To commemorate National Teachers’ Day in 2023, the Faculty of Education and Teacher Training at Universitas Terbuka (FKIP-UT) organized The 1st International Conference on Teaching and Learning (ICTL I) and the National Teachers Scientific Meeting (TING) XV on Saturday, November 18, 2023. This event was part of the 39th-anniversary celebration of UT. The theme for ICTL I and TING XV was “Digital Transformation: Future Challenges and Opportunities in Teaching and Learning.”
The keynote speaker for this event was Prof. Dr. Nunuk Suryani, M.Pd., the Director-General of Teachers and Education Personnel at the Ministry of Education and Culture (Kemendikbudristek). The event also featured panelists from various countries:
1. Prof. David Kaufman – Simon Fraser University, Canada
2. Dr. Randeep Sudan – Career Digital Platform Specialist, ADB, Singapore
3. Dr. Wesley Teter – Senior Consultant for Educational Innovation and Skill Development, UNESCO, Bangkok
4. Prof. Ir. Tian Belawati, M.Ed., Ph.D. – Universitas Terbuka, a distance education expert
Andi Sapta, the Chair of the 1st ICTL and TING XV, expressed in his opening remarks, “The International Conference on Teaching and Learning and the National Teachers Scientific Meeting will be a valuable platform for discussion and idea exchange. Through this event, brilliant insights from distinguished speakers will be shared.”
Initiating the activities, Prof. Nunuk, during ICTL I & TING XV at UT, highlighted the government significant program for teachers, particularly regarding PPPK (Civil Servant Candidate). The government is striving to have all study groups and subjects in public schools taught by civil servant teachers (ASN). She stated, “This is a significant government program for educators (teachers), namely, to improve teacher welfare by appointing PPPK civil servants, teacher professional education (Pendidikan Profesi Guru – PPG), teacher governance, ‘Guru Penggerak’ programs, and more.” She added that Kemendikbudristek ensures the selection process runs smoothly, assisting in providing supporting data to the Ministry of Finance for formulating PPPK teacher financing policies. This includes helping prepare teachers for the selection process by providing self-paced or online training using a learning management system (LMS).
LMS is part of the digital transformation in initiating future teaching and learning. UT is at the forefront of LMS development as all courses are delivered in the LMS model. The Learning Management System (LMS) serves as a virtual classroom accessible to students and tutors for those attending Face-to-Face Tutorials (Tutorial Tatap Muka – TTM) via Tutorial Webinars (TUWEB) and as a facility for guiding practice/Practicum. UT Rector Prof. Ojat Darojat, M.Bus., Ph.D., stated that the Covid-19 pandemic has transformed all learning systems, forcing a shift to digital learning. He remarked, “UT, as a leader in digital learning, also assists conventional higher education institutions in implementing online learning.”
ICTL was attended by 134 presenters from New Zealand, Pakistan, China, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia, with around 200 conference participants from various parts of Indonesia and abroad. TING XV was attended by 141 presenters, including teachers, lecturers, and students from all over Indonesia, and approximately 1000 seminar participants from various parts of Indonesia and abroad. Selected papers will be published in national and international FKIP journals and proceedings of TING XV and/or ICTL I.
During the seminar, the winners of the 2023 National Student Learning Innovation and Creativity Competition (Lomba Inovasi dan Kreativitas Pembelajaran Mahasiswa Nasional – LIPKMN) were announced. This competition comprised 15 categories of creative competitions related to education. Additionally, the launch of two books took place: (1) “Nyala Daya Juang Guru Bangsa: Kisah Inspiratif Perjuangan Mahasiswa FKIP” and (2) “Experiential Learning in Action: Inovasi Pembelajaran Guru oleh mahasiswa FKIP UT.” These books were written by FKIP lecturers, involving students and alumni as contributors.
The event was also enlivened by an angklung performance by “MANISE” Angklung team from Universitas Terbuka, featuring leaders and employees of UT who performed two songs titled “Hymne Guru” and “It’s My Life.” The event concluded at 5:00 PM after all presenters presented their papers in their respective parallel groups.
