Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh
PUTRAJAYA: In paving the way to flexible education, Malaysia is enroute to becoming the first country to create a platform to award credit recognition and transfer for Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), says Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh.
He said the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) had been given the mandate to develop the MOOCs platform so that all MOOCs from Malaysia and overseas could be registered under the platform and given credit.
“Students can enjoy flexible learning at several local and foreign universities registered under MOOCs and their credits can be transferred for certificate, diploma and degree awards,” he said in his 2016 New Year address for the ministry here yesterday.
He said with the credit transfer initiative, education in Malaysia would be more flexible, open and attractive to local, as well as foreign students.
“This policy will be a key policy of the country and will be the first of its kind in the world,” he said.
He said the MOOCs platform was expected to be opened for course registration in April and registration of courses would depend on the availability of lecturers.
The MOOCs credit recognition and transfer was Malaysia’s effort towards creating flexible education which was more coordinated, comprehensive and strategic, he added.
With this flexible education, he said, MQA would expand the Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) programme so that prior learning and professional experiences could be recognised for credit award known as APEL(C).
“APEL(C) would give graduands flexible duration to complete their courses.”
Idris said Universiti Malaysia Kelantan and Universiti Putra Malaysia would be offering a ‘2 University + 2 Industrial learning programme for working students, beginning this year.
He added that students from Asean countries could attend full-time study programme at three premier polytechnics in Ipoh, Shah Alam and Johor Baharu, beginning this year.
“The polytechnics are targeting two per cent enrolment of foreign students by 2020,” he said. — Bernama