MY EXPERIENCE DOING UJI ICT TEST

This is the first time I’m taking the test online. My result is not so good. The questions are not too difficult but, because of the terms that are used are in Malay language so, I don’t know the correct terms to answer the question. The terms that are used in English are not the same with Malay language. The terms that are used in the computer are all in English but, when answering the question the terms are all in Malay language. There a few words that I don’t know its terms. For example, I don’t know the term ‘bar latal’.

In my opinion, the online test is good to practice in further. We can get the result as soon as we finish answering all of the questions. We don’t have to wait for a long time to get the result. However, perhaps the test takers can cheat the conducter if they take the online test. This is because the test can be answered by the other person if they know the password.
In conclusion, the online test has the potential to be practice in further but, it should be guided by the conducter.

I think that's all for now. So, see you in the next posting.

ONLINE LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY ASSESSMENT

For this week I want to share with all of you about one article that I have read last week.This article is about the need for in-service English language training for UKM lecturers.

The mastery of English is seen to be instrumental for developing nations such as Malaysia to compete in the global market. The role of English language is to complement and supplement but never to substitute for or compete with the socio-cultural role that have been well imbedded and well entrenched in the national language, Bahasa Malaysia. Throughout the nation, teachers of mathematics and science are receiving English language training through the English for Teaching of Mathematics and Science (eTeMS) programme.
UKM in this efforts to remain competitive in a borderless world has now given emphasize to the use of English for academic and professional purposes. One of its efforts is to ensure at least 50% of English use by 2005. These decisions are also in keeping with the university’s strategic plans for internationalization of its programmes. Central to these plans is the English language competency of practicing academicians or in-service lecturers who have been subjected to this change, particularly the medium of instruction. A language competency profiling of these lecturers will be useful as the information will guide and inform in their placement of language training modules. For this purpose, the English language competency test should profile the lecturers’ general English language proficiency and instructional language target language.
Besides that, the development of English language training modules for in-service lecturers and the construction of the online English placement test are significant examples epitomizing lifelong learning practices valued by the School of Language Studies and Linguistics. The objectives of the UKM Strategic Plan for 2000-2020 which are related to ICT include UKM to spearhead the campus ICT agenda by upgrading the ICT literacy and culture activities, to establish efficient management and service system, to upgrade training and staff development program and to prepare lifelong learning for all.

Lastly, I think that’s all for this time that I want to share with all of you. So, see you in the next posting.

Myspace Codes: MyNiceSpace.com

Myspace Codes: MyNiceSpace.com

MY EXPERIENCE USING TSL DATABASES

Assalamualaikum w.b.t….
We meet again in my 5th posting. For the 5th posting I want to share my experience using the TSL databases. Actually, this is not the first time I use e-journal. Before this, I had been using it when I was studying in UITM Shah Alam. I used OPAC in Perpustakaan Tun Abdul Razak (PTAR) and it’s similarly with using TSL databases. It’s also provides all the databases like Ebscohost, Proquest, Emerald, Education Full Text and etc. Even though I have been using e-journal but, I still got the problem to find the article to complete my task. The services in TSL databases are quite slow and I have to wait a few minutes to find the articles. Using the TSL databases is quite interesting and it provides lots of things which I can search to get the information. Moreover, I got new experience via using TSL databases.
Below are the three articles that I found related to the topic that I have chosen? All the articles I search using the TSL databases.

1.Emerald

Title : Universal access to ICT and lifelong learning: Uganda's experience

SUMMARY
Access to electronic information requires a well-developed information infrastructure currently lacking in the developing countries. To compound the problem, prospects of achieving lifelong learning are increasingly dependent on access to information held across electronic networks. Uganda's population, similar to much of Sub-Saharan Africa, never had the opportunity to attend formal school, rendering lifelong-learning prospects as the last resort to meaningful integration into the knowledge society. To many in developing countries, universal access to ICT-based information, as a social justice, is a feasible remedy to society's lifelong learning challenges. This paper reports on a case study of the school-based telecenter (SBT) model to assess appropriateness of the school-centered approach to universal access, currently under implementation by School Net Uganda. The SBTs, established on a pilot basis, utilize VSAT-based technology to connect schools and neighbouring communities to the internet. This paper documents the appropriateness of school-based access points for neighbouring communities at two selected SchoolNet-Uganda site schools. School-based access has policy implications for developing countries' approach to universal access and lifelong learning in the emerging knowledge society.

Article Type: General review / Research paper Keyword(s): Lifelong learning; Developing countries; Information services; Communication technologies; Electronic media; Uganda. New Library World Volume 105 Number 11/12 2004 pp. 423-428 Copyright © Emerald Group Publishing Limited ISSN 0307-4803

2.Education Full Text

Title : What makes a lifelong Learner

SUMMARY
This article uses the reports from 1,001 home-based interviews, with adults living in the United Kingdom, to describe their varying patterns of participation in lifelong, learning. It finds that 37[percent] of all adults report no further education or training of any kind after reaching compulsory school-leaving age. This proportion declines in each age cohort but is largely replaced by a pattern of lengthening initial education and still reporting no further education or training of any kind after leaving. The actual patterns of participation are predictable to a large extent from regression analysis using a life order model of determining variables. The key variables are age, ethnicity, sex, family background, and initial schooling, all of which are set very early in life. This suggests that universal theories to describe participation, such as simple human capital theory, are incorrect in several respects. Where individuals create, for themselves and through their early experiences, a "learner identity" inimical to further study, then the prospect of learning can become a burden rather than an investment. This has implications for the notion of overcoming barriers to access, such as those involving technology.

3. Proquest

Title: Teaching, learning and new technology: a review for teachers

SUMMARY
This paper reviews the effects of new technology on teaching and learning by considering examples of studies carried out with five kinds of teaching in five contexts. The five teaching situations are direct instruction, adjunct instruction, facilitating the skills of learning, facilitating social skills and widening learners' horizons. The five contexts are primary schools, secondary schools, higher education, special education and out of school. The aim of the paper is primarily to inform teachers about current work in these different areas.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BLOGGING

Actually, this is my first time I create my own blog. I find that blogging is so interesting because I can express my feelings and thought to my blog. I’m freely to write anything else, put some pictures, get my favorite songs and lots more. I can share my ideas, dreams, experiences and anything else with my friends and anybody outside there.

Besides that, I feel more confidence to express my feelings and thoughts via blogging rather than to speak in front. I can be more confidence to write what I want without worry the other people will laugh at me.

Eventhough I can be more confidence to write through blogging but, sometimes I realized that it also doesn’t help me too much. This is because I thought that I still not too confidence to talk about my feelings and thoughts in front. I’m a little bit a shy person but, not too shy. I hope I can improve myself confidence in further.

Blogging also gives the opportunity to keep in touch with the other people. It also help me to understanding what I've learned and help me reflect on what I had studied. Blogging has brought interest to me to write. It can improve my writing skills and I feel that my writing skill have the improvement from day to day.

In addition, I also excited to see my writing in the web and everybody can leave their comment in my blog. From blogging, I can learn something new, help me to express myself in english and improve my writing skills.

I think that's all for my fourth posting. So, see you in my next posting. Please leave some comment.

CONCORDANCE

CONCORDANCE

For the last week tutorial, we have discussed about the concordance in groups of three. We discussed how the concordance is being used in the language and the applications of concordance. Besides, we also discuss the use of article ‘a’ and ‘about’ in concordance list and we have to make a summary from the article in OLT related to concordance.

From the article in page 70 written by Arshad Abdul Samad, we know that concordance is useful for analyzing language data and extend the potential of a corpus in language pedagogy. Teachers, researchers and language learners examine concordance lines to know how words and grammatical constructions are used. In language teaching and learning, concordance may help students to look at the systematic of language as an interesting linguistic puzzle, rather than a set of boring rules to be memorized. Even though, there are lots of benefits using concordance but, in Malaysia the use and analysis of language corpora is limited and not too popular. Actually, concordance is beneficial for those who want to study texts closely or analyze language in depth. Concordance is also used to make indexes and word lists, count word frequencies, compare different usages of a word, analyze keywords, find phrases and idioms and publish to the web.

SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SMS,CHAT AND E-MAIL

SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SMS, CHAT AND E-MAIL

There are few similarities between sms, chat and e-mail. Normally, the sender uses the short forms to sms, chat and e-mail. We can also apply the uses of smiley and emoticons in sms, chat and e-mail. There are also the uses of code switching in sms, chat and e-mail while communicating with others and it depends on who we communicate with. Either with our friends, lecturers, parents or someone else. Besides that, we can communicate with others allover the world via sms, chat and e-mail. There are also the uses of trailing dots in sms, chat and e-mail.

In the other way, there are also some differences between sms, chat and e-mail. To chat and send an e-mail, we have to connect to the internet to communicate with others but, not the sms. We only use our mobile phone to send or reply the messages. The other differences are, by using the sms, we can directly reply the message through our mobile phone. But, for the e-mail, we can delay to reply the message and for the chatting, we should have the same time connection to interact with others. Besides that, we also can attach the picture through the e-mail and chat but, not the sms. In addition, if we want to use the sms, it will be charged and we also can’t send the message if our mobile phone don’t have the credit. While, via e-mail and chatting, it won’t be charged because we use the internet connection.

WELCOME TO MY BLOG!!!!!!!!!

Assalamualaikum w.b.t....

Welcome to my blog! First of all, I want to thank to my beloved lecturer, Datin Dr. Norizan and all friends who helped me to create this blog.

Before that, I want to introduce myself. I'm Noriah Ahmad shariffuddin, 20 years old. Now, I'm taking BA English Language Studies in UKM for the second semester. My hometown is in Pendang, Kedah.

Actually, this blog is created for the purpose to fulfill the course requirement in order to pass the exam. Besides, this blog is also created as a medium for me and all of you to share or give any ideas, comment, pictures, interests and etc.

Lastly, I hope with having my own blog, my ideas can be share to all my friend and to all my beloved lecturers. Till then see you all in the next posting.