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myAPEL : towards recognition of prior learning at Open University Malaysia
Get PDFWorking adults acquire valuable knowledge and skills throughout their lives and work
experience. Learning occur through informal and non-formal means may be given due
recognition and upon proper assessment, be used for advance standing or as an entrance
qualification for access into higher education. Although the assessment of prior learning is
common in developed countries, its practice in Malaysia is limited. Open University
Malaysia (OUM) is a pioneer in the recognition of prior learning (RPL) efforts in the
country. At present, its RPL practices include the (a) Flexible Entry System, a gateway for
individuals to pursue higher education using lower academic entry qualifications and (b)
Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL), an avenue to assess and grant
individuals with academic credits based on their experiential learning. This paper presents
the RPL practices at OUM with a focus on APEL. It highlights the principles as well as
processes of APEL within the institution. The description of the myAPEL system - an
instrument specifically developed to capture and evaluate prior experiential learning based
on specific learning outcomes - is included. The challenges involved in developing myAPEL
and its benefits will also be discussed. This paper will be beneficial for institutions as well as
learners who intend to capitalise on RPL. (Abstract by authors
Soft technology transfer for Japanese MNCs in Malaysia : a conceptual model
Get PDFThis article examines the soft technology transfer for Japanese MNCs in Malaysia, based on
knowledge-view model. The objective of this study is to verify the factors causing of soft
technology transfer, technologists’ absorptive capacity and social capital. The
interrelationships between absorptive capacity, social capital and soft technology transfer
are formulated as conceptual models. (Abstract by authors
An Empirical Analysis of Malaysian Pre-university Students' ICT Competency Gender Differences
Get PDFNetwork and Mobile technologies industries have been the fastest growing industries in the World including
Malaysia. The Malaysian government has given due emphasis on network and mobile technologies with the
conceptualization of the MSC and other ICT initiatives in order to steer our country towards a high-income and
knowledge-based society as well as achieving the status of a developed nation as stated in the Vision 2020.
Nevertheless, the lack of competent ICT personnel has been the main obstacle that needs to be addressed
immediately in order to alleviate the problem of providing the necessary human capital required by the network
and mobile industries. The most effective way to uplift the number of ICT savvy personnel would be through ICT
education in order to upgrade their ICT competencies. The issues of gender differences in terms of ICT
competencies have been widely studied especially in the Western countries. This paper attempts to provide a
different perspective in that it fills in the gap of lack of information pertaining to the Malaysian pre university
students’ ICT competencies. The findings from this study may lead to implications to the teaching and learning of
ICT subjects as well as their evaluation and assessment in Malaysia. The utmost end result would be the
emergence of more ICT savvy personnel who may contribute to the development of the network and mobile
technologies sector in Malaysia. (Abstract by authors
The usage of Bahasa Malaysia in teaching English in the national primary schools : a survey of the English Teachers' beliefs and practices in Kota Bharu
Get PDFKnowledge of teachers' beliefs and practices are important for understanding and improving the overall educational processes. The present study seeks to fill the knowledge gap in this area of research. More specifically, this study investigates several Kota Bharu national primary school English teachers' beliefs and practices regarding the usage of Bahasa Malaysia in their teaching and whether there are differences in beliefs and practices according to their race and gender.
Multiple methods were used in the investigation including a survey questionnaire,
interviews and classroom observations. The questionnaire, observations and interviews were categorized for common themes and the data were analysed using descriptive analyses, a Pearson Correlation Coefficiency test, a scatter plot diagram and t tests. The analyses showed that 95% of the teachers believed and used Bahasa Malaysia in their teaching. However, there were some inconsistencies between their held beliefs and their practices. The findings revealed that not all the beliefs were translated into practices. The study also revealed that this is partly due to the social- cultural background of the teachers.
The concluding discussion addresses the importance of researching our teachers'
beliefs and their practices in the context of their social cultural background. It also addresses the need for evaluating the English teachers' proficiency, aptitude and attitude and retraining these teachers according to their levels of proficiency. (Abstract by author
Incorporating visual and animation teaching tools in computer programming classes for effective teaching and learning
Get PDFThe problems in teaching and learning programming techniques prevail all over the world. Learning programming logic without utilizing any visualization material is difficult. One possible solution to overcome this problem is by using program animation. The proposed program animation software used in teaching novices learning introductory programming is JELIOT 3. The aim of this project is to investigate the effectiveness of teaching programming classes for beginners using programming tool JELIOT 3 that incorporate visualization and animation, specifically the outcome of students’ performances before and after using JELIOT 3. The study population is novice students with no significant programming experience. They were drawn from an on campus section of second semester Foundation in Business Information Technology introductory programming course at INTI International College, Subang Jaya. The class size when this study was conducted was only 9 students. The 9 students were divided into two groups at random. The first group (POST-JELIOT) received standard classroom lectures then followed by JELIOT 2. The second group (PRE-JELIOT) received the JELIOT 3 lesson and then the traditional classroom lecture. From the findings, there was a significant difference in performance when comparing between students who are first taught JELIOT 3 in the overall assessments on the two programming tests and on the two array model assessments. The implications then are that a visual teaching and animated illustration to programming is an effective method for teaching programming. Instruction in computer programming must make use of such visualization to develop good mental visualization of programming. (Abstract by author
A study on factors affecting quality deterioration in housing construction industry in Klang Valley
Get PDFThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors that affecting the quality
deterioration in housing construction industry in Malaysia. A reliable survey instrument has been
used for gathering the data’s from the construction project workers such as Project Manager,
Construction Manager, Engineer and Supervisor. Upon that, series of analysis has been
conducted to identify and confirmed the factors affecting the quality deteriorations problem in
construction industry. The results indicate that construction staff’s training, the role of Managers
with the top management commitment is the significant variables explaining variability of
operational performance. Furthermore, a series of analysis on training factors shows the
importance of necessary and suitable training which relates to quality of the products in
construction industry. The study also shows that training factors was influenced by other related
factors such as the manager in charge and the management commitment towards the works. As
the study was within Klang Valley, the implicating factors show a general result. But in future,
the studies could continue with a larger sample size. This study contributes to the important
relevant factors and it’s affects in development of quality control within the construction project
activities. Although other investigation was carried out on other factors but this study is focusing
to the actual construction project. (Abstract by author
Helping Distance Learners Stay Connected: The Effectiveness of Mobile Learning via SMS at Open University Malaysia
Get PDFDistance learners often face what is known as transactional distances in terms of geographical, time,
psychological and communication spaces (Moore, 1997). More often than not, compared to full time
students, these adult learners who mostly hold full time jobs and have family commitments face a
daunting task when it comes to juggling between studies, work and family. They often struggle to find
that extra time and space to fit in their studies and frequently need to exert extra effort to ensure that they
remain connected to the university, their tutors and their peers. This paper describes Open University
Malaysia’s efforts in actively supporting learners in their studies through the use of text messaging
technology, the simplest and most widely used of all mobile technology applications available. Further, it
illustrates how mobile technology enhances the blended approach to instruction and lends more flexibility
and ubiquity to the learning process. It also examines the effectiveness of the initiative in terms of helping
learners to (1) review/locate/remember course facts easily, (2) discuss online, (3) manage their learning,
(4) persevere in their studies, and (5) remember important dates and actions to be taken related to the
course. Both quantitative and qualitative data are presented.(Abstract by authors
Can The Use Of QR Codes Enhance M-Learning In A Blended Learning Environment?
Get PDFIn recent years, with the introduction of smartphones, tablet computers and the advancement of
information and communication technology (ICT), there has been a growing interest in the use of
Quick Response (QR) codes for educational purposes. The majority of scholarly accounts in this
particular topic have been those related to managing libraries, and to a lesser extent to teaching
and learning. At present, applications of QR codes in higher education are minimal, and even
fewer in a blended learning environment. This paper describes an exploratory project that
attempts to introduce three specific examples of basic QR code-driven activities in an Open and
Distance Learning (ODL) institution. Learners were asked to scan QR codes using mobile
smartphones or tablet computers. Three different types of content, i.e. text-based instruction,
Uniform Resource Locater (URL) of video lectures (called iLectures) and URL of self-test
activities were made available to learners via the QR codes. A cross-sectional survey was
carried out on learners who have been introduced to the QR codes. The objectives of this project
are multi-pronged: first is to create awareness of QR codes among learners; second is to
encourage and push the use of specific online materials via mobile devices; and third is to
determine learners’ attitudes/perceptions towards the use of a combination of smartphones and
QR codes in learning. This study is important to an ODL institution like Open University
Malaysia (OUM). For a provider of flexible delivery of instructional materials, QR codes can
play a significant role in enhancing mobile learning (or m-learning) and engaging learners in
their learning process. The research findings are expected to indicate whether or not the
integration of smartphones and QR codes can be considered an effective way forward in
achieving a semi-ubiquitous m-learning environment. (Abstract by authors
Engaging the Open Distance Learners: A Strategy to Increase Retention and Improve Graduation Rates
Get PDFThis paper investigates the impact of various interventions
implemented by Open University Malaysia on learners’ level of
Engagement in the Online Community developed through interaction
between the various participants; learners, instructors and
management of the university. The intensity of the Online Community
as the result of the interventions was measured using four variables:
Learner-Learner, Learner-Tutor, Learner-Staff and Learner-Content
interaction. The learners’ level of Engagement and Commitment to stay
in their programmes were also measured and a correlation was then
established. Data for the research were collected from 1,500
undergraduate learners of Open University Malaysia throughout
Malaysia using self-administered questionnaires. Results obtained from
1,116 respondents showed that there was a strong correlation between
Learner-Learner, Learner-Instructor, Learner-Staff, Learner-Content,
Engagement and Commitment to stay. Multiple regression analysis
carried out showed that the learners’ Engagement explains 72 percent
of the variance of their Commitment to stay. This study is important as
it will help future researchers to develop a tool to measure engagement
of learners in the Online Community. [ABSTRACT BY AUTHOR
