OUM Today (07 2009)

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Issue 61-July 2009PP 15800/06/2010(024745)

New Building for Sarawak Learning Centre

Leadership and Institutional Building

A Myriad of Options at Open Day

AFPM Subscribes to myLMS

Conducive Learning at Learning AccessCentre

OUM Courses Transcend Borders

An Endless Quest

OUM Helps Nurses to Scale GreaterHeights

Picture Perfect

Snippets on Tea Talks and Seminars

08 OUM Today Issue 61 • July 2009

09OUM Today Issue 61 • July 2009

Shriram Raghunathan

An Endless Quest hriram Raghunathan embarked on his tertiary education, first completing his bachelor’s degree, then his Masters in Engineering and now, he is pursuing a PhD in Computer Science Engineering.

A firm believer in lifelong learning, he set his sights on OUM to take up his second Masters. The 34-year-old enrolled in the Master of Instructional Design and Technology (MIDT) early this year.

Shriram is an Associate Professor at the Computer Science and Engineering Department of BS Abdur Rahman University, a prominent higher learning institutions in India. An Indian national, he resides and works in Chennai, India.

One may wonder how Shriram co-ordinates his studies in Malaysia despite being thousands of miles away. As a learner of OUM that is technologically advanced, he has the privilege of learning from his native country without constraint.

OUM introduced the MIDT programme, conducted fully online beginning with the January intake this year. A first in Malaysia, MIDT is a breakthrough in the local education milieu. The unique programme is being taught by experts from all over the world including Canada, the United States, Brazil, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Denmark, Netherlands, Australia, the Middle East, United Kingdom and Malaysia.

The novelty of MIDT sparked a huge interest with learners from more than 15 countries. MIDT promotes collaborative learning among learners via a mix of online communication tools. OUM’s e-learning platform called the Learning Management System (myLMS) connects the geographically dispersed learners with the University. On top of this, other online social networking platforms such as e-mail, blog, skype, facebook, youtube and wikis pave the way for communication among learners and professors.

MIDT is a programme suited for those who are in the education industry as well as other industries. The programme educates learners to conceptualise and innovate online learning resources by exploiting ICT and other technologies. The advent of technology brought about phenomenal advancements in the education sector. Since the start of the millennium, education has scaled new heights with the introduction of e-learning. Due to the rising awareness on e-learning, OUM has introduced this programme to produce professionals who are distinctive in formulating engaging online learning materials.

On why he took up MIDT, Shriram said: “Besides teaching Computer Science Engineering, my work also revolves around research and innovation on emerging computing technologies. I aspire to bring profound changes to the community, especially the rural dwellers of Chennai, by bridging the digital divide. On the other hand, I also strive to improve the quality of teaching and learning practices of the university where I work. I am eyeing the possibilities of introducing distance learning programmes to make higher education accessible to the Indian population. I believe that MIDT will give me an edge in fighting for the cause.”

“I am glad that I chose OUM as it has given me the opportunity to learn from eminent professors from around the world. We share a close bond though we are located far away from each other. I am also fortunate to collaborate with learners from different countries and cultures. As MIDT stresses on project work as a means of assessment, my peers and I have ample scope to pursue what we have learnt in theory. We are encouraged to take up joint projects among our fellow learners, which to a great extend helped us comprehend the contents better. Apart from this, we also participate in online discussions on various topics to keep us abreast of the latest happenings. By doing so, we share our ideas and learn from each other.”

“As an open and distance learning (ODL) University, OUM has given its learners the flexibility to continue learning from whichever locations without disrupting their other commitments. Education is crucial nowadays to keep pace with the volatile changes. ODL is an attractive option for working people to upgrade their knowledge and competency,” he said.

OUM, said Shriram, must be lauded for introducing a niche programme like MIDT. “I became aware of OUM after attending a guest lecture by Prof Dr Abtar Kaur, who is the co-ordinator of the MIDT programme. The lecture was informative and this has changed my outlook on education. I was totally taken in and this led me to visit OUM and signing up for the programme. The true success of any innovation is when it can be applied for the betterment of society. As such, I aim to utilise the knowledge gained from MIDT to improve the livelihood of my fellow countrymen, predominantly the economically disadvantaged,” he concluded.

Master of Instructional Design and Technology

Entry Requirements:Prospective learners with a first degree in any field qualify for this programme. Those who do not meet the requirements but have relevant working experience are encouraged to apply and their applications will be assessed via the Open Entry System.

Programme Duration:2 Years

Intake:2010

Programme Coordinator:Prof Dr Abtar Kaur / [email protected]

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Che'an bte Ahmad

lorence Nightingale espoused nursing many years ago when she selflessly cared for the wounded soldiers who were left to fend for themselves. Little did she know that her noble act has taken a new meaning where nursing has now become a well-respected and rewarding profession.

Nursing is a profession that embodies caring and empathy, said Che’an bte Ahmad, Head, School of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences. “As it centres on caring for the sick and suffering, nursing is indeed a challenging job. Dealing with patients who are vulnerable entails great understanding and compassion.”

“A caring nurse would go beyond the call of duty to lift the spirit of patients. So it’s crucial that those who aspire to be a nurse must ascertain if they have what it takes to be in the profession. That said, nursing is not a domain reserved for women as more men are entering the profession,” said Che’an, who has more than three decades of working experience in the nursing field as a nurse and educator.

OUM introduced its Bachelor of Nursing Science programme in 2007 with 90 learners. Within the span of two years, the number of learn-ers has grown exponentially to almost 1,000. The rising demand for nurses prompted OUM to launch its School of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences (SONAHS) early this year. Through SOHNAS, the University aspires to offer a range of programmes that will broaden the horizon of nurses. The first batch of the nursing science learners will be graduating at the Seventh Convocation this year. It was an achievement for SOHNAS when the Bachelor of Nursing Science programme was accredited by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) recently.

OUM will offer its Master of Nursing Science programme starting with the September intake once approval is obtained from the MQA. Other programmes to be introduced soon are Diploma in Nursing and Advance Diploma in Nursing in disciplines such as Renal, Critical Care, Preoperative and Teaching Methodology. The School is also looking at offering Allied Health Sciences programmes in the area of Pre-Hospital Emergency Care and a degree in Health Science. OUM hopes that the programmes will help produce competent nurses who can effect profound changes to the nursing field through their credibility and positive attitude.

According to Che’an, OUM is the first University in Malaysia to offer the nursing programme via distance learning. “Higher education for nurses gained momentum at the turn of the new millennium. Despite that, most of the learning institutions offered full-time courses that are inconvenient to in-service nurses. That was when OUM came into the picture to provide them the opportunity to learn without having to quit their jobs. The University’s mode of learning gives them the flexibility to pursue their academic qualifications while working.”

One of the major attractions of OUM’s nursing degree, said Che’an, lies in the clinical practicum that it offers. “There are six disciplines but learners only need to do their clinical in any three areas namely Critical Care Nursing, Trauma and Emergency Nursing, Paediatrics Nursing, Mental Health Nursing, Oncology Nursing and Renal Nursing. Through specialisation, nurses can build their capability in niche areas of nursing care.”

Che’an feels that paper qualification is not the sole measure of nurses’ competency. “Nursing is a highly skilled profession. This is why OUM collaborates with the Ministry of Health for the use of the 21 public hospitals and three teaching hospitals for the nurses to do their clinical practicum. The practicum enables these nurses to

acquire hands-on experience where they are placed under the supervision of preceptors.”

“Changes in the environment and lifestyle had given rise to new diseases and illnesses. In medical care, doctors and nurses play an equal role in elevating the suffering of patients. To live up to the demands of their job, nurses have to consistently enhance their knowledge and skills. Nurses can rise to the occasion by turning to lifelong learning,” added Che’an.

FOUM Helps Nurses to Scale Greater Heights

On the shortage of nurses, Che’an said that it is a global phenomenon. “The shortage is not a local problem but happens in many other countries. Most of our nurses are very much in demand abroad especially in the Middle East. They are drawn by the lucrative salary offered by these countries. To address this issue, the Ministry of Health has created new avenues for the nurses to climb up the career ladder. I hope that this initiative will have a positive outcome with far-reaching impact.”

Nurses are no longer confined to hospitals and clinics, said Che’an. “Nurses can now seek employment in other sectors such as insurance, aviation, forensic, sports. Also, nurses can seek employment as hospital directors, nurse managers, educators, researchers, specialists and consultants. To succeed in their vocation, nurses must posses the right qualification, attitude and a willingness to continue learn-ing. In short, nursing is a promising career that has good prospects,” concluded Che’an.


Mazlan Zulkifly

Picture Perfect obbies make life more interesting. For some people hobbies keep them going. Moreover, the hobby itself is an excellent way to keep one young at heart. In a recent interview, Mazlan Zulkifly, Manager of Centre for Instructional Design and Technology (CIDT), shared his passion for vintage cameras and photography. For Mazlan, collecting something that one really has a passion for is a very fascinating hobby, especially when it is directly related to one’s job.

His interest in vintage cameras and photography started in 1993 when he was looking for things that could be displayed at home. Although he has a Bachelor Degree in Arts (Linguistic) and Master of International Relations from University of Malaya, it is not a hindrance for him to develope his portfolio as a professional photographer. In addition to his four years of experience as an assistant photographer before joining OUM in 1999, Mazlan also took several courses which would allow him to become a professional photographer. These courses enabled him to discuss photography techniques with experts in the field such as those from the Society of Foto Imej Perak and a member of The Royal Photo-graphic of Society (London).

When asked why he preferred collecting vintage cameras compared to other advanced cameras, Mazlan said he was not only attracted to the striking appearance of vintage cameras but also their history. According to Mazlan, vintage cameras help bring into focus the roots of photogra-phy and how much photography has evolved. As such, for him collecting vintage cameras is a highly rewarding hobby.

His first vintage camera was a 1960 Kodak Brownie Starmeter with Supermite Flashholder by Kodak Eastman Company that cost about RM800. Mazlan said, only 4000 units of this model were produced all over the world. Inspired by the Nikon F Series which were mainly used by professionals, he also bought a Nikon SLR film camera produced in 1959 that cost about RM3,500. It was the most expensive vintage camera he had ever acquired. Though some of his cameras no longer function, he continues to keep them as he is fascinated by them. Some are made from wood with brass and leather embellishments. “The look and charm of these early imaging machines is a wonderful way to keep this rich part of history alive,” he said. He now has over 300 vintage cameras with a number of cameras going as far back as the 1900s. The price of the vintage cameras range from RM75 to RM3,500 each. Most of them are Kodak vintage cameras. “I trust that in using old equipment, we can somehow experience what people experienced in the past, and it introduced a new perspective for me, especially in understanding images,” Mazlan remarked.

Does he has any advice on how to choose a camera? He said not to put a value on a particular brand. It is meaningless if one compares cameras based on brands alone. More important is the functions. Skills and knowledge of the principles of photography would also help. Even though today’s cameras have improved tremendously so much so that one could take a good photograph with just a click, it takes knowledge and skills to produce professional quality photographs. According to Mazlan, people could see how much we know about photography through the pictures we produce. This is the difference between a professional and an amateur photographer. Impressed with the skills and knowledge in balancing art and technique by Prof Michael Langford, the Photography Course Director at The Royal College of Art, London, United Kingdom, Mazlan dreams of one day studying from the well-known professor and be a member of the Royal Photographic Society.

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Some of the pictures taken by Mazlan


Blue Ocean Strategy: The Way Forward for OUMDate: 19 June 2009

Presenter: Prof Ramli Bahroom

rof Ramli Bahroom, OUM’s General Manager (Corporate Planning), recently

shared his latest project. Adoption of the Blue Ocean Strategy approach to

OUM’s strategic plans. On 1 April 2009, the Blue Ocean Strategy (BOS) Team of

OUM was formed. The team comprises Prof Ramli, Rosila Abu Zarin (Corporate

Planning), Christine Ling (Faculty of IT and Multimedia Communication), Assoc

Prof Zulkifli Yaacob (METEOR Learning) and Dr Oh Teik Hai (Faculty of Business

and Management).

BOS made waves when a book with the title was published in 2005. It is an

international bestseller by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne. BOS is about

making competition irrelevant. It offers a set of tools to create a new market-

place. BOS frameworks and tools include: strategy canvas, value curve, four

actions framework, six paths, buyer experience cycle, buyer utility map and

blue ocean idea index.

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Snippets on Tea Talks and SeminarsBy Fatimah Ibrahim / [email protected]

Prof Ramli Bahroom addressing the participants of the Blue Ocean Strategy workshop

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Seminar & Dialogue on e-Learning Standards & ModelsDate: 24 June 2009

Presenters: Ms Stefania Aceto and Mr Fabio Nascimbeni

from Belgium and Spain

The seminar was attended by 43 participants including

tutors who came from as far as Kota Bharu and Ipoh.

Ms Aceto talked about Innovation in Europe e-Learning.

She shared about current efforts to enhance e-learning

in Europe via the Learnovation Open Forum which was

initiated in Brussels on 27 May 2009. There are 10

imperatives for change beyond 2010 which Europe aims

to achieve. These are:

Rescue research on education and lifelong learning

from a marginal position

Provide more evidence to policy making, but choose

indicators that could push creativity and innovation,

not only conformance

Face openly the issue of relevance of current learning

provision: change is urgent

Establish more connections among the different

areas of lifelong learning

Celebrate and recognise learning achievements

Bring informal learning into the policy spectrum

Enhance the innovation capacity of teacher training

systems

Help teachers and trainers to recognise and respect

the value of informal learning

Encourage all forms of learning at the workplace

Remember that not all workers are stereotypical

knowledge workers

To those who are interested to know more about the

imperatives, more information is available at

www.learnovation.eu.

The second speaker, Mr Fabio Nascimbeni, talked about

The UNIQuE Certification System and The EFQUEL

eLearning Quality Model.

European University Quality in eLearning (UNIQUe) is a

quality improvement process that provides institutional

accreditation. UNIQUE aims at enhancing the reform

process of European higher education institutions by

OUM Today (07 2009)

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