Academic Policing via Top-Down Implementation of Turnitin in Pakistan: Students’ Perspective and Way Forward

The implementation of Turnitin in Pakistani academia has a top-down pattern, i.e. starting from Ph.D. and M.Phil thesis writing to the lower leve of college education. To a Pakistani student, it seems justifiably unfair to be ‘judged’ on an Originality report, at the usual culmination of her/his academic life.          This paper attempts to probe the challenges and dynamics faced by Pakistani students and to investigate their coping strategies. In order to find out the best possible methods of educating students into academic integrity and conventions of writing, this paper scrutinizes the top-down pattern of tackling plagiarism and its implications.          Considering student’s background, this paper explores best possibilities of using Turnitin as an invitation to students into realms of academic ethics and integrity. The paper also suggests inculcation of educational technologies, such as blogs, instructional videos, webinars etc. in order to ensure wider student participation, higher motivation and individual effective learning. The plan is to reinforce and justify use of Turnitin and establishment of a live interactive digital space, wherein students can get their questions, queries, comments and suggestions attended and responded to in a timely fashion. The paper also highlights the current practices of Turnitin (mis)use in a Pakistan, and suggests newer ways of ensuring its proper utilization to facilitate the training of individuals into a tradition of effective and standard writing

The Challenges of Islamic education in Southeast Asia: impacts and prospects

No abstrac

The utilization of information and communication technology among Islamic secondary school teachers in Malaysia

Malaysia has implemented the first computer system in 1966. Since then, the government – through Ministry of Education – has introduced various initiatives to facilitate the adoption and diffusion of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). In line with the Vision 2020, Ministry of Education has draft ways so as to integrate ICT into education system. Malaysian government has invested millions of Ringgit for the usage of ICT in education. The investments include the building of computer labs, supplying of PCs, and related peripherals, training of teachers, and development of instructional material. The research will concentrate on the utilization, self-efficacy, integration, and satisfactory level of the Islamic Religious Secondary School teachers of Malaysia. Although there are only 55 of such schools but these schools are actually a sought after schools by parents due to its capability of producing leaders academically as well as spiritually. The study will deal with issues such as self-efficacy, utilization, and training needs/provided as well as the integration of ICT in teaching and learning. The analysis is adopting principle component analysis to determine the predictors of the underlying variables as well the use of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to strengthen the analysis

Self awareness of a leader in Islamic management: ideal and possibility

Goodness and morality are the basic pillars that maintain the structure of every healthy organization or management. In this context, the Qur’an provides the ideal way of conduct, which is that a leader can attain moral perfection by righteous work (camal salih) and being of good character namely, muttaqi leader. Having a good character ensures that a leader behaves properly towards other members of undertaken organisation and this will keep social order in management. Din-al-Islam, explicitly cultivates in every Muslim leader the awareness of accountability and responsibility before Allah which is very crucial for Islamic management. The sphere of awareness builds up sincerity in one’s life or a leader because one’s acts are actually free of external forces, and merely for Allah’s pleasure. He also nourishes a life of virtues such as piety, patience, always seeks repentance, truthfulness, fear, hope and love of Allah, reliance on Allah, thankful praise and so on. In fact, this sensitivity may avoid source of evils or corruptions from all sort of management. The awareness of accountability is one of the elements of Islamic tarbiyyah which may form the individual leadership responsibility. This tarbiyyah begins for everyone at the age of baligh (puberty) when he or she is supposed to shoulder responsibility as prescribed in the Sharicah and bear the consequences of all his or her deeds. If a leader is devoid or unaware of the sense of accountability and responsibility before Allah, he or she actually may get involved in sin and corruption. The beneficent tarbiyyah of a sense of accountability and responsibility may nourish a leader’s relationship of complete obedience and trust in Allah. More significantly, a leader who understands and realises his responsibilities and is mindful of these will act and behave in a good manner with a firm Iman and develop a strong relationship with Allah. This may enable a leader to carry out his acts and commitments in all spheres of management in an orderly way, to seek virtue by all possible means, to behave positively rather than destructively whether privately or publicly, and to correct his mistakes and repent from his sins. If a leader practises this tarbiyyah, then the door which leads to corruption in management should stay shut, and the possibility that he or she will commit a bad deed or corruption is very low and rather rare. This concept paper attempts to examine and discuss the ideals of self-awareness and the efforts how self-awareness creates an atmosphere where every individual leadership feels ashamed of his evil deeds, is responsible for his actions to himself and others, and is aware of the punishment in the Hereafter for the sins and corruptions committed. If this attitude is embedded in every individual leader, then a righteous environment in organisation or management will eventually emerge and all sort of management will be efficiently go through

Islamic paradigms for women’s education and their roles to bring up Tawhidic ummah (Believed Nation)

From the Islamic perspective, man and woman are not come to this world accidentally without any mission and purpose in his life. This principle is clearly laid down in the Qur’an: “Did you think that We had created you in play (without any purpose), and that you would not be brought back to Us?” This verse makes the point that man and woman have to realise that their existence in this worldly life is very precious. Hence, education is crucial for every individual Muslim whether man and woman concerned with a comprehensive development in order to achieve a successful life in this world and salvation in the Hereafter. Education are crucial ways in which to know and believe in Allah, the effective means to develop good character and the right way to cope with worldly life. This evidence shows that from the very beginning of the revelation, Islam has been very concerned about knowledge and education rather than any other aspects; “Iqra’” It means that from the Islamic point of view, the development of intellectual and good moral qualities through divine guidance constituted the foremost programme existing in human. This means that education is mainly to develop man and woman to seek virtue in accordance with the Din al-Islam which has no conflict with human’s worldly life. Education system may lead an individual toward the full extent of his potentialities and abilities in gaining knowledge by conforming to good moral values as well as legal precepts. If we refer to the Hadith, “Every new-born child is born in a state of fitrah. Then his parents make him a Jew, a Christian or a Magian, just as an animal born intact. Do you observe any among them that are maimed (at birth)?,” which signifies that the parent’s role and their responsibility for transmitting the knowledge of tawhid is crucial, as well as for feeding, clothing etc. This means that Muslim parents particularly woman may inculcate the way of the Sunnah, such as the recitation of supplications (duca’), during the activities of feeding, clothing and so on, the recognition of halal and haram in these activities and the cultivation of other aspects of education. These are the roles and ways of woman bringing up her children. The effects of this education may lead Muslims to deal with their knowledge for the benefit of themselves and for others in accordance with the teaching of Islam which is concerned with the development of the whole range of human faculties, both physical and spiritual, and the development of society of balanced growth. Indeed, this atmosphere may enable every individual Muslim voluntarily to surrender himself to Allah whole-heartedly and maintain his dignity and superiority as a servant and vicegerent of Allah in this world and further, to attain felicity and prosperity in the Hereafter. This concept paper attempts to examine and discuss the efforts how woman’s education is important and how she able to play her roles to facilitate this type of education to bring up Tawhidic Umma

Punishment in the shari'ah: its educational implications for the development of akhlaq

This article discusses the educational implication of punishment in Islamic education

Islamic paradigms for women’s education and their roles to bring up Tawhidic Ummah

From the Islamic perspective, man and woman are not come to this world accidentally without any mission and purpose in his life. This principle is clearly laid down in the Qur’an: “Did you think that We had created you in play (without any purpose), and that you would not be brought back to Us?” This verse makes the point that man and woman have to realise that their existence in this worldly life is very precious. In addition, he or she has a particular mission and vision, duties and messages, which need to be performed in both his life in this world and the life to come in the Hereafter because he or she will be returned to his/her Lord to face the consequences of his actions. Hence, education is crucial for every individual Muslim whether man and woman concerned with a comprehensive development in order to achieve a successful life in this world and salvation in the Hereafter. Education are crucial ways in which to know and believe in Allah, the effective means to develop good character and the right way to cope with worldly life. This evidence shows that from the very beginning of the revelation, Islam has been very concerned about knowledge and education rather than any other aspects; “Iqra’” It means that from the Islamic point of view, the development of intellectual and good moral qualities through divine guidance constituted the foremost programme existing in human. This means that education is mainly to develop man and woman to seek virtue in accordance with the Din al-Islam which has no conflict with human’s worldly life. Education system may lead an individual toward the full extent of his potentialities and abilities in gaining knowledge by conforming to good moral values as well as legal precepts. If we refer to the Hadith, “Every new-born child is born in a state of fitrah. Then his parents make him a Jew, a Christian or a Magian, just as an animal born intact. Do you observe any among them that are maimed (at birth)?,” which signifies that the parent’s role and their responsibility for transmitting the knowledge of tawhid is crucial, as well as for feeding, clothing etc. This means that Muslim parents particularly woman may inculcate the way of the Sunnah, such as the recitation of supplications (duca’), during the activities of feeding, clothing and so on, the recognition of halal and haram in these activities and the cultivation of other aspects of education. These are the roles and ways of woman bringing up her children. This deliberation may give a picture of the nature of education, which takes its aim from beyond the excellence of the intellect. The effects of this education may lead Muslims to deal with their knowledge for the benefit of themselves and for others in accordance with the teaching of Islam which is concerned with the development of the whole range of human faculties, both physical and spiritual, and the development of society of balanced growth. Indeed, this atmosphere may enable every individual Muslim voluntarily to surrender himself to Allah whole-heartedly and maintain his dignity and superiority as a servant and vicegerent of Allah in this world and further, to attain felicity and prosperity in the Hereafter. This concept paper attempts to examine and discuss the efforts how woman’s education is important and how she able to play her roles to facilitate this type of education to bring up Tawhidic Ummah