Cooperative learning in process dynamics & control course for undergraduate chemical engineering students

titute in the country, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) is aggressively encouraging teaching staff to enhance teaching and learning to produce graduates who are relevant in today’s highly competitive world. To achieve this goal, grassroots awareness and training campaign, followed by encouragements are rigorously made. Active learning techniques, especially the Cooperative Learning (CL) and Problem Based Learning (PBL) are currently being promoted across all disciplines as well as levels of studies. This effort which was initiated by a group of enthusiastic teaching staff received a welcome endorsement from the highest level of university administrative key personnel. A special task force called CL-PBL Support Group was then set up to facilitate the promotion of CL and PBL practices across the board. At implementation level, faculty-based core groups were set up and trained to acquire and apply the necessary knowledge and teaching skills pertaining to these active learning approaches. This paper describes strategies and efforts to convince and encourage the implementation of active learning techniques among teaching staff and administrators, especially those in the engineering and engineering-related faculties. Training and support provided to academic staff are also discussed. Finally, factors that influence the success of university-wide implementation will be included

Promoting active learning in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia: A bottom-up, top-down approach

Being a leading technological higher education institute in the country, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) is aggressively encouraging teaching staff to enhance teaching and learning to produce graduates who are relevant in today’s highly competitive world. To achieve this goal, grassroots awareness and training campaign, followed by encouragements are rigorously made. Active learning techniques, especially the Cooperative Learning (CL) and Problem Based Learning (PBL) are currently being promoted across all disciplines as well as levels of studies. This effort which was initiated by a group of enthusiastic teaching staff received a welcome endorsement from the highest level of university administrative key personnel. A special task force called CL-PBL Support Group was then set up to facilitate the promotion of CL and PBL practices across the board. At implementation level, faculty-based core groups were set up and trained to acquire and apply the necessary knowledge and teaching skills pertaining to these active learning approaches. This paper describes strategies and efforts to convince and encourage the implementation of active learning techniques among teaching staff and administrators, especially those in the engineering and engineering-related faculties. Training and support provided to academic staff are also discussed. Finally, factors that influence the success of university-wide implementation will be included

Laporan program/aktiviti yang dijalankan oleh CTL untuk tujuan mempertingkatkan kualiti dan keberkesanan P & P di sepanjang tahun 2006

Objektif utama TCHE ialah untuk melatih ahli profesional dan bukan profesional (jurutera, arkitek, saintis, dll) menjadi professional educators at higher education institute (HEIs)

Nombor kompleks: teori dan contoh pengiraan

Buku ini memaparkan Aljabar Nombor Kompleks, Geometri Nombor Kompleks, Penggunaan Operasi Nombor Kompleks dan Fungsi Transenden Permulaan. Setiap konsep diterangkan dengan jelas dan diikuti oleh beberapa contoh. Dengan pendekatan dan isi kandungan yang dimuatkan, buku ini sesuai dijadikan teks rujukan bagi mereka yang ingin mengetahui dan mempelajari Nombor Kompleks dengan mendalam

Improving the Levels of Geometric Thinking of Secondary School Students Using Geometry Learning Video based on Van Hiele Theory

An educational video called Video Pembelajaran Geometri (Geometry Learning Video = VPG) is developed in this study. The video is aimed to help year 9 students in improving their level of Van Hiele geometrical thinking. VPG is designed as an alternative aids to overcome the limitation of information and communication technology (ICT) usage in Parepare, South Celebes, Indonesia. Based on Van Hiele learning model, all topics in geometry for Indonesian Secondary School (Sekolah Menengah Pertama = SMP) are included in VPG in order to support the students who are going to continue their study further. The effectiveness of VPG was tested on 180 students categorized as 90 students from level 0 (L0), 60 students from level 1 (L1), and 30 students from level 2 (L2). Comparative Analyses on the results of adapted Van Hiele Geometry Test (VHGT) pre and post VPG usage indicated that there is a significant difference between the mean scores. It was also discovered that a significant improvement in geometric thinking level is occurred in the majority of the students.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.11591/ijere.v2i1.1935

Generalization Strategies in the Problem Solving of Derivative and Integral

This study proposes a learning strategy of derivatives and integrals (LSDI) based on specialized forms of generalization strategies to improve undergraduate students’ problem solving ofderivative and integral. The main goal of this study is to evaluate the effects of LSDI on students’ problem solvingofderivative and integral. The samples of this study were 63 undergraduate students who took Calculus at Islamic Azad University of Gachsaran, Iran. The students were divided into two classes based on their marks in the pre- test of derivative and integral. The results indicated that there was a significant difference between the achievements of students in experimental and control groupsafter treatment. Thus, the findings reveal that using generalization strategies improves students’ achievements in solving problems of derivative and integral

Faktor penyumbang kepada kemerosotan penyertaan pelajar dalam aliran sains: satu analisis sorotan tesis

Pada tahun 1996, kerajaan Malaysia mensasarkan kadar peratusan penyertaan pelajar dalam aliran sains berbanding sastera pada nisbah 60:40. Sehingga tahun 2012, peratusan penyertaan pelajar dalam aliran sains tidak pernah mencapai 60% malahan berlaku trend penyusutan yang membimbangkan. Sehingga kini, terdapat banyak kajian yang telah dijalankan untuk mengenalpasti faktor yang menyumbang kepada senario ini. Sehubungan itu, satu kajian analisis sorotan tesis telah dijalankan ke atas 344 tesis peringkat sarjana dan ijazah kedoktoran yang telah dilakukan di sembilan buah IPTA bagi tempoh 2001-2010. Tujuan utama kajian ini adalah untuk merumuskan faktor yang dikenalpasti sebagai penyumbang utama kepada kekurangan penyertaan pelajar dalam aliran sains di negara ini dan seterusnya mencadangkan tindakan yang perlu diambil untuk memperbaiki ketidakseimbangan ini. Kajian mendapati bahawa ramai pelajar lepasan menengah rendah mempunyai kelayakan yang diperlukan untuk meneruskan pengajian dalam aliran sains. Mereka juga mempunyai minat yang tinggi dan sikap yang positif terhadap bidang sains dan matematik. Bagaimanapun, kerisauan mengenai kesukaran pembelajaran dan tahap keyakinan akademik yang rendah dalam matapelajaran sains dan matematik dikenalpasti sebagai faktor utama menyebabkan ramai dalam kalangan mereka tidak memilih aliran sains di peringkat tingkatan empat dan ke atas. Selain itu, faktor pengajaran guru, sistem penilaian, faktor demografi dan pengurusan sekolah juga menyumbang kepada sebab mengapa pelajar kurang menyertai aliran sains. Sebanyak empat cadangan teras telah diutarakan untuk menangani masalah ini

Undergraduate students’ difficulties in solving derivative and integral mathematical problems

Undergraduate students often experienced difficulty in solving problem related to derivative and integral topics. The main goal of this study was to investigate the reasons of students’ difficulties in solving derivative and integral problems based on mathematical thinking approach. The participants of the study consisted of 63 undergraduate students. A test contained derivative and integral problems was given to students and the results was analyzed by quantitative and qualitative methods. Results revealed that the reasons of students’ difficulties in solving problems were inability to use suitable problem solving framework, weakness in recalling previous knowledge in entry and attack steps of specialization and generalization, weakness in making connection between embodied and symbolic worlds of mathematical thinking and using symbolic world rather than embodied world

Organisational commitment in Malaysian public sector

This paper describes a research project that aims to determine the level of civil servants’ organisational commitment and the factors associated with it. The instruments used to measure organisational commitment, empowerment, job characteristics, and organisational communication were adapted from Allen and Meyer (1990), Spreitzer (1995), Hackman and Oldham (1975), and Downs and Hazen (1977). The findings demonstrated that civil servants appeared to have a higher level of affective commitment with mean value of 3.88 compared to continuance 3.58 and normative commitment 2.92. The study also found that civil servants were psychologically empowered in the department with mean value of 3.71, had experienced a variable opportunity in job with mean 3.51 and were reported to be satisfied with the existing communication in the department with mean value of 3.68. Research findings also showed that there is a correlation between organisational commitment (affective, continuance, and normative commitment) with empowerment, job characteristics, and organisational communication variables. The stepwise regression exhibited that empowerment variable is the most dominant predictor of civil servants’ organisational commitment. Meanwhile, organisational communication variable appeared to be the most significant factor to influence civil servants’ affective commitment. Civil servants with continuance commitment were found to be best predicted by empowerment variable. Finally, civil servants with normative commitment tend to be mostly influenced by job characteristics variable

CHALLENGE-STRESS AND HINDRANCE-STRESS IN THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN HOTEL SECTOR

The hospitality industry is an entity that is continuously determined by varying new demands and the needs of its customers. This ever-changing and complex working environment has caused and become a source of stress for the hospitality industries’ workforce. Workplace stress is increasing from year to year and has become a focus of research interest in recent years.Responding to the demands of management who require a more precise understanding of the issues of workplace stress, researchers have conducted studies on a total of 115 respondents from a 3 star-hotel and a 4 star-hotel. The personnel involved came from the food and beverage departments, room services and the front offices, whose daily routines involved direct face toface serving activities and fulfilling their customers’ demands. Using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 19.0 and AMOS version 18.0, the results of Exploratory Data Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Data Analysis (CFA) have confirmed that there are two stress factors, namely challenge stress and hindrance stress. Both of these stress factors have asignificantly negative relation to one another. Understanding these dimensions in detail can help the hospitality organizations to be well prepared for the task of motivating their employees.Keywords: challenge-stress, hindrance-stress, service, Southeast Asia, hote