think out of the box

Learning to think out of the box
Submitted by Izat on Friday, April 30th, 2010

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American educationist lauds Malaysia's creative teaching of soft skills to boost innovation
Friday, April 30th, 2010 12:24:00
DURING a recent visit to Malaysia, I had the opportunity to go to Universiti Malaya (UM) in Kuala Lumpur.

UM is the highest ranking and oldest university in Malaysia. It is the 180th top university in the world, according to the Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings 2009.

I met Dr Mahzan Arshad, associate professor of education, and Dr Moses Samuel, professor of education, to discuss innovations taking place in Malaysia.

Dr Samuel explained why the Malaysian education system is focused on innovation: “As societies begin to move from an agricultural base to an industrial base to a knowledge economy, which Malaysia is moving toward, then innovation becomes critical.”

The Higher Education Ministry certainly thinks it is critical. The ministry has specified seven soft or interpersonal skills that all graduates of institutions of higher learning in Malaysia must master.

Two of them are related to innovation, involving critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and entrepreneurial skills.

The other five skills are communications, teamwork, lifelong learning and information management, professional ethics and morality, and leadership.

Creative thinking and problem- solving skills are broken down by the ministry into abilities to identify and analyse problems in complex and uncertain situations, and make justified evaluations; develop and improve thinking skills such as clarifying, analysing, and evaluating discussions; seek ideas and alternative solutions; think out of the box; make decisions based on solid evidence; persevere and give full attention to responsibilities given; and understand and adapt to the new work culture and new environment.

Entrepreneurial skills comprise abilities to identify business opportunities; develop business plans; build, explore, and grab business and employment opportunities; and working independently.

Here is how the current edition of UM’s "Handbook Undergraduate Programmes" describes the importance of the seven soft skills: “In this era of globalisation, high academic achievement alone is not enough for graduates to be accepted in the job market.

"Employers have high expectancy of graduates and given the ever increasing challenges in employment, graduates not only need academic qualifications but capabilities and skills that are value-added and can attract employers. From this aspect, ‘soft skills’ are seen as critical contributors in generating holistic human capital besides increasing global competitiveness.”

The university's education department goes beyond the ministry’s guidelines for developing soft skills related to innovation.

“We offer a core course for education students called ‘Communications and Creative Thinking’,” said Dr Arshad.

Dr Samuel said it is not just Malaysian students who are learning how to become more innovative at UM. “As international students find it harder to get visas to go to the United States, many are coming to countries like Malaysia.”

After interviewing the two professors, Dr Arshad drove me to the Methodist Boys’ Secondary School in Kuala Lumpur where we observed high school boys improving their creative skills while learning English.

The general objective of the lesson was for the students to express themselves in a creative and imaginative manner via simple poems, stories and dialogues. The level of creativity, I observed in the classroom, was impressive.

As Malaysia moves toward a knowledge-based economy, it is wisely paving the way to move up the value chain even further to an innovation-based economy.

Bill Costello, M.Ed.

US-based author, blogger and education columnist
(http://www.mmail.com.my/content/35108-learning-think-out-box)