The relentless wave of using mobile device in Malaysia, as a tool for teaching and learning in educational setting is incontestable. Multitudinous tertiary institutions have adapted this technology in their academic system; due to its approach which aids synchronous and asynchronous learning towards achieving educational outcomes. In spite of the rapid expansion medium employed in mobile learning [mLearning], students’ communicative competence in academic context is a major concern, especially when they are communicating in their native languages or being a bilingual user of the English language. Hence, this paper addresses the communication strategies in mLearning among tertiary students based on a quantitative research design conducted at Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia. The data were gathered from 125 students using a questionnaire which measured the learners’ frequency of the communication strategies used. Findings showed that the communication in mobile indicated that students employed varying degrees of communication strategies in mLearning. The results reflected an overview of students’ interaction in mLearning setting as it could be used to benefit academicians in assisting students with their communicative competence not only in- yet also out- of the mLearning context. Thus, several implications were further discussed in this study.

This paper examines the comparative study of Ramli Ibrahim’s “Mak Su” between its original text in Malay Language (Bahasa Melayu) and its translation in English Language focuses on the techniques used in the process of translating the source text (Malay Language) into the target text (English Language). These techniques help the writer to exemplify not just the meaning of the text, but also the cultural elements when it is translated into English language. By doing so, readers of both languages Malay and English, may have ‘almost’ the same reading experience and knowledge about the story of “Mak Su” because most of the socio-cultural elements, language styles and regional dialects (of where the story took place) are being preserved. The translation techniques found from this study are compensation, borrowing, retention, calque and omission. These techniques were found to be very successful in narrowing down the language gap between the source text (Malay Language) into the target text (English Language). Language style, regional dialects and other socio-cultural elements of the source text’s language are preserved, even though the text has been transferred into a totally different language. If readers of the target text having problem in understanding some of the words and phrases that are in Malay Language used (to preserve the elements); they can still use basic reading strategies such as contextual clues to help them to understand better because even though the words and phrases are in Malay Language, they are being used in the target language structure or system. Therefore, not much problems will occur during the reading process. Besides that, this study also emphasizes that in the process of translating a text into another language; it should not just consider the language elements. But also, the socio-cultural aspects of the source text, which is a major factor in making it as genuine as possible, as if it is written in that other (target) language.

Introduction- Writing is a skill that amalgamates various knowledge like vocabulary, sentence structure, spelling, and grammar. ‘Carousel with a Destination’ (CwaD) is a concept that provides the students with the required knowledge which is to be pieced together in writing. Carousel refers to the stations arranged in a circle and each station offers different activities which are related to the chosen topic and skills for writing. In the case of this study, it was ‘Picnic’. Hence, the usual carousel that goes round and round now has a destination which is writing. Students go around the carousel to complete an activity related to the knowledge and skill in writing at each station. The activities are in variety and competitive in nature. The conceptual framework for CwaD combines Perceptual Learning Styles, Gamification, and Affective Filter. Purpose – This paper highlights CwaD - the project and more importantly, it discusses the concept of effective fun learning. Thus, to show its effectiveness, the paper puts forth a study as proof of the success of CwaD. Methodology – This study utilised a simple and direct pencil-paper questionnaire. The respondents were 56 year five students who participated in the project. The questionnaire consists of four dichotomous questions. The dichotomy is symbolised by a smiling face and a sad face. Further, three of the questions are accompanied by two short lines with questions like ‘Why’ and ‘What’. They are for the students to express themselves in detail using words they know. Findings – There are three findings that can be shared. Firstly, the students really enjoyed participating in the project. It was discovered that all of them circled a smiling face for each of the four questions. Secondly, the writing they produced was good as they used the vocabulary, the paragraph structure and correct grammar which they just learnt at the carousel stations. Thirdly, the words they chose to express themselves in the questionnaire reflect the elements that they like about CwaD – either regarding the activities, the teachers or the ‘learning’ itself. All the words are positively-connotated. Significance – CwaD is sustainable in terms of scalability where it can be conducted for any subject and for any number of students. It is beneficial as an introduction or as a recapitulation of any topic.

The understanding of interaction content would enhance one’s understanding of how to communicate efficiently and efficacy among interlocutors. It is vital as the rise of the technology’s devices exploited, and Internet has changed how communication works. One of it, mobile phones, has been utilized as a tool that develops interaction or communication among learners in tertiary academic institutions as it nurtures creative and critical thinking in the academic lessons setting as known as online written interaction. They have adapted these technologies in their academic system; due to its approach which aids synchronous and asynchronous learning towards achieving educational outcomes. Especially, it is basically incontestable as a medium of shared understanding of the messages or information expressed and exchanged globally. The communication process in the academic online written interaction progressed reflects that models of communication expanded to more kinds of communication process as well. Significantly, the models of communication serve as valuable purpose as that allows us in the academic setting to understand the specific concepts and steps within the process of communication. There are three general types of communication models in which all other communication models are mostly categorized namely; linear, interactive, and transaction models. Yet, for the setting of online written interaction, this paper intends to discuss and confers of how interactive and transaction model of communication overlaps and frames the academic interaction’s process among the learners respectively. It is essential to understand the communication models, so one can use them for enhancing effective communication for their teaching and learning session onto practice. Keywords: Models of communication; communication process; online written interaction

Tamhidi Centre has been using online tools for learning in past years. The atmosphere of virtual world that is connected online has influenced academia in teaching and learning sessions. Before the Movement Control Order (MCO), blended learning has been carried out for all subjects taught in Tamhidi using Global Open Access Learning System (GOALS) as learning management system provided by USIM. Due to the pandemic outbreak, Tamhidi Centre has faced a challenging time because the semester is already at the final semester for the cohort 2019/2020. During the MCO 1.0, while students were at home, classes were conducted fully online. The final exams was also done online via GOALS. Then, coming the next cohort, for the first time in history, orientation was held online, and students came to campus in an arranged time within the period of seven days. Without having new staff intake, the grouping of students now is increased from 25 students per group to 45 students. Initially, classes are conducted online, both synchronous and asynchronously. All students are involved in this kind of approach, but for science stream students; biology, physics dan chemistry experiments still need to do face to face sessions in the laboratory. This paper will document the experience of several Tamhidi in using online tools before the MCO, during MCO, and after the MCO 1.0 days are over.

Al-Quran merupakan sebuah kitab suci yang sentiasa dibaca oleh umat Islam. Manurut ajaran Islam, al-Quran adalah kalam Allah yang bermukjizat diturunkan kepada Nabi Muhammad S.A.W dalam Bahasa Arab, melalui perantaraan Malaikat Jibril secara berperingkat selama 23 tahun. Bagi pembaca kitab suci ini, setiap huruf dalam al-Quran akan dikira sebagai ibadah, bermula dari surah al-Fatihah hingga surah an-Nas. Al-Quran merupakan pegangan umat Islam yang kekal sepanjang zaman, dari zaman Nabi Muhammad S.A.W hinggalah kini, zaman penuh dengan era teknologi. Perkembangan dunia pendidikan seiring dengan kepelbagaian medium teknologi zaman kini, termasuklah pendidikan dalam bidang al-Quran. Sebelum arahan Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan (PKP) dikeluarkan, kebanyakan kelas-kelas pengajian al-Quran diadakan di surau, masjid, kelas, dewan kuliah, rumah dan, sebagainya. Rentetan tersebar luasnya virus Covid-19 di Malaysia, arahan PKP telah dikeluarkan oleh pihak kerajaan bagi membendung dan mengawal rantaian Covid-19 ini. Natijahnya, seluruh sekolah, masjid, surau, institusi-institusi pengajian tinggi diarahkan tutup, semua rakyat Malaysia diarahkan bekerja dari rumah dan kaedah pembelajaran secara bersemuka ditukarkan kepada kaedah pembelajaran secara atas talian atau maya. Implikasi PKP kerana pandemik Covid-19 ini juga memberi kesan kepada semua lapisan masyarakat, termasuklah guru-guru al-Quran yang mempunyai kelas pengajian al-Quran secara bersemuka di surau, masjid, sekolah dan rumah, lebih lebih lagi inilah sumber utama pencarian kewangan keluarga mereka. Oleh hal yang demikian, kertas kerja ini menggambarkan tentang pengalaman barisan guru-guru al-Quran yang tetap berusaha melaksanakan kelas pengajian al-Quran sepanjang tempoh PKP dengan menggunakan medium teknologi sebagai medan pembelajaran dan pengajaran.

Wabak COVID-19 yang melanda Malaysia telah memberi kesan yang sangat besar kepada sistem politik, ekonomi, sosial, kesihatan dan pendidikan negara. Bahkan impaknya juga turut melibatkan institusi keluarga sehinggalah kepada aspek dalaman psikologi dan kebahagiaan diri manusia. Kesihatan mental merupakan elemen penting dalam menentukan kefungsian diri manusia dan mempengaruhi tahap kesihatan serta kebahagiaan terutamanya dalam menghadapi penularan wabak ini. Justeru, kajian ini adalah bertujuan untuk meninjau aspek pembelajaran optimisme dan bagaimana kemahiran psikologi ini dapat membantu dalam meningkatkan kesejahteraan kendiri individu. Selain itu juga, kajian ini bertujuan untuk merungkai langkah-langkah terpilih untuk kekal optimis dalam berhadapan dengan wabak pembunuh ini. Kajian ini merupakan kajian kualitatif menerusi systematic review dengan menggunakan rekabentuk kajian skop atau scoping review. Model ABCDE yang diasaskan oleh Seligman telah diaplikasikan dalam merungkai permasalahan yang wujud. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan terdapat banyak kelebihan yang diperolehi daripada pembelajaran optimisme dalam kehidupan seharian termasuklah manfaat dalam kesihatan fizikal dan mental, motivasi dan prestasi individu serta kejayaan dalam kerjaya. Terdapat lima kaedah dalam mencapai optimism yang boleh dipraktiskan dalam memacu kebahagiaan hidup. Di Malaysia, kajian berkaitan pembelajaran optimism dan perkaitannya dengan kebahagiaan hidup masih terhad dan minima. Oleh itu, kajian ini dapat menjadi satu platform dan sumber rujukan baru khususnya kepada masyarakat Malaysia dalam mengharungi cabaran pandemik COVID-19. Kata kunci: pembelajaran optimisme, kebahagiaan, psikologi positif, kesejahteraan kendiri.

Malaysian University English Test (MUET)has been implemented by the Ministry of Education to prepare tertiary students with the necessary English language skills. These skills are significant not just for the sake of passing the examination but also to train the students with English medium instructions in the classrooms at the tertiary level. The abovementioned skills are reading, writing, listening, and speaking; which will be examined amongst students to aid them to secure a place in universities. The four basic skills may sound manageable tolearn but there are still gaps in students‟ proficiency of the language which disrupt their competency, especially in their listening skills. Current researches show that students are not adequately prepared with listening strategies and listening comprehension instruction in the classroom. Thus, this study aims to investigate 60 undergraduate students‟ listening strategies; P.I.S.A (Predicting, Inferring and Selective Attention), in answering their listening tasks. A quantitative approach was employed with the use of a questionnaire as the instrument. The findings confirmed that a majority of the students adopted steadily these three strategies in their listening skills. This result may help to increase the basic listening competency and cognitive abilities among the undergraduate students and thereby ultimately enhance students‟ listening strategies of MUET at tertiary level.

Mobility impairments refer to a broad range of disabilities which limit functions of moving in any of the limbs, or in fine motor ability. Students and teachers with mobility impairments rely on assistive devices such as wheelchairs, walkers, canes, crutches, and artificial limbs to obtain mobility. Mobility impairments may involve limitations in performing certain acts such as entering classrooms, sitting for long periods of time, manipulating pencils and writing. For this, Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia has established the Guidelines for the Implementation of the Inclusive Policy of OKU (Orang Kurang Upaya @ disabled people) at institutions of higher learning. In response to the Disability Act of 2008 that mandates Disability Inclusion Policy at all education levels. This paper is a preliminary research review to start highlighting the need for designing facilities and classrooms that are accommodating and supportive for everyone, regardless of their physical abilities.

One of the elements in Malaysian University English Test (MUET) is listening skill. Whilst preparing for the exam, USIM’s foundation students experienced noise disturbance (outside and inside noises) when listening task were carried out in tutorial classroom (removable board-like walls), then, they move to lecture halls (well-built cemented walls) for appropriate venue. Nevertheless, it is identified that students still struggle to focus because of other distraction which is echo. It is a concern because the exam will be held at Dewan Tuanku Canselor (DTC). Sound intensity of the listening material was measured using a digital sound meter, then, echo was calculated by Institute of Physics method. Echo was detected to be 37 ms-1 (lecture halls) in comparison to 8.67 ms-1 (DTC). From the situation, it was suggested to the university that in order to reduce echo, installment of removable carpets and soft boards at certain setting can assist students in answering their listening task. Further study should be done to determine the suitable action towards this matter since MUET is one of the pre-requisites for students to enroll and to graduate.

The ambience of virtual world that is connected online or by Internet has influenced academia world by using these technologies amongst its users in teaching and learning sessions. Using online tools has been implemented in Tamhidi Centre in previous years. Before the Movement Control Order (MCO), blended learning has been carried out for all subjects taught in Tamhidi using GOALS as learning management system provided by USIM. Due to the pandemic outbreak, Tamhidi Centre has faced a challenging time because the semester is already at the final semester for cohort 2019/2020. During the MCO, while students were at home, classes were conducted fully online. The final exams was also done online via GOALS. For the first time, orientation was conducted online, and students came to campus in an arranged time within the period of seven days. Without having new staff intake, the grouping of students now is increased from 25 students per group to 45 students. Initially, classes are conducted online, both synchronous and asynchronously. All students are involved in this kind of approach, but for science stream students, biology, physics dan chemistry experiments still need to be done face to face in the laboratory. This paper will document the experience of several Tamhidi in using online tools before the MCO, during MCO, and after the MCO days are over.

Writing is a skill that amalgamates various knowledge like vocabulary, sentence structure, spelling, and grammar. ‘Carousel with a Destination’ (CwaD) is a concept that provides the students with the required knowledge which is to be pieced together in writing. Carousel refers to the stations arranged in a circle and each station offers different activities which are related to the chosen topic and skills for writing. This paper highlights CwaD - the project and more importantly, it discusses the concept of effective fun learning. Thus, to show its effectiveness, the paper puts forth a study as proof of the success of CwaD. This study utilised a simple and direct pencil-paper questionnaire. The respondents were 56 year five students who participated in the project. There are three findings that can be shared. Firstly, the students really enjoyed participating in the project. Secondly, the writing they produced was good as they used the vocabulary, the paragraph structure and correct grammar which they just learnt at the carousel stations. Thirdly, the words they chose to express themselves in the open-ended part of the questionnaire reflect the elements that they like about CwaD – either regarding the activities, the teachers or the ‘learning’ itself. All the words are positively-connotated. CwaD is sustainable in terms of scalability where it can be conducted for any subject and for any number of students. It is beneficial as an introduction or as a recapitulation of any topic.

Multiliteracies concept in education used a variety of mediums; especially the use of printed materials, audio, visual, internet, mobile applications, all of which are compatible with the concept of learning in accordance with the current technology approaches. The features and benefits of the use of these multiliteracies are easily accessible, time-saving and interactive. Therefore, the use of multiliteracies is suitable to be adapted in the learning sessions amongst students. This study was undertaken to identify the advantages and challenges of students in the use and application of multiliteracies in terms of Naqli and Aqli scope in their learning sessions. A total of seven Tamhidi students (Foundation students of Islamic Science University of Malaysia) have been selected for this study. Data were collected through interviews and then analyzed by the method of 'Thematic Analysis'. In summary, this study found the use of multiliteracy can help generate ideas and interests amongst the students. However, the study also discovered that the use of multiliteracy materials are prone towards the exposure of 'Aqli rather than Naqli. This study suggested that there is a need to provide technology that is not only based on Aqli knowledge but also on the emphasis of Naqli towards establishing a holistic generation amongst the students. Keywords: Challenge, multiliteracies, naqli, aqli, learning.

The study of Ulum Al-Quran explores the unique of style and arrangement of the Al-Quran and the various ways in which people have tried to understand its meanings comprehensively. For Islamic studies amongst public research universities, they will need to study this course in order to complete their studies’ credit hour to fulfil the requirement of their respective faculty. Hence, this study focused on students’ perception of Ulum Al-Quran course in higher education at two research universities namely; National University of Malaysia (UKM) and University of Malaya (UM). The aims of this research are to know the perception of students about Ulum Al-Quran course, the acceptance of Ulum Al-Quran course outline and Ulum Al-Quran reference book or syllabus. The results from the respondents’ feedbacks, is expected to assist the public research universities and the lecturers; especially the department of Islamic Studies, to assess the strengths and weaknesses of what has been done in implementing the lesson towards better improvement in Ulum AlQuran studies.

Learning a foreign language enables learners to go further after graduation. In today’s world, there is a need for students to be able to communicate in at least one foreign language so that they can function well globally. This study investigates learning the German language among engineering students who are taking a dual degree program in a public university in east coast Malaysia. The objectives of thestudy were: (a) to determine the students’ attitude in learning German language; (b) gauge their understanding of the course in terms of materials and lessons used in learning the language; and (c) identify their motivation and performances taking German language. Using a descriptive research design, 60 students were involved as respondents in this study. Their responses to the researchers’ questionnaire were gathered in a WhatsApp group called Success German Course (SGC). The results of the study indicated that students demonstrated moderate attitude in learning the course since some of them were eager to learn the language while others were not. Some students reported failing to understand the course in the use of the current materials and lessons. Although they showed positive attitude in learning the course, their performances, nevertheless, were not encouraging because they did not have sufficient time to learn the language. It is concluded that students need to learn study skills to help them to be more competence in foreign language proficiency. The overall findings implied that there is a possibility that the curricula need to be revisited to suit the learning needs of the students.