
Jakarta, 14 November 2023 — The use of digital technology is the key to improving the quality of education at every level. At the same time, the challenges in bringing digital technology to education also need serious attention. The government and other stakeholders in the education sector have an important role in supporting the smooth use of technology to improve educational outcomes.
Article 33 Indonesia together with The SMERU Research Institute (SMERU), under the auspices of the forum The Indonesian Science Technology Innovation Policy Lecture (STIPL) Series III 2023, collaborating in holding a discussion forum with the title "Education Transformation: The Role of Digital Platforms in Improving the Quality of the Education Ecosystem" to discuss strategies for integrating and adapting technology to diverse educational needs in various contexts.
Optimizing Technology to Support Learning
Indonesia has been experiencing a learning crisis (low student literacy and numeracy skills) for years. Until now, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Kemendikbudristek) continues to try to find the best way to overcome this problem so that Indonesian children receive quality education. In his keynote speech, Dr. Iwan Syahril, Ph.D., Director General of Early Childhood Education, Basic Education and Secondary Education at the Ministry of Education and Culture, said, "The Ministry of Education and Culture is trying to overcome the learning crisis through the Independent Learning policy by massively utilizing technology to accelerate educational transformation."
Iwan explained that the learning crisis can only be overcome through technological support in the education system. Therefore, the Ministry of Education and Culture is taking a different approach in using technology to create programs and policies. Some examples of the use of technology that have been carried out by the Ministry of Education and Culture are Education Reports (a platform that provides report data on educational system evaluation results), SIPLah (an electronic system for procuring goods/services by educational units), and Merdeka Mengajar (a technology platform to facilitate teachers and school principals in teaching, learning and creating). The main lesson from using technology in education is that technology must be able to help school principals and teachers improve learning and reduce school administrative burdens. Apart from that, the use of technology in remote areas needs to be adapted to the conditions in that area and accompanied by appropriate interventions.
Leverage Data for Better Decision Making
Digitalization in Indonesia can be said to be taking place quite rapidly. However, according to Prasetya Dwicahya, Indonesian Data Science Advisor, even though internet users in Indonesia are quite large, currently there is still digital inequality. This condition must be addressed immediately so that the benefits of digitalization can be felt by all groups, including in remote areas.
Prasetya also explained that internet use in Indonesia is still not optimal because most of it is still used to communicate or fulfill entertainment needs. In fact, according to Prasetya, the greatest power of digitalization is in data processing. Digital technology is able to process and help principals, teachers and parents to make better decisions based on existing data. However, this needs to be followed by a data-driven culture (data-driven culture). This means that stakeholders in the education sector must be able to utilize data effectively and draw insights from the data that has been collected. "In addition to the macro use of technology by the Ministry of Education and Culture, Research and Technology, the development of digital technology to measure student performance can provide a lot of added value, such as the digitalization of organizations in other sectors," explained Prasetya.
There needs to be holistic improvements on various lines and involving various stakeholder elements
Article 33 Indonesia researcher, Nya' Zata Amani, said that in order for educational transformation to reach the end user, the key word is asymmetric intervention. “It's not enough just to divide the method between on line or offline"But the advocacy methods can be very different so that the information is actually received by the intended target," explained Nyanya'.
To realize educational transformation, there needs to be holistic improvements in various lines and involving various stakeholder elements. Furthermore, Nyanya' explained, there are six 6 stages of change in educational transformation with the use of technology, namely aware (how users become aware of the existence of a technology platform), adopt (how users want to start using the technology platform), understand (how users understand the functions and benefits of the technology platform), behavior adaptation (how changes in user behavior emerge that make meaningful use of technology platforms), positive impact, And sustainable transformation. Ultimately, the most important aspect of educational transformation involving technology is how the resources used have an impact on improving the quality of education.
Technology-Based Educational Interventions Can Be Successful with the Support of Various Parties
The rapid development of technology has encouraged many parties to utilize the internet and technology products in learning activities. However, most still face serious challenges that need to be overcome to achieve the goal of quality and equitable education.
SMERU researcher, Risa Nihayah, said, learning from the implementation of a pilot program called PENGEJAR (Fun, Level-appropriate and Interactive Mathematics), technology-based educational interventions can be successful if accompanied by support from various parties. “The government and other stakeholders have an important role in determining the success of technology-based educational interventions. For example, strong commitment and support from the government (central and regional) and school principals so that program/policy implementation is effective, involving teachers in designing programs, preparing learning infrastructure, and changing teachers' mindsets from teaching to complete the curriculum to differentiated teaching (according to students' ability level)," explained Risa.
Another thing that should not go unnoticed in utilizing technology, including digital platforms, to improve the quality of the education ecosystem is the aspect of inclusivity and GEDSI (Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion). This was conveyed by the Secretary of the SMERU Institute, Heni Kurniasih, when giving his opening remarks. "Educational transformation must be inclusive in terms of gender, for actors with various conditions, for regions with diverse infrastructure and geography, as well as in other aspects," said Heni.
To watch the replay of the activity, you can watch it on the following YouTube channel: STIPL Series 3 Article 33 Indonesia and The SMERU Research Institute
The material presented in the activity can be accessed via the following link:
Material from STIPL Series 3 Article 33 Indonesia and The SMERU Research Institute
Contact:
Article 33 Indonesia Secretariat
Sekretariat@article33.or.id
+62 821-2375-9221
Nadya Jessica
KPPOD Policy Analyst
082213300122
nadya@kppod.org
Muhammad Harith Kamaaluddin
Junior Communications Staff of The SMERU Research Institute
mkamaaluddin@smeru.or.id
087720492605
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About The Indonesian Science Technology Innovation Policy Lecture (STIPL)
The Indonesian Science Technology Innovation Policy Lecture (STIPL) is a discussion forum that brings together the government, practitioners, researchers and other stakeholders in an effort to explore the use of digital technology and promote discussion and collaboration between stakeholders. This forum was organized by the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) in collaboration with Article 33 Indonesia, the Regional Autonomy Implementation Monitoring Committee (KPPOD), the Center for Innovation Policy and Governance (CIPG), the Center for Law and Policy Studies (PSHK), and The SMERU Research Institute (SMERU).
About Article 33 Indonesia
Article 33 Indonesia is a policy research institution that focuses on issues of education, climate change, inclusive economy and disabilities in order to ensure sustainable development. Article 33 Indonesia exists with the aim of making inclusive policy changes and improvements through inclusive evidence-based research. Further information about Article 33 Indonesia can be seen at www.article33.or.id.
About The SMERU Research Institute (SMERU)
SMERU is an independent institution that carries out research and public policy studies. Since its founding in 2001, SMERU has become a leading institution in conducting studies in the field of poverty and inequality. SMERU actively strives to encourage pro-poor policies at the national and regional levels through evidence-based research results. Further information about SMERU can be seen at www.smeru.or.id.