Work safety: Students conducting lab work at Taylor’s University under stringent conditions such as 1m-distancing, smaller classes and regular disinfection of the premises.
MALAYSIAN universities are now shifting gears to welcome their students to campus again upon receiving the green light from the Higher Education Ministry.
The pandemic caused most educational institutions to resort to online classes and distance learning for international students who are bound by strict travel bans.
However, the country’s ability to contain Covid-19, and stringent SOPs, may allow international students to gradually return to Malaysia to continue their studies.
There is no better time than now to rethink the idea and future of education, as the health crisis has taught many to think outside the box, forever changing the way we work.
Culture of learning
The trend to set a new education pathway was already under way and the pandemic only served to accelerate the process.
Taylor’s University has a longstanding reputation for utilising virtual platforms, having invested in a multi-million online structure to support academic activities away from physical classrooms.
During the pandemic, the university’s ability to pivot its education delivery transformed the current model, and saw remarkable innovation in the responses from educators in finding suitable approaches to engage students in their courses and assignments.
The Taylor’s University digital campus provides for continuity in courses and assignments, especially for foreign students unable to enter the country due to border shutdown.
Covid-19 revealed an extremely interconnected world – where isolated challenges and actions no longer exist.
In the gradual return to human interaction, the “near and far” delivery system gives flexibility for enrolled students to continue their studies regardless where they find themselves, and switch seamlessly to a classroom experience whenever they set foot on campus grounds.
The roles of educators and students have finally evolved into a borderless learning environment.
Educators at Taylor’s leapt at this opportunity to find new ways of communicating with their students – learning to facilitate education in classrooms and online.
For centuries, the educator was identified as the knowledge-holder, imparting wisdom to their students.
However, with the ability to access information a mouse-click away, the role of educators is moving towards facilitating the next generation’s development as contributing members to society.
Thus the classroom has progressed from a teaching culture to a learning culture.
Borderless education
Returning Taylor’s students will greet new modes of instruction to carry out the remainder of their curriculum, as the nation enters the new normal.
The institution will continue to carry face-to-face classes for their students on campus, and online lessons for those abroad – students who are unable to return due to border closure, health advisories and quarantine restrictions.
To ensure learning continuity for international students, each lecture is pre-recorded and available to all students before their tutorials.
Each tutorial is livestreamed and recorded for later viewing at the students’ convenience, dedicating more time for discussion in theoretical scenarios and group work.
The digital campus brings the best of both worlds, while ensuring that the campus is safe for its students, residents, and staff until it can be fully reopened.
For its efforts in successfully implementing the digital campus during the lockdown, Taylor’s University was recently recognised by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) under a new category in its stars rating – one of the few private institutions in Malaysia awarded five stars for online learning.
This adds to six other categories with five-star rating under their belt.
Taylor’s also joins the international leagues at the 49th spot in the QS World University Rankings Top 50 Under 50 that ranks the top young universities in the world – as the only Malaysian private university to rank within the coveted global higher education analysts’ 2021 edition.
Experts believe that blended learning will be a new pedagogy post-pandemic and will provide practices to enhance students’ capabilities to operate in a globalised virtual way – resembling the way most businesses will operate from now on.
In today’s world, young people require skills in adaptability and resilience, which is proving to be essential to effectively navigate this crisis, while employers have modified their requirements in a candidate, prioritising their capacity in communication, creativity and collaboration, alongside emotional intelligence and empathy.
Safety measures
Prior to welcoming students back to the university grounds, the Taylor’s Lakeside Campus has implemented various safety measures and criteria for everyone on the premises to curb the risks of virus transmission.
They will enter from one of six entries equipped with a screening booth for temperature checks and declare their state of health, via an app, before utilising the campus facilities.
The management announced that face-to-face learning will exclusively be conducted for students that require the campus facilities, while practising social distancing at all times.
The campus will operate at a 30% capacity at any given time, with alternative schedules for lecturers and staff.
Visitors, students, residents and staff are required to wear a mask at all times on campus grounds, while hand sanitiser is available at common touchpoints.
Public areas of the campus will undergo frequent sanitisation to maintain an adequate level of hygiene.
For anyone relying on public transport, the bus services are operating at 50% capacity.
Food outlets can operate following the SOP given by the Higher Education Ministry.
Adapting to these conditions is a perfect opportunity for the graduating cohort to refine their collaborative, independent and self-directed learning abilities, which are key skills of the future workforce.
In the current business landscape, many new job seekers will see that this pandemic has shifted the global community and spending habits, and organisations are responding quickly to move their services online before they lose out completely.
Only those who do not fear change or challenge will persevere in the aftermath.
Taylor’s E-Summit 2020
Testing the waters in the new hybrid model of education, Taylor’s explored this theme in their fully digital summit held in July.
Themed, “Rising Together As We Reimagine The Future: Evolution And Change Amidst The Covid-19 Era”, Taylor’s E-Summit focused on Malaysia’s youth and future nation-builders to strengthen, resolve and renew optimism – helping them realise their dreams.
The live stream summit was designed to stimulate impactful conversations and inspire audiences to embark on new fields of exploration to further their learning to overcome this unprecedented crisis.
Participants in Taylor’s E-Summit ranged far and wide, with almost 2,000 registered people immersing themselves in panel discussions on technology, health, entrepreneurship, education in a time of catastrophe, and how to rise from the ashes.
The Taylor’s E-Summit 2020 aimed to bring the nation’s youths, industry leaders and educators to lead the next generation into the new norm – by equipping them with the right values, knowledge, and survival skills to be future leaders in their chosen fields.
Future-proof yourself and find out more about the courses available at Taylor’s by logging on to university.taylors.edu.my
