Imbuing students with knowledge
FOR the past 10 years, Berjaya University College (BERJAYA UC) has been advocating the “Immersion Methodology”, which has benefited students not just in terms of their literacy, but also their cognitive and soft skills development.
Hospitality and Tourism Faculty dean Associate Professor Dr Ng Mei Leng said BERJAYA UC students were immersion programme learners as they were immersed in their specific subject matter, both inside and outside classrooms.
“First, we focus on knowledge. Stereotypical of any academic programmes, we use practical assignments, tests and written exams to measure classroom instruction. We then expose them to the (learning) content using various mediums to accommodate different learning styles,” Ng added.
“For instance in March, School of Tourism students will participate in the ‘Raptor Watch’, an eco-tourism event held annually in Tanjung Tuan Forest Reserve, Melaka. This event is held to celebrate the mass migration of birds returning to Mongolia, China and Siberia. It is an opportunity for the public to watch large birds of prey push off and glide in the skies using ‘thermals’, which are hot air columns from the land produced naturally by heat from the sun.
“The event is organised by the Malaysian Nature Society in partnership with Melaka and Negri Sembilan state governments and supported by Tourism Malaysia. This is a great way for our students to observe and learn how practical skills can be applied towards organising an event.”
“Another way is for us to bring industry professionals into the classroom for knowledge sharing. In mid-February, we featured Shaun Liew, the Malaysian Brewer’s Cup champion to share his experiences and journey into becoming Malaysia’s representative to the international competition which would be held in April in Boston, Massachusetts, in United States. Topics that Liew shared were his coffee journey, competition experience, strategies used during the competition and his contribution to the coffee community and industry.”
Hence, the immersion methodology is a tool which can be used to frame classroombased discussions. Students not just learn about the programme, but also develop an understanding of it. The global nature of society means that learning is now dynamic. This approach is a rich source of engagement where students work with other students, teachers and industry practitioners, thus providing opportunities for student interactions.
BERJAYA UC is Malaysia’s premier university college offering programmes in the fields of business, culinary arts, hospitality management, events management, tourism and liberal arts.
Situated in Kuala Lumpur, the city campus is located on Level 11, West and Level 14, East in Berjaya Times Square.
Conceptually designed with a five-star hotel ambience, it is equipped with the most comprehensive and advanced facilities that mirror real world settings.