GOING GLOBAL WITH GLOBAL CLASSROOMS
In a stride towards enhancing academic communication skills, UHL2412 English for Academic Communication course has accomplished two successful Global Classrooms at the outset of 2024. Both sessions, held on January 11, 2024, Thursday, proved to be enlightening experiences for the students. The first 2-hour session in the morning commenced with a compelling talk delivered by Mr. Andri Wardana from Mae Fah Luang University, Thailand.
Engaging about 60 students, the session adopted a hybrid mode, providing an opportunity for both UMPSA Gambang and Pekan students to participate actively. While students in UMPSA Gambang attended the session at iLEARN Gambang, students in Pekan gathered at the Centre for Modern Languages Studio and joined via the Microsoft Teams application.
Mr. Andri Wardana's discourse primarily focused on mastering synthesis and strategies to enhance argumentative essay skills crucial for academic success in English. Notably, he introduced several applications aimed at assisting students in essay writing, while also underscoring the ethical responsibilities associated with the utilization of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in writing endeavours. Moderated by Amir Muzafar Mustafa Kamal and Achmad Iman Safiy Achmad Tarmizi from Dr. Ezihaslinda’s class, the session witnessed high levels of engagement as students actively participated in the tasks assigned, finding Mr. Andri's insights are invaluable.
Later in the day, Associate Professor Dr. Akhyar Rido from Universitas Teknokrat Indonesia took the virtual podium as the guest speaker for the afternoon session. The topic of paraphrasing and its techniques in argumentative essay writing was presented in an interactive manner, facilitated by two moderators - Iqram Mohd Rafie and Muhammad Khairul Azfar Mowardi. Approximately 60 students, guided by three instructors from UHL2412 English for Academic Communication course - Madam Noor Azlinda Zainal Abidin, Madam Siti Ainun Jariyah Hassan, and Miss Nur Hidayatie Md Adnan - participated via the Microsoft Teams platform. The session proved to be engaging, with students actively responding to the activities designed to enhance their paraphrasing skills. Associate Professor Dr. Akhyar's expertise significantly enriched the global classroom experience, leaving a lasting impact on all participants.
In ensuring the effectiveness of the Global Classroom, the feedback from both invited speakers are also valuable. According to Associate Professor Dr. Akhyar, the program is very helpful as it facilitates collaborative teaching with dedicated scholars from UMPSA. Not only that, the Global Classroom also gives the opportunity to the guest speakers to share their expertise internationally, especially with UMPSA students. He also feels that Global Classroom improves his academic and professional career by getting in contact with global academia from UMPSA. Meanwhile, Mr. Andri believes that the Global Classroom program brings more opportunities for international networking and academic collaboration. It is also beneficial for students since it provides knowledge and insights for students from lecturers across the globe with different perspectives. Making the session more interactive and engaging as well as minimizing technical issues during the session might be necessary for further improvement of this program.
The Global Classroom initiatives encouraged by the university have indeed offered numerous advantages for learners and instructors alike. The virtual platforms have enabled learners especially to explore diverse and enriching educational experiences as well as exposing them to a variety of perspectives transcending geographical boundaries. Furthermore, there are also opportunities for international networking that go beyond the virtual learning environment. As educational practitioners, it is believed that through this international collaboration, we can instil a culture of lifelong learning, adaptability, and flexibility. This culture could serve as an added value to their graduates’ employability attributes and prepare them for today’s and future interconnected world.
In summary, the completion of two Global Classrooms underlines the commitment of UHL2412 English for Academic Communication course to provide enriching educational experiences, fostering the development of essential academic communication skills among students.
Written by: Noor Azlinda Zainal Abidin, Siti Ainun Jariyah Hassan and Dr Ezihaslinda Ngah
