Garuda and Eagle: A Mexican Student’s Reflection on State Symbols at Indonesia’s Parliament

Garuda and Eagle: A Mexican Student’s Reflection on State Symbols at Indonesia’s Parliament

October 06, 2024

Contributor: Supriyono | Editor: Dadi Darmadi | Photo: Achmad Jatnika

It was a bright morning on September 24, 2024, when 15 students from Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII), led by the International Office and Student Affairs, boarded a bus for a special visit to the Indonesian Parliament Office and House of Representatives (DPR-MPR RI) in Central Jakarta. They were attending the OIC International Youth Summit, an event organized by OIC Youth Indonesia.

Among the students was Alberto Emmanuel Conti Morales, a PhD candidate from Mexico studying at UIII’s Faculty of Education. For him, this was not just an opportunity to engage in critical discussions but also a journey through culture and symbols that stirred deep reflections on identity and nationhood.

"The place is very nice, appealing, and interesting. I never thought we would be in such a formal and important setting. I had expected something more informal, so I was pleasantly surprised," he shared, marveling at the grandeur of the building, as they arrived at Gedung Nusantara V of the parliament office.

Having visited the Mexican Parliament ten years prior, Alberto found himself comparing the two structures. "In Mexico, the parliament building is bigger, but this one feels more modern. Perhaps it's because a decade has passed since my last visit. But what really caught my attention was the difference in the atmosphere, the Indonesian parliament seems to reflect a deep sense of national pride."

Alberto was especially captivated by the Indonesian national symbols. As he sat in the parliament, his eyes were drawn to the imposing Garuda emblem, a reminder of Indonesia’s foundational values.

"In Mexico, we have a national seal too, an eagle with a snake. It’s very similar to Indonesia’s Garuda in terms of strength and symbolism. But in Indonesia, the Garuda represents more than just a national identity. It embodies the spirit of Pancasila, the philosophical foundation of the country. I found that deeply fascinating because it highlighted how much meaning Indonesians place on their symbols,” he said.

The summit Alberto visited was an annual summit held by OIC Youth Indonesia, an organization aimed at empowering and uniting young Indonesians under the values of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). It provides a platform for youth engagement on both national and international levels, promoting collaboration, leadership, and dialogue.

As the summit began, the room filled with the voices of youth leaders and speakers, all discussing the role of young people in shaping a post-OIC world. The conversation quickly turned to the importance of religion in civil society—a topic that resonated deeply with Alberto. As someone who hails from a country where religion is increasingly seen as a personal matter, he was struck by the Indonesian emphasis on faith as a core element of national unity and progress.

"The discussion was interesting, especially because of how central religion is to society here in Indonesia. In Mexico, religion is no longer a public matter; it has become something personal, something private. But here, it's clear that religion still plays a significant role in nation-building. It was eye-opening to see how much Indonesians rely on their faith in shaping their civil society," Alberto reflected.

For Alberto, the OIC International Youth Summit was more than just a political event—it was a mirror reflecting the values of a nation, a reminder of the power of symbols and faith in shaping identity. As he left the Indonesian parliament office with his fellow students, he carried with him not only the lessons from the summit but also a deeper appreciation for the cultural richness of his host country, Indonesia.

source: https://uiii.ac.id/features/read/57689/garuda-and-eagle-a-mexican-students-reflection-on-state-symbols-at-indonesias-parliament

by Bambang Sumintono

Faculty of Education's PhD Students Present Papers on Rasch Analysis Conference: Reflection on PROMS 2024

Faculty of Education's PhD Students Present Papers on Rasch Analysis Conference:  Reflection on PROMS 2024

Attending the Pacific Rim Objective Measurement Society (PROMS) 2024 conference on 20-21 August was a very enriching experience for us as a group. The theme of this year's PROMS was Advancing Rasch Measurement Practically and Responsibly which was held at UCMI City Campus, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This was the 19th PROMS event. God willing, next year's PROMS will be held in Singapore. As four people who are deeply immersed in the field of measurement in education, we are very proud to have the opportunity to interact with global experts. Some of the keynote speakers were our role models in learning and whose books we refer to. They were Prof. Trevor G Bond (Founder of PROMS), Prof George Engelhard (University of Georgia), Dr Haniza Yon (Malaysian Psychometrics Association), Harris Shah Abd Hamid, Ph.D. (University College of MAIWP) and our role model lecturer in Educational Assessment from Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia, Bambang Sumintono, Ph.D. These reflections aim to capture the essence of our collective experience, highlighting the key insights we gained, the challenges we faced, and the implications for our future work.

Diverse Perspectives and Global Collaboration

The opening ceremony on the morning of August 20th set a collaborative and inspiring tone for the conference. Welcoming speeches by Dr. Harris Shah Abd Hamid, Dean of FPPK, and Prof. Dr. George Engelhard, President of PROMS, emphasized the importance of cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural collaboration in advancing educational measurement practices. Throughout the two-day conference, we participated in numerous parallel sessions held in various rooms across the campus. These sessions provided platforms for researchers from different backgrounds to present their work. Each parallel room is chaired by a local committee and attended by at least one Rasch expert who are also PROMS board member, giving input and facilitating rich discussions and exchanges of ideas. We were particularly inspired by the presentations that showcased innovative applications of Rasch modeling in diverse educational contexts, highlighting how these techniques can be adapted to meet the specific needs of learners around the world.

Four delegates from UIII PhD students presented papers with their respective scientific fields but used the Rasch Model as a data analysis technique. All the presented papers are the result coming from the process of joining class in Educational Assessment which was taught by our lecturer at Faculty of Education at Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia. We challenge ourselves to present in this global conference to learn further and get insight internationally. In the first parallel session, Faradillah Haryani presented a paper entitled: Spatial Orientation Assessment: Investigating Differences Between Residents Of Jogja and Non-Jogja Areas Using Rasch Measurement Model, then in a different parallel class Novinta Nurulsari presented with the title paper Misconception Detection Using Rasch Modeling in Thermodynamics, then still in the same class Eka Yusmaita presented with the title of the paper Chemical Literacy Assessment on Green Chemistry Topic Using Many-Facet Rasch (MFRM) and finally Muhammad Affan Ramadhana presented Rating Behaviour Difference Between Lecturers from ‘Language Education’ and ‘Linguistics/Literature’ Background in an Online EFL Writing Assessment Context.

This conference provided us for networking and building connections with fellow attendees. Informal interactions during breaks and the PROMS Dinner at Rumah Tangsi on the evening of August 20th allowed us to engage in meaningful conversations, discuss potential collaborations, and broaden our professional network. These interactions underscored the collaborative spirit of PROMS and reinforced our commitment to contributing to a global community dedicated to advancing objective measurement in education.

Key Insights and Personal Reflections

One of the most memorable aspects of the conference was the chance to meet some of the world’s leading experts in Rasch measurement theory. Interacting with prominent scholars like Prof. Dr. George Engelhard, Prof. Dr. Trevor Bond, and Prof. Dr. Yan Zi was both inspiring and humbling. Additionally, seeing our own lecturer, Dr. Bambang, among these figures further reinforced the importance of our work. Dr. Bambang himself delivered an insightful keynote on the second day of the conference (21st August 2024), which was followed by, yet another thought-provoking session led by Dr. Harris Shah Abd Hamid later that afternoon.

Novinta said, “I was particularly impressed by the quality of the keynote presentations. Every speaker brought forward innovative ideas and advanced research, but one of the most captivating sessions for me was on the ‘Next Generation of Attitude Measurement.’ The discussions opened my eyes to new possibilities in the field and underscored the importance of evolving our methods to stay relevant in an ever-changing educational landscape. In addition to the keynote speeches, the presentations by other speakers were outstanding. I gained a wealth of new knowledge, with one of the most intriguing topics being unfolding assessment. This concept was new to me and captured my attention due to its potential applications in my own work. Presenting my research at this prestigious event was a particularly valuable experience. Sharing my findings with an international audience and receiving feedback from experts in the field provided me with new perspectives on my research. This experience not only boosted my confidence but also inspired me to continue exploring and refining my work.”

Eka, on the other hand revealed that “This is a very high-quality conference that I have visited, I followed it solemnly. Every presenter who presented, the expert would provide supporting input and even explain the theory of the Rasch Model on the Whiteboard until we were amazed at their delivery. We hope that in the future we can remain part of the Rasch Model community and can continue to attend this conference for the following years.”

Faradillah observed that the Rasch experts in each session provided feedback in a manner that was not only insightful but also encouraging. Even in sessions where the focus was not primarily on Rasch, the experts skillfully demonstrated how the method could be applied to enhance the research, pointing out areas where existing approaches were lacking. This approach showed that the prominent figures in these discussions were open to different paradigms and encouraged deeper exploration rather than dismissing alternative views. Faradillah was particularly pleased with the positive reception of her presentation, even though it was recognized that further work, such as increasing the sample size, was necessary. The findings resonated with the international audience, as they see unique cultural aspects of Indonesian people, measured through Rasch modeling. Additionally, Faradillah gained valuable insights from Professor Trevor Bond, who emphasized that Reliability is number, and Validity is more into number. This point was especially important, as it challenged the common practice of describing reliability and validity solely with numerical descriptions.

Finally, Affan presented his work on how lecturers from language education and lecturers from linguistics/literature background behave differently in their rating severity in the context of writing assessment. His work is based on a preliminary study conducted as preparation for his dissertation research. “I was a bit nervous at the beginning, seeing many people including some Rasch experts in the room. I tried to explain as clearly as I could, but I think I was too fast.” Affan said.

Affan continued, “But it was insightful for me when one of the audience members asked for clarification if the rater participants in my study were prepared with the rubric or not. I said no. Then, he emphasized the possibility of raters who do not understand clearly the meaning of each category in the rubric might cause errors and became the most important factor that causes their rating behavior.” It was later revealed that he is Jeffrey Durant, one of Rasch expert from Toyo Gakuen University Japan, whose works focus on multirater assessment and rater network construction in large-scale multirater assessment. “He said that my study was interesting, and he gave me his contact for further discussion.”

Implications for Future Work

The insights gained from PROMS 2024 will undoubtedly shape our future work. The advanced understanding of Rasch modeling will be directly applicable to our ongoing research projects. For Novinta, this will enhance her efforts in detecting misconceptions in educational settings. Faradillah will be focusing on increasing the sample size to enable Differential Item Functioning (DIF) analysis. Eka plans to expand the study of the Multi-Facet Rasch Model and increase the number of persons to improve item reliability scores. Affan will also leverage these insights to further his research in multirater assessment, especially in preparing rater training and more detailed analysis on rater behavior, by applying Rasch modeling to achieve more robust results. We are now better equipped to refine our methodologies and improve the accuracy and fairness of our assessments.

Conclusion

Overall, PROMS 2024 was a transformative experience for us as a group. The opportunity to engage with leading experts, learn about cutting-edge research, and reflect on our own practices has had a profound impact on our professional development. We leave the conference with a renewed sense of purpose and a commitment to applying the knowledge and insights gained to our future work. We are excited about the potential for future collaborations and look forward to continuing our journey in the field of educational measurement with a deeper understanding and a broader perspective.

by Bambang Sumintono