One of the things that I notice after I came back from my Latihan Ikhtisas is the implementation of TES and TESDCP.  Well, it is all related to the changes that happened when I was not in UTM last year.   Some of my colleagues are lamenting about it.  Some of them are really looking forward to retire early.   

Me?  I feel that whether I like it or not, it is something that I have to do.  So, I just bear with it the best I could.  That’s what I am doing now.  In searching and researching a sense of purpose, I look back on what I have done so far.  A long chat with my friend enlightens me.  

So, I think for now, I will take one thing at a time.  Small steady step.  No rush.  

When I was assigned to handle a session on Research Methodology for Remote Supervision PhD students, I told my partner that we should use Prezi for our notes.  Due to time constraint, I only managed to prepare mine, and not able to convert her slides into Prezi.  One of my senior colleagues aka The Coordinator asked us to give him the notes because he wants to document it, my partner and I decided to give the Prezi link instead.  😀 

HERE is the link on Introduction to Qualitative Research Design.  

I constructed this short vignette few years ago and use it as an activity worksheet when I discuss the introduction part of qualitative research.  

A short vignette from a qualitative researcher

As a researcher in education, I am interested to know about teaching and learning practice and the people involve in it (the teaching and learning practice).  The question of how and why a scenario in teaching and learning practice happens in certain way always intrigue me to explore more.  Using qualitative research as a methodology to explore educational issues, one of the ways to collect the data is through listening to my participants’ narrations by meeting them face to face.  I want to know more about my participants’ experiences, thoughts or views from their own narrations.  I want to be where the data is and for this manner, I become the tool to collect the data as compared to using a survey as an instrument where my samples can leave their responses.  However, it is quite a challenge to know someone’s life in details unless I explore it from the narrator’s views.  As an example, I have a student who belongs to a well-known notorious gang when I was exploring gangsterism in Malaysian schools.  From this student’s story, I understand more the intricacies of being a member of a gang from the perspective of a member.  Such data could not be measured and gained through a survey questionnaire.  Even though there are theories which can provide some explanations about gangsterism and being a member of a gang yet, it is hard to be dismissed the fact that the decision to be a member of a gang is not straight forward one.  The decision of one member from the another might be similar, yet different.  Such uniqueness intrigues me to explore it from qualitative perspective.  Like any other participants, I usually meet the student in places where he/she feel comfortable to share his/her experiences, thoughts and feelings.  I was invited to his/her school and home.  In this regards, I also able to gain data from observing him/her in natural setting.  Apart from talking to him/her, I can see how he/she behaves in such settings.  Sometimes, he/she shows some pictures or documents.  By meeting the participant personally, I have the opportunity to ask him/her about the pictures and documents and its significance in his/her lives.   In this regards, I need to be flexible in gathering my data which can be time consuming.  This is because the data can be gathered not only through interview which is most likely to be assumed as the main method to collect data in qualitative research.  With rich data at hand, I often feel overwhelmed in terms of how to start my analysis.  Should I use more than one analysis for the different sets of data or should I stick to one analysis regardless of the data that I have gathered?  As a researcher, while looking at the data, I often reflect on the similarities and differences of my participants’ experiences, thoughts or views from my own.  Even though I have to be reflective, however, I cannot be too overly subjective in interpreting my participants’ experiences, thoughts or views with my own.  After all, I acknowledge the complexity of one’s own experiences, thoughts and views.   In this regards, it is not easy to interpret and later on to present the data accordingly because I need to stay true to myself as a researcher while ensuring my participants’ narrations are as authentic as the way they mean it without disregarding my own personal constructs as a researcher.  I know that even though there is no firm guideline on how I should conduct my research, yet as a researcher, I am subjected upon others’ judgment and review while maintaining the transferability of my study.  Ah, what an enchanted journey as a qualitative researcher!

 

One of my colleagues asked me the difference between Quizziz and Kahoot!.  Being a novice in using both websites, I just give her my honest opinions.  But again, both has its own unique features that work for different purposes.  So, its usefulness is based on our needs actually.  It is a tool.  Like pen and pencil.  Both are meant for writing (same purpose) but if you want something that difficult to be erased, pen might be a better option as compared to pencil.  For pencil, all you need is a bit of your saliva to erase what you want to erase (get the picture? 😀 )

Quizziz has an extensive test bank from various teachers and educators around the world.  When I started using it in late 2016,  there was word limitation (meaning, you cannot give lengthy question/answer), but things have changed.  But for Kahoot!, there is still word limitation.  Meaning, if you want to give a case or scenario question, Quizziz offers better choice.  But to get immediate response or if you want to give short questions, Kahoot! is a better option.  

I showed her my Quizziz and Kahoot! to give her a better “visualisation”.  Well, I hope she gets the idea.  I encourage her to join Quizziz so that we can share our materials.  Of course, I show her as well some of my exclusive stuff which I use for my class that I don’t make it public.  Why?  Sometimes it is based on specific journal articles or materials that we use for class discussion.  So, whatever that I make public in my Quizziz is generic, not specific topics.  Like grammar, for example.  

I also showed her how to link it to her E-Content. 

 

When I attended the TES workshop, Nihra told us that we need to diversify our E-Content.  For Gamification, we need to link online assessment that we can share publicly.  I had created several online assessment when I did my Latihan Ikhtisas but it is not related to university courses though.  Here are some of them

Form 4 (Literature) 

Leaving

Living Photograph

The Charge of the Light Brigade

Form 1 (Literature)

Sad I Ams

 

 

As far as I could remember, there were only a handful of classes which I attended which were conducted at lecture hall like this.  I remember I had Clinical Psychology class, Interpersonal Psychology class, Intercultural Communication class and Abnormal Psychology class at lecturer hall similar like this.  Why I could remember it quite well?   I had my own personal preference of seating arrangement but listed in this picture.  

What I remember most is I brought LOTR by Tolkien to Amber Haque’s Abnormal Psychology class.  😀  Well, he likes to tell story and whatsnot.  It it not to say that his class is boring, but rather I know how to study for his course even though I didn’t take any notes.  😀  Well, this was before this “Future Ready Educators” wave coming to the academics shore.  Now, it is different.  Indeed.  

 

Ita called me few days ago asking my availability to conduct a session for the form 6 students.  MUET.  Yup.  Like last year, I conducted the session twice because they had the camp twice a year.  So, I still continue my “service” even after my Latihan Ikhtisas.  Well, I enjoy doing it.  Some said that I should register the program with CCIN and whatsnot.  What a headache just to think about it though!  

Well, I need to prepare some materials for the camp.  Well, I can easily recycle last year’s materials but I feel that I need to edit some of the things.  Ita requested that I do reading activity with them because she has not done it yet.  Reading!  It is quite tedious to prepare the materials for reading.  Why?  I need to find examples of reading comprehension that I can use for the activity.  I need to craft questions and whatsnot.  The ones that I have from last year are just enough for one 2 hours session.  Ita requested that I do something a little bit more extensive.  Well, I am cracking my head now to add more elements to make it “extensive”.  I find this article from The Guardian.  I need to edit some of the texts to shorten it a bit.  😀