On 21st March, we have learnt about the Instructional Design in Education. It is an interesting topic to learn as an educator. There are many types of instructional designs based in different learning theories like Behaviorism, Constructivism, Minimalism, Connectivism, Social Constructivism and many more. Some of the Instructional Design Models which we have learnt from this class are ADDIE, Waterfall, Dick and Carey design, Hannafin and Peck Design, Eclectic Design, SAM, SAMR, ASSURE and Rapid Prototyping. All of these models have their own strength and weaknesses which the instructional designer must take into consideration before using them.

An instructional designer must know the underlying theories and apply the systematic methodology when designing and developing a content, experiences and other solutions to support the acquisition of new knowledge or skills. To become an effective instructional designer, we must first analyze the content. Suitable instructional strategies is highly crucial for the success of the course created. After that, focus need to be given to the process which will help organize and create the content in a specific way. Then, an instructional designer will pick a suitable tool to design the course.

One of the biggest challenge faced by every Instructional Designer is keeping learners motivated throughout the e-Learning course. E-Learning courses must facilitate learning and they must be interactive and engaging. Therefore, it is important to take into consideration the purpose of the course among various factors before designing the instructional strategies.

Another task for us is to complete is to conclude on what is needed for a contemporary Malaysian instructional media use and acceptance. I’ve done some reading on this topic and found some interesting articles and news about the use of technology in the classroom in Malaysia.

Here are some of the links for extra readings:

The role of technology in transforming the classroom: https://www.nst.com.my/news/2017/03/135090/role-technology-transforming-classroom

Effectiveness of ICT Integration in Malaysian Schools: A Quantitative Analysis https://umexpert.um.edu.my/file/publication/00011739_124727.pdf

Toward the Use of 21st Century Teaching Learning Approaches: The Trend of Development in Malaysian Schools within the Context of Asia Pacific
https://online-journals.org/index.php/i-jet/article/viewFile/4717/3593

There are a few major takeaways from my reading. One of it is the fact that the use of technological media as one of the tools for teaching and learning is increasing over the years and has slowly became a norm in Malaysian classroom. This is because the government realized the importance of ICT literacy among our students in order to prepare them for the future challenges.

Various approach has been used to provide the schools with sophisticated technological tools in hope of aiding the learning and also to increase ICT literacy among students. However, not all of the schools in Malaysia has the access to the infrastructure and facility of ICT especially in the rural areas. Speaking from experience, the school which I have taught in the rural area faced the same problem. The internet connection was so weak that it is impossible to conduct a class where all of the pupils in the classroom could use the internet at the same time. The student-computer ration was also high and there was only a few specific rooms available for the use of computers with projectors. In addition, most schools in the rural area face the technical difficulties and lack of assistance or repair of the computers and other technological tools. This hinders the teachers from using the computer momentarily which can interrupt the lesson planned for the day. Consequently, teachers feel discouraged from using computers because of the fear of equipment failure since no assistance were given.

Apart from the problems mentioned above, the success of the use of ICT in the classroom also depends very much on the teacher’s readiness and skills in using the ICT. Besides having a sufficient ICT skills are needed in operating the technology, teacher also must have high confident level to use it in the classroom setting. It is also essential for teachers to have necessary insights into the pedagogical role of ICT to construct meaningful instructions for the lessons.

Being a teacher in an urban Chinese school for 2 years now, the difference in technological media used in the classroom can be felt. The internet connection and equipment provided is amazing. The location of the city attributes to the strong internet connection, which is a major plus point for the schools in urban area. The technological equipment provided in this school is supported by the initiative of the school, parents of community. Apart from that, teachers were also given coaching from time to time on operating the equipment so that they are more confident in using them. As a result, teaching and learning became more fun and easy.

In a nutshell, I would say that the instructional media use and acceptance may differ form one school to another based on numerous factors mentioned above. The most important thing to know as an educator is to give the major focus on the content of teaching and learning while cleverly manipulating the medias to make the learning more enjoyable and relevant; instead of focusing too much on the technology media used without paying attention to the meaningfulness of the lesson.

How about you? What are your thoughts on this? Please feel free to leave your thoughts and comments below =)