Buleleng – The Covid-19 pandemic has had a massive impact on education in Indonesia, with the shift in the learning system from offline to online several years ago as a form of adaptation.
Digital-based learning, which integrates technology in education to enhance students’ learning experience, is a form of transformation carried out by schools.
For a school to successfully implement digital-based learning, a lot of things need to be prepared, including adequate network connectivity, devices to be used by students, and teachers’ ability to innovate.
One of the schools that are transforming into a digital-based school is SMPN (State Junior High School) 8 Singaraja, Kabupaten Buleleng, Bali. SMPN 8 Singaraja started implementing digital-based learning during the Covid -19 pandemic which forced almost every school in the country to pivot to new ways to operate.
To enhance its transformation process, SMPN 8 Singaraja is taking part in a series of training through the Lighthouse School Program. The training program offers various topics, including Design Thinking in Teaching Device Planning and Video Animation-Based Learning Media, and allows self-paced learning via the Guru Binar platform.
One of the teachers who is currently taking part in the training program was Ni Putu Aprilia Wirmayanti, and she shares with us her experience. “All the training sessions—either completed or will be done in the future according to the plan—involve the use of various technologies, so at least internet connection and laptops must always be available,” said Aprilia.
The practical training materials have motivated Aprilia to immediately implement them in her classes. “The students were unexpectedly enthusiastic about the material that I made in Video Animation-Based Learning Media, one of the training sessions that I participated in. I was happy because my students were happy, and I was motivated to learn more,” she added.
The whole series of training is expected to improve the ability of teachers at SMPN 8 Singaraja in developing a variety of digital-based learning and teaching media, so the school is ready to be a model school in Kabupaten Buleleng and its surrounding areas.