Perlis, Malaysia, Rector of Universiti Muhammadiyah Malaysia (UMAM), Assoc. Prof. Ir. Dr. Waluyo Adi Siswanto in his opening speech of Academic Management Workshop and OpenLearning Training said that the delivery system can be used for Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) to assess academic progress and its competency throughout each semester. The two days’ structured workshop was prepared to rehabilitate all head of programmes and supervisors with the e-learning system and to ensure the academic requirements in the Malaysian higher education system are fulfilled. Which is why MQA, SETARA 2022, and Malaysian Research Assessment (MyRA) were integrated with OpenLearning during the workshop, raised by the Rector.
UMAM conducted a 2 days’ workshop related to Academic Management and e-learning OpenLearning training at UMAM’s main building at Wisma MAIPS. First day of the workshop was attended by two keynote speakers; Dr. Mona Fairuz Ramli and Vice Rector in Academic and International, Dr. Dwi Santoso presented MQA policies and guidelines & SETARA 2022, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ahmad Shabudin Ariffin presented MyRA. The session was then ended with recaps and strategic planning by Dean of Faculty Business Management and Information Technology (FBIT) UMAM Prof. Dr. Zakaria Abas. The second day of the training workshop was single handedly supervised by staff members from OpenLearning headquarter who came to Perlis from Kuala Lumpur.
OpenLearning e-learning platform provided at UMAM allows supervisors to provide planning, execution, evaluation, and outcome through the integrated system, stated by Vice Rector in Collaboration, Student Affairs and Alumni, Dr. Wachid Ridwan. The head of student affairs and alumni believed that this will significantly help the university to reach the requirements needed for doctoral programmes in Malaysia in accordance with MQA as the academicians can easily monitor each progress.
One of the participants, Rairake Setyawan, PhD, commented after joining the OpenLearning training workshop that he noticed there is no difference between traditional and modern education approaches but it is about how such academic life can be digitalized. The Head of Programme Business and Management said that digitalization at the current stage is significantly important when it comes to long-distance learning, supervision, and accreditation process by MQA.
The 2 days’ workshop on the 28th to 29th January early this year aims to prepare all the staff members before the start of UMAM’s new intake. Dealing with the new education environment in Malaysia and limited exposure of OpenLearning platform, hence it was important to give exposure to expatriates in applying Malaysia’s PhD education procedures and how to apply it in the particular system, said the Head of Programme Information Technology, Ika S. Windiarti, PhD. The Head of IT in fact insisted more similar workshops be held by the institution in future as many things still need to be learned.
