PSM UMPSA won GOLD Medal at ITEX 24

Kuala Lumpur, May 17, 2024 – Associate Professor Dr. Roslinazairimah Zakaria, alongside team members Mr. Syahrizal Salleh, Dr. Siti Roslindar Yaziz, and co-inventor Dr. Noor Fadhilah Ahmad Radi from UiTM, garnered a prestigious gold medal at The 35th International Invention, Innovation, Technology Competition & Exhibition Malaysia (ITEX’24)

Partial least squares modelling of attitudes of students towards learning statistics

Attitudes of students are vital in determining the perceived achievements in statistics subject. Therefore, this study investigates the relationship of attitudes of students towards learning statistics using several constructs which are affect, cognitive, value, difficulty, interest, effort and perceived achievement in statistics subject. Structural Equation Modelling – Partial Least Squares methodology was used to assess the hypothesised model that linked all the constructs of attitudes of students with the perceived achievement. The questionnaire was adopted from previous study and distributed to undergraduate students at Universiti Malaysia Pahang. From the analysis, it reveals that all the relationships in the hypothesised model were significant at p < 0.05 and this shows that all constructs of attitudes of students play a vital role in learning statistics. In short, this study reinforces the understanding of students’ attitude and could be a step forward for the lecturer to arouse the students’ interest in the teaching and learning process particularly for statistics

Modifiable risk factors and overall cardiovascular mortality: Moderation of urbanization

Background: Modifiable risk factors are associated with cardiovascular mortality (CVM) which is a leading form of global mortality. However, diverse nature of urbanization and its objective measurement can modify their relationship. This study aims to investigate the moderating role of urbanization in the relationship of combined exposure (CE) of modifiable risk factors and CVM.&nbsp;Design and Methods: This is the first comprehensive study which considers different forms of urbanization to gauge its manifold impact. Therefore, in addition to existing original quantitative form and traditional two categories of urbanization, a new form consisted of four levels of urbanization was duly introduced. This study used data of 129 countries mainly retrieved from a WHO report, Non-Communicable Diseases Country Profile 2014. Factor scores obtained through confirmatory factor analysis were used to compute the CE. Age-income adjusted regression model for CVM was tested as a baseline with three bootstrap regression models developed for the three forms of urbanization.Results: Results revealed that the CE and CVM baseline relationship was significantly moderated through the original quantitative form of urbanization. Contrarily, the two traditional categories of urbanization could not capture the moderating impact. However, the four levels of urbanization were objectively estimated the urbanization impact and subsequently indicated that the CE was more alarming in causing the CVM in levels 2 and 3 urbanized countries, mainly from low-middle-income countries.Conclusion: This study concluded that the urbanization is a strong moderator and it could be gauged effectively through four levels whereas sufficiency of two traditional categories of urbanization is questionable

Managing productivity in Universiti Malaysia Pahang: Rethinking the whom, which, what, and whose of productivity

Drawing on reviews of scholarly literature, this study suggests rethinking productivity in Universiti Malaysis Pahang (UMP) along four dimensions: the productivity of whom, productivity for which unit of analysis, productivity according to what functions, and productivity in whose interests. It offers principles for promoting enlightened discussion and pursuit of productivity of academic staff at UMP. In contrast to the dominant discussion, which emphasises focus, centralised standard measures, and accountability, the bias unfairness in this study is toward balance, decentralised diversity, and recalibration. Academic Differentiated Career Pathways (ADCAP) suggest the ideal is not for academic staff and faculties to produce to centrally managed objectives but for all individuals and units faculties to manage individually and collectively to design their work to improve their productivity along multiple dimensions

Descriptive analysis of extra-curricular program outcome attainment: a case study of Universiti Malaysia Pahang

This study presents the descriptive analysis of students’ performance in extra-curricular activities at Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP) for all bachelor degree students from year 2015 to 2018. A new reporting mechanism and formula, known as Extra-Curricular Cumulative Grade Point Average (XCGPA), is proposed for assessing the students’ involvement in extra-curricular program organised by UMP. The data analysed is merit scores obtained by students from joining the extra-curricular activities during their study period in UMP. The merit scores are categorized into involvement, role and achievement with different weightages based on students’ level of involvement. The total merit scores from each category will be mapped between the intended core values and the targeted attributes. There is a threshold merit score for each attribute to be obtained by the student per semester and for the study duration. Then, the percentage score for each attribute is calculated and classified according to six Student Personality Trait Classifications. The students’ profile is developed and the attainment for each attribute is presented by a spider web

Descriptive analysis of students’ CGPA: a case study of Universiti Malaysia Pahang

This study presents the descriptive analysis of students’ performance based on the cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of the entry grade and the CGPA achieved throughout their study duration until graduation. The data analysed are from all bachelor degree program students at Universiti Malaysia Pahang of 2011, 2012 and 2013 cohorts. Components which affect the academic performance are analysed such as gender, entry qualification, entry CGPA, academic program and cohort. The results show that students from Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia (STPM) performs very well academically with mean CGPA of 3.30 throughout the study period as compared to students from diploma (CGPA:2.97), matriculation (CGPA:2.88) or Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia (STAM; CGPA:2.71). Gender factor do not has significant effect on students’ academic performance

Determination of the best single imputation algorithm for missing rainfall data treatment

The presence of missing rainfall data is inevitable due to error of recording, meteorological extremes and malfunction of instruments. Consequently, a competent imputation algorithm for missing data treatment algorithm is very much needed. There are several such efficient algorithms which have been introduced in earlier studies. However, the limitations of current algorithms are they are highly dependent on the information and homogeneity of adjoining rainfall stations. Therefore, this study is intended to introduce several single imputation algorithms for missing data treatment, which believed to be more competent in treating missing daily rainfall data without the need to depend on the information of adjoining rainfall stations. The proposed algorithms use descriptive measures of the data, including arithmetric means, geometric means, harmonic means, medians and midranges. These algorithms are tested on hourly rainfall data records from six selected rainfall stations located in the Kuantan River Basin. Based on the analysis, the proposed singular imputation algorithms, which treated missing data by geometric means, harmonic means and medians are more superior compared to the other imputation algorithms, irrespective of missing rates and rainfall stations

Modelling Rainfall Amounts using Mixed-Gamma Model for Kuantan District

An efficient design of flood mitigation and construction of crop growth models depend upon good understanding of the rainfall process and characteristics. Gamma distribution is usually used to model nonzero rainfall amounts. In this study, the mixed-gamma model is applied to accommodate both zero and nonzero rainfall amounts. The mixed-gamma model presented is for the independent case. The formulae of mean and variance are derived for the sum of two and three independent mixed-gamma variables, respectively. Firstly, the gamma distribution is used to model the nonzero rainfall amounts and the parameters of the distribution (shape and scale) are estimated using the maximum likelihood estimation method. Then, the mixed-gamma model is defined for both zero and nonzero rainfall amounts simultaneously. The formulae of mean and variance for the sum of two and three independent mixed-gamma variables derived are tested using the monthly rainfall amounts from rainfall stations within Kuantan district in Pahang Malaysia. Based on the Kolmogorov-Smirnov goodness of fit test, the results demonstrate that the descriptive statistics of the observed sum of rainfall amounts is not significantly different at 5% significance level from the generated sum of independent mixed-gamma variables. The methodology and formulae demonstrated can be applied to find the sum of more than three independent mixed-gamma variables

Independent Mixed-gamma Variables for Modelling Rainfall

Understanding the rainfall process and characteristics are crucial to the efficient design of flood mitigation and construction of crop growth models. Modelling rainfall is not limited to fit the historical data to a suitable distribution but the model should be able to generate synthetic rainfall data. In this study, we derive sets of formulae of mean and variance for the sum of two and three independent mixed-gamma variables, respectively. Firstly, the positive data is fitted to gamma model marginally and the shape and scale parameters are estimated using the maximum likelihood estimation method. Then, the mixed-gamma model is defined to include zero and positive data. The formulae of mean and variance for the sum of two and three independent mixed-gamma variables are derived and tested using the daily rainfall totals from Pooraka station in South Australia for the period of 1901-1990. The results demonstrate that the values of generated mean and using formula are close to the observed mean. However, the values of the variance are sometimes over-estimated or under-estimated of the observed values. The observed variance is lower possibly due to correlation between the experimental data, that have not been included in the mixed-gamma models. The Kolmogorov–Smirnov and Anderson–Darling goodness of fit tests are used to assess the fit between the observed sum and the generated sum of independent mixed-gamma variables. In both cases, the observed sum is not significantly different from the generated sum of independent mixed-gamma model at 5% significance level. This methodology and formulae derived can be applied to find the sum of more than three independent mixed-gamma variables and the general form of the formulae can be derived

Blended Student Learning Experience: Combining Virtual Learning Environment, 3D Design and Active Community Engagement within a Framework of Knowledge Transfer Program

In this era of digital information, teaching tools and learning resources have now become more widely available and accessible to both students and academics to use. This opens a possibility to create a blended and more engaging / stimulating learning experience for students to increase their understanding of a particular topics or concept given during the class. Some of the tools to achieve this objective are the use of free and easy to use ‘3D design’ to improve students spatial abilities - particularly for engineering and science students, as well as internet-based Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) that students can use at their own pace. In addition, hands-on experience and an opportunity to verbally communicate the knowledge learned in the class to other people, such as the local community, would enhance student understanding and learning experience