Foreign Language Activities on TIMeS

In an increasingly blended environment, language instructors now have to take on the additional responsibility of designing online language modules and tasks. Although they acknowledge that technology is a good tool for the teaching and learning of foreign languages, for instructors who are just starting out with designing their own online activities, the task might seem daunting. One of the biggest challenges instructors face when designing their online activities is the lack of ideas, or even a lack of a model after which they can mould their own modules. Therefore, this chapter aims to give these instructors a sampler of ideas, a “starter pack” of sorts, to inspire them to create meaningful and engaging language activities online using TIMeS, the Moodle-based learning management system used at Taylor's University. These samples are taken from the Spanish and Korean language modules offered at this university.

Digital Experience Moving Toward Greater Learning Experience

In this new millennium it is a challenge for educators to promote digital experiences that lead to effectiveness and holistic contribution in the learning process. This new development is also in line with the Taylor's University strategy plan 2012-2016, which promises a conducive and responsive learning environment that embraces technology. Hence, the main focus of this chapter is to evaluate the student perspective toward digital experience applied with the adoption of TIMES together with a vast range of tools and how the digital experience was preparing our students for success in the world beyond for the audio-visual production module. Focus groups were conducted to examine the feedback on digital experience for the duration of teaching the module. The results from the study imply that the digital experience has a positive and mediating effect on the learning experience for the students. The knowledge-rich ecology of ongoing participation, self-expression, and recognition in their learning skills also contributes to the ever on-going process of learning.

Towards Excellent Teaching Engagement

The teaching engagement scale (TES) is a 360° evaluation and feedback system designed to identify areas for professional development towards improving the student learning experience. It incorporates two unique approaches: (1) it measures engagement instead of module content satisfaction, and (2) it incorporates the feedback from students, the self (reflection), peer and superior. This innovative approach to teaching feedback produces a balanced, specific, and data-driven identification of strengths and areas of improvement that the teacher can use for effective professional development. When professional development is effective, it leads to higher quality teaching, which is vital for student success. As a result of the use of the TES, Taylor's University has seen an improvement in the quality of engagement over a short period of time.

Blended Learning

Web-based learning has become an integral part of contemporary education. Online educational tools and resources are often utilized to facilitate learning and provide captivating learning environments. Opportunities protracted by technological advancements are infinite and these are finding increasing popularity in current medical education system. In this chapter, a “blended” approach, with apt amalgamation of e-learning and an interactive face-to-face session, was innovatively used by the author to augment clinical skills in the MBBS program for undergraduate medical students. A “flipped session” was developed to teach the clinical examination of the human retina using a “direct ophthalmoscope.” Besides adding value to the curriculum and constructively aligning the assessment to learning, the author capitalized on technology to demonstrate a successful application in the preparation of peak performers for the twenty-first century. This also helped the author evolve as a better medical teacher and create a rewarding Gesamtkuntswerk with the course content.

E-Portfolio

This chapter focuses on the potential of using eportfolio in an academic setting, specifically in a teacher preparatory program. The advantages of using eportfolio as compared to its paper portfolio counterparts is also discussed in making the case of using eportfolio stronger. This chapter also discusses the benefits and challenges of using eportfolio as a tool to encourage reflections among the student teachers when they are on school placement, by quoting examples from a local case study. The study revealed that there are three ways student teachers look at the usefulness as well as three challenges they faced while constructing and developing eportfolio. The findings of the study gave insights about how eportfolio can be better used to improve students' reflective thinking, in line with the goals of the university's teacher education program.

Supporting Group Learning Using Collaborative Networked Platforms

Collaborative learning or learning in groups revolves around the constructivist theory where learning occurs through social interaction process where learners construct knowledge collectively. The rise of social networking sites and a general interest in enhancing group learning brought forward the idea of designing structured learning activities that enhance interaction, communication, and discussion between students using the online learning collaborative networked platforms. This chapter describes the use of networked platforms for design and implementation of collaborative learning activities for undergraduate students in Taylor's University, Malaysia. This includes the use of Moxtra for group tutorial and real-time discussion, Google tools and Padlet wall for collaborative writing, as well as Slideshare for content sharing and discussion.

Project-Based Learning for Building Work and Life Skills in Line With TGC and Purpose Learning

In this chapter, the author has conducted a research project to examine student learning experiences and outcomes in higher education with project-based learning (PBL) approach in order to assist the students to acquire work and life skills. A successful case study of PBL has been implemented at Taylor's University. The problem statement here is there is a gap between the academic learning outcomes at university and actual demands in industry. Thus, Taylor's University is redefining teaching and learning in higher education through implementation of blended learning, purpose learning, and Taylor's graduate capabilities (TGC) in order to meet the ever-changing and rigorous demands of industry, society, and globalization. The research findings provided insight into how faculty conceptualization of PBL in line with TGC and purpose learning drove implementation and showed that purpose learning via PBL in higher education could contribute to the effectiveness in students' learning of work and life skills and achieve greater social impact.

Learning Through Collaborating

Blended learning technologies have created opportunities to diversify teaching and enrich learning experiences for Malaysian university students. At Taylor's University, the establishment of the X-Space as a “living” classroom offered students an engaging experience beyond digital learning to support “TiMeS” a Moodle-based courseware at the university. The X-Space rooms are equipped with modern designs that divide students in clusters yet encourage mobility among its users and allow course instructors to experiment and apply innovative tools to fully utilize this collaborative learning environment. This chapter examines the experiences of integrating the TiMeS platform with the physical environment of X-Space. The pedagogy intends to fulfill the university's mission in creating industry-ready graduates and the expectations Gen-Y students to propel forward to twenty-first century learning.

Increasing Technology Adoption through Certified Digital Educator Programme

In this chapter, the certified digital educator (CDE) programme is developed with the aim of providing the academics with an on-going training that will lead to the e-learning certification. Formulated as part of continuous professional development program for academics at Taylor's University, the CDE programme provides opportunities for the academics to equip themselves with related e-learning skills through the byte-sized training modules offered in addition to the existing blended learning and face-to-face session. Through CDE programme, all current e-learning-related training modules currently being offered to the academics have been re-categorized under four e-learning packages, which represent the four essential skill components required by the academics to effectively able to apply technology in their lessons. Upon completion of this program, the participants are awarded the certified digital educator certification that certify them as competent e-learning practitioners.

Adapting, Appropriating, Writing

This chapter proposes a deeper integration of the writing practices like creative writing and storytelling in a class of literature in order to develop a new pedagogical model that empowers the students of literature to not only read and interpret but also to express and engage with the text in a nuanced manner. It does so in the context of the current trends of interactive reading and writing fostered by the digital technology where productive engagements with the texts through fanfictions, visual adaptations, and so on are a part reading a text. Following the paradigm of fanfiction, the project “The Crucible on Twitter” implemented in the classrooms of English Literature in a Malaysian University revealed the ways in which digitally mediated writing activities enable the learners to engage with a text on its own turf, promoting cross-cultural understanding and empowering the learner-readers to integrate their own meanings, concerns, and issues into their reading of an original literary text.