Assessing the ICT competency among Postgraduate students in the Higher Learning Institutions (HLI) is crucial. Therefore this paper presents in detail the process of developing an instrument to assess the competency in ICT which is called ICTC-Test (Information Communication Technology Competency Test). The details are on the utilization of the seven domains in the 21st Century ICT Competency Model to determine the competency level among students. The development of the items in ICTC-Test is based on the application of the performance-based assessment and the task-based assessment. The assessment of ICT competency using ICTC-Test is different compared to existing instruments where ICTC-Test changes the focus in assessing the competency in ICT from the ability to use and maintain the hardware, software and network to competency in ICT that includes technical ability and cognitive skills. Moreover, ICTC-Test also integrates the five generic skills highlighted in MQF which are critical thinking skill, problem solving skill, information technology and communication skill, communication and management skill.
This study aims to examine reflective capacity among students when learning about computers in education. The study involved 35 e-portfolios written by first-year students who enrolled on the Computers in Education course in the Faculty of Education, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. All the students taking this course were required to publish "reflections" based on their weekly learning activities via individual e-portfolios. Thematic analysis was done using Nvivo 10 software to categorize the content of the students' reflections. The analysis reveals that a large percentage of the "reflections" were non-reflective rather than reflective actions. This finding has implications for the way the course is designed, requiring a supportive environment, mentoring and group discussions, as reflective thinking is not spontaneous, but should be deliberately stimulated by the educational context.
Teachers' professional development is not only important for teachers, also for schools' development. This study aims to explore teachers' engagement in communities of practice in schools and their views on the most effective professional development approach that they had experienced. The participants were 16 teachers from five schools in two states in Malaysia. The data was generated through semi-structured interviews. The analysis was done using thematic analysis, using Nvivo as a tool. The findings indicate that although for these teachers, attending courses, training and seminars helped them to gain new knowledge and related skills, their involvement in informal learning communities was significantly more meaningful for their professional development. This paper discusses the implications of this finding on the implementation of professional development currently being practiced in the Malaysian education system.
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