NEWS: Virtual teacher in Maths, Science

The Star

PETALING JAYA: Once a teacher, always a teacher. This adage applies well to MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting, who revealed his continued passion for teaching at a launching of educational books here.

As a former mathematics teacher at Catholic High School here, Ong constantly flipped through The Star’s education columnist Sunny Yee’s column and sought to solve the problems in his articles and books.

“As a former teacher, I understand how difficult it is to get students to pay attention to what you teach. It will be a problem, especially for those who are reluctant to ask questions in class.

“It is a dilemma when they go home and have nobody to ask for help when they do not know how to answer the questions,” he said yesterday at the launching of Yee’s new supplementary textbooks on Mathematics and Science – eMaz & eScz.

Teacher’s guidance: Ong, Andaman Group president Datuk Dr Patrick Teoh Seng Foo (left) and Andaman Publications chief editor Sunny Yee taking a look at books being read by SJK (C) Chee Wen pupils at the launch of Yee’s supplementary textbooks in Petaling Jaya on Monday.

With these books, Ong said students would have “teachers” who were always ready to answer their questions on the two subjects.

The books, which are created for primary and secondary schools, are sold with dynamic software created with voice-driven solutions and explanations.

“Ever since I started writing for The Star in 2000, about 50,000 ‘virtual students’ have sent me e-mail to ask me questions on Mathematics and Physics,” said Yee.

“And from the e-mail, I realised that most of them share the same problem: they have the questions and answers, which are static solutions but what they need is dynamic solutions and someone to help them understand how to solve the questions,” he said.

The e-mail from the students later prompted him to write the new books, which were incorporated with audio and visual software, based on Malaysian curriculum.

“I believe students will learn better with the audio and visual presentation,” said Yee.

“A student can ask the same question as many times as they want because the software will not lose its patience.”