The launch of FSSHEART 20

The launch of FSSHEART 20 is launched today. HEART stands for “Happy, Empathy, Appreciate, Responsible, Trust”. Datuk Dr Nurhafizah Musa was invited as the speaker to share her wisdom and knowledge about Husnuzzon.

I don’t know her personally but I always feel that she is unique. I know that I could never be like her but I aim to at least try to imitate her attitudes and behavior (which is a struggle on my part). She is a role model. Indeed.

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Qalbun Saleem encompasses attitudes and behaviors essential for relationships, leadership and such. What really important is what and to what extent we are going (willing) to take action to change for improving our attitudes and behaviors. That is the most challenging part. We might be complacent with the things that we are so used to do through certain ways. In this case, it requires and demands us to change the ways we are doing things. How willing we are to change the habits, culture and such?

We need to rely on the guidance from Allah. We need to seek for Allah’s guidance. But first, we need to know how to change as well and be clear about the definition and direction of our action.

For example, we need to know the definition of Husnuzzon (attitudes and how we look at something of other person in positive manner that satisfying/fulfilling or in Malay = sangka baik). It involves training to do reflection (muhasabah) and soul cleansing (tazkiyatul nafs). It involves cognitive and emotional aspects. If we think a negative event as a problem, we will be a problem maker/enhancer. If we think a negative event as a solution or we think a problem as an opportunity to invent something better, we will be a problem solver.

In short, if we think a problem as a problem, we will not be able to move forward to think about the possible solutions. If we think about a problem as an opportunity for us to solve a problem, we will be able to move forward solving a problem. It is how we look at a problem from different perspective matters.

Al-Hujurat (49): 12

O  believers! Avoid many suspicions, ˹for˺ indeed, some suspicions are sinful. And do not spy, nor backbite one another. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of their dead brother? You would despise that!1 And fear Allah. Surely Allah is ˹the˺ Accepter of Repentance, Most Merciful.

It is undeniable that we have negative thoughts about others. Sometimes we have this in our mind that come across once a while. But those negative thoughts would be dangerous once it is translated in our behavior (verbal or/and non-verbal). So, it is really important to identify the negative thoughts and try to eradicate it before it is translated into behavior. This is not easy. It is a constant battle. This is what I feel. So, that might explain why I have few friends because I am afraid that I might be influenced by them unconsciously. The more the merrier? Not in my case.

How can negative thoughts become sin? As long as it remains in our mind, it is not sinful. But once it is translated into verbal or action, for example, we tell our thoughts about someone (negative) to another person, our initial negative thoughts are translated into verbal action, thus it becomes sinful. We are accountable towards it.

But, another important thing that we have to remind ourselves is to have husnuzzon towards Allah. Sometimes we overlook the fact that we are at present situation because of Him. It is not due to other person’s decision. For example, if we perceive getting a promotion is by designed, it is as if we are in full control of what we can achieve and gain based on our efforts whereas it is the fact that each of us have different capacity and capability given by Allah to perform, achieve and gain whatever things exist in this world either professional status and such.

Of course we should do our best, give the best effort and such. But the One who gives the best solution, guidance and all is Allah. So, it is our responsibility to choose to remain negative or positive. I know it is difficult. This is my personal battle.

Some of the tips that I get from this session is

  • Change our attitudes. Remind ourselves that person might be better than you in things that Allah Knows better. “Force” ourselves to change our negative thoughts into positive thoughts.
  • Inculcate the culture of Husnuzzon

There are five levels of the culture of Husnuzzon:

  1. Taáruf level
  2. Tafahum level
  3. Takaful level
  4. Tanasuh level
  5. Taroodhi level

First: Taáruf level

  • Knowing me, knowing you
  • Getting to know each other is important at personal level.

Second: Tafahum level

  • Emphatize – putting ourselves in the other’s situation.
  • Imagine if we are in the other person’s situation, we need to give ourselves opportunity to understand other person

Third: Takaful level

  • Supporting each other.
  • Each of us have our own strengths and difficulties.
  • Acknowledge and appreciate other contribution

Fourth: Tanasuh level

  • Reminding each other, such as giving advice and such.
  • Learn to appreciate people’s advice.

Fifth: Taroodhi level

  • Open-minded towards what we have and others have (not being envious)
  • Be happy for what others have in terms of position and such without feeling envious

  • Level of relationship

First level: Husnuzzon

Second level: Emphatic and love for good things for others

Third level: Ithar (put other’s needs first above our own needs)

Question ask by an audience (to appreciate the ones who asked the question, I put the original question without translating)

Question: Sekiranya ada hamba Allah menceritakan sesuatu yg tidak benar tentang kita, perlu ke kita bersemuka dan membetulkan keadaan atau perlu ke kita redha dan membiarkan sahaja?

Answer: We need to think about the benefits and negative consequences if we confront the person saying bad things about us. But if it is about our right, we can confront the perpetrator to rectify the matter. We have to do it with hikmah (Note: This is not easy to be done by me).

What is my first impression of …..

I was called to meet the Chair few days ago.  At first, I was thinking, what should I do to prepare myself to see her?  Well, there is nothing better to do than the usual stuff that I do when I have something big up coming.  Is meeting the Chair fall under such category?  I know that it is not a usual occasion for her to call us one by one.  So, it could be a big thing. 

I have asked around some seniors and they told me about their meeting.  So, I know what to expect.  I hope that mine goes well.  That’s it.

Did it go well?  One thing that I could say is the meeting is a memorable one.  I use “Is” rather than “was” because it does leave indelible mark in my heart. 

Knowing that the whole world will read this (do I care?), I just want to say that “It is not easy to fulfil the expectations that are set forth by others”.  Yup.  As an academician, I know and am fully aware of the things that I have to do but at the same time, I know very well that in the end of the day, what matters most is “Will it matter in the eyes of Allah?”  That’s the question that I would always ask myself. 

Will it matter to get promoted?  Whoah!  Ok.  I am not going to delve into this any further. 

Let’s take a step back about this matter.  I always ask myself about this “In what way that my existence could help others to be a better person?” So, I might appear as a strict supervisor to my research students because if I could not help them to be a better person, what’s the point of being their supervisor?  Of course, in doing so, I will prompt them to give their best.  Clearly, some people who are paper chasing type would have different idea about working hard or working their ass off.

So, does it enhance my importance by getting promoted?  Clearly, it does not matter.  I learn from great people with the title Professor who are thinkers.  Do I find such among my current colleagues? 

Oh, do I have time to look at them closely to make such evaluation?  Better keep myself busy doing other things like making videos for my class than evaluating them.  Just say that I have my own standard that I use to evaluate myself.  It does not rely on whatever and whoever KPI.  Capisce? 

 

E-Content: Tips that I get from my colleagues

Yesterday, the UTMLead organized a session conducted by Assoc Prof Dr Mohd Nihra Haruzuan about E content.  I was a bit late because I had a meeting with the Chair earlier. 

Alhamdulillah I managed to join the session before it was ended.  There are some tips that I managed to pick up from those who managed to get 5 marks for their e-content.  Here are the tips:

1) Diversify your e content materials.

Make sure that you add a variety of materials for your e-content.  Variety does not mean a lot.  So, if you add only ONE material that worth 5 marks, you can get 5 marks.  If you add 5 materials that worth 1 mark each, you will only get 1 mark.

So, why wasting your time to upload 5 materials which equivalent to 1 mark?  On top of that, you can only claim one material once in your e content.  Meaning, once you have submitted for the material to be evaluated in your e content, you cannot submit it again on the following years EXCEPT if you make some changes like adding more information and such. 

Moral of the story:  you need to diversify your materials which belong to different categories of e content materials that carry different weightage of marks to get 5 marks.  

For example, add 1 Powerpoint notes with your voice (it is considered as a receptive material.  1 mark).   A Powerpoint notes with your voice recorded is considered as receptive material because the students do not interact with the material.  They just watch and listen to your recorded material, in this case. 

For 2 marks material, you need to add the element of “having a linkage with another source” such as you link a video within your note or you have animation in your normal Powerpoint note. But, please bear in mind, if you add a video in your Powerpoint notes, the size of the file would be large.  If you add a video in your Powerpoint notes (with recorded voice), and later on you save it as MP4, the size of the file would also be large. 

Other than Powerpoint notes,  you can add another material like Gamification by using Quizziz or Kahoot! in which students need or have the chance to interact with the media.  When you use Quizziz or Kahoot!, you create a question (you can add picture in your question) that prompt students to answer it.  Answering your questions is an example of interaction that students have with the material, which is in this case, Quizziz.  For this kind of materials, you get 3 marks (interactive-basic). 

If Quizziz or Kahoot! alone, it is considered as interactive on one to one basis.  So, it might be considered as 3 marks [but based on my own experience, I only got 2 marks for this so, I clearly do not understand how the rubric works as it might depend on the evaluator (REALLY!)] .  So, do not blame me if I have misconception about e-content as I still remember what it was said in one of the sessions “Terpulang kepada penilai nak beri markah berapa“.  

For 4 marks, you need to make sure there are elements of interaction which is linked either internally or externally.  I have no idea about an example of this.  But basically, for 3-4 marks, there are the elements of students interaction with the material which the interaction is one to one basis (student –> material), not involving the interaction with another students for brainstorming ideas, responses or answers. Don’t ask me further about the examples of materials that fall under this category (4 marks).  But, I would like to experiment with a material that I created this semester.  A video that I uploaded on Youtube. 

Note:  When I created the video, I thought about what are the elements of interaction that I can inject in the video?  One of my colleagues suggested that perhaps I added a question or two at the end of the video.  I tried to find more information and examples from Youtube.  I found several examples of videos which use Powerpoint with audio i.e. voice which have questions and students or others who watch the video can leave answer on the comment box.  Interesting, isn’t it?  But I don’t know if this material would be considered as 4 marks category.  There is no harm in trying, right?  So, I will try it this year.  I will let you know the results next year, In shaa Allah.

For 5 marks, you have to make sure that there are the elements of cooperative learning in which students are able to discuss with one another through the material (e content material) that we provide them with.  A good example that I could think of is, Padlet (make sure you set it as public viewing).   Padlet is a platform for the interaction to occur with materials that you provide in the Padlet.  It is like a one-stop-centre where you can put your material, questions for students to answer and discuss.  

In a Padlet page or worksheet or whatever you may call it, to make sure you can create the situation in which students can interact with materials and discuss with one another make sure you have the following:

a) Give clear instructions that require students to use the materials that you/other students provide.  It could be reading materials such as a short article or it could be a video.  Put that in your Padlet.  In addition, instruct your students to read other person’s answer (response) and give their view/ opinion about that – this will create a discussion indirectly.  

b) Post questions that prompt students to answer based on what they have read (if it is reading material) or watched (if it is a video).  

c)  Emphasis the importance of giving comment/ response to other person’s answer in a given box (you can set a column or box for students to leave a comment underneath another column or box). 

d) Make sure you monitor the discussion and give your comment or feedback through the Padlet or when you have a synchronous class.  There you go.  5 marks!

Note: When I first posted this post, it was the second week of the semester.  So, even though I have prepared a Padlet with questions and whatsnot, I did not have the complete version yet because it lacks of students’ feedback and interaction.  Alhamdulillah, I manage to get the students to give their answers and such on Week 3.  So, here is the example of a Padlet which contains the following: 

a) Materials that students can refer to (I gave students a Prezi note and two articles that they need to read before answering the questions that I posed).  I use external materials in this case.  Other than the articles, I linked my Prezi note.  [How about others who have limited internet connectivity who cannot view the Prezi note through online?  Since it is a paid version that I use so I also gave the students the PDF version as an alternative to the online version on the ELearning and our class Telegram].

b) Questions that prompt students to give their answers.  For the Padlet, I set the setting in which students not only can read others’ answers but also can reply or response to others’ answers and such.  So, it has the elements of discussion – but it is done virtually. 

So, there you go!  You can have a cooperative learning technique such as Buzz Group.  In a normal case, you have to limit the number of students in one group for this activity.  But, since we need to conduct our class virtually and due to internet constraints that might be experienced by some, we can allow the students to respond with limited time frame.  Why limited?  This is to ensure the students will not take more than a few days to give their response. 

2) Be creative. 

3) Make sure the materials are YOURS. 

4) Don’t be afraid to experiment with a new thing. 

e content

School of Education EXPLORIA and FSSH Gotong Royong 2020: Did we win?

The aim of the Exploria game is not for competition or winning.  Yet, it is a human nature that we hate losing.  When it was announced the winner from the last place, the members were hesitating to come in front and take the prize.

The seventh place. Not bad. At least we are not the last (tongue in cheek)

We are not promoting junk food (tongue in cheek)

The prizes… loads of junk food

I like the picture in your webometrics

One of the juniors asked me where do I get the picture from for this blog.  Well, it is a picture that I took long time ago when I was in Durham. It was autumn.  Durham has a picturesque landscape.  Every nook and corner is breathtaking.  I am glad that I decided to do my PhD there even though I vividly remember some of my friends mocked my decision of going there because Durham is less unknown as Cambridge or Oxford.  Yeah right.  That is a common assumption by some Malaysians about Durham.

I like the picture because it shows a canoeist in the River Wear (Note: Durham has its own rowing club).  Yup.  The name of the river is River Wear.

This is the route that I used to go to School of Education

I took this picture a day after I had my viva with my friend, Putri who came all the way from London to accompany me for my viva.

I took this in autumn 2007. Not long after I started my PhD journey

A rowing boat in the middle of the frozen river. Where are the ‘hunky’ rowers? Dancing on ice, anyone? I took this picture in winter 2010.

 

BS4DCP? What is that?

Some people asked me if I underwent BS4DCP like them.  I said that during my time, we had Induction Course.  I had that long time ago (more than 10 years ago).  Upon saying this, I realize that I am not young.  Let’s admit that.  With the number 4 in front of my age, unlike BMW 4 Series, some of the things that I have are starting to deplete.  Yup.

I was informed that one of the things that they have to do as new academic staff is to attend the BS4DCP courses.  They have to do assignments and one of it is to create a post on their people.utm.my (webometrics).  One of the juniors suggested that they should look my webometrics.  Hearing that, my first reaction is “What?  My webometrics?” It is kind of funny when people start looking at my webometrics as a reference.  I never thought that I would be this famous.  Oh man!

But what a heck!  Please go through my posts as you wish.  If whatever I have posted make sense and could help you guys in completing your assignments, I feel honored that I could assist you guys through this blog.  Happy reading!

P.S:  I write this post with the knowledge that you will read this somehow (tongue in cheek remark!)