Modern human life in the age of huge technology growth remains focused on achieving intelligent and effective answers. Beginning with smart cities, smart education, and smart campuses, among others, thus, the Smart-X concepts have begun to penetrate many aspects of life.
Prof Yusep Rosmansyah, Intelligent Multimedia Technology at Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) – the first technical high school in Indonesia – believes that all manifestations of the Smart-X idea have converged into a single, digital transformation-related system. He emphasised that digital transformation is the application of digital mechanisms to create a system that is more intelligent than previously. In the field of education, digital transformation aspires to establish an exemplary and accommodating learning environment for all participants (Smart Learning Environment).
The notion of smart education underscores a better knowledge of education via the use of intelligent pedagogical approaches and technology in the educational environment and seeks to cultivate intelligent students.
On the other hand, the smart learning environment concept is backed by seven major system components, namely policy and curricular standards, content, student profiles, pedagogy, interfaces, supplementary resources, and human resources.
As an illustration of ITB’s efforts to adopt this notion, the institution’s Strategic Plan includes the Education 4.0 transformation strategy (Renstra). This strategy is implemented as Tri Matra, which includes human resources and culture, technology, procedures, and governance. This Tri Matra was eventually discovered to be seven strategic steps named Sapta Siaga that align with ITB’s goals.
Prof Yusep highlighted that it is impossible to separate the role of technology from the digital transformation in education. The placement of individual strengths and teamwork in response to existing difficulties will be the most essential aspect of organisations and businesses in the future.
Human expertise as human capital supported by suitable technology is a resource that continues to expand in accordance with its capacity. Certain requirements must be met for the transformation of the education system into a relevant smart education to be successful.
First, the connection between teachers and students enhances the effectiveness and motivation of the learning process. Second, unrestricted research is driven by information flow from various physical and digital sources. Third, effective educational institutions provide high-quality educational services. Fourth, in a competitive world, lifelong learning is the most important capital in increasing self-capacity.
Meanwhile, ITB Chancellor Prof. Reini Wirahadikusumah, PhD stated that ITB focuses on technology education, development, and mastery. Initially, technical higher education at ITB included mathematics and natural sciences, as well as various fields of engineering, planning, and art and design.
The second stage of development saw an expansion of the field’s scope to embrace the social sciences and humanities. These included areas of study such as business, entrepreneurship, development studies, public policy, and the fields of socio-technology studies.
Because of the increasingly tight link that exists between the development of technology, cultural shifts, and economic expansion, a multidisciplinary approach to education, development, and mastery of technology is currently undergoing development.
In the future, the Indonesian Technical Higher Education (PTTI), which serves as the organiser of the Higher Education Tridarma activities, will be required to further improve the integration between Teaching, Research, and Community Service activities, develop cross-disciplinary patterns in the implementation of the Tridarma, and enhance more strategic collaborations with various players in the business sectors and with other organisations. Inevitably, the construction of an innovation system in the Indonesian education sector will be the result of a partnership between many parties with diverse beliefs and interests.
