SIBU, Feb 26: The Covid-19 pandemic could see the emergence of a strong hybrid educational model, says philanthropist Tan Sri Clement Hii.
In his keynote speech at SMK Sacred Heart 18th Speech Day 2022 via livestream on YouTube, Hii said this education model of the near future is a combination of online and face-to-face educational systems.
The executive chairman of HCK Capital Group, however, believed that students would need a structured learning environment such as a physical classroom as they could easily get distracted through e-learning.
“But older students would benefit more through digital learning as they can study at their own pace,” said Hii, who is a patron of the school.
The Covid-19 pandemic, he said, had impacted education in many ways; shifting students from the classroom to computer screen.
“The pandemic has also redefined the basic concepts of attendance, teaching, testing, the role of technology and human connection in one way or another. Many of us are wondering whether the adoption of online learning will continue to persist post-pandemic,” he added.
“I personally see a strong hybrid education model which is a combination of online and face-to-face education systems in the near future,” he said.
Hii also posed a question to SPM or STPM candidates on whether they would opt to study locally or overseas for their tertiary education.
“Would you still choose traditional top popular courses such as medicine, engineering or law or would you go for programmes related to e-commerce, e-marketing or digitalisation or even the metaverse which are the key elements for future careers right now?” he asked.
Hii, who sponsored laptops for top achievers, congratulated the recipients, parents, the principal and teachers for their achievements and hard work.
School principal, David Teo said as learning for the past two years had been brought online, the academic staff are trying to cover the learning loss and narrow the gap among the students.
“They are enhancing their online teaching skills to make their lessons and presentations more motivational and exciting,” he said.
He is confident that SPM and STPM students would perform well in their exam as it had a well-designed plan to check their academic progress. — DayakDaily
