Online learning platform during Covid-19 pandemic: An exploratory factor analysis on students’ attitude and perceived usefulness in media and communication education

Due to Covid-19 and Movement Control Order (MCO) policy, Malaysian Higher Learning institution has decided to shift the learning into online learning mode. In this research, we examined the readiness and attitude of the Media and Communication undergraduate students for online learning platform during pandemic. A total of 144 students’ responses and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) were used as theoretical framework. Research data were analyzed using SPSS and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was utilised to extract the prominent factors. Component based examined using eigenvalue, scree plot and rotation was done by varimax method. The items with 0.5 loading or greater were considered significant. The findings showed that Perceived Usefulness was determined by two significant indicators, i.e. enhancing effectiveness in learning and improving learning performance with factor loadings; .869 and .849 consecutively. Attitude factor loading, meanwhile, showed that two indicators played a dominant role; using online learning is a bad idea throughout the coursework and positive attitude towards online learning and usefulness towards study; .762 and .816. The attitude of the students displayed unhappiness using the online learning platform for the entire semester due to the limitation of face-to-face (F2F) lab classes such as studio-based learning. However, the students had no problem in understanding the online platform utilized.

Translanguaging in an EFL classroom discourse: To what extent it is helpful for the students?

Translanguaging is a tool for bilingual or multilingual to learn more than one language. In the field of linguistic, translanguaging is not something new. However, its implementation is still found rare in higher education. To fill this void, this study aims to investigate the implementation of translanguaging in classroom, especially in higher education. This research was intended to answer how helpful translanguaging practices in EFL Classroom is. By using qualitative method, the data were collected by recording two credits full face-to-face classroom interaction. One lecturer and her forty-five students voluntarily became the research participants. The data were then analyzed by using thematic analysis. The findings showed that the practices were helpful in a way that the tutors could build an engaging dialogue for the students, enabling them to understand the complex learning materials. These findings then implied that in the teaching and learning process, EFL lecturers tend to be more attentive as they prefer to have their students understanding on complex subject to build English proficiency of their students’.

The effect of empathy to bystander's role towards bullying at school through moral disengagement as a mediator

This study aims to illustrate the effect of empathy on the role of the bystander towards bullying at school through moral disengagement as the mediator. Moral disengagement affects bystanders' role. In this case, an outsider or ignorant bystander indicates higher moral disengagement than a defender or defensive bystander. The subject were 245 high school students in the age of 15-17 years. The respondents acted as bystanders adapted from the Participant Role Questionnaire (PRQ) scale. The researcher adopted the Basic Empathy Scale dan Moral Disengagement Scale as the measuring instrument. The data analysis employed a simple mediation analysis technique with bootstrapping method. The results indicated that first, there was a positive and significant effect of empathy on the role of defender bystander mediated by moral disengagement. Second, there was a negative and significant effect of empathy on reinforcer bystander's role towards bullying at schools as mediated by moral disengagement. Third, the study also indicated that there was no effect of empathy to the bystander's roles as an assistant, outsider, and aggressive defender through moral disengagement as a mediator. One of implications for future interventions in schools, for instance, bystander training emphasizing an effective way to act towards bullying at school.

Towards an effective participatory process for a sustainable urban waterfront development

During the early time of waterfront development, public only paid little attention to this area, but after a series of urban waterfront revitalization success story, people are starting to reclaim their waterfront. Two main values of economy and environment are always competing over waterfront’s future land-use pattern. Citizen participation in an urban waterfront development is believed to hold a significant importance since the urban development is addressed for citizens’ prosperity. However, strong public participation does not necessarily guarantee for a success waterfront development. This paper attempts to figure out what is the best scenario to make public involvement in the planning process to contribute to a successful and sustainable waterfront development. Four waterfront city development stories that represent different planning cultures were examined here to understand to what extent the participatory process contributed to the environment, economy, and social values. The findings from the case studies were reconstructed to develop a planning model aimed to best accommodate public interest without compromising other values. Citizens were invited for discussions at the initial phase. Next, an evaluation method was proposed to come up with a guideline that would guide the planning process at the latter phase.

Giving more enhances your happiness: Evidence from Indonesia

Previous studies revealed that consuming activities and spending money to meet needs can improve individuals’ happiness. Our study showed that spending money, not for personal needs also has a big impact on individuals’ well-being. We used 26,464 observations of 4th and 5th waves of the Indonesian Family Life Survey (IFLS) to predict the expenditures for non-personal needs (known as prosocial expenditure) on one's subjective well-being. The estimation result of the probit model showed that pro-social expenditure had a positive correlation with subjective well-being. On average, those who spend more on charity are happier than people who spend less. We also found that prosocial expenditure among Muslim and non-Muslim observations had different effects on happiness and life satisfaction.

The development of students’ adversity quotient through online learning models: A case study of an Islamic education course

Students’ Adversity Quotient is one of the most significant elements in online education. This research focused on analyzing how the design of learning of an online Islamic education course called Pendidikan Agama Islam (PAI) prepared the development of students’ adversity quotient. This research was located at a university in Malang, Indonesia and its methodology used qualitative case study. Based on Stoltz's Adversity Quotient theory (Stoltz, 1997), data collection for this study was carried out through online-based interviews, participant observation, and documentation. However, interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldana (Miles, et al., 2014) was used as data analysis. The research found that the PAI course at a university in Malang had a theoretical learning model, which could develop students’ adversity quotient. The theoretical learning model of PAI requires an ability to adapt cognitive structures through the stages of assimilation, accommodation, and equilibration of new knowledge, as well as psychic readiness to face challenges providing the development of students' adversity quotient. This theoretical learning model facilitated the development of students’ adversity quotient, as emerged through four indicators: resilient, persistent, sincere, and self-gratefulness. The contribution of this research is crucial to the implementation of online Islamic education learning through a theoretical learning model that will lead to benefits in achieving educational targets more effectively.