Widening Cross-border Participation: Building ODL Communities Through Internationalisation at Open University Malaysia

With the new challenges of a global knowledge-based economy, it is essential to strengthen a nation’s workforce. A knowledgeable, productive and competent workforce is a pre-requisite for the elevation of the country’s human resources in order to meet the challenges of information and communication technology and knowledge explosions. Continuous upgrading through education and training guarantees the successful development of the workforce and the nation’s knowledge-based economy in a global environment. Flexibility and accessibility of technology-based learning simplifies cross-border education among countries. Learning has now become mobile and more accessible, at a reasonable cost. This paper reports how Open University Malaysia (OUM) employs open and distance learning (ODL) as an approach to provide and expand education, capacity building and human resource development opportunities through cross-border education. This paper has resulted in additional insight relating to the effectiveness of the ODL techniques used. It analyses OUM’s networking strategies and collaborative efforts from an international perspective. (Authors' abstract

Investigating Employees’ Tenure and Performance among Middle Managers: The Moderating Role of Psychological Empowerment

This study aims to analyses the influence of one important demographic variable, employees’ tenure at their organizations towards improving and enhancing employee performance among supervisory level staff in the ceramic tile manufacturing industry. Based on the literature discussed, the role of psychological empowerment will also be studied to see if it has any moderating influence on the relationship between employee’s tenure and their performance. Using the quantitative method, the population for this study was 239. The primary data was gathered in the form of questionnaires with a Likert-type scale which was then analyzed using multiple regression methods. The results of the study have shown that employees’ tenure has an influence on their performance but in the presence of psychological empowerment, tenure does not improve performance. (Abstract by authors

myLMS: a home-grown e-learning tool for ODL in Open University Malaysia

As an institution of Open and Distance Learning (ODL), Open University Malaysia strongly believes on quality learning using multimode learning technologies. One of such technologies is myLMS, a learning management system developed by a team of academicians and technical people at OUM. As a tool to manage learners’ learning, myLMS was designed to meet the core needs of learners which include the Discussion Board, Assessment, Email, etc. Issues and challenges faced during development and during the usage of such tool are discussed. The changing needs, together with the changing technical requirement requires OUM to improve further the quality and reliability of such tool. (Author's abstract

Employees’ Tenure and Length of Service and Performance: A Case Study on the Moderating Role of Psychological Empowerment among Supervisors

Employee productivity is extremely crucial in today’s business environment. In order to achieve high productivity, companies need to have a team of high performing employees. This empirical study explores the influence of employees’ tenure in an organisation together with their academic background in the relationship towards improving and enhancing their performance. The study also looks into whether psychological empowerment has any influence on the relationship between their tenure and academic background and performance. Respondents for this research were from the supervisory staff from Malaysia’s glazed ceramic tile industry. The results of the study have shown that employees’ academic background and their tenure at their organisations have an influence on their performance but in the presence of psychological empowerment, both demographic variables do not improve performance. (Abstract by authors

Supporting New ODL Learners via Face-to-Face Academic Advising to Increase Retention: Sharing Open University Malaysia’s Experience

The last decade has witnessed an increased demand for tertiary education via Open and Distance Learning due to advance methods in technology for educators, administrators and learners that make a difference in effective instruction being delivered at a distance. More people too are beginning to embrace adult education and lifelong learning. Institutions that offer such mode of learning which include the Indira Gandhi National Open University, Islamic Azad University, Anadolu University and Allama Iqbal Open University, have all attained the ‘Mega’ university status with enrolment exceeding 1,000,000 learners. Attrition rate which can be based on completion or graduation rates of their learners is as low as 50 percent to as high as 80 percent. A high rate of attrition is always linked to the learners’ background, which includes their academic and social background, workplace settings, their ability to adapt to the new learning environment as well as their ability to finance their studies. As the cost of attracting learners to an ODL institution is higher than the cost of retaining them, thus the subject of retention has become a widely researched subject until today. At Open University Malaysia, the retention rate is within 69-79 percent among new learners and varies from one faculty to another and also varies for learners from different intakes. Data collected over the last five years revealed that attrition is highest for learners in their first semester as compared to later stages. Thus, several interventions were taken to reach out to new learners to provide support services to engage them actively in learning. Research conducted on 6,141 learners from all over Malaysia throughout a one-year period in 2011 found that early interventions that include face-toface meetings cum Academic Advising sessions conducted by Directors of Learning Centers, have successfully increased the retention rate of first semester learners to 80.1 percent in January 2012. This study is important as early intervention and engagement with new learners will help to improve retention rate and enable an ODL institution to remain sustainable. (abstract by authors

Comparison of Land Use Area Estimates from Three Different Data Sources for the Upper Mississippi River Basin

This study presents the results of comparing land use estimates between three different data sets for the Upper Mississippi River Basin (UMRB). The comparisons were performed between the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) National Resource Inventory (NRI), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Land Cover Data (NLCD) database, and a combined USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Agricultural Census – NLCD dataset created to support applications of the Hydrologic Unit Model for the U.S. (HUMUS). The comparison was performed for 1992 versions of the datasets because that was the only consistent year available among all three data sources. The results show that differences in land use area estimates increased as comparisons shifted from the entire UMRB to smaller 4- and 8-digit watershed regions (as expected). However, the area estimates for the major land use categories remained generally consistent among all three data sets across each level of spatial comparison. Differences in specific crop and grass/forage land use categories were magnified with increasing refinement of the spatial unit of comparison, especially for close-grown crops, pasture, and alfalfa/hayland. The NLCD close-grown crop area estimates appear very weak relative to the NRI and HUMUS, and the lack of specific crop land use estimates limits its viability for UMRB agricultural-based modeling scenarios. However, the NLCD is a key source of non-agricultural land use data for HUMUS and supplemental wetland land use area estimates for the NRI. We conclude that comparisons between more recent versions of the data sets (i.e., 1997 NRI, 1997 or 2002 Agricultural Census, and 2001 NLCD) would not result in significant additional insights and that the 1997 NRI is a viable land use data source for current CARD UMRB water quality modeling studies. However, adoption of other land use data such as USDA-NASS remote sensing data should be investigated

Online examination for takaful basic examination – a license to practice certificate: a Malaysian case

The purpose of this study is to examine the extent of effectiveness of the online examination using electronic learning management system (e-LMS) services in the Malaysian Takaful sector for Takaful Basic Examination (TBE). TBE is conducted through online examination which is a web-based examination system (ES). The TBE is an entry qualification for all those who intend to become registered takaful agents in the financial services industry promoting takaful products and services. The term Takaful refers to the concept of Islamic insurance based on mutual cooperation, where both risks and funds are shared between the insured and insurer. TBE is a mandatory license-to-practice qualification to enhance the competency and professionalism of takaful agents. It is also an induction for individuals who intend to pursue a career in Takaful. The study also aims to address issues concerning quality of services by focusing on the following: ease of use, information security and reliability and its role in influencing customer adoption of electronic services, as well as the mechanisms of monitoring and control over these services. The research employed the analytic and descriptive methodology, by collecting secondary data on candidates sitting for the examination. This was then compared to the passing rate from the year 2012 until 2016. The findings show that online examinations have succeeded in attaining significant customer satisfaction by improving electronic services, facilitating electronic transactions, improving processing performance and enhancing the specifications of electronic services. In addition, the Takaful institutions have achieved effective communication with their customers as well as speeding up of applications. However, there is an absence of awareness and guidance for candidates about the e-examination system. The results of this research led to some recommendations to improve the electronic services provided by Takaful institutions in order to enhance customer and institution’s satisfaction. (Abstract by authors

Shaping futures of prison inmates and former prisoners via higher education: A conceptual study on social return on investment assessment for stakeholders

Companies largely play a role in corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes by engaging with stakeholders including employees, customers, investors, communities and suppliers for financial, environmental and/or social impacts. Contribution quantum is rarely assessed or calculated when it concerns CSR as it is explicitly recognised as the willingness of an organisation to contribute to the community within the ethical norms of charity although strategically CSR can increase revenues by decreasing risks and costs. This study highlights the unique contributions of various stakeholders who wish to make positive and sustainable impact on the socially challenged community – the prisoners. One such engagement is the provision of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes for prisoners in selected Malaysian prisons by Open University Malaysia (OUM), with the partnership of the Prisons Department of Malaysia. It is an economic empowerment programme to rehabilitate and educate its inmates and create employment opportunities if and when they are released. Social Return On Investment (SROI) is a method for measuring and communicating values that incorporates social, environmental and economic impacts to stakeholders. It is an accounting of value created by the activities and the contributions that made the activity possible. Results will be expressed in a ratio of total benefits (a sum of all the outcomes) to total investments (a sum of all costs involved). The purpose of this conceptual study is to calculate the ratio of Ringgit Malaysia (RM) of social value created for every RM1 spent on its activities. Inmates who are accepted into OUM’s programmes attend face-to-face tutorials conducted by OUM tutors and sit for examinations in the prison. They are supported by OUM’s online learning management system where they manage their studies, submit their assignments and access the digital library. (Abstract by authors

Employability Competencies: Employer Expectations and Employer Satisfaction of Open University Malaysia's Graduates

Objectives of the Study The objectives of the study were to: (1) Find out the level of importance attributed by employers to the various employability competencies; (2) Find out the extent to which the employers are satisfied with OUM graduates' competencies; (3) Examine the extent to which the level of employer satisfaction differs from the level of importance attributed to the competencies; and (4) Examine the strengths and opportunities for improvement of OUM graduates with regard to employability competencies