Get to know the Merdeka Mengajar Platform

Introduction

On Monday, August 2, 2021, the Institute for the Development and Empowerment of School Principals and School Supervisors (LPPKS) held online training on data-based planning and management.

The activities were divided into two formats:

• synchronous, through Google Meet video conferences,
• asynchronous, through Moodle LMS.

For Learning Platform Guidance Class 81, the LMS admin and contact person was Mrs. Alfiatun Dwi Budiasih, S.Pd, while the speaker was Mr. Deny Avianto, S.T from Pusdatin Kemdikbudristekdikti.

Training Participants

The training participants were school representatives invited by LPPKS from seven provinces. The participant document can be viewed below.

Merdeka Mengajar Application

This training focused on introducing and using the Merdeka Mengajar Platform in classroom practice. At that time, the platform was still available in beta form.

In general, the Merdeka Mengajar Platform is a technology platform designed to help teachers:

• teach more effectively,
• improve their competence,
• grow professionally,
• access teaching resources and assessment tools.

Teaching Resource Features

The teaching resource section helps teachers find learning materials based on subject and learning phase. The materials may include:

• teaching modules,
• textbooks,
• learning videos,
• project modules,
• other supporting materials.

Users can:

• search for resources by subject and phase,
• read and review them,
• bookmark them,
• save them into folders,
• download them to a device.

Difference between bookmarking and downloading:

• bookmarking keeps the resource easy to access and organize inside the app,
• downloading stores the file directly on the device.

These features are available to teachers and principals in schools participating in the Sekolah Penggerak program and the Vocational School Excellence Program.

Student Assessment Features

The student assessment section helps teachers gather information about student learning processes and outcomes. Its main purpose is to identify student competency levels.

Key points:

• diagnostic assessments are available in the assessment section,
• assessments can be searched by subject and phase,
• they can be distributed online or offline,
• the results can be linked to suitable teaching resource recommendations.

Who can access this feature:

• teachers and principals in schools included in the Sekolah Penggerak program,
• vocational schools in the excellence program.

When diagnostic assessments became available:

• since July 12, 2021 for elementary, junior high, and senior high school teachers in the Sekolah Penggerak program, as well as Center of Excellence vocational schools.

When they should be used:

• ideally at the beginning of the school year so the results can support later teaching plans.

If the assessment feature does not appear:

1. make sure the Merdeka Mengajar application has been updated to version 0.1.3,
2. check the update information in the Play Store,
3. reinstall the application if the feature still does not appear.

Forms of Assessment Results

Assessment results are presented in two forms:

1. class-level results, showing the competency level of most students in a class;
2. individual results, showing a more detailed analysis for each student.

Assessment Distribution and Scoring

Assessments can be distributed in two ways:

• online, where scoring can happen automatically inside the platform;
• offline, where scoring must be done manually using the provided answer key.

User Manual for the Merdeka Mengajar Application

The following guide explains how to download the Merdeka Mengajar application from the Play Store and begin using it. Make sure the application has already been installed on a phone or tablet before following the guide.

Closing

The Merdeka Mengajar Platform was introduced to support the Sekolah Penggerak program and the broader Merdeka Mengajar initiative. Through this platform, teachers gain easier access to teaching resources, assessments, and learning support materials.

Thanks are due to Mrs. Alfiatun Dwi Budiasih, S.Pd as LPPKS contact person and admin, Mr. Deny Avianto, S.T as speaker from Pusdatin Kemdikbudristekdikti, as well as the Head of SMPN Purworejo and related stakeholders who contributed their knowledge about this platform.

Reference: https://guru.kemdikbud.go.id