Smart Campus for Smarter Education


"Indeed, Allah would never change a people’s state ˹of favour˺ until they change their own state ˹of faith˺" (QS. Ar-Ra’d: 11).


The quotation of the verse in the Quran, Surah Ar-Ra'd, seems to be a signal for people that change is a sunnatullah; it is undeniable. In management and education fields, efforts to change oneself are known as independent learning and self-development. Awareness to improve in order to make changes must be instilled in every Muslim so that Allah can change the helplessness into success as accomplished by the Salafus-Salih.


Transformation is an inevitabile stage in the phases of human life from the beginning of creation to the later end. Each generation has its own time, therefore they have to be prepared to deal with the challenges in their era. It is in line with the expression conveyed by Ali bin Abi Talib, "Educate children according to their time because they live in their own time, not yours."


The finest means to prepare the inspiring youth is education. "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world", stated Nelson Mandela, one of the inspiring changemakers and big changes to the world, especially in Africa. Education has tremendous power to change the world. In other words, education becomes human fuel in driving change.


Excellent education is able to prepare generations to deal with future challenges. Exponential changes have occurred around our students, the digital natives, Alpha generation. The world experienced significant changes when the first steam engine was invented in the 1800s. It was marked the birth of the earliest industrial revolution.


This change even occurs more rapidly when innovation after innovation is rolled out endlessly by humans, who always think about continuous development. Thus, the most crucial invention of millennium was born, which we know as the internet. It has had significant impact on life processes resulting in changes to human attitudes and behavior. Today, the key resources needed can be obtained effortlessly and rapidly. These resources are information.


Since the discovery of the 4G network, technological advancements have become increasingly developed with the emergence of newcomers who have disrupted many incumbents. They present more relevant novel processes and methods to the latest advancements  so that they  emerge as winners. The wave of disruption became even stronger when the 5G network was launched. Technology, previously could only be enjoyed through science fiction films, starts to be realized today. Currently, the 6G network has been tested in various countries, including Japan. So, what other technology will accompany this network which is 20 times faster than 5G?


The phenomenon is not a fiction, howbeit, it actually occurs in our students. The big question is, "Will our students be able to keep up with extraordinary technological innovation?" Of course, the question not only needs to be answered by our students, but also by whoever is responsible for preparing them, the educators. The predominant  education starts from home as parents are inside, the first and foremost school for children. As stated in Arabic poem by Hafiz Ibrahim, "a mother is the first school for her children, if you prepare them well, then you prepare a generation with strong foundations."


Our students today are the Alpha generation, the digital natives, while the previous were digital immigrants.  They have been very close to digital technology since they were born, different from their predecessors. It results in surplus information, even at a very early age. Furthermore, digital devices offer convenience and instant process to obtain what they ask for. Everything will be ready instantly in the tip of finger. Surely, the phenomenon would affect fairly on their attitude and behavior.


How do we deal with the young addicted to digital devices ? Should the educational process completely cut off their access to technology? Let's go back to Ali bin Abi Talib statement that we are asked to educate children according to their time. Then, providing full access without control is imprudent for educators to do. However, cutting off access completely would also go against Sunnatullah regarding current developments. In fact, it might cause culture shock when they get reinvolved with technology. It is not something to be afraid of or  forbidden to avoid. There are no laws on tools. It is such as knives will be useful or dangerous depending on how they are used.


Educators are required to integrate technology as co-assistant in the educational processes. They act as facilitators and integrators, encouraging students to develop more swiftly with the help of technology. Eagerness to create smart classroom, building, and environtment is needed to shift the focus of Alpha generation to more productive use of technology.


Technology adoption and digital culture development would be appropriate to go hand in hand, thus, they would deliver to positive construction in the learning activities. Doesn't the adoption of this technology have opportunities for misuse? Yes, it does. Negative impacts of technology have to be controlled well by prepared system. Nevertheless, this is not a reason to stop access to technology.


Wouldn't going against Sunnatullah have a bad impact on our students? The impact could be actually greater. Wallahu a'lam. 


Written by: Ustadz Imam Baehaqi, MM. - (Chief of Management of Information and Technology Thursina IIBS)


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