ignite
Institute for Global Network Innovation in Technology Education

Toyohashi University of Technology,
Institute for Global Network Innovation in Technology
Education

News from Penang（Vol.8 2016/2/29）

Reports

My Lectures in Malaysia
Hideaki Misawa, National Institute of Technology, Ube College
more difficult than that at PSP, the understanding ofIn this report I describe my lectures that I gave inthe students seemed to be good. During the lecture,

Penang, Malaysia, in February, 2016.
I made lecture materials for two 90 minute slots

because I was getting used to teaching in English little

under the theme of “A Brief Introduction toby little, I was able to pay attention to my grammatical

Information Theory” because I have taught the course

errors and fidgeting with a laser pointer that I hadof Information Theory at my college and I will be able

noticed by watching the videos of the lectures at PSP.

to utilize the lecture materials in the near future.

I think watching a lecture video is important to noticecommon errors and behavioral habits objectively by

I gave my first lecture at Politeknik Seberang Peraioneself.

(PSP), which is a three-year school for fosteringengineers with practical skills. Students of PSP can get

After finishing my lectures in Penang, I think that ifa Diploma, which nearly corresponds to an Associate

I am not competent to carry out teaching in Japanese

Degree in Japan, after graduation. Fifty third-yearsuch as explanation, discussion and interaction, I

students, who are taking a Diploma in Network at thecannot do them in English as a matter of course. To

Department of Information and Computer Technology,

make lectures taught in English effective, as a basic

attended the lecture. Since I had never given a lecture

step, we need to speak aloud, slowly and clearly.

in English for 90 minutes, I was nervous and“Teacher Voice” is a good keyword that represnts thisexhausted. From the result of a questionnaire survey,situation. When we don’t feel confident about

the most common comments were on my English as I

explaining something in English, we tend to speak in ahad expected. Although the students seemed not toweak voice, quickly and unclearly. Bearing “Teacher

understand explanations based on equations well, theyVoice” in mind, I need to keep on improving mywere responsive to my questions. I should have taught

teaching in English as well as my teaching ability

in a more interactive way.

itself.

I delivered my second lecture to the same students
as in the first lecture at PSP. I was less nervous in thislecture than in the first lecture and I was able to enjoy
the lecture. The result of the survey for this lecture
was better than that for the first lecture.
My third lecture was held at the School ofComputer Sciences, University Science Malaysia(USM). Forty six first-year students attended theFig．Lecture in PSP.

lecture and 35 of them major in mathematics.
Although the lecture content at USM was slightly
5About what I obtained and learned in Penang
Mio Kobayashi, National Institute of Technology, Anan College
Apa kabar?

Khabar baik!

generation system with a local community. In addition,

Sudah makan? Sudah!

almost all of the audience were interested in theengineering education we were working on.

That means, “How are you?” and “I’m good!”, then“Have you already eaten?” and “Yes, I’ve already

After finishing participating in the international

eaten!” in “Bahasa Melayu.” Those are commonconference, “IGNITE 2016,” held on Jan. 27-29, ourgreetings for people in Malaysia. Honestly saying, it

training for teaching in English was kicked into highhasn’t been acceptable for me to stay in Malaysia forgear. In my case, it was scheduled that two classes forour training for teaching in English, because I had a90 min. and one presentation for teachers about

prejudice in my mind that Malaysia is a still

engineering education were held in PSP (Politeknik“developing country” and all of the people living inSeberang Perai), one lecture in DISTED college, andthe country are “non-native” speakers of English. I

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didn’t understand why I have to conduct lectures inbackgrounds, and interests of students in those school,Malaysia, even though I have already known thecollege, and university are really different. The lectureschedule of this faculty development program.

I conducted for the students in PSP might beclassesinUSM.

The

understandings,understandable but shallow. In terms of students inMy first presentation in Malaysia was in USM

DISTED college, I couldn’t get enough information of(Universiti Sains Malaysia), University of Science ofthe students including their interest and motivation for

Malaysia. When I had been in TUT before I came tothe topic of my lecture, so during lecture, many

Malaysia, I had wanted and planned to let thestudents might be bored in my class. And also, their

Malaysian people know about my college which isevaluation for my lecture was very severe, but I

working on engineering education and collaborative

thought they should be more serious in the lecture. As

researches with local industries. Also, I wanted to tellfor the students in USM, they were earnest and smart.

them that the place where our college is located is

They not only studied well but also encouraged me invery famous for LED industry and we are alsothe class.

teaching practical experiments to students with using
LED-related technologies. That was the reason why I
decided that I tried to have the presentation in USM
about the engineering education in our college andcollaborative researches with local industries.
In the presentation, which were held in Jan. 26,
surprisingly, there was a bigger audience than I
expected, because it was day off for students, and mymentor, Prof. Low, also said to me that there might bea few audience members. In the presentation, the Ph.D.
student who is from Nigeria, was interested in theProf. Low and me

project in my college about a small hydroelectric6In terms of my lecture, I tried different ways forpreparing. I haven’t believed that I could do well if I
prepare scripts in advance because I must depend on
the script and I really care about doing exactly thesame as the script. That thought is based on myexperience for “Pechakucha” style presentation whilein Queens College. At that time, even though Iprepared script and sat up all night for practicing, Icould not make a good presentation. Since that time, I
have not prepared any script for presentations inadvance.
Because of the reason above, I didn’t prepare any
scripts for the lectures until I had my lectures in USM.
Seriously, I realized that I need to prepare scripts
when I need to explain specialized subject and make it
clear for students. By preparing what I explain and say,
I believe that the explanation must be changed to beclear and refined. As a result of the preparation, in myAt the presentation of engineering educationlecture in USM, it might be better than those in PSPin USM

and DISTED college.
During my stay in Penang, Malaysia, I studied
many things from people who are living here. Thoseare not only how to make a good lecture in English
but also the attitude and respect for different cultures.
In addition, I like their thought that English is just atool for communication. I realized that I am studying
English not for “English” but for making a good
lecture and communicating with students. I am aware

Lecture in PSP

that my feeling for this country was changed.
Malaysia was my good teacher.

Toyohashi University of Technology
Institute for Global Network Innovation in Technology Education
Center for International Education
1-1, Hibarigaoka, Tempaku-cho, Toyohashi, Aichi, Japan
Tel: +81-532-81-5161
Mail:unireform@office.tut.ac.jp

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