One of the UCSI Group’s officer giving a series of explanations to the lecturers of UCSI University to ensure the dual-mode teaching and learning will run smoothly.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the living landscape of the people globally in the aspect of social, economic and even education. Realising the need for the education to continue, UCSI University has taken the initiative to invest over RM8.2 million to prepare various Information and Communications Technology (ICT) tools and equipment in its classrooms.

This is to ensure that the teaching and learning process of its students’ will not be affected due to the COVID-19 pandemic that hits the world.

These upgrades are important to strengthen the teaching and learning system as starting this September, UCSI will fully operate the dual-mode learning where students can attend the class physically or online for every programme.

Both physical and online classes will operate simultaneously. Therefore, students can communicate directly with their lecturers to ask questions.

Indirectly, this method enables both local and international students to follow classes wherever they are without the need to travel either domestically or internationally.

For students who wish to attend the classes physically, they will need to comply with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) as advised by the government – that is, to always maintain physical distancing.

Lecturers at UCSI University have attended a specific course on how to handle the Microsoft Teams software. With just one click by the lecturers, the students can attend the classes online through their computer, laptop or smartphone with an Internet connection.

The students will be able to experience a classroom situation despite not being physically there as the additional features in the software enable the lecturers to write formulas or draw on the screen surface shared through the Microsoft Teams application. This method is similar to the lecturers who use the whiteboard in physical classes.

For a smaller classroom, the lecturers only need a tablet with an Internet connection to operate the class physically and online at the same time as other equipment such as a camera and computer are already available.

As for bigger classrooms, the lecturers will need to use a microphone to ensure that their voice is clear, whether for students in the physical or online class.

Students who have unstable Internet connection need not be worried as all videos for the class are recorded and are accessible at any time after the classes end.