Former Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail visits one of Taylor’s College events.
BESIDES attributing one’s success in life to their parents, it is also important to acknowledge our teachers and lecturers who have taught and guide us over the years.
Teachers and lecturers who have made a profound impact in their students’ lives or even sparked a dream or passion are remembered fondly.
One such example was Taylor’s College alumni, Top in Malaysia for Chemistry award recipient Ch’ng Chia Geng, who now produces YouTube content on Physics, Chemistry and Biology. He was inspired by his A Levels Physics lecturer – Seo Chee Leong.
Seo has his own YouTube channel for his Physics lessons, and was among the first in the Taylor’s Cambridge A Levels (CAL) programme to implement a Flipped Classroom where his students would listen to his lectures online and then come to class ready to engage, discuss and complete tasks.
“I aim to make Physics fun, easy to understand and relatable, as I enjoy teaching and interacting with students, ” said Seo.
In addition to producing Top in the World and Top in Malaysia award winners, he added that he once had an entire class who scored an A in Physics.
Seo’s colleague, Rayvathy S Kusalah who teaches Economics in CAL, says lecturers are always available to assist and facilitate students via various official and virtual platforms.
“Lecture notes are made available online and lectures are recorded via our Lecture Rewind System for students to access at their convenience, ” she said.
“Many of the lecturers are also Cambridge Assessment International Education examiners and therefore can provide insights into various examiner expectations and exam techniques.”
Tan Poh Hwa, who teaches Economics in the South Australian Certificate of Education International (SACEi) programme, certainly uses her 19-year teaching experience to benefit students, having also served as an external moderator and marker for the SACE board of South Australia.
Tan says SACEi emphasises independent learning, creative thinking, problem-solving and research skills.
“There is a good mix of course work and examinations where 70% of the assessment is coursework, and the other 30% is examinations.
“Here in Taylor’s, the SACEi programme is all about making the learning experience real and personal for students where there is a sense of ownership, teamwork, critical thinking and problem-solving skills, fostered through interactive learning beyond classroom activities, ” she said.
Tan’s Economics department organises field trips and workshops for students, such as the RHB Money Ma$ter workshop or the CIMB Financial Intelligence programme (Be$MART), besides hands-on investment trading simulations.
SACEi lecturer in Psychology, Edwyn Chong Seng Yao, says the lifelong skills that students learn from the programme could be applied in university or their working life in the future.
“Having to juggle multiple subjects that have various forms of assessments running concurrently, students are required to be vigilant and responsible in their work to ensure their performance stays consistent, ” he said.
While Tan uses workshops for exposure, Chong uses movies in his classes to train students to recognise psychological concepts and relate them to day to day situations.
Taylor’s College School of Pre-University Studies head Dr R Sivabala Naidu.
The School of Pre-University Studies head Dr R Sivabala Naidu adds that both the CAL and SACEi programmes offered in Taylor’s provides students with the right foundation thanks to the rigorous planning, preparation and execution of the lessons by passionate and dedicated lecturers.
“Additionally, there is plenty of emphasis in the development of soft skills and other competencies that places Taylor’s students at an advantage in the future, ” he said.
When it comes to deciding which pre-university courses may be the best option, Dr Sivabala’s advice is for students to consider their learning styles and preferred assessment modes.
“A student’s learning style refers to the way a student absorbs, processes, comprehends and retains information. For example, one student might learn best by acting a process out, while another might prefer reading about the topic instead.
CAL students attending an Economics Revision Workshop.
“CAL is 100% examination based with a strong emphasis on the development of a strong knowledge-base, critical thinking and analytical skills while SACEi assessments’ main emphasis is to promote the development of the capabilities needed to be successful university students, enterprising workers, and global citizens besides succeeding academically.”
Taylor’s College campus director Josephine Tan adds that students in the CAL and SACEi programmes are well prepared to enter some of the world’s best universities.
The college has over 200 articulation partners in 34 countries and the University Placement Services is able to assist students with their application into prestigious universities, as well as arranging talks and workshops, and conducting mock entrance interviews.
Taylor’s College campus director Josephine Tan.
“Over the past few decades, thousands of our students have gone on to study at prestigious universities globally, such as Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial College and the University of Melbourne.
“Historically, our students have also won numerous Top of the World and Highest Achiever Awards, ” she said.
For details and other pre-university programmes in Taylor’s College, make an appointment to meet virtually with a counsellor and lecturer during its Digital Open Day on Dec 5,6, 12 and 13. To find out more, visit http://university2.taylors.edu.my/digitalopenday/.
