Azlan Othman
Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA), through the Centre of Graduate Studies (PPS), received a visit from the State Islamic Institute (IAIN) Palopo, Indonesia recently as part of a study visit programme.
The delegation, led by the IAIN Palopo Postgraduate Director Dr HM Zuhri Abu Nawas, was welcomed by UNISSA Rector Dr Haji Norarfan bin Haji Zainal and PPS Director Dr Azme bin Haji Matali.
The visit aimed to activate the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two Islamic higher education institutions.
Some 40 graduates and academics from both Islamic institutions participated in the event, which took the form of discussions through the presentation of papers by UNISSA and IAIN Palopo academics.
Meanwhile, UNISSA’s Shari’ah and Law Students’ Society (ShaLawSoc) organised a visit to Islamic Legal Unit, Ministry of Religious Affairs.
Some 32 Bachelor of Shariah undergraduates from the Faculty of Shariah and Law, along with six lecturers and two postgraduates participated. The event proceeded with the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah, led by member of the Academic Activities Unit, ShaLawSoc Muhammad Adiib Amiirullah bin Haji Abed.
Opening remarks were delivered by Head of Academic Activities Unit, ShaLawSoc Mohamad Yusran bin Yusof followed by a video presentation on the Islamic Legal Unit.
A briefing was given by Acting Director of the Unit Perundangan Islam Mahani binti Haji Suhaili, followed by a question and answer session.
To mark the end of the event, an exchange of souvenirs was held between the Islamic Legal Unit and ShaLawSoc, followed by a quiz session.
UNISSA’s Office of Academic Management (OAM), PPS, the Professional Development Unit under Centre for Leadership and Lifelong Learning (C4L), and the Faculty of Islamic Technology (FIT) also recently organised a workshop on the enhancement of teaching and learning through the constructive alignment (CA) and outcome based education (OBE) model.
The one-day workshop was attended by 98 lecturers, including deans, deputy deans, and heads of programmes.
The main objective was to raise awareness among academic staff on the importance of CA and OBE in teaching and learning (T&L), beginning with the refinement of the programme learning outcome (PLO), course learning outcome (CLO), and unit learning outcome (ULO).
The workshop reviewed T&L activities, revised the student learning time (SLT), and evaluated the course to ensure it is in line with the expected learning outcomes through the programme education outcome, which monitors three to five years following programme completion.
Meanwhile, the development of exam questions will be reinforced in a separate workshop focussing on assessment and evaluation.
The improvement of T&L activities is a foundation that must be maintained at higher education institutions. The extent to which the programme’s objectives can be met is used to determine its success.
This requires the use of a well-organised and high-quality education management system, such as the ISO: 9000-2015 system, as well as programme accreditation participation. High-quality graduates that are both marketable and competitive are the product of a series of high-quality programmes.
The workshop concluded with remarks from Associate Professor Dr Siti Sara binti Haji Ahmad as Assistant Rector (Academic) holding the Academic portfolio.
Two facilitators from the FIT, Dean Dr Hajah Tiawa binti Haji Hamid and Head of Programmes (Undergraduate and Postgraduate) Professor Dr Haji Abdul Hafidz bin Haji Omar facilitated the session.
Academic staff were encouraged to create, refine, and improve course outlines for programmes offered, with similar workshops planned every year to ensure quality.
The workshop also has the potential to provide training for trainers (ToT), especially young lecturers, and the sharing of expertise is also the foundation for the success of UNISSA’s T&L.
The application of the fundamental of the lecturer’s teaching is expected as part of a continuous quality improvement (CQI) effort to achieve a highly regarded and respected professional level in the field of teaching.
At the end, Dr Haji Norarfan awarded prizes to the best presenters for strengthening course outlines based on OBE and CA.
