to become
more competitive in today's knowledge-based global economy. Taking the
lead as one of the first countries in the Asia Pacific region to pilot ICT
for Education, the two parties have agreed to implement a 1:1 e-learning
model, under which each student can develop essential 21st century digital
skills through access to and use of a PC in the classroom.
Part of Intel's billion-dollar, five-year World Ahead initiative, ICT for
Education will commence in Malaysia with Intel's donation of Intel-powered
Classmate PCs to 10 classrooms at selected public schools during the second
quarter of this year. The objective of the donation is to kick-start the
ICT for Education project, and to demonstrate effective proof of concept for
subsequent deployment of technology in the classroom. Inclusive of the
pilot, a total of 2000 units of Classmate PCs will be donated over the span
of three years. The Classmate PC, with support from Microsoft is a
fully-functioned PC equipped with Microsoft XP Professional Edition,
Microsoft Office 2003 and Learning Essentials.
"In this day and age of technology-empowered students, the curriculum must
engage the student's affinity to technology. This 1:1 eLearning initiative
offers both teachers and students continuous access to a wide range of
software, Internet and all other digital resources for teaching and
learning. This in effect engages and encourages students to take
responsibility of their own learning," said Y.B. Dato' Sri Hishammuddin Tun
Hussein, Minister of Education Malaysia.
"The 1:1 eLearning model marks a new chapter in the Malaysian education
curriculum. In fact it exceeds the government's aim to reduce the ratio of
students sharing computers from 1:40 to 1: 20 in increasing the child's
exposure to ICT learning. With Intel-powered Classmate PC in the classrooms,
each student will get a chance to enhance his or her learning experience
with his or her own unit," Dato' Sri Hishammuddin added.
"Intel World Ahead offer all the necessary elements for a holistic education
initiative - from PCs, to high-speed network connections, to compelling
educational content - and most importantly, teachers who know how to embed
technology effectively within the learning environment." said Debjani Ghosh,
country manager, Sales and Marketing, Intel Malaysia. "In collaboration
with Malaysia's Ministry of Education, we are helping to develop some of
today's most exciting e-learning solutions, with the objective of growing
essential 21st century digital skills for Malaysia's workforce of tomorrow."
"We begin by conducting a classroom-setting pilot in 10 selected schools to
evaluate the benefits of 1:1 computing for student learning. This 1:1
e-learning model - where each teacher and student has a dedicated laptop
computer - is the ideal way to integrate technology in the curriculum and
maximize its benefits. We expect to see a positive impact in critical
thinking, communication and digital literacy skills of students," she
continued.
"Intel will look to further collaboration with the Ministry of Education to
promote this 1:1 eLearning method in more schools in 2008," concluded Ms.
Ghosh.
The 1:1 eLearning model's focus is not primarily on technology. It
spotlights on the paradigm shift on how instruction is delivered and the
spark that is created in students that provides a new sense of enthusiasm
and ownership in their learning. Under this model, teachers learn to become
a 'guide on the side' rather than a 'sage on the stage', that is, a shift
from instructor-centric to student-centric learning. In addition, learning
with the Intel powered classmate PCs allow students and teachers alike to
have freedom of anytime, anywhere access to information and resources,
un-tethered to desks or even classrooms. There is freedom to go beyond
textbooks and classroom walls where learning becomes collaborative and
connected.
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