A135745 Freddy Baiwal (IPGKS): July 2011

Thursday 28 July 2011

REFLECTION WEEK 3 (b) ASSIGNMENT 5- ONLINE AND PRINTED QUESTIONNAIRE

In this particular week, we were assigned to create a simple online and printed questionnaire in pairs based on the respective topics that we have chosen for the assignment 1 and 4. There were two methods that we used to create our simple questionnaire, namely Survey Monkey and Google Document. These methods will create different types of questionnaire for instance for Survey Monkey, the only type of question that we can create is multiple choice question (only one answer) conversely for Google document we can create a form which contains different types of questions such as checkbox, multiple choice and scale. After we have collected the data of online questionnaire or survey, we were asked to code the questionnaire item and lastly analyze the online data using SPSS and write a report using Open Office Writer.

The data that we got from the questionnaire will be used in the SPSS to tabulate the data. In relation to that, my partner which is Nigel Lawai Willie and I have come up with some relevant questions that we are going to use in our questionnaire pertaining to our topic on e-Learning. There were about 30 questions that we have created altogether and we touched every concept of e-learning in those particular questions. In addition to that, we also had to make sure that there are no mistakes in terms of spelling, language and grammar so that it would be easier to read.

Through the process of completing this task, I learned how to create online questionnaire and I can apply this knowledge in the future as well. Furthermore, I also learned about cooperative and collaborative skills between my partner and me where we shared our opinions, idea and thoughts together since a pair work requires both individuals to work with each other to complete certain tasks. Not only that, I also noticed one good thing about working in pairs where we can build a rapport between our partners without any misunderstandings.

Moreover, I also learned about the elements of creativity, rationality and critical thinking where we as teachers to be should be inculcated with these essential elements. I realized that if I were able to apply these elements in doing my every single assignment, I am pretty sure that I would be able to excel in this particular course. In addition to that, these elements will also insist us to go beyond of our level of thinking or in other word; it will let us to think out of the box.

Undeniably, this particular assignment has provided me with a clear grasp on the procedures involved in making a simple questionnaire. Before this, I have never been exposed to all these kind of things but luckily this course has taught me a lot about things that I have never explored before.

FREDDY BAIWAL
B.ED TESL (SM) UKM-IPGKS
INSTITUT PENDIDIKAN GURU KAMPUS SARAWAK
Jalan Bakam, 98000 Miri,
SARAWAK.
FACULTY OF EDUCATION
TEL NO : 013-8579721

Yahoo mail : freddyukm@yahoo.com
Gmail : freddyukm@gmail.com
Facebook Address : http://www.facebook.com/freddyukm
Yahoo Group Address : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FreddyBaiwalA135745IPGKS
Blog's URL : http://freddybaiwal.blogspot.com

Thursday 21 July 2011

REFLECTION WEEK 3a (ASSIGNMENT 4) – LITERATURE REVIEW AND ONLINE MATERIALS

This week we were assigned to find four journals on the topic that we have chosen for assignment one to complete our fourth assignment which was to write a literature review using the online materials. The journals must be obtained from different sources such as http://www.ukm.my/library/, http://www.ezplib.ukm.my/login, http://scholar.google.com.my, and http://books.google.com/. For this particular assignment, I paired up with Nigel Lawai Willie and we managed to find four journals from these sources and we decided to use the essential information from the journals to write our report on what should be done in Malaysia.

Undeniably, we had a hard time to find the four different journals because we need to subscribe to it then only we can download them and we even could not access to the UKM library only after we were given the password. Through the process of completing this task, I have gained many experiences especially in searching for reliable information in the net, so my partner and I had to read the information thoroughly and compared them with the information that we got from the different journals.

I realized that this assignment will actually prepare and expose us to the ways of carrying out a research besides providing me with a strong foundation when we are doing our master later on. To carry out a research we need to really master the topic in detail so that our research will be more thoughtful and expressive. For our topic on e-Learning we have found that there was a big problem with the integration of e-Learning in our country, Malaysia especially those students who live in the rural areas who are far more behind compared to the urban students who are far more advance in e-Learning. In fact, the government now is trying to address this gap so that every individual will have the chance to experience e-Learning. We also found a study case in the journal that we found on the integration of e-Learning in Saudi Arabia including the challenges and its development.

In short, through the process of completing this assignment I learned to appreciate the benefits brought by the e-Learning in my daily life and not misuse it. This will also enable me to achieve the skills needed as what was stated in the 21st century skills.

ASSIGNMENT 4-LITERATURE REVIEW USING ONLINE MATERIALS (INTEGRATION OF E-LEARNING BY FREDDY BAIWAL&NIGEL LAWAI WILLIE)

FREDDY BAIWAL (A135745 / UKM-IPGKS)
NIGEL LAWAI WILLIE (A135748 / UKM-IPGKS)

Assignment 4: Literature Review Using Online Materials

INTEGRATION OF E- LEARNING (WHAT SHOULD BE DONE IN MALAYSIA?) BY FREDDY BAIWAL AND NIGEL LAWAI WILLIE

            During a CBT seminar in Los Angeles, in October 1999, a strange new word was used for the first time in a professional environment – ‘e- Learning’. This word associated itself with such expressions as ‘online learning’ or ‘virtual learning’. In another word, it is a way to learn based on the use of new technologies allowing access to online, interactive and sometimes personalized training through the Internet or other electronic media (intranet, extranet, interactive TV, CD-Rom, etc.), so as to develop competencies while the process of learning is independent from time and place.
            The rise of the development e- Learning revolution begins from a number of other ‘educational revolutions’. Four of such revolutions cited by Billings and Moursund (1988) are the invention of reading and writing, the emergence of the profession of teacher/ scholar, the development of moveable type (print technology) and the development of electronic technology.
           In Malaysia, the whole society is facing a big problem in terms of their education’s progress because of the ineffective integration of e-Learning in this country. In other countries, emphasis is given more on the ways to improve the effectiveness of e-Learning and thus their education system becomes more stable and advance. Generally, there are few factors which cause the slow development of the integration of e-Learning in Malaysia.
        One of the factors that cause this problem is the deficiencies in the adaption of the course contents to the local educational needs. In other word, there is no proper management on the right selections of the educational contents that need to be applied in every school and also the proper discussion among the educational developers about the reasons why the course contents need to correspond well with the local educational needs. For instance, one of the main goals of our education system is to produce human capitals who are highly competent not only in academic field but also in science and technology, but unfortunately the lack of self-awareness on the importance of acquiring and gaining knowledge on ICT skills among the Malaysians has resulted into the deterioration of the students’ performance in those areas and at the same time our education’s goals would not be achieved successfully.
         Apart from that, it is also because of lack of adjustment to the current system that introduces e-Learning as one of the compulsory systems which often used interchangeably with distance learning, virtual learning, online learning, or web-based learning. This will give many negative consequences among the students and to our country itself.
        Other than that, the lack of local management engagement affected the learners’ motivation negatively and also their perception towards the importance of e-Learning in order for them to be advanced in their studies. For instance, the authorities may have not come up with some alternatives on the ways to cultivate and bring a new culture to the society especially among the students on the importance of acquiring and building knowledge on ICT skills in order to prepare them with strong foundations in ICT skills to face this changing world. This is also due to the economy factor which is one of the most serious hindrances that causes a long pause in the implementation of e-Learning for example the insufficient income to implement any strategies that can be used to encourage the applications of e-Learning in our education system. Thus, most of students who live in the rural areas would not be able to experience the e-Learning process compared to those students who live in the urban areas since they cannot afford to buy laptops due to financial problems and so on. It is actually the most basic item that we need to have in order for us to develop our ICT skills. In addition to that, lack of facilities will also contribute to the lower development of e-Learning in Malaysia for instance most of the rural schools do not have computer labs, 24 hour electric supply and also the conduciveness of the classroom environment itself.
            The application of e-Learning in Malaysia has become more substandard than it is now. It is still proven debilitated mostly in rural areas where almost 100% students are still IT undiscerning. Yes, it is unassailable that e-Learning is efficacious in urban areas where it plays a crucial role in giving information to the students both in schools and universities. The primary limelight here is how e-Learning can be made highly efficient in the rural areas mostly located in Sabah and Sarawak.
            Kigozi et al, 2009; Gao et al, 2006, stated that we need to further explore efficient design principles and adequate pedagogical approaches. Basically the cognitive development of the students in rural areas is much slower compare to the students in urban areas who are much more exposed to the usage of IT. How do we teach the ideology of e-Learning to the students in rural areas has to be taken into account. The reinvention of the methodology of teaching is highly recommended. The design of an e-Learning course should correspond with the learning needs of the individual in order to be effective. Let’s say that a student is not being exposed to any constituents of IT. He or she will face a lot of barricades if e-Learning is taught at the parallel level as a student who has a lot of exposé to IT.
            Additionally, the design of the e-Learning courses must be relevant for different local communities of practices. There is also a need for establishing an e-Learning culture and organization facilitating the integration of e-Learning outcomes into education processes. Before we can reach to the students to learn about e-Learning we have to learn about their culture beforehand. We must know the most fitting methodology to teach the students based on their culture so that there is no gap between the information to be transferred. Apart from that, there is also a need for finding examples of best practices and a need of more evaluation studies from a socio-cultural perspective, in order to improve our understanding of e-Learning processes in large organizations.
            Simultaneously a high degree of management engagement contributed to the learners’ motivation in the studies. If the participation of the management is less, the ability of the learners to learn will deteriorate because lack of motivation given by the management of the course. In addition there is a need for increased co-operation among the developers (often IT-professionals) and schools, in order to integrate knowledge and support.
            In a nutshell, the integration of e-learning in Malaysia can be enhanced if there is a full cooperation among the Malaysians and also the government itself in order to make sure that the application of e-Learning in our country becomes wider and wider.

REFERENCES

1. http://www.ezplib.ukm.my/login
Grundén, K. (n.d.). Retrieved 7 20, 2011, from Integration of e-learning outcomes into work processes: http://eleed.campussource.de/archive/7/2916/
Abdulkareem Al-Alwani, E. (n.d.). Retrieved 7 20, 2011, from A study on Integration of Information Technology in Higher Education in Saudi Arabia: http://eleed.campussource.de/archive/7/2990/

2. http://scholar.google.com.my/
Hansen, D. J. (n.d.). Retrieved 7 20, 2011, from E-Learning: Strategies for Delivering Knowledge in the Digital Age: http://www.ifets.info/journals/6_3/11.html

3. http://books.google.com:
Ruth C. Clark, R. E. (n.d.). Retrieved 7 20, 2011, from E-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers: http://books.google.com/books?id=twoLz3jlkRgC&pg=PA284&dq=elearning+journals&hl=en&ei=cf8jTo6jIczLrQfXxfWFAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=e-learning%20journals&f=false

4. Website:
(n.d.). Retrieved 7 21, 2011, from e-Learning Fundamentals: http://www.leerbeleving.nl/wbts/1/history_of_elearning.html

FREDDY BAIWAL
B.ED TESL (SM) UKM-IPGKS
INSTITUT PENDIDIKAN GURU KAMPUS SARAWAK
Jalan Bakam, 98000 Miri,
SARAWAK.
FACULTY OF EDUCATION
TEL NO : 013-8579721

Yahoo mail : freddyukm@yahoo.com
Gmail : freddyukm@gmail.com
Facebook Address : http://www.facebook.com/freddyukm
Yahoo Group Address : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FreddyBaiwalA135745IPGKS
Blog's URL : http://freddybaiwal.blogspot.com

Tuesday 19 July 2011

REFLECTION WEEK 3 (ASSIGNMENT 3- WEBPORTOLIO USING YAHOOGROUPS/ DIGITAL PORTFOLIO-CMS/LMS)

Our task for this week was to find information and write a critical essay based on the topic Course / Learning Management System (CMS / LMS). The critical essay must contain the definition, advantages and lists of open source software for course or learning management system. For this particular task, we were asked to work in pairs and every pair has to come up with their respective critical essay. After that, we were also asked to share our critical essay with our course mates, course lecturer and also our course-coordinator by using the google document so that everybody can take a look at it and give their own insights or comments about it.

I learned a lot of things in the process of completing this task. Honestly, I have never heard of the term course or learning management system before, but after I have done some research which discussed more on this topic in detail then only I managed to get a good grasp of it. From my understanding about this topic, CMS/LMS is a method that will allow those people who wish to have a distant learning compared to few years ago where most of our students were unable to fulfill their desire of having chance to study abroad because during that time our technology’s progress was still not that advance enough. Through the application of this method, it would not only provide a better opportunity for the students in pursuing their studies but also contributes to the positive development of our education system. Among the advantages of CMS/LMS are providing of immediate access to training, save our time, money and energy, it is also always up-to-date and enable us to enhance our learning experience.

Based on the research that I have conducted I found that CMS/LMS has several types of open open-source software such as Docebo , eFront, Dokeos, Claroline, Atutor¸ILIAS, OLAT, Sakai, LRN, Openelms and Ganesha. These are the software which play important roles in the CMS/LMS and to ensure the effectiveness of using this system. All of this software has already been applied by all over the world and Malaysia is one of them.

As a teacher to be it is very important for me to learn and explore more about this thing as this skill is very crucial when it comes to teaching and learning processes. For instance, every affair that I make will be more organized especially matters concerning to education process. The most important key point here is self-awareness which I myself need to decide whether to take this opportunity to improve myself and start building up my knowledge on ICT skills or not. Besides that, patience is also crucial in mastering this skill as I always encounter situations which often cause me to give up and feeling despair. This situation happened whenever I could not recall the knowledge that I have just acquired and also I did not manage to apply and internalize the input that has been given by our lecturer during lectures. From that situation, I tried to be more patient even though the problem that I am facing is quite challenging.

In a nutshell, CMS/LMS is a very good kind of system which needs to be developed in every country in this world so that education system will be easier and stronger in terms of producing great human capitals in the future.

FREDDY BAIWAL
B.ED TESL (SM) UKM-IPGKS
INSTITUT PENDIDIKAN GURU KAMPUS SARAWAK
Jalan Bakam, 98000 Miri,
SARAWAK.
FACULTY OF EDUCATION
TEL NO : 013-8579721

Yahoo mail                      : freddyukm@yahoo.com
Gmail                                 : freddyukm@gmail.com
Facebook Address        : http://www.facebook.com/freddyukm
Yahoo Group Address : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FreddyBaiwalA135745IPGKS
Blog's URL                         : http://freddybaiwal.blogspot.com

COURSE / LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (CMS / LMS) (ASSIGNMENT 3)

NAMES : FREDDY BAIWAL & NIGEL LAWAI WILLIE (UKM-IPGKS)
SUBJECT : COMPUTER IN EDUCATION (GE 1155)

COURSE / LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (CMS / LMS)

A learning management system (LMS) is a database system which records all the details of any education that a person for example student and so on has taken or will take. It is also an information system that administers instructor-led and e-learning courses and keeps track of student’s progress. This system is used widely especially large enterprises and the main function is to monitor the effectiveness of the organization's education and training. For example, the applications of this system in our education system will allow student’s registration, online interactive courses, control classroom training sessions, distance learning units and videos,. Not only that, it is also beneficial in ensuring state- and federal-mandated courses are delivered in a timely manner.

Fundamentally, learning management system has many advantages especially in making sure that our education system is on the right track. Among the benefits of learning management system is the providing of immediate access to training. Sometimes training cannot be conducted effectively because of few factors such as time, distance and costs but through learning management system there will be no training lag time for new employees so the training process will be conducted on the spot. Thus, it will save our time, money and energy. Through the immediate access to training, it will also deliver new product training on time which is widely used all over the world. Apart from that, this system will also reduce the delivery costs per course since we can get more value from the training budget and at the same time we are also providing training to more people. Through this process every problem which is related to education and so on will be solved.

Besides that, it will also give the employees more time to do their job. As a result, it will increase their competency in doing their work and at the same time reduces the training-related travel and fit self-paced training into down time. It will also deliver training with greater consistency as what I have mentioned earlier. Asides from that, learning management system will also make the training as not a burdensome for certain people or in other word make our life easier. In learning management system the information is always up to date so we should not be worried if we do not manage to go and look up for the latest news because this system will always up to date it. Other than that, this system will also provide extensive travel and save the time and cost and instruction also has more meaning for the learner which could help them to excel in their studies by complying with the instructions given. The application of this system will also enable us to enhance learning experience because we should be aware of the changes that happened around us from time to time and able to cope with it successfully as part of our life experience and thus encourage us as learners to have more responsibility for our personal success.

There are several open-source software for LMS such as:

1. Docebo

2. eFront

3. Dokeos

4. Claroline

5. Atutor

6. ILIAS

7. OLAT

8. Sakai

9. LRN

10. Openelms

11. Ganesha

In short, learning management system has left a great impact in today’s education scenario by providing better opportunity for those students who wish to have a distant learning or training. There should not be any hesitations because this system has been proven as an effective application.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Learning Management System. (n.d.). Retrieved 7 16, 2011, from http://www.bestpricecomputers.co.uk/glossary/learning-management-systems.htm

Learning Management System. (n.d.). Retrieved 7 16, 2011, from http://edutechwiki.unige.ch/en/Learning_management_system

Learning Management System Definition. (n.d.). Retrieved 7 16, 2011, from http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia_term/0,2542,t=LMS&i=46205,00.asp

LMS (Learning Management System) Defined & LMS Overview and Features. (n.d.). Retrieved 7 16, 2011, from http://www.nationaltrainingsoftware.com/lmskeybenefits.html

Open Source LMS – 10 Alternatives to Moodle. (n.d.). Retrieved 7 16, 2011, from http://barrysampson.com/2009/04/open-source-lms-10-alternatives-to-moodle/

FREDDY BAIWAL
B.ED TESL (SM) UKM-IPGKS
INSTITUT PENDIDIKAN GURU KAMPUS SARAWAK
Jalan Bakam, 98000 Miri,
SARAWAK.
FACULTY OF EDUCATION
TEL NO : 013-8579721

Yahoo mail                   : freddyukm@yahoo.com
Gmail                           : freddyukm@gmail.com
Facebook Address       : http://www.facebook.com/freddyukm
Yahoo Group Address : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FreddyBaiwalA135745IPGKS
Blog's URL                : http://freddybaiwal.blogspot.com

Monday 18 July 2011

REFLECTION ON DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF INDIVIDUAL BLOG (ASSIGNMENT 2)

During the previous weeks our tasks were to create our own official blog for the subject computer in education (GE 1155) and that blog functions more towards academic stuff rather than personal one. Therefore, all our reflections, essay and so on need to be posted on our own official blog so that our classmate, course lecturer and our course coordinator would be able to give any constructive comments on it. Personally, I am not really expert in doing this kind of thing as I have never been exposed to it before, but my lecturer was the one who assisted me a lot in order for me to brush up my ICT skills. I believe that without his guidance I would not be able to excel in this subject.

After we have created our own blog, we need to always up to date it and we were also asked to decorate it using our own creativity by using different designs and templates which were available and downloadable in the internet. This task aims to test how far we can apply the knowledge that we have learned and also to test our competency and determination in learning something new without depending too much on our lecturer. At first I tend to give up since I have tried so many times to look up for some beautiful designs and templates on the net for my blog, but I could not find any so I decided to ask my friend on which website that provides the free blog’s design and templates only then I can decorate my blog nicely. There are few steps involved to change the background of our blog. Firstly, click on the “design” button and click on the “Edit Html” button and paste the code of the background that we have chosen and click on the “Apply to my blog” button. To change the fonts, we should click on the button “Template designer” and click on the “advanced” button then you can choose your own desired fonts.

Meanwhile, the reflections and the critical essays that we have written needs to be organized neatly according to the weeks so that it would be easier for my lecturer and course coordinator to give their comments on it. Furthermore, we should also be able to develop these skills of decorating our own blogs from time to time and we suppose to always look up for current news which are related to this task.

In short, the development and maintenance of individual blog has taught me to be more creative and innovative in order to make my blog more interesting and attractive.

TOPIC 9 : E-LEARNING ESSAY (FREDDY BAIWAL & NIGEL LAWAI WILLIE (ASSIGNMENT 1)

NAMES : FREDDY BAIWAL & NIGEL LAWAI WILLIE
TOPIC 9 : E-LEARNING

The rapid development of modern technology has greatly affected the society globally especially in various fields such as economy, politic and science. One of the most obvious fields that has gone through a great transformation due to the rapid boost of technology is education. In relation to that, e-learning has been introduced locally or internationally in order to make sure that the teaching and learning process become easier. In Malaysia itself, the application of this concept has left a great impact on our education system especially in producing talented human capitals which could bring our country’s name in the eyes of the world. E-learning can be defined as a means of education that incorporates self-motivation, communication, efficiency, and technology. In other word, it is also a means of teaching through technology where teachers and students are being exposed into different methods of conducting the teaching and learning processes. In addition, it also eliminates the distances and subsequent commutes compared to few years ago where teaching and learning process had been restricted due to costs, distance and time constraints. In this personal review, we are going to touch a little bit on the concepts of e-learning, types of e-learning and also the advantages and disadvantages of e-learning.

From the education perspectives, one of the most serious problems that we are facing now is the teachers often miss out classes due to personal problems or he or she has to go for any activities outside the schools which will cause the limitations in social interactions between the teacher and the students but by using the e-learning we could solve this problem easily by using videoconferencing, video (webcam), Yahoo Mail, Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo! Groups and the latest is Facebook and so on. These applications will allow the teacher to conduct his or her lesson through online but not face to face kind of interactions and also give homework to their students. In addition, this will indirectly encourage the communication process to take place for example between the teacher and the students because in e-learning concept it is important for a student to communicate with their instructors or teachers frequently in order to get their assigned tasks done.

There are few processes on how e-learning occurs such as online learning, web-based training and computer-based training or instruction. The first process which is online learning is a process where we can do our research in the net through the supportive resources that are available in our computer. It is actually the fastest way for us to find any information that are available on the net which consists of different sources such encyclopaedia, online journal, online magazines and online newspapers. On the other hand, web-based training refers to the courses on the internet which is linked to learning resources outside the course for instance electronic mail and discussions and video conferencing. The third process which is computer based training or instruction is a process where computer does not provide links to learning resources outside the course and the computer is not connected to a network. Moreover, e-learning also includes the process of blended learning where the traditional learning or classroom is combined with the e-learning tools. This process aims to achieve maximum effectiveness which will not only benefit the students but also to the teachers.

Apart from that, there are fundamentally two types of e-learning called synchronous training and asynchronous training. Synchronous training actually a process where students and teachers interact with each other via the web. For instance, instant messaging, chat, audio and video conferencing are the examples of synchronous training. This type of e-learning has its own benefits such as enable monitoring and correction processes, encourage collaborations among the students and we can also personalize the training for each learner. The next type of e-learning which is asynchronous training allows the students to complete their Web-based training on their own without interacting with their teacher. This type of e-learning is useful because students can get any information that they want and through message boards, bulletin boards and discussion forums they can interact with each other.

The introduction of e-learning to the global education system has its own advantages and disadvantages. First of all, the advantages of e-learning are students can access to their e-learning course anytime they want. In other word it is convenient, flexible and accessible and it is also inexpensive worldwide distribution, low travel costs and time savings. Not only that, e-learning also allows us to save our costs for the corporation. Meanwhile, the disadvantages of e-learning are loss of human contact, the interactivity level is too static, it also takes our time and more money is needed to develop it, some courses are not very well delivered if we use computer, the progress of learning is slow,

In short, e-learning has given many benefits to the education system in terms of effectiveness in the teaching and learning processes such as flexibility in learning and different classes are being offered by the school and so on which is one of the requirements that has been pointed out by our governments in order to consolidate our local education system and able to compete with other countries all over the world.

REFERENCES:
(n.d.). Retrieved July 12, 2011, from E-Learning Concepts and Techniques: http://iit.bloomu.edu/Spring2006_eBook_files/chapter1.htm
(n.d.). Retrieved July 12, 2011, from Note-E-Learning: http://www.namahn.com/resources/documents/note-e-learning.pdf (pdf)
(n.d.). Retrieved July 12, 2011, from Types of e-Learning and what suits me best?: http://www.gc-solutions.net/suit_me_best.asp

FREDDY BAIWAL
B.ED TESL (SM) UKM-IPGKS
INSTITUT PENDIDIKAN GURU KAMPUS SARAWAK
Jalan Bakam, 98000 Miri,
SARAWAK.
FACULTY OF EDUCATION
TEL NO : 013-8579721

Yahoo mail : freddyukm@yahoo.com
Gmail : freddyukm@gmail.com
Facebook Address : http://www.facebook.com/freddyukm
Yahoo Group Address : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FreddyBaiwalA135745IPGKS
Blog's URL : http://freddybaiwal.blogspot.com

Wednesday 13 July 2011

REFLECTION WEEK 2 (ASSIGNMENT 1-THINK, PAIR AND SHARE ACTIVITY)

The first assignment that our lecturer has given to us on Computer in Education (GGGE1155) is to choose one subtopic and study it individually (think) by using any search engines. After that, we were asked to discuss the topic with other students about the same subtopic (Pair). For each pair (group), choose only one of the facebook groups that have already been created before. After that, create a document in this group that explains and discuss critically about the issue and provide the links (SHARED). Discuss with other students about the same subtopic (PAIR) and lastly each member of the facebook group MUST read and respond to the subtopic. The owner or moderator MUST give feedbacks to it.

For this particular assignment,I paired up with Nigel Lawai Willie and we decided to choose topic 9 (E-Learning). I have learned a lot of things in the process of completing this assignment. We chose this topic because it is fully related to our subject as what we are doing now reflects the applications of e-learning in today’s education system specifically in our own country, Malaysia. This topic is quite difficult since it covers different aspects in general so we had to think critically on which area that we want to focus on.

First of all, I learned how to apply my ICT skills in searching information which are related to the topic that we have chosen for example by using several search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and so on but the information that were available in certain websites were sometimes unreliable so we had to compare those information with the information that we got whether from book, magazines and journal. Besides that, I also learned about cooperation and collaboration skills since a pair work requires both individuals to work and put equal effort together in order to make sure that the work is done successfully. As a teacher to be, cooperation and collaboration skills need to be inculcated in ourselves so that we can impart this knowledge to our students later on. In addition to that, our lecturer always encouraged us to work in groups whenever we have tasks to do as it would increase our awareness about the importance of social skills and communication skills in our daily life since these skills are really needed in teaching profession.

Another important value that I have learned throughout the process of completing this assignment is diligence and confidence. Learning ICT requires someone to really work hard especially in exploring new things and if we do not really interested in it than it is hard for us to proceed to the next topic but, if we slowly put ourselves into it then we could master the knowledge effectively.

Our topic which is e-learning has left a great impact in my reading and it really made me realize about the need to keep up with the current situations around especially in education field. If I take it for granted then the situation will become like an albatross around the neck. From my reading about E-Learning, I get to know more about its concepts, types, advantages and disadvantages and how it is applied in our education system. In my opinion, the applications of e-learning actually give pros and cons to our education system. The negative effects of it is that it might replace the roles of traditional learning in the future since e-learning will always change from time to time and being applied all over the world. E-learning should be combined with traditional learning which is called as a blended learning in order to make sure that traditional learning not to be fully abandoned in the future.

In short, this assignment has given many benefits to me which enable to enhance my ICT skills for the sake of my better future.

FREDDY BAIWAL
B.ED TESL (SM) UKM-IPGKS
INSTITUT PENDIDIKAN GURU KAMPUS SARAWAK
Jalan Bakam, 98000 Miri,
SARAWAK.
TEL NO : 013-8579721

Yahoo mail : freddyukm@yahoo.com
Gmail :freddyukm@gmail.com
Facebook Address : http://www.facebook.com/freddyukm
Yahoo Group Address : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FreddyBaiwalA135745IPGKS
Blog's URL : http://freddybaiwal.blogspot.com

STEPS TO CREATE EMAILS, FACEBOOK/FACEBOOK GROUPS, YAHOO GROUPS AND BLOG

STEPS TO CREATE EMAILS (YAHOO MAIL! &GMAIL)

The first tutorial that we were asked to do is to create new emails for yahoo mail and gmail. Creating new emails is very simple. These are the steps that we need to take in creating new e-mails (Yahoo mail and Gmails):

For yahoo mail, just go to http://www.yahoo.com, click "sign up" and fill in the form such as your names, username and your desired password.
For gmail, go to http://www.google.com, click "Gmail" which is above the search engine, click the "sign up" button and fill in the form such as your names,username and your desired password.
For gmail, sometimes we cannot verify our Gmail through our Yahoo mail, so what we can do is that we should key in our handphone numbers and wait for a few seconds and you will receive a message containing your verification code.

STEPS TO REGISTER OFFICIAL FACEBOOK ACCOUNT & FACEBOOK GROUP

Registering an official facebook account and facebook group is the simplest method of all since it does not involve many steps compared to Yahoo mail! and Gmail. As we all know, facebook is a vey good type of social networking which allows us to find new friends, communicate (chatting) and learning process can alse be done if we have a facebook account. Below are the steps involved in registering an official facebook account:

Go to www.facebook.com and click the "Sign Up" button.
Fill in a form about your personal information such as names, username, your desired password and etc.

FACEBOOK GROUP:

You must have your own official facebook account first.
Go to www.facebook.com and click the "Sign In" button by using your username and your password.
You will be redirected to your official facebook and click the "Home" button and there is a "Create Group" button and fill in the required information such as your group name and follow the instructions.
After you have created your facebook group then you can now add your friends, family and even your teachers to your group. They will be notified whenever you post any status or documents to your facebook group and enable them to comment on it.

STEPS TO CREATE A YAHOO GROUP

A Yahoo! Group is any group such as your family, friends, business associates, your book group to privately share info, images, ideas and more on the web. It is also free, secure and spam-protected.

To create a yahoo group, you must have your own yahoo mail. Below are the steps involve to create a yahoo group:

Go to http://groups.yahoo.com/ and click "Start your group today".
Select a group category. For this subject I decided to choose "Schools and Education" and under it I chose subjects as my sub-category.
Select a more specified sub-category.
Choose your desire group name and also email address for your group.
Describe your group by making a brief introduction.
Select your profile.
You can invite your friends to follow you on your yahoo group by typing their email address on the space provided and click the "Invite" button.Whenever you post a message or upload file(s), your group member will be able to view it.

STEPS TO CREATE A BLOG

A blog is a type of website or part of a website. It is usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. There are few steps that you need to follow to create your own blog:

Go to the website http://www.blogger.com.
Click on the "Create new account" button and you have two options whether to choose your gmail or yahoo mail.
Choose your desired template or design for your new blog.
There is a form that you need to fill in and enter your desired url for your blog.
Lastly, edit your profile for example you can put your profile pictures, your address, hobbies and so on.
You can also click the "Setting" button to change your current settings.
You can also download a new template for your blog from any websites.