(From fourth left) Mat Jusoh, Tan, Temerloh district education officer Saufie Abdul Manaf and RISE Educator of the Year 2022 winner Hazeem, with SMK Kuala Krau teachers, in front of the multimedia studio.
Taylor’s College, SMK Kuala Krau jointly develop Malaysia’s first special needs multimedia studio
Through the development of SMK Kuala Krau’s Studio Multimedia Program Pendidikan Khas Integrasi (PPKI), Taylor’s College and the school are spearheading initiatives to help special needs students gain comprehensive digital skills.
The first of its kind in public schools in Malaysia, the SMK Kuala Krau (Pahang) multimedia studio aims to provide Orang Asli and special needs students with modules and programmes to help them learn technical digital skills such as content creation, video editing and other IT- and technology-related knowledge.
With digital literacy and skills becoming more essential in today’s world, students currently in schools will know a predominantly digital economy in their lifetime.
But the school’s special needs teacher Mohammad Hazeem Azemi – the RISE Educator of the Year winner for the RISE Educator Award, organised by Taylor’s College and its student engagement arm The Risers – noticed that there was a digital divide between urban and rural areas.
This was especially the case for individuals with different abilities, as they do not have equal opportunity to technology, resulting in very little experience in using such tools.
“As the digital economy continues to shape society, it is important for students to develop an arsenal of digital skills in school to prepare for the future.
“Upon their graduation from high school, students today will live in a world where technology is the pinnacle of the way we live, study and work.
“In my experience as a special needs teacher in a rural area, however, we observed how the digital knowledge divide is affecting the experiences and opportunities between urban and rural students – especially if they are students with special needs.
“Their knowledge and experience in the digital space is not as comprehensive compared to their urban-city peers,” he said.
Tan signing the plaque of the first special needs multimedia school in Malaysia.
The situation became even more apparent at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, when Hazeem saw the struggles of his students to participate in online classes.
To keep students motivated and engaged in classes, he began to engage them with digital content from social media platforms as a medium for their learning resources.
This in turn deepened his students’ curiosity and will to develop their knowledge about the multimedia industry.
He added, “As a teacher, I am always looking for ways to improve my students’ learning experience.
“At the end of the movement control order, I found a new purpose – to build a multimedia studio for the students to help them develop their skills in the digital arena,” he added.
With the winning of RM10,000 in sponsorship from the RISE Educator Award earlier this year, Hazeem further enhanced the multimedia studio with facilities such as personal computers, video lighting and more so that his students can hone their IT skills and experience the types of equipment and devices like photo and video editing software, broadcasting tools, as well as virtual gaming.
According to SMK Kuala Krau headmaster Mat Jusoh Che Ngah, the multimedia studio would be able to cater beyond academic knowledge and help students develop hands-on digital skills, which are now essential to chart a career path.
He shared, “We are grateful to Taylor’s College for their support of Hazeem’s vision of a multimedia studio for the Orang Asli and special needs students.
“They have continued to show their support by sponsoring 15 tablets and 50 content creator starter kits for the students in SMK Kuala Krau to be used in the multimedia studio.”
Students who complete the courses offered by the school through Studio Multimedia PPKI will also be given a “Sijil Kemahiran Tahap 3”, which the students can use to apply for jobs.
Taylor’s College campus director Josephine Tan said, “With the right support, we believe that anybody can be given equal opportunities to learn. Hence, we are happy to support Hazeem and SMK Kuala Krau in their endeavours to provide access to quality education for all their students.
“Such effort is also aligned with the institution’s vision to be a purpose-led institution – especially in our commitment to making a meaningful impact on solving societal issues in the subject of quality education for all as outlined in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.”
The RISE Educator Award was launched in 2021 to give appreciation and recognition to exceptional educators who have contributed greatly to their students’ education and social development in Malaysia.
For more information, visit bitly.ws/vEcN.
