FOR students who are about to embark upon tertiary education during these difficult times, the prospect of entering a world that is still coming to grips with the effects of the recent pandemic is uncertain, if not worrying, at best.
According to the International Association of Universities, close to 1.5 billion students worldwide are affected by school and university closures due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
The impact of these closures not only causes delays for students who wish to join the summer intake this year, but also affects how lessons are taught in months to come.
For Sunway College, its pre-university programmes have begun adopting educational technologies and blended learning a few years ago.
This was done so that Sunway pre-university students are well prepared to use the technologies available when they get into university studies.
As such, lecturers and students have had different levels of exposure and experience with online teaching and learning.
Notes and lessons are uploaded onto digital platforms like its eLearn (Blackboard) and Google Classroom, online classes and tutorials were conducted via MS Teams and Google Meet.
Sunway lecturers receive ongoing professional training and development on how to embrace educational technologies to prepare lessons, conduct day-to-day teaching, and use Smartboards in classrooms.
Students experience that a “flipped classroom” means reading up on concepts, principles, and theories beforehand so that they focus on applications, discussions, and problem solving when they meet face-to-face with lecturers and course mates in the classroom.
As students have different academic strengths and interests, Sunway College offers a wide range of pre-university programmes with different curriculum features so that students can choose what best fits them and prepares them for university and career or professional studies.
AUSMAT - global recognition and over 110 world awards to date
The Australian Matriculation (AUSMAT) programme at Sunway College is the largest overseas Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) provider in the world, and currently holds over 110 world awards.
Just last year, AUSMAT was awarded the Gold Award for the Best Smart School by EduTECH awards – Asia 2019 held in Singapore for their ground-breaking efforts in providing edu-tech experiences that prepare their students to live and work in the internet-enabled modern world.
This foresight and planning have proven instrumental in enabling AUSMAT to continue classes uninterrupted by seamlessly transitioning to online teaching methods with the onset of Covid-19 and Malaysia’s MCO restrictions.
Sunway has more than 30 years’ experience in preparing students for the WACE to thank for its excellent academic track record.
WACE is an academic qualification awarded by the government of Western Australia and is recognised worldwide, with Sunway AUSMAT students accepted to top universities all over the globe.
Students with an AUSMAT qualification can access renowned universities not only in Australia but other countries as well, including the US, the UK, Canada, Singapore, and New Zealand.
The WACE qualification is also accepted by Malaysian private universities as part of the criteria for their undergraduate programmes.
AUSMAT students focus on four to five subjects, and Sunway is unique in that it offers subjects leading to the Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) as well as general course options for students to expand their interests.
AUSMAT alumnus Daniel Chase Faisal sums up: “In the AUSMAT programme, I have learnt to be more confident and to positively express my opinions. The programme has helped me tremendously in achieving the personal goals that I have set for myself throughout the course.”
Sunway’s AUSMAT classes in July will deliver teaching-learning that combines acceptably distanced face-to-face instruction and online classes in order to ensure that students continue to receive the best Australian education experience possible.
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A-Level – 100% pass rate and 58% straight A*/As
Considered the benchmark in British educational excellence, the A-Level programme is your fast pass not only to top UK universities but others as well.
The world-acclaimed British qualification conducted in Sunway College, Cambridge GCE A-Level, holds the remarkable record of 100% pass rate and 58% of students achieving straight A*/As in the last examination session, and 304 Top in the World and Top in Malaysian awards to-date.
Sunway College’s A-Level has consistently garnered the highest number of A-Level Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards in Malaysia.
Sunway A-Level students have been successfully placed in top universities around the world such as the UK’s University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Imperial College London, London School of Economics, King’s College London, in the US Ivy League universities like Harvard, MIT, and Cornell, and Asia’s top universities like National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Tsinghua University and Peking University.
Sunway College prepares students for university applications, and provides additional guidance and support through outreach programmes conducted in collaboration with the Cambridge University Malaysia Society (CUMaS) and the Oxford University Malaysia Club (OUMC).
A-Level students also develop leadership skills through extra-curricular activities like the A-Level Student Council and participating in Math and Science olympiads.
A-Level alumna Melanie Yoon Weng Mun said: “It’s true that the A-Level programme is demanding, be that as it may, I would do it all again and choose Sunway once more.”
Yeon points out that the A-Level course at Sunway is student-oriented with lecturers who emphasise on providing students with quality of education.
“A-Level at Sunway is truly above the rest,” she concluded.
Sunway’s A-Level classes in July will incorporate both face-to-face instruction with social distancing and online teaching-learning methods.
CIMP – licensed provider of top ranked Canadian education
Sunway’s Canadian International Matriculation Programme (CIMP) is the only Canadian Year 12 programme in Malaysia that is licensed and approved by the Ontario Ministry of Education in Canada.
Canadian education has also been consistently placed top-10 in the PISA rankings by OECD.
The current CIMP faculty has in total more than 370 years of teaching experience and have taught in 29 countries in addition to Malaysia.
Over 80% of the teachers in Sunway’s CIMP are Ontario Certified teachers with training and experience of teaching in Ontario.
In over 30 years, the programme has garnered over 10,700 graduates entering over 230 universities in 29 countries.
Students are assessed through internal assessments; 70% of a student’s final grade is accumulated throughout the semester with 30% determined through final assessments created and graded by the subject teacher.
Throughout the semester, students receive continuous assessment and feedback which are key attributes of this Canadian education programme.
CIMP alumna Swarna Laxmi Selvaraja shared: “CIMP is a programme that taught me how to balance my academic and extracurricular activities to be a more accomplished individual.”
She added that the programme has given her countless opportunities to realise her full potential and pursue her passions.
“I will certainly carry the experience and vast knowledge that I have gained through my time at CIMP with me in the future.”
Sunway CIMP offers fully face-to-face and online modes with strict application of social distancing procedures,
The July intake avails students of face-to-face classes, partial-online classes and full-online classes to meet the diverse needs of students.
Classes in July will be held following Sunway’s uniquely structured format that uses online and responsibly distanced face-to-face instruction.
MUFY – well established direct pathway to Monash University
Sunway College is the tested and proven provider of the Monash University Foundation Year (MUFY) programme in Malaysia.
Sunway’s MUFY students have consistently achieved the top subject awards in MUFY exams. Based on the 2019 cohort results alone, MUFY at Sunway College garnered 24 out of 24 subjects awards across all MUFY providers across the world.
Monash University is one of Australia’s “Group of Eight” universities.
More than 13,000 students have chosen MUFY at Sunway College as their pathway to university studies.
MUFY programme acts as the academic bridge that helps students transition successfully into undergraduate studies at Monash and other universities.
It is recognised by all Australian universities, selected NZ and UK universities, branch campuses of foreign universities in Malaysia and other local private universities.
About 65% of MUFY graduates from Sunway qualify for Monash University scholarships.
MUFY alumnus Ryan Khoo Lay King is confident that MUFY has helped him establish a solid foundation in his studies.
“The programme has helped me to develop a strong sense of discipline and high degree of self-motivation. Each class environment is enjoyable, educational and interactive.
“My overall experience in MUFY is invaluable and essential to my future success,” he said.
MUFY’s July intake at Sunway offers online classes as well as face-to-face instruction with social distancing guidelines set in place.
Sunway Foundation Programme – Over 80% graduates attain Sunway University scholarships
The Sunway Foundation Programme produces the highest number of Sunway University’s first class honours graduates; 47% of first class honours graduates at Sunway University are alumni of the programme.
The programme offers two tracks, that is the Foundation in Arts (FIA) or Foundation in Science & Technology (FIST).
Both FIA and FIST are academic pathways for students to transition smoothly into tertiary level studies at Sunway University or to selected local and overseas universities.
FIA alumna Andrea Lee An Qi said: “The FIA programme provides excellent variety of subjects all delivered at just the right pace to ensure a positive learning experience.
“Life in FIA has really opened my eyes and established the perfect foundation to explore a world of opportunities.”
FIST alumnus Nihaal Gill Jagraj Singh shared: “The FIST programme has been an amazing programme that has completely exceeded my expectations of what a Foundation Programme would be.
“The lecturers are very engaging and have helped me greatly throughout my developmental journey, not only as a student but as a well-rounded individual.”
Students in the July intake will experience Sunway’s unique teaching-learning approach that uses online as well as face-to-face instruction with social distancing in place.
Pre-university studies at a college of excellent repute
Sunway College has consistently achieved the outstanding six-star rating in MyQuest, by the Ministry of Higher Education, for General Programmes, College-based Category, and International Student Services.
This endorses Sunway College as a leading college with excellent standards.
An experienced and successful pre-university programmes provider, Sunway College has been using educational technologies and blended learning approaches for several years as these approaches help students learn better and prepare them not only for university studies by lifelong learning.
Students go online to read, research and reflect on facts and theories. Then they attend face-to-face classes to discuss, apply the concepts and theories, and solve problems.
This mode of education has become even more relevant during this new normal.
Apps, games, and online tools are used to improve students’ engagement and attendance to ensure that they get the best possible learning experience in this tech-savvy century.
Sunway College believes that blended learning empowers students to learn as individuals and develop 21st century skills.
Through blended learning, lecturers assume the role of facilitators by guiding the students’ learning experience and encouraging students to be self-directed and independent thinkers.
Once internalised, Sunway pre-university graduates can seamlessly assimilate university study culture because they have acquired the skills for independent and life-long learning.
To find out more about Sunway College’s pre-university programmes and the scholarships available, visit its Virtual Open Day on every weekend in July and Aug 1, 2, 8, 9 from noon to 4pm.
Register now at my.sunway.edu.my/openday.
