Get set for Education 4.

AS digital skills become must-haves in future jobs, said INTI International

College Subang chief executive and Campus Academic Operations vice
president Dr Jane Lim, intimate strategic collaboration among the
government, industry, academia, technical and vocational education and
training (TVET), and other relevant stakeholders is critical in ensuring wide-
scale digital reskilling and upskilling in both the pre-employment and
employment ecosystems.

Speaking at the EDUtech Malaysia 2022 virtual conference recently, Lim said
the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR4.0) workplace highly requires talents
equipped with not only human-based skillset, but also digital skills.
“Besides embedding technologies into teaching and learning methods,
Education 4.0 will provide graduates with the capabilities and competencies
required by the digital-driven industry.

“As the education landscape will continue to change, academics are

encouraged to have an open mindset, creativity to adapt to latest industry
trends, and willingness to explore new ways of conducting their classes,” she
added during her session entitled “Upskilling and Reskilling: Developing
Digitally Competent Faculty for the Education 4.0 Age”.

She shared that one of the biggest challenges her team faced during the initial
enforcement of the movement control order was converting practical classes
of the hospitality programmes.

“We cracked our heads on how to conduct classes related to restaurant

services, beverage making, butchering and more via our existing online
platform, but as time passed and the MCO restrictions weren’t relaxed, our
lecturers stepped up their creativity,” she recalled.

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 “After weeks and months of exploring and experimenting various methods and
techniques, both lecturers and students found the best way to technologically
adapt to the situation,” she said.

Continuously reforming, improving and adapting the curriculum in the

education system will lead to higher standards which, in turn, generate better
employability and sought-after digital skills, she added.

At the conference held from March 9 to 10, over 40 presentations and live
panel debates from leading educators and innovators of educational
technology from across the country, as well as fireside chats and interactive
question and answer sessions, were carried out focusing on growing concerns
in the education industry, an INTI press release read.

INTI International University vice chancellor Dr Joseph Lee, in his session

entitled “Building a Culture of Digital Innovation and Collaboration in Higher
Education Institutions”, said while technologies for education have evolved,
the teaching profession and learning approaches have been rather orthodox
with limited innovations and changes.

Unlike previous eras focusing on knowledge transfer and knowledge

development, he said there is a current need for more comprehensive skillset
from learners that includes cognitive skills, socio-emotional skills, technical
skills and digital skills.

The need for a wider variety of educational programmes and the development
of skills, he explained, can contribute to structural transformation due to
global mega trends such as the rising role of technology, climate change,
demographic shifts, urbanisation, and the globalisation of value chains which
are changing the nature of work and demands for skills.

“Educators need to use technology effectively in their practice and connect

technologies to a learning theory.

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 “In other words, stakeholders should not only commit to working together to
use technology to improve education, but it may also be more interesting and
essential to see how to reinvent our approaches to learning and collaboration
that leads to changes in educational technologies so as to meet the needs of
all learners,” he stressed.

He added that one of the concrete actions is to make free and open source
technologies available to teachers and students.

“Open educational resources and access to digital tools must be supported.

Education cannot thrive with ready-made content built outside of the
pedagogical space and outside of human relationships between teachers and
students; nor can education be dependent on digital platforms controlled by
private organisations,” he said.

He added that education is crucial in the post-pandemic era to realise the

United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 4, which is to ensure inclusive
and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning.

“Technology has never proven to be a panacea for education. When it comes

to education, the centre of attention is supposed to be human beings rather
than technology or educational content. “Indeed, now is the time to ask what
is past, what is present, and what is next, turning this crisis into an
opportunity for a new beginning in education and to build back better,” he
said.

Source: https://www.thestar.com.my/news/education/2022/06/05/get-set-for-
education-40

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