How to reduce test anxiety?

There are so many ways to reduce test anxiety.  It might be different from one person to another.  What works best for one might not be the best for others.  Knowing our own strengths in overcoming test anxiety is crucial.  But most of the time, we want to take short cuts rather than exploring our self.  

For me, reading helps to help me regain composure.  What kind of things that I read?  From holy scripture, Al-Quran (with the translation.  So when I read the Arabic verses, I would take a moment to read the translation to understand the verses that I have read) to magazines (and tabloid.  I pick up the habit to read The Guardian UK and Dailymail when I was in UK).  One of my favorites is Psychology Today (online version).  I came across an article about managing test anxiety by Guy Winch.  HERE is the article.  

Understanding personality

What is personality?  There are textbooks definitions and whatsnot.  But for me, personality defines our uniqueness as individual.  I am reading a book entitled “The end of average” by Todd Rose. 

While reading the book, I am thinking about what I discussed with my students last semester about personality traits. Other than journal articles, I also linked various Youtube materials on the elearning.  One of it is THIS by Dr Brian Little.  

A little note as a student: Adab with your teachers

*ADAB MURID — PENUNTUT*

*Adab Sebelum Masuk Majlis Ilmu*

1. Sucikan hati — ikhlas menuntut kerana Allah. Jauhi segala macam niat yang menyimpang seperti ingin kepujian, ingin berdebat dll.

2. Kosongkan hati seolah2 tidak tahu apa2 dan mohon Allah Ta’ala masukkan ilmu yang manfaat ke dalam hati.

3. Berwudhu. (Bagi wanita yang uzur memadai bersihkan diri seberapa mungkin.)

*Adab Semasa didalam Majlis Ilmu*

1. Hadapkan wajah (diri) kepada Allah mohon Rahmat, Keredhaan dan Kasih Dia didalam tuntut ilmu

2. Mendengar dengan teliti segala pengajaran Guru

3. Jika ilmu itu baru bagi kamu, jangan cepat bantah (walaupun dalam hati) kerana sesungguhnya terlalu banyak ilmu yag telah dicicirkan oleh ummat akhir zaman

4. Jauhi segala macam jahat sangka pada Guru

5. Jangan berbual / bercakap dengan seseorang kecuali benar-benar perlu

6. Jangan gunakan telefon bimbit

7. Jika ada kemusykilan tanya dengan sopan dan baik

*Adab selepas Majlis Ilmu*

1. Mohon Allah Ta’ala berikan kekuatan untuk mengamalkan ilmu yang dipelajari

2. Mohon Allah Ta’ala tambahkan cahaya Iman di dalam hati

3. Mohon Allah Ta’ala sentiasa Kurniakan kelapangan hati untuk tetap hadiri Majlis Ilmu

Perhatian:
1. Sesungguhnya adab penuntut ilmu amatlah banyak seperti yang dihuraikan oleh Sulton Auliya Shaikh Abdul Qodir JIlani, Imam Syazili, Imam Ghazali dan lainnya. Adab-adab yang tersebut di atas hanya lah sebahagian daripada adab-adab tersebut. Walau bagaimana pun dengan amalkan segala adab di atas mudah-mudahan akan tertunai segala adab-adab lain.

2. Menjaga adab kepada Guru dan adab-adab dalam keseluruhan Majlis Ilmu menjadikan ilmu yang di perolehi penuh keberkatan. Sedangkan tiada adab hilangkan keberkatan.

3. Pastikan kita hadir hanya Majlis Ilmu Ahlus Sunnah yang benar (tulen) yang disampaikan oleh Guru yang benar-benar terpercaya sebagai Ahlus Sunnah. Dan sebagaimana kami di fahamkan oleh Ulama terpercaya, yang terbaik adalah mengambil ilmu dari Mursyid yang siddiq, iaitu Pewaris Nabi sebenar yang sampai ilmu nya kepada Junjungan Besar Nabi Muhammad ﷺ.

Jika ada keraguan, istikharah dan mohon petunjuk Allah.

Moga memperoleh kejayaan dunia akhirat.
Maassalamah

_________________
Dari Meja Admin
*Kursus Murnikan Solat Siri 2 UTM*

Quizziz or Kahoot!? Which is which?

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. 

 

E-Content UTM

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

 

Seating arrangement

 

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.  

 

What I missed yesterday

I had a workshop yesterday.  If there was no workshop, I would attend this K-Sharing programme by my IIUM alma mater senior, Dr Zulfikar Ahmad.  I have known him since 2000 when he was “somebody” in our PsychFor (Psychology Forum –  Psychology Forum is a club for Psychology major).  

You go, Bro!