UTAR boosts educators’ online literacy
ONLINE platforms can be “surprisingly” engaging and useful – a Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) “Teaching with Technology Workshop Series” participant found out.
SMK Methodist (ACS) Kampar Science and English teacher G. Thatchani did not expect the session to be such a fun learning experience.
“I had a great time attending the workshop and I think that these online platforms are invaluable tools for engaging students.
“We teachers will be able to save our precious time and concentrate more on our students’ needs since grading is automated.
“Moreover, the data generated would enable us to pinpoint the areas where students need improvement and thus enable us to cater to specific students,” she said.
Launched in December last year, the UTAR Kampar Centre for Foundation Studies’ (CFS) workshop series has proven beneficial to schools in the state.
A total of three workshops have been organised since then.
Thankful for CFS Kampar’s continuous effort in organising activities that boost technology literacy among teachers, SJK (C) Pei Yuan principal Ang Beng Hing said the workshops enhanced the teaching and learning in her school which recently installed smart boards in all classrooms.
Mooted by the CFS director Tan Lee Siew and its science and engineering department head Ooi Siew Fong, the workshops were held to help make 75 school teachers from SJK (C) Pei Yuan, SMJK Pei Yuan and SMK Methodist (ACS) Kampar more technologically savvy.
Conducted by CFS academics Ho Wai Yew, Chooi Wen Xin, Seit Kar Mun, Rachel Tham Jia-Hui, Sabrina Omar and Hoh Ming Chee, the workshops introduced school teachers in Kampar to online quiz platforms and the advantages of using them to boost their teaching experience as an alternative or supplementary teaching tool.
During the workshops, teachers were given the chance to design their quiz and decide on the settings including background music, time and memes to be displayed.
They also got to try their newfound skills to introduce gamification in the classroom.