VIRTUAL CLASS REQUIREMENTS AND ITS APPLICATION IN

INDONESIA
Enjang A.Juanda, Armein Z.R.Langi, Kuspriyanto and Kudrat Soemintapoera
Departemen of Electrical Engineering-Bandung Institute of Technology
Jalan Ganeca 10 Bandung, West Java, Indonesia, 40132
Email: e_juanda@eudoramail.com, langi@ieee.org

Abstract
Virtual class has a flexible and promising usability, especially for self study and various aspects of self or
organization enhancement on human resources. Special application of this virtual class is in supporting distance
education/ training. Virtual class for Indonesia is compulsory if Indonesia wants to significantly develop its
peoples and soon parallel (in their competencies) with other country's peoples. This paper describes the nature
of virtual class, the supports and reviews from its experts, issues about it in Indonesia and way to conceptually
establish this "institution".

Keywords: Virtual Class, Distance Learning, Distance Training.

1. Introduction major life decisions.

Revolution in education and training is ongoing and
will be more clearly felt if multimedia computing and
communication (infrastructure) become more enable
and sophisticated[1]. In her valuable comparison
between the old paradigm of higher education needs
and the perceived new one , Kathy Tiano[2] wrote, for
example: “Take what you can get” vs “Courses on
demand”, “University as a city” vs “University as an
idea”, “Delivery in classroom” vs “Delivery
anywhere”, etc. This phenomenon will sure be
embodied as time to crept.
Virtual class as the main topic of this writing[3] refers
to the use of computer-mediated communications
(CMC) in education. Related terms for broader scales
are Virtual School, Virtual College and Virtual
University. Each of those can support distance
education [4].
Virtual class can overcome both distance and time
constraints. It can be: self-scheduled, self-motivated,
self-paced, high retention, continuous availability, and
non threatening learning environment. Globally it also
has been claimed to be a tool for increasing
enrollment, improving access to education, cutting
per-student costs, and accommodating student
diversity [5]. Recently its market is increasing. But
the major problem is its mature preparation as a must
and infrastructure support as a pre-condition.
The vulnerable things in education are variations in
class volume, teacher/trainer/instructor quality,
teacher/trainer /instructor personality or performance,
and the completeness of its apparatus support. The
problems can be overcome by qualified preparation
and setting of all possible aspects of teaching-learning
ingredients that in nature can be usable even updated
iteratively through CMC.
The CMC that has prospective usability and
popularity even powerful is the internet or World
Wide Web (WWW). This notion, strengthened by The
Pew Internet & American Life Project [6] survey
discovered that Internet has infiltrated everyday life
for most Americans, and has had a serious impact on
Recently in Indonesia Internet or WWW and its
community has been growing as mushroom is
growing in rainy season (let alone if Indonesian
economic has recovered). This situation is conducive
to create education and training field through CMC,
like this virtual class. Therefore we are developing a
virtual class in a project intended to accelerate
educational processes.
Virtual class, however, should be explicitly
understood. As also defined by Hiltz and Turoff
(1993):
The virtual classroom is a teaching and learning
environment located within a computer mediated
communication system. Rather than being built of
steel and concrete, it consists of a set of group
communications and work "spaces" and facilities
that are constructed in software; thus it is a
"virtual" facility for interaction among members of
a class, rather than a physical space.[7]
It means that this (virtual) institution is a kind or
similar to a module that representing a major module
in all human resources preparation aspect or
development of human's knowledge and skill aspect.
In his conclusion Murray Turoff (1995) has wrote
that:" The resulting system must be viewed as a
toolkit that gives the instructor full control of what
aids and techniques to employ in delivering their
course"[4]. Therefore this institution can be specially
or independently developed and upgraded wherever
and whenever. Virtual class can be used by whoever
wants it, whenever and wherever they like. Therefore
virtual class must be created and developed as good as
possible, as powerful as possible.
2. Its Pros and Cons, Imperative and Real Need.
Here we want to take a glance on the pros and cons
regarding distance education in Indonesia.
Several notions can be noted here, for example:
1. Minister of National Education of Indonesia,
 Malik Fajar: " We do not prohibit tele education,
but tele class". [8].
2. Director General of Higher Education of
Indonesia, Satryo Somantri B., told that in respect
to tele education he supports it because each has
permanent units e.g. through teleconference,
multimedia and module. He has said too that, it
has no problem "...that carried out through module
sending, teleconference, multimedia, and the
others, that is what we want".[8].
3. Soekartawi, Director of SEAMEO, said that tele
education:" Not only for ASEAN region but also
become the world trend. Tele education will
become future educational model".[9].
4. Arief Rachman, said that not to be slaved by
technology, ….the moral basics must be prepared.
[10].
5. Tubagus Ronny Nitibaskara, Non Government
Higher Education Coordinator, III Area/ Region,
Jakarta, said that it still has weaknesses, for
example about the originality of the participants
and free (un paid) books that in the fact violates
the copy right [11].
In the other side, Beare (1989), Beentjes & Van der
Voort (1988), Neuman (1992), Seculas et.al.(1992),
Koumi (1994) and Baltova (1994) (from Tian
Belawati) [12] said that, it has been proven that with
the help of these media, teaching at distance can be as
effective as in conventional face-to-face classroom.
Even Turoff [4], said that:" Our objective is not to
merely duplicate the characteristics and effectiveness
of the face to face class. Rather, we can use the
powers of the computer to actually do better than
what normally occurs in the face to face class".
The experts's major notions are the pro's notions.
In the real life, the computer and its multimedia
technology (specifically CMC technology and/or ICT
(Information and Communication Technology)) is
imperative or intrusive. Its community and/ or
consumers are growing rapidly. Therefore educational
and training world must be alert and self prepared to
welcome or otherwise can be ruined by its flood. So,
it is natural even exact to say that: " Indonesian do not
dismiss all Internet distance-learning programs simply
because of the problems caused by a few suspect
institutions"[13].
3. Indonesia Requirement on Virtual Class.
Based on imperative global competitiveness, nearly
ubiquitous electronic communication infrastructure in
most Indonesia area, vast area of Indonesia
archipelago, huge number of Indonesian peoples, lack
educational concrete building availability in
Indonesia , imperative needs of large enough part of
Indonesia peoples, and some other reasons; education
and training or generally knowledge and skill
development of human resource via internet or
WWW including virtual class is true and compulsory.
As has been mentioned by Satryo Somantri B. [13],
that " It is timely to develop good distance learning
programs, due to the current development of
telematics in Indonesia (including: e-learning, e-
government, e-commerce, e-health, etc)." Of course
related to this development case, as also explicitly
mentioned on Barbara Mellon's paper [13], recently,
Indonesian academic leaders and consumers urgently
need information on how to evaluate these new
programs effectively. This condition has raised hopes
and fears for many in Indonesian higher education.
Generally the preliminary problems raised are:
• The Sources of the educational materials and
program;
• The Quality and legitimacy of Institutions;
• Certification of programs;
• Valid methods of evaluation/testing to ensure
actual student performance; and
• Access to technology and the cost of
development/implementation of programs in
Indonesia.
The success of this project will depend on:
infrastructure availability, completeness and the
appropriate of hardware and software, content expert
competencies and availability, good management,
society and government support, and people literacy
of computers [3],[5],[12],[19],[20],[23],[24]. In
addition, it's needs the mature of its preparation from
the beginning through the final elaboration.
In specific, specifications required by the virtual class
are as follow:
• Interesting, promising and challenging on its
opening and closing appearances, which is very
important to draw attention of the students.
• Complete and self contained administrative
procedures, which important to assure its easy
registration and student management.
• Complete and clear syllabi and curriculum.
• The contents should have following features: Self
sufficient, interesting hypertext manipulation, self
adapting intelligencies, real time and exciting feed
backs, scalable and upgradable, path/ navigation
tractable and controllable [14], and full illustrative
demos.
• Good hardware and software support, which will
maintain a good performance of a virtual class.
• Continuous monitoring and help using software
and brain ware (tutors) and guidance and
counseling teachers.
• Continuously providing spaces and tools for
users/participants to input their aspirations, ideas,
or questions, which will assures continuation of
the virtual class.
• Its outputs are proctored and selected by valid and
reliable final exams.
4. Development Method and Procedure
This topic has to be elaborated deeply and
fundamentally, and if it is needed, radically. In this
regard there are at least two reasons to mention.
Firstly, it is imperative that the future education and
training or human resources development will highly
depend on computer power. Secondly, this field is
about to play a major role in humanizing a human or
culturizing of a culture.
The methods for achieving objective are by digging
literature sources whether on educational/ human
resources field or technological base; doing interview
with the experts in educational/ human resources
field; performing cost and benefit analysis; analyzing
hardware and software recently available; and
predicting for the future according to scalability
needs, doing experiment and evaluation, and lastly
doing verification.
By now Indonesia has not yet had a kind of e-learning
or distance learning that have good and attractive
apparatus or its software and hardware. Universitas
Terbuka Jakarta for example as mentioned by Tian
Belawati [15]:"… UT's courses are designed primarily
as printed text". In her summary on various researchs,
Indonesian UT's students in their study persistence is
only 4,8 %. It is globally smallest even in Asian
(IGNOU India: 22 %, STOU Thailand: 17 %).
There are several random experiments in the internet
by institutions or by personal (especially for their final
job in their study) directed to virtual class building
endeavours, but they were still lack of conceptual
framework and lack of integration. However those
are valuable attempts in nature, to create virtual class
building needs. And it shows that virtual class in
Indonesia is in the rising time (its era).
Accordance with recent technological development,
and community needs on developing or enhancing
their knowledge and skill, study based on computer
and/or its network power will grow significantly.
Therefore constructivist theory of learning from
Bernard will be more implemented by the peoples, "in
which the learner is building an internal
representation of knowledge, a personal interpretation
of experience. This representation is constantly open
to change, its structure and linkages forming the
foundation to which other knowledge structures are
appended …" (quoted from Japie Heydenrych[2]).
In the other side Savery and Duffy (1995) had derived
eight instructional principles from constructivism, i.e.:
[2]
• Anchor all learning activities to a target task or
problem, moving beyond the simple " it is
assigned" rational for assignments.
• Support the learner in developing ownership of the
overall problem or task, rather than simply
focusing on passing the test.
• Design authentice learning tasks, ones that reflect
the kinds of cognitive challenges faced in similar
real-world situations.
Consistent with cognitive apprenticeship theory,
design the task and learning environment that
students must function in at the end of the learning
experience.
• Give learners ownership of the process used to
develop a solution.
• Design the learning environment to support and
challenge the learner's thinking.
• Encourage the testing of ideas against alternative
views and alternative contexts. Since knowledge is
socially negotiated, depth of understanding can
only be accomplished in social environment where
individual views were measured against the ideas
of others. This can be effectively done in the
context of collaborative learning groups of
learning communities.
• Provide opportunities for student reflection on
both content and the learning process.
As a concept, generally this virtual class development
for Indonesia should be carried out through:
1. Implemented political will from the government of
Indonesia
2. Sufficient consciousness of the experts especially
educational or human resources leaders about the
importance of this virtual class.
3. Consciousness of infrastructure providers,
especially at present is PT. Telkom and/ or
Indosat, to setting up its communication
infrastructure for superhighway communication, at
least its equity and its availability.
4. High consciousness of Indonesian peoples about
the power of computer and its network for
educational / training process or learning
resources.
In principle, this virtual class can be developed
through: Literature study, both on educational side
and technological side; Interview with the experts;
Guidance from the seniors in their each expertise;
Comparative study; Experiment through the case
study; and Evaluation and verification.
In the case of course design, for instance, it is
convenient as a general consideration to take as
reference the steps used to describe a system of course
design from A.J. Romiszowski (1981: 20) that consist
of: Analyse system in which trainee operates to
identify tasks performance; Analyse tasks; Specify
required skills knowledge & attitudes; Determine
capabilities of trainees; Identify the educational and
training needs; Develop valid criterion measures of
task proficiency; State detailed learning objectives;
Organise learning resources; Select appropriate
teaching strategies; Motivate students; Field-test and
evaluate criterion measures (to check their reliability);
'Field Test' & evaluate the system; Implement system;
Constantly monitor learning system; and Revise &
adapt[16].
These steps can be divides into sub tasks and/or sub
elements and implemented carefully. In the case of
hardware side, if the project finishs, WWW.NJIT.edu
recommended on its eLearning/ Virtual class, a bare
minimum of PC configuration to successfully
completed this course. We will take a similar
standard, although if it is still possible can be lower,
i.e. as follow: 125 MHz Pentium CPU, 64 MB of
RAM, 2 Gigabyte Hard Drive, Windows 95, 98, NT
4.0, Sound Card, 56,6 KBPS Modem or Direct
Network Connection, 800 x 600 Display Monitor,
VCR and Monitor [17].
Recommended PC configuration, for its convenience,
the latest public tested PC and its accessories will be
prefered, for example Pentium 4 with 2000 MHz or
the later.
5. Discussion
In the final result, this project intends to provide
enough radical concepts for virtual class building and
for integrated case study implementation on the
internet/ WWW. It is planned that as a case study, this
virtual class concept(ual) will present a subject matter
of Digital Signal Processor Based Design.
The product of this project constitutes the strong
educational concept about this virtual class and a good
and established implementation of virtual class
concept.
Although the final objective of this project provide the
complete case (test case) on a subject matter, the
project still has the weakness i.e. it still limited on its
general study and discussion. The next step is to
design the virtual class that satisfies the specific level
of educational grade.
6. Conclusion
1. The need of virtual class for Indonesia related to
global pressure regarding ICT products and its
implementation, the image of Indonesia in global
village, qualified results of educational and
training or human resources acceleration processes
endeavour, and the vast area of Indonesia
archipelago that needs effective communication
media to significantly develop its human resources
habitant.
2. It is timely that all of the involved parties in this
virtual class development are united or
collaborative to prepare and continuously enhance
this important modules or toolkits.
3. Development of virtual class will not experience
a decay, but it will even getting stronger in nature.
As a result whoever care and appreciate will
harvest a good result.
4. Virtual class and alike, sooner or later will shift
educational and training or human resources
preparation paradigms. Therefore accomodation
and assimilation must be done by those active in
education and training or human resources field.
7. References
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