E-Kamus for Teaching and Learning Effectiveness at Open University Malaysia

E-Kamus is an approach introduced by Open University Malaysia (OUM) to improve the English language proficiency of the students. Since early 2009, English has been fully used in the aspect of teaching and learning process in OUM. The change of using bahasa Melayu to English was indeed a great challenge to OUM. Moreover the students were from various levels of background and proficiency of English. Most of them lack the grasp of basic language skills and thus affect their understanding in the teaching and learning process. OUM had taken the initiative to provide the e-Kamus software in order to cater to flexible and accessible education. This paper discusses the usage of e- Kamus among the OUM students in mastering English through the ‘Double Click’ and ‘Mouse Move’ functions without the on-line system. The process does not need students to type the words and to highlight them in finding the meaning. By using e-Kamus, it helps the students to find the meanings of words more quickly, exactly and easily by using the applications based on texts like Web browser, Microsoft Word, Notepad and others. With the usage of the e- Kamus, OUM students will be able to follow the process of teaching and learning effectively and to enrich their vocabulary. (Authors' abstract

Evaluation of the Potential of Renewable Thermal Energy from Shingles Using Thermoelectric Generator (TEG) for Residential Use Application

A thermoelectric generator (TEG) using Seebeck effect to generate electrical energy in a residential application encompasses a case study of a test rig consisting of a concrete shingle as case study material. This paper explores its behavior and response to changes in temperature throughout the day. Four TEGs in series are mounted on the underside of a shingle. The measurement of the voltage and current response were made to determine the power generated. Using National Instruments as a data acquisition device with thermocouple probes to gather all the necessary data of which are discussed in the paper. From the experiments, the modules were able to generate up to 65.22 μW at 138Ω. This shows a considerable potential of TEG application in residential areas, as they are scalable

Development of an automatics parallel parking system for nonholonomic mobile robot

This paper depicts the development of backward automatic parallel parking system for nonholonomic mobile robot. The configuration of the system consists of ultrasonic sensor, rotary encoder, controller, and actuators. The path planning algorithm is developed based on the data acquired from the sensor. The proposed idea of the path planning is based on the geometrical equations in which the needed information is referring to the distance between the mobile robot and the adjacent object. The ultrasonic sensor and rotary encoder respectively used to detect parking area and measure the detected space. A PIC32MX360F512L microcontroller is used in order to generate the algorithm and control the movement of the mobile robot. System implementation is briefly described to depict the system as a whole. Experimental results are presented to demonstrate and validate effectiveness of the technique used

The evaluation of depth image features for awakening event detection

Falls among bedridden would increase in number if they are left unsupervised by the caregivers. The aim of this study is to evaluate the features from the Kinect-like depth image representing the bedridden in detecting the awakening event as the event that falls might occur. The images from 20 subjects performing six sleeping activities including the awakening events were obtained before image segmentation based on horizontal line profile was computed to these images in localizing the bedridden as region of interest. After that, the biggest blob selection was executed in selecting the biggest blob (blob of bedridden person body). Finally, blob analysis was formulated to the resultant image before boxplot and machine learning approach called decision tree were used to analyze the output features of blob analysis. Based on the results from the boxplot analysis, it seems that centroid-x is the most dominant feature to recognize awakening event successfully as the boxplot represent the centroid-x of awakening event were not overlap with other sleeping activities. The result from machine learning approach is also seem in good agreement with boxplot analysis whereby the modelled decision tree with solely using centroid-x achieve the accuracy of 100%. The second largest accuracy is the perimeter followed by major axis length and area

Counseling : A Retention Initiative in Open University Malaysia

Learner support services play a pivotal role in the retention and success of learners in any higher education institution. One particular area of such a service is academic advising and counseling. In Open University Malaysia (OUM), the Counseling Unit which operates under the Centre for Student Affairs plays a key role in encouraging learners to participate fully in their academic life and going through a holistic experience while they grow both intellectually and emotionally. One of the strategic thrusts of OUM for 2005 is learner retention. Presently, the overall learner retention rate stands at approximately 80%. Though the figure is reasonably high, OUM should strive to take proactive measures in minimizing the barriers to learner retention and increase academic interests. OUM pays particular attention to “at- risk” (with a CGPA < 2.0) learners by providing counseling services to help them cope better in their studies, until completion or graduation. The counseling unit conducts learning skills workshops for “at- risk” learners with a view of improving academic performance. The paper reports on (i) the findings of the workshop with respect to the factors that purportedly affect academic performance; (ii) the modules developed to help learners overcome their problems; and (iii) the overall effectiveness of the counseling workshops. The results show that the workshops have been beneficial to “at-risk” learners and have helped them improve their academic performance. (Author's abstract

Establishing a Sustainable Shariah-Compliant Hospital in Malaysia: Exploring the Pertinent Concept

Malaysia has been a member of the Organization of Islamic Countries since 1969, and Islam is recognized as the federal religion in the country. The growing awareness of practicing Islam as a way of life among Muslims worldwide has significantly impacted the concept of hospitality services in the healthcare industry and tourism in Malaysia. As a result, there is an emergence of Shariah-compliant hospitals in the country to cater to the demand of Muslim consumers. However, the establishment of these hospitals lacks proper guidelines, leading to the need for developing standardized and regulated Islamic medical ethics and Shariah-compliant hospitals. This is crucial to ensure proper adherence to Islamic principles, especially in addressing concerns of the Muslim public and religious scholars regarding justified Islamic practices in medical treatment. To address this need, this study aimed to explore the elements or standards required in establishing Shariah-compliant hospitals (SCH). The study adopted a focus group discussion approach with 9 representatives selected through purposive sampling. Participants included hospital administrators, doctors, nurses, policymakers, academics, and representatives from non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Thematic analysis of the discussions revealed eight critical elements to consider when planning a sustainable Shariah-compliant hospital. These elements include ibadah-friendly infrastructure, Islamic medical ethics, Shariah compliance prescription, spiritual care support, Islamic medical service competencies, a conducive Islamic environment, affordability and accessibility, and an Islamic work culture. These findings serve as a foundation for future research aimed at developing a comprehensive framework for the establishment of standards for Shariah-compliant hospitals. Keywords: Shariah-compliant, hospital, concep

Contributing Factors of Production Performance in the Food Processing Industry

The main purpose of this study is to determine the factors that can contribute to the production performance in the food industry. This study can help to identify the contributing factors towards the production performance. Five factors were identified based on the past literature. 100 food processing manufacturers with the majority coming from small and medium industries (SME) have been selected. The purposive sampling technique has been selected for this study with the total number of usable questionnaires received being from 80 respondents. The collected data was analysed using SmartPLS 3.0 to test the relationships between the independent variables and the dependent variable of the study. The results showed that the Total Quality Management (TQM), Lean Management (LM), and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP)significantly influenced the production performance. The practical implications of these outcomes are further discussed in the study

Veganism sentiments and preferences among Muslims

Veganism has become a significant lifestyle which is being religiously practiced by people from across the globe as their routine. To date, the Muslims also followed suit with the trend of veganism in the quest of practicing a healthy lifestyle. Nonetheless, concerns arise on the degree of acknowledgement by the Islamic teachings on such diets which advocate for omitting animal products in one’s daily meal. Therefore, this paperwork seeks to identify the elements of veganism from the viewpoints of various perspectives of Muslims, based on their sentiments and personal preferences in order to examine the relevance of veganism as a lifestyle to be exercised by Muslims. Research data were collected from secondary sources which includes journals, books, papers and internet resources to retrieve information on veganism, vegetarianism and the Islamic theme regarding the issue. This research is important because it will resolve the existing conflict to understand whether the practice of veganism is present in Islam or otherwise. Two elements of veganism are animal rights and vegan diet. The concept of veganism is not existed in Islamic tradition but Islam has its own concept and practices on animal rights. Meanwhile, vegan diet is accepted to be practiced by Muslims as long as according to Islamic rulings

Integration of Islamic values in undergraduate nursing program: An expository analysis

Nursing is a caring profession which has sympathy, compassion, and helping others inherently which is known as soft skills in current modern day. Those skills are the foundation of Islamic values for a Muslim graduate nurse who should pose. Hence, this study aimed to address the importance of integrating Islamic values in the undergraduate nursing program. This paper provides an account that is intended as an expository analysis method for the integration of Islamic values in the undergraduate nursing program. Paying attention not only to the material world of human but also his or her soul and spirituality dimension. Thus, the subject area to investigate the effect of the integration on Islamic values or soft skills in the undergraduate nursing program is extremely recommended for future study

Study on physiochemical properties and the halalness of commercially marketed vinegar in Malaysia

Vinegar is very popular as traditional ingredient for cooking, pickling, and preservation. It is made from sugar or starch by an alcoholic and acetous fermentation and produces ethanol as a by-product. Alcohol is prohibited to be consumed for Muslim or used as ingredient if it is exceeding the allowable limit as stated by Islamic Council in Malaysia. According to Fatwa Committee National Council of Islamic Religious Affairs Malaysia, natural occurrences of ethanol in food products are acceptable if the ethanol contents are less than 1% in beverages and 0.5% for flavoring or coloring substances for the purpose of stabilization. On the other hand, for specific vinegar product, as stated by Malaysian Food Act and Regulation, acetic acid content must be at least 4%. According to FAO/WHO, a product is to be labelled as vinegar if the acetic acid content is 6% and with a maximum residual alcohol content of 0.5%v/v for wine vinegar and 1%v/v for other vinegars. This study investigated the physiochemical properties of the vinegar from different sources of raw materials. Total solubility (TA) by using Brix method, pH, and alcohol and acetic acid content by GC-TOF/MS of 12 commercial vinegars from Malaysia and abroad were studied. The result shown that for pH value of commercial vinegar are ranged from 2.51-3.14°Brix from 2.10-40.73°Brix, acetic acid is ranged from 0.0253-0.1276% and ethanol content from 0-0.5911%. Thus, this study will come out with the clear observation on ethanol content in fermented product which is vinegar in order to categories the halalness of the product that available in Malaysia market especially the ones that are produced internationally. Lastly, as shown by the profiling study, vinegar that are imported internationally may contain some amount of alcohol in contrast with the one that locally produced in Malaysia and has Halal certification