DR. MOHD SHAHRIL NIZAM BIN SHAHAROM

Sarel developed an interest in e-learning in 2004 when he volunteered as a participant in a public university’s e-learning project. Leveraging his background in software engineering—a bachelor's degree in computer science with a major in software engineering—he began exploring the design and integration of e-learning with educational concepts and technical functionalities to enhance student learning opportunities.

His first official e-learning initiative, diskusiMAYA (accessible at www.diskusimaya.com), was primarily designed to support his part-time students since 2006. Additionally, he conceptualized and developed an innovative e-learning environment tailored for selected teachers as part of the MAYA project, accessible via maya.ilusikreatif.com and maya.sorient.my. His approach incorporates diverse instructional design strategies, including online learning environments and blended learning methods, to sustain student engagement in the learning process. Sarel has also contributed to the development of a virtual learning environment platform for a private university, focusing on how virtual environments function as collaborative spaces to enhance students’ learning experiences.

Now, he emphasizes the importance of experience in practicing digital skills in education as a transition to AI Literacy. At the same time, he is an AI trainer in/for education who has produced several GPTs under the Scholar AI Project such as 'Scholar Proposal Mentor', 'Scholar Bloom's Digital Taxonomy', Scholar Intelligence Report, or 'Scholar UM Expert'.

According to him, every engagement provided by the community (either lecturers or students) in the online environment is about building up motivation.