The e-Learning Academy (eLA) is established with the specific mandate to drive and support the implementation of blended learning at Taylor’s Lakeside Campus. The name ‘academy’ reflects its core purpose as the unit which promotes ‘learning how to teach with technology’. eLA’s aims to assist our lecturers in integrating the use of technology into teaching and learning effectively, empowering students in their learning and preparing them with skills required for the 21st Century.
Embark on your programme fully online with the freedom to continue classes at Taylor’s Lakeside Campus at any point of time. Learn from the best academic team and start the next step of your study at Taylor’s University.
From e-classes and e-forums to revisiting classes through ReWind and having a world of resources through the e-library, Taylor's is ready to bring the classroom to you whenever you want it wherever you're at.
In our first episode, Prof. Dr. Pradeep Nair, Deputy Vice-Chancellor & Chief Academic Officer of Taylor's University talks about how we have been preparing for e-learning, what students can do now, and what's next for e-learning at Taylor's.
In our first episode for #ThoughtfulThursday, Professor Dr. Lai Nai Ming, Director of Clinical Campus from the School of Medicine, shares with us the situation of Covid-19 in Malaysia and what it's like for medical students during these times of uncertainty.
Are you concerned about the efficiency of e-learning? Or maybe you're unsure of how e-learning will take place during the MCO? Clear any doubts you have in our series, #eLearningExplained.
In this episode, Mark Beau de Silva, Senior Lecturer from the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, shares how he has been using different e-learning platforms to conduct his acting classes, adapting to the various challenges presented, and the need for the arts to continue.
In this episode of #ThoughtfulThursday, Associate Professor Dr. Anasuya, Programme Director for Psychology from the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, shares with us the effects of Covid-19 on our mental health and ways we can cope during these uncertain times.
In this episode, Chef Frederic Cerchi, Director of Taylor’s Culinary Institute, shares with us how he has been using different e-learning platforms to conduct both his practical and theoretical classes, the various challenges he has to face, and the future of international internships.
In this episode of #Thoughtful Thursday, Chef Sharizan Azali, Lecturer from the School of Food Studies and Gastronomy, Taylor’s University, shares with us the effects of COVID-19 on the food industry, how we consume food trends on social media, and ways we can prepare ourselves for the future.
In this episode, Puteri Sofia Amirnuddin, Senior Lecturer and Programme Director for the Postgraduate Law Programme at Taylor’s University, shares her journey on introducing Augmented Reality in her law classes, planning her classes during the MCO, and the struggles of adopting e-learning by her colleagues.
In this episode, Associate Professor Dr Saeed, Senior Lecturer and Head of Research for the Faculty of Business and Law at Taylor’s University, shares what goes behind planning a successful live class, adapting to our current situation, and the feedback from his students.
In this episode of #ThoughtfulThursday, Professor Dr. Khong Kok Wei, Executive Dean from the Faculty of Business and Law, shares with us the impact of COVID-19 on global markets and what to expect during these times.
In this episode of #ThoughtfulThursday, Dr. Feranita, Senior Lecturer from the School of Management and Marketing, shares with us the impact of COVID-19 towards entrepreneurs and business.
In this episode of #eLearningExplained, student reps from Taylor's University and Taylor's College student councils share with us how they’ve been coping with the changes in learning due to the pandemic, their feedback on e-learning, and what the new normal means to them.
In this episode of #ThoughtfulThursday, Dr. Christophe Schinckus, Head of the School of Accounting and Finance, shares with us the impact of COVID-19 towards the global stock markets and the different policies that would help the complexities of the economy.
In this episode of #eLearning Explained Prof. Dr. Michael James Keppel and Ryan Lien discuss what blended learning is about, what they’ve learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, and how learning could take place in the future.
Fortunately, with the existence of the lecture recording systeM, a user-friendly tool that can be easily adopted by every faculty member, Taylor’s academics can continue to produce their own lecture videos while working from home
SoMAC has always integrated online learning to ensure that students benefit both face-to-face and virtually.
Find out how Dr. Yap uses virtual labs in her programme to better prepare students’ technical and conceptual skills in cell culture handling and ultimately encourage a more collaborative learning environment.
Taylor’s academics adopted various educational technologies and virtual learning environment to mitigate the risk of interruptions to daily teaching and learning activities.
Education institutions may need to be shut down amidst the Covid-19 pandemic but learning does not have to be halted. During this period of crisis, Taylors’ academics are utilizing various online teaching and learning platforms to sustain student-directed and life-long learning.
When most of the educators struggle to transfer to online classes seamlessly, the lecturer, Mark Beau de Silva opened up an exciting option for online learning and teaching for his module, Foundation in Acting
One of the benefits of e-learning is allowing students enough time to learn and apply the concept. In the classroom setting, it was a challenge for some students. However, during e-learning, students can maximize their independent learning skills.
The coronavirus has prohibited the physical classes in various countries but is unable to stop the learning and teaching activities at Taylor’s University.
During the period of COVID-19 outbreak and transferring all face-to-face classes to online learning platforms, the remaining topics in the Research Methodology class have been lectured and discussed using different tools and methods.
During this period of time, academicians are converting all the teaching lessons into an online-based learning or class in order to make sure the students’ learning continues. Various online teaching and learning platforms are used to sustain student-directed and life-long learning.
Dr. Elise Mognard, Senior Lecturer at Taylor’s University, reflects upon her recent experience with a group of 26 post-graduate learners.
All these are achievable and driven by the following goals:
At Taylor’s Lakeside Campus, the term ‘blended learning’ is adopted as a principal means of addressing the use of technology combined with the best features of face to face interaction to enhance its learning and teaching activities. Since its establishment in 2011, eLA has been aggressive in driving ambitious journey to re-define student learning for better academic outcomes. Various research supported e-Learning initiatives such myTIMeS, ReWIND Lecture Capture, X-Space Collaborative Classroom and Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) have been implemented to provide a unique learning experience for Taylor’s students.
"I really enjoy Ms. Lim's slides. Her explanations are very clear and understandable because she follows the presentation notes exactly. So, it's easier for me to refer and note the important points in each chapter."
"Although it can't compare to practical kitchen classes, I think our lecturers are trying their best to give us a better learning experience despite the crisis."
”Chef Sharizan proves that e-learning can be fun and not boring! He's very interactive and makes e-learning easy by updating ReWIND with weekly live lectures. The resources are also available from anywhere and at any time. As worrisome as e-learning was in the beginning, I find it better because it's convenient and flexible. It's not only fun, but it has also made me more disciplined and organised.“
"E-learning allows us to continue our programme during the MCO without much hurdle. This resulted in very minimal negative impact to all the students. However, my personal preference is still on-campus learning as more interaction and intellectual exchange can happen when physically meeting others."
"I love this method of learning as I have flexibility to complete my work and listen to the video. I can also ask Ms. Lim for further information if I did not understand any part of the video through WhatsApp."
"I'm satisfied with the e-learning as Ms. Lim’s videos are concise and clear. She wrote on the slides like how she normally writes on a whiteboard during physical lectures. The e-lectures feel just like normal lectures, except you can rewind when you zone out. I really appreciate Ms. Lim’s efforts on giving us her best during our learning sessions."
"E-Learning gives students flexibility with their time, making it convenient for students to study at their own pace, and gives shy students a place to voice their opinions. However, it's hard for students who need to use labs to study the slides or to learn clinical skills usually done through hands-on learning. Also, motivation to study may reduce as students have the liberty to focus only on a few lectures and not on the others."
"As a student in this advanced world, it's good that we're able to conduct our studies online regardless of the whole pandemic situation. Although some students have to adapt slowly to this, our lecturers have made it easier for us to gather all the information needed for classes through Zoom, Microsoft Teams, student portal, and etc. So far, it has been a pleasant experience conducted by excellent lecturers."
"Ms. Lim was punctual, encouraged communication, and made sure she finished what was planned for the day. She teaches every class in an ethical and professional manner. Live classes were also informed beforehand so we never panicked or missed out as we were aware of the timing. Recorded lectures were also informed to us via WhatsApp when TIMeS' notifcation wasn't working."
"I'm impressed by the e-learning efforts. TIMeS is organized. All the files are under subjects, assignment submission is there, etc. This helps students manage and track their work. By recording the class, we are never left behind as the classes will be saved on Microsoft Streams. I like how concerned Taylor's Computing School is as they would check on us every 2 to 3 weeks for any queries or difficulties faced."
"I'm satisfied that Taylor's didn't put our programme on hold otherwise international students would be in big trouble. We were able to connect more with the lecturers and the response rate from each of them were high. Doing the mock exams was a really good experience with no difficulty so far. I'm glad that measures are taken to keep the programme running to avoid us losing interest in academics."
The IMPACT model: Imparting transformation through industry-linked multidisciplinary projects
Mike Choong Wai Keng, Taylor's Design School Multidisciplinary Collaborative Design Thinking with VRLE
Assoc Prof Dr Adeline Chia Yoke Yin & Team, School of Biosciences
Redesigning Biomedical Science Practicum towards a New Frontier
Tee Wee Jing & Prof Azween Abdullah, School of Computer Science
Transdisciplinary Degree Pathway Innovation – Bachelor of Computer Science
Serit Banyan, School of Liberal Arts and Science
Digitalizing the Teaching of Mata Pelajaran Umum Through Innovative Pedagogy
Puteri Sofia Amirnuddin, Taylor's Law School
Mike Choong Wai Keng and Razif Mohamed, Taylor's Design School
LAWLEYPOP APP
Dr. Charles Sharma Naidu, Taylor's Design School
The Online Gamified Classroom Approach
Ms. Nurhanim Hassan, Centre for Future Learning
Dr Phelim, Dr Yap Wei Hsum, Dr Renuka Sellapan & Dr Enna Ayub
Sharing of Reusable Learning Objects (RLOS) to Digitise Healthcare Curriculum
Role Of Virtualization to Influence Iterative Design Learning In Architecture Module
Design Thinking Multidisciplinary Collaboration In A Virtual Reality Learning Environment.
Immersive Intercultural Experience for Graphic Communication Studies Through Virtual Reality
Transforming Educational Video into An Interactive, Immersive, Personalised and Gamified Experiences
Youths Involvement in Agriculture Through the Lens Of ‘Youngriculture’ Campaign
Innovating Technology Rich Hybrid-Ready Learning Spaces for Better Engagement
Embedding A Clinical Tool in Students’ Learning and Assessment: REBT
Pitching Category – Gold, Interactive Storytelling with Gamified Virtual Reality (VR)
Collaborative TPACK: A Module for Innovative Pedagogies and Powerful Learning
Building a compendium of OERs for clinical training in Ophthalmology
Cultivating International Ideals on Falsafah dan Isu Semasa through Blended Learning using TIMES
Cultivate and Nurture Empathy-Ready Mindset through Value-Based Education.
Flipped Classroom to Engage Project-based Design in Energy Module
Dr Charles Sharma Naidu (Taylor's Design School), The Online Gamified Classroom Approach
Ms Puteri Sofia Amirnuddin & Team (Taylor's Law School and Taylor's Design School), LawleyPop App
Engaging Students in Distance Learning of Chemistry with Periodic Table of Pandemic Pedagogy (PPP)
Tracking Student’s Co-Curricular Activities through Digitalised Innovative Learning Solution.
Augmented Reality as an Educational Tool in Quantity Take Off
Anugerah Khas YB Menteri Pendidikan Rekabentuk Kurikulum dan Penyampaian Inovatif (AKRI 2019):
Bringing Pengajian Malaysia 3 Module into the 21st Century in a Virtual Classroom for Education 4.0
Transforming Architecture Students’ Online Learning Experience through Enhanced 5E Framework.
IUCEL (International University Carnival on e-Learning) 2019:
National e-Content Development Competition 2019 (eConDev 2019):
Anugerah Khas YB Menteri Pendidikan Rekabentuk Kurikulum dan Penyampaian Inovatif (AKRI 2018):
Micro-credentials and Digital Badges: Evidence-Based Achievement Beyond Assessments
IUCEL (International University Carnival on e-Learning) 2018:
National e-Content Development Competition 2018 (eConDev 2018)
It is probably the only teaching and learning option available to us right now, with the other alternative being not conducting lessons at all for an extended period of time, if we’re looking at lockdown trends of various affected countries. It is the institution’s responsibility to ensure its students and staff are safe first; and second - students have continuity in their studies. Many parents have written to Taylor’s and are anxious about whether the Covid-19 pandemic will disrupt to their children’s studies.
Massive advancements in communications technology allows the virtual learning environment (VLE) to be as effective as learning physically on campus. Lecturers can now conduct lectures, tutorials and practical demonstrations synchronously (real-time) in an engaging virtual classroom. Tools such as Micosoft Teams, Zoom, Google Classroom, Skype, Padlet, Labster, Lecturio, Orca Health and many more are widely used by Taylor’s lecturers.
In fact, the upside to this online learning experience is that it will enhance students’ capability to operate in a globalised virtual world, resembling the way most businesses operate when they graduate. This is the perfect opportunity for students to build their collaborative, independent and self-directed learning abilities which are key skills of the future.
After the SARS epidemic hit Hong Kong and Singapore and disrupted learning in schools and universities for weeks, Taylor’s developed an e-Learning Masterplan at a cost of almost RM50 million over 5 years. The objective was not only to enrich and complement F2F learning but to prepare for a time like this – a partial or fully lockdown of the university and college. Taylor’s invested in a state-of-the-art Learning Management System, Lecture Capture System, remote communication tools and applications, expanded hardware capabilities and created over 1000 course microsites, for each course taught in the university.
Taylor’s Lecture Capture System, ReWIND has over 40,000 recorded lectures to (with audio, visual, presentation slides, and other module related content) which is available to students online. It is developed by lecturers themselves to maximize their teaching efficiency and assist students’ learning. Students can to fast-forward, rewind, or skip to particular segments they desire,
In addition to all the above, our eLearning Academy team has made available and trained our lecturers to use various platforms and software for recording, video editing, resource sharing, online collaborations, polling, assessment, and even creating virtual labs.
Taylor’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and learning innovations has won over 35 national and international awards since 2012.
In the last 7 years, when the haze interrupted classes for several days each year, Taylor’s switched to e-learning as part of our class continuity plan. It did the same when President Obama’s visit to the Lakeside Campus halted classes for 2 days.
So, Taylor’s believe it is ready because digital learning has always been embedded in our everyday teaching and learning even prior to the Movement Control Order (MCO). Due to the MCO until 14 April 2020, which could even be extended further, lectures, tutorials and assessments for April semester will be conducted online till 31 May 2020.
Taylor’s emphasises the need for constant and clear communication from the beginning. Engagement is key. Lecturers need to be very clear in their communication of what is expected of the student, and what steps to follow. Taylor’s has also highlighted the need for increased pastoral care at all levels, from Deans to Programme Directors.
Taylor’s has disseminated guidelines for lecturers to follow, with regards to online assessment. For example, students should have an opportunity, where possible, to trial any unfamiliar method, without grading. Also students should be given clear comprehensive instructions on all aspects of the operation and completion of the online assessment, including information on required file formats and the number of attempts allowed for that assessment component.
Our eLearning Academy team is working very hard to support all our academics and guiding them through virtual consultations throughout the semester. Taylor’s lecturers are now being supported by Online Webinars in the areas of Online Assessment and Online Learning and Teaching to enhance their capability.
The lectures and tutorials will be delivered in a manner that is synchronous and asynchronous. This is explained thoroughly in the Contingency Plan Document that each school has emailed to their students. In that plan, an explanation has been given on how students can engage with their academics effectively. Lecturers will engage with students based on this contingency plan.
Yes, the lecturers will provide all students with consultation time for students to contact and engage with them. Yes, if extra consultation time is needed, please reach out to your lecturers and clarify any doubts. Please directly raise any concerns that you have with the Program Director or the Head of School if there are any issues with sufficiency of consultation.
For the months of April and May (during Week 1 to 7) all assignments that are due must be submitted online based on the contingency plan that has been shared with the students and the instructions by the module lecturer. Feedback will also be given, based on the contingency plan. Your lecturers will support you as much as possible for this and give you all the necessary instructions.
There are lots of tutorials online that will guide you on how you can make online learning effective for yourself. During these unprecedented and challenging times, there will be adjustments that you will need to make, albeit, at times, difficult. If you need any assistance, you can always reach out to your lecturers or friends for help. All students must follow closely the instructions that will be given by their lecturers for the respective modules so that the learning can continue without any hindrance.
As we are not able to estimate accurately when the current situation will abate, it may be best for learning to continue so that we are not hindered by this challenge. The Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) and the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) have issued guidelines for all Universities in the country for online learning so that learning may continue without further delay. However, students who feel that they would like to consider further options to delay their studies may discuss this with the Program Director or the Head of School to see what is best for them individually in the given situation so that they could then make an informed decision.
Please refer to the Announcement posted on the Campus Central Portal.
The resource fee covers the provision of teaching and learning resources and facilities including online library, virtual learning resources, assessment, IT services and student services that will continue to be provided to meet students’ learning and support needs.
Additionally, faculties continued to enhance the availability of other resources where:
It is important to highlight that resource fees are necessary for the upkeep of all our facilities. The operating costs to maintain these facilities is necessary to ensure that when students come back to the university, they are readily available and operational.
Please refer to the COVID-19 Contingency Plans issued by your respective schools.
Unfortunately, no. In response to the recent developments on the COVID-19 outbreak, Taylor's Library will be closed from Wednesday, 18th March 2020 until Sunday, 31st May 2020.
No. Self-Check (borrowing), Fine Payments and Book Returns will not be available during the closing period.
No. If the books you borrowed were supposed to be returned during the closing period, the late return fines will be waived.
Yes. All the facilities on campus would be closed, including the extended hour study rooms until 31st May 2020.
All face to face events / activities for the months of April, May and June 2020 have been postponed. At the University, student services and engagement will continue, online, and students may consult the student council for further information on this. The various departments will reach out to students when the semester starts.