Quality in Teaching

Someone ask me to write about the quality of teaching in local university. Many people has the perception that the quality of teaching in IPTA is average, not high. I have been involved in teaching various subjects at both undergraduate and postgraduate. I can talk for myself and what I believe in, The quality of teaching as viewed by students (customers) are being evaluated by students every semester for every subject the lecturer teaches, in major aspects including - Teaching Delivery, Preparation, Use of Aids, Quality of Assessment - tests, quizes, exams, etc. Therefore, lecturers (and management) will know how 'good' the lecturer is based on this semesterly evaluation. The evaluation can also be used for promotion, yearly award, best teacher purposes. For example, if I got 4.34 for subject SMM2343, and for that semester the Faculty's average is 4.25, and the university's average is 4.55, then it shows my standing. Individuals can then be ranked based on this students' perception of quality of teaching by the particular lecturer. However, the lecturer's role is to facilitate learning, and if the lecturer gives a 'tough set of question during tests and exams' he or she will normally be given low ratings for assessment, and if a lecturer is 'strict' in terms of grading, class attendence, etc. he or she will normally face the same consequences. These are from my own personal experience.

Quality of teaching is also affected by many other factors such as the availability (and in good working condition of lab equipments, computing facilities to aid in the teaching and learning process. Obviously the lecturer's knowledge is the most important component. I think quality of teaching can also be observed by the level of motivation and commitment shown and expressed during lectures, and in the learning process. And to me, management commitment in the provision of adequate resources, and opportunity for the employee (read as lecturer) to perform well is vital. Same as in any other organization, management must provide the necessary motivation, support, facilities, resources, and monetary rewards for the professors to give his best. ...... It is not easy.... I have not touched on the Islamic perspective. Quality teachers come from the inside... Faith.. Iman.. work for Allah and not for Any other Creatures including man.

Reliability

Quality of data one gets depends on a number of factors. How do you know that a sample of 2 from 2000 over students that you have taught represent a 'true' picture of one behavior. Obviously, 2/2000 is only 0.1% of the population. So, the results surely cannot be conclusive. This is an aspect called sampling and it is especailly important in research, and probably in life as well. So, the next time someone tells you that 'that person' is not up to 'standards' please ask yourself. Is the numberof samples representative, sufficient, valid and reliable. Reliability can be checked thorugh content validity, construct and criterion validity. An one more thing try not to generalise from unfounded figures and 'facts'.

Quality in health

I just recovered from dengue fever. I was hospitalized from Monday 19th Jan till Sunday 25th January 2009, confirmed one of the 1200+ dengue cases in Selangor. Where I live? Batu 12 Jln Cheras Kajang. There seems to be no medicine for dengue, only this 'water' drips into my body and the '100Plus drink' which I took a lot. My lowest platelet count went down to 11,000 on Wednesday in between a count of 18k, 23k, moving up to 54k on Friday, 100k on Saturday, and 160k on Sunday. How I got it? I don't know. I can only guess. Long story short, I just moved in to my wife's late father's house after some minor repair works on the piping and roofing. The kampung house has a big yard in front of it, and the old fence is grown with 'lalang' and other growth. I just want to clean it up, but I forgot that mosquitoes come out during 'senja' time. Well, as what we Malays / Muslim say, 'dah nak kena', . This dengue is nothing to be played around with. It is dangerous, and I can still feel how weak my body was when I was in hospital. The dirty drains, I can't find dirty drains, the 'air bertakung' none. But, I did notice the guy who did the fogging on the Thurdsday evening before I got the fever, fogging intensely in one of the 'longkang pecah' in the main road. That night, there were many mosquitoes in the house. I think they have 'disturbed' the mosquitoes nest and set free to attack as many people as possible. I was one of the unlucky victim. Anyway, I have somewhat recovered, and I am now (at least in this moment of time) very conscious (read as afraid) of mosquitoes, and also the unkempt bushes and growths surrounding homes and all premises. I guess, the government must also try and do their part by 'fixing the broken drains, pipings, etc. Local authiorities must organise health campaign and 'gotong royong' to clean our living space. And, also please get rid of all the foreign illegal immigrants as they are a menace and nuisance to our society. They don't care, they are here to 'just make money', we 'have to make a living and make our life livable'. As for me I will ensure that quality of environment will always be assured to ensure quality of life and healthy Malaysian citizens.

Total Quality

The word total in total quality management signifies the ultimate importance about managing quality by all organizations. Management must not only be committed to the quality efforts, they must be well versed about everything in 'quality knowledge', they must lead in the struggle to reach organizational excellence, and they must provide all the neccessary resources, be it human, equipment, finance, or even time, to ensure success. Not only success but also to sustain the process. Within the TQM principles, oranization must design all their processes, execute all their processes (also related to value cahin and supply chain) that will result in quality products and services to the customers and end users. I believe that quality must start from you, the employee, and mind you the CEO is also 'an employee'. Think about it. Deming once said 'Survival is not compulsory'

Malaysian Quality

I have been to Japan, not just visiting, but living for about a year in 1983/84. I have also studied in USA for my first degree, in the UK for my Master and PhD. I have lived overseas for almost 9 years during my bachelor life and as a family man in UK with 3 kids.
Quality of life in terms of safety and security, Japan is number 1, UK no 2 and USA number 3.
Service (in general) - Japan number 1, USA number 2, and UK number 3.
Cars and electrical goods - Japan number 1, USA number 2, and UK number 3.
Malaysia Safety and security between Japan and UK,
Service - probably no 4 after USA. Cars and electrical goods - also number 4, and what about other things. I can tell you that our roads workmanship are in a pathethic state. Well, except for the highways, look at the roads around JB/KL or even smaller towns (talking about that I have travelled by road from JB to Kangar/ Padang Besar, from JB to Kota Baru, I have also travelled from JB to Segamat to Muadzam Shah when my eldest daughter studied in a boarding school there. Also my frequent travel to Jasin. The roads in our country are very bad, no kidding, there seem to be no standards sizes for ...pavements, culverts, walkways, etc. I am not a civil engineer or even a constructor/contractor. Look at the poor quality of roads, and in fact houses, or buildings. I was in Singapore last month to visit my grandmother who was sick, and I go to Singapore at least once a year during Raya, I have always believed that they (Singapore) have the best roads, very well planned twonships with quality 'housing flats' fit to live in and around them with good landscaping and ample amenities. Look at out 'rumah pangsa' ... In Singapore, even the rich stays in flats, but in Malaysia we have two classes of flats 'the condominium' for the haves and the 'rumah pangsa' for the have-nots. Allah save our country.

Quality Worker

Today's lesson is on the quality of a worker. All workers must be properly selected by the organization. Selection must be based on the required level of education, knowledge,and skills for the job. Once these basic requirements are fulfilled, we need to ensure that the worker knows about the job through continuous assessments of needs, fill the gap if exist in the form of training, coaching, on job doing, mentoring, helping, and others. Expectations can then be increased as worker progresses to do a much difficult tasks. The worker will then be evaluated and feedback on his or her performance. Any shortfalls should be corrected by mutual agreement of leader and worker. Blame game will not solve worker problems. A quality worker has high level of commitment to his job through excellent. Quality products comes from quality workers, and quality workers come from quality managers

Excellent Culture

Excellent organizations practice total commitment towards continuous improvement in verything they do. Be it in their human resources, their production processes, their operations starting from procurement right through delivery to customer, efforts are made to ensure total satisfaction from everyone in the value chain. Consumers must not be made to pay for the inefficiencies that have been created by all companies and organizations in various and numerous forms including rejects, wastes, slow processes, late deliveries, and others. Thinsk about it and give your comments