UHL 2442 GLOBAL CLASSROOM INITIATIVE: INSPIRES COLLABORATIVE LEARNING ACROSS BORDERS
On August 21, 2023, one of the Global Classroom Initiatives for UHL 2442 Essential English was held during the Preliminary Semester Session 2023/2024.
This collaborative learning was initiated and facilitated by two Centre for Modern Languages (ML) language teachers, Ms. Siti Ainun Jariyah Hassan and Ms. Nor Suhardiliana Sahar, along with the esteemed guest speaker, Mr. Khodzhaev Iskandar from Tajik National University, Tajikistan.
The session was held from 10.00 A.M. to 12.00 P.M. involving two sections, RC03 and RE04. The Global Classroom was joined by the students and instructor at iLearn UMPSA Gambang and virtually via Microsoft Teams.
With the title "Engage, Power, Excel: Mastering Group Discussion Dynamics", the Global Classroom explored collaborative learning topics and strategies for effective participation in group discussions.
Students were expected to gain a comprehensive understanding of the strategies to participate, maintain, and take turns in a group discussion. Other than that, they also learn about strategies and useful phrases for effective group discussions.
The students were also asked to participate in a discussion using the topic given by Mr. Khodzhaev and they managed to come up with several main ideas on the topic.
Notably, during the session, Muhammad Nabil Ramadhan Mohd Tarmizi, a student from RE04, demonstrated excellent leadership by guiding the discussion and elaborating on the given main ideas.
In general, the students showed great interest and provided positive feedback for the session. One of the students, Nurul Aina Nasuha from RC03, said the session was exciting and beneficial.
Overall, this Global Classroom session proved to be an eye-opener for the new diploma students, offering a platform that goes beyond boundaries and encourages different points of view. This effort provided important chances for students and instructors to work together and learn from each other even though they are separated miles away.
It also provided a great opportunity for instructors to gain knowledge and perspectives from other instructors in different countries, which is very beneficial and enriches the teaching and learning process.
It is hoped that there will be more opportunities and sessions like this in the future. Global Classroom is obviously more than just a learning experience, it opens doors for new experiences, perspectives, and collaboration opportunities.
Prepared by: Siti Ainun Jariyah Hassan and Nor Suhardiliana Sahar.
