Berita Kampus

TAR College Hosts TIC Conference 2008

For the first time ever, TAR College holds an international conference of teaching and learning at Marriott Hotel, Putrajaya. With 40 years of academic track record, it is therefore well-positioned to hold a conference of this stature and to create a platform for educationists from all over the world to share knowledge, expertise and best practices in higher education. In his speech, Datuk Seri Mohd Khaled, Minister of Higher Education who officiated the conference said that, “Today, teaching has become more outcome-oriented. We talk about maximizing the potential of the individual student. We are concerned as to whether the knowledge, skills and values our students acquire are relevant to the current knowledge-based economy.” Educational institutions are responsible to produce graduates who are highly skilled and
		Dato’ Seri Mohamad Khaled Bin Nordin, the Minister of Higher Education,addressing the audience in his official speech at the TIC Conference 2008.
competent, more so in this economic slowdown, so that graduates may find employment in the job market. Conferences of this nature serve to enhance such initiatives.

During the two-day conference, speakers from renowned universities talked about education-related topics and there was certainly something for everyone who was present. A topic such as, “First Contact: Boldly Using Technology to Teach Dance Across the Atlantic Divide” by Pauline Brooks showed the audience how ICT through the use of web-cam and email could aid an international collaborative research project in dance between two universities, one in UK and the other in US. Another talk featured game-based learning which is thought to better motivate present day entertainment-driven learners to experience learning through meaningful activities defined in the game context by Stephen Tang Oon Thean. Besides that, there was also a talk on E-Portfolios whereby students themselves chart their own progress in their learning journey. These were among the 70 other multi-faceted talks pertaining to teaching and learning and all content presented by speakers were reviewed by peer reviewers before they were selected to be presented at the conference.

Some of the keynote speakers who were present include, Mr. Tony Buzan, Inventor of Mind Maps, Associate Professor Tan Oon Seng, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Emeritus Professor Robert Laurence Burden, University of Exeter and Professor Zita Hj. Mohd Fahmi, Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Quality Assurance), MQA. These keynote speakers were invited to shed some light on key areas in education and what it entails.

Participants from all over the world listening with rapt attention to the speaker at the TIC Conference 2008.

The TIC Conference 2008 attracted 330 participants from 22 countries. But success is not measured by numbers alone but also by the overall satisfaction of the customers toward the conference.

A Malaysian participant said, “It was interesting to get a ‘piece’ of idea about the current practices of other universities. As I sat through the sessions, I discovered that there were many different areas of teaching pedagogy and learning methods that can be developed and enhanced. Ideas and concepts which I thought were not feasible were put to the test by these universities. They were not only crystallized but they were met with astounding results.” Need we say more?

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