HEAD OF E-LEARNING ACADEMY, TAYLOR’S UNIVERSITY, AWARDED ANUGERAH AKADEMIK NEGARA 2013

Lim Chee Leong, Head of the e-Learning Academy (eLA), InTeLLeCT at Taylor’s University made history yesterday after he was awarded Anugerah Akademik Negara (AAN) 2013 in the Kategori Anugerah Pengajaran (Kelompok Sains Gunaan) for his innovative teaching methodologies. He is the first notable individual from a private university to be awarded the prestigious Anugerah Akademik Negara by the Ministry of Education Malaysia. The award was presented by Y.A.B. Prime Minister, Dato' Seri Najib Tun Razak at an award ceremony held at Putrajaya International Convention Centre. The Anugerah Akademik Negara is awarded by the government to individuals in the academic world who are highly successful in their respective areas of teaching. Kategori Anugerah Pengajaran, or Teaching Award, aims to highlight the contributions of academicians in institutions of higher learning, who have shown exceptional skills and knowledge in imparting different methods of innovative teaching to students. Part of the criteria when it comes to selecting an individual worthy of receiving this award include; excellence in educational, and teaching skills, creativity and innovation in delivery, and ability to improve students outcomes. “It is indeed a great honour and privilege to receive such a prestigious award from the Y.A.B. Prime Minister himself, and I thank the Ministry of Education for this recognition. Our job as educators is to constantly move with the times, embrace change and ensure that our students are at the centre of everything we do. This award will certainly serve as added motivation not just for me but for all of us at Taylor’s University to continue our efforts in changing how education is delivered in a more meaningful manner,” said Lim Chee Leong. Lim Chee Leong was one of the 8 recipients of Anugerah Akademik Negara 2013. For all his efforts and initiatives, Lim walked away with a trophy, a certificate and RM50,000 cash. Professor Dato’ Dr Hassan Said, Vice Chancellor and President of Taylor’s University said, “At Taylor’s University, we have always sought to inspire our youth and to stand out, to be top employers’ top choice University. The successes of Taylor’s University rely on the leadership of the people and the continuous development of the teaching and learning pedagogy in the university. Lim’s award is testament that efforts at Taylor’s University in leading the way in transforming teaching and learning for 21st century learners have been duly recognized.” Since joining Taylor’s in 2001, Lim Chee Leong has contributed very significantly to the learning and teaching of students in the University. He has been leading pedagogical innovations and embracing transformative practices which have directly contributed to students’ higher levels of achievement. He has incorporated innovative technologically-enabled pedagogy to help students learn in a collaborative, self-directed, exciting and fun manner. “I am particularly impressed by Lim’s teaching philosophy which he calls HEBAT as it aims to provide the learners “H”olistic “E”xperiences with “Bl”ended-learning “A”pproach using “T”echnology. He is passionate in exploring, evaluating and integrating various emerging classroom technologies in teaching and learning,” added Dr. Pradeep Nair, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Taylor’s University. The e-learning academy at Taylor’s University, headed by Lim, was established with the specific mandate to drive and support the implementation of blended learning at the University. The name ‘academy’ reflects its core purpose as unit which primarily promotes ‘learning how to teach with technology’. Hence, eLA’s task is to help our lecturers effectively and meaningfully implementing technology in transforming the learning experience for our students. This is heading towards the university’s long-term mission to transform the manner in which the University imparts learning and knowledge to its students through blended learning. Through the blended learning approach, Taylor’s students are able to utilise virtual learning material and collaborative learning tools, allowing them the opportunity to expand their learning experience beyond the classroom. This includes the effective use of TiMeS (Taylor’s Integrated Moodle e-Learning System), collaborative classrooms (X-Space), and the implementation of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), which allow students to communicate through discussions/forums between the students and facilitators. In another words, students can obtain immediate feedback on their progress as well as share ideas and experiences with other students. The e-Learning mission of the University is by 2016, is to have every student at Taylor’s University learning in a collaborative, self-directed and personalized manner anytime and anywhere. In order to achieve this, Taylor’s University has put emphasis on blended learning. The learning revolution is all about discovering the future of education, as it delivers a personalised learning experience that is tailored to students’ learning abilities, needs and understanding. By incorporating ‘e-elements’ in the curriculum, students get to be more active in learning at their own pace anytime and anywhere. Taylor’s University is confident in making headway with this mission as it has the expertise (InTeLLeCT) and Lim leading, to pave the way. For more information about the e-Learning Academy at Taylor’s University, click here.