Page 11 - 01_2021 PULSE@FASS e-Bulletin

FACULTY OPINION PIECE Issue no. 1 | 2021
FACULTY OPINION PIECE

These ante-norms of the varsity learning atmosphere has Hopefully, with the new Research Centre for Indians
created a ‘lost year’ for students, with first year students, scholars from DIS can now explore and document newer
particularly, struggling with this new hybrid culture. We at issues about the Indians and Indianness in Malaysia.
DIS, like the rest of our colleagues, felt it is necessary to While it sounds like DIS is faced with an uphill climb, there
ensure that they could fit well into this new learning is certainly still a ray of hope. The department is
environment at UM, and worked hard for students of the determined to work through the pandemic even if it is
community to balance their knowledge and connection to difficult; as a smaller department, we believe the answer is
the university. in instilling changes in the trajectory of education, and
changing the way we approach our field.
No doubt, many in the department learned to be tech-
savvy very quickly from the moment we began online In the past, the DIS has proven its importance and
teaching. Colleagues at the FASS were quick to adapt to significance as an academic hub in the nation by being
the constantly changing and evolving teaching and the sole proprietor in safeguarding Tamil Language and
learning environment we were presented with. For us who Literature, as well as for the Indians and Indianness in
teach Tamil Language and Literature, certain Malaysia. Despite Covid19, we at DIS must continue to do
fundamentals to the field required us to pay close right by our students and the community we represent by
attention to students online, as most of our graduates upgrading our curriculum compositions, by covering
were dependent on our methodology and tended to join larger and newer research areas and learning to be
the teaching profession later. flexible in absorbing the IR4.0 era education which
demands us to be more technologically inclined. These
The sore milieu faced by the department is that it has are areas that need serious consideration for Indian
been in continuous development of our curriculum since Studies to stay relevant in the market, as not all old wine
the early 2000s. Since then there have been three review ages well.
exercises, designing courses with a strong emphasis on
“These ante-norms of varsity
soft-skills, and paying close attention to the needs of our
learning atmosphere has created
students in their preferred industries. We must ask how
DIS can diversify in the teaching of Tamil language and
a ‘lost year’ for students, with
Literature and now make it IR4.0 compatible. Another
first year students, particularly,
area that needs to be addressed in the recent shift
struggling with this new hybrid
towards goal-centred education is that of the
development of essential life skills, such as collaborative
culture.”
learning, peer assessment and self -assessment, as
stipulated in target 4.7 of the UN Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs). All soft skills and life skills are
usually embedded within course designs and DIS must
realign its focus from theoretical and content-based
knowledge to practice based content to help the
advancement of students in the information and
communication era, which has become especially
important today.

But we must remember that the teaching of Tamil
The First International Conference on Siddha Medicine and Indian
Language and Literature is not merely a language-based
Civilization held in UM in 2018
course. Tamil literature is the compendium of writings that
offers a detailed outlook of the people and their history,
lifestyle, philosophy, management, challenges, solutions,
communication and philosophy. There is so much room
for expansion, for instance, the study of Indians in
Malaysia is an area of study that has been neglected for a
long period. DIS’s focus on Tamil Language and
Literature needs certainly has room to grow especially
Dr Mohana with the rest of the Department of Indian Studies'
with two newly-established endowments offered to the
lecturers and staff with Dr. Zulkanain (middle second row)
department, a sign of the public's support in new growth.

11 | Pulse @ FASS