Assignment 1A: My Virtual Home

What I Heard

(0900 - 1100)

12 July 2010

Today is the first day of class and it started at 0900.

In DK E48B, we were introduced to our first subject which was Integrated Studio I (RUS 101). Thanks to our nice, friendly and charming lecturer Mr. Wan Burhanuddin Wan Abidin, we were filled with many information about this subject that we are going to study.

Firstly, he told us what we were going to run through for the day:

• Introduction to USM
• Introduction to RUS101
• Assignment 1

Introduction to USM

Before Mr Wan began his introduction, he welcomed and congratulated us as we have made it this far to USM. He also stressed on no matter where we came from, we are all the same and we came here for one important reason which is to excel and strive for what we were after.

Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) is under a programme called Accelerated Programme for Excellence (APEX). Hence, as USM is known as an APEX University, they are undergoing several discussions and helding various activities to solve global issues with the hope of making a lasting difference at all levels. Therefore USM has settled down with Sustainability as a platform for a better future.

Sustainability - Transforming Higher Education for a Sustainable Tomorrow.

We were shown a Graph of Transformation of Status-Quo is Not an Option, by USM's Vice-Chancellor Professor Dato' Dzulkifli Abdul Razak (DAR).

We were told that Transformation (Change) means that the changes or the process of transformation that USM will approach in order to transform the USM into an Excellent University.

Introduction to RUS101

RUS101 (Integrated Studio I)

Mr Wan introduced us to the 6 most important elements that we have to take note of during studio production:

Production

• Intention
• Act
• Product
• Actor
• Rules
• Place

image referred at: http://www.hbp.usm.my/1b/101/

Intention:

Everything we do must begin with an intention. Which is what we wish or want to do in order to get something that we need or want with the presence of knowledge. Intentions come from our creative minds which brings us to creative desires and thus, followed by our actions in order to bring our intentions to reality. (e.g: I have an intention to build a house)

Act:

After we have our intentions, we act in order to fulfill our intentions. It is the initiative that one must have in themselves in order to act. One must find materials, resources, etc based on their intention. They can not have a product if they only have an intention and not act based on it. (e.g: I will get the materials and resources and helpers in order to build the house)

Product:

As we act, we will then produce a product. The root of a product begins from our intention followed by our act. It is the result of what we intended to and also our actions. (e.g: I built a house.)

Place:

As a product is completed, it must be placed in a place. A place is a very important element as a product have to have a stable root to perform their functions. (e.g: The house is placed on top of a hill.)

Rules:

A project placed on a place has essential rules that must be followed in order to get things straight. Rules are important because it indicates a respect to law and practice in the aspect of discipline in the mean time avoiding plagiarism. (e.g: We must not practice plagiarism in the form of our ideas or plans for the project.)

Actor:

Actors are people around that play a role to bring a project to a success. They are people who work together and rely on each other to work on a same project. Without them, a project is not complete or so we call a failure. They may come from a range of professionals or just normal citizens. (e.g: Actors involved in building a house are contractors, architects, quantity surveyors, etc.)

Therefore if there is an APEX Production, hence:

APEX Intention ----> APEX Act -----> APEX Product

APEX Actors APEX Rules APEX Place

University Sains Malaysia will have an APEX intention as they are under the APEX programme.

The university will be helding and carrying out outstanding activities in order to excel in the APEX programme.

USM has the intention to become one of the top ranked universities in the world.

The APEX actors involved are the Vice Chancellor Professor Dato' Dzulkifli Abdul Razak, USM communities and staffs.

The APEX rules are their vision and mission and their sustainability aim: Transforming Higher Education for a Sustainable Tomorrow.

The APEX university is placed in a strategic place in the middle of Pulau Pinang and is also called as 'Universiti di dalam Taman'.

Hence, the three important principles that we must remember are the 3P.

3P is made up of People, Place and Principle.

Mr Wan moved on by explaining to us who are the Actors in the Studio Production site.

Studio Actors

Students - All of us who are studying RUS 101.

Studiomasters - Altogether, there were 15 studiomasters and Mr Wan introduced us a few of them.

They came upfront and introduced themselves.

• Sr Dr. Ilias Said
• Dr Azizan Marzuki
• Dr. Mohd Zailan Sulieman
• Dr. Abdelnaser Omran Ali
• Dr. Mohd Hanizun Hanafi

and et al.

Assignment 1

Mr Wan then gave us our first assignment of the day and that is My Virtual Home.

We were told that any referals can be done at www.hbp.usm.mu/1b/101 which is just a

temporary website and will be transferred to E-Learning as soon as possible.

Class ended at 1100.