BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

A RELIABLE Wi-Fi network will be required for schools before introducing the use of games in teaching and learning, a consultant to the Ministry of Education (MoE) said.

Sean Murali, general manager of Vertex Consultancy, said facilities such as Wi-Fi services are needed to ensure game-based learning can be introduced in all Brunei schools.

Vertex Consultancy is currently training 25 selected ministry staff on game-based learning for model schools at MoE’s Media In-Service Centre.

“It is a long process because there are a lot of things involved in terms of having a Wi-Fi network. But when that is all in place, it will be carried out across all schools,” he said in an interview on the sidelines of the training programme for teachers.

He explained that the project is about getting teachers to use games and teach schoolchildren to get involved by using their ideas in various subjects.

“We have been using games all our lives, such as card games and Monopoly. It makes you become more creative and (allows) putting your ideas into action, which is one of the ways we thought would be good for students in Brunei,” he said, adding this is the way forward for Brunei in facilitating learning.

After a one and a half month training course, teachers would be ready to go back to the selected schools and implement game-based learning.

“They (teachers) are actually the arms and legs of expanding this project. The first thing is teachers must have a vision of what they want.

Using games, they can then put their ideas into animation and from there, you (incorporate them into) key subjects. The whole thing makes the kids excited about (learning) the subject,” Murali added.

He added that students have been showing a lot of improvements in countries such as Singapore that use game-based learning.

Zulfikar Ali Hj Sion, an Art and English teacher at Lambak Kanan Jln 49 Primary School, said the training course would help in their teaching because it fosters skills including reading and spelling.

“What is exciting about this is that it will make teaching and learning more entertaining. It is really about edutainment, where we incorporate entertainment and education,” he said, adding they want to make teaching fun and learning exciting for the students.

Rasyiqah Rahgeni, a Computer Studies and Computer Application teacher at Masin Secondary School said game-based learning would be beneficial for students because the games encourage teamwork.

She said it also allows learning to be done in a more interactive and engaging way.

Both teachers said game-based learning can be applied in any subject, even in Bahasa Melayu or Mandarin.

Rasyiqah said she came across game-based learning for Science practicals.

Both teachers said they “cannot wait” to go back to their schools and start using game-based learning for their students.

Zulfikar Ali said: “I have been here for one and a half months and I miss my students. I am so excited about going back and bring something new to them, and I hope this will make my teaching and learning for them more fun.”

Rasyiqah said she wants her students to keep learning new things, but in a fun way. “Now, we hope there will be more teamwork and collaboration among their peers as well.”

The Brunei Times