SEREMBAN:The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the teacher's teaching and facilitation (PdPc) compass from 'competition of knowledge' to 'competition of creativity, learning and independent thinking', in fulfilling the futuristic education needs.

Education director-general Datuk Dr Habibah Abdul Rahim said despite facing various challenges, the teachers managed to adapt by diversifying PdPc methods and techniques to ensure the learning objectives were met and all students could learn without any obstacle.

"Besides that, the assessment method was also modified in line with the current situation. This effort has created new innovations in PdPc especially in online learning, usage of latest technological applications such as YouTube, Google Classroom, Zoom, Instagram and so on," she said in her opening speech at the Institute of Teachers Education's (IPG) Minda Inovasi Dinamik (MInD IPG 2020) programme, here, today.

In the speech, broadcast via a video recording, Habibah also stressed that teachers also needed to give attention to research-based knowledge because it could create innovations that were impactful, relevant and able to solve classroom's problems creatively.

"The current impact of the Industrial Revolution 4.0 explosion is forcing teachers to be more proactive in adapting the latest technological development, and the existence of various knowledge disciplines also calls on the teachers to explore deeply the best and latest practices in PdPc," she added.

Habibah said the challenging COVID-19 pandemic situation should not be a hindrance to the effort to popularise innovations, but rather boost IPG spirit to keep working hard to lead the innovation culture in the new norms.

"The new norms does not mean limiting creativity but instead require us to think outside of the box," she said, adding that educators should be the frontliners in ensuring that education could be delivered more efficiently to future generations.

Meanwhile, the MInD IPG 2020 programme which is the rebranding of IPG Innovation Day, was held both face-to-face and virtually this year, in order to curb COVID-19 transmission.

Several innovation awards were presented at the programme including Citra Inovasi Award, which was won by Haslinda Mohamad Saad from IPG Malay Language Campus, Kuala Lumpur and Bitara Emas Award (lecturer category) was won by IPG Malay Women Campus, Melaka.

-- BERNAMA