Tea Talk on "E-Mathematics: Pre-instructional and supplemental instruction and their impact on students' online participation and final exam score" by Richard Ng (Silver Medal Winner at AAOU 2008 Conference in Tianjin, China)
To: Academicians, OUM
From: Institute of Quality, Research and Innovation
Uploaded: 22 December 2008
We are pleased to invite you to the Tea Talk (#0109). The details are as follows:
Date : 8 January 2009 (Thursday)
Time : 2.30 - 5.30 pm
Venue : Conference Room, OUM Main Campus
Please confirm your attendance via email before 5th January 2009 (Monday). Kindly be advised that seats are limited to 30 people only.
Regards,
IQRI
Sunday, December 28, 2008
The 23rd World ICDE Conference
The 23rd ICDE World Conference on Open: Learning and Distance Education "Flexible Education for All - Open -Global - Innovative", Maastricht, The Netherlands, 7-10 June 2009
Conference Scope:
Today’s society has undergone major developments: knowledge has become the major capital and creative force; people’s lives are less and less constrained by geographic proximity; traditions and institutional regulations have eroded and people can make choices in all spheres of life.
In this set of a global, individualized knowledge society, education is a key factor. It is the fundament for equal and sensible participation of individuals in society as well as a source for the well-being of society itself. But in fulfilling this role the education system has to face major challenges. Education needs to be
* globally accessible;
* open for people from different socio-economic backgrounds, ethnicities and ages;
* innovative regarding content as well as teaching and learning methods.
The ICDE 23rd World conference will experience a real global dynamic interaction. The ICDE is excited to hold this conference in partnership with the 2009 Annual EADTU conference to ensure that their members and partners gain truly international insight in a number of very complex areas. ICDE, as the principal organiser of the World Conferences on Open Learning and Distance Education, has always cooperated with major regional educational associations to ensure that their members’ considerable knowledge is shared with their colleagues globally.
Invitation:
We cordially invite executives, rectors, deans, programme managers, educational policy makers, teachers, researchers, developers, experts, students and staff from the public sector as well as from private educational institutions and companies interested in the field of flexible, open and distance education and training to attend this conference. The topics to be discussed partly depend on the participants input. Please see the attached scheme for suggestions.
The topics of the thematic strands will be presented and discussed in plenary sessions with renowned keynote speakers and in parallel sessions with reviewed contributions from all over the world. A Call for Papers and Presentations will be launched in spring 2008.
Furthermore, pre-conference and side events as well as regional meetings will be part of the programme, organised by interest groups, projects, sponsors, regional associations and consortia.
Conference Programme Committee:
1. Dr. Fred Mulder, Rector of the Open Universiteit Nederland (Chair)
2. Dr. Frits Pannekoek, President of ICDE and President of Athabasca University (Vice Chair)
3. Piet Henderikx, Secretary General of EADTU (Vice Chair)
Representatives from the leading open learning and distance teaching systems and institutions around the world have been invited to join the Programme Committee of the conference.
Venue:
The conference venue is the Maastricht Exhibition and Congress Centre (MECC). It is located in the oldest city of the Netherlands, Maastricht. This beautiful city is situated in the heart of Europe on both sides of the Meuse River in the southern part of the country. Maastricht is a medium sized city with all the necessary infrastructure, good public transport connections, and a wide range of hotels, cultural and social activities to host the World Conference community in a stimulating and safe environment.
Social events:
The social events and partner programme will be offered in collaboration with several local organisations. The options will be published on the conference website shortly.
The conference dinner will be offered at a very special location with only a limited number of seats. Information on this location is already available on the conference website.
Booking for social events and conference dinner can be combined with registration, once the registration has started.
Welcome to Maastricht, and welcome to the 23rd ICDE World Conference on Open Learning and Distance Education including the 2009 EADTU Annual Conference.
Conference website: www.ou.nl/ICDE2009
Contact:
23rd ICDE World Conference secretariat (M-2009)
Open Universiteit Nederland
PO Box 2960
6401 DL Heerlen
The Netherlands
E-mail: ICDE2009@ou.nl
* Please provide your contact details (e-mail address, postal address) for continuously receiving updated information on the M-2009 Conference by sending an e-mail to the M-2009 Secretariat or by completing the form on the M-2009 website.
* You might also visit our website for viewing up-to-date information.
For the conference theme: Flexible Education for All: Open – Global – Innovative we are requesting*:
Your individual or institutional presentation on:
1. Your Experience
2. Your Activity
3. Your Vision
Covering one or more areas of education and training
* Lifelong Learning (LLL)
* Continuing Professional Training & Development
* Higher Education
* Company & Workforce Training
* School
* Vocational Training
Regarding one or more of the following themes
* Open Educational Resources (OER)
* Quality Assurance (including Recognition; Accreditation; Certification)
* Virtual Mobility
* Learning Support Services
* Cultural Diversity
* Breaking Barriers / Removing Constraints & Disadvantages
* Employability
* Technology Enhanced Learning
Or one or more of the following approaches
1. Strategy and Vision
2. Policy
3. Research & Development
4. Good Practice
5. Evaluation
6. Partnership & Networking
*The call for papers will be launched in the spring of 2008.
For Details:
http://www.icde.org/oslo/icde.nsf/id/B28110216E7C30D1C125736F00383C22?OpenDocument
Conference Scope:
Today’s society has undergone major developments: knowledge has become the major capital and creative force; people’s lives are less and less constrained by geographic proximity; traditions and institutional regulations have eroded and people can make choices in all spheres of life.
In this set of a global, individualized knowledge society, education is a key factor. It is the fundament for equal and sensible participation of individuals in society as well as a source for the well-being of society itself. But in fulfilling this role the education system has to face major challenges. Education needs to be
* globally accessible;
* open for people from different socio-economic backgrounds, ethnicities and ages;
* innovative regarding content as well as teaching and learning methods.
The ICDE 23rd World conference will experience a real global dynamic interaction. The ICDE is excited to hold this conference in partnership with the 2009 Annual EADTU conference to ensure that their members and partners gain truly international insight in a number of very complex areas. ICDE, as the principal organiser of the World Conferences on Open Learning and Distance Education, has always cooperated with major regional educational associations to ensure that their members’ considerable knowledge is shared with their colleagues globally.
Invitation:
We cordially invite executives, rectors, deans, programme managers, educational policy makers, teachers, researchers, developers, experts, students and staff from the public sector as well as from private educational institutions and companies interested in the field of flexible, open and distance education and training to attend this conference. The topics to be discussed partly depend on the participants input. Please see the attached scheme for suggestions.
The topics of the thematic strands will be presented and discussed in plenary sessions with renowned keynote speakers and in parallel sessions with reviewed contributions from all over the world. A Call for Papers and Presentations will be launched in spring 2008.
Furthermore, pre-conference and side events as well as regional meetings will be part of the programme, organised by interest groups, projects, sponsors, regional associations and consortia.
Conference Programme Committee:
1. Dr. Fred Mulder, Rector of the Open Universiteit Nederland (Chair)
2. Dr. Frits Pannekoek, President of ICDE and President of Athabasca University (Vice Chair)
3. Piet Henderikx, Secretary General of EADTU (Vice Chair)
Representatives from the leading open learning and distance teaching systems and institutions around the world have been invited to join the Programme Committee of the conference.
Venue:
The conference venue is the Maastricht Exhibition and Congress Centre (MECC). It is located in the oldest city of the Netherlands, Maastricht. This beautiful city is situated in the heart of Europe on both sides of the Meuse River in the southern part of the country. Maastricht is a medium sized city with all the necessary infrastructure, good public transport connections, and a wide range of hotels, cultural and social activities to host the World Conference community in a stimulating and safe environment.
Social events:
The social events and partner programme will be offered in collaboration with several local organisations. The options will be published on the conference website shortly.
The conference dinner will be offered at a very special location with only a limited number of seats. Information on this location is already available on the conference website.
Booking for social events and conference dinner can be combined with registration, once the registration has started.
Welcome to Maastricht, and welcome to the 23rd ICDE World Conference on Open Learning and Distance Education including the 2009 EADTU Annual Conference.
Conference website: www.ou.nl/ICDE2009
Contact:
23rd ICDE World Conference secretariat (M-2009)
Open Universiteit Nederland
PO Box 2960
6401 DL Heerlen
The Netherlands
E-mail: ICDE2009@ou.nl
* Please provide your contact details (e-mail address, postal address) for continuously receiving updated information on the M-2009 Conference by sending an e-mail to the M-2009 Secretariat or by completing the form on the M-2009 website.
* You might also visit our website for viewing up-to-date information.
For the conference theme: Flexible Education for All: Open – Global – Innovative we are requesting*:
Your individual or institutional presentation on:
1. Your Experience
2. Your Activity
3. Your Vision
Covering one or more areas of education and training
* Lifelong Learning (LLL)
* Continuing Professional Training & Development
* Higher Education
* Company & Workforce Training
* School
* Vocational Training
Regarding one or more of the following themes
* Open Educational Resources (OER)
* Quality Assurance (including Recognition; Accreditation; Certification)
* Virtual Mobility
* Learning Support Services
* Cultural Diversity
* Breaking Barriers / Removing Constraints & Disadvantages
* Employability
* Technology Enhanced Learning
Or one or more of the following approaches
1. Strategy and Vision
2. Policy
3. Research & Development
4. Good Practice
5. Evaluation
6. Partnership & Networking
*The call for papers will be launched in the spring of 2008.
For Details:
http://www.icde.org/oslo/icde.nsf/id/B28110216E7C30D1C125736F00383C22?OpenDocument
The Impact of Technology on Language Learning and Teaching: What, How and Why.
Date & Venue:
20 - 22 April 2009
SEAMEO Regional Language Centre
30 Orange Grove Road
Singapore 258352
Rationale:
For the past two millennia, the teaching and learning of languages has remained relatively unchanged. However, in the past twenty years, the advances in technology have not only impacted teaching practices but also given rise to new teaching approaches, methodologies and techniques. The modern language classroom teacher is now able to record, play and display real time communication for the benefit of language learners. We have graduated from the language laboratories and cassette recorders of the era of audiolingualism to video conferencing, CALL, Internet-enabled classrooms and even virtual classrooms. All these advances in technology should provide the language teacher with the leverage to bring the outside world into the language classroom and also the language classroom to the outside world. A teacher can now use the latest news reports to teach listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. The rate of development in the field of technology demands that we explore the best practices in the field to enable language practitioners to exploit the potential of technology in the language classroom.
Aims:
The 44th RELC Seminar has the following aims:
· To identify the changes that have taken place over the past twenty years in the use of technology in language teaching
· To discuss the effects of these new developments on the latest approaches to the teaching of languages
· To explore the future effects of technological developments on language learning processes
Topics:
· Language skills that can best be developed by technology
· New developments in language software
· The role of technology in developing reading and writing skills
· The role of technology in developing speaking and listening skills
· The impact of technology on curriculum and syllabus design
· The impact of technology on language use
· Trends in CALL
· Attitudes towards the use of CALL and technology in the language classroom
Presentation:
1. Invited Speaker Papers
These are formal lecture presentations by distinguished scholars in the field lasting forty-five minutes plus fifteen minutes question time.
2. Parallel Papers
These are formal lecture presentations lasting thirty minutes plus ten minutes question time. The Seminar Planning Committee reserves the right to assign papers to either the Invited Speaker or the Parallel Sessions.
3. Workshops
In these ninety-minute sessions, there is little lecturing by the leaders. Instead, the participants are engaged in activities that have been carefully structured by the leaders.
4. Procedure for Submission of Paper/Workshop Proposals
· A 150-250 word abstract with a title not exceeding twelve words and a fifty-word biodata should be sent to the Seminar Secretariat no later than 28 November 2008. Abstracts outside the word limit will not be accepted.
· The Seminar Planning Committee will inform proposers by 31 January 2009 whether their proposals have been accepted.
· A soft and hard copy of the completed text of the paper selected for the Seminar must be sent to the Seminar Secretariat no later than 13 March 2009. If these are not received by this date, the Committee reserves the right to withdraw the paper from presentation.
5. Criteria for Acceptance
All abstracts will be evaluated by the Seminar Planning Committee. Relevance to the theme of the Seminar and freshness and originality of approach are among the major considerations in the acceptance of papers. The Committee reserves the right to decline paper/workshop proposals without assigning reasons.
6. Copyright/Publication
RELC reserves the copyright over all papers presented at the Seminar. Selected papers will be published. The copyright of papers not published by RELC will be reassigned to the authors.
7. Funding
As a professional non-profit organization, RELC does not generally provide financial assistance to paper/workshop presenters. Thus the registration fee is payable by all participants and parallel paper and workshop presenters.
8. Registration
Please complete the registration form on the next page.
For details:
http://www.relc.org.sg/seminar.html
20 - 22 April 2009
SEAMEO Regional Language Centre
30 Orange Grove Road
Singapore 258352
Rationale:
For the past two millennia, the teaching and learning of languages has remained relatively unchanged. However, in the past twenty years, the advances in technology have not only impacted teaching practices but also given rise to new teaching approaches, methodologies and techniques. The modern language classroom teacher is now able to record, play and display real time communication for the benefit of language learners. We have graduated from the language laboratories and cassette recorders of the era of audiolingualism to video conferencing, CALL, Internet-enabled classrooms and even virtual classrooms. All these advances in technology should provide the language teacher with the leverage to bring the outside world into the language classroom and also the language classroom to the outside world. A teacher can now use the latest news reports to teach listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. The rate of development in the field of technology demands that we explore the best practices in the field to enable language practitioners to exploit the potential of technology in the language classroom.
Aims:
The 44th RELC Seminar has the following aims:
· To identify the changes that have taken place over the past twenty years in the use of technology in language teaching
· To discuss the effects of these new developments on the latest approaches to the teaching of languages
· To explore the future effects of technological developments on language learning processes
Topics:
· Language skills that can best be developed by technology
· New developments in language software
· The role of technology in developing reading and writing skills
· The role of technology in developing speaking and listening skills
· The impact of technology on curriculum and syllabus design
· The impact of technology on language use
· Trends in CALL
· Attitudes towards the use of CALL and technology in the language classroom
Presentation:
1. Invited Speaker Papers
These are formal lecture presentations by distinguished scholars in the field lasting forty-five minutes plus fifteen minutes question time.
2. Parallel Papers
These are formal lecture presentations lasting thirty minutes plus ten minutes question time. The Seminar Planning Committee reserves the right to assign papers to either the Invited Speaker or the Parallel Sessions.
3. Workshops
In these ninety-minute sessions, there is little lecturing by the leaders. Instead, the participants are engaged in activities that have been carefully structured by the leaders.
4. Procedure for Submission of Paper/Workshop Proposals
· A 150-250 word abstract with a title not exceeding twelve words and a fifty-word biodata should be sent to the Seminar Secretariat no later than 28 November 2008. Abstracts outside the word limit will not be accepted.
· The Seminar Planning Committee will inform proposers by 31 January 2009 whether their proposals have been accepted.
· A soft and hard copy of the completed text of the paper selected for the Seminar must be sent to the Seminar Secretariat no later than 13 March 2009. If these are not received by this date, the Committee reserves the right to withdraw the paper from presentation.
5. Criteria for Acceptance
All abstracts will be evaluated by the Seminar Planning Committee. Relevance to the theme of the Seminar and freshness and originality of approach are among the major considerations in the acceptance of papers. The Committee reserves the right to decline paper/workshop proposals without assigning reasons.
6. Copyright/Publication
RELC reserves the copyright over all papers presented at the Seminar. Selected papers will be published. The copyright of papers not published by RELC will be reassigned to the authors.
7. Funding
As a professional non-profit organization, RELC does not generally provide financial assistance to paper/workshop presenters. Thus the registration fee is payable by all participants and parallel paper and workshop presenters.
8. Registration
Please complete the registration form on the next page.
For details:
http://www.relc.org.sg/seminar.html
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
SEMINAR KEBANGSAAN ICT DALAM PENDIDIKAN 2009
SEMINAR KEBANGSAAN ICT DALAM PENDIDIKAN 2009
03 - 04 FEBRUARI 2009 HOTEL IMPIANA CASUARINA, IPOH
Latar Belakang
Pada 17 hingga 19 November 2005, Fakuliti Teknologi Maklumat dan Komunikasi (FTMK) telah menganjurkan Seminar Kebangsaan ICT 2005 di Prince Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.
Tujuan seminar tersebut diadakan adalah untuk memperkembangkan penggunaan ICT dalam pendidikan terutamanya e-pembelajaran dan penggunaan ICT dikalangan para ilmuan,meningkatkan penggunaan sumber terbuka di kalangan pengguna komputer,serta menggalakkan perkongsian kepakaran ICT dalam pendidikan.
FTMK berhasrat untuk meneruskan kesinambungan Seminar Kebangsaan ICT 2005. Pada kali ini,FTMK akan menganjurkan Seminar Kebangsaan ICT 2009 bersama Fakuliti Seni Muzik (FSM). Seminar pada kali ini dirancang untuk menggabungkan elemen ICT,Seni dan Muzik dalam pendidikan dan mempelbagaikan penyelidikan ICT dari perspektif Seni dan Muzik
Sub Tema
Antara sub tema yang di letakkan di bawah tema utama " INOVASI DAN KREATIVITI MENERUSI ICT DALAM PENDIDIKAN" ialah :
1. Pengintegrasian ICT dalam Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran (P&P)
2. Pendidikan ICT untuk Komuniti
3. Sumber Terbuka dalam Pendidikan
4. E-Pembelajaran
5. ICT dalam Pengurusan Pendidikan
6. ICT dalam Penilaian dan Pengukuran Pendidikan
7. ICT dalam Pendidikan Sepanjang Hayat
8. Pendidikan Seni dan Muzik melalui ICT
9. Pendidikan Seni, Muzik dan ICT di Sekolah
10. Inovasi, kreativiti dan ICT
Objektif Seminar
ANTARA OBJEKTIF SEMINAR INI DIJALANKAN
1. Menggalakkan perkongsian ilmu dan penggunaan ICT dalam pendidikan
2. Memantapkan pengalaman dan kemahiran peserta dalam bidang e-pembelajaran dan ICT dalam pendidikan
3. Mewujudkan jalinan rangkaian kepakaran dalam pendidikan
4. Memperkembangkan penggunaan sumber terbuka di kalangan pendidik
5. Meningkatkan kesedaran tentang peluang-peluang pendidikan sepanjang hayat melalui ICT
6. Meperkembangkan penggunaan ICT dalam seni dan muzik
7. Meningkatkan daya inovatif dan kreativiti dalam pendidikan
For details: http://ikict.upsi.edu.my/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
03 - 04 FEBRUARI 2009 HOTEL IMPIANA CASUARINA, IPOH
Latar Belakang
Pada 17 hingga 19 November 2005, Fakuliti Teknologi Maklumat dan Komunikasi (FTMK) telah menganjurkan Seminar Kebangsaan ICT 2005 di Prince Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.
Tujuan seminar tersebut diadakan adalah untuk memperkembangkan penggunaan ICT dalam pendidikan terutamanya e-pembelajaran dan penggunaan ICT dikalangan para ilmuan,meningkatkan penggunaan sumber terbuka di kalangan pengguna komputer,serta menggalakkan perkongsian kepakaran ICT dalam pendidikan.
FTMK berhasrat untuk meneruskan kesinambungan Seminar Kebangsaan ICT 2005. Pada kali ini,FTMK akan menganjurkan Seminar Kebangsaan ICT 2009 bersama Fakuliti Seni Muzik (FSM). Seminar pada kali ini dirancang untuk menggabungkan elemen ICT,Seni dan Muzik dalam pendidikan dan mempelbagaikan penyelidikan ICT dari perspektif Seni dan Muzik
Sub Tema
Antara sub tema yang di letakkan di bawah tema utama " INOVASI DAN KREATIVITI MENERUSI ICT DALAM PENDIDIKAN" ialah :
1. Pengintegrasian ICT dalam Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran (P&P)
2. Pendidikan ICT untuk Komuniti
3. Sumber Terbuka dalam Pendidikan
4. E-Pembelajaran
5. ICT dalam Pengurusan Pendidikan
6. ICT dalam Penilaian dan Pengukuran Pendidikan
7. ICT dalam Pendidikan Sepanjang Hayat
8. Pendidikan Seni dan Muzik melalui ICT
9. Pendidikan Seni, Muzik dan ICT di Sekolah
10. Inovasi, kreativiti dan ICT
Objektif Seminar
ANTARA OBJEKTIF SEMINAR INI DIJALANKAN
1. Menggalakkan perkongsian ilmu dan penggunaan ICT dalam pendidikan
2. Memantapkan pengalaman dan kemahiran peserta dalam bidang e-pembelajaran dan ICT dalam pendidikan
3. Mewujudkan jalinan rangkaian kepakaran dalam pendidikan
4. Memperkembangkan penggunaan sumber terbuka di kalangan pendidik
5. Meningkatkan kesedaran tentang peluang-peluang pendidikan sepanjang hayat melalui ICT
6. Meperkembangkan penggunaan ICT dalam seni dan muzik
7. Meningkatkan daya inovatif dan kreativiti dalam pendidikan
For details: http://ikict.upsi.edu.my/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
Increase post grads, reduce undergrad intake: UM VC - Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR, WED: Dec 17, 2008
Universiti Malaya (UM) has now shifted its focus on post-graduate studies by increasing the number of places for such courses and reducing the intake of undergraduates.
Newly-appointed Vice-Chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Ghauth Jasmon said the move was in line with the university’s efforts to boost its rankings in the Times Higher Education Supplement within the next two years.
“We want more and better post-graduates and reduce the number of undergraduates, so that we can improve the quality of research output.
“The focus now is to bring up UM quickly so that we can get back in the league of the top 200 universities in the world over the next two years,” he said in an exclusive interview with Bernama at his office here.
UM has slipped down the ladder since 2006, when it went from number 169 in 2005 to 192 in 2006. It was at the 245th spot last year but rose slightly to 230 this year.
And, just a month after his appointment on Nov 10, Prof Ghauth has already set his plans for the university into motion to rectify the problem.
He said, the top of the agenda was placing more focus into research and development productivity.
“I’m working to attract first-class honours graduates into the system, to come and do research and improve the quality of research output.
“We also want more people to be involved in research, and this will be the key performance index for measuring their academic performance,” added Prof Ghauth.
He said first-class graduates would also be offered post-graduate scholarships immediately.
Next on the list was filling up 300 academic posts with qualified academicians from around the world, he said.
“We need them to strengthen our academic body, “ he noted.
Prof Ghauth said he was also bringing in experts into niche areas which he wanted UM to develop, such as in the fields of medicine, engineering, business and economics.
On the decline in the quality of graduates the university produced as compared to its heydays, Prof Ghauth said the problem was not just confined to UM.
“Generally, they appear to be such a problem at the moment, but it is not just UM, but nationwide.
“People mainly attribute it to poor communication skills, but one method employed by UM to alleviate the problem is to teach more subjects in English, as well as conduct coursework and assignments in English,” he added.
He said the poor ability to interact and convince people also affected the marketablity of graduates.
Prof Ghauth said this could be remedied with community work, which provided good training in building leadership and social skills.
“For example, if they do community work, we must give them marks for these.
If they do work for their kampung, that must be recognised,” he said.
He said this could be done by widening the choices of co-curricular activites to include such activities and called for the student affairs division to be more proactive in coming up with new ideas for student participation outside the classroom.
Besides that, Prof Ghauth said graduates also needed to be more entrepreneurial instead of expecting to land a job after completing their studies.
He said, one way for UM to encourage its graduates to do that was to come up with entrepreneurship programmes such as the ones in Multimedia University, where he served as president and chief executive officer for 11 years.
“They can come up with good business ideas and under the programme, the universities will fund the setting up of their companies,” he said.
However, he said, the country still recognised the quality of UM graduates.
“Our employability figure is 97 per cent, but there is a need to improve this, especially by shifting focus onto post-graduate studies.
“...but I think generally, our graduates are seen to be much better than many other IPTAs (public universities),” he said.
Universiti Malaya (UM) has now shifted its focus on post-graduate studies by increasing the number of places for such courses and reducing the intake of undergraduates.
Newly-appointed Vice-Chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Ghauth Jasmon said the move was in line with the university’s efforts to boost its rankings in the Times Higher Education Supplement within the next two years.
“We want more and better post-graduates and reduce the number of undergraduates, so that we can improve the quality of research output.
“The focus now is to bring up UM quickly so that we can get back in the league of the top 200 universities in the world over the next two years,” he said in an exclusive interview with Bernama at his office here.
UM has slipped down the ladder since 2006, when it went from number 169 in 2005 to 192 in 2006. It was at the 245th spot last year but rose slightly to 230 this year.
And, just a month after his appointment on Nov 10, Prof Ghauth has already set his plans for the university into motion to rectify the problem.
He said, the top of the agenda was placing more focus into research and development productivity.
“I’m working to attract first-class honours graduates into the system, to come and do research and improve the quality of research output.
“We also want more people to be involved in research, and this will be the key performance index for measuring their academic performance,” added Prof Ghauth.
He said first-class graduates would also be offered post-graduate scholarships immediately.
Next on the list was filling up 300 academic posts with qualified academicians from around the world, he said.
“We need them to strengthen our academic body, “ he noted.
Prof Ghauth said he was also bringing in experts into niche areas which he wanted UM to develop, such as in the fields of medicine, engineering, business and economics.
On the decline in the quality of graduates the university produced as compared to its heydays, Prof Ghauth said the problem was not just confined to UM.
“Generally, they appear to be such a problem at the moment, but it is not just UM, but nationwide.
“People mainly attribute it to poor communication skills, but one method employed by UM to alleviate the problem is to teach more subjects in English, as well as conduct coursework and assignments in English,” he added.
He said the poor ability to interact and convince people also affected the marketablity of graduates.
Prof Ghauth said this could be remedied with community work, which provided good training in building leadership and social skills.
“For example, if they do community work, we must give them marks for these.
If they do work for their kampung, that must be recognised,” he said.
He said this could be done by widening the choices of co-curricular activites to include such activities and called for the student affairs division to be more proactive in coming up with new ideas for student participation outside the classroom.
Besides that, Prof Ghauth said graduates also needed to be more entrepreneurial instead of expecting to land a job after completing their studies.
He said, one way for UM to encourage its graduates to do that was to come up with entrepreneurship programmes such as the ones in Multimedia University, where he served as president and chief executive officer for 11 years.
“They can come up with good business ideas and under the programme, the universities will fund the setting up of their companies,” he said.
However, he said, the country still recognised the quality of UM graduates.
“Our employability figure is 97 per cent, but there is a need to improve this, especially by shifting focus onto post-graduate studies.
“...but I think generally, our graduates are seen to be much better than many other IPTAs (public universities),” he said.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Dewan Rakyat Passes Amendments To Universities & University Colleges Bill - Star
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 11 (Bernama)
The Dewan Rakyat passed the Universities and University Colleges (Amendment) Bill 2008 to improve and expand the autonomy of universities.
Under the bill, several powers held by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and minister will be transferred to the university authorities which, among others, comprised the Board of Directors, Senate and Vice-Chancellors of the universities.
The bill also emphasised on the internal and external openness, transparency and accountability of the administration of each university.
It also allows the student to be an affiliate or member of an organisation or union whether within or outside the country.
The bill also empowers the chancellor to revoke the degree of any graduate for involvement in any scandal.
When winding up the debate earlier, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the amendment to the act was made based on educational considerations and principles and not for political purposes.
The Dewan Rakyat will sit again on Monday.
The Dewan Rakyat passed the Universities and University Colleges (Amendment) Bill 2008 to improve and expand the autonomy of universities.
Under the bill, several powers held by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and minister will be transferred to the university authorities which, among others, comprised the Board of Directors, Senate and Vice-Chancellors of the universities.
The bill also emphasised on the internal and external openness, transparency and accountability of the administration of each university.
It also allows the student to be an affiliate or member of an organisation or union whether within or outside the country.
The bill also empowers the chancellor to revoke the degree of any graduate for involvement in any scandal.
When winding up the debate earlier, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the amendment to the act was made based on educational considerations and principles and not for political purposes.
The Dewan Rakyat will sit again on Monday.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
PhD Student Journey - Thesis preparation
Scope and length of thesis / project
The level of award, length of research program in semesters of study, discipline, and research methodology all affect the length of a research thesis. The following provides a guide to the approximate number of words in the text, excluding references and appendices, for different types of theses:
Award Words of Text
Doctor of Philosophy: 80,000 - 100,000 max
Checking of the draft/s of a thesis or project
Careful reading of thesis or project drafts, by both the student and supervisor, is particularly important. The following checklist from Howard and Sharp (1983, pp. 207-208) provides a useful guide.
1. Evidence of an original investigation or the testing of ideas
* Was the aim of the research clearly described?
* Were the hypotheses to be tested, questions to be answered, or methods to be developed clearly stated?
* Was the relationship between the current and previous research in related topic areas defined, with similarities and differences stressed?
* Are the nature and extent of the original contribution clear?
2. Competence in independent work or experimentation
* Was the methodology employed appropriate? Was its use justified and was the way it was applied adequately described?
* Were variables that might influence the study recognised and either controlled in the research design or properly measured?
* Were valid and reliable instruments used to collect the data?
* Was there evidence of care and accuracy in recording and summarising the data?
* Is evidence displayed of knowledge of and the ability to use all relevant data sources?
* Were limitations inherent in the study recognised and stated?
* Were the conclusions reached justifiable in the light of the data and the way they were analysed?
3. An understanding of appropriate techniques
* Given the facilities available, did it seem that the best possible techniques were employed to gather and analyse data?
* Was full justification given for the use of the techniques selected and were they adequately described? In particular were they properly related to the stated aims of the research?
4. Ability to make critical use of published work and source materials
* Was the literature referenced pertinent to the research?
* To what extent could general reference to the literature be criticised on the grounds of insufficiency or excessiveness?
* Was evidence presented of skills in searching the literature?
* Was due credit given to previous workers for ideas and techniques used by the author?
* Is evidence displayed of the ability to identify key items in the literature and to compare, contrast and critically review them?
5. Appreciation of the relationship between the special theme to the wider field of knowledge (for doctoral theses only)
* Was the relationship between the current and previous research in related topic areas defined, with similarities and differences stressed?
* Was literature in related disciplines reviewed?
* Was an attempt made to present previous work within the overall conceptual framework and in a systematic way?
6. Worthy, in part, of publication
* Was the organisation of the report logical and was the style attractive?
* With appropriate extraction and editing could the basis of articles or a book be identified?
7. Originality as shown by the topic researched or the methodology employed
* To what extent was the topic-selected novel?
* Was there evidence of innovation in research methodology compared with previous practice in the field?
8. Distinct contribution to knowledge
* What new material was reported?
* To what extent would the new material be perceived as a valuable addition to a field of knowledge?
* To what extent do the conclusions overturn or challenge previous beliefs?
* Were the findings compared with the findings of any similar studies?
* Was the new contribution clearly delimited and prospects for further work identified?
* To what extent does the work open up whole new areas for future research?
Editing the final draft
Candidates and supervisors are responsible for checking the final version of the thesis. A useful reference during this process is Anderson and Poole’s book, Assignment and Thesis Writing (2001, chap. 15). Included in this volume is a chapter on editing and evaluating the final draft of the thesis. This chapter contains a series of checklists, including one for evaluating empirical/experimental research studies and one for evaluating analytical/literary research studies, which provide candidates with a means of judging the final quality of their work.
The editing of research theses by professional editors
Candidates who are considering using a professional editor should read the policy developed by the Deans and Directors of Graduate Studies collaboratively with the Council of Australian Societies of Editors. The policy is outlined below, but is also available from: http://www.ddogs.edu.au
Background
Professional editors need to be clear about the extent and nature of help they offer in the editing of research students’ theses and dissertations. Academic supervisors of research students also need to be clear about the role of the professional editor as well as their own editorial role. This policy has been developed primarily to give guidance to professional editors. It also provides a guide for academic supervisors. This document has been developed with close attention to the current Australian Standards for Editing Practice (ASEP). Academic supervisors are encouraged to become familiar with this very useful publication.
Proof-reading and Editing of Research Theses and Dissertations
It is expected that the academic supervisors of research higher degree students will provide editorial advice to their students. This type of advice is covered in Standards C, D and E of ASEP:
* Standard C, Substance and Structure
* Standard D, Language and Illustrations
* Standard E, Completeness and Consistency.
Students may use a professional editor in preparing their thesis for submission, but they should discuss this with their Principal Supervisor and provide the editor with a copy of this policy before they commence work.
Professional editorial intervention should be restricted to:
* Standard D
* Standard E
Where a professional editor provides advice on matters of structure (Standard C), exemplars only should be given.
Material for editing or proofreading should be submitted in hard copy. In electronic copy it is too easy for the student to accept editorial suggestions without thinking about their implications.
When a thesis has had the benefit of professional editorial advice, of any form, the name of the editor and a brief description of the service rendered, in terms of Australian Standards for Editing Practice, should be printed as part of the list of acknowledgements or other 18 prefatory matter. If the professional editor’s current or former area of academic specialisation is similar to that of the candidate, this too should be stated in the prefatory matter of the thesis.
Australian Standards for Editing Practice is available on the following website: www.case-editors.org
Plagiarism
Edith Cowan University regards academic misconduct of any form as unacceptable. Academic misconduct includes, but is now limited to:
* plagiarism;
* unauthorised collaboration;
* cheating in examinations;
* theft of other students' work.
The university defines academic misconduct as follows:
"academic misconduct" means conduct in relation to any academic work that is dishonest or unfair; this includes but is not limited to plagiarism.
"cheating" means conduct in any assessment that is dishonest.
"plagiarism" means
to knowingly or unknowingly present by any means as one's own work the ideas or writings of another without appropriate acknowledgment or referencing. This includes but is not limited to:
* paraphrasing text without acknowledgment of the source;
* paraphrasing text inadequately with acknowledgment of the source;
* copying all or a significant part of the text of another student's assignment or other students' assignments;
and
* copying all or a significant part of visual representations (cartoons, line drawings, photos, paintings and computer programs).
A staff member who has reasonable grounds to believe that a candidate has committed some form of academic misconduct will discuss the matter with the candidate. If some form of academic misconduct has been committed then an appropriate penalty will be applied as outlined in University Statute 22: Student Obligations and Rules 19 and 40 of the Edith Cowan University (Admission, Enrollment and Academic Progress) Rules.
University Statute No. 22: Student Obligations is available at: http://www.ecu.edu.au/GPPS/legal_legis/ uni_statutes.html
The Edith Cowan University (Admission, Enrollment and Academic Progress) Rules are available at: http://www.ecu.edu.au/GPPS/legal_legis/ uni_rules.html
The University Academic Misconduct Protocol (including plagiarism) is available at: http://www.ecu.edu.au/GPPS/policies_db/tmp/ ac047.pdf
Source: http://www.chs.ecu.edu.au/org/rhd/journeys/phd/thesis.php
The level of award, length of research program in semesters of study, discipline, and research methodology all affect the length of a research thesis. The following provides a guide to the approximate number of words in the text, excluding references and appendices, for different types of theses:
Award Words of Text
Doctor of Philosophy: 80,000 - 100,000 max
Checking of the draft/s of a thesis or project
Careful reading of thesis or project drafts, by both the student and supervisor, is particularly important. The following checklist from Howard and Sharp (1983, pp. 207-208) provides a useful guide.
1. Evidence of an original investigation or the testing of ideas
* Was the aim of the research clearly described?
* Were the hypotheses to be tested, questions to be answered, or methods to be developed clearly stated?
* Was the relationship between the current and previous research in related topic areas defined, with similarities and differences stressed?
* Are the nature and extent of the original contribution clear?
2. Competence in independent work or experimentation
* Was the methodology employed appropriate? Was its use justified and was the way it was applied adequately described?
* Were variables that might influence the study recognised and either controlled in the research design or properly measured?
* Were valid and reliable instruments used to collect the data?
* Was there evidence of care and accuracy in recording and summarising the data?
* Is evidence displayed of knowledge of and the ability to use all relevant data sources?
* Were limitations inherent in the study recognised and stated?
* Were the conclusions reached justifiable in the light of the data and the way they were analysed?
3. An understanding of appropriate techniques
* Given the facilities available, did it seem that the best possible techniques were employed to gather and analyse data?
* Was full justification given for the use of the techniques selected and were they adequately described? In particular were they properly related to the stated aims of the research?
4. Ability to make critical use of published work and source materials
* Was the literature referenced pertinent to the research?
* To what extent could general reference to the literature be criticised on the grounds of insufficiency or excessiveness?
* Was evidence presented of skills in searching the literature?
* Was due credit given to previous workers for ideas and techniques used by the author?
* Is evidence displayed of the ability to identify key items in the literature and to compare, contrast and critically review them?
5. Appreciation of the relationship between the special theme to the wider field of knowledge (for doctoral theses only)
* Was the relationship between the current and previous research in related topic areas defined, with similarities and differences stressed?
* Was literature in related disciplines reviewed?
* Was an attempt made to present previous work within the overall conceptual framework and in a systematic way?
6. Worthy, in part, of publication
* Was the organisation of the report logical and was the style attractive?
* With appropriate extraction and editing could the basis of articles or a book be identified?
7. Originality as shown by the topic researched or the methodology employed
* To what extent was the topic-selected novel?
* Was there evidence of innovation in research methodology compared with previous practice in the field?
8. Distinct contribution to knowledge
* What new material was reported?
* To what extent would the new material be perceived as a valuable addition to a field of knowledge?
* To what extent do the conclusions overturn or challenge previous beliefs?
* Were the findings compared with the findings of any similar studies?
* Was the new contribution clearly delimited and prospects for further work identified?
* To what extent does the work open up whole new areas for future research?
Editing the final draft
Candidates and supervisors are responsible for checking the final version of the thesis. A useful reference during this process is Anderson and Poole’s book, Assignment and Thesis Writing (2001, chap. 15). Included in this volume is a chapter on editing and evaluating the final draft of the thesis. This chapter contains a series of checklists, including one for evaluating empirical/experimental research studies and one for evaluating analytical/literary research studies, which provide candidates with a means of judging the final quality of their work.
The editing of research theses by professional editors
Candidates who are considering using a professional editor should read the policy developed by the Deans and Directors of Graduate Studies collaboratively with the Council of Australian Societies of Editors. The policy is outlined below, but is also available from: http://www.ddogs.edu.au
Background
Professional editors need to be clear about the extent and nature of help they offer in the editing of research students’ theses and dissertations. Academic supervisors of research students also need to be clear about the role of the professional editor as well as their own editorial role. This policy has been developed primarily to give guidance to professional editors. It also provides a guide for academic supervisors. This document has been developed with close attention to the current Australian Standards for Editing Practice (ASEP). Academic supervisors are encouraged to become familiar with this very useful publication.
Proof-reading and Editing of Research Theses and Dissertations
It is expected that the academic supervisors of research higher degree students will provide editorial advice to their students. This type of advice is covered in Standards C, D and E of ASEP:
* Standard C, Substance and Structure
* Standard D, Language and Illustrations
* Standard E, Completeness and Consistency.
Students may use a professional editor in preparing their thesis for submission, but they should discuss this with their Principal Supervisor and provide the editor with a copy of this policy before they commence work.
Professional editorial intervention should be restricted to:
* Standard D
* Standard E
Where a professional editor provides advice on matters of structure (Standard C), exemplars only should be given.
Material for editing or proofreading should be submitted in hard copy. In electronic copy it is too easy for the student to accept editorial suggestions without thinking about their implications.
When a thesis has had the benefit of professional editorial advice, of any form, the name of the editor and a brief description of the service rendered, in terms of Australian Standards for Editing Practice, should be printed as part of the list of acknowledgements or other 18 prefatory matter. If the professional editor’s current or former area of academic specialisation is similar to that of the candidate, this too should be stated in the prefatory matter of the thesis.
Australian Standards for Editing Practice is available on the following website: www.case-editors.org
Plagiarism
Edith Cowan University regards academic misconduct of any form as unacceptable. Academic misconduct includes, but is now limited to:
* plagiarism;
* unauthorised collaboration;
* cheating in examinations;
* theft of other students' work.
The university defines academic misconduct as follows:
"academic misconduct" means conduct in relation to any academic work that is dishonest or unfair; this includes but is not limited to plagiarism.
"cheating" means conduct in any assessment that is dishonest.
"plagiarism" means
to knowingly or unknowingly present by any means as one's own work the ideas or writings of another without appropriate acknowledgment or referencing. This includes but is not limited to:
* paraphrasing text without acknowledgment of the source;
* paraphrasing text inadequately with acknowledgment of the source;
* copying all or a significant part of the text of another student's assignment or other students' assignments;
and
* copying all or a significant part of visual representations (cartoons, line drawings, photos, paintings and computer programs).
A staff member who has reasonable grounds to believe that a candidate has committed some form of academic misconduct will discuss the matter with the candidate. If some form of academic misconduct has been committed then an appropriate penalty will be applied as outlined in University Statute 22: Student Obligations and Rules 19 and 40 of the Edith Cowan University (Admission, Enrollment and Academic Progress) Rules.
University Statute No. 22: Student Obligations is available at: http://www.ecu.edu.au/GPPS/legal_legis/ uni_statutes.html
The Edith Cowan University (Admission, Enrollment and Academic Progress) Rules are available at: http://www.ecu.edu.au/GPPS/legal_legis/ uni_rules.html
The University Academic Misconduct Protocol (including plagiarism) is available at: http://www.ecu.edu.au/GPPS/policies_db/tmp/ ac047.pdf
Source: http://www.chs.ecu.edu.au/org/rhd/journeys/phd/thesis.php
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