Centre for Research
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LIST OF RESEARCH OUTPUT
(For details of the research work, kindly contact the researchers directly via the email below each abstract)
(For details of the research work, kindly contact the researchers directly via the email below each abstract)
American Degree Transfer Programme
SOVA decoding in Symmetric Alpha-Stable Noise
Soft-Output Viterbi Algorithm (SOVA) is one type of recovery memory-less Markov Chain that is used widely to decode convolutional codes. Fundamentally, conventional SOVA is designed on the basis of Maximum A-Posteriori Probability (APP) under the assumption of normal distribution. Conventional SOVA fails miserably in the presence of symmetric alpha stable noise which is one form of stable random process widely accepted for impulsive noise modeling. The author studied and improved the performance of conventional SOVA by introducing Cauchy function into path-metric calculation. Substantial performance improvement was gained from Mento Carlo Simulation for SOVA based turbo codes.
Presented by Pu Chuan Hsian (ChuanHsian.Pu@taylors.edu.my), American Degree Programme at the First Symposium on Information and Computer Sciences (ICS2011) (28 June), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
This paper aims to compare differences in uncertainty reduction of science and engineering students in two designs of the Problem-based Learning (PBL) model. This paper contributes to the PBL research field of embedded ILS training as tools of empowerment to transform university students into lifelong learning and independent students.
Presented by Loh Kah Heng (kahheng.loh@taylors.edu.my), American Degree Transfer Programme, at the Second Asian Conference on Education ACE 2010, Osaka, Japan (2-5 December 2010).
This paper attempts to shed light on the role of language in keeping religion relevant to the individual and society in present times. It is believed that this understanding of contradictions will aid in uncovering the role of language in reconciling religious meaning systems with the challenges of a rationalized post-modern world.
Presented by Parvinder Kaur (parvinderkaur.hukam@taylors.edu.my), American Degree Transfer Programme, at the 12th New Zealand Language and Society Conference, AUT University, New Zealand (22 -23 November 2010).
School of Architecture, Building &Design
Integrated Sustainable Roof Design
This paper explores the possibility of combining green roof, rain water harvest system and building integrated photovoltaic thermal power generation to explore integrated sustainable roof design (ISRD). Potential integration benefits include: (1) The increase in roof ambient temperature due to the installation of building integrated photovoltaic thermal power generation can be offset by green roof. (2) Polluted rainwater runoff can be cleaned via green roof in order to improve the quality of collected rainwater in rain water harvest system. (3) Polluted rainwater runoff can be cleaned via green roof and improve the quality of collected rainwater in rain water harvest system.(4) Harvested rain water can be utilised to irrigate the green roof during hot weather. ISRD can be modified accordingly to suit specific needs. Researchers with different specialisations can work together to conduct research based on ISRD, while exploring the possibilities of integrating other suitable sustainable technologies into ISRD.
Presented by Lee Xia Sheng (XiaSheng.Lee@taylors.edu.my), Taylor’s School of Architecture, Building & Design at the 2011 International Conference on Green Buildings and Sustainable Cities. (15-16 Sept 2011)Bologna, Italy.
This paper presents the results of comparing designing across different domains. It is stated that designing involves ontological issues and processes that can be observed and appear across all domains in contrast to the belief that designing is unique to its domain. A case study of designing in three different domains, architecture design, software design and mechanical design was conducted. A concise qualitative analysis of each session was presented before reporting results from quantitative measurement of the design issues and design processes in the three design sessions. The results from this case study support the claim that an ontologically based approach allows for comparisons of designing across multiple domains.
Presented by Jeff Wai Tak Kan (jeff.kan@taylors.edu.my), Taylor’s School of Architecture, Building & Design at the International Conference on Engineering Design (ICED) (15-19 August 2011), Copenhagen, Denmark.
The link between built environment, well-being and health was studied. Three factors were explored: crowding, housing satisfaction, and neighbourhood satisfaction to determine their correlation with housing stress, and in turn correlation with overall level of stress. A simple random sample (SRS) of blocks was generated and a total of 180 residents were sampled. Correlation and regression models were used in the data analysis. Although a direct relationship between residential environment and the overall level of stress was not found, an indirect connection was found via stress from the struggle for a better house.
Presented by James John Potter (jamesjohn.potter@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School of Architecture, Building & Design at the ASEAN Conference on Environment Behaviour Studies 2011 (15-17 June 2011) Bandung, Indonesia.
This research is to determine whether the Industrialised Building System (IBS) benefits the country's economy by focusing on the business created by investing in IBS. This paper looks at the theoretical framework on business opportunities created from the Government policy of embarking on the IBS. The analysis suggests that when IBS is fully adopted, some businesses will have to withdraw while new businesses will be created. Small- and medium-sized traditional trade contractors will be eliminated and replaced by large-scale manufacturers. Also, more local workers will be employed in the factories and hence, it will help the government to control the flood of foreign labour.
Presented by Theong May Chuan (maychuan.theong@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School of Architecture, Building & Design at the 4th International Conference on Construction Engineering and Project Management (16 -18 February 2011), Sydney Marriott Hotel, Australia.
This paper discusses the current energy efficiency practice and the emphasis on pre-construction energy in the local construction industry. In order to explore the consideration and emphasis given by the professionals in the industry to embodied energy, this paper presents data relating to embodied energy in local terrace houses. This paper also discusses the limitations faced by local built environment professionals in meeting this criterion presently.
Presented by Tamil Salvi Mari (mtamilsalvi.m@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School of Architecture, Building & Design at the 4th International Conference (ICBEDC), Pulau Pinang (1-2 Dec 2010).
This paper examines the value of studentcentred methods in teaching and learning architecture. The paper emphasises the value of the integrated approach as an effective way to increase intentional learning and to promote and strengthen research culture.
Presented by Sujatavani Gunasegaran (sujatavani.g@taylors.edu.my) , Taylor's School of Architecture, Building & Design at the Tunku Abdul Rahman College International Conference on Learning and Teaching 2010 (TIC 2010): Emerging Trends in Higher Education Learning & Teaching, Petaling Jaya (18-19 October 2010).
This paper presents a model of an integrated portfolio as a method to assess students' learning. It is based on a model which has been designed and implemented in the School of Architecture in Taylor's University, a private higher learning institution in Malaysia. The first section of this paper documents the concept and implementation of Taylor's Graduate Capabilities integrated portfolio. Subsequently, it presents the effectiveness and challenges faced by lecturers, gathered from a focus group discussion on the integrated portfolio as an assessment method.
Presented by Dr Veronica Ng Foong Peng (foongpeng.ng@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School of Architecture, Building & Design at the Tunku Abdul Rahman College International Conference on Learning and Teaching 2010 (TIC 2010): Emerging Trends in Higher Education Learning & Teaching, Petaling Jaya (18-19 October 2010).
This paper presents the results of using an ontologically-based method of measuring cognitive design issues and design processes on an in-situ team brainstorming session to study the changes in cognitive design issues and design processes at the beginning, middle and end of the session. Word counts and turntaking studies of the team members were summarised. A generic coding scheme, ontologically-based, to quantify cognitive design issues and design processes is presented with detailed results of the distributions of issues and processes. The distribution of issues and processes at different stages was statistically tested. The results show that the behaviour of individual team members, as measured by distributions of issues and processes, varies during the design session.
Presented by Dr Jeff Wai Tak Kan (jeff.kan@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School of Architecture, Building & Design at The Fourth International Conference on Design Computing and Cognition, University of Stutgart, Germany (12-14 July 2010).
As students find different learning resources on the Internet, they become active participants in their quest for knowledge. Incorporating the Internet in the classroom provides students with more opportunities to structure their own learning. This paper reports the results of the design and evaluation process of a web-based lesson which was developed by the researchers and used as an instructional tool in an English Language classroom. The design and development process was based on Dick and Carey's (1990) model. Evaluation and the revision processes were conducted at the same time. In addition, this web-based lesson was divided into formative evaluation which involved three language lecturers and three instructional technologists. A summative evaluation was carried out by a group of six students. The three main elements for the evaluation was based on Kristof and Satron (1995), who suggested that an interactive learning system can be separated into information design, interactive design and presentation design.
Presented by Thivilojana Perinpasingam (thivilojana.perinpasingam@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School of Architecture, Building & Design at The MELTA -19th International Conference 2010, Kuala Lumpur (8 July 2010).
School of Biosciences
2-Methoxy-1,4-Naphthoquinone (MNQ) Cytotoxicity on Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma (NSCLC) Cell Line A549
Lung cancer poses the highest cancer-related mortality rate, with over 1.3million deaths worldwide annually. Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and laser therapy are the standard treatments for both SCLC and NSCLC. Although current treatment advances have led to a steady increase in survival, lung cancer is often metastatic at presentation which complicates treatment, and patients ultimately carry a poor prognosis and show a high recurring rate. The compound 2-methoxy-1,4 naphthoquinone(MNQ)isolated from garden balsam(Impatiens balsamina)has been shown to exert cytotoxic activity on several cancer cell lines. However, its effect on lung epithelial cells has not been explored. Given the severity of lung cancer, the anticancer potential of MNQ against A549non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) cell line is examined in this study.
Presented by Ong Yee Hoong (anthony.ho@taylors.edu.my), Taylor’s School of Biosciences at the 36th Annual Conference of the Malaysian Society for Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (27 -28 July 2011), Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Malaysia is home to a diverse range of ferns, many of which have been used as traditional medicines in the treatment of various ailments or for general healthcare. The aim of this study was to explore new and natural sources of antioxidants amongst some ferns in Malaysia. Fifteen fern species were screened. Total phenolic content (TPC) was measured using the Folin-Ciocalteau method. Antioxidant properties were determined via the DPPH radical scavenging, ferric reducing power (FRP) and β–carotene bleaching (BCB) assays. Results showed five ferns with very high total phenolic content of above 2000 mg GAE/100 g fresh leaves. These ferns exhibited strong antioxidant activity based on the DPPH radical scavenging activity, ferric ion reducing power and inhibition of lipid peroxidation. The ferns with strong antioxidant properties were Cyathea latebrosa, Cibotium barometez, Drynaria quercifolia, Blechnum orientale and Dicranopteris linearis.
Presented by Lai How Yee (HowYee.Lai@taylors.edu.my), Taylor’s School of Biosciences at the 3rd International Conference on Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering (ICBEE 2011) (23 -25 Sept 2011), Chengdu, China.
The sorption capability of green seaweeds, Caulerpa lentillifera in removing acid yellow 25 (AY25) and basic yellow 11 (BY11) from aqueous solution was investigated. The study found C. lentillifera to exhibit better ability to remove basic yellow (98%) than acid yellow 25 (70%). Thus, by emphasising on BY11, the effects of seaweed morphology, initial dye concentration and seaweed concentration on biosorption process were investigated. The results revealed that sorption capacity of C. lentillifera increased with increasing initial dye concentration, and decreased with increasing seaweed concentration. The sorption mechanism complied well with both Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherm models, indicating the presence of heterogenous and multilayer sorption processes. In conclusion, C. lentillifera could be used as a potential biosorbent for the removal of basic dyes from wastewater.
Presented by Wong Ching Lee (ChingLee.Wong@taylors.edu.my), Taylor’s School of Biosciences at the 2011 International Conference on Biotechnology and Environment Management (ICBEM) (16-18 Sept2011), Singapore.
Cryptococcus neoformans is an encapsulated facultative intracellular fungus that possesses substantial health burden globally, primarily afflicting the immunocompromised individuals. Infection of C.neoformans, cryptococcosis, could progress from an initial pulmonary infection to a disseminated state with predilection of the pathogen to the brain leading to fatal meningoenchalitis. One of the virulence factor of C. neoformans is its ability to attach, and subsequently penetrate and colonise the host tissue during disease development, an example is the invasion of the microvascular endothelialcells of the blood brain barrier in causing meningoencephalitis. The host pathogen ligands/receptors that mediate this interaction remain elusive. The underlying mechanisms of adhesion and internalisation of the yeast to the host cell is fascinating as it provides an avenue for dissemination and persistence of the pathogen. Very little is known about the early interaction between C. neoformans and alveolar epithelial, which forms the primary site of infection. In the current study, the interaction of C. neoformans with alveolar epithelial cells was investigated, focusing on adherence/internalisation of the pathogen into the host cell as well as pathogen induced host actin remodeling. The capsule/cell wall protein of C. neoformans was separated via2-Dimensional Electrophoresis is with the aim of characterising the extra cellular proteomes of the pathogen.
Presented by Choo Khi Khi (anthony.ho@taylors.edu.my), Taylor’s School of Biosciences at the 36th Annual Conference of the Malaysian Society for Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (27 -28 July 2011), Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Metastasis contributes to ahigh mortality rate in breast cancer among women. It is ultimately incurable due to the low success rates of the current treatment modalities available. The search for novel and effective anti-cancer drugs against breast cancer metastasis has been on-going for decades. Hence, this study aims to investigate the effects of the phytochemical2-Methoxy-1,4-Naphthoquinone(MNQ) against the metastasis of MDA-MB-231 cells. Two different assays were used in this study to gauge the antimetastatic potential of MNQ. InWound-Healing Migration Assay, MNQ and the control drug, Vinblastine, were shown to retard the migration of MDA-MB-231 cells dose-dependently. MNQ recorded approximately 46% reduction in migration at its highest non cytotoxicconcentration,7.5μM while Vinblastine scored almost 30% reduction at10nM. Moreover,MNQ was shown to exhibit dose-dependent inhibition of cell invasion in the Matrigel Invasion Assay. Some 59% inhibition of cell invasion was recorded upon treatment with MNQ at 7.5μM. At1–10nM, Vinblastine was found to inhibit up to 42% of cell invasion. This study reports for the first time the antimetastatic properties of MNQ and further studies are currently being undertaken in order to better understand its mechanism of action.
Presented by Kitson Liew (anthony.ho@taylors.edu.my), Taylor’s School of Biosciences at the 36th Annual Conference of the Malaysian Society for Biochemistry & MolecularBiology (27 -28 July 2011), Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
The functions and elucidation of the structure of cytoplasmic iron-containing superoxide dismutase (sodB) of Legionella pneumophila in eliminating bactericidal reactive oxygen species generated by NADPH oxidase in macrographs is studied in this paper. The ultimate aim is to identify alternative targeted sites for new drugs in intracellular pathogens such as TB and Salmonellae. The relative amount of sodB expressed in the Australian (02/41) and Malaysian (CT3C) isolates of L. pneumophila after being subjected to 0.1mM and 1.0mM H2O2 was quantified by SYBRR Green real-time one-step RT-PCR. After 1.5 hours of treatment with 0.1mM H2O2 at the mid-exponential phase, the sodB levels in L. pneumophila 02/41 and CT3C and E. coli K12 were found to increase by threefold (105%), twofold (23%) and onefold (5%) in removing ROS as compared to the non-treated cells respectively. Although the cells were actively expressing sodB at initial exposure to H2O2, the cell densities were continuously increased exponentially for 5 hours with no significance differences in population compared to the non-treated cells. A similar observation was observed on the fold changes of sodB in both L. pnuemophila isolates after exposure to 1 mM H2O2 but one log reduction in populations. The E. coli QC774 with the site-mutagenised sodB gene was not able to survive after exposure to H2O2. The observation clearly indicated that the sodB is essential for survival for Legionella and E. coli. The iron binding sites, His26, His73, Asp156 and His160 were also found to be highly conserved within the sodB proteins in both E. coli and L. pnuemophila isolates. Here, we postulated that the sodB is an alternative targeted site for new drugs to inhibit bacteria from detoxifying superoxide radicals in the microphages. However, L. pneumophila from different geographical origins conferred distinct sodB responses to H2O2. The L. pnuemophila 02/41 exhibited 3-fold higher than the CT3C isolate that may be explicated by the difference at the position of 138th amino acid sequences in sodB. A glutamine in L. pneumophila 02/41 and a serine in the CT3C isolates.
Presented by Stacey Yong (stacey.yong@taylors.edu.my), Taylor’s School of Biosciences at the BIT’s 1st Annual World Congress of Microbes 2011, Beijing International Convention Center (30-1 August), China.
Members of the Cucurbitaceae comprise some 800 diverse species from over 100 different genera and many of these plants have been validated as of therapeutic value and have been used in phytotherapies. Many of these cucurbits are also reported to contain high antioxidant activities which are speculated to have contributed partly to their therapeutic benefits. As many of these studies were carried out using the traditional antioxidant assays, we have decided to relook at the antioxidant capacity of the Cucurbitaceae using the ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) assay, considered by some to be the gold standard in antioxidant capacity assays. Currently the ORAC is used commercially to determine antioxidant capacity. Correlation between the ORAC value and those obtained using several traditional antioxidant assays showed that it correlates best with total phenolic content (TPC) in the various samples tested here. A ruggedness assay carried out to monitor the fluorescence intensity of 0.1mM Trolox in the absence of APPH using the Tecan Infinite M200 fluorescence micro-plate reader showed the reproducibility of the present ORAC data. Ten different species of the cucurbits from several genera were tested in the present study. The data obtained showed that there is a much higher antioxidant capacity present in the seeds than in the pulp of the cucurbits tested here. Values range from a 20% more antioxidant capacity in the seeds of Citrullus lunatus (water melon) to several hundred percent in the seeds of Benincasa hispida (winter gourd). Traditionally, the seeds of the water melon (also known as kua chi in Hokkien) are consumed during festivals like Chinese New Year, but considering the antioxidant capacity data reported here, perhaps seeds from other cucurbits like the winter melon should be given some consideration.
Presented by Associate Professor Dr Lim Soo Thye (soothye.lim@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School of Biosciences at The 35th Annual Conference Malaysian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bangi, Kajang (27-28 July 2010).
Taylor's Business School
The Dyadic Influence of Culture and Social Power on Service Quality
This paper examines the influence of the Taiwan socio-cultural environment on service quality evaluation. Bourdieu’s (1986) structuralist perspective of culture is utilised as the analytical framework. It is argued that given the public and co-producer role of consumers (Vargo & Lusch, 2004) in service production, an investigation is warranted into the role socio-cultural relations perform in constructing consumer service evaluations. This approach is presented as preferable to the national values-oriented studies (e.g. Hofstede, 1984) that have dominated research in the area. It is found that national identity plays an important role in entrenching Confucianism as the guiding philosophical base for this case. In this context, social networks perform a key role in preference formation and dissemination.
Presented by Brian Charles Imrie (BrianCharles.Imrie@taylors.edu.my), Taylor’s Business School at the 2nd International Research Symposium in Service Management, Yogyakarta, (26-29 July 2011), Jakarta, Indonesia.
The purpose of this paper is to study the motivation behind international and domestic small and medium entrepreneurs (SMEs) to export to new markets as the intersection of international marketing, sociology and psychology of entrepreneur, i.e. a multi-disciplinary approach. This paper aims to contribute to the body of knowledge through the integrative conceptual framework of values (Schwartz et al., 2001) and beliefs, antecedents to intention and intentions in the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) (Ajzen, 1991) for a broader understanding of individual entrepreneur’s motivation to internationalise their businesses. This cross-sectional study will include 400 SMEs from a nationally representative sample of SMEs in Malaysia. Data will be collected in the form of multiple-item questionnaire answered by individual entrepreneurs defined as owner cum manager of small and medium enterprises. They will be drawn from food, beverages and agriculture industries. Structural equation modeling (SEM) will be employed in this study to test the hypothesised model which will consist of latent and observed variables. If empirical support is found, this conceptual framework will be useful in designing entrepreneurship programmes and policies at the national level. It is also valuable to establish the necessary basis for encouraging and developing entrepreneurial internationalisation activities carried out within the context of SMEs.
Presented by Looi Kim Hoe(KimHoe.Looi@taylors.edu.my),Taylor’s Business School at the 6th European Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, (15-16th Sept 2011), Aberdeen, Scotland, UK.
The complexity of teaching generation Y students is a challenge faced by academics in many institutions of higher learning. This includes the evolution from conventional reading to reading using the ever expanding web-based resources. This quantitative study was undertaken to examine the relationship between stress factors and reading habits among Gen Y students. The purpose of this study was to identify the type of stress which affects Gen Y students, the effect of these stress factors on the Gen Y reading habits and the moderating effect of gender on the relationship between stress factors and reading habits. Data was collected from 206 business students in a private institution of higher learning, using a structured questionnaire after a prior pilot test on a sample of 76.. The data was analyzed using reliability, factor analysis, and multivariate General Linear Model. The use of factor analysis identified four constructs for readership and two constructs for stress factors. An association between stress factors and reading habits was established. It was discovered that stress affected the knowledge and the exam purpose readers. Further investigation showed that gender moderates the effect of stress on the Gen Y reading habits. These findings will be of value to educators as they seek a better understanding of the needs and priorities of the millennial students. It is hoped that these findings will enable educators to establish a good understanding of the Gen Y students and their distinct needs so as to promote the use of more innovative teaching methodologies to further encourage a healthier learning environment.
Presented by Shalini Nagaratnam(shalini.n@taylors.edu.my),Taylor’s Business School at the International Conference on Educational Technology (18-19th Sept 2011), Orissa , India.
This paper examines information search and information satisfaction of international students focusing on student, service and information characteristics as independent variables influencing information search and information satisfaction. A questionnaire and two pilot-tests were administered to refine the items in the scales utilising SPSS version 17 and AMOS 18 to empirically test the effects of the respective predictors on latent variables. Results indicate that all six hypotheses were supported at P ≤ 0.05 and information characteristics (institution attributes and information accessibility) were the most important predictors. This significant finding implies that the challenges facing marketers is not only to focus on the vital attributes of the institution, but also strategies on how such information should be readily accessible so that students are able to respond and react.
Presented by Nurlida Ismail (nurlida.Ismail@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's Business School at the European Conference on Research Methodology for Business & Management 2011, Caen, France ,(20-21 June 2011).
This study explores the impact of parental influence on reading habits of a sample of 206 Gen Y adults. Factor analysis reveals the presence of five categories of readers based on their reading attitudes and three categories of parental influence. While female respondents enjoy and read to gain knowledge, male respondents dislike reading and were not interested in acquiring knowledge. Children of concerned and positive parents enjoyed reading as opposed to children of high-expectation parents who did not like reading. The impact of parent's education level, when tested individually, on reading habits, was found to be significant for the disadvantaged readers. Working mothers with a degree or masters education were found to play significant roles in developing the reading habits of their children as far as acquiring knowledge is concerned.
Presented by Harpaljit Kaur (harpaljit.pritam@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's Business School at The Interdisciplinary Business & Economics Research Conference 2011, Bangkok, Thailand,(16 - 18 June 2011) .
This paper focuses on the saving-investment criterion highlighted by Feldstein and Horioka (1980) as a way of measuring international capital mobility. However, the Feldstein-Horioka finding has been subject to both econometrics and theoretical criticisms. Cointegration techniques of analysis pioneered by Miller (1988) have also been considered but as they have a low testing power, it could result in erroneous results. To take into account the econometric problems of the Feldstein-Horioka approach, this paper employed the panel data approach to analyse international capital mobility. Panel data analysis has been found to improve the statistical power of the conventional unit root and cointegration tests by pooling data and increasing the number of observations.
Presented by Baharom Abdul Hamid (baharom.abdulhamid@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's Business School at The Malaysian Finance Association (MFA) Conference 2011, Langkawi, Kedah, (10 – 12 June 2011).
This paper aims to identify the characteristics of firms that choose public offerings versus private placements. The structural equation modeling method was used in order to critically evaluate these differences from the holistic perspective. Findings indicate that firm size effect dominates the characteristics of firms that choose private placements whereas in addition to firm size effect, asymmetric information theory dominates the characteristics of firms that choose rights issue as the representative of public offerings method.
Presented by Norhanim Dewa (norhanim.dewa@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's Business School at the Malaysian Finance Association (MFA) Conference 2011, Langkawi, Kedah, (10 - 12 June 2011).
This study investigated the importance of the country of origin information, level of ethnocentrism and perceived quality of mobile phones amongst 122 private university students in Malaysia based on the Country of Origin Information of Products questionnaire and the 17-item CETSCALE. Overall, the quality of mobile phones manufactured in developed countries is highly viewed and t-test results revealed that there is no significant difference in the importance of country of origin information between males and females.
Presented by Andrew Lee Hock Cheong (andrewhockcheong.lee@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's Business School at the 2011 Marketing in Asia Group (MAG) Scholar Conference,Wellington, New Zealand, (29 May-1 June 2011).
QHEQ is a student evaluation questionnaire on quality in higher education developed by the author in a previous research in which the key purpose is to provide feedback that might lead to better cost effectiveness and higher competitiveness in the higher education sector. This paper addresses the validity of QHEQ using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) conducted on data from a sample of 768 undergraduates from two Malaysian universities. Results revealed that a five-factor model best represents the quality in higher education as perceived by the undergraduate students.
Presented by Tang Siew Fun (siewfun.tang@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's Business School at the 2011 International Conference on Management and Service Science ICMSS, Bangkok (28-29 May 2011).
This study seeks to develop and pilot test quality in the higher education questionnaire (QHEQ), which is a 17-item instrument intended for students to assess quality of higher education. A sample of 107 undergraduate students from a Malaysian university was used in a pilot test where reliability tests and exploratory factor analysis were conducted. The results revealed five easily interpretable factors : Effective Teaching and Learning, Personal Development, Supportive Learning Environment, Improved Communication Skills, and Information Availability, Accuracy and Accessibility. These are the reliable indicators of the underlying construct of perceived quality in higher education.
Presented by Tang Siew Fun (siewfun.tang@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's Business School at the 2011 International Management Conference,Kuala Terengganu, (16-17 April 2011).
This research explores how religious identity influences one's sense of self and the extent to which this sense of self is reflected in consumption behaviour. The research specifically seeks to develop a better understanding of how a Malay Muslim woman perceives herself and what her predominant sense of identity is. This is then transferred to her consumption of make-up. The findings reveal that while there is a struggle to balance the duality of being Malay and Muslim, religion plays a central role in the lives of these women. The academic implications of the research is the contribution towards theory building in terms of ethnic and religion being a primary source of self-identity and how this influences consumption decisions.
Presented by Juliana Angeline French (julianaangeline.french@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's Business School at the Global Islamic Marketing Conference (20 -22 March 2011), Park Hyatt, Dubai.
The main purpose of this study is to clarify if there is a gap between learning styles and the preferred learning methods according to the Honey and Mumford's (1986) model of learning of Malaysian students in their 1st year, 1st semester of tertiary studies. Findings indicate that students have a reputation of speaking up and are keen to put ideas, theories and techniques into practice but tend to rely heavily on the lecturer having sufficient knowledge of the subject that they teach.
Presented by Evelyn Toh Bee Hwa (evelyn.toh@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's Business School at the Learning & Teaching Conference (26 January 2011), Teeside University, UK.
This paper examines the validity and reliability of the SET as a valid instrument in evaluating teaching effectiveness in a private higher education institution in Malaysia. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were found to validate all 10 items of SET whereby all items indicated high reliability and internal consistency. A confirmatory factor analysis using Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) software also confirmed that a single factor model was used to evaluate teaching effectiveness. The single factor model was further validated using 1000 repeated samples of Bootstrap method in AMOS.
Presented by Ng Foon Lee (foon-lee.ng@taylors.edu.my) , Taylor's Business School at the Australian Statistical Conference, Perth, Australia (6-10 December 2010).
This study aims to investigate the potential of using reflections to complement existing course evaluation methods. To solicit new insights that would facilitate future delivery of the course, the researcher initiated an academic reflection exercise, with aims to provide input to the lecturer for self-reflection and an avenue for students for self-expression. The study was able to reinforce the importance of using constructivist theories in engaging students in their learning effort.
Presented by Choo Siew Ming (siewming.choo@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's Business School at the NZARE Conference, New Zealand (6 -9 December 2011).
This study investigates the relationships of self-concept, academic achievement and future pathway of first year business studies diploma students in a private university. Multivariate analysis provided evidence that a student's academic self-concept, in particular the school self-concept, English self-concept and Mathematics self-concept strongly impact his or her academic achievement in the first semester. However, there was no significant relationship between self-concept (academic and non-academic) and a student's choice of pathway after completing the diploma program.
Presented by Tang Siew Fun (siewfun.tang@taylors.edu.my) , Taylor's Business School at the Asian Conference on Education ACE 2010, Osaka, Japan (2 -5 December 2010).
The purpose of the study is to investigate the antecedents and consequences of consumer risk perception in apparel purchase. Findings from this study show that perceived quality and brand name have an effect on perceived risk and purchase intention. It was also found that consumer risk perception does have an effect on purchase intention as well.
Presented by Liew Cheng Siang (chengsiang.liew@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's Business School at the 13th International Business Research Conference, Melbourne, Australia (22 -24 November 2010).
This study takes an in-depth look into the IPOs over the period 2000 – 2009. A correlation, multiple linear regression and step-wise regression was undertaken to identify the impact of economic factors, market sentiments and projected financial variables on the over/ under pricing of IPOs. The results indicate that the extent of underpricing of IPOs has significantly decreased compared to the 1980s and 1990s.
Presented by Siew Wei Leong (mikeweileong.siew@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's Business School at the 13th International Business Research Conference, Melbourne, Australia (22 -24 November 2010).
This research examines the validity of Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET). The main aim of this study was to determine whether a halo effect occurs in the completion of SET ratings and also to estimate the magnitude of this effect. This paper presents the results of a study with regard to the existence of a higher-order factor that might influence students' perceptions of teaching and, thus, explain the variance in rating scales. The results of this study raise concerns regarding the interpretation and utility of SET ratings.
Presented by Lim Lek Chai (lekchai.lim@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's Business School at the International Conference of Education, Research and Innovations, Madrid, Spain (15 -17 November 2011).
Recent advancements in information and communication technologies (ICT) and increasing bandwidth efficiency have led to the growing popularity of synchronous e-Learning. Thus, the use of web conferencing system as a platform to facilitate teaching and learning activities in higher education environments across the world has received increased attention. However, there has been little empirical research published to assess the effectiveness of synchronous e-Learning tools, particularly from the view of the students. This paper attempts to explore students' perceptions of the use of 'Illuminate Live!' as a synchronous e-Learning tool to supplement the traditional classroom learning. An online questionnaire was sent to pre-university business students to gather information on their most authentic experience with 'Illuminate Live!'. A descriptive analysis revealed that students expressed satisfaction and excitement about the use of this truly revolutionary technology. Participants also found 'Illuminate Live!' extremely beneficial, particularly when e-Learning sessions were scheduled before assignment due dates and examinations. These sessions allowed them to clarify their doubts and to resume studying without any confusion from a location of greatest convenience. From these findings, the paper concludes with the benefits of using 'Illuminate Live' in enhancing the learning experience of the students.
Presented by Lim Chee Leong (cheeleong.lim@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's Business School, at The Orlando Annual Conference, International Journal of Arts & Sciences Conferences, University of Central Florida (1st - 4th March 2010).
Canadian Pre-University Studies
Ontario Teachers: The Case against Zero
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the issue of whether or not the mark of "zero" has a place in the 21st century classroom. This paper provides a glimpse into how Ontario teachers treat late and missing student work and how they think and feel about assigning marks of zero. One clear pattern emerged: when it comes to student performance, above all, Ontario teachers' value effort. Students who do not complete assignments, despite being given multiple opportunities to succeed, do not exhibit the kind of effort teachers want to see. Consequently, most teachers do not object to assigning a mark of zero.
Presented by Gordon William Cavanaugh (gordon.cavan@taylors.edu.my), Canadian Pre-University Studies, Taylor's College at the International Conference of Educational, Research and Innovations, Madrid, Spain (15 -17 November 2010).
School of Communication
Assessing the use of Communication Technologies as an Effective Internal Communication Channel: Case Studies of Malaysian SMEs
The implications of new communication technologies in workplace communication were examined. A structured questionnaire survey was carried out with 300 employees of ten small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia and in-depth interviews were conducted with 50 employees drawn from a survey sample. This study concludes that communication technologies are widely used as dynamic avenues for employee communication and demonstrate high effectiveness as a new form of communication culture in Malaysian SMEs.
Presented by Catherine Lee Cheng Ean (catherinechengean.lee@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School of Communication at The Conference on Corporate Communication 2011, New York , (7 -10 June 2011).
The objective of this paper is to examine the extent to which newspaper editors are willing to discuss the controversial and sensitive 'Allah' issue. Editorials of three important English newspapers, two print newspapers and a web news portal, identified for their popularity and different stances in writing were chosen to examine the manner in which this controversial issue was handled. The method employed in the analysis was Critical Discourse Analysis as used by van Dijk (2005). The analysis shows that caution is exercised by the government affiliated paper, a more judicial approach is taken by the independent paper while the web portal is very anti-government in its stance.
Presented by Lokasundari Narayanaswami (lokasundari.narayanaswami@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School of Communication at 2011 The 4th International Language in Media Conference, Limerick, Ireland,(6 – 8 June 2011).
This paper approaches the arguments on the benefits of online games as social artifacts that require pragmatic rethinking as it is continuously being modified, developed, and enriched not only by its creators, but by the players themselves. These implications were studied on the grounds that online games are fundamentally processual and are established through collaborative enhancement of coordination, communication, and organization.
Presented by Dr Benedict P Agulto (benedict.agulto@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School of Communication at the Asian Conference on Media and Mass Communication 2010, Osaka, Japan (28 -30 October 2010).
In 2003, the Malaysian Government announced the policy of Teaching of Mathematics and Science in English (ETeMS or better known by its Malay acronym, PPSMI). The policy has however caused a furore, with both Malay nationalists and Chinese educationists who are treating the decision as an attack on their identity. By employing framing as the theoretical frameworkand content analysis as the research method, this study examined what pictures newspapers have created for citizens' understanding of the reversal of the PPSMI policy.
Presented by Yang Lai Fong (laifong.yang@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School of Communication at the 2010 ACMC International Conference, USM, Penang (28- 30 October 2010).
This paper attempts to analyse the discourse of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's '1Malaysia Concept'. A critical discourse analysis shows that the 1Malaysia concept shows representations of change as an important aspect for the country's economy to progress towards a developed nation as outlined in Vision 2020.
Presented by Assoc Prof Dr Lokasundari Vijaya Sankar (lokasundari.narayanaswami@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School of Communication at the 2010 ACMC International Conference, USM, Penang (28- 30 October 2010).
In Malaysia, Islam has increasingly become a major symbol of Malay-ness. Faith is inseparable from the Malay ethno-cultural heritage and the division between the Malays and non Malays is being widened by the religious divide between Muslims and non Muslims, creating a distinct, acute awareness of the "other". In February 2005, the Malaysian Bar Council convened a national conference to discuss a draft bill proposing the formation of a national inter-faith commission. The primary function of the commission would be to help the Government to make clear and coherent policies to allow for greater inter-faith relationships as well as avoid conflicts arising out of misunderstanding. However, Muslim non governmental organisations boycotted the conference and argued that the inter-faith commission, if established, would undermine the functions of existing religious authorities. In June 2009, the Government announced that it would to amend three laws relating to religious conversion. However, the meeting of the Conference of Rulers later decided to defer its decision on the proposed amendments on the conversion as the Rulers decided to get views of the respective state religious councils before arriving at a decision on the matter. By employing framing as the theoretical framework and content analysis as the research method, the study will examine what pictures mainstream and alternative newspapers in Malaysia have created for citizens' understanding of the above mentioned religious disputes.
Presented by Yang Lai Fong (laifong.yang@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School of Communication at The International Conference of Pacific & Asian Communication Association (PACA 2010), Shenzhen University (16-18 July 2010)
School of Computing & IT
Role-Playing Game Authoring: A Strategy for Learning History
Teaching history as a subject in schools is challenging for school teachers because this subject is difficult to capture the students’ attention. This paper discusses an innovative method for students to learn history and it focuses on the Role-Playing Game (RPG) authoring as a new platform in learning history. Computer games are popular among the young generation and the interest of authoring computer games is increasing drastically. Hence, this research seeks the possibility of delivering the content of history content through a platform that captures the interest of the young generation. Through the constructionist approach, RPG authoring can serve as an innovative method for students not only to learn by doing, but also provides an opportunity for them to analyse and construct the historical events. This is different from traditional history learning methods where students are often required to memorize the facts.
Presented by Lim Eng Lye (EngLye.Lim@taylors.edu.my), Taylor’s School of Computing & IT at the International Conference on e-learning and Knowledge Management Technology (ICEKMT), (8-9 July 2011), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
In recent years, the business environment has become extremely competitive for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). SMEs have begun to look into the potential of implementing enterprise software systems in adding value to their businesses. Thus, the objective of this paper is to investigate whether Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) or the Best of Breed (BoB) system, will lead to better productivity, flexibility and ROI and whether in the process of achieving this outcome, is moderated by technological, organisational and environmental (TOE) factors. The results revealed that out of three performance measures - productivity, ROI and flexibility - the ERP systems is seen to outperform BoB in terms of productivity and flexibility. Additionally, the technological factor is not a significant moderating variable on the differences in productivity, cost and flexibility of ERP and BoB, but both the organisational and environmental factors are. This study provides an avenue for further exploration on the potential of ERP implementation among SMEs.
Presented by Mahadevan Supramaniam (Mahadevan.Supramaniam@taylors.edu.my), Taylor’s School of Computing & IT at the 2011 International Conference on e-Learning, e-Business, Enterprise Information System, e-Government, & Outsourcing (EEE’11) (18-21 July 2011), Nevada, USA.
Knowledge elicitation is central to any Knowledge Management (KM) initiative. Despite the growing number of studies inundating the market today, elicitation of knowledge within the realms of organisations and individuals alike is difficult. Organisations embarking on knowledge management initiatives are confronted with issues on how to effectively capture knowledge and experiences of their employees with the aim of garnering measurable results. This conceptual paper espouses challenges faced by organisations using existing means to capture and retain knowledge. This paper also sheds light on the nature of activity systems and how this can be effectively analysed to affect tacit contribution which is the cornerstone of any knowledge management initiative. The authors subsequently propose a conceptual framework as a means to guide formation of requirements to build a knowledge management system to enable effective knowledge capture using principles of Activity Theory.
Presented by Sanath Sukumaran (sanath.sukumaran@taylors.edu.my), Taylor’s School of Computing & IT at the Knowledge Management in Organisation (KMO 2011) (27 -28 September 2011), Tokyo, Japan.
The paper introduces a model for representing domain-based ontologies. Subsequently, a University ontology was built as a domain-based ontology, based on the proposed model. Finally, a domain-based ontology architecture is proposed as an efficient approach in ontology-based data integration.
Presented by Dr Abdolreza Hajmoosaei (Abdolreza.Moosa@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School of Computing & IT at the 2010 International Conference on Computer and Software Modelling (ICCSM 2010), Manila, Philippines (4 -5 December 2010).
In this paper, a comparative analysis is reported on enterprise resource planning (ERP) system adoption in multinational corporations (MNCs) operating in Malaysia and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). More specifically, the partial least squares (PLS) modeling technique was used to assess the cause-effect associations between technological, organisational and environmental (TOE) factors and successful ERP adoption in these two business sectors. The empirical results suggest that the causal relationship between technological factor and successful ERP adoption is statistically significant for SMEs. This implies that successful ERP system adoption in the sample SMEs seems to be facilitated by the existence of adequate technological and environmental factors exclusively. This finding is not surprising as the Malaysian government's support for ERP adoption by SMEs is prevalent. The analysis further revealed significant associations between organisational and environmental factors with successful ERP adoption for MNCs. This suggests that MNCs with distinctive size and operational complexity leverage extensively on their organisational and environmental factors to experience successful ERP adoption as opposed to smaller-sized SMEs. Based on the empirical findings, several theoretical and practical implications are highlighted in this study.
Presented by Mahadevan Supramaniam (mahadevan.supramaniam@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School of Computing & IT at The 4th European Conference on Information Management and Evaluation, Lisbon, Portugal (9-10 September 2010).
Universities and institutions of higher learning have been widely regarded as quintessence of knowledge. What remains a paradox is the difficulty of finding several examples of institutions that systematically develop initiatives aimed at sharing knowledge. This vacuum presents an opportunity for researchers to espouse knowledge management principles in this domain. This present paper reviews the impact and importance of tacit knowledge in a teaching and learning environment. Next, it examines the fundamental challenge of ensuring similar learners' experiences. Third, a solution by means of a framework aimed at explicating tacit knowledge is proposed and tested. The final phases involve a prototype web based implementation of the proposed framework termed 'just in-time knowledge management' (JIT-KM). Due to the non-disclosure nature of the research, the mentioned organisation would need to remain anonymous and therefore referred to as UT.
Presented by Sanath Sukumaran (sanath.sukumaran@taylors.edu.my), School of Computing & IT, at The 5th International KMO Conferences (KMO 2010), Veszprem, Hungary (18-19 May 2010).
Educators are now looking into utilising social networking sites (SNS) in teaching and learning, either as a platform to share learning materials or as a tool for asynchronous e-learning. The purpose of this research is to study the perception and acceptance of Gen-Y students towards using SNS in teaching and learning and the presence of other possible factors which may influence the utility of SNS in education. The Technology Acceptance Model was adopted in this study. A survey questionnaire was administered on students in a private institution of higher learning. This study attempts to draw the conclusion that (a) social networking sites are perceived and accepted as useful tools in teaching and learning, and (b) perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use will have a positive impact on the acceptance level of social networking sites.
Presented by Tan Ee Xion (eexion.tan@taylors.edu.my), School of Computing & IT, at The Global Learn Asia Pacific 2010, Penang, Malaysia (17-20 May 2010).
School of Engineering
Utilisation of Air-gap to Improve the Acoustic Absorption of Coir Fibre
The aim of this paper is to improve the acoustical properties of coir fiber with air gap layers. Analyses were based on Allard elastic model with transfer matrix analysis. Results were close to experimental values and predicted the path and resonances very well. Further analysis revealed that having a fibre layer backed by an air gap was better than leaving the same gap in between that layer. In the later arrangement, the sound field impacted a porous layer with low thickness and bulk density. It was concluded that other acoustic absorption techniques such as adding a perforated plate may be combined with coir fibre-air gap structure to improve the low frequency acoustic absorption coefficient without the need to increase greatly the air gap thickness.
Presented by Mohammad Hosseini Fouladi (hosseini@taylors.edu.my), Taylor’s School of Engineering at the International Congress on Sound and Vibration (ICSV 18) (10-14 July 2011), Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.
In this paper, a well-structured industrial placement programme with extensive pre-placement preparation that cuts the settling down period and utilises the time spent at the industrial facility in the most efficient way is proposed. The proposed programme is divided into two phases. The first phase of this research involves the development of the programme and seeking feedback from employers to further improve it. The second phase is the placement of students in the industries, their experiences and assessment plans which will be covered in another research. Outputs showed that industries are very keen to hire enthusiastic students who are willing to learn, having good attitude and interpersonal skills. The majority of industries believe that a six-month duration of industrial placement may have a better impact in students’ learning process; however for those who are well prepared, a three month training duration also can be satisfactory. Close collaboration between supervisor-industry is essential in order to come up with a concise plan in helping the student to benefit as much as possible from the programme without any graduation delays.
Presented by Mushtak Al Atabi (Mushtak.Talib@taylors.edu.my), Taylor’s School of Engineering at the 4th International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation (ICERI) 2011 (14-16 July 2011), Madrid, Spain.
The objectives of this study are to investigate the effects of pre-treatment on drying kinetics and total polyphenol content (TPC) of papaya. Papayas were pre-treatment with two different types of osmotic solution; sugar solution with presence of phyllanthus niruri powders and sugar solution without phyllanthus niruri powders. It was found that drying rate of papaya pretreated by phyllanthus niruri solutions were higher than samples without pretreatment by phyllanthus niruri solutions. Effective diffusivities obtained ranged from 2.085 × 10-11 to 1.227 × 10-9 m2/s, which were determined using the Fick’s second law. Further to this, it was found that the TPC of the dehydrated papaya with and without pretreated in phyllanthus niruri solution ranged from 37.9 } 0.19 to 62.0 } 0.09 mg GAE/ 100g and 34.2 } 0.37 to 55.8 } 0.06 mg GAE/ 100g, respectively.
Presented by Chong Chien Hwa (chienhwa.chong@taylors.edu.my), Taylor’s School of Engineering at the 7th Asia Pacific Drying Conference (18-20th Sept 2011). Tianjin, China.
This paper presents an assessment rubric for a Multidisciplinary Engineering Design module in which two groups of students working in a multidisciplinary team on a given project were surveyed; the first group was assessed on the achievement of their learning outcomes, quality of the project submitted and the interpersonal skills while the second group was asked to reflect on the Conceive, Design, Implement and Operate (CDIO) process frequently during the semester. Initial results show that asking the students to intentionally analyse their learning experience through the prism of CDIO creates more awareness of the CDIO as a process which can lead to internalisation of the process as a thinking and problem solving technique.
Presented by Mushtak Al Atabi (mushtak.talib@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School of Engineering at The 7th International CDIO Conference, Copenhagen, Denmark (20 - 23 June 2011).
The transient natural convection of variable and constant viscosity fluids in a side cooled cubical cavity was studied experimentally. The convective flow in the cavity was visualised by the shadowgraph technique. Results indicate that transient flow development is characterized by the following distinct processes: the initial growth of the vertical boundary layer and horizontal intrusions and the interaction of the horizontal intrusions and the stratification. New scaling relations were introduced to include the effect of the viscosity variation with temperature. The new suggested scalings showed good agreement with the measurements based on the shadowgraph images.
Presented by Obai Younis Taha Elamin (obai.younis@taylors.edu.my) , Taylor's School of Engineering at The ASME/JSME 2011, 8th Thermal Engineering Joint Conference, USA (13 - 17 March 2011).
Senior students are assigned in Peer Assisted Study Session (PASS) to run discussion classes and help their juniors for a better understanding of subjects. Objective and subjective evaluations show the positive achievements of the PASS program. The shortcomings are classes with low numbers of attendees and lack of experience or teaching techniques of PASS leaders. This has to be improved on. Other feedback received suggest having more PASS sessions or starting it earlier.
Presented by Mohammad Hosseini Fouladi (hosseini@taylors.edu.my) , Taylor's School of Engineering at the International Engineering and Technology Education Conference (IETEC) 2011, Taylor's University (16 -19 January 2011).
Corrosion of oil and gas well equipment during acidisation causes severe problems in industries. These problems can be prevented to a maximum extent by the application of corrosion inhibitors. Studies were carried out on the effects of compounds such as propane-1,2-diol and propane-1,3-diol as corrosion inhibitors for mild steel in 1.6M HCl at a room temperature of 303K, using weight loss method and potentio-dynamic polarisation method. Results reveal that propane-1,3-diol is a better inhibitor than propane-1,2-diol for mild steel in 1.6M HCl at room temperature.
Presented by Dr Soundarajan Krishnan (soundarajan.krishnan@taylors.edu.my) , Taylor's School of Engineering at the 63rd Annual Session of Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers(CHEMCON -2010), India (27 -29 December 2010).
This papers reports on the use of Facebook group to support students' learning in "Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer Module". Students' feedback was solicited and the majority of the students found the use of Facebook to support their learning and in engaging a useful experience.
Presented by Dr Obai Younis Taha Elamin (obai.younis@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School of Engineering at the 21st Annual AaeE Conference, Sydney, Australia (5 – 8 December 2010).
Teamwork skills are among the most important skills that employers desire to have in engineers. This paper reports on the use of corporate style team building activities to accelerate development and enhance the performance of multidisciplinary teams of undergraduate engineering students. The team building exercises emphasised the importance of trust, communication, planning and problem solving for effective teamwork.
Presented by Assoc Prof Dr Marwan M Shamel (marwan.shamel@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School of Engineering at the 21st Annual AaeE Conference, University Technology, Sydney (5 -8 December 2010).
Pear cubes with moisture content of 6.85 g H2O/ g DM were dried by using four different drying methods and subjected to compressive strength test, stress relaxation test and sensory evaluation. The intensity as well as consumer acceptance of particular attributes showed that hybrid heat pump vacuum-microwave (HP/VM) dried pear was relatively hard compared to the others but this drying method produced dehydrated pear with the best acceptance score in terms of colour. In addition, the sensory acceptance scores shows that the hardness and crispiness of hybrid hot air-cold air and heat pump dried pear were not significantly different (p>0.05) and these dried pears had the best acceptance scores in terms of texture.
Presented by Dr Chong Chien Hwa (chienhwa.chong@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School of Engineering at the 17th International Drying Symposium–IDS 2010, Magdeburg,Germany (3– 6 October 2010).
The objective of this study was to improve product quality of dehydrated fruits using hybrid drying techniques. In this regard, qualities in terms of finished-product appearance and colour as well as sensory assessment of colour of dehydrated fruits were investigated. These product qualities were compared with continuous heat pump (HP) drying technique. It was found that the total colour change (ΔE) of papaya and apple undergoing this hybrid drying technique were 8 to 198% lower than continuous heat pump dried (HP) dehydrated papaya and apple. However, the change of colour for pear and mango was higher compared to similar fruits that underwent continuous heat pump (HP) drying. It should be noted that samples with higher colour change does not indicate less preference and vice versa. In this regard, sensory assessment with reference to colour must be refered to. It was found that dehydrated pear with higher total colour change (ΔE) was more desirable because of its golden yellow appearance.
Presented by Dr Chong Chien Hwa (chienhwa.chong@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School of Engineering at The World Engineering Congress 2010, Sarawak (2-5 August 2010).
This paper introduces an attempt to enhance the accuracy of panel methods. A low-order panel method was selected and coupled with semi-empirical methods to enhance the accuracy of drag prediction of flying bodies at supersonic speeds. Semi-empirical methods were used to improve the accuracy of drag prediction by mathematical modeling of viscosity, base drag and drag due to wing-body interference. Both methods were implemented by a computer programme and validated against experimental and analytical results. The comparisons show the achievement of considerable improvement for the selected panel method for prediction of drag coefficient. In general, accuracy within an average of 4.4% was obtained for the enhanced numerical panel method. Such accuracy could be considered acceptable for the preliminary design stage of supersonic flying bodies such as projectiles and missiles.
Presented by Dr Abdulkareem (abdulkareem.mahdi@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School of Engineering at The World Engineering Congress 2010, Kuching, Sarawak (2-5 August 2010).
The ability of crab shell particles to remove Pb2+ ions was evaluated in a batch reactor and in a fixed-bed column. The binding of Pb2+ ions by crab shell was found to be affected significantly by pH, with maximum sorption capacity 714 mg/g observed at pH 4. The sorption isotherm of Pb2+ ions on crab shell particles was modeled on the application of Langmuir followed by Sips, Redlich-Peterson and Freundlich. It was observed from the kinetic data that the biosorption process using crab shells follow pseudo-second-order kinetics. The influence of temperature on metal uptake showed that the sorption process is favourable at room temperature and increasing temperature decreases the Pb2+ ion uptake. The negative value of Gibbs free energy calculated shows the spontaneous nature and feasibility of the Pb2+ ion biosorption process. The influence of the co-ions (Na+, K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+) along with the Pb2+ ion present in the wastewater was also studied. A glass column (2 cm I.D and 35 cm height) was used to study the continuous lead biosorption performance of crab shell particles with different bed heights. At 25 cm (bed height), 5 mL/min (flow rate) and 100 mg/L (initial lead concentration), crab shell particles exhibited Pb2+ ions uptake of 363.1 mg/g.
Presented by Dr TVM Padmesh (tirunelveli.padmesh@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School of Engineering at The 5th International Conference on Environmental Science and Technology, Houston, Texas (12-16 July 2010).
This paper reports on the initial stages of a study on introducing a backward facing step into a symmetrical airfoil and the effect of that on the flow structures and aerodynamic performance of the airfoil. The study was performed using flow visualisation in a circulating water channel. The flow visualisation results were compared to those of an airfoil without a step. The study of the flow showed that introducing the backward facing step reduced the separation at the suction side of the airfoil. This is due to the existence of an entrapped vortex in the step that modifies the effective shape of the airfoil, affecting the wake and the dynamics of the vortex shedding.
Presented by Assoc Prof Dr Mushtak Al Atabi(mushtak.talib@taylors.edu.my), School of Engineering, at The 14th International Symposium on Flow Visualization, Daegu, South Korea (21-24 June 2010).
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Industrial visits represent an important activity in any engineering undergraduate programme that contributes to the achievement of various essential learning outcomes and programme objectives. This paper reports on an attempt to make the industrial visit an integral part of the Engineering Design and Communication module. This is achieved through identifying visit's learning outcomes and suitable industrial sites to achieve them. For this purpose, a thermal power plant was identified as a site to be visited by students. A number of questions in the form of surveys related to the learning outcomes, were prepared and given to the students to answer. The pre-visit, after-visit, and post-visit surveys were aimed at priming the minds of the students, gauging the level of satisfaction, and assessing the level of retention of knowledge. Students found this method very useful and were able to remember a fair bit of information at the end of the semester.
Presented by Assoc Prof Dr Marwan M Shamel (marwan.shamel@taylors.edu.my), School of Engineering, at The 6th International CDIO Conference 2010, Montreal, Canada, (15 -18 June 2010).
Taylor's Graduate School
Elvish Identity – A Journey
The presentation attempts to show how constructs are put into place by cosmologies needing the security of tight barriers between the Self and the Other in order to survive the harsh environment of the world. The focus is on the journey made by the Elves to Valinor and back again to Middle-earth. The exiled Elves needed to position themselves as successful and superior in order to survive the chaotic world. Thus, their kin were cast as the Other. It was a binary construct that, while it illuminated the heritage of the Light Elves, it did not, in fact, mean that the Dark Elves were of any less value. The conditions that contributed to the abjection of a race will also be analysed. Feanor is used as an example of a Self who was unsuccessful in removing the abject from within. For Feanor, the spatial space left behind by his mother was filled by his fetish, the Silmarils. It is argued that the abjection of his kin and the kinslaying were caused by Feanor's failure to integrate into the Symbolic order. The presentation hopes to prove that Tolkien' work within the context of cultural division in a race shows a complex and realistic understanding of the many difficulties and ambiguities that surround a cosmology when it comes into contact with another. When expressed in words, it reflects how perspective informs the reader. Tolkien's works when studied provide a richer understanding of how the world operates.
Presented by Melissa Ruth Arul (melissa.ruth@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's Graduate School at The Festival in Shire, Wales, UK (13-15 August 2010).
School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts
An Analysis on International Tourists’ Perceptions towards Destination Branding: ‘Visit Indonesia 2008’ Marketing Campaign
The aim of this paper is to examine the perception of international tourists towards Indonesia, especially its tourism products, and the positioning of the country. In conjunction with ‘Visit Indonesia 2008’, this study attempts to find the missing link between what the country tries to offer and what the tourists think they will get. Though tourism is nothing new to the country no such study has been done previously. A total of 400 questionnaires were distributed to foreign passengers who were departing from three major international airports in Indonesia with 342 completed useable surveys returned, providing a response rate of 85.5%. Convenience sampling was chosen as the preferred method to collect required data. The data was processed using SPSS and the outcome suggests that the Ministry of tourism needs to re-evaluate its marketing strategies and channels as the study reveals that there was lack of awareness of this campaign.
Presented by Fanggy Theresia Sumaco (fanggy.theresiasumaco@sd.taylors.edu.my), Taylor’s School of Hospitality, Tourism & Culinary Arts at the 2nd International Research Symposium in Service Marketing, (26-30 July 2011) Yogyakarta, Jakarta.
This paper analyses how a small indigenous community, the Kelabits of Bario in the interiors of Sarawak, has balanced the task of preserving life on earth and at the same time, promoting tourism development. Three main dimensions that were analysed for sustainable and responsible community based tourism (CBT) at Bario include : (i) Economic Responsibility; (ii) Socio-Cultural Responsibility; and (iii) Environmental Responsibility. Findings from the Bario experience have shown that CBT has a positive relationship with poverty alleviation by enhancing the economic level, improving the socio-cultural aspects, and preserving the environment.
Presented by Vikneswaran Nair (vicky.nair@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts at the Advances in Hospitality and Tourism Marketing and Management Conference 2011, Istanbul, Turkey (19 - 24 June 2011)
This research seeks to examine the compliments posted by guests who have stayed at five-star hotels in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This paper identifies, through a qualitative analysis of 220 scripts, the kinds of compliments given and provides important implications to hoteliers. The results show 'rooms', 'staff', 'food', 'services' and 'location' are the top five factors that guests applaud. Discussion of these findings and implications of the results are also provided.
Presented by Catheryn Khoo-Lattimore (catherynkhoo.lattimore@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts at The Advances in Hospitality and Tourism Marketing and Management Conference 2011, Istanbul, Turkey (19 - 24 June 2011)
This paper explored the business success factors of budget hotels in Klang Valley through a questionnaire survey carried out in 2010/2011 to obtain the perception of respondents from budget hotels. Responses from a sample of 95 respondents indicate that size of business and access to capital has a positive relationship with a P-value of less than 0.05. Contextual factors, size of the business and access to capital does positively influence the perceived business success of the entrepreneur.
Presented by Bhuvanes Veerakumaran (bhuvanes.s@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts at The International Conference on Management 2011, Penang, Malaysia. (13 - 14 June 2011)
This study investigated how service performance of airlines and perceived risks influence airline customers' overall satisfaction with the travel experience and future purchase decisions with the airline. Results indicate that service performance, in terms of trustworthiness and customer attention, is the major factor that influences customers' overall satisfaction. In contrast, service performance in the area of helpfulness has no impact on customers' overall satisfaction. Furthermore, customers' perceived risk is not a major influencing factor in measuring customers' overall satisfaction in relation to future purchase decisions.
Presented by Ng Yen Nee (yennee.ng@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts at The 9th APacCHRIE Conference 2011, Hong Kong (2 - 5 June 2011)
The data for this study was the online customer complaints consisting of a total of 1034 useable complaints obtained from two local chain foodservice companies in Malaysia for the year 2008 and 2009. The analysis identified our main service failure categories (Product, People, Process and Physical Evidence) and 14 sub-categories. The most common failure complaint was people-related with Courtesy and Competency being the top two significant failures, followed by Process and Product-related. Results revealed no significant difference between genders in terms of the types of complaints. In terms of race, Chinese consumers tend to complain about process-related service failures.
Presented by Loo Poh Theng (pohtheng.loo@sd.taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts at The 9th APacCHRIE Conference 2011, Hong Kong (2 - 5 June 2011)
This study aims to identify the driving forces of wine consumption among the Chinese in Malaysia. Data for the quantitative phase was collected from 250 Chinese aged 18 years and above, in the same geographic location within the urban areas - Kuala Lumpur, a major Malaysia city and Selangor–as trade sources specify most of the sophisticated Chinese wine drinkers are confined to urban areas. Results show that wine drinkers, representing 74%, are significantly higher than non-wine drinkers at 26% and also reveal that symbolic and experiential factors were more important than utilitarian factors.
Presented by Lai Mun Yee (munyee.lai@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts at The 9th APacCHRIE Conference 2011, Kowloon, Hong Kong. (2 - 5 June 2011)
This study aims to search for patterns, ideas or hypotheses to answer specifically "why do Malaysians prefer to dine at mamak stalls?" Twelve consumers at mamak stalls in the Petaling Jaya area, Malaysia were selected and interviewed on a one-on-one basis using means-end chain theory and laddering technique. Six constructs are uncovered with friends as the number one reason for dining at mamak stalls.
Presented by Joseph Wong Guo Shyong (jwgs02657@hotmail.com), Taylor's School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts at The 9th APacCHRIE Conference 2011, Kowloon, Hong Kong (2 - 5 June 2011).
This study attempts to determine the factors that influence the choice of full service airlines and low cost carriers in Malaysia. Results indicate that 'safety' is the most important factor in choosing full service airlines.
Presented by Boey Tuck Sai (tucksai.boey@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts at The 9th APacCHRIE Conference 2011, Kowloon, Hong Kong (2 - 5 June 2011)
This paper aims to investigate and analyse the concept of medical tourism and to provide necessary strategic tools for North Cyprus in achieving its share of revenue from the medical tourism industry. This study also contributes to understanding the key issues and challenges that hospitals face in promoting medical tourism and suggests action plans for hospitals.
Presented by Vinayaraj Mothiravally (vinayaraj.mothiravally@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School of Hospitality, Tourism & Culinary Arts at the Regional Conference on Tourism Research (RCTR 2010), USM,Penang
(13 -14 December 2010).
The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of five relational dynamics namely trust, personalisation, communication, conflict handling and empathy on relationship quality in the New Zealand banking industry. The results of the study conclude that all five dynamics significantly influence relationship quality.
Presented by Dr Catheryn Khoo–Lattimore (catherynkhoo.lattimore@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School of Hospitality, Tourism & Culinary Arts at the 2010 Global Marketing Conference, Tokyo, Japan (9-12 December 2010).
Ekiz, Bavik and Arasli (2009) recently developed an 18-item RENTQUAL measure of quality perception in the car rental industry. Their scale which was composed of six factors (comfort, delivery, safety, handing over, ergonomics and accessibility) was found to be multi-dimensional, reliable and valid. Yet, they called for replication studies in other locations for further generalisations of their newly developed scale. This empirical research, as an answer to that call, aims to further consolidate RENTQUAL, with data collected from Chinese tourists. This paper presents the findings and discusses these findings in relation to those of the original study and suggests implications and limitations.
Presented by Haktan Erdogan Ekiz (erdogan.ekiz@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School Hospitality, Tourism & Culinary Arts at the 4th Tourism Outlook, Selangor (30 November -3 December 2010).
This study aims to determine the hierarchy of needs of the Filipino spa workers vis-à-vis Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. The findings show that the spa industry should develop and create programs that will suit the needs of the workers and enhance perceived needs giving great satisfaction while undermining perceived needs giving the least satisfaction.
Presented by Dr Angel H Espirutu III (angel.espiritu@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School of Hospitality, Tourism & Culinary Arts at the 11th International Joint World Cultural Tourism Conference, Hangzhou, China (12 -14 November 2010).
This study attempts to understand the characteristics of gamblers in a town situated in the centre of Johor state in relation to multidimensional accessibility to gambling. Four dimensions of accessibility, which are: (1) geography accessibility, (2) temporal accessibility, (3) social accessibility and (4) financial accessibility were assessed for their influence on gamblers. Findings indicate that ease of accessibility, safety and comfort are the most important concerns of the gamblers.
Presented by Ng Siew Cheng (siewcheng.ng@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School of Hospitality, Tourism & Culinary Arts at the 11th International Joint World Cultural Tourism Conference, Hangzhou, China (12-14 November 2010).
This paper reviewed the current situation through the representations and practices in a space with mixed uses in Kuala Lumpur. The study ends with recommendations for an urbanism adapted to heritage preservation and tourism management. The recommendations are:
- Restrict non-required transit traffic in the historical nucleus
- Full transfer of long-distance bus station
- Create a pedestrian core area
- Combine neighbourhood quality of life and tourism development with rehabilitation programmes
- Develop heritage trail signage
Backpacker hubs or enclaves in South-East Asia and Australasia are significantly populated by European travellers, but equivalent destinations in Europe which have been experiencing a high volume of non- Europeans, have been overlooked in comparison. Several studies have identified this problem and have investigated backpacking in Europe as opposed to Australasia, as a 'rare exception'. Additionally, studies show that current examinations of backpacker travel still centre upon more traditional or 'exotic' locations, with these studies largely focusing on popular destinations such as South-east Asia or India and as a consequence, limited research has been conducted on the 'backpacker experience'. A consequence of this has been a lack of awareness in understanding the economic potential and the social characteristics of participants in the European market. More specifically, little research has been conducted in Norway with a specific goal of monitoring and assessing the diversifying trends and complex profiles of backpackers. Hence, this study will attempt to shed light on the motivations of backpacking hostel users choosing Norway as a destination for travel.
Presented by Garrett Butler (gareth.butler@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School of Hospitality, Tourism & Culinary Arts at The Independent Travel in Uncertain Times: An Expert Conference, Hermanus, South Africa (2-4 September 2010).
This paper explores gendered perceptions of fear on holiday. Gender has been regarded as one of the most important components influencing perceptions of fear. Indeed, most studies highlight a difference between males and females with regard to the perception and expression of fear. Despite this, gendered differences and similarities in the perception and expression of fear have remained largely unexplored within the context of tourism. Perceptions of fear and gender in the home environment have been explored within the leisure literature. Nevertheless, it is not clear whether and how the data provided by the studies on fear and gender in the leisure environment can be applied to a tourism context. Indeed, the lack of agreement concerning whether and how the tourism and leisure environments are related emphasises the need for further research on gendered perceptions of fear in the tourism context. In order to explore gender-based similarities and differences in the perception and expression of fear, in-depth interviews were conducted with 13 females and 12 males on holiday on the island of Ios, Greece. The results show that gender, despite having been traditionally constructed as a binary concept, does not play a major role in influencing tourists' perceptions of fear on holiday. Rather, with the exception of women's concerns of sexual violence, the findings reveal that more marked differences occurred in the perception and expression of fear among the various masculinities and femininities than between men and women. This implies that the investigation of gendered perceptions of fear needs to take into account the non-homogeneous nature of the two groups and reject often-assumed stereotypical images of masculinity and femininity.
Presented by Dr Paolo Mura (paolo.mura@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School of Hospitality, Tourism & Culinary Arts at The 11th World Leisure Congress and Leisure Games, Chun Cheon, Korea (28 August-2 September 2010).
The notion of heritage is endowed with diverse meanings that must be justified, explained and delineated. Heritage is not homogeneous because not all heritages are what society values. Thus it would be interesting to study what heritage is considered to be of outstanding value to humanity especially in the eyes of the world. This study aims to review the literature related to heritage, thereby providing a conceptual framework for understanding heritage selection. A comprehensive and extensive literature review helps to develop a heritage selection framework to provide answers to the question of what is considered as cultural heritage and what aspects of the past would be valued by the present in both general and global scales. It also takes on the issues of when heritage usually starts to get attention and how the outcomes of this awareness determine the providence of heritage, the actions in response to decay and the criteria for World Heritage Listings.
Presented by Lim Tau Sian (tausian.lim@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School of Hospitality, Tourism & Culinary Arts at The 8th APaCHRIE Conference 2010, Phuket, Thailand (12 -14 August 2010)
A number of studies have examined the factors that influence adult (mature) learners to make the decision to pursue higher education. However, only a few have looked at factors that influence current (young) students to continue their education within the same college. Consequently, this study examines the factors, adapted from a typology of adult-student motivation, that influences diploma students to continue with an additional two years of studies, to gain a degree in hospitality and tourism management at the same private college. The study also looks at the background characteristics of these students. The primary mode of data collection was a survey among diploma students (n=204) on what factors were influential in their decision to continue pursuing their degree and remain in the same institution. Using logistic regression, the results indicate that four factors were significant: academic-industry recognition, escape, career goals and social factors.
Presented by Shantini Thuraiselvam (shantini.thuraiselvam@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School of Hospitality, Tourism & Culinary Arts at The Asia Pacific Tourism Association Conference, Macau, China (13-16 July 2010).
Political instability, social tensions, terrorism, insurgency, suicide bombings and war-like situations in a country/region have a devastating impact on its economy. Various studies conducted on the Gulf War (1991), attacks on Bali (2001), insurgency and terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir show that the tourism and hospitality industry suffered massively owing to cancellation of air/rail tickets, hotel bookings. Terrorists now target hospitality and tourist locations as it has a direct impact on human lives and economy; also they get worldwide attention. Terrorism has shaken the hospitality and tourism industry of both developed and developing countries. The Indian subcontinent appears to be the target of terrorist organisations owing to poor governance and security system. India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka are affected by insurgency and terrorism. In this situation the tourism hotel and hospitality industry is suffering from major economic slowdown and stagnation. Moreover, the recent attack on the Marriott hotel in Pakistan, Trident Oberoi, Leopold Cafe, Nariman House etc. in Mumbai (India) has dealt a severe blow to the tourism and hotel industry. It is high time that countries of the South Asian region come together and eliminate terrorism so that the hotel and tourism industry is protected. The security system at places of tourist importance and prominent star hotels needs to be made full proof to the extent that tourists feel safe and secure. The study reveals that though the hospitality and tourism sector entrepreneurs are making attempts to improve security measures, a lot still needs to be done and towards this, the author offers a few suggestions.
Presented by Anshul Garg (anshul.garg@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School of Hospitality, Tourism & Culinary Arts at The 9th Asia Pacific Forum for Graduate Students, Research in Tourism, Beppu, Japan (9-11 July 2010).
The main aim of this paper is to elaborate and analyse the various strategic sustainable plans involved in the construction of a modern private institution of higher learning (IHL) in Malaysia. The study is intended to capture some of the principles of sustainability that are well adopted in the design and management of this lakeside eco-campus in Subang Jaya, Selangor. The study highlights some of the design philosophies of the IHL including the "green" You Hotel, that has taken into consideration the eco-sustainability concept and the incorporation of the IHL's Sustainability Action Plan in teaching, research, community engagement, healthy campus and corporate greening. The IHL's two community engagement initiatives are also highlighted in this paper. In conclusion, the IHL's approach in rolling out a systemic adoption of the principles and practices of education for sustainable development is timely and essential given the current era of climate change uncertainties. This initiative can be used as a benchmark for other IHLs who can play a vital role in making their campus eco-friendly and sustainable.
Presented by Assoc Prof Dr Vikneswaran Nair (vicky.nair@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School of Hospitality, Tourism & Culinary Arts as an Invited Paper at The 2nd International Conference of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), Brunei Darussalam (21 – 23 June 2010).
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This research is concerned with the education-employment equation in the Hospitality Management sector and the impact of Generation Y employees entering the hospitality workforce. The study discusses the present-day attitude towards Generation Y undertaking hospitality education and making career decisions. The study examines Generation Y's transition from education to subsequent employment and how capable they are in meeting the needs and expectations of the industry. The research focuses on Coimbatore's hotel industry professionals' expectations of the fresh graduates joining the industry and how well they are using the current workforce's abilities toward work. The issues centre on the dissatisfaction expressed by the educationists, industrialists and the Generation Y employees in the hospitality sector with the relationship between the hotel and hotel management educational institutions. From the focus group interview, it was observed that industry has accused educationists of providing graduates with realistic expectations of an industry where actually the practical operational competence is paramount. Educationists, conversely, have suggested that the hospitality industry has been guilty of old fashioned attitudes and amateur approaches towards recruitment.
Presented by Souji Gopala Krishna Pillai (soujigopalakrishna.pillai@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School of Hospitality, Tourism & Culinary Arts at The International Conference at Harvard University 2010, USA (31 May – 3 June 2010).
This working paper illustrates the psychology of wine drinking habits in Malaysia, notably with a view to increasing wine consumption of current wine drinkers and attempting to stimulate non-wine consumers to start drinking wine. Adopting the paradigm of consumer research, the study aims to identify the driving forces of wine consumption, mainly the reasons why Chinese drink wine, and what factors influence the decision to drink or not to drink wine from the perspective of Chinese beliefs and behaviours toward wine drinking. This study reviews the literature surrounding motivation to drink wine, consumption situations and consumer involvement as the three key dimensions in explaining the variation in Chinese consumer behaviour. Hence, the study considers socio-cultural context in Chinese society towards the effect of consumption situations and the role of involvement as a motivational factor that influences evolution in wine consumption and drives change.
Presented by Lai Mun Yee (munyee.lai@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's School of Hospitality, Tourism & Culinary Arts at The 2010 Asia Tourism Forum Hualien, Taiwan (6 -9 May 2010).
South Australian Matriculation (SAM)
Exploring Real Data with Graphing Calculator in Teaching Statistical Concepts
In this study, a graphing calculator was used as a real data collection tool and data exploration tool to investigate the idea of sampling distribution. Results indicate that students did better in the statistics test compared to those students who used the graphing calculator only as a computational tool. Students' understanding of the concept of sampling distribution has improved and students are able to relate this concept to their daily life. The use of a graphing calculator also allows students to interact, discuss, compare, communicate and present their works and also enables teachers to mediate a fruitful classroom discussion.
Presented by Munintaran Sundram (munintaran.s@taylors.edu.my), South Australian Matriculation (SAM), Taylor's College at The 4th National Conference of Graphing Calculator 2011, Hotel Equatorial, Penang (21 - 23 June 2011).
Taylor's College – Centre for Teaching & Learning
Using Reflective Writing to Explore the Perceptions of New Pre-U Teachers in the In-house New Academic Staff Induction (NASI) Training
This study explored the perceptions of new teachers in the In-house New Academic Staff Induction (NASI) training programme through their reflective writings. The findings are as follows: (1) new teachers learned how to prepare their lessons better; (2) they knew how to choose the learning methods to use; (3) they knew the difference between formative and summative assessments and how to use it appropriately; and (4) they were able to evaluate their own teaching for improvement.
Presented by Norhayati Maskat (norhayati.maskat@taylors.edu.my), Centre for Teaching & Learning , Taylor's College at the International Conference on Learners Diversity (ICELD) 2010, Selangor (18 -20 October 2010).
This study explored Teacher-Centred Mind Mapping versus Student-Centred Mind Mapping in an accounting class and the correlation between the two different methods of mind mapping in relation to students' achievement in their tests. The findings showed the following: (1) the Teacher- Centred mind mapping revealed a decline in the students' tests scores, while (2) the Student-Centred mind mapping showed a significant increase in the students' test scores.
Presented by Chin Sok Fun (sokfun.chin@taylors.edu.my) , Centre for Teaching & Learning, Taylor's College, at the International Conference on Learners Diversity (ICELD) 2010, Selangor (18 -20 October 2010).
Taylor's University – Teaching and Learning (INTELLECT)
Can FYE Support Intergration into Today’s Educational Milieu in Private Higher Education: A Pilot Study at Taylor’s University
The First Year Experience (FYE) concept is gaining ground among Malaysian universities interested in changing their first-year students from passive recipients into independent and intentional learners. This pilot study sought preliminary evidence on whether the institution’s FYE activities supported its first year students in adapting to its intellectual and social climate. A cross-sectional survey research design was employed and a semi-structured questionnaire was used to gather data from 110 respondents selected from a cross-section of 5 faculties/schools and analysed descriptively. The findings were also interpreted within a ‘student as a client’ context. The study found FYE for the most part to be successful in disseminating information about university ethos and identity. Additionally, half of the common seminars surveyed were valuable in orienting students to a new campus environment and gain student preparedness. The study also ascertained that the students were interested in the co-curricular activities that cultivated academic literacy. Overall, the pilot study ascertained that organised FYE activities had supported the new students in adapting to the socio-cultural milieu of the institution to a great extent.
Presented by Cheah Sue Ming (suming.cheah@taylors.edu.my), Learning Academic Skills Centre @INTELLECT at the 2011 Shanghai International Conference on Social Conference on Social Science (SICC), Fudan University (17-20 August 2011), Shanghai, China.
This study employed a quasi-experimental single group pre-test-post-test design and examined the effect of consciousness-raising (C-R) activities on English personal pronoun usage to show accurate pronoun-antecedent agreement and the perceptions of C-R activities on personal pronouns and learning target grammar. The findings showed that post-test scores vis-à-vis pre-test scores significantly improved. Additionally, the students' perceptions about the effect of C-R activities were generally optimistic and they saw the activities as a credible way to learn and acquire target grammar. A significant relationship was also found between the students' positive perceptions about C-R activities and the difference in test performances.
Presented by Cheah Su Ming(suming.cheah@taylors.edu.my), Taylor's Integrated Teaching & Life Long Learning Centre at Taylor's (INTELLECT) at the World Conference on Educational Sciences, Bahcesehir University, Istanbul – Turkey (4-8th Feb 2010)
School of Medicine
Preparation and Evaluation of Starch-Urea cross-linked with Calcium for Oral Controlled Release of Aceclofenac
In the last three decades, controlled release dosage forms have made significant progress in terms of clinical efficacy and patient compliance. Drug release from the systems should be at a desired rate, predictable and reproducible. Polymers which are used as release retarding materials in the design of controlled release dosage forms play a vital role in controlling the delivery of a drug from these dosage forms. Though a wide range of polymers and other release retarding materials are available, there is a continued need to develop new, safe and effective release retarding polymers for controlled release. In the present study, starch-urea cross-linked with calcium, a modified starch was evaluated for its application in controlled release of an anti-inflammatory agent, aceclofenac. Aceclofenac is the emerging NSAID for arthritis with less gastric complications.
Presented by Nalamolu Koteswara Rao (nalamolu.rao@taylors.edu.my ), Taylor’s School of Medicine at the 38th Annual Meeting and Exposition of the Controlled Release Society (30 July-3 Aug 2011), USA.
The objectives of study were (i) to measure frequency of cases of diarrhea among patients attending pediatrics out-patient department and (ii) to explore awareness of use of oral rehydration salt (ORS) among mothers of patients suffering from diarrhea. An exploratory study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital. The respondents were all t cases presenting with diarrhea in the pediatrics out-patient department. A close ended questionnaire was administered to mothers of infants and children with diarrhea. Out of a total 2,087 patients who attended pediatrics out-patient department during the study period, 121 (5.8%) infants/children were suffering from various types of diarrhea. 47.1% of the diarrheal cases were from the urban areas, whereas 52.9% came from rural areas. The ratio of infants was high compared to older children, with a higher incidence in children on mixed feeding (breast and bottle feeding). The majority of cases suffered from acute watery diarrhea s compared to chronic persistent diarrhea. Severe dehydration was in 1.7% of cases only, moderate dehydration in 38.8%, and no dehydration in 59.5% of cases. All mothers, except one, were aware of use of ORS, and 94.1% of them mentioned it as beneficial based on their experience of using ORS in diarrhea, but only 19% used ORS on their own showing a wide gap between knowledge and practice. Ratio of mothers with adequate knowledge of preparing ORS was higher in mothers from urban areas. Findings show that the majority of mothers with children having diarrhea were from rural areas and uneducated. More than half the cases were infants and had mixed feeding. Although all but one mother was aware of the use of ORS and more than three quarters knew how to prepare it, only a small number (19%) used ORS on their own when needed.
Presented by Gul Muhammad Baloch (gul.baloch@taylors.edu.my ), Taylor’s School of Medicine at the 1st International Conference on Public Health (27 -28 Sept 2011), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
School of Education
Teacher Education in Malaysia: Preparing and Training of English Language Teacher Educators
This paper presents the findings of a study into the profiles of English Language teacher educators in the Malaysian teacher educator system. The objective of this study is to identify the level of preparation that teacher educators have when entering Institutes of Teacher Education (ITE). In addition, the study also aims to identify the kind of training given to teacher educators while in the system. The data for this study was obtained through a questionnaire with nine open-ended items and through telephone interviews. The sample for this study was 20 English Language teacher educators in ITE. Content analysis was used to analyse the open-ended items in the questionnaire and telephone interview. The findings from this study revealed that no formal teacher educator training was given prior to recruitment into an ITE and some teacher educators received various forms of training upon entry into a teacher training institution while others were left to learn on the job. The findings of this study also present various implications on the need for formal training of teacher educators before they are appointed as teacher educators in ITE.
Presented by Malachi Edwin (MEdwin.Vethamani@taylors.edu.my), Taylor’s School of Education at the BERA Annual Conference 2011 (6 -8 September 2011), England.
Taylor's Law School
An Analysis of APEC’s Green Growth Strategy in the Context of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development
This paper is divided into three sections. The first two sections are loosely based on the two themes of the UNCSD (Theme 1: a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication. Theme 2: the institutional framework for sustainable development.). The first section introduces the concepts of sustainable development, green economy/growth, and APEC’s activities to achieve these objectives. Section two examines the progress of sustainable development both in the APEC and global contexts. The final section provides recommendations for the problems raised in section two, with an emphasis on institutional reform for APEC and non-institutional reform for the APEC member economies.
Presented by Jerry Hsiao I Hsuan (IHsuan.Hsiao@taylors.edu.my), Taylor’s Law School at the e APEC Study Centres Consortium (ASSC) Conference 2011 (22nd -23rd Sept 2011), San Francisco, USA.