Taking Tests

All types of tests whether they are standardized, multiple choice assessment or performance assessments, are part of academic life.  Assessments are designed and used to monitor the university educational system for public accountability, evaluate instructional practices and teaching effectiveness, measure students’ achievement toward meeting standards and mastering skills.  Believe it or not, all students, lecturers and school administrators benefit from tests.  If administered and interpreted properly, tests gauge how well students are learning the skills and information their teachers have been teaching them.

Pannasastra University Students took English test

Many students fail their exams regularly because of many reasons such inadequate preparation, inappropriate study habits, poor planning, lack of motivation, laziness, anxiety, etc...    Here are some helpful hints to help those students improve their performance by understanding the two basic components in taking tests: the test itself (how difficult it is, how long, how fair, etc.), and you, as a student being tested (how much you’ve studied, how much you’ve prepared, how carefully you take the test, how ready you are, etc.…). The score you get represents a balance between these two variables.  The test might be hard, but if you're fully prepared, you'll do well. On the other hand, the test might be easy, but if you haven't kept up, it won't make much difference.  

In every academic course, the goal of the university lecturers is to facilitate your studying and provide the best context and methods for successful learning. In spite of this, not every one does well; some students simply decide not to study very frequently, and their performance shows it. Most of the instructors will do all they can to facilitate your learning, including designing the tests appropriately and carefully so that they reflect the study materials they have covered. The rest is up to the student. While the exams are fair, most of the time they are not easy, they require careful study and review throughout the course.  Here are four helpful advices to help students achieve a better result for their exams:

1.   Keep up with the course: this will mean doing the readings regularly, consistently and thoroughly, attending class all the time, and writing about the material learned in class. Of course, there is no guarantee that being a good learner will yield a high performance; always there are a few people who say, "I wrote my heart out, came to class every day, and studied constantly, and still I got a C on the test." Like it or not, there's more to doing well than just doing those things. Achievement means finding the most productive ways to learn the material, and that will depend in part on your own style and intellectual ability as a learner.

2.   Prepare for the exam: you'll want to review several sources of information: your class notes, the textbook/readings, your notebook responses, or information shared in a study group. Consider doing some of the followings: ask yourself questions as if you were an examiner, then try answering them. If you have trouble, you'll know where to go for clarification. 
Review your notes with an eye to comprehension, not just memorization. If you find yourself recognizing concepts immediately, that may feel great, but don't dwell on them too long; go on to those that make you feel less comfortable. 
  
Work in pairs or teams; find other people in the class and work through your review together. 
  
Make a list of everything you just can't seem to figure out; then you'll know where your weak areas are.  Ask about these.  As you work through them, keep crossing our your problem areas until you've eliminated most of what confuses you.

3.   Take the exam carefully: Half the battle is studying; the other is using what you've learned to help you take the test.  You might have studied very hard, but if you don't use good test-taking strategies, you may not do as well as you could.

4.   Review your exam when you get it back.  Be sure to go over your test, even if you did well, to keep using it as a learning tool.  You can never hurt to rethink questions.

Pannasastra University students took English test

Finally, students must remember those academic tests, exams, grades, and all the other difficult parts of learning are there by necessity to measure knowledge and determine students’ mastering of skills.  All tests of all sorts are part of the educational and academic system. They're not part of a conspiracy to hold the learners back. Without the student’s success, what good is the university lecturers’ instruction?  The bottom line is the students must also get involved in the learning process and take charge of their own learning.   Study hard and smart, stay interested and motivated (school is good for you), and please don't hesitate to consult the instructor about anything that concerns you.  Successful learning and passing the exams require strong commitment and a “can do” attitude. 

These what I have learned in 2011…

As 2012 begins, these what I have learned in 2011…

About me
I have to “BE” first before I can “DO” and “DO” before I can “HAVE.”
I own my own life, mistakes and all.
I must endure to make any difference.
I am not free from criticism and blame.
I can create a better community little by little by passing ideas and skills to others.
I can’t be all things to all people.
I can’t fix everything but can help most things.
I teach who I am.
I help others to help themselves.
I simply can’t make good decision if I worry what others think.
I am the only one who can make my dream comes true.
I let go because everything is impermanent.
I've gotten to get out there and make my dreams happen. Dreams don’t just happen. They are the product of labor, hard work, and commitment.
If anything comes easily, it is not engender good worth.
If I can’t help 100 persons, I just help one today.
If I want people to be dedicated to me, I have to be dedicated to them.
Actions are always better than words.
Any greatness doesn’t come until I put in my own sweat.
Be kinder than necessary, for everyone I meet is fighting some kind of battle.
Don’t fight darkness. Bring the light, and darkness will disappear.
Forgiving, knowing that people do harmful things because they are unhappy.
Freedom is having a chance to be better.
It is possible to teach students who are not internally motivated.
It is when I forget myself that I do things that are remembered.
My life is more about giving than receiving.
Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If I love what I am doing, I will be successful.
Time doesn’t heal all wounds. A part of me has died; that’s the way it is.
There is not secret to real success other than hard work, perseverance, and learning from failure.
Winning at all cost is to create more suffering and misery to others.
There is no situation so bad that I cannot be accepted patiently with an open accommodating heart and mind.

About Cambodia
Most people are tired of the dictates of one MAN.
The more people learn the freer they are (Liberationist Education).
True peace cannot be achieved unless poverty has been alleviated.
Everyone wants big rewards for not too much efforts and works.
False knowledge is more dangerous than ignorance.
Our present leader solves one problem only to create many more.
Justice is advantageous to the stronger.
The most basic tool available to the reconstruction of Cambodian society is the quality education of its children.
When the power of love overcomes the love of power, Cambodia will know real peace.
The tragedy of life is what dies in the hearts and souls of the vulnerable people of Cambodia while they live.
Nothing has changed much. I wish we could stand here today and say everything is moving forward. It is not. The “Money Is Everything” can be seen and felt in Cambodia. The government doesn’t provide the basic needs to the people.
This is the voice of one Cambodian woman on good governance: “A good government is a government that does not abuse the people, that gives the people the land back, and that allows people to earn a living.”
The fact that we have schools doesn’t mean we have education. The fact that we have pagodas doesn’t mean we have faith. The fact that we have courts doesn’t mean we have justice and egalitarian law. The fact we have functioning government doesn’t mean we have democracy.
There comes a point where I have to accept that the system is not working. The land grabbing is only the latest example of the state’s struggling to meet the needs of its citizens, needs as basic as providing water, housing, health care, and education.
Influential people and high-ranking officials have the ‘license’ to pursue their own desires regardless of the consequences.
What powerful people say will always be right, and what the weak say will be wrong. Justice is the interest of the stronger, not the weaker.
We can succeed if our leaders can give up their “Position Power” and keep their “Personal Power.”
We needs millions of dollars from domestic and foreign investors, but endemic corruption, red tape, and an unpredictable legal system all serve as deterrents.
Today if all the children of Cambodia are provided with primary health care, good nutrition, quality basic education, access to safe drinking water and sanitation, and the protection from neglect, abuse, and violence, 10 years down the road, Cambodia society will be completely different from being today.

D.E.A.R. Campaign at Paññāsāstra University of Cambodia

D.E.A.R. Campaign at Paññāsāstra University of Cambodia
“Reading is a basic tool in the living of a good life.” ~ Mortimer Adler

D.E.A.R. stands for Drop Everything And Read. D.E.A.R. Campaign started in early March of 2011 after several groups of students from my Cultural Anthropology class conducted a study relating to the culture of reading in Cambodia. After interviewing and observing students from different universities, the results were discouraging and depressing. Cambodian students basically don’t like to read. Most often, a majority of all university students come unprepared because they are not taught to read the required textbook and supplemental materials prior to class, which are part of real and advanced learning. Much of this is due to our failing to instill within them a habit and a passion for reading. Reading gives students knowledge to tackle all the problems in life and is a vital component for academic success. Reading is learning. Reading is thinking. Reading is creating. Reading is discovering. The development of paññā (analytical wisdom) starts with reading.

Since reading is one of the most common obstacles to academic success, a group of volunteer students at Paññāsāstra University of Cambodia (PUC) would like to plant the nascent seeds of reading culture to all students. D.E.A.R. Campaign involved all students and faculties at PUC to value reading. It encourages all students to read as much as possible. Students could also select their favorite reading materials during their free time. The whole idea is that everyone will develop the intrinsic interest in reading and make it a priority. The goal of D.E.A.R. Campaign is to uphold all students to read more. If we are going to get the students thinking, we need to get them reading.

By promoting this campaign, we could help improve the reading culture at PUC with the hope of improving the reading culture in Cambodia (according to World Bank, Cambodia literacy rate, estimated to around 78%, is one of the lowest levels in ASEAN, second only to Laos). Students have to start cherishing quality education that begins with reading. This campaign has helped them learn how important reading is for their academic success. Study shows that a good reading habit is a prerequisite to better learning. Furthermore, developing the greater reading culture will supplement and strengthen the culture of excellence.

All of us can make a big difference by promoting and developing the reading culture in the hearts and minds of ALL students as well as ALL people throughout Cambodia. Reading is the light to fight darkness. We want everyone, not just the young but also people at any age, to enjoy reading.

Quality of Education in Cambodia

Pictures of Children in Cambodia





Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education.
- John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States

If Cambodia is to achieve the lofty goals as quoted above, it is imperative that Cambodia establishes a high standard of quality with equal access to learning to all citizens. According to World Education Forum in Dakar, Senegal Committee, 26-28 April 2000, a good quality education requires:

• Healthy, well nourished and motivated students,
• Well-motivated and professionally competent teacher,
• Active learning techniques,
• A relevant curriculum,
• Adequate, environmentally friendly and easily accessible facilities,
• Healthy, safe and protective learning environments,
• A clear definition and accurate assessment of learning outcomes, including knowledge, skills, attitude and values,
• Participatory governance and management, and
• Respect for and engagement with local communities and cultures.

In Cambodia, education is a work in progress. Based on the inadequate inputs (curriculum, learning materials, teachers, principals and other educational resource persons, learning facilities and environment), the poor process of teaching-learning to reach educational goals and objectives, the deficient output (many students graduated with no real knowledge) compounded with the amount of money allocated to education and the lack of determination, there is doubt about the government commitment to improve the quality of education and provide equal access to all its citizens. However, if Cambodia is to take leapfrog forward to improve its education system, it must translate those lofty goals into lofty actions by providing equity and quality education (eliminate the culture of cheating and provide the culture of real learning) for the benefit of all Cambodian people, and not just for the privileged urban population. The government must also develop a feedback mechanism that accepts and empowers constructive criticism on evaluating if the system succeeds or fails in achieving goals and objectives.

Happy 2555 Khmer New Year and a reflection

As Khmer New Year approaches, it is time to reflect on one of the controversial topic of money. Around the world, people use money to buy material possessions. Money is used also in exchange for other things. The power of having money is unlimited. Money can make the world go round. But some of the richest people in life do not have money. What makes someone rich? Their bank account? Their savings? The bottom line? What if the bottom line was a tally of friendships made, of families gathered, of sunsets watched, of laugh shared or of communities helped? Love, compassion and friendship have value too. Generosity is more important than profit. What if everyone tried to maximize that kind of bottom-line. One thing is for sure. The world would be richer for it.

HAPPY KHMER NEW YEAR TO ALL and may you find and enjoy real peace, real harmony, and real happiness.

The art of volunteerism: “One Who Gives Makes Many Friends” Sutta-Nipāta

Volunteer Students' Activities


“One Who Gives Makes Many Friends” Sutta-Nipāta

In Cambodia, I often see beggars, orphans, and homeless children that are living with desperate poverty with or without parents to take care of them. These children do not have the fortune to be born in a rich family, and they need help. They never know what personal hygiene is. Their bodies are covered with dirt from the head to toe. They never have proper clothes to wear, they walk barefoot, nor do they have a nutritious meal to eat. They may be poor, but they want to live a good life like all of us. They also have the right to get an education and to enjoy a better life in the future.

To make a difference, a group of volunteer university students, led by Say Seyhean, had an ambitious plan. They worked together to cultivate generosity. They created a project, “I Help You, You Help Others.” This project means that if I Help You, You Help another person, and another person will help another person. Then, through this act of good deeds, this world will be better, more peaceful and prosperous.

On a beautiful Sunday 13th February 2011, more than 150 volunteer university students of Phnom-Penh woke up at 5:00AM, joined together and went to Primary School Toul Svay Roth, Lom Peng Preah Ream Village, Tran Paing Korn Commune, Samrong Toung District, Kompong Speu Province to implement their project. They reached back and wanted to help those in dire needs.

These disadvantaged one hundred and sixteen children (6-12 years old) at this primary school were lack of personal hygiene and didn’t have proper school clothes to wear, and nutritious food to eat. They needed help, love and support from all of us. Despite the fact that volunteer work does not provide them any income, these students wanted to do something for those children. And, since they cannot be there all the time with them, they wanted to make the difference in those children life at least once. They volunteered their time to teach these children how to wash their hands and to take care of their personal hygiene. They gave all these children a bath and washed them from head to toe, shampooed their hair, cut their nails and brushed their teeth. Then, they issued them a new school uniform. After Venerable Sanghabodhi taught the five Buddha precepts, they feed them with nutritious food. They also entertained those children with traditional songs and plays. These volunteer students made the children smile and let them know they were not alone. They have made a personal and lasting contribution by leaving a legacy of their good deeds toward these deprived children. They delighted in giving.

Whenever I look back on the impact the volunteer students have made on those children at the primary school, I am so inspired and touched by their unselfish actions and passion – for the project they worked on, the children they help alongside, and, most importantly for the difference they have made to their own lives. These volunteer students were so eager and had so much to offer.

7th January 1979 Revisited: Liberation and Alienation

The last Vietnamese troops were said to have left Cambodia in 26 September 1989 but probably they did not leave until 1990 (source Wikipedia: People's Republic Of Kampuchea)

7th January 1979 Revisited: Liberation and Alienation

Depending on which side you were on, Cambodia either fell on 7th January 1979 under the Vietnamese occupation or it was liberated by the same Vietnamese troops. Inside Cambodia, today is marked as liberation day, but outside, most Cambodian called resentment day (the resentment of losing a country).

As a teacher, I have an obligation to give the students an objective account of the real issues of Cambodia based on my personal experiences. You may not agree with what I have to say about the recorded historitical event of 7th January 1979, but I know that all of us would agree, in the liberty to express diverse opinions that real democracy and freedom are secure.

To avoid any bias and ambiguity, it is noteworthy to acknowledge and recognize this historitical date as a source of liberation, a new “birthday”, a fresh epoch from the cruelest Khmer Rouge Regime but also of Vietnamese invasion, occupation and alienation of Cambodia. Ending the Pol Pot’s regime was essential, but replacing the atrocious regime with alienation was not right and illegal. We owe a debt of gratitude to the Vietnamese troops for their help; however, we oppose their self-interested ideology to occupy us.
The selfish Vietnamese had a different agenda besides helping the current government liberated Cambodia from darkness. They wanted to colonize and control us once again. The Vietnamese troops remained in Cambodia until 1989, a decade-long occupation, alienation which a coalition of anti-Vietnamese Cambodian forces, including FUNCINPEC lead by former King Norodom Sihanouk, KPNLF (Khmer People National Liberal Front) lead by former Prime Minister Son San, and the Khmer Rouge, established bases inside Thailand and engaged in gory civil war with the Hanoi backed People’s Republic of Kampuchea (PRK) government of Phnom-Penh.

Lastly, it is also noteworthy to state the Paris Peace Accord on 23rd October 1991, brought peace and democracy to Cambodia with all the political parties. The current government dropped the 23rd October 1991 national holiday in 2005 and chose 7th January 1979 instead.