vii: week without wall

Talk 1: “Pengintegrasian Ilmu Naqli dan Ilmu Aqli dalam Pendidikan” by Prof. Madya Dr. Nurkhamimi Zainudin (USIM)

1.      What was/were the new term(s) you have heard from the presentation?

The new term that I heard from this talk is the concept of neo-liberal. As explained by the presenter, when it comes to neo-liberal approach, individuals are deemed as a modal or a mean of exploitation for the sake of development and advancement, to the extent that they are to be one the same par with material, money and so forth. Another term that caught my attention is future-proof; which carry the denotation of something that is unlikely to become obsolete. The reason why this term is mentioned during the presentation is to put emphasis on the importance of producing well-rounded graduates that have the sense of holisticism wherein they employ the creative and critical ability, intuitive, ethics and soft skills to face the changes challenges in job market in the future.

2.      What was / were the technology(ies) / technological advancement mentioned by the presenters?

One new platform for online learning mentioned by the presenter is GOALS (Global Open Access Learning System) which is designed and opened for access for all USIM students and educators only as compared to MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses) which can be accessed by everyone including publics. GOALS is used for the purpose of communication and interaction in teaching and learning process in order to ensure their advancement in education to face the Industrial Revolution 4.0. The objective of the program is to increase access to the writings and research paper conducted by USIM through various medium of publications. For the previous years, USIM has been in line with digitalisation by turning their printed materials for reference purposes into digital materials. As of 2019, USIM has improvised the effort and policy by taking into account the visibility of the academic material and protecting the legal right of the said materials.

3.      What would be the implications of the points in terms of teaching and learning in general and specific to your future teaching practices?

In my opinion, what the presenter wanted to convey from his presentation is how crucial it is for educators to inculcate in their teaching and learning practice the techno-humanistic education which consist of mastery of science-technology, mastery of moral values and the implementation of moral values. Apart from that, to provide plenty of resources for the students for their learning may also help them to prosper and enhance themselves. In terms of my future teaching practices, it is important for me to cater to my students’ needs as well as various learning styles, preferences and interest.

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Talk 2 : “Nurturing The Intellectual Mind: The Story of Mathematics and Technology” by Prof Dr Parmjit Singh (UiTM)

1.      What was/were the new term(s) you have heard from the presentation?

One new term that I have heard during this presentation is the development of mathematical thinking and from what I read mathematical thinking is a whole way of looking at things, stripping them down to their essentials, whether it's numerical, structural or logical and then analysing the underlying patterns.

2.      What was / were the technology(ies) / technological advancement mentioned by the presenters?

Technological advancement mentioned by the presenter is regarding the Education 4.0 where due to the fact that 4IR (Industrial Revolution 4.0) is transforming the world, there are changes in technology like internet and Artificial Intelligence and they have affected the industries, it somehow causes evolution in education as well.

3.      What would be the implications of the points in terms of teaching and learning in general and specific to your future teaching practices?

It is undeniable that technology has become a major help in enhancing and facilitating learning of students by providing an abundance of resources as well as interactive activities and applications. During the presentation, Prof Dr Parmjit Singh has mentioned how technology is important but we have to consider the other side of technology where it may affect the pedagogical practices in classroom, of how the web has replaced and interrupted the notion of learning through interaction. When there is too much technology inculcated in classroom, somehow the “Aha!” moment will become non-existent when in fact those moments are critical because they turn information into knowledge. Educators need to know how to differentiate between lecturing and teaching. While lecturing merely means doing presentation, teaching means there is an interaction that has taken place whether it’s between the teacher, students or environment. The fact that the role of teacher is not a dispenser of knowledge should also be put in limelight.