Koh: Post-doctoral fellows should not be regarded as students - The Star

GEORGE TOWN (July 28, 2008): by Bernard Cheah

Gerakan has objected to the definition of "student" being expanded to include post-doctoral fellows and people pursuing distance-learning and off-campus programmes in the proposed amendments to the University and University College Act (UUCA) 1971.

Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon "Post-doctoral fellows are no longer students even in the loose sense of the word," Gerakan acting president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said in a statement today.

"They are almost like faculty members as they often do research and work as teaching assistants as well.

"Students enrolled in distance-learning and off-campus programmes should also not be subjected to the same definition of 'student' because they are only studying part-time, while having another job and other responsibilities.

"They are also not on the campus most of the time, except for tutorials over weekends."

Koh said these people should be allowed to engage in other activities, including taking part in political parties, as they are usually given a flexible time-frame to complete their studies.

"In this way, we hope that our local universities will then be able to attract the best and the brightest, including Malaysian scholars currently overseas, to teach our students and to do research locally," he said.

"This will contribute towards our objective of having world-class universities."

Koh welcomed the proposed amendments as they would give greater autonomy to university administrators and professors, and greater freedom to students.

He said Gerakan had been calling for amendments to the UUCA for a long time, especially the "draconian restrictions" on students in Section 15 as well as the "top-down" procedure for appointment of top posts, such as the vice chancellor (VC), deputy vice chancellor (DVC) and deans.

"We welcome the proposed amendment whereby the VCs and DVCs will no longer be political appointments but appointed on the advice of a selection committee and deans, in consultation with the faculty members," he said.

Koh said the change is important to allow more objective talent hunt, where chosen leaders will be well accepted and respected by other academics and students.

"It will create a more conducive environment for the pursuit of knowledge, innovations and research. This is very much in line with our nation's commitment to achieve a knowledge society with a competitive economy in the context of globalisation," he said.

SPSS for Dummies by Arthur Griffith John Wiley & Sons © 2007

Here is another book on SPSS which is available in the Books24x7 collection.

SPSS for Dummies
by Arthur Griffith
John Wiley & Sons © 2007 (360 pages)
ISBN:9780470113448

Covering all of the key analysis topics step-by-step, this friendly, plain-English guide gets you up and running with the latest version of the software so that you can start performing calculations right away.

I have picked an excerpt from Chapter 14 on some examples of analysis which I believe might be useful for new researchers:

Independent-samples T test

The independent-samples T test compares the means of two sets of values from one variable.

Click picture to enlarge

The table displays the two means and the standard deviation and standard error for the two means. The Independent Samples Test table provides further information about the mean in two rows of numbers — one for equal variances and one for unequal variances:

* If the significance of the Levene test, the number in the second column, is high (greater than 0.05 or so), the values in the first row are applicable.

* If the significance of the Levene test is low, the numbers in the second row are more applicable.

* If the significance of the T test, the 2-tailed significance, is low, this indicates a significant difference in the two means.

* If none of the numbers of the 95% confidence interval are 0, it indicates the difference is significant.

One-way ANOVA

Click picture to enlarge

ANOVA is an analysis of variance. A one-way ANOVA is the analysis of the variance of the values (of a dependent variable) by comparing them against another set of values (the independent variable). It is a test of the hypothesis that the mean of the tested variable is equal to that of the factor.

Correlation

The group of tests in this section determines the similarity or difference in the way two variables change in value from one case (row) to another through the data.

Click picture to enlarge

Correlation figures vary from −1 to +1, and the larger the value, the stronger the correlation. In Figure above, you can see that the variables have a correlation of 1 with themselves and .880 with one another, which is a significant correlation.

Regression

Regression analysis is about predicting the future (the unknown) based on data collected from the past (the known). A regression analysis determines the mathematical equation to be used to figure out what will happen, within a certain range of probability. It analyzes one variable, the dependent variable, taking into consideration the effect on it by one or more factors, the independent variables. The analysis determines that some independent variables have more effect than others, so their weights must be taken into account when they are the basis of a prediction. Regression analysis, therefore, is the process of looking for predictors and determining how well they predict.

Click picture to enlarge

When only one independent variable is taken into account, it's called a simple regression. If you use more than one independent variable, it's called multiple regression.

Ph. D. Qualifying Exams: Making it to the Other Side

By Melissa Sanchez, Ph.D Student
English & Comparative Literature

For many students who have not yet taken their Ph.D. qualifying exams, the very idea evokes terrifying images of being trapped in a small room, surrounded by experts in your field who are grilling you on extraordinarily difficult questions and waiting for you to trip yourself up. The idea of writing a dissertation may be stressful and intimidating, but the qualifying exam somehow creates a more immediate and clear-cut sense of terror.

If you feel this way about taking your exams, you are not alone. The qualifying exam is undeniably rigorous, and you will need to do a lot of hard work in order to pass this milestone successfully. It may help to remember, however, that the majority of students do pass and that there are steps you can take to increase your chances of doing the same.

• Put the exam in perspective. While the Ph.D. exam certainly requires that you know a great deal about your field, it is also intended to test your ability to communicate this knowledge. “You’ve got to convince people that you really know what you’re talking about,” says former Berkeley Associate Graduate Dean Daniel Melia. “It’s not just a question of what you know, it’s a question of being able to impart what you know. . . this is something that you are going to have to do in your real life as a Ph.D.” In other words, while it is important to have a solid understanding of your field, try not to stress about all of the things that you don’t know. Instead, concentrate on presenting what you do know intelligently and confidently.

Talking to students who have already passed their exams is another way of putting the process into perspective. Not only can they give practical advice on organization and studying, but hearing about their experiences can be reassuring. The more that you talk to people who have already passed, the more confident you will feel about your ability to successfully navigate your own exams.

Finally, try to recognize that your committee wants you to pass. Most likely, your committee will be made up of professors that have contributed to your training over the years, so in a sense your success is a reflection on them. Also, because “you will represent their department when you leave the University,” your success is a reflection on the department as well. This doesn’t mean that you will pass if you are unprepared or incapable of answering the questions, but it does mean that your committee will do whatever they can to help you get through the exam successfully. As one student observed, “It was not a grill atmosphere . . . It was an attempt to give me every opportunity to show what I know.”

• Find out what is expected of you. You can do away with much of the stress of facing the qualifying exam if you demystify it as much as possible. Talk to your advisor and your committee members. Ask them what they expect you to be able to do when you take the exam. The more you know about what to expect from the actual exam, the better you can contain your studying so that you focus on things that will really matter. Find out as many specifics as possible: how long will the questions be? is it more important that you exhibit depth or breadth of knowledge? do you get any breaks? what materials are you allowed to bring to the exam? how can you best organize your time as you prepare? what are the most important things you should be reading?

Another excellent source of information about the exams is students who have already passed, particularly those with whom you have committee members in common. Try to find out which professors like to ask tricky questions, how previous examinees structured their answers, what they wish they had known beforehand. Again, the more information you have, the more confident you’ll be about your own preparation.

Even something as simple as familiarizing yourself with the physical surroundings in which you will take your exam can be helpful. Prior to the actual date of the exam, visit the room in which it will be held. Plan how you will arrange your materials and where you will sit. Visualize yourself entering that room prepared to communicate all of the knowledge you have accrued from the studying you’ve been doing.

• Learn the material. It may seem self-evident to say that you need to know the material in order to pass the exam, but students have been known to enter the examination room still unsure about key concepts in their field. Moreover, “the best defense against nervousness is to really know the material.” If you are unsure about an area that your committee has advised you to study, do not just ignore it and hope it doesn’t come up during the exam. Instead, spend some time working through the problem until you feel that you can talk about it with some degree of confidence. “The things I had problems with on the exam were the things I’d had problems with before conceptually and never followed up on,” said one student. You can’t be expected to know everything about your field, but do make sure that you are well-versed on its key issues, concepts, and methodologies.

• Practice Answering the Questions. Remember, knowing your facts is only half the battle; you also have to be able to demonstrate that you can communicate knowledge clearly and effectively. Depending on your department, you may be asked to take a written exam, an oral exam, or both. Whatever the format of your qualifying exam, you’ll feel a lot less nervous if you’ve practiced the skills that you’ll need to pass.

One way of practicing for the exam is to develop a list of questions and go over it with your advisor. S/he will be able to tell you if you have missed potentially important questions. Once you have a fairly solid ideal of what you will be asked, practice answering. If your exams will be written, write the answers as you would during the actual exam. This will give you an idea of how long it will take you to write each response and how to shape your answer so that it answers the question with the most relevant information.

If your exam will be oral, practice stating your answers aloud. Many students have never taken an oral examination and are unsure how to prepare for it. You might start by speaking into a tape recorder and then playing it back to evaluate the confidence and accuracy of your response. Or, you might get together with a group of fellow students, stage a mock exam, and then have them critique your performance. Remember to also practice how you will handle mistakes: “Rehearse saying that you don’t know. And plan what you will say in case you draw a blank. . . . Gain time by saying, ‘Let me take some time to consider that question.’ Your committee will understand and wait for you to recover.” Recognizing beforehand that your exam won’t go perfectly and preparing to handle those moments will help your performance much more than telling yourself that you have to be perfect.

• Approach the exam with a positive attitude. Look at the exam as an opportunity to demonstrate what you know. View your committee as a group of peers with whom you can discuss the work you’ve done. While it is true that your committee “is judging your ability to reason, synthesize, and communicate,” it is also true that “in many ways you are a peer in knowledge, particularly in your specialty areas.” Seize this opportunity to discuss your own work with a group of experts who are interested in and engaged with what you have to say.

Also, remember that you do have some degree of control over the exam. Take the amount of time you need to answer questions. Pause and think things through, rather than giving a rushed and disorganized response because you don’t want to hold things up. If you aren’t sure how to answer a question, repeat it in your own words or ask the committee member to repeat or rephrase it. If you wish to improve upon or add to a response you gave earlier, find a way to connect it with another question. Finally, if you honestly don’t know the answer, say so. Remember that “the examiners are trying to push the limits of what you know, so expect that they will find gaps. It’s not like a normal course exam where you are expected to know everything. If you don’t know, say so instead of blathering nonsense and irritating the examiners.” If you try to fake your way through an answer it will show, and admitting to not knowing everything will look much better than giving an evasive or contradictory answer.

Frightening as they seem, qualifying exams do not have to be (too much of a) torturous experience. As a graduate student, you are on your way to becoming a scholar and an expert in your field. Try to look at the qualifying exam as one more opportunity to expand your knowledge and expertise. Certainly, it’s a big milestone to pass, but do your best to get as much out of the experience as you can before you pass to the other side.

Notes

1“Studying for the Qualifying Exam,” The Graduate 2:3, University of California, Berkeley: The Graduate Division, 1986.
2 “The Qualifying Exam: Clearing the Hurdle,” The Graduate 2:3, University of California Berkeley: The Graduate Division, 1986.
3 Ibid.
4 Peters, Robert L., Getting What You Came For: The Smart Student’s Guide to Earning a Master’s or a Ph.D. (New York: Noonday, 1992): 158.
5 “Qualifying Exams: Clearing the Hurdle.”
6 Ibid.
7 Ibid.
8 Peters, 159.

Source: GradVoice Online - http://www.ags.uci.edu/~gvoice/99winter/qualify.html

Analyzing Social Science Data by David de Vaus

I am currently reading this book on how to analyze data using SPSS and found the content superb and good for SPSS users at intermediate to advanced level. This book is available at OUM Library and also available in Google e-book. Check the following link:

http://books.google.com.my/books?hl=en&id=2WadjkQouSEC&dq=Analyzing+Social+Social+Science+Data+%2B+David+De+Vaus&printsec=frontcover&source=web&ots=BRQi86hNS0&sig=AqLSvqVEH-gt0J7kH97Ro-6wO_A&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result#PPP1,M1

Technology: Not quite hello eBook - NST

By SUBASHINI SELVARATNAM

In Malaysia, the eBook phenomenon is more common among learning institutions.

The eBook phenomenon may have taken Japan by storm but its take-off rate in Malaysia is slow, writes SUBASHINI SELVARATNAM.

NATSUMI jumps onto the train in the nick of time, quickly flips open her mobile phone and begins to read a romance novel, which she had downloaded from the Internet using her mobile phone.

Natsumi is not alone. In 2006, Japanese eBook lovers like her have collectively contributed to increased sales — from US$14 million (RM49 million) to US$58 million — of mobile phone eBooks in the country.

Natsumi likes the eBook, which is an electronic book, because she does not have to carry the printed version wherever she goes.

eBooks are cheaper than printed books as there are no paper, printing and physical distribution costs involved, said Kee.

Just like a printed book, an eBook has numbered pages, table of contents and even pictures.

Natsumi can even turn a page at the click of a button. In addition, she can change the font size and read her novel in the dark as her mobile phone comes with a built-in backlight.

As Natsumi continues to read her novel, she uses the search and dictionary features often to look up a word. For her, reading novels and manga (comic books) for free is great, although she has to pay for selected novels. The fact that eBooks can be downloaded (via Internet) and read instantly on the mobile phone is a plus point as Natsumi is always on the move.

When she is at home, Natsumi also reads eBooks on her personal computer.

However, Natsumi’s best friend Sakura, who tried to read an eBook, gave up after a few attempts. She finds reading an eBook — which was invented by Michael Hart in 1971— on the mobile phone or PC hard on her eyes.

Sakura enjoys the smell, look and feel of a printed book. She despises the idea of lugging an eBook device — a portable gadget powered by battery and a display for viewing text and pictures — to read an eBook (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-book_device).

Moreover, Sakura is clueless when it comes to eBook formats, as some of the eBooks may not be compatible with the eBook reader, a software for reading eBooks (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epub#IDPF).

Sakura feels it is like a videotape player when your favourite movie is only available on DVD.

As the above illustration shows, Natsumi and Sakura are two different personalities caught in the eBook phenomenon in Japan.

Stafford says the Monash University library tries to get eBook versions of printed books that are in high demand.


In Malaysia, the eBook trend is growing, albeit slowly. It is more common among learning institutions and one of them is Monash University, which boasts a full-fledged online library with 266,611 eBook titles.

Australian-based Monash University collection management librarian Robert Stafford says the library started buying eBooks in 2002, and is currently spending more than US$20,000 a month on them. In total, the library has probably spent more than US$1 million.

All staff and students at the Australian, Malaysian and South African Monash campuses have access to the eBook library via the Monash University website. This means they can read eBooks anywhere in the world.

Peterson reads eBooks for both leisure and academic purposes.

Even so, the eBook library is not open to the public as the publishers and vendors will not allow it. On the Australian campus there is access for walk-in members of the public, if they visit the library, which buys or subscribes to eBooks from a wide range of publishers.

“We try to get eBook versions of printed books that are in high demand but publishers are generally reluctant to allow this, particularly with textbooks,” says Stafford.

“But this is changing and we recently bought some medical textbooks for which we paid a lot of money. Most of the eBooks here are pre-1800,” he adds.

But Multimedia University Siti Hasmah Digital Library has terminated its eBook subscription — eBrary — due to poor use.

However, soft versions of students’ master’s and PhD theses are available through MyTO (Malaysian Theses Online) accessible to both students and lecturers.

In addition, there are about 31 online books available from Wiley InterScience for the subject of life sciences.

eBooks provide more up-to-date information compared to traditional books, says Juhana.

It is learnt that the National Library of Malaysia has temporarily discontinued its eBook library — also called eBrary — that provides access to eBooks on a variety of subjects “due to unforeseen circumstances”. The service is expected to resume in September.

Director general Raslin Abu Bakar says the library has been subscribing to eBrary since 2005.

The service was made available to 25 libraries in Malaysia through the Mylib portal.

The Ebrary is part of MyLib, a project under the proposed National Digital Library initiative. MyLib was launched in 2000 and is spearheaded by Multimedia Development Corporation and the National Library using infrastructure provided by Telekom Malaysia. MyLib serves as a one-stop centre and is a gateway to knowledge and information on the Internet.

As of this month, Mylib provides access to seven local databases and four foreign databases. The library also subscribes to NSTP emedia and LAWNET for National Library users.

As the information gateway, Mylib has opened its doors to people from all walks of life who want to gain access to digital information.

“Currently, we are working on upgrading the Mylib portal to enhance its services. The project is expected to be launched by end of this year,” says Raslin.

MPH Bookstores Sdn Bhd deputy chief operating officer Donald Kee says the take-off rate of eBooks among the general consumers in Malaysia is discouraging.

He says eBook devices are not easily found locally and are expensive. The two most popular eBook devices are from Sony and Amazon.com.

Currently, there are no resellers — companies that buy products in bulk from a manufacturer and sell them to consumers in Malaysia — for eBook devices because of compatibility and support issues.

“Of course you can read eBooks from your desktop and personal digital assistant via eBook reader but it is a totally different experience,” says Kee.

Kee says eBook devices (hardware) and eBook readers (software) are not perfect and need fine-tuning before eBooks can gain acceptance locally.

On top of that, the reading market in Malaysia is small compared to those in the United Kingdom and United States, which gives no motivation for eBook device manufacturers to market their products here.

Only a small population of tech savvy Malaysians are into such gadgets. Despite the poor acceptance of eBooks in Malaysia, MPH Bookstores is planning to sell books in eBook format.

With its electronic-commerce business model in place, it will not be difficult for the bookshop to venture into eBooks.

Apparently, academic eBooks are popular among users. This include text and reference books for schools and universities as well as leisure-based eBooks such as fiction, self-help and general business.

On whether eBooks are eligible for tax rebate (RM1,000) offered by the Malaysian government, Kee believes if the receipt has a good description of an eBook, the Inland Revenue Board will accept it.

“eBooks are cheaper than printed books as there are no paper, printing and physical distribution costs involved. Like digital music downloads, eBooks will only work if the price is cheaper than printed books,” says Kee.

The eBook is an interesting concept but it may take a while before Malaysians latch on to it.

No more cockroaches and silverfish

MOST people read eBooks for academic purposes while others read for leisure.

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Faculty of Information Science and Technology Associate Professor Dr Juhana Salim reads eBooks on ICT and information science.

“eBooks provide more up-to-date information compared to the traditional publication process, which normally takes too long, and by the time a book gets published, the content is at least two years outdated,” says Juhana.

eBooks are very useful especially in her field — Internet facilities and information skills — as new information is being generated every day. This helps her to keep abreast of all the latest developments in technology.

Mesiniaga Berhad team leader and network consultant Mohandas Bhaskaran also reads eBooks for academic purposes.

He reads articles and documents that are mostly related to his field, which is technical in nature.

“I like reading eBooks because I do not need to carry printed books with me wherever I go. With an eBook, I can read it from my notebook, personal digital assistant and I can store it in my PC hard disk,” he said.

“Moreover, I do not have to worry about cockroaches and silverfish infesting my eBooks!”

Malaysian Business section editor Cynthia Ann Peterson reads eBooks for both leisure and academic purposes.

There are many online libraries which offer the classics in literature as eBooks.

She also looks up the background of articles she plans to write in technical books.

“The eBooks that I like are mostly classics such as 1984 and Keep the Aspidistra Flying. I usually refer to the references in Wikipedia for technical stuff,” she says.

“eBooks are free. They are easier to browse as you can read different samples, find out more information through the Internet and you generally have access to them for as long as you like.”

The downside of eBooks is that not everything is available for free. She is also not keen on staring at the computer screen for hours.

Peterson usually reads eBooks on a PC but she has a friend who downloads them to his PDA.

Tips for Being a Successful Online Learner

Adapted from the Illinois Online Network (http://illinois.online.uillinois.edu)

In general, online learners should strive to possess the following qualities:
1. Be open-minded about sharing life, work, and educational experiences as part of the learning process.

Introverts as well as extroverts find that online learning requires them to utilize their experiences. This forum for communication eliminates the visual barriers that hinder some individuals in expressing themselves. In addition, the learner is given time to reflect on the information before responding.
2. Be able to communicate through writing.

In the virtual classroom, nearly all communication is written, so it is critical that learners feel comfortable in expressing themselves in writing.
3. Be self-motivated and self-disciplined.

With the freedom and flexibility of the online environment comes responsibility. The online process takes a real commitment and discipline to keep up with the flow of the process.
4. Be willing to "speak up" if problems arise.

Many of the non-verbal communication mechanisms that instructors use in determining whether learners are having problems (confusion, frustration, boredom, absence, etc.) are not possible in the online paradigm. If a learner is experiencing difficulty on any level (either with the technology or with the course content), s/he must communicate this immediately. Otherwise the instructor will never know what is wrong.
5. Be willing and able to commit to 5 to 10 hours per week per course.

Online is not easier than the traditional educational process. In fact, many learners say it requires much more time and commitment.
6. Be able to meet the minimum requirements for the program.

The requirements for online are no less than that of any other quality educational program. The successful learner will view online as a convenient way to receive their education, not an easier way.
7. Accept critical thinking and decision making as part of the learning process.

The learning process requires the learner to make decisions based on facts as well as experience. Assimilating information and executing the right decisions requires critical thought.
8. Have access to a computer and a modem.

The communication medium is a computer, phone line, and modem; the learner must have access to the necessary equipment.
9. Be able to think ideas through before responding.

Meaningful and quality input into the virtual classroom is an essential part of the learning process. Time is given in the process to allow for the careful consideration of responses. The testing and challenging of ideas is encouraged; you will not always be right, just be prepared to accept a challenge.

10. Feel that high quality learning can take place without going to a traditional classroom.

If the learner feels that a traditional classroom is a prerequisite to learning, s/he may be more comfortable in the traditional classroom. Online learning is not necessarily for everybody. An online learner should expect to:

* Participate in the virtual classroom 3-5 days a week
* Respond to classmates' ideas and questions
* Be able to use the technology properly
* Be able to complete assignments on time
* Enjoy communicating in writing

The online learning process is normally accelerated and requires commitment on the learner’s part. Staying up with the class and completing all work on time is vital. Once a learner gets behind, it is very difficult to catch up. Basically, the learner needs to want to be there, and needs to want the experience.

More Tips for Success...
11. Participate!

Contribute your ideas, perspective, and comments on the subject you are studying, and read about those of your classmates. Your instructor is not the only source of information in your course--you can gain great insight from your peers and they can learn from you as well.

12. Take the program and yourself seriously.

Elicit the support of your colleagues, family, and friends before you start out on your online adventure. This built-in support system will help you tremendously since there will be times when you will have to sit at your computer for hours at a stretch in the evenings and on weekends. When most people are through with work and want to relax is most likely when you will be bearing down on your course work. It helps to surround yourself with people who understand and respect what you are trying to do.

13. Make sure you have a private space where you can study.

This will help lend importance to what you are doing as well. Your own space where you can shut the door, leave papers laying around, and work in peace is necessary. If you try to share study space with the dining room or bedroom, food or sleep might take priority over studying.

14. Become a true advocate of distance learning.

Discuss the merits of the process with whoever will listen. In order to be successful in this new educational environment, you must truly believe in its potential to provide quality education which is equal to, if not better than, the traditional face-to-face environment. In discussing the value of online learning, you will reinforce its merits for yourself.

15. Log on to your course every single day.

….or a minimum of 3-5 days a week. Once you get into the online system, you will be eager to see who has commented on your postings and read the feedback of your instructor and peers. You will also be curious to see who has posted something new that you can comment on. If you let too many days go by without logging on to your course discussion group, you will get behind and find it very difficult to catch up.

16. Take advantage of your anonymity.

One of the biggest advantages of the online format is that you can pursue your studies without the judgments typical in a traditional classroom. Unless you are using video conferencing, no one can see you--there are no stereotypes and you don’t have to be affected by raised eyebrows, rolled eyeballs, other students stealing your thunder, or people making other non-verbal reactions to your contributions. You don’t have to feel intimidated or upstaged by classmates who can speak faster than you because you can take all of the time you need to think your ideas through and compose a response before posting your comments to your class.

17. Be polite and respectful.

Just because you are anonymous, doesn’t mean you should let yourself go. Remember, you are dealing with real people on the other end of your modem. Being polite and respectful is not only common sense, it is absolutely obligatory for a productive and supportive online environment. In a positive online environment, you will feel valued by your instructor, valued by your classmates, and your own work will have greater value as well.

18. Apply what you learn.

If you are able to apply everything you learn as you learn it, you will remember it more readily. If it is possible, take the things you learn in your online course today and use them in your workplace tomorrow. Also, try to make connections between what you are learning and what you do or will do in your job. Contributing advice or ideas about the real-world as it applies to the subject matter you are studying helps you to internalize what you are learning. Your classmates may also say that it counts for them, as they will gain valuable insight from the experiences you share.

Source: http://www.uwsp.edu/natres/rwilke/eetap/Tips.htm

Postgraduate Students Registration at OUM

Open University Malaysia will be having its next Postgraduate students registration soon. The September 2008 intake is currently in progress. Application to the various masters and doctoral degree requires a minimum of a bachelor and master degree respectively. However, those who are above 35 and have a minimum STPM (A Level) or Diploma can apply for masters degree programmes via Open Entry where the applicant must prepare a portfolio and submit for approval.

Prof. Mansor, Senior Vice President, briefed OUM's new postgraduate students.

The postgraduate programmes are now available at OUM Main Campus in KL as well as other locations throughout the country. The Perak Regional Learning Centre in Ipoh currently offers the Master in Education and MBA programme, which is fully accredited by MQA and JPA. It also offers the PhD (Ed) and PhD (BA). Students will be provided with weekend tutorials and are also supported by Video Conference lecture and Online Learning.

Also attending the session were (from left) Prof. T. Mukherjee (Programme Coordinator for Science Faculty), Prof. Ir. Dr Rosli (Vice President), Puan Hjh Kamariah (Registrar) and Prof. Dr. Mansor (Senior Vice President)

During the registration day, successful applicants are invited to attend a programme briefing and meet up with their respective programme coordinators. The applicants will then pay up their fees and collect their learning materials. The applicants will then allow access to their Learning Management System portal so that they start to download their materials and also to access the over 50,000 collections of e-books and e-journals from OUM's digital library.

Some of the highlights of the last postgraduate students registration are shown below:

Prof. Rahmah, Centre for Graduate Studies (CGS) of OUM, took the stage to brief students about CGS and its support staffs.

Familiar faces of CGS support staff

Some of the top management staff of CGS (front row from left) Prof. Dr. Rahmah, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Santhi, Dr. Chung, Tuan Puan Fatma and Mdm Jaspal

Some of the new postgraduate students paying attention to the briefing

Visit by LYICT 2008 Participants to OUM Main Campus

The 4-day conference ended on July 11. Participants of the conference went on an excursion to visit several interesting places in KL and Putrajaya. They were also brought to visit OUM Main Campus. The participants were shown some of the state-of-art facilities such as the facilities at the Centre for Instructional Design and Technology and the Library.

Prof. Zoraini led the entourage to visit OUM's Library

The participants on briefed on OUM's Digital Library and how to use the OPAC system by one of OUM's Librarian

Prof. Sigrid Schuster from Germany was paying attention to a briefing

Richard Ng, who happened to be there at the Library, welcoming participants (from left)Peter (Austria), Steve (UK) and Michael (Germany)


Richard Ng was showing the pictures of the LYICT Conference posted in the OUM Perak's Blog

Malaysian Universities Repository Collection

Here is collection of researches presented and published by faculties from Malaysian Universities:

http://www.perpun.net.my/repository/libindex1.php?rt=OUM&df3=pubyear&std=ASC

ICYR08 - INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON YOUTH RESEARCH 2008

ICYR08
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON YOUTH RESEARCH 2008
DEVELOPING A GLOCAL GENERATION: DIRECTIONS AND CHALLENGES

We are pleased to announce that the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities,Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) in collaboration with the Malaysian Institute for Research in Youth Development, Ministry of Youth and Sports (IPPBM) will be organizing an international conference on youth research (ICYR08) with the theme Developing A Glocal Generation: Directions And Challenges, 16-17 December 2008.

You are invited to visit our website at http://www.ukm.my/icyr08 to register as a participant or as a paper presenter or email us at icyr08@ukm.my for further enquiries. Please share this announcement with other members of your institution. We look forward to have you join us at the conference.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Associate Professor Dr. Hazita Azman
Co-Chair
Organizing Committee ICYR08
Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
43600 Bangi, Selangor, MALAYSIA
Fax: 603 8925 2836
Tel: 603 8921 3228

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Invited Speakers

His Royal Highness Raja (Dato’Seri) Dr. Nazrin Shah Ibni Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah
Professor Dr. Joanna Wayne
Professor Dr. Mohd Amin Embi
Mr. Pawan G. Patail

LYICT 2008 Conference 7 - 10 July 2008 - Part 3

Among the notable keynote speakers of the 4-day conference include Prof. Jan Wibe (Retired from The Norwegion University of Science and Technology) who delivered the first keynote address on "The AGORA approach". Other keynote speakers are Prof. Ron Oliver (Pro-Vice Chancellor, Edith Cowan University, Australia), En. Zamani Zakariah (Senior Director of MyICMS Technology and Standards Division at the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission) and Dr. Katy Campbell (Dean, Faculty of Extension, University of Alberta).

Prof. Jan Wibe from Norway

Prof. Barbara of Poland and othe members of the AGORA panel, (left) Pieter Hogenbirk (Rector of Parkhurst Dalton School, Netherland)and (right) Prof. Jan Wibe

Prof. Ron Oliver of Edith Cowan University, Australia

Mr. Zamani Zakariah of MCMC

50 papers were presented during the conference, which comprised of full papers, short papers, workshop presentations, panel presentations and the AGORA session papers. Two presenters from Open University Malaysia were honored to be given the opportunity to present their papers during the AGORA Session. Mdm Harvinder Kaur (Lecturer, Centre for Advanced and Prior Learning) presented a paper based on the topic "Lifelong Learning Skills: ICT & Information Literacy. Another presenter from OUM, Richard Ng (Director of OUM Perak Regional Learning Centre) presented a paper on "Online Discussion Forum: What Tutors and Learners Do and How they do it".

Other interesting papers were presented on topics related to M-Learning, Tele-centers , Lifelong Learning, Weblogs, Web 2.0 and Moodle.

Steve Wheeler of Plymouth University, UK chairing the Digital Divide and Cultural Understanding session

Richard Ng was presenting his paper during the AGORA session

Mdm Harvinder Kaur was seen here with other OUM staff

Some of the participants attending one of the parallel session

Prof. Torsten Brinda from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany was presenting his paper

LYICT 2008 Conference 7 - 10 July 2008 - Part 2

More pictures on the LYICT conference:

Registration of participants

Prof. Rosli with Sigrid Schubert and Prof. Zoraini

Seen above Jan Wibe on the right and Prof. Ron in black jacket



Michael from Germany on the left

From left Johannes Magehnheim (Germany), Barbara Kedzierska (Poland), Peter Van De Braak (Austria) and Richard Ng (OUM)

LYICT 2008 Conference 7 - 10 July 2008 - Part 1

An ICT Conference with the theme "ICT and Learning for the NET Generation" was held from 7 to 10 July at the Saujana Kuala Lumpur Hotel. It was jointly organized by IFIP and Open University Malaysia.

The conference was attended by about 200 participants from 22 countries. It was officiated by Prof. Ir. Dr. Rosli Hamir, Vice President of Open University Malaysia representing the Vice Chancellor.

Vice President of OUM, Prof. Ir. Dr. Rosli is seen here delivering his speech

Prof. Rosli was having a chat with (from left) Alnaaz Kasaam (LYICT Co-editor from Canada), Sigrid Schuster (IFIP Chairperson from Germany) and Prof. Zoraini (National Organizing Chairperson) from OUM.

OUM Director of Perak Regional Learning Centre, Richard Ng who also attended the conference is having a chat with (from left) Ms. Siti Farina (Lecturer) and Prof. Abtar (Faculty of Education and Languages of OUM) and Mr. Repin, Chief Operating Officer of Meteor/OUM Group

Participants seen here posting for a group photo before the start of the conference