Category: TES and TESDCP

I posted somewhere before the videos (Youtube) about how to fill in the TESDCP.  I might have deleted the post or it is simply vanished without any reason.

But no worries.  There are few videos that we can watch.  All of the videos are uploaded by UTMLEAD.

1. Video 1 (Male voice)
2. Video 2 (Female voice)
3. Video 3 (How TESDCP is evaluated?)

In the Self-Assessment and Reflection part, there are 4 things that you need to fill in: 1) Goals of student learning, 2) Personal philosophy, 3) Belief and practices of assessment and evaluation, and 4) Self-reflection of teaching development over time

However, you need to make at least 20% change every single year (I know, it might drive you crazy.  But, let’s remain cool, calm and collected).  In my case, what I did is I change only some parts of the previous writing.

For this year, due to COVID-19, I use this sentences to show the 20% difference

“Due to covid-19, even though my teaching philosophy does not change much since last year, I realise that …..

“Due to covid-19 even though the goal of student learning remains the same yet for this year, I emphasise …..

What a buzz!  I was elected as a facilitator to assist others on how to write teaching philosophy.  My first reaction was “What a heck!  Armed with a PhD and yet we need someone to assist us to write our own teaching philosophy?” Sound negative, right?

Well, personally, I feel like a fake or impostor or fraud when I am entrusted and assigned as a facilitator.  “Oh come on!  Who am I to assist my highly esteemed colleagues with vast knowledge and experience to write their teaching philosophy.”

When I write my teaching philosophy, I write it from my heart and soul (of course I use my brain to think about the wording).  How can I assist others to write their own teaching philosophy?  We are different in so many ways.  Some are even better teachers/instructors/supervisors than me.  My passion for teaching is different from them too.  In short, they could be a better educator and more passionate about teaching than me.

How on earth am I going to assist them?  Don’t you think that I am a fake.  What a baloney!

But here are some of the things that I use as a guideline to write my teaching philosophy.  The guideline is taken from the headings on TESDCP.   In short, just write from your heart based on each category.  There are four categories:1) Goals of Student Learning, 2) Personal Philosophy, 3) Belief and Practices of Assessment and Evaluation and 4) Self-reflection of Teaching Development over time and how this relates to future goals.

I ask myself certain questions before I write each part.

1) Goals of student learning (Before you write this part, think about this question “What do you want your students to be and become?”,  “What kind of value that you want to inculcate and impart to them?”)

2) Personal Philosophy.  When I am writing this part, I emphasize on two points: Vision and Teaching Approach. 

a. Vision as an educator (Before you write this part, think about this question “How do you see yourself as an educator?”  What is your perception about your roles as an educator?”)

b. Teaching approach (Before you write this part, think about this question “What do you normally do in class?  “What do you hope that your students will learn from the activities that you do in class or the assignment/task that you give to students?”)

3) Belief and Practices of Assessment and Evaluation (Before you write this part, think about this question “How do you assess your students?, How do you give feedback to students for improvement?”)

4) Self-reflection of Teaching Development over time and how this relates to future goals (Before you write this part, think about this question “How do you assess your teaching?” – it is not about relying on your students’ feedback or EPPP per se but on personal level, how do you assess yourself as an instructor/supervisor?”, “What are the things that have changed over certain period of time?”)

Ok.  Like last year, we have to fill in the TESDCP or TES (new label) again this year.  But unlike last year, the term that was used – “TESDCP”.  This year, it becomes TES (don’t be fool by the labelling). The things that you have to upload are still the same.

Wait, isn’t it the same with Teaching Excellence System?

Confused?  (Who doesn’t, right?)  But, don’t worry.  We are in this mess (uhuk uhuk) together.

How to differentiate between the new TES (old version it is known as TESDCP) and Teaching Excellence System (it is no longer called as TES now?)?

Based on my observation, the ONLY observable difference that I can see when I search both things from UTMPORTAL is the icon of TES and Teaching Excellence System.

The icon for Teaching Excellence System is a person pointing on a board.  This is the system where you can find your Blended Learning (this is from your ELearning), OBE, NALI & HIEPS and E-content.

The icon for TES has pictures of a mortar board, an apple, hands (holding or shaking), a light bulb and a science icon (on the center).

If you ask me why both are called the same i.e.  Teaching Excellence System?

I also asked the same question to some people but they also do not know the answer.  So, I don’t have any answer to that question.   I don’t want to speculate anything here.  Let’s somebody else do the thinking.

So, are both the same systems or different?

The label used is the same: Teaching Excellence System.  But clearly, both are different systems in which both have different information and things that you have to upload.