With the Movement Control Order (MCO) is being enforced from 18 March to 28
April 2020, educators and students transitioned into the world of e-learning
with great speed, reaping its benefits while ensuring that teaching and
learning continue for both staff and students during this interruption to
the current semester due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
UTAR undergraduates and lecturers are
finding out that learning as well as teaching from the comfort of their
respective homes via e-learning
during the Movement Control Order period can be a unique experience.
Kudos to my students for being so supportive
Lionel feels glad that most of his students have been more
supportive and responsive than he can ever have imagined
“I would say the biggest challenge of online teaching and learning is
ensuring that all my students have equal access to my web-based learning
material”, said Lionel Keith Vytialingam from the UTAR Department of Arts
and Social Science, Centre of Foundation Studies (Kampar Campus). While he
feels that most of his students are coping reasonably well, there are also
those with limited access to data or Wi-Fi and limited access to computers.
Lionel called it a challenge because there has not been a blanket or
overarching solution to these difficulties.
Lionel said he wake up at 3 or 4 am to get online to “meet” some students
whose internet access is best in the wee hours of the morning. He also
compiles whatsapp voice notes into folders to be sent out for some who had
difficulty accessing power point voice-over files on their phones, and even
calling up students who had limited access to the internet or computers over
the phone for one-on-one phone lectures. All this efforts is to ensure that
everyone gets to move forward with lessons and exercises.
Lionel feels glad that most of his students have been more supportive and
responsive than he can ever have imagined. Some of these students were the
quietest in his traditional classrooms, the most passive, the most likely to
doze off, but right now, he seeing an entirely different side to them. They
not only try harder to ensure they understand the content, but they engage
so much more actively in group discussions and online debates. Some have
even told him that they now feel so much less “shy” or “afraid” to interact
in English while engaging in online discussions and debates. These were some
of the most reluctant students when it came to expressing ideas in class.
These were students he used to urge to “try” to not be afraid to speak up in
class, to “not care” how good or bad they thought their English was. As an
English educator, this response from students helps Mr Lionel sleep better
at night even during this MCO.
E-learning gives students better control over their own learning progress
Dr Abdelhak said
E-learning is a great method of teaching and learning especially for
part-time students
“E-learning is a great method of teaching and learning especially for
part-time students. I am teaching Managerial Economics where most of my
students are working. This gives them more flexibility and they can manage
their time more efficiently. From my experience in online teaching I can
ascertain that e-learning is a good substitute to traditional learning.
Students are able to learn more by reviewing video lectures until they
understand the lecture”, said Dr
Abdelhak Senadjki from the UTAR Department of Economics, Faculty of Business
and Finance
Dr
Abdelhak commented that E-learning provides students with better control
over their own learning within a period of time. For those students who
learn faster can get more work done while those who need more time can
review the lectures several times. Students are more engaged by asking
plenty of questions after the online class. “I see myself as a facilitator
rather than just a teacher. I want my students to feel comfortable and feel
connected in the online environment”, added Dr Abdelhak
Online learning and
teaching enhance students’ learning experience
Dr Ooi looks forward to incorporating
the online teaching experience into his conventional classroom after the MCO
“When I first started my online teaching, I had no
clue at all if my students would understand me and I was worried because I
could not see their facial expressions during my lectures. I usually gauge
their responses during lectures by looking at their faces and I would pace
my lectures accordingly. However, with online teaching I wasn’t sure
initially if I could engage them in my class,” commented Dr Ooi Boon Yaik
from the UTAR Department of Computer Science,
Faculty of Information and Communication Technology.
“However, my perception changed once the online
classes started. I was very happy to see my students asking questions and
communicating with me online, more than my usual lectures in class. They
were very responsive. Perhaps it is the relaxing environments at home that
made them less inhibited and ask more questions. Students, I feel are very
comfortable in front of their computers at home than sitting in the
classroom and therefore, they are bolder in asking questions using text
chat. This is a good thing.”
Dr Ooi found that video lectures are a good way to
allow students to study at their own pace. In physical programming classes,
there will be space and time constraints as there are just too many steps
and points that a student needs to remember. However with recorded videos,
students can repeat, fast forward or even slowdown the tutorials to suit
them without interrupting others.
“We have to
think out of the box and create a learning experience where the students can
think, interact and participate online while learning the contents,” added
Dr Ooi. This unprecedented MCO has left lecturers with no choice but to
bring the classes and paperwork online. Due to the short notice, it is very
challenging for students who are learning online for the first time. They
need to make adjustments to their schedule and allocate time to do online
studies. Dr Ooi learnt that an educator should trust his students, stop
spoon-feeding them, and give them time to explore and discover their
passion. After all, students need to develop their own internal motivation
to achieve life-long learning. He is looking forward to incorporating the
online teaching experience into his conventional classroom in the near
future.
Nothing is impossible
with Online Teaching and Learning (OTL)
Tan express the experience of her
online teaching has been rewarding
“Teaching online is actually quite interesting
because I can easily turn on my laptop and deliver my lectures
instantaneously. However, there are still challenges, including the
difficulty to control a virtual class unlike being in the physical
classroom, so it is hard to tell if students are paying attention,” said Tan
Zi Yi from the UTAR Department of Construction Management, Faculty of
Engineering and Green Technology
She added, “Although some students are experiencing
limited internet access or unstable connections, they remain eager to learn
by actively asking questions, either through chat box or when the online
classes are ongoing. Students have also responded positively to this online
method. We are also helping students who are facing internet issues so they
won’t miss out on any of their lessons.”
Tan express the experience of online teaching has
been rewarding. She learned to adjust her speed when delivering the online
lectures. She also realised that it is necessary to repeat some parts to be
sure that every student is on the same page. More homework is also prepared
to help students apply what they have learnt online and that it remains in
line with the syllabus. Tan said though the preparations for the online
classes and homework required more time, but she has learnt to be more
patient and to do multitasking.
“Another thing I learned is that nothing is
impossible. Of course I still prefer physical classes because the engagement
with students is better, but this has taught us all to be flexible to
changes so we can adapt better to new ways and methods. Therefore, it is
true that learning is not limited to physical classes. I would like to
encourage all students to keep a positive attitude towards the online
classes and be disciplined to utilise this time to enhance their knowledge.”
Tan share her feeling after she do her teaching online.
Swift transition to
Online Teaching and Learning
Dr Charles thumbs up for having good IT
stability and able
lecturers to swiftly transition to e-learning
“Malaysia has a very efficient and
supportive IT infrastructure which is sufficient to setup the online
teaching and learning platform. With the stability of IT, UTAR was able to
swiftly transition to e-learning and has continued to do so with little
problems. Academics were given flexibilities to conduct teaching and
learning through the various mediums of online communication,” said
Dr Charles Ramendran a/l S PR
Subramaniam from UTAR Department of Business, Faculty of Business and
Finance.
Dr Charles comment that his
students also adapted
very quickly and are able to respond to lecturers from the comfort of their
room. This informal setting relaxes the students and even the quiet ones are
texting questions. Students are also exposed to online learning and
communication as a group outside the classroom. This prepares them for their
future career where digitisation will be a common feature of global
communication and networking.
Online Teaching and Learning
is the best solution right now
Lee appreciate online learning with recorded lessons enabled him to do self-reflection on his technological and pedagogical content knowledge
“Online Teaching and Learning is the best solution to minimise the impact of
Movement Control Order (MCO) for teaching and learning. And because of the
MCO, lecturers have the opportunity to fully focus on trying out teaching
using ICT tools and re-customise their teaching materials and assessments to
suit the new teaching approach”, said
Lee Chee Heong from UTAR Department
of Science and Engineering, Centre for Foundation Studies
Lee said that it is very challenging for the lecturers to learn how to
operate the new online teaching and learning platform within such a short
period of time as the learning curve is rather steep. Nevertheless, he feels
that it is a good start for 21st century learning and teaching. “However, it
does have its challenges. Apart from manoeuvring the new learning platform
and other educational apps, planning for suitable activities for virtual
class time, setting up the online assessments, and presenting the learning
contents effectively via the virtual classroom have been the biggest
challenge for me”, Lee shares the challenges that he faced.
Lee feel that he need to invest in the physical tools at the same time
sharpen his skills in manoeuvring between several learning and teaching apps
to provide a better learning experience for his students. Besides, he also
appreciate online learning with recorded lessons enabled him to do
self-reflection on his technological and pedagogical content knowledge and
plan for his necessary professional development.
Other than that, Lee also realise the impotency of interaction and
engagement for online teaching and learning session.
Students prefer synchronous online
teaching and learning as compared to asynchronous style where students just
access the learning materials uploaded to the online learning platform and
perform self-study. Lee notice that thus far, some students value the online
lessons very much and that they will activate the screen recording during
the lesson when he sometimes forgot to do so. He believed students will
benefit from the playback of lessons to improve their understanding
especially for those who do not have the convenience to access the
Internet anytime, anywhere. Students can do their own self-paced learning.
And he would also like to remind students that self-discipline and
self-regulated learning is the keys to effective online learning. Students
should take charge of their own learning and be proactive to take advantage
of the online tools available to them.
A brand new experience for me
Mohan glad that his
students welcome online teaching and learning as a flexible and self-paced
mode of learning
“After many years of face-to-face teaching, online teaching and learning is
indeed a brand new experience for me. I am glad to welcome this mode of
teaching. Some students are also new to this online learning experience and
had their hesitations at first but because of the movement control order
(MCO), they had no choice,” Mohan a/l Selvaraju from UTAR Department of Physical and Mathematical
Science, Faculty of Science expressed his comment towards online teaching
He
feel glad that now his students welcome online teaching and learning as a
flexible and self-paced mode of learning. One of the main challenges that he
can think of is the inconsistent internet connection for students. However,
with the audio recordings and the links to WBLE, students can do their
studies at a later time. Mohan said his students usually communicate with
him via WhatsApp, emails or even telephone calls when they have questions.
He also would like to advice his students during the MCO period must
practice continue learning at home and do not wait till the last minute to
do their work.
Online teaching and learning provide excellent
flexibility
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Dr Cham’s students prefer online learning that can provide them excellent
flexibility
According to Dr Cham,
the students have been responding
positively toward this method of teaching in his e-classroom. He has been
informed by some of his students that they prefer this method of learning,
although some students did encounter difficulties with internet connection
but on the whole they enjoy the flexibility. Dr Cham personally think that
students should enjoy this learning process as online classes offer
materials in different formats that make learning more interesting with the
use of technology.
Dr Cham has learnt to combine the use of technologies in my teaching and
training since joining as an academic, now he is teaching virtually via
internet. From his experience throughout all the online classes, he also
learns to adopt more software that can be used to enhance his teaching. This
is a great learning curve and everyone should cherish every single moment of
it.
Teaching and learning online is essential for our society
Dr Cheah appreciate online teaching experience which has taught her
to be flexible and to embrace technology and explore all that it offers
“The
method of teaching and
learning online
is necessary for our society today. Beyond the MCO situation, it enables
inclusivity and self-paced learning.
The students were able to cope with the intense use of technology
given in the
current situation. They were able to adapt very quickly, installing the
necessary apps and learning how to navigate the apps rather quickly,” said
Assoc Prof Dr Cheah Phaik Kin, Department of Public
Relations, Faculty of Arts and Social Science
Dr
Cheah noticed that students become more independent now that there is
limited face-to-face access. Even though they could send her a Whatsapp or
an email to ask questions, they tend to solve problems more independently if
she just gives them some leads. Preparing online lessons are challenging
because the materials have to be self-explanatory. Even though students
attend online lectures and consultations, the materials must be able to
allow students to direct their own learning.
The experience of online teaching is indeed one that
is insightful. Dr Cheah reflects on her teaching after each time and think
of ways to improve the students' learning experience. She thinks this
experience has also taught her to be flexible and to embrace technology and
explore all that it offers. This process will never stop. And Dr Cheah has
now learnt to enjoy this process of exploration. Everyone may learn from
each other - colleagues, students and peers. Students need to learn new ways
of collaborating and learning using available technologies. Not only during
MCO but beyond MCO, this can open many doors of opportunity for them.
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