Learning English

I remembered being a part-time tuition teacher about ten years ago. Herewith my notes about learning English:

Man-made language = Esperanto  vs English = natural language

Eleven facets of English learning:

1. Overview
2. Vocabulary
3. Grammar
4. Pronunciation
5. Listening
6. Speaking
7. Reading
8. Writing
9. Translation 
10. Learning resources
11. Examination preparation

Teaching and learning techniques: 

- spelling

- journal writing

- vocabulary memorizing

- intensive exercises

- morning reading, etc

Learners' 

- motivation

- attitude

- beliefs

- techniques

- deeds

- self-improvements

Notes taken in Rasch Measurement Model Workshop

I rushed to new campus after conducting 45 minutes of my Design Aesthetics class this morning.

After settled down in the Lab 4 in IT Centre, I began to learn what is Rasch Model with the facilitation of Dr Ong Yoke Mooi and Dr Sharon Lee Leh Hong.

Herewith my personal ILOs:
- to explain what is Rasch model
- to elaborate the usage of Rasch model and analysis
- to depict how Rasch model can be applied in my field of research.


Lessons of the day: 
1. Rasch Model can be used to balance games, i.e., balancing the difficulty level of in-game challenges over time.

2. The concepts of infit and outfit can be borrowed and used in Csiksentmihalyi's flow channel, in which outfit are in-game challenges that are beyond the flow channel, which could either be too easy (that leads to boredom) or too difficult (that leads to anxiety).

3. For items tested through Likert scale (i.e. more than "yes" or "correct" and "no" or "incorrect"), dichotomous model still relevant because we can code the outcome of each item to either 1 or 0.


14:52

Up to this moment, I think I can use Rasch Model to design, develop and test questionnaire items, specifically to examine whether a item is appropriate to be included in the questionnaire or now.

时间管理

自我时间管理

1. 每天将要做的事情列表，并在同一天内更新几次。
2. 规定自己一天内可打断的次数。
3. 安排自己能在没有同事、学生的打断的情况下完成任务。
4. 清理办公桌上的文书。
5. 对电脑文档时常进行整理。
6. 速读有关的报纸和杂志，了解最新的信息与技术（每日阅报、剪报）。
7. 限定打电话时间的长度。
8. 关上办公室的门，进行策略性思考。
9. 每天留出时间进行回顾（睡前五分钟）。

工作时间管理

1. 列出每天要做的工作
2. 估计完成一项任务的时间。
3. 坚持不超出每天工作的小时数。
4. 反思：在各项任务上花费的时间是否常常比你估计的更长？

会议时间管理

1. 准时出席会议，并且有备而来。
2. 保证大家能看到会议室里的时钟。
3. 自己组织的会议达到预期的目的，并准时结束。

下属时间管理

1. 注重每位下属的积极品质。
2. 留出一定的时间来接待同事、学生。
3. 努力与每位同事、下属保持直接联系。
4. 考虑将信息传达给需要的人。
5. 反思：你是否做了应由别人来完成的工作？
6. 将对你来说没有效率的工作委派给他人（只处理策划及监督工作）。
7. 把自己能完成的任务委派给下属、学生。
8. 跟进委派后的工作。

How many references should I include in a PhD thesis?

Before I wrote my PhD thesis, I went to Warwick Library and picked up one thesis of my senior. I calculated the number of references she included in her thesis, and I found the following figures:

443 references

34 tables

16 figures

7 chapters (excluding introduction)

2 appendices (Questionnaire used)

---------------------------------------

After I wrote my PhD thesis, I calculated mine. Herewith my figures for my postgraduate students to refer:

266 references (including 32 references to dictionary or encyclopedia)

(top-down; synthesis; reflexion; perception; pedagogy; pattern matching; pattern; new media; narrative; meta; medium; map; issue; industry; game theory (2); game (3); evolution; engage; electronic game; edutainment; education; creative industries; concept (4); bottom-up; attitude; analysis) 

67 tables

35 figures

9 chapters

16 appendices

Types of concepts

Concepts can be classified into:

• Concrete vs abstract
• Relative vs absolute
• Philosophical vs ? 

句摘：《中国能否赶超日本：日本人眼中的中日差距》

作者：（日）唐泽一

• 通过一系列问题上与中国的对立来体现其大国地位。
• 远交近攻外交力学的作用和以攻为守的岛国危机心理的萌动。。。
• 在国际政治关系中，感情用事是没有任何益处的，尤为重要的是千万不能妄自尊大。。。
• 习惯于那种来自文化优势的心理盲目藐视，以及感性上被欺凌的怨恨情绪，甚至表面上的强势表现和外交的敌对意识流露。
• 盲目的心理强势和片面的强大意识，只会误导国民思潮的走向和引起仇外情绪的泛滥，结果最终在实际对抗事态发生时。。。
• 资本的本质从来就不是善意，而是获取最大的利润。
• 马克思主义：人类提高生产力的最终目的是将人从生产活动中解放出来。

How to brand UPSI, UERL or myself?

I read an article in Interbrand Blog, titled "Lose the name, become an icon: the future of the packaging logo today". This leads me to think about how to brand UPSI, UERL or even myself.

The author suggested to "create an icon and let it speak for itself"--which could enable the brand conveys its essence to those who speak and write in different languages. In the context of Malaysia, this involves Malay, Chinese and Indian languages.