POST GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN TEACHING

SEMESTER 3 / JANUARY 2024

HPGD1203

THEORIES AND PRACTICES

MATRICULATION NO : CGS03058342
IDENTITY CARD NO. : 970824085578
TELEPHONE NO. : 01140309758
E-MAIL : maisarahilham97@gmail.com
LEARNING CENTRE : OUM JOHOR BAHRU
Part 1

Introduction

Information and communication technology, or ICT, is crucial in this

information-boom era. The world has been greatly dominated by this technology.
People utilize technology virtually constantly, and we can practically control
everything with it at our fingertips. ICT advancements have greatly benefited people,
society, and the nation as a whole. There are undoubtedly excellent and harmful
things that are made. Undoubtedly, good items are more advantageous to users. ICT
has been beneficial to the teaching and learning (P&P) system. ICT advances the
school's educational programme while improving the institution. Through the Internet,
students can obtain global information for their schoolwork and projects. Pupils will
acquire knowledge based on their aptitudes and produce a computer-savvy future
generation. Distance education is more akin to education in schools or other
institutions. Opportunities for education expand while also saving money. Information
technology students who are intelligent and well-read are not constrained by age or
class. More scholars are produced as a result (A. Razak Ahmad, 2011). Three
approaches and certain alterations to the teaching and learning process are brought
about by ICT integration.

Question 1:

a) The importance of ICT in group formation and implementing consideration

Dr. Aminah's method of using technology for methodical selection.

Considering the given environment, Dr. Aminah utilises ICT tools to carefully
analyse and evaluate group members based on academic capabilities as well as
insights from prior evaluations to create a varied and well-balanced group. Students
can evaluate members of their selected group's profiles and offer comments by using
a collaborative online platform. This makes the process of forming a group more
engaging and intimate. The following elements of group formation are made easier
by ICT:

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1. A Balanced and Diverse Group

ICT assists Dr. Aminah in assembling a group that is both diverse and
balanced by taking into account varied viewpoints and backgrounds in addition to
academic strengths. Within the group, this diversity fosters creativity, critical
thinking, and a range of viewpoints.

Based on an article titled Dynamic Group Formation with an Intelligent Tutor

Collaborative Learning: A Novel Approach for Next Generation Collaboration by Ijaz
Ul Haq. Through this study, they have achieved balanced heterogeneity groups by
making task-based activities in a simple form quiz to assess the level of student
knowledge. After permutation of each activity, students are changed into different
groups based on their level of knowledge. Following this method, it is suggested that
heterogeneous groups are balanced can be created during learning. This balanced
group Students will be more effective in collaborative learning. produces better
performance, i.e., higher learning gains than random students.

2. Achieving collaborative learning

ICT provides various tools and applications for easy sharing of information,
files, and resources. Students can use this tool to share learning materials, do
teamwork together, and contribute to group projects. This sharing process promotes
collective understanding and strengthens the learning experience. In accordance with
Dr. Aminah's approach, students are able to view profiles and provide feedback on the
members of the groups they have selected through a collaborative online platform,
making the process of forming new groups more engaging and personalized.

Regarding the article titled ‘Smart learning environment: Teacher’s role in

assessing classroom attention’. This article discusses the critical role that teachers
have in assessing how well a smart classroom is working while also considering the
effects of student participation in group projects that ultimately try to enhance the
teaching process. They develop a new type of architectural system in this work that
enables the application of various technologies in SLE, such as internal positioning
systems, ICT, and so forth. Their primary findings indicate that when teachers are
positioned close to group members, the group's involvement in SLE increases. While
other students are more passive, these kids are nonetheless concerned and make some

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inquiries to meet learning objectives. From there, technology might offer a cutting-
edge way to find out how students feel about shared workplaces.

3. Critical Thinking in Group Selection

Dr. Aminah, who utilises ICT to choose group members, places a strong
emphasis on critical thinking and analysis when choosing the right group members.
Using pertinent data and information to aid in the group member selection process is
one of the approach's main features. Utilising technological tools like learning
management systems and online collaboration platforms, Dr. Aminah can obtain data
regarding each student's attendance, academic standing, and past assessment
outcomes. As a result, judgements can be made with greater knowledge and support
from the facts.

Based on the article that I have studied, "The Impact of Using Technology
Tools in Enhancing Students' Critical Thinking Disposition in Higher Education" by
Alharbi (2021) supports the importance of using technology in enhancing students'
critical thinking. Extremely cautious attempts have been made to include technology
in the instruction of critical thinking skills. Based on Alsaleh, N. J. Teaching Critical
Thinking Skills: A Review of the Literature. There is a need for more research on
technology and its effects on developing critical thinking skills. According to the
Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology 2020, studies have rarely
attempted to directly explore the effect of new technology, such as websites about
teaching and promoting students' critical thinking. Previous studies have looked at the
use of specific technologies, such as simulation-based learning, as mediating tools for
directly and indirectly teaching critical thinking abilities. Online discussion on
Blackboard Short film samples of social interaction on WebQuest, an online social
networking site. These studies' findings demonstrated the benefits of using technology
to help students develop their critical thinking abilities. In the current study, students'
self-study of learning materials in the form of videos, discussions, and exercises on
developing critical thinking abilities was mediated by the smartphone application
Telegram.

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 b) The integration of ICT contribute to the personalization of group
dynamics, fostering positive emotional and social connections among
students

The integration of information and communication technology (ICT) helps to

form dynamic groups, fostering positive emotional and social connections among
students in several ways:

I. Group dynamic

Online Classes: Through video conferencing platforms such as Zoom or

Google Meet, students can attend online classes where they can interact with lecturers
and peers remotely. This forms a dynamic group where students can share opinions,
exchange ideas, and solve problems together.

Referring to an article titled '21st Century Lessons: The Effectiveness of

Online Learning, according to him, students can share opinions, give insights, and get
feedback from their peers around the world. This opens the door to richer learning
through the exchange of ideas and experiences. For example, in an online course on
entrepreneurship, students can interact with peers from different backgrounds, and
they can learn from each other about the culture, challenges, and business
opportunities in their respective countries.

Here we can conclude that ICT integration plays a role in forming a dynamic
group with different levels of learning and background but is able to contribute to
differences in ideas and opinions, culture, and lead to agreement and uniqueness in
completing tasks.

2. Fostering positive emotional and social connections

Interesting Learning. The use of technology in learning, such as learning

games, animated videos, or interactive applications, can make learning more
interesting and fun for students. This can help reduce boredom and increase student
motivation towards learning. In addition, the use of online collaboration platforms
allows students to interact and collaborate with their peers on projects and learning

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activities. This can help strengthen social bonds between students and build a
supportive learning environment.

Fook & Sidhu (2013) study findings show students' attitudes towards
information technology is positive. This is because students like it. the use of
information technology by lecturers in teaching. The majority of respondents agree
with technology. Information can increase motivation to learn and facilitate the
learning and teaching process. (Shiong & Perumale, 2016) think learning Online is a
learning opportunity that flexible in terms of learning access and diversity mode of
achieving the lesson. Another article that also supports this statement is the one titled
Integration of Information and Communication Technology and Information Literacy
in Teaching and Learning Importance of the School Resource Center authored by
Haslinda Husaini. Introduction to ICT has led to a positive attitude among students.
This is because of ICT providing wide opportunities in learning activities compared to
traditional methods. The integration of ICT and information literacy in R&D is
important and necessary support and earnest efforts between the government, leaders,
ministries that related, principals, principals, teachers, students and parents. School
has no other choice but accept ICT changes and phenomena and teachers need to
quickly master ICT knowledge and skills to be applied in the teaching and learning
process.

In general, ICT integration also contributes to positive emotions and social

interactions among students. The use of ICT is a more student-centred teaching
technique. Various game activities that help reinforce lessons make students happy
and enthusiastic to complete tasks with friends and, at the same time, build good
social interaction between group members.

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Question 2:

Gamification in Teaching and Learning

Gamification is the use of game design elements, such as rewards and points,
in non-game contexts, such as education. The goal of gamification is to make the
learning experience more fun and engaging by harnessing the brain's reward system.
When students are rewarded for their efforts, they are more likely to stay engaged in
the learning process. Gamification is the latest popular approach that uses the
application of interactive experiences between human with computer (human
computer interaction, HCI), psychology, and digital game developmentto stimulate
human engagement and motivation. This is because gamification techniques are able
to influence human behaviour change (Buck, 2017; Azman et al., 2018), marketing
field (Dichev, C. & Dicheva, D, 2017), social media and websites (Farhana et al.,
2018), health (Hanafiah, 2019), retail, and user motivation (Lednor, 2019).

Integration of learning experiences through digital games by Dr. Aminah

through information and communication technology (ICT) can make a significant
contribution to the emotional involvement, social development, and confidence
building of students all the time. Here are some ways this can be achieved:

a) Emotional Engagement:

Digital games often evoke positive emotions such as excitement, success, and
achievement. By choosing a game that suits the student's interest and developmental
level, Dr. Aminah can ensure that the learning experience through digital games is fun
and arouses students' interest. The use of game elements such as achievements, levels,
and prizes can reward and motivate students to continue learning and achieve learning
goals. This means that the active involvement of students in the teaching and learning
process can be achieved.

According to Scott et al. (2015), through the use of digital games in education,
low interest, attention, and motivation by students can be improved because

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curriculum areas are indeed difficult to teach without an interesting incentive. In
addition, although the previous studies focused more on negative effects, the latest
studies are more focuses on the discussion of positive effects as digital game design
has the potential to be used in a learning environment. Among the effects noted by
most researchers is potencial digital games to increase student learning motivation
(Mohamed Masrop Noor Azli, 2014;Lednor, 2019).

b) Social Development:

Dr. Aminah can encourage cooperation and social interaction between

students through digital games that require cooperation or competition between
groups. Digital games that have communication elements such as chat or online play
mode can build students' social communication skills. The emphasis on cooperation in
games also builds cooperation, empathy, and social understanding among students.

Based on an article titled Critical Thinking Skills Through Games Digital In

The Learning Environment Social Constructivism, written by Mad Noor Madjapuni
Most of the activities in today's digital games are adapted from social aspects and
culture (Gee, 2003), group, community, and identity (Wenger, 1998). In fact become
the favourite of the current generation of players playing digital games in the form of
competitors and in groups, compared to digital games that only test intelligence. Play
digital games as a team through Online gives them space to discuss challenges and
complete the goal of the game and solve the challenges found in the game digital. In
addition, almost every digital game developed is not just as a game, but it exists
logically as a game system. In this system, in addition to complex virtual games,
space real-time chat, online forums, digital game rooms, blogs, etc. All these
components enable and encourage individuals to share, Discuss, evaluate, and use
knowledge in shared digital games together and built by community members.

c) Confidence Building:

The use of digital games that offer challenges and increased skills can build
students' self-confidence. Dr. Aminah can design games designed to improve specific
skills, and with each new achievement, students will gain confidence that they can
overcome the challenge. In-game reward systems, such as gaining new levels or
achievements, also build a sense of achievement and positive self-confidence.

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 Educational games have the ability to help students build mental
representations for dynamic learning domain (Shih & Alessi, 1994; Augustine, 1991).
If mod traditionally used to convey dynamic learning domains, students had to build a
mental representation on their own (Lewalter, 2003) and improve the burden on their
minds. Therefore, with the use of educational games, the level of understanding
increased compared to the traditional mode (Harun & Tasir, 2003; Lewalter, 2003).

Question 3

Ethical Issues Concerning the Formation of Groups Through ICT

Considerable ethical thought is necessary when using information and

communication technology (ICT) for group formation. The following are some
potential ethical issues and innovative methods to solve them:

A) Privacy and Data Security:

Among the main risks that will be faced in the formation of groups is the
disclosure of personal information, which will lead to harm if not controlled. For
example, misuse of data that is wrong by law, personal information accessed for
fraudulent purposes, and so on.

B) Appropriate Content and Academic Illegal activity:

Academic Fraud and Content Appropriateness: The second problem is that

group learning raises the possibility of plagiarism and likeness, wherein students take
other people's ideas and use them for their own benefit. The student's attitude of
mistrust and lack of confidence will suffer as a result.

C) Mutual Interest and Collaboration

In group activities, there will also be some students who will drop out and feel
left out. Involvement of all students is not achieved if communication and group
interaction are not very good.

In the article, The Value of Ethics in Sharing Information in the Digital World,
written by Nor Azlina Aziz Fadzillah,

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 Information and data are exchanged when using ICT. Data security needs to
be upheld to keep it safe from dangers like theft and hacking. To address this,
organisations must regulate access to sensitive data, enact privacy legislation, and
implement data encryption. The difficulty in group learning comes from examining
topic appropriateness and academic dishonesty; plagiarism and academic dishonesty
are real risks. Thus, organisations can employ anti-plagiarism software, aggressively
implement academic ethics, and promote sincere cooperation to solve this issue. Next,
issues of mutual interest and collaboration. The use of ICT can alienate group
members if not used wisely. The solution is that the group can hold collaborative
sessions online, using collaboration tools such as Google Drive, and ensure that each
member is actively involved.

By considering these ethics, groups can overcome challenges and achieve

positive learning outcomes through the use of ICT in group formation.

Question 4

Evaluate the entire impact

The integration of information and communication technology (ICT) in

cooperative learning has a significant impact on the emotional well-being, social
development, and positive engagement of students. Here are some aspects that show
how ICT integration can support these things:

1.Collaboration and Communication: Students can communicate online, exchange

ideas, and work together on projects when they use ICT technologies. This enhances
teamwork and communication abilities, which are critical for cooperative learning.

2. Access to Information Resources: Through ICT, students can access information

resources easily and quickly. This allows them to acquire wider and deeper
knowledge.

3. Student-Centred Learning: ICT applications and software enable student-centred

learning. Students can choose learning materials that suit their needs, take initiative,
and manage their own learning.

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4. Learning Enrichment: Videos, simulations, and interactive games through ICT can
enrich the learning experience. This helps students understand concepts better and
keeps them interested in learning.

Evidence from the article:

Integration of Information and Communication Technology in Education, by

Thulasimani Munohsamy, 2014.

Students are given the opportunity to use all five senses during the learning
process using ICT. In addition, the role of ICT also improves the quality and diversity
of delivery and teaching through the use of the internet and multimedia materials in
addition to teaching materials existing. Interactive multimedia materials are developed
by using graphic visual materials, text, music, video, and animation that help
strengthen students' understanding of a concept. Education portals can give students a
better understanding of a subject. For example, in science experiments, teachers only
show an experiment once, but through education portals, they can try it again and
again. In addition, every material in the portal is constantly updated, and students get
a lot of new material compared to textbooks that are updated from time to time
(Zalina Yahaya, 2001). Through the use of electronic communication, net meetings,
chatrooms, and so on, teachers and students can exchange ideas on their own or with
teachers and students from other schools.

2869 words

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References

Munohsamy, Thulasimani. (2014). Integrasi Teknologi Maklumat dan Komunikasi

dalam Pendidikan. Jurnal IPA Bil.23, 2014. 23. 1.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/279197893_Integrasi_Teknologi_Maklumat
_dan_Komunikasi_dalam_Pendidikan

Buck, M. F. (2017). Gamification of Learning and Teaching in Schools – A Critical

Stance. International Journal of Media, Technology and Lifelong Learning 13(1): 35–
54.

Hamdan, F. A., Lara-Sánchez, A. J., & Arufe-Giráldez, V. (2023, September 12).

Critical thinking in environmental education through digital games among
students. Environment and Social
Psychology, 8(2).https://doi.org/10.54517/esp.v8i2.1725 (Hamdan et al., 2023)

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Part II

ONLINE CLASS PARTICIPATION

QUESTION 1

Opinion:

Reply:

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Question 2

Opinion:

Reply 1:

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Reply 2:

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