KUALA LUMPUR: Tobacco company Philip Morris (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd has teamed up with non-profit organisation Yayasan Salam Malaysia (Salam) to build three more information and communications technology (ICT) centres.
The centres, costing a total of RM115,000 to set up, are located in Jerlun (Kedah), Pekan (Pahang) and Batu Rakit (Terengganu). Philip Morris has eight other ICT centres around the country.
Each centre is equipped with 11 computers, broadband connection, shared printer and local area network, and are used to teach ICT skills to rural folk.
The centres are part of Philip Morris’ corporate social responsibility programme to address the needs of underserved communities.
“We recognise that technology is not accessible to a large majority of rural communities in our country,” said Marlene Kaur, director of corporate affairs at Philip Morris Malaysia.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
NEWS: Prison ‘break’ that brings hope
KAJANG: Nineteen-year-old Abu (not his real name) was a typical college student. He was studying security management and in his spare time listened to Indonesian rock and chatted on the Internet.
Born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, he lived a comfortable. middle-class life until everything changed one night. He and two friends got into a scuffle and a foreigner was stabbed to death.
Now he’s in the Kajang Central Prison, where he has been these past few months, waiting to go on trial.
It’s a far cry from his college life, he told In.Tech two weeks ago. Nowadays, he has to put up with prison food, lights-out by 7pm, and if he’s lucky, two hours of TV viewing every weekend.
“I’m trying to focus on my future,” he said in Bahasa Malaysia. The light at the end of his tunnel is provided by the prison’s e-Bimbing programme, where inmates can learn IT skills so that they can find employment when they are released.
Abu is one of the more than 1,000 inmates, aged between 14 and 21, participating in the year-long programme that is being conducted at the Kajang prison and in four others around the country.
e-Bimbing teaches desktop publishing, digital photography and PC maintenance.
The inmates are also taught how to use common programs such as Microsoft Office and Corel Draw.
The only entry requirement is that the inmates have the right attitude and are eager to learn.
“It’s just like being back in school,” said Abu from in front of a PC in the prison’s training room. Around him were the other 29 participants in the class and the instructor.
Classes are from 9am to 2pm, from Monday to Friday. The classroom is equipped with about 30 PCs in rows, a colour printer, scanner, and digital camera.
All the computers are on a wireless local area network but Internet access is only available under supervision of prison authorities.
Before prison, Abu only knew how to surf the Internet and participate in online chat sessions, but now he’s learned how to create graphics on a computer.
That success has sparked off an ambition to become a graphics designer and he’s been asking his parents to buy him a PC when he gets out. “They are quite supportive,” he said.
Abu doesn’t know when that’ll be but he’s happy that e-Bimbing is teaching him new skills and keeping him occupied.
Another e-Bimbing participant is 20-year-old Ali (not real name) who has been in remand for a year at the same prison. He’s awaiting trial for illegal possession of a firearm.
Like Abu, Ali is quite taken with being able to use a computer to design graphics. “I want to set up a kiosk at the Central Market (in Kuala Lumpur),” he said.
Helping hand
e-Bimbing is the brainchild of Prihatin Malaysia, a charity organisation that among other things, uses information and communications technology (ICT) training to help prison inmates find employment or start a business after they leave prison.
The project is funded and supported by the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry, with the co-operation of the Prisons Department of Malaysia.
Ramanitharan Rajaram, vice-president of Prihatin Malaysia, said prisoners have so much time on their hands and many don’t know what to do with themselves.
“We offer them the opportunity to better themselves by learning a new skill or several skills,” he told In.Tech.
“With enough time and training we can teach them to be very good at whatever vocation they choose.”
There are choices aplenty. Inmates can take up batik printing, motor vehicle repair, woodworking and even baking. Training in computer skills was added about two years ago when it was found that young inmates were more inclined towards that.
The pilot programme for e-Bimbing began in June 2007 in Kajang Central Prison with 250 participants.
There are 750 e-Bimbing graduates nationwide to date. “Among those released, 50 are studying for IT diplomas, 20 are with companies designing T-shirts, wedding cards and name cards, and two have set up e-kiosks selling and designing T-shirts,” said Ramanitharan.
This helps show prisoners that they can earn a living the legal way, he said. “With the skills they learn in prison, they can easily earn RM2,000 to RM3,000 a month when they go into business after they are released,” he added.
Syamir Mustadza, 25, who is the ICT teacher at the Kajang prison, agrees. He’s been teaching there since the start of the programme.
“At first, I was not very confident that I would be successful teaching prisoners,” he said. “But many of them surprised me.”
He said the inmates realise that e-Bimbing is a golden opportunity for them to improve their lot in life and they are very dedicated to the lessons.
“Some of them can create their own designs after only three months of training and many have shown a lot of spirit and creativity,” Syamir said. “I guess the programme also gives them hope.”
Born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, he lived a comfortable. middle-class life until everything changed one night. He and two friends got into a scuffle and a foreigner was stabbed to death.
Now he’s in the Kajang Central Prison, where he has been these past few months, waiting to go on trial.
It’s a far cry from his college life, he told In.Tech two weeks ago. Nowadays, he has to put up with prison food, lights-out by 7pm, and if he’s lucky, two hours of TV viewing every weekend.
“I’m trying to focus on my future,” he said in Bahasa Malaysia. The light at the end of his tunnel is provided by the prison’s e-Bimbing programme, where inmates can learn IT skills so that they can find employment when they are released.
Abu is one of the more than 1,000 inmates, aged between 14 and 21, participating in the year-long programme that is being conducted at the Kajang prison and in four others around the country.
e-Bimbing teaches desktop publishing, digital photography and PC maintenance.
The inmates are also taught how to use common programs such as Microsoft Office and Corel Draw.
The only entry requirement is that the inmates have the right attitude and are eager to learn.
“It’s just like being back in school,” said Abu from in front of a PC in the prison’s training room. Around him were the other 29 participants in the class and the instructor.
Classes are from 9am to 2pm, from Monday to Friday. The classroom is equipped with about 30 PCs in rows, a colour printer, scanner, and digital camera.
All the computers are on a wireless local area network but Internet access is only available under supervision of prison authorities.
Before prison, Abu only knew how to surf the Internet and participate in online chat sessions, but now he’s learned how to create graphics on a computer.
That success has sparked off an ambition to become a graphics designer and he’s been asking his parents to buy him a PC when he gets out. “They are quite supportive,” he said.
Abu doesn’t know when that’ll be but he’s happy that e-Bimbing is teaching him new skills and keeping him occupied.
Another e-Bimbing participant is 20-year-old Ali (not real name) who has been in remand for a year at the same prison. He’s awaiting trial for illegal possession of a firearm.
Like Abu, Ali is quite taken with being able to use a computer to design graphics. “I want to set up a kiosk at the Central Market (in Kuala Lumpur),” he said.
Helping hand
e-Bimbing is the brainchild of Prihatin Malaysia, a charity organisation that among other things, uses information and communications technology (ICT) training to help prison inmates find employment or start a business after they leave prison.
The project is funded and supported by the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry, with the co-operation of the Prisons Department of Malaysia.
Ramanitharan Rajaram, vice-president of Prihatin Malaysia, said prisoners have so much time on their hands and many don’t know what to do with themselves.
“We offer them the opportunity to better themselves by learning a new skill or several skills,” he told In.Tech.
“With enough time and training we can teach them to be very good at whatever vocation they choose.”
There are choices aplenty. Inmates can take up batik printing, motor vehicle repair, woodworking and even baking. Training in computer skills was added about two years ago when it was found that young inmates were more inclined towards that.
The pilot programme for e-Bimbing began in June 2007 in Kajang Central Prison with 250 participants.
There are 750 e-Bimbing graduates nationwide to date. “Among those released, 50 are studying for IT diplomas, 20 are with companies designing T-shirts, wedding cards and name cards, and two have set up e-kiosks selling and designing T-shirts,” said Ramanitharan.
This helps show prisoners that they can earn a living the legal way, he said. “With the skills they learn in prison, they can easily earn RM2,000 to RM3,000 a month when they go into business after they are released,” he added.
Syamir Mustadza, 25, who is the ICT teacher at the Kajang prison, agrees. He’s been teaching there since the start of the programme.
“At first, I was not very confident that I would be successful teaching prisoners,” he said. “But many of them surprised me.”
He said the inmates realise that e-Bimbing is a golden opportunity for them to improve their lot in life and they are very dedicated to the lessons.
“Some of them can create their own designs after only three months of training and many have shown a lot of spirit and creativity,” Syamir said. “I guess the programme also gives them hope.”
NEWS: Mosti task force to tackle ICT issues
KUALA LUMPUR: The Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry (Mosti) has formed a task force to look into pressing ICT issues such as the slow national rollout of broadband.
“The task force had its first meeting this month to identify the various (information and communications technology) issues; among these is the slow rollout of broadband,” said Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili on Monday.
According to the National Broadband Plan, 50% of the population must have access to superfast Internet connections by next year but penetration is lingering at the 26% mark now.
Known officially as The Task Force on the ICT industry, it will identify problems, formulate solutions and present these to Mosti, which will then decide whether or not to implement the suggestions.
Broadband rollout is too slow, especially in Sabah and Sarawak, Ongkili said.
He said the Universal Service Provision (USP) fund should be used if the slowdown in those states is due to lack of financing.
Totalling RM3bil now, the USP fund was set up about a decade ago to finance the introduction of telephony and broadband services to underserved areas and groups in the country.
Due to their isolated locations, these underserved areas were largely being bypassed by telecommunications companies that preferred the more profitable urban areas.
In view of that, the Government made it mandatory for all telcos to contribute 6% of revenue generated from their services to the fund every year.
Make heads roll
The Association of the Computer and Multimedia Industry of Malaysia (Pikom) chimed in with its ideas to boost the flagging broadband rollout.
Its chairman, David Wong, said the Government should revoke the licences of WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) broadband licensees that have failed to meet their targets.
“There are four licensees and not all have delivered (on the conditions set by the Government in the licences),” Wong said. He declined to be more specific.
Industry researcher IDC believes some WiMAX licensees are taking a wait-and-see attitude over the rollout of their infrastructure and services because of the huge capital involved.
According to IDC, it takes anywhere from RM100,000 to RM1mil to set up a base-station and the WiMAX licensees will need hundreds of base-stations.
The four licensees are Packet One Network Sdn Bhd, Y-Max Networks Sdn Bhd, Asiaspace Sdn Bhd, and Redtone International Bhd.
Wong said the issue should be brought up at the next task force meeting.
“We need to have a review; find out why some of the WiMAX players are slow to roll out,” he said. “We must know if it’s a question of finance or something else. Only then can the (appropriate) action be taken.”
The task force meets every two months. It comprises representatives from Pikom, the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC), the International Trade and Industry Ministry, the Information, Communications, Culture and Arts Ministry, applied research body Mimos, CyberSecurity Malaysia, and several others.
Another pressing ICT issue that the task force will be looking into is the country’s human resource pool.
It believes that there needs to be programmes that better match retrenched workers to new jobs.
“There should also be (more) government programmes to find alternative employment for these affected workers,” said Wong.
National ICT month
Earlier, Ongkili officiated at the launch of the inaugural National ICT Month (NIM) 2009, to be held from July 20 to Aug 20 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
Pikom hopes the event will help replicate some of the buzz that the industry experienced during last year’s World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) which was hosted by Malaysia.
WCIT is a forum that brings together global leaders in business, government and academia for the exchange of ideas on ICT and industry policies. It is hosted by different countries every two years.
NIM 2009, the brainchild of Pikom, will include a three-day leadership summit and exhibition, an eWaste recycling campaign, and a month-long buy-online campaign.
Pikom will be launching an ICT mall in cyberspace as part of the buy-online campaign. The campaign is to encourage consumers to shop on the Web.
The association will collaborate with several online merchants to provide discounts and incentives for consumers for the duration of the campaign.
“We intend to spend a few hundred thousand ringgit to promote the event and we hope (many) e-commerce retailers will participate,” said Wong.
“We are used to seeing online campaigns by AirAsia and Malaysia Airlines but where are the other e-commerce merchants?”
Wong added that by participating in the buy-online campaign, these merchants would also be raising their profiles.
NIM 2009 will cost Pikom RM1.6mil to hold and a national ICT strategic review report will be released during the leadership summit at the event.
“The objective of the inaugural publication is to provide details on the Malaysian ICT sectoral outlook,” added Wong.
Pikom hopes to make NIM an annual event. It is being supported by Mosti and MDeC, the caretaker of the country’s MSC Malaysia initiative.
“The task force had its first meeting this month to identify the various (information and communications technology) issues; among these is the slow rollout of broadband,” said Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili on Monday.
According to the National Broadband Plan, 50% of the population must have access to superfast Internet connections by next year but penetration is lingering at the 26% mark now.
Known officially as The Task Force on the ICT industry, it will identify problems, formulate solutions and present these to Mosti, which will then decide whether or not to implement the suggestions.
Broadband rollout is too slow, especially in Sabah and Sarawak, Ongkili said.
He said the Universal Service Provision (USP) fund should be used if the slowdown in those states is due to lack of financing.
Totalling RM3bil now, the USP fund was set up about a decade ago to finance the introduction of telephony and broadband services to underserved areas and groups in the country.
Due to their isolated locations, these underserved areas were largely being bypassed by telecommunications companies that preferred the more profitable urban areas.
In view of that, the Government made it mandatory for all telcos to contribute 6% of revenue generated from their services to the fund every year.
Make heads roll
The Association of the Computer and Multimedia Industry of Malaysia (Pikom) chimed in with its ideas to boost the flagging broadband rollout.
Its chairman, David Wong, said the Government should revoke the licences of WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) broadband licensees that have failed to meet their targets.
“There are four licensees and not all have delivered (on the conditions set by the Government in the licences),” Wong said. He declined to be more specific.
Industry researcher IDC believes some WiMAX licensees are taking a wait-and-see attitude over the rollout of their infrastructure and services because of the huge capital involved.
According to IDC, it takes anywhere from RM100,000 to RM1mil to set up a base-station and the WiMAX licensees will need hundreds of base-stations.
The four licensees are Packet One Network Sdn Bhd, Y-Max Networks Sdn Bhd, Asiaspace Sdn Bhd, and Redtone International Bhd.
Wong said the issue should be brought up at the next task force meeting.
“We need to have a review; find out why some of the WiMAX players are slow to roll out,” he said. “We must know if it’s a question of finance or something else. Only then can the (appropriate) action be taken.”
The task force meets every two months. It comprises representatives from Pikom, the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC), the International Trade and Industry Ministry, the Information, Communications, Culture and Arts Ministry, applied research body Mimos, CyberSecurity Malaysia, and several others.
Another pressing ICT issue that the task force will be looking into is the country’s human resource pool.
It believes that there needs to be programmes that better match retrenched workers to new jobs.
“There should also be (more) government programmes to find alternative employment for these affected workers,” said Wong.
National ICT month
Earlier, Ongkili officiated at the launch of the inaugural National ICT Month (NIM) 2009, to be held from July 20 to Aug 20 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
Pikom hopes the event will help replicate some of the buzz that the industry experienced during last year’s World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) which was hosted by Malaysia.
WCIT is a forum that brings together global leaders in business, government and academia for the exchange of ideas on ICT and industry policies. It is hosted by different countries every two years.
NIM 2009, the brainchild of Pikom, will include a three-day leadership summit and exhibition, an eWaste recycling campaign, and a month-long buy-online campaign.
Pikom will be launching an ICT mall in cyberspace as part of the buy-online campaign. The campaign is to encourage consumers to shop on the Web.
The association will collaborate with several online merchants to provide discounts and incentives for consumers for the duration of the campaign.
“We intend to spend a few hundred thousand ringgit to promote the event and we hope (many) e-commerce retailers will participate,” said Wong.
“We are used to seeing online campaigns by AirAsia and Malaysia Airlines but where are the other e-commerce merchants?”
Wong added that by participating in the buy-online campaign, these merchants would also be raising their profiles.
NIM 2009 will cost Pikom RM1.6mil to hold and a national ICT strategic review report will be released during the leadership summit at the event.
“The objective of the inaugural publication is to provide details on the Malaysian ICT sectoral outlook,” added Wong.
Pikom hopes to make NIM an annual event. It is being supported by Mosti and MDeC, the caretaker of the country’s MSC Malaysia initiative.
NEWS: New ministry a plus for content industry
PETALING JAYA: The Association of the Computer and Multimedia Industry of Malaysia (Pikom) thinks it’s unnatural for the communcations industry to be under the newly-formed Ministry of Information, Communications, Culture and Arts.
But the Multimedia Development Corp (MDeC) —custodian of the MSC Malaysia initiative — believes it was the right move by the Prime Minister when reshuffling the Cabinet.
MDeC chief executive officer Datuk Badlisham Ghazali told In.Tech that the country’s communications industry included content developers, which comprise a diverse mix of technologists and those into culture and the arts.
“You have a group of animators, game developers, film makers and even stage performers,” he said, “and the new ministry will help bring together these diverse individuals for the betterment of the industry.
“We see this as a positive step in aiding the local content industry.”
Badlisham said the ministry would also be able to encourage more local flavour in Malaysian-made content.
Doing this will make local content stand out in the global arena. “The world knows more about kung fu than silat,” he said. “Both are martial arts but the international audience knows less about silat, which can make Malaysian content more exciting.”
There is not a single policy now that states the rational for inculcating our arts and culture into locally produced content, according to Badlisham who believes the new ministry will be able to remedy this shortcoming.
“I see this ministry driving the content industry further forward,” Badlisham said on the sidelines of a signing ceremony between local technology company K-One Technology Bhd and US-based Smart-pen inventor Livescribe Inc last week.
Mismatch
Pikom said it was surprised to find the country’s communications initiatives placed under the purview of the Information, Communications, Culture and Arts Ministry.
It said the communications element — all important for the nation’s development — is at odds with the ministry’s other responsibilities.
“The element is significant since communication is high on the national agenda with the (planned) roll out of High Speed Broadband in the country, as well as the Government’s aim to achieve 50% broadband penetration by end 2010,” said Pikom chairman David Wong.
Previously, communications was the responsibility of the Energy, Water and Communications Ministry.
Pikom is disappointed that its call for a single Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Ministry has not been heeded.
Wong said the organisation now has to ferry between two ministries — the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, and the Information, Communications, Culture and Arts Ministry.
He said having a single ministry for all things ICT would have sped up procedures for technology companies in the country because there is now overlap between the two ministries.
“This would be a pro-investor condition that would likely have helped increase foreign direct investment into Malaysia,” he said in a press statement.
“We envisage such a ministry would be specifically tasked to actively promote Malaysia’s ICT industry, develop constructive policies and guidelines to deal with global ICT deregulation and market liberalisation.”
Pikom, however, lauds the Government’s move to create a ministry to facilitate green technology — the Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry.
“This will definitely see the nation adapt energy cost-saving measures, as well as take future environmental protection and preservation steps,” Wong said. “It will also transform Malaysia into a developed nation and society.”
New Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced the Cabinet reshuffle on April 9.
But the Multimedia Development Corp (MDeC) —custodian of the MSC Malaysia initiative — believes it was the right move by the Prime Minister when reshuffling the Cabinet.
MDeC chief executive officer Datuk Badlisham Ghazali told In.Tech that the country’s communications industry included content developers, which comprise a diverse mix of technologists and those into culture and the arts.
“You have a group of animators, game developers, film makers and even stage performers,” he said, “and the new ministry will help bring together these diverse individuals for the betterment of the industry.
“We see this as a positive step in aiding the local content industry.”
Badlisham said the ministry would also be able to encourage more local flavour in Malaysian-made content.
Doing this will make local content stand out in the global arena. “The world knows more about kung fu than silat,” he said. “Both are martial arts but the international audience knows less about silat, which can make Malaysian content more exciting.”
There is not a single policy now that states the rational for inculcating our arts and culture into locally produced content, according to Badlisham who believes the new ministry will be able to remedy this shortcoming.
“I see this ministry driving the content industry further forward,” Badlisham said on the sidelines of a signing ceremony between local technology company K-One Technology Bhd and US-based Smart-pen inventor Livescribe Inc last week.
Mismatch
Pikom said it was surprised to find the country’s communications initiatives placed under the purview of the Information, Communications, Culture and Arts Ministry.
It said the communications element — all important for the nation’s development — is at odds with the ministry’s other responsibilities.
“The element is significant since communication is high on the national agenda with the (planned) roll out of High Speed Broadband in the country, as well as the Government’s aim to achieve 50% broadband penetration by end 2010,” said Pikom chairman David Wong.
Previously, communications was the responsibility of the Energy, Water and Communications Ministry.
Pikom is disappointed that its call for a single Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Ministry has not been heeded.
Wong said the organisation now has to ferry between two ministries — the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, and the Information, Communications, Culture and Arts Ministry.
He said having a single ministry for all things ICT would have sped up procedures for technology companies in the country because there is now overlap between the two ministries.
“This would be a pro-investor condition that would likely have helped increase foreign direct investment into Malaysia,” he said in a press statement.
“We envisage such a ministry would be specifically tasked to actively promote Malaysia’s ICT industry, develop constructive policies and guidelines to deal with global ICT deregulation and market liberalisation.”
Pikom, however, lauds the Government’s move to create a ministry to facilitate green technology — the Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry.
“This will definitely see the nation adapt energy cost-saving measures, as well as take future environmental protection and preservation steps,” Wong said. “It will also transform Malaysia into a developed nation and society.”
New Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced the Cabinet reshuffle on April 9.
NEWS: Applying psychometrics to smart schools
KUALA LUMPUR: The subject may sound mind-boggling but applied-research body Mimos Bhd believes that psychometrics will be an important component in the smart school flagship application.
Generally defined as the application of statistics and mathematic techniques for psychological and education testing, Mimos’ centre of psychometrics plans to develop tools to complement the flagship application.
The plans will also make the lives of human-resource personnel and researchers a bit easier, said the centre.
The two-month-old centre is actively helping in the development of applications for Malaysian smart schools under the Mimos Innovative Learning Platform.
Its principal researcher, psychometrician Dr Haniza Yon, said the platform promotes e-learning using semantic technology.
“Semantic technology and psychometrics are related because personalisation is part of the semantics, and profiling as well as psychometrics deal with these subjects,” she explained.
Using this platform, Mimos hopes to help students get more out of e-learning through better learning methods, she said.
Compared to regular multimedia presentations used in schools, the platform takes issues further by personalising the teaching and learning methods for each student.
Through a psychometric method called Computer Adaptive Testing (CAT), schools are able to assess each student’s abilities and weaknesses.
It can also identify if a student is visionary or prefers a hands-on learning approach so that teachers can personalise the method to the individual student to make the learning process more effective.
“Research has shown that students are more comfortable learning this way,” Haniza said.
Half-year checks
Students will be evaluated every six months to monitor any change in preferences, she said.
CAT can also be a more effective assessment method, compared to typical pencil-and-paper tests, according to Haniza.
In a computer-assisted test, students are given random questions with similar difficulties. “The level of difficulty will depend on how students answer the previous question,” she explained.
This method, she said, will produce better results compared to the conventional method and also help minimise cheating among students.
Mimos plans to use this method of psychometrics in a pilot study which it expects to roll out at the end of the year, which will be conducted in partnership with the Ministry of Education.
“This will help us identify whether the system will fare well in our schools,” Haniza said.
She declined to go into details, but said the pilot would involve rural and urban schools nationwide.
Generally defined as the application of statistics and mathematic techniques for psychological and education testing, Mimos’ centre of psychometrics plans to develop tools to complement the flagship application.
The plans will also make the lives of human-resource personnel and researchers a bit easier, said the centre.
The two-month-old centre is actively helping in the development of applications for Malaysian smart schools under the Mimos Innovative Learning Platform.
Its principal researcher, psychometrician Dr Haniza Yon, said the platform promotes e-learning using semantic technology.
“Semantic technology and psychometrics are related because personalisation is part of the semantics, and profiling as well as psychometrics deal with these subjects,” she explained.
Using this platform, Mimos hopes to help students get more out of e-learning through better learning methods, she said.
Compared to regular multimedia presentations used in schools, the platform takes issues further by personalising the teaching and learning methods for each student.
Through a psychometric method called Computer Adaptive Testing (CAT), schools are able to assess each student’s abilities and weaknesses.
It can also identify if a student is visionary or prefers a hands-on learning approach so that teachers can personalise the method to the individual student to make the learning process more effective.
“Research has shown that students are more comfortable learning this way,” Haniza said.
Half-year checks
Students will be evaluated every six months to monitor any change in preferences, she said.
CAT can also be a more effective assessment method, compared to typical pencil-and-paper tests, according to Haniza.
In a computer-assisted test, students are given random questions with similar difficulties. “The level of difficulty will depend on how students answer the previous question,” she explained.
This method, she said, will produce better results compared to the conventional method and also help minimise cheating among students.
Mimos plans to use this method of psychometrics in a pilot study which it expects to roll out at the end of the year, which will be conducted in partnership with the Ministry of Education.
“This will help us identify whether the system will fare well in our schools,” Haniza said.
She declined to go into details, but said the pilot would involve rural and urban schools nationwide.
NEWS: A free online phone service
WITH the launch of Hotlink Mobile Playground, students at six private institutions of higher learning in the Klang Valley can now browse the internet, games and music on specially set-up mobile phones for free.
Provided by Maxis Communica-tions Berhad (Maxis), the data service area is available to students at Stamford College, KDU College, Binary University College, Inti University College, Universiti Tun Abdul Razak and Universiti Tenaga Nasional for six months from February to July. Two Hotlink ambassadors are also stationed at each venue to assist students and to demonstrate Maxis mobile data services.
Hotlink Mobile Playground is part of the recently launched Hotlink Youth Club, a new prepaid and rewards plan exclusively for college students.
From left: Chief operating officer Andrew Choo, Lai and Selva watching a student play an online game through the Hotlink Mobile Playground at the college.
Maxis Head of Product Marketing Lai Shu Wei said at the launch of Hotlink Mobile Playground in Stamford College recently, “Maxis subscribers today form the largest base of mobile data users in Malaysia, with an astounding 4.4 million accessing mobile internet services and sites on a regular basis.
“Many of these subscribers are youths within the under-25 age bracket, who use their mobile phones for social interaction and expression.
“Maxis is introducing Hotlink Mobile Playground to reach out to them and meet their demands for more engagement and information, helping them to be more mobile in their internet experiences.”
According to PC.com publisher Selva Rajan, the magazine, which is partnering with Maxis in this initiative, will also be demonstrating the latest tech gadgets and game shows for students during this period.
“In our quest to drive ICT and broadband penetration even further than the 22% we are at currently, it is efforts like Hotlink Mobile Playground that will spike and sustain the interest of the technology users of tomorrow - students.
“PC.com magazine will be offering special magazine subscription packages targeted specifically for students. Apart from this, PC.com magazine will be offering all students from these six colleges a concise version of our magazine for free,” he said.
Lai added, “We have made it as easy and simple as possible for students to access mobile data services from Maxis. We are confident that Hotlink Mobile Playground will be popular, and we hope to bring this service to four more colleges by year-end.”
Provided by Maxis Communica-tions Berhad (Maxis), the data service area is available to students at Stamford College, KDU College, Binary University College, Inti University College, Universiti Tun Abdul Razak and Universiti Tenaga Nasional for six months from February to July. Two Hotlink ambassadors are also stationed at each venue to assist students and to demonstrate Maxis mobile data services.
Hotlink Mobile Playground is part of the recently launched Hotlink Youth Club, a new prepaid and rewards plan exclusively for college students.
From left: Chief operating officer Andrew Choo, Lai and Selva watching a student play an online game through the Hotlink Mobile Playground at the college.
Maxis Head of Product Marketing Lai Shu Wei said at the launch of Hotlink Mobile Playground in Stamford College recently, “Maxis subscribers today form the largest base of mobile data users in Malaysia, with an astounding 4.4 million accessing mobile internet services and sites on a regular basis.
“Many of these subscribers are youths within the under-25 age bracket, who use their mobile phones for social interaction and expression.
“Maxis is introducing Hotlink Mobile Playground to reach out to them and meet their demands for more engagement and information, helping them to be more mobile in their internet experiences.”
According to PC.com publisher Selva Rajan, the magazine, which is partnering with Maxis in this initiative, will also be demonstrating the latest tech gadgets and game shows for students during this period.
“In our quest to drive ICT and broadband penetration even further than the 22% we are at currently, it is efforts like Hotlink Mobile Playground that will spike and sustain the interest of the technology users of tomorrow - students.
“PC.com magazine will be offering special magazine subscription packages targeted specifically for students. Apart from this, PC.com magazine will be offering all students from these six colleges a concise version of our magazine for free,” he said.
Lai added, “We have made it as easy and simple as possible for students to access mobile data services from Maxis. We are confident that Hotlink Mobile Playground will be popular, and we hope to bring this service to four more colleges by year-end.”
Sunday, April 5, 2009
NEWS: More Smart Schools
THE Education Ministry is extending the smart school programme to another 15 rural schools, said Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) executive officer, Datuk Badlisham Ghazali.
There are already 88 smart schools so far.
He said out of the 15, two schools, Sek Men Ampang Pecah in Kuala Kubu Baru, Selangor and Sek Keb Felda Palong 14 in Gemas, Negeri Sembilan, were selected as rural smart schools.
Students at a smart school rely on computers to work on their projects. — Filepic
The benefits that these two schools would enjoy include notebooks, wireless Internet connection (WiFi) and wireless digital communication system (WiMAX), he said during the soft launch of the programme last week.
In a statement earlier, MDeC said it had been given the responsibility to accelerate the making of all schools smart, focusing on 50 rural schools.
“We are starting off with only two rural schools as these schools could face problems like power supply disruptions.
“The fact that we have initiated the programme in the schools will also help rectify and minimise other problems that may arise,’’ he said adding that the ministry will only extend it to the other schools when it was satisfied with the outcome.
Besides MDeC, which is the facilitator and coordinator for the smart school programme, more than 10 sponsors with sponsorship worth RM1.4mil, have agreed to the year-long project of upgrading the schools in terms of infrastructure, hardware and software, which will be implemented immediately. — Bernama
There are already 88 smart schools so far.
He said out of the 15, two schools, Sek Men Ampang Pecah in Kuala Kubu Baru, Selangor and Sek Keb Felda Palong 14 in Gemas, Negeri Sembilan, were selected as rural smart schools.
Students at a smart school rely on computers to work on their projects. — Filepic
The benefits that these two schools would enjoy include notebooks, wireless Internet connection (WiFi) and wireless digital communication system (WiMAX), he said during the soft launch of the programme last week.
In a statement earlier, MDeC said it had been given the responsibility to accelerate the making of all schools smart, focusing on 50 rural schools.
“We are starting off with only two rural schools as these schools could face problems like power supply disruptions.
“The fact that we have initiated the programme in the schools will also help rectify and minimise other problems that may arise,’’ he said adding that the ministry will only extend it to the other schools when it was satisfied with the outcome.
Besides MDeC, which is the facilitator and coordinator for the smart school programme, more than 10 sponsors with sponsorship worth RM1.4mil, have agreed to the year-long project of upgrading the schools in terms of infrastructure, hardware and software, which will be implemented immediately. — Bernama
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