How will ICT change the future of education?

By Kelly Ng | 5 January 2010

Educators from Malaysia, Australia and India foresee a future in which digital books, hybrid mobile computers and touch-screen writing tablets will replace the text book, chalk and blackboard, according to a series of FutureGov interviews on how technology will change the future of education.

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Emeritus Professor Jonathan Anderson, Flinders University of South Australia, predicts that knowledge in the form of books and printed matter will rapidly become digitised. Today, full text of over seven million books can be accessed through Google Books. This number is growing quickly as Google expands its digitisation effort with international associations, publishers and authors. Companies such as Amazon.com and Sony are also contributing to this development.

Many libraries in Asia Pacific are aggressively digitising content. The National Library in Kolkata – the largest library in India – is going through a massive digitisation effort. “We have digitised 9140 books and converted close to 180,000 records into machine-readable formats last year,” said Asesh Ghatak, Library and Information Officer, National Library, Belvedere, Kolkata in India.

New mobile devices will emerge and take on a great role in the way students learn. “We are likely to see a convergence of mobile and PC technologies as rival chip manufacturers enter each other’s territory,” explained Anderson. He predicted that smart phones will become more like computers and vice versa.
Dr Norrizan Razali, Senior Manager, Smart School Department, Multimedia Development Corporation in Malaysia agreed. “One of the key emerging technologies that will transform schools is mobile devices. Hybrid devices which are a mix of mobile phones and personal notebooks,” she added. Razali believed that such a mobile device will make a great impact to students, especially in rural Malaysia. However, it must first be durable and affordable – below RM 1000 (US$292) each.

The increasing pervasiveness of cloud computing will support such a device. Cloud enables operating systems to be trimmed down and applications to rely less on end-clients for processing power and memory space. Also, touch-screen technology will become the key method students interact with ICT devices.
“Such a device will be held in the hand like a mobile phone but it will have a larger surface, something like a writing tablet. It will be used for all kinds of communicating – browsing the internet, emailing, reading books and other materials online, phoning and texting, and social networking with friends and colleagues,” Anderson elaborated.

Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter will continue to rule students’ time. According to a recent Australian study, Facebook was the fourth most visited site. On average, users spend an average of 26.5 hours each week online, and a quarter of that time – 6.5 hours – is dedicated to Facebook. Visits to Twitter increased 1000 per cent compared to the year before.
While it is not easy to spell out the implications for education, Anderson advised that educators need to keep abreast of the latest ICT developments and echoed the need for teachers to be brought up to speed on new technology.

Software training course for UTM final-year students

JOHOR BARU: One hundred undergraduates of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia will have the opportunity to enrol in a software education programme, which is a joint effort between the university, Hewlett-Packard (M) Sdn Bhd and Technology Education Leader Sdn Bhd.

Dr Zaini Ujang (centre) with Technology Education Leader Sdn Bhd chairman Datuk Ibrahim Tahmby Chik (left) and Asean Hewlett-Packard Software director Ivan Ng at the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding ceremony. Pic by Roslan Khamis

  UTM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Zaini Ujang said the programme would be offered to final-year students of the Computer Science and Information System Faculty, who would be finishing their studies in June.

  Students who are interested to take part in the six-week programme will undergo a "screening test" to ensure that they are qualified.

  "This programme was introduced to enhance the marketability of our graduates.

  "The two companies taking part in the programme will be monitoring the performance of the participants and, if necessary, help them to secure employment after their graduation," said Zaini, who was representing UTM at the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding ceremony.

  Hewlett-Packard and Technology Education will provide the industrial and software training and teaching personnel.

  "This kind of cooperation will help to enhance the quality of our graduates in meeting the demands of the computer software industry," said Zaini.

  "We are also hoping that this programme will be the start of further cooperation with other    companies in field, such as the setting up of a software testing lab and other joint programmes."

Students benefit from seminar on postgrad studies

JOHOR BARU: A three-day seminar on postgraduate studies organised by Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) and the Higher Education Ministry was a mine of information for the participants.

Masters student Noor Aida Husaini, who is studying information technology, said it provided detailed information that helped the participants be clear about their future paths and what they could do with a post-graduate degree. 

“I recommend it to all university students so that they can gain first-hand information from the lecturers and professors,” she said. 

Zaid Ali, from Iraq, who is pursuing a mechanical engineering post- graduate degree at UTHM, said the event could entice more foreign students to Malaysia. 

“The professors were informative and the discussions were engaging, touching on topics like strategies to enhance the postgraduate experience,” he said. 

His friend and fellow countryman Sinan Abood, said the seminar was especially helpful as he was in the first semester of the civil engineering post-graduate programme. 

“I hope there will be more events like this to help new students,” he said. 

Meanwhile, UTHM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Noh Dalimin said that graduates should take advantage of such seminars as it enabled them to learn from various lecturers and academicians. 

“This seminar also aims to gauge the response to certain post-graduate courses and programmes,” he added.

Internship seen as vital link at MSU

KNOWLEDGEABLE: Students exposed to real-life projects and problems

The internship programme is mandatory for all bachelor programmes at MSU’s Faculty of Information Sciences and Engineering.

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SHAH ALAM: UNDER the Second Industrial Master Plan, technologies such as biotechnology, nanotechnology, photonics, advanced manufacturing, and information and communication technology (ICT) were introduced.
 And under the 10th Malaysia Plan (2011-2015), the country will continue to develop and strengthen one of its core economic activities --  ICT, as well.
 To maintain its lead in the field of information science and engineering, the Management & Science University (MSU) has incorporated industrial internship in training its undergraduates.
This module is targeted at better preparing students for their future careers. It exposes them to a real industrial working environment, including the challenges and demands. In short, internships provide them with valuable  hands-on experience.
The internship programme is mandatory for all bachelor programmes offered at MSU's Faculty of Information Sciences and Engineering.
It aims to create knowledgeable workers to fulfil the needs of the local and global ICT sector.
The programme allows students to enter a totally new environment, different from the classroom they are accustomed to.
They are exposed to real-life projects and problems.
They gain solid industrial experience by rolling up their sleeves and getting their hands dirty carrying out  the tasks allotted to them on their own. This way, they adopt a positive attitude towards work, taking the initiative to tackle meaningful projects.
Upon completion of the internship, students have demonstratively better results, a positive work attitude and maturity.
Some companies even offer jobs to talented students during their tenure as interns.
 The high level of confidence companies have in MSU graduates is evidence that the internship programme has been successful in preparing graduates with the necessary tools and what it takes (knowledge, skills and the emotional quotient) to meet industry requirements.

sources = NST

KLIUC won Gold and Silver Medals at ITEX 2012

This is the first time KLIUC participated in the International Invention, Innovation & Technology Exhibition (ITEX) and we won the awards!

KLIUC sent two (2) teams to compete and showcase their products in this prestigious exhibition at KLCC from 17 to 19 May 2012. The first product was the Reclamation and Reuse of Alum Sludge by School of Engineering and Technology Infrastructure (SETI).  The second product was  the College InterComm by School of Information Technology (SITI).

The SETI team has won GOLD medal for Environmental and Renewable Energy category and the SITI team has won a SILVER medal for ICT and Multimedia category.

UPM – PPJ Partnership to examine environmental landscape at Putrajaya

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 26 – The Faculty of Design and Architecture (FRSB), Universiti Puta Malaysia (UPM) has established a smart partnership in landscape and environmental research in the field based on sustainable development and green technology.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation, Prof. Dato’ Ir. Dr. Mohd Saleh Jaafar, said UPM and Putrajaya Corporation (PPj) will be working in various fields of research, sharing of resources and training of students for the mutual benefit of both parties.

He said FRSB will lead the expertise in architecture, design, landscape architecture and product design to help PPj produce the best models.

“PPj can draw on the expertise of researchers, training, soil science laboratory facilities, study of insects and plant diseases, design development, resource centre, ecology studies and other UPM facilities,” he said at the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between UPM and PPj recently. Also present at the event was the Dean of the Faculty of Design and Architecture, Prof. Dr. Rahinah Ibrahim.

Professor Mohd Saleh Jaafar said through the joint research, UPM will generate knowledge in publishing, teaching and industry and community networks.

Meanwhile, the President of PPj, Tan Sri Samsudin Osman said UPM would be able to help in management and urban planning, architecture and landscaping through futuristic designs.

He also said that besides cost savings, both parties would be able to optimize the use of resources through sharing of knowledge, technology and infrastructure in the field of technology, in line with the implementation of Blue Ocean Strategy which was introduced under the Government Transformation Programme (GTP).

“Other than the Wetland Park, which is in the heart of Putrajaya Lake for water plants and animal studies, UPM researchers will benefit from the 120-hectare area planted with various tree species in Taman Rimba Alam, Precint 15 with the expertise required.”

News provided by Noor Eszereen Juferi 03-8946 8985, Office of Marketing and Communication (MarComm), Photo (Azreen Awang Noor, 03-8946 6199).

sources : UPM

UPM Innovation in ‘Malaysian Innovators’

KUALA LUMPUR, March 7 – UPM vaccine research on Newcastle Disease Vaccine (NDV$-UPM Vaccine) has been included in the book, “Malaysian Innovators – Everyone can Innovate”.

The innovation is a research by UPM Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic & International), Prof. Datin Paduka Dr. Aini Ideris and Prof.Emeritus Dato’ Dr. Abdul Latif Ibrahim.

Prior to this, in October 2010, Prof. Datin Paduka Dr. Aini received the Product Innovation and Commercialization Award at the National Academic Awards (NAA).

This second publication by the Malaysian Productivity Corporation (MPC) and Malaysian Association of Creativity & Innovation (MARCI), records the efforts of enterprise pioneers, researchers, and youth in order to show that innovative products from Malaysia can be internationalized.

Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry, Dato’ Mukhriz Tun Mahathir, who launched the book, said the initiative by MPC is an opportunity for the researchers to share their experiences with readers.

“Research done by individuals and organizations included in this book will inspire readers to be innovative and forward-looking,” said Dato’ Mukhriz. Also present at the MPC CreaNova 2012: Power of Collaborative Innovation event was MPC Chairman, Tan Sri Azman Hashim.

Other innovations included in this book are five from public institutions of higher learning (IPTAs), one from a research institute, three from the small medium enterprise (SME) sector and seven from secondary schools that developed the commercialization of products, patents, industry designs, trademarks, and copyrights.

This information is provided by Marketing and Communication Office (MarComm), Noor Eszeeren Juferi 03-8946 8985/Photo by Mohd Hsrul Hamdan 03-8946 6189

sources : UPM

UPM - CAMP12ideal platform to solve technology challenges

SERDANG, March 14 – The International Conference of Information Retrieval and Knowledge Management (CAMP ‘12) which was held from 13-15 March 2012 was the ideal platform for academicians and researchers from various countries to discuss the challenges of Information Retrieval, Computational Linguistics, and Knowledge Management.

Deputy Vice Chancellor of Industry and Community Network, Prof. Dr. Tai Shzee Yew said he was amazed by the rapid development of software and applications and noted that CAMP ’12 offered a great opportunity for participants from various countries to share information and create solutions for many technical challenges.

“Through this conference, there was transfer of knowledge and expertise and the promotion of research activities aimed at producing cost-effective base technology platforms,” said Prof Tai, who added that the role of such a knowledge-sharing platform was vital to help the nation become a high knowledge society through innovation and creation.

PECAMP President, Prof. Dr. Tengku Mohd T. Sembok believed that Malaysia needed its own search engine in order to manage the political, societal, and business sectors.

The three-day conference theme, “Towards Global Information Seeking and Knowledge Success” was targeted to bring together participants from private industry, government agencies, and academic institutions to share their ideas and findings gained from their research and creations.

The keynote speakers for this conference were Prof. Dr. Fabio Crestani from the University of Glasgow, UK, Prof. Dr. Alan F. Smeton from Dublin City University (Ireland), and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tang Enya Kong who is a well-known authority on machine translation.

The 100 participants were from various countries including India, Japan, the Middle East, Myanmar, USA, France and Malaysia while UPM was represented by a total of 30 participants.

The Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology (FCSI), UPM was the main organizer of this very successful conference.

News by Nur Hafiza Pakhurdin, 03-8946 6190 (MarComm) and Photo by Mohd Azreen Awang, 03-8946 6199 (MarComm)

sources : UPM

UTM lancar program Open Courseware (OCW)

 

 

JOHOR BAHRU, 16 Mac: – Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) telah melancarkan program perisian kursus terbuka (Open Courseware (OCW)) untuk berkongsi bahan pembelajaran secara global.

Naib Canselor Profesor Datuk Dr Zaini Ujang berkata, OCW mengandungi bahan pembelajaran digital berdasarkan kursus yang ditawarkan di UTM yang boleh dimuat turun secara percuma.

OCW adalah tren pembelajaran terkini yang memanfaatkan teknologi maklumat untuk menyediakan pendidikan bertaraf dunia yang telah lama diamalkan oleh universiti terkemuka seperti Institut Teknologi Massachusetts (MIT), Universiti John Hopkins dan Universiti Tokyo.

Tujuan UTM mengadakan program ini bagi menyediakan platform kepada staf akademik mempamerkan kepakaran dan membolehkan pengguna dari seluruh dunia berkongsi bahan pembelajaran digital bermutu tinggi.

Bahan yang terdapat di dalam OCW boleh dimuat turun oleh sesiapa sahaja untuk meningkatkan pengetahuan mereka mengenai bidang yang berkaitan di samping menjadi rujukan tambahan kepada semua pelajar universiti.
Selain itu, Ibu bapa dan bakal pelajar boleh menilai bahan pembelajaran yang ditawarkan dan OCW boleh menjadi daya tarikan kepada mereka untuk melanjutkan pengajian dalam bidang yang diminati di UTM.
Sehingga kini bahan pembelajaran bagi lebih 40 kursus telah dimuat naik ke laman web dan UTM merancang untuk menerbitkan 500 kursus secara online  dalam tempoh empat tahun.
MIT yang menjadi pengasas kepada projek ini telah menerbitkan bahan pembelajaran bagi 2000 kursus yang ditawarkan di universiti berkenaan secara online, manakala Khan Academy memuat naik 3,000 bahan pembelajaran dalam bentuk video.
OCW adalah sumbangan sosial UTM kepada masyarakat ke arah peningkatan kualiti pendidikan di negara ini khususnya dan masyarakat dunia umumnya.
Penglibatan UTM dalam OCW mampu menaikkan imej UTM, sebaris dengan universiti ternama di seluruh dunia yang kini mengamalkan konsep perkongsian melalui kemudahan internet untuk meningkatkan ilmu pengetahuan.
Bahan OCW UTM boleh diakses menerusi laman web http://ocw.utm.my.