Appointment as a fellow at Education Research Lab

According to a memo I received, I has been appointed as a fellow at the Education Research Lab (EduLab @ UPSI) or Makmal Penyelidikan Pendidikan, UPSI since June 2013. From what I understand, a fellow appointed in the Lab is a member who work together with other fellows in the pursuit of mutual knowledge or practice in educational research. However, as fellows are not paid to work in the lab, the contribution is solely voluntarily.

I have been proposing the establishment of an educational creative content design and development unit in UPSI. While the idea is welcomed and supported mentally by colleagues in UPSI, multiple challenges await me ahead to realise the proposal. Eventually, I found an ideal canopy that suits the unit, that is the Education Research Lab. And because of this, I had been appointed as a fellow to put the proposal into practice.

Then I began to think about the issues of the Lab in UPSI:

1. The need of branding EduLab @ UPSI as a vivid and tangible vision.
2. The need of a role model of EduLab @ UPSI that we can refer to in achieving success.
3. The need of measurable strategies to leverage the profile of EduLab @ UPSI in Public Service, in private sectors, and at international level.

The EduLab @ UPSI should have raised its national and international profile rapidly--making the whole world know our presence, and more importantly, spare their hands to bring EduLab @ UPSI up for the benefit of Malaysia and Asia. To achieve this, we need to initiate traditional media (slow and costly) and social media promotion (free of charge and effective proven) of our presence and what we offer.

I came across the Education Innovation Lab at Harvard University (http://www.edlabs.harvard.edu/) a simple but straight forward role model which I think UPSI can replicate. I really like to idea of "teaching in the future classroom" advocated by the newly appointed Director, Assoc Prof Dr. Nurulhuda Abd Rahman. I am thinking of making people I am connected to as partners of the Lab, particularly in visualising and realising classroom for the future. Example of activities that they can sponsor is organisation design and/ or essay writing contest at school, university and open levels on "my dream classroom" or "classroom for the future".