Category: Teaching

Would you use neuroenhancer to improve your cognitive capabilities?

It was a rainy gloomy day. It was our last class before the mid semester break. Deepavali is around the corner. A perfect day to have all-lecture-no-activity class [sarcastic note].  Nope. I won’t allow my students to fall asleep in my class.

I searched an article with a controversial topic but still related to human development. The use of “smart drug” to enhance cognitive and intellectual capabilities. Smart drug, neuroenhancement, neuroenhancer, you name it. It is all the same. Students consume it for the sake of improving their concentration, attention, performance and the lists can go on.

It is really interesting to know how people perceive the use of drug in a more positive note even though there is possibility for adverse side effects. Reading my students’ responses on whether they would use it, it is kind of alarming that they would say YES to it. Looking at the reasons, there is one common theme appeared: curiosity. They are willing to try because they are curious about it.

I just rolled my eyes when someone asked me if I ever tried such thing before to enhance my academic performance even though I had chances to buy “lollies” or “a slice of space cake” when I went to Amsterdam few times.

My reply: “I don’t go to gym to develop my muscles. So, you won’t see any six packs on my stomach. But I do believe reading is akin to weightlifting that lead you to develop mental muscles” [I used my right index finger to point it to my head as I said this]”.

New Academia Learning Innovation (NALI) Active learning: Using Round robin – Method 2

For my undergraduate class, I have large class (more than 50 students) with a normal size classroom.  So, it is quite challenging to conduct round robin activity if they sit in their seats like this example.  It is something that I can envision in my dream only.   

What I have to do is to improvise.  Rather than having them to stay put in their seats and divide them into groups and each member in a group share their ideas, what I do is I group them into several groups with minimum 5 members in each group (59/12 group = 5 members each more or less). 

How to conduct round robin activity?

Steps:

  1. Think about a topic that you want to discuss.
  2. Decide on the amount of questions or topics you would like to be discussed.  In my case, with 12 groups, I have 3-4 questions and thus, there will be  some groups with similar questions.  In this case, I want to have a variety of ideas from different groups.   Note: I give each group a mahjung paper and marker pens.  They have to write their ideas in a poster format (using point form)
  3. Set a timer for the group discussion.  I set 30 minutes for this activity.  Since the class is a bit small, I allow them to go outside the classroom so that they can prepare their poster using mahjung paper.
  4. After they have finished their poster, I ask them to post their poster on the wall.  Each group has to stay near to their poster.
  5. They present their ideas by taking turn.  So, rather than allowing them to move around (it can become uncontrollable), every student would present at their own station (the wall where they post their poster becomes their station).  Other students have to listen and they are allowed to ask any question to the presenting group.
Some students have to sit on the floor inside the classroom. The LCD screen projected questions that I posed.
Some students have to go outside where there are chairs and tables. Each group occupied one table with 6 chairs
Each group picked a corner/wall and posted their poster [mahjung paper]. They took turn to present their ideas.
For bigger wall, students can post more than 2 posters.

To present their ideas to others, you can also do this.

  1. If you don’t mind to have students to move around (this could be a bit noisy), you can ask each member to select one person to stay at their station while the rest will go around to other station.
  2. The one left behind is assigned to be the presenter.  So, when other group members visit each station, the one who left behind has to present/explain what his/her group ideas to the visitors.

 

New Academia Learning Innovation (NALI) Active learning: Using Gallery Walk (first attempt)

I did round robin Gallery Walk activity in my class this semester.  Alhamdulillah the students are ok with that. 

Gallery Walk is meant to allow students to exchange ideas by taking turn to give their feedback/response/comment.  It allows everyone to talk/write their thoughts.  HERE is one example of Gallery Walk.

You can give them a reading material first before you start this activity or it can be based on what you have previously discussed and you want the students to summarise the points, if you are afraid that their “sharing” ideas might not be fruitful. 

For me,  with the undergraduates, I don’t give them a long reading material because they might need extra [long] time to finish reading.  But with the PG students, I can finish the activity within 45 minutes [reading = 30 minutes, 15 minutes for them to “go round” the class to write their answers on the manjung paper].  Rather than grouping them into groups, I create a station where they can write their ideas.  

I posted a mahjung paper with a question. Students would take turn to write their answer. Since my class has 19 students, so with 5 stations [5 mahjung paper with different questions], it is not too crowded for them to be in one station at a time.

Students took turn to write. On the white board, there were two stations [mahjung paper] with different questions.

Some students were writing their responses at different station at the back of the class

How to conduct Gallery Walk activity?

Steps:

  1. Think about a topic that you want to discuss.
  2. Decide on the amount of questions or topics you would like to be discussed.  In my case, I set 5 questions [plus muddiest concepts]
  3. Ideally, arrange the desks or tables so that discussion flows nicely and students can move about easily.   But since I want the students to move around the class, I post the mahjung paper on the wall/white board instead.  So, rather than sitting, they will walk around to different stations.
  4. Give each station [could be table, mahjung paper etc.] a question/topic.  You can assign a leader to take note or in my case, I ask the students to take note of what others have written individually [individual accountability].
  5. Set a timer for each student to move around.  There are other ways to do this.  You can assign students to move in group or they can move individually to any station as they wish according to their preferences as long as they complete the round.  If you have big classroom you can allow them to randomly move to different station, but if you have smaller classroom and large number of students, it is better to assign their movement from one station to another in orderly manner.
  6. Once every student has visited all the stations, you can ask one student to give a summary of one question/topic [based on the station] or if you select a leader (in this case, students are grouped at the beginning of the activity and their movement from one station to another in a group, rather than individually), ask the leader to give summary.  In my case, we would discuss their responses based on station.  There are 5 stations, so it takes me around 5-10 minutes to discuss on each question (station).

An incident like this really makes my day….

I had a blast yesterday during research methodology class. We were discussing about sampling designs. Then at the end of the class after the reflective activity, one student innocently asked “Dr, if I answer my own questionnaire, can or not?” I looked at him in disbelief. We just discussed about random sampling and non random sampling. If you create your own questionnaire and you answer it yourself, what’s the point of doing quantitative research?
 
Some of students in the class also looked at him in disbelief. Then some of them started to argue among themselves if it is ethical to do so. I just looked at him for a few seconds before replying “Well, you have heard some of your friends are discussing about the ethical issue if you are doing that. My response is, what is the point of doing a quantitative research if you are the researcher cum respondent? It is against the philosophical paradigms of quantitative research that we have discussed before and it is unethical“.
Looking at me sheepishly he replied “I thought it is ok to do so because if my samples are teachers, since I am also a teacher, I can also answer my questionnaire“. I rest my case hearing such an honest confession. To end our class I gave them a little reminder “If I know that any of you do that when you conduct your research, you are doom”
 
On my way out from the class, one of the students decided to walk with me. We had a quick chat. She told me “Dr, I am interested to do an Action research.  I am teaching MUET at Matriculation Centre.  One more thing,  I know Zahir.   Zahir told me to take your class“.
 
At this moment, should I feel flattered or scared? I don’t want to think about that. One thing for sure, I got the usual symptom since yesterday. A symptom to indicate that I am feeling stressful. Am I becoming more sensitive as I become older?

What should I do?

I had a tuition class with the students.   Some of them are sad because of their trial results.  So, to cheer them up, I asked them to look at their exercise book where they wrote their targeted marks for SPM trial.  I told them before if they can get the marks that they set in their trial, I will give them RM100.  When I made the offer, I was prepared to spend RM600.  Of course, they don’t believe it.   After all, it is very rare for them to get such offer.  But I am not their typical teacher. 

Each of them was hesitated to let me know about their marks.  Alhamdulillah, I came well-prepared.  I looked at my handphone and searched the marks Ita gave me.  So, I read their marks one by one (well, they already know each other marks when Ita discussed their paper a week ago).   While reading their marks out loud, I checked their exercise book to see their targeted marks.  Ainsyah is the only one who able to reach the target.  She has improved a bit (well, from D to C is a good-enough improvement for her).  Let’s be realistic.  They know it is quite impossible for them to get a solid A (above 80%).  I don’t want to put unnecessary pressure on them by suggesting they should aim that high.  I told them to renew their target for the real SPM.  But I don’t let them know about the monetary reward that I will give if they can achieve their targeted grade for SPM. 

Why do I give them monetary reward?  All of them come from B40 family.  I want to help them to prepare for SPM by having their own money to buy stationery, revision book or other things.  So, that’s why I gave them the RM100 reward.   I don’t know how I can assist them since I am no longer at school.   Last year, when I was at school, Ita and I bought stationery supply to give to all of the SPM candidates.   I am planning to do the same this year in sha Allah. 

The monetary reward that I plan to give them for their SPM is also to assist them to buy UPU form (yup, they have to buy the code at any post office).  Even though they no longer have to fill in the UPU paper-version form like I did back in 1996, they have to buy a password/code to get accessed to UPU online.  The UPU form that I had to pay back in 1996 cost me RM100 per form.  That’s quite a lot back then (and now).  At that time, I worked at MPH Bookstore with RM450 per month (or more if I did lots of over time or OT). 

When I just started my Latihan Ikhtisas, the SPM results were announced at the end of March 2018.  I still remember Cikgu Mun, the school counselor used her own money to buy the code for some students who did not want to apply to any matriculation centre or Asasi via UPU because they didn’t have the money.  Their parents could not afford to buy it.  It breaks my heart.  I don’t want the students to stop from furthering their studies to higher level feel hesitated due to financial constraint.  So, by rewarding them with monetary reward, I hope that at least I can help them in certain way.  As a teacher, it is difficult to ignore such predicament that your students are experiencing.  After all, it is not their fault to be in that situation.  

An example of learning management system for e-content: Flipgrid

I was searching for more examples of learning management system.  When I googled the meaning of learning management system, a good example of learning management system is our UTM elearning.  So, using Prezi is not enough to be considered as learning management system because there is no online interaction.  Prezi, Padlet, Trello and such could be categorised as collaborative tools.  

BUT, Flipgrid is different.  You can upload your note, link Youtube videos and such and ask students to discuss about a topic.  I am still a novice in using Flipgrid (I just found out about this today).  But, if you want to have a look an example of my activity (a trial and with no students, I could not show any interaction yet).  For Flipgrid, your students can provide a short video clip of their responses.  So, if you have very busy students who always on a go, they can stay engage outside classroom with you through Flipgrid.  

Unlike Prezi, Flipgrid is FOC (Free of Charge) [Note: It might change in the future though].  

P.S: Psssttt… Flipgrid is an example of e content [Learning Management System]  😀

 

Asas Pedagogi [Fundamental pedagogy]

On my TESDECP, I realise that there are courses that I will teach for next semester.  Wow.  That is early.  So, I will teach Fundamental Pedagogy [Asas Pedagogi].  I notice that I will get two sections, but none is TEASL group. 

How do I know?  Well, looking at the number of students, I can tell it is from different programme.  I guess it would be either SPPS (sports science) or SPPJ (technical and vocational group).  I think I want to request to change one of the sections to TEASL group.  Why?  I am thinking that it might be more relevant for me to teach them how to create the daily lesson plan (Rancangan Pengajaran Harian).  I also have a template that I can share with them.  If I don’t teach them, I don’t have opportunity to share my Latihan Ikhtisas experience with them, right?  What is the purpose of having me to undergo Latihan Ikhisas and yet I cannot share what I learn and gain with the students?   I think I will request it later on.  

UTM Open Day