CLeaR rooms boost learning
AS the task of educating students in this era of technology becomes more challenging, the Centre for Instructional Resources and Technology (PSTP) of Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) has taken the initiative to provide a conducive learning environment.
PSTP director, Professor Dr Sazilah Salam, said the aim of setting up the centre is to conduct teaching and learning (T&L) of e-learning technology and pedagogy.
She said PSTP differs from the elearning centres of other public universities as it is administered directly by the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic & International).
“In this era of digital revolution, lecturers are no longer individuals who hold all the information as students with access to today’s technology may also be knowledgeable.
“A total of 32 units of the Collaborative Learning Room (CLeaR) under PSTP are equipped with the latest technology to facilitate T&L sessions, replacing conventional lecture rooms.”
Sazilah said as one of the earliest universities to create a state-ofthe-art learning environment, UTeM has become a reference and benchmark for other universities.
It has been visited by staff of Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu and Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia.
Although the university faces financial constraints, PSTP has succesfully implemented e-learning.
“Activities such as workshops or courses are delivered by trained PSTP staff.
“To save cost, PSTP recommends more CLeaR BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) rooms be set up to fulfil the Learning Space requirement of Industry 4.0.
“Technology is changing rapidly, evolving and becoming smarter.
“Knowledge obsolescence will become a major issue. To overcome the problem, the acquisition of skills through online courses such as Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), micro or nano degrees, is the way forward for graduates to remain competitive, stay current and get ahead in a borderless world.
“Learn, unlearn and relearn should be our life motto,” Sazilah said.
Besides the e-learning infrastructure, UTeM has also been actively developing e-content for T&L such as MOOCs, Open Courseware and iBook.
UTeM is the first public university that offers credit transfer for students pursuing the MOOC.
The offer complies with the Malaysian Qualification Accreditation Guidelines for MOOC Credit Transfer released in 2016.
Through PSTP, UTeM hosted the e-Learning Carnival for the first time in July last year, promoting quality ratings of e-content and elearning innovation.