Author: admin
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Assumptions of Conventional Exam vs Assumptions of LMS Based Online Exam
What are the underlying assumptions and presuppositions of conventional examinations and how do they differ from their counterpart assumptions and presuppositions of the LMS based Online Exams especially those conducted in asynchronous mode. The differences are explained below: Here is a brief description of an extemporaneous talk that I recorded before putting the thoughts down…
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Why There are so Many Assignments on the LMS
A reply sent to the student who was complaining about excessive assignments. An assignment in each session is typically given by a faculty member for the benefit of students. Assignments provide opportunity to students to get their attendance for a class session because students can not be “forced” to “attend” the “synchronous” class session on…
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Case Study of PKLI: How a Fine Initiative was Destroyed by Saqib Nisar, the Economic Hitman of Pakistan
With this treatment of Dr Saeed Akhtar and the treatment that they highly qualified professionals brought to Pakistan from their plush careers from abroad, no sane expatriate Pakistani will ever think of coming back to Pakistan to serve the country. This was the severest form of shock therapy from the Economic Hitman of Pakistan [To…
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Which Option You should Choose: Pass-Fail or Letter Grade
This post describes when to use a pass-fail option and when not to use the pass-fail option. It gives you scenarios in which to select what. If you do not know the maths of how a CGPA is calculated, and you have never put your courses on an excel and computed the CGPA by inputing…
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Sentiments of Families Split Apart by Partition Expressed in a Beautiful Poem by Fatimah Khatoon
اباجان [سید عبدالغنی حیدر] کے ہندوستان واپس جانے پر آپا فاطمہ خاتون نے یہ نظم کہی تھی۔ ۱۹۵۱ [میرے والد احسان حیدر کا نوٹ] بھارت کو جانے والے ، بھارت کو چاہنے والے حافظ خدا تمہارا، مالک کے تم حوالے ہندوستان تمہارا، گھر تھا کبھی ہمارا ہم اُس کو چھوڑ آئے ،لے کے نیا سہارا تم …
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Understanding the Four Critical Stages of LMS Technology Assimilation- A Case Study of a Pakistani University
At IoBM, we crashed into the use of LMS at a breakneck speed. However, our assimilation of LMS (Learning Management System) which is just another technology is following the well known critical stages of assimilation of technology [1]. We had started our implementation in Fall 2019 and by the time the lockdown happened we had…
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What is Originality in PhD Research- Explained Through a Concrete Example
I have often seen explanation of “originality” in research through abstract terms and ideas. Here I will try to explain the concept of originality in PhD research through the concrete example of Moodle which is an LMS. This example is chosen because PhD students today are very likely to have come across an LMS and…
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My Most Memorable Readings- Tilism e Hoshrub and Dastan e Amir Hamza
My most memorable experience of reading Urdu books was the time spent in reading of Ferozsons’ Tilism e Hoshruba and Dastan e Ameer Hamza. ذندگی کے بہترین لمحات ان کتب کے ساتھ گزرے- اللہ تعالٰی مقبول جہانگیر اور اختر رضوی کے درجات بلند کرے- میں نے یہ کتب تیسری جماعت میں پڑھنی شروع کی- پہلی…
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Ferozesons Children Urdu Novels Translated from English Novels
I would like to know if you can identify which of these books are translations of which authors of English books. What a wonderful time that I spent with these books. I read them in Urdu before I read them in English later on. Once upon a time I used to have a collection of…
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Dr Shahid Amjad and Leadership of Lahore School of Economics
Met Dr Shahid Amjad Chaudhry, Rector Lahore School of Economics at the picturesque campus on Burki Road on Jan 21, 2020. Got to see the peacock dance as I entered the beautiful campus. It was as if the peacock gave me a special welcome (or do they perform for every visitor). Saw one of the…
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Faculty Development, Motivation and Retention
Faculty Development and Retention Policy: Role of Faculty in Academic Excellence Report Date: 26 August 2003 Objectives To develop the institute as a Center of Excellence in university level education requires that faculty is motivated to contribute to the: 1. Excellence in teaching standards by actively participating in the development of courses, curriculum and instruction…
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How Correct is My Data-Cardinal Rules for Data Collection
How Correct is My Data: Cardinal Rules for Data Collection Written: May 2, 2007 A marketing manager of a pharmaceutical who has recently joined the company is looking at a report lying on his table about the performance of the sales representatives, their individual targets and the actual achievements. He needs to know what is…
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Senator Mazhar Ali – Dreams and Achievements
Sen Syed Mazhar Ali was a man who was ahead of his time. He was a visionary who could appreciate the role of IT in creating wonderful opportunities for Pakistan in 1980s. His apartment complexes set the standard for high quality during 1970s and early 1980s. His Gulshan-e-Maymar town was conceived and constructed decades ahead…
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Documentaries related to Pakistan Studies and Partition of India
Partition: Borders of Blood : Al Jazeera Documentary: In this two-part special, 101 Easttraces the events and conflicting politics that led to the greatest migration of people in human history, and unleashed a wave of communal violence that claimed more than a million lives. How India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh were formed: Animation by Al Jazeera: How…
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How HEC and PEC Policies Fuel Extremism
How HEC’s Policies Fuel Extremism [Written in May-June 2017] This is with reference to news item “COASto address VCs on preventing extremism”. This meeting was called to discuss shocking incidents in which university students have been found to be involved in taking law in their own hands, killing others and taking part in heinous terrorist…
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Science and Technology Rat Race (ٹرک کی بتی)
We were mindlessly and blindly made to follow the chimera of science and technology. Unfortuately Pakistan was steered away from the essential fields that make a nation great and were diverted to a rat race towards the glitter of Science and Technology. See the related blogpost “Myth of our Country being Backward because we lag…
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How HEC Kills Creativity and How PEC Kills Creativity
How HEC and PEC kill creativity! They kill creativity by targeting the roots from where creativity and innovation originate. Creativity, innovation, new paradigms, new frameworks and and new ideas originate from out-of-the-box thinking, lateral thinking, inter-disciplinary aha experiences. However, HEC/PEC’s notion of quality works in the reverse direction; they force faculty, curriculum as well as…
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HEC Ranking Fiasco Genesis
University Rankings in Pakistan Dr. Syed Irfan Hyder, January 5, 2004 https://www.dawn.com/news/1065476 This is with reference to the letter to the editor of Dawn, December 31, 2003 where the writer has highlighted the risks of jumping prematurely in the area of university rankings. Development of a ranking system is a good idea, but coming up…
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What HEC Quality Criteria Did Not Measure
[Written in December 11, 2003] This was written on the basis of HEC Survey that was circulated by HEC in 2003. Many of these areas are still not being covered. The survey still relies too much on brick and mortar measurements. Following important areas for determining the strength of an institute of higher learning and…
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Why HEC’s Foreign Faculty Hiring Plan failed
This was written in June 2003 when HEC with a fanfare started the program and spent billions of rupees. Why HEC’s Foreign Faculty Hiring Plan may fail: HEC and its bureaucracy is not equipped to run and monitor projects. HEC and not the employer organization is going to make a decision on who is to…
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Different Types of Research Contributions and Challenges in Defense
Paper Writing and Research Strategies [Copied from the net in 2012. Source unknown] Introduction Here is a brief reminder of how to write papers and what kinds of papers to write. Please also see the other materials on our web site on paper structure. What matters most about a paper is what the reader gets…
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Quality and Duration of PhD Degree: Will HEC recognize Iqbal’s PhD ?
Do you know that Allama Iqbal’s PhD thesis would never have passed HEC’s quality criteria of minimum duration of three years for a PhD! Iqbal arrived in Germany between 17 to 20 July 1907. Munich University issued call for defense on 21st July. Defense was held on 10th November 1907. A group photo, of young…
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Faulty BISP Beneficiaries Analysis. Use of Proxies in Data Analytics
Faulty assumptions of BISP research led to faulty conclusions: We must need to question the faulty research assumptions of BISP Benazir Support Program Research Study that is being promoted on social media without requisite critical analysis. Over 8lac people have been identified that are being classified as “rich” without the necessary and rigorous research methodology…
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What Economic and Political Circumstances Led to Secession of East Pakistan
[To understand the context of this post, please read At What Cost! Why Compute Economic Costs of Faulty Political Decisions] 16 December is the anniversary of secession of East Pakistan in 1971: Do you know Hamoodur Rehman Commission Report Vol, 1 that detailed the political and economic circumstances leading to the Surrender of East Pakistan is…
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Pakistani Decision Makers should have their Skin in the Game
[To understand the context of this post, please read At What Cost! Why Compute Economic Costs of Faulty Political Decisions] Decision makers and opinion makers need to have skin in the game to face the adverse implications of their decisions. It is easy to design frameworks and solutions when consultants and fly-by-night solution providers do not…
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A Jog Down the Memory Lane
A Jog down the memory lane Yesterday I took a stroll down the fields on the farm in Tumair. Moving from the small cozy cottage on the east side of the farm land towards the north-west corner where the work was in progress to build a water reservoir. This is barani land, where people have…
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How I learned the Craft of Book Binding
I learned book binding جلد بندی from my relative Ehtisham Haider Chacha (منّو چچا) . I went with him to Raja Bazar, Rawalpindi in 1975-76 when I was in 8th class and living in Islamabad. He helped me buy the needle, thick thread, and glossy paper sheet, scissors, etc. He then taught me how to…
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Where to Download Books for Free and Legally
45 places you can download tens of thousands books, plays and other literary texts completely legally for free BY PROFESSORWUJanuary 10, 2017 In an increasingly digital world, literature is evolving. Sales of e-readers continue to rise, yet the cost of digital books and texts has not necessarily decreased to the extent to which many initially predicted.…
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Dismissals of Civilian Prime Ministers in Pakistan by DoN Doctrine of Necessity Godfathers
[To understand the context of this post, please read At What Cost! Why Compute Economic Costs of Faulty Political Decisions] Doctrine of Necessity (DoN) sword had been used to repeatedly dismiss civilian prime ministers of Pakistan prematurely, since 1950s. The DoN godfathers have played the role of 1st umpire, 2nd umpire and 3rd umpire interchangeably in…
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How to Build Confidence in Children: Climbing the Trees and Getting out of a Hole
This must be around 1965-66. I am around 4-5 playing in my next door neighbor’s house with my friend Umair, and somehow I had managed to climb up a large shahtoot (mulbery) tree in their courtyard. I could still feel my exhilaration that I felt as I went up and up from one branch to…
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Covey’s First Habit Advice to Proponents of Corruption Eradication First
Stephen Covey’s first habit advice to anti-corruption proponents: First habit of highly successful people states that focusing on circle of concern is counter productive. Instead focusing on your circle of Influence will cause it to expand, and this expansion will eventually take care of your concerns. “Process Efficiency” is in your circle of Influence and…
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Incompetence and inefficiency is the Mother of Corruption and is the fundamental problem of third world countries
Had corruption been the cause of our problems, then IK’s “clean” govt’s anti-corruption drive should have been showing better results. IK’s “clean” govt has falsified the hypothesis that Pakistan’s plight is because of corruption! It is the inefficiency and incompetence, stupids! Incompetence, not corruption, is responsible for our woes and problem. [To understand the context…