ISODEL 2009 Jogjakarta - Day 5

Dec 12, 2009

Today is a free and easy day. We are all quite early this morning taking our breakfast at the hotel. With the clear sky, we were lucky to see the Gunung Merapi which is still very much active.

The Gunung Merapi is visible from the hotel we stayed

Tan Sri Anuwar Ali together with Prof. Mansor at the Kraton palace

We left the hotel at 8.30am and travel to a place called Kraton. This is the palace of the sultan which has now turned into a museum. There is also the "wayang kulit" stage within the vicinity.

Tuan Fatma (left) and Myzatul at the palace

Puan Sri was having a chat with Prof. Mansor at the palace

Posing here is Mohd Jamaluddin

After visiting Kraton palace, we left and proceed to a batik store. Some of us bought some batik there. After that we all visited a bakery that sells local biscuits known as ampyang which is a type of cookie with nuts.

How's my new Jawa hat?

See the gold-plated wood work?


A wayang kulit show in progress

Prof. Mansor waiting patiently for the rest to finish their bargaining

At 12.30pm, we had soto for lunch. This is another nice local food. After lunch we all then proceed to Dowa store where they sell bags. We spent about an hour then before traveling to our final destination - Malioboro street. This is another version of Petaling Street.

Tan Sri Anuwar Ali at the Rumah Batik

Myzatul, Fatma and Rozeman looking for good batik

Me and Pak Haji Atwi, our tourist guide, at the Batik House

Some of our colleagues bought "telekung" and other Muslim dress at the Al-Falakh store in Malioboro. At another end of the street you can find the Milota store selling all kinds of handicraft, batik, etc.

Looking for the ampyang biscuit at the bakery

This is where we had our soto for lunch

At the Dowa House where good quality bags are found

This is part of the Malioboro street

Prof. Mansor was looking for telekung for his daugthers at the Al-Falakh store

Me posing beside the horse. A horse ride costs Rp20,000

By 5.30pm, we are all very tired and decided to leave Malioboro for dinner at the Sederhana Nasi Padang again. We finished our dinner at 7.30pm and arrived at our hotel at 8.00pm.

ISODEL 2009 Jogjakarta - Day 4

Dec 11, 2009

The 3rd day of the conference was a half day affair started at 8.00am until 11.30am before adjourning for Friday payers. The conference began with the plenary session 3. Among the speakers were Frits Pannekeok (President of the International Council for Open and Distance Education), Alexander J. Romiszowski (ICT expert for education, Syracuse University) and Gwang Jo Kim (Director of UNESCO, Bangkok).

As Frits was in Canada, the session was conducted live via Video Conferencing. Alex shared with us his experience in Timor Leste and Gwang Jo Kim shared some data from the UNESCO with regards to ODL.

Preparing our trip to Borobudur

The Sederhana Nasi Padang restaurant

The 3-day conference was then wrapped up by Paulina Pannen followed by a video presentation on the event captured during the last 3 days. It was then follow then followed by the closing ceremony by the Conference President. Group photograph sessions were then held before it was adjourned.

And this is our nasi padang

Prof. Mansor and a guest from Nigeria

After the Friday prayers, our team then proceed to the Nasi Padang Sederhana restaurant to taste the nasi padang. It was fabulous.

On arrival at the foot of Borobudur

After lunch we then proceed to Borobudur which is about 1 hour drive from Jogjakarta.

Part of the Borobudur temple

Group photo session at level three of the tenmple

ISODEL 2009 Jogjakarta - Day 3

Dec 10, 2009

The second day of the conference began at 8.00am with a keynote address by H.E the Coordinating Minister of People Welfare of the Republic of Indonesia. The session ended at 9.00am.

Tan Sri Anuwar Ali with Ibu Tian, the President of AAOU

It was then followed by the Plenary 2 session. Among the speakers include: Fasli Djalal (Director General of Higher Education, MONE, Indonesia), YBhg Prof. Emeritus Tan Sri Anuwar Ali (President and Vice Chancellor of OUM), Tian Belawati (President of AAOU), and Ronald Perkinson (Sampoerna School of Education).

Tan Sri Anuwar Ali was presenting his paper

YBhg Tan Sri Anuwar Ali presented his paper on the topic "International Outreach in open, Distance E-Learning: The experience of Open University Malaysia." The plenary session then took a break until 10.45am.

Rozeman's turn to present his paper

Parallel session 3 began at 10.45am with another 16 more papers presented under four sub-theme. Among the presenters include Rozeman, senior lecturer of OUM. He presented his paper on E-kamus. The parallel session then took a break for lunch at 12.30pm.

After lunch, there was a visit to some schools which OUM did not participate. Instead, we all went for a sight seeing and do some window shopping at the famous Malioboro street. We bought some batik or ourselves.





At 5.30pm, we all participated in the dinner cum cultural show at the Prambanan Temple about 45 minutes from Jogjakarta. We were served with local food such as soto chandi, dudeg, mee jawa, goreng pisang, tempe, cucur udang, ronde, etc. At 8.00pm, the Ramayana cultural dance began.





It was a fantastic show that lasted for about 1 hour and 30 minutes. We travek back to hotel at 9.30pm.

ISODEL 2009 Jogjakarta - Day 2

Dec 9, 2009


This is the start of the 3-day conference held at the Sheraton Hotel in Jogjakarta. We were shuttled from the hotel to the ball room even though it was about 500m away.

The conference started at 9.00am local time with a cultural performance and then followed by the welcome address by H.E. The Governor of Jogjakarta.



The conference was officiated by H.E the Minister of National Education of the Republic of Indonesia. Close to 760 participants from 16 countries attended the opening ceremony.

Cultural performance during the opening ceremony

Prof. Mansor assessing the Internet at OUM's booth

Outside the conference hall during tea-break. From left: Jamaluddin, Richard and Rozeman posing in front of OUM's booth

OUM's booth was one of favorite booths. Myzatul seen here busy entertaining enquiries

Plenary session 1 began at 10.30am after the tea break. Among the plenary speakers are: Dodi Nandika (Secretary General MONE, Indonesia), Tsuyoshi Isagawa (JICA-PREDICT-ITS, Kumamoto University, Japan), Tinsiri Siribodhi (Deputy Director, Admin and Communicatio, SEAMEO Secretariat, Thailand) and the Regent of Gorontotaio)

Opening speech by H.E. The Governor of Jogjakarta

Handicraft making demonstration

A singer singing the Ramayana song

The plenary session ends at 12.00pm. We then break for lunch until 1.00pm. The parallel session 1 then begins from 1.00pm to 2.30pm. It was divided into 4 rooms with the following sub-theme:

* The emerging of ICT for Education
* International & National experiences in ODEL
* ICT-based learning
* Continuous professional development for teachers

Richard Ng was presenting his paper

During the parallel session 1, OUM is represented by Richard Ng with his topic: "Online Community and Its impact on Learners' Sense of Community, Satisfaction, Motivation commitment and their intention to stay in their programs." His paper was under the sub-theme ICT-based learning. There were 4 speakers at that time. The room was packed with about 100 participants.

Prof. Mansor was presenting his paper

Presentation by Tuan Fatma

The session then took a break between 2.30pm to 3.00pm. The parallel session 2 began at 3.00pm until 4.30pm. Prof. Mansor Fadzil, the senior VP of OUM presented a paper under the sub-theme Continuous professional development for teachers. Also presenting a paper was Tuan Fatma, a lecturer of OUM under the sub-theme International & National experiences in ODEL.

The first day of the conference ended at 5.30pm with another keynote address by the Director General of ICT Application, Ministry of Information and Communication of the Republic of Indonesia.

We were then shuttled back to the hotel at 5.45pm. At 7.00pm we all went for dinner at the Suharti Restaurant nearby, famous for its fried chicken and "gurami" fish.

ISODEL 2009 Conference in Jogjakarta - Dec 8 - 11 - Part 1

Dec 10, 2009

The International Symposium of Distance Education and E-Learning (ISODEL) 2009 was held at the Sheraton Hotel in Jogjakarta from December 8 to 12 2009. Speakers, presenters and other interested educationists made up the over 560 participants who have come from 16 countries.

Upon arrival at the Jogjakarta airport. From left: Prof. Mansor, Puan Sri and Tan Sri Anuwar Ali

In the van that took us to the Sheraton Hotel. Seated front from left: Richard, Myzatul, Tuan Fatma. Back seat left: Rozeman and Jamaluddin

The Open University Malaysia delegation to symposium was led by its President and Vice Chancellor, YBhg Tan Sri Professor Emeritus Dr. Anuwar Ali include Puan Sri, Prof. Mansor, Richard Ng, Rozeman, Mohd Jamaluddin, Tuan Fatma and Myzatul.

Met on arrival at the hotel was Malini (right)

The delegation left on Tuesday Dec 8 at 9.20am and arrived at Jogjakarta airport at 11.00am local time (12.00 noon Malaysian time). We arrived at the Sheraton Hotel where the delegation stayed at 11.30am. We were met on arrival by the secretariat of symposium, Malini.

Myzatul (left), our secretariat, was busy going through the registration list together with Tuan Fatma

Different working culture ... we have to refill the registration form even though has done in Malaysia. Richard, holding the registration form together with Rozeman

Part of the landscape of the hotel where we stayed

After we have checked in into the hotel, we went for lunch at a local restaurant in Jogjakarta.

This is the restaurant where we had our lunch

We had this package food which include bebek (duck), gudeg (nangka manis), eggs and sup buntut (ox tail) etc