FCI academic wins bronze medal at MAALICNovation 2025

Faculty of Creative Industries (FCI) academic Dr Hooi Chee Mei won the Bronze Medal Award at the MAALICNovation International Expo and Innovation Competition 2025, held on 10 November 2025. The award recognises her innovative teaching solution titled Getting it WRITE through the Incorporation of ‘Flip Book’, which enhances students’ writing proficiency by integrating metadiscourse awareness into an engaging digital learning environment.

Dr Hooi’s innovation centres on a comprehensive instructional module designed to strengthen students’ ability to use metadiscourse features, an essential component in structuring clear, reader-friendly, and professionally crafted reports. The module consists of step-by-step guidelines, a pre- and post-test Metadiscourse Awareness Test, and curated examples of writing with and without metadiscourse. These components collectively guide learners in understanding how metadiscourse functions to improve clarity, coherence, and reader engagement.

What sets the project apart is the transformation of this traditionally text-based module into an interactive online Flip Book platform. The Flip Book format offers a visually appealing and user-friendly interface that supports self-paced learning. By embedding writing prompts, guided examples, and constructivist learning elements, the Flip Book ensures that students not only gain theoretical understanding but also apply metadiscourse features appropriately when composing professional reports.

The innovation further serves as a pedagogical tool for educators. By incorporating the online module into classroom practice, lecturers are able to promote active learning, provide structured support, and monitor students’ progress with greater ease. This aligns with UTAR’s ongoing efforts to enrich teaching methodologies and enhance digital learning integration across all faculties.