Sejahtera Academic Framework (SAF)

124 123 in IIUM classrooms. Apart from the traditional “sitting-in” examinations, IIUM also acknowledges the existence and utility of other types of examinations such as open-book and take-home examinations. Over time, it is expected that examinations and tests are no longer the “go-to” assessment method of the majority of the lecturers. Given the innovations in pedagogy that are expected to happen, the assessment methods used will also change so as to remain constructively aligned to the learning outcomes and the pedagogy. To be able to conduct authentic assessments, IIUM lecturers shall have a repertoire of assessment methods at their disposal. If nothing else, the COVID-19 experience should convince the lecturers of the need to master other assessment methods besides examinations and tests. In order to inform and update the IIUM population of the latest trend of assessment processes and procedures, basic and specialised training sessions on assessment are to be conducted regularly. Assessment training may be organised centrally or by the different kulliyyahs and institutes. In IIUM, assessment is a systematic process that is designed to make an informed judgment of each students’ quality. Students in IIUMare evaluated on a whole array of abilities ranging from oral, listening, reading and written skills, presentation skills, computational-related skills, creativity and performance- based tasks. In order to be fair to lecturers and students alike, tests and measurement are designed according to certain standards that would yield reliable and valid results and hence, represents a good assessment practice. One potential innovation is competency assessment that gives the level of outcomes attained using the 360-degree approach. It attempts to “gauge” the behavioural change that the students have undergone in learning to translate the knowledge acquired in a collective fashion for the desired impact, and not on what an individual could do and retain as conventionally carried out. The students are equipped with theoretical as well as practical dimensions so that they can draw on the interplay of the various main factors to effect change in the community. Students are able to identify the constraints and opportunities present in the community, as well as engage and empower the community to arrive at the most desirable ‘solutions’. A revised IIUM Assessment Handbook will be produced, again not to be prescriptive, but to provide guidelines for best practices. RESPONSIBLE RESEARCH Responsible research is multifaceted. It involves adherence to ethics, upholding values and principles, engaging communities, and sharing of knowledge in conducting research. While it is natural for universities, IIUM included, to demand their staff to conduct research, the way forward is to promote and ensure that the research projects are responsible ones. Ethics is a precursor to responsible research. Research must, first and foremost, be grounded on ethics and morally acceptable actions. Researchers must avoid actions such as plagiarism, claiming credit to work which is not his/her own, reporting on false data and analyses, and the likes. While these may seem like feeble issues to raise, they still occur in the world of academic research worldwide. From Anas r.a., he reported that the Prophet s.a.w. said, “There is no faith in a person who is not trustworthy” (Mohammed Farid Ali Al-Fijawi, 2020). In the case of Muslim researchers, deliberately misrepresenting their work can be equalled to them discarding their faith. Research must also be based on the right values. From an Islamic point of view, these would be the values as propagated by the Islamic teachings. Research must not lead to destruction, wastefulness, injustice, and other harmful effects to the world and its inhabitants be it human, animals and the environment. Instead, research, especially in IIUM, should be strongly grounded on the principles of the Maqā ṣ id Ash-Sharī ʿ ah. To show the seriousness of the University in ensuring research projects are responsible, it may be a good idea to intro- duce requirements for researchers to demonstrate the ‘responsible-ness’ of their research in the research proposals. This can be simply a mapping of the research work to the principles of Maqā ṣ id Ash-Sharī ʿ ah. Responsible research also refers to research that engages the community. In other words, responsible research ‘requires involving the community and public at large in the processes of research’ (Dzulkifli Abdul Razak, 2019, p.58). This is to ensure that research benefits the community and the ummah at large by addressing societal problems and contributing towards elevating the quality of life of present and future generations. This will make research purposeful rather thanmerely tofulfill therequirementsofkeyperformance indicatorsorany other rating and ranking requirements. Among the aims of responsible research is the generation and sharing of knowledge. Under the concept of responsible research, new knowledge must be shared in the spirit of Raḥmatan lil- ʿ Ā lamīn . Sharing of knowledge for the betterment of the ummah and the world should be seen as sadaqah . Abu Hurairah r.a. narrated that the Prophet (pbuh). said, “Whoever is asked about some knowledge that he knows, and then he conceals it, he will be bridled with the bridle of fire” (Mohammed Farid Ali Al-Fijawi, 2020).