Category: Random rambling

ELPPT 2019: New Evaluation? Why should I be bothered?

Since I finished my PhD, I never care too much about how I am being evaluated.  But something made me change my view.  It is not that I am being calculative now but I am more aware what is going on around me in terms of why certain people act in certain way. 

Webometric was introduced more than 5 years ago.  But, the award in Citra Karisma on webometric was introduced few years back.   One of my friends said that bonus marks in ELPPT are important to ensure that you get more than 90% every year.  All of these while, I am not that enthusiastic in keeping my webometric active.  But after Latihan Ikhtisas, I realise that I am having difficulty to write down my thoughts. 

Being one whole year at school made me preoccupied with other things than writing such as creating handouts, worksheets, examples of composition and such which are different from tertiary level of writing.  So, I am having this phase of “reclaiming” my identity, my roles as a lecturer, not a teacher.  This is the hardest part.  I am not sure if others who had undergone Latihan Ikhtisas experienced this.  But, I am experiencing it now and it makes me wonder why such thing can happen to me.  I am still trying to find out the answer. 

Not only that, when I was at school, UTM introduces e content as one of the categories for bonus marks.  I am struggling to adapt to some changes at UTM.  Some might say that nothing much has changed within one year, but for me, I perceive it as something new.  Is it because I am looking at the changes with a new perspective?  Like a short-sighted person who is given corrective glasses, finally I can see things “clearer” than before. 

Confusion

It is quite normal to feel confused at times due to various reasons.  But some time, we can avoid being confused if we have enough information about something and this could lessen or decrease our anxiety as well.  Unfortunately, there might be cases whereby certain information is not well-circulated and thus create confusion (unnecessarily).  This is what happened to me and some of my colleagues.  

Last July, my colleague and I had to handle a session involving remote supervision students.   Even though there is no appointment letter from the Graduate School (until now aka the time of writing), I just proceed with the session together with my friend (she got an appointment letter though).  So, the students have to take several classes and whatsnot and they have to present their mini proposal.   Sound familiar, right?   The way remote supervision is conducted is similar with the normal programme for full research students who have to attend MPPU100, MPPU1070 and MPPU1080.  The only difference is the code they use.  For the remote version of MPPU1060, the code  is UHPP0010.  There you go.

Apparently, there are two groups or batches of students undergoing this remote supervision.  However, many of us who are the facilitators do not have sufficient information about this programme i.e. remote supervision.  So, when some of my senior colleagues asked me why I was not present at certain sessions (as if I am purposely absent from those sessions), I was perplexed because I wasn’t informed about those sessions.  

Well, the thing is, I believe that if I am needed, I will get the appointment letter or whatever.  Just informing me through WhatsApp messages is unofficial.  I am not being demanding or anything, but I think that we should do things properly.  It is unfair to perceive me as indifferent whereas I do not have any clue or idea about the programme organised by the school or faculty which is meant only for selected people.  I realise that I cannot expect that I will be involved in every single programme organised by the school or faculty.  After all, I have my own little projects with the school (consider this as after-Latihan-Ikhtisas-service to the school) 😀

UTM code of ethics

I was asked my one of my senior colleagues to fill in a questionnaire in relation to teaching, supervision, research and publication.  There are 10 questions asked.  The questions are

  1. Do you know that UTM has code of professional ethics?  (you to answer either YES or NO)
  2. Have you read the UTM code of ethics?  (you to answer either YES or NO)
  3. Do you know what are the UTM code of ethics?  (you to answer either YES or NO)
  4. Do you think that you are an ethical staff by UTM standard or by your own standard?  (you to answer either YES or NO)
  5. Are you able to define what is “being professional” in your job? (you to answer either YES or NO)
  6. Please give 3 examples to prove that you bring ethics into your work
  7. Another 3 examples that you think you are not ethical in your work
  8. State a few example of your colleagues’ behaviour which you think is ethical and professional
  9. Please describe incidents or events of your colleagues which you think are not ethical and/or not professional in their work

What are my answers?   I already gave to the committee.  I don’t know the findings of this survey though.

There are news articles about Prof Wahid Omar’s thoughts about issues relating to academic integrity in reference to Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz’s claim about Malaysian academicians’ integrity which causes uproar among concerned Malaysian citizens and alike.  You can read one of the news articles HERE.

In addition, HERE is the UTM code of ethics [Just in case, some of you are searching for it]

Spring clean_Part 1

One of my least favorite things to do during long semester break is to “dispose” old assignments and whatsnot.  Sometimes, I do not know how long I should keep it.  But based on my rule of thumb: If the students have already graduated, I can dispose their assignments.  I found some assignments dated back in 2014/2015.  I notice that majority of the students had already graduated.  But there are some in their final year (for the UG) so I still need to keep theirs though.

I also found old timetables that Prof Bahar had signed.  Looking at these timetables makes me sad.  Al-fatihah to Prof Bahar.


Break a leg

Wishing all the best to individuals who have to perform in something might improve their performance.  This has been proven in research such as “Keep your fingers crossed” which has shown “activating good-luck-related superstitions via a common saying or action such as break a leg, or a lucky charm improves subsequent performance in golfing, motor dexterity, memory and anagram games”

But this does not mean the performers should prepare less for any competition or task though.  Relying on luck with lackluster efforts won’t result in high performance.  There is nothing wrong in dreaming, hoping or wishing but we have to take reality into consideration.  We have to face life’s challenges head-on, not to put our heads on sand like ostriches thinking the challenges, harm or whatever will go away or pass by without us doing nothing about it.

Prisoner’s dilemma

Social scientists like psychologists, sociologists and alike study the issue of trust using a game known as Prisoner’s Dilemma.  In this game, a scenario in which you and your friend are caught by the police and are interrogated.  But the results for both of you to be punished by the law would be varied depending on the confession by both of you (you and your friend).  So, which is which?

The scenario is like the following

Let’s say you and your friend rob a bank and you are not very good at robbing a bank so you get caught.  The police arrest both of you and put you in separate rooms to interrogate you.  You have no way to communicate with your friend.  The cops offer you a deal: if you testify that your friend was the mastermind and he does not testify against you, you go free and he gets five years in prison.  If you don’t testify against your friend but he testifies against you, you get five years and he goes free.  If you both testify against each other, you both get three years.  If you both refuse to testify, you both get one year.

The answer can be straight forward.  If you knew you could trust each other, you both keep your mouths shut and get one year.  But that might not be the case, right?  That’s what prompt researcher like Robert Axelrod to further study what makes us decide on whom to trust and not.  The answer might shock you.  Tit for tat.  Yup.

Old notes

1) Great leaders lead people to reach the higher level of morality.
2) Do not be leaders who have “personality chameleon” syndrome.
3) To achieve justice, you need to have courage, wisdom and temperance in a state of balance directed by god-conscious
4) Do not let the technology to take control of your life. You control the technology, not the other way around
5) To change the environment, you need to be a balanced individual (Wisdom, Temperance, Courage, Justice guided with God-conscious).
6) Stick to your principle, have courage to change and redefine/retheorize things around you. Don’t simply accept things without critically examine it in terms of your context.
7) Always self-examined (muhasabah) if you are not in a balanced state (W, T, C, J and G-C). Having self-examination on regular basis will maintain your spiritual Qalb. Do not lead it get polluted to the extent that you are losing integrity and become incompetent, greedy and frivolity

Note: Great leaders are willing to stand out and defend their principles at whatever cost. Some even lost their lives. Like what Kelly Clarkson once said “What doesn’t kill you make you stronger”.

My dad’s younger sister

She was in coma for nearly three weeks.  I visited her with my eldest sister two weeks ago.  I took a leave on a weekday and off we went to visit her.  She was immobile.  Unmoved.  As I hold her hand, she did not make any reaction.  At that time, it reminds me of my late dad.  He was in similar situation.  The only difference was he was at the hospital and my aunt is at her home.  Both suffered brain hemorrhage due to a fall.  With such an advanced age (my dad was 75 years old and my aunt was 85 years old), they were physically fragile.  A mere bump and fall could lead to catastrophic consequences.

As caregivers, it is not easy to provide the best care especially if we are not medically trained.  One of my cousins, my aunt’s daughter is a retired nurse.  She is trained medically to provide medical care to people yet when it comes to caring her own parents, she finds it difficult to care for them.  It is not due to lack of training, but due to emotional burden that she feels every time seeing her mom or dad whimpering when they were in pain.  Indeed.  It is never easy to care for our ailing parents.

On 30 July 2019 at around 10pm, my aunt passed away.  May Allah bless her soul.