Teacher shortage? There’s an app for that
- App that enables address trainer scarcity problem declared winner in Imagine Cup
- Winners will represent Malaysia in Worldwide Finals in Australia in July
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STUDENTS from the Asia Pacific University College of Technology and Innovation (UCTI) have developed an utility called WizBoard that they believe might help resolve the hassle of teacher scarcity anywhere in the world.
The app needs just one trainer to teach within the class – the lesson is saved and can then be made on hand to humans from all walks of existence, which include those from a distinctive language history or region. The answer can also be utilized by the visually impaired.
The students have been from Team Rhapsody (p.c), and their solution won them first prize on the Imagine Cup 2012 Malaysia Finals which occurred ultimate week in Kota Kinabalu within the east Malaysian country of Sabah. The group changed into also the winner remaining 12 months.
They will go on to represent Malaysia within the Worldwide Finals organized by way of US software large Microsoft Corp in Sydney, Australia in July.
The annual Malaysian leg is conceptualized and organized with the aid of Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) and Microsoft, with the sturdy backing and guide of the Ministry of Higher Education.
WizBoard became very a good deal consistent with the subject matter of the competition, “Imagine a world wherein technology enables resolve the toughest trouble,” UTeM stated in a declaration. Participants are required to use era to assist clear up actual international problems as defined by way of the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals.
Team Rhapsody become the various 30 finalists of the Malaysian leg of the opposition, and also received the supplementary Innovation Award presented by using the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) for the solution with the maximum business viability.
“Knowledge and wealth introduction has become one of the primary factors within the country’s economic improvement, and this is decided by means of the capacity to innovate in a continuous manner,“ said Dato’ Seri Mohamed Khaled bin Nordin, Minister of Higher Education.
“The Imagine Cup is for that reason a platform for students to hone their ability in technology innovation to code their thoughts and creativeness on real-world issues,” he stated in a speech study by way of his Secretary-General Datuk Ab Rahim Md Noor.
“Since its debut in 2003, the Imagine Cup Malaysia has grown by using leaps and boundaries. In the primary 12 months most effective ninety college students participated in this opposition and now, 10 yr later, we received extra than 1,800 registrations for this year’s competition,” stated Prof Datuk Dr Ahmad Yusoff, Vice-Chancellor of UTeM and chairman of the Imagine Cup 2011 Organizing Committee.
“This encouraging reaction is a testomony of the success of the Imagine Cup … in achieving out to the hearts of the scholars who are eager to make a distinction and tackle worldwide financial, environmental, healthcare troubles. I accept as true with the energy of era harnessed creatively by using minds of our young ones could be instrumental in overcoming those demanding situations” he introduced.
The Imagine Cup, also dubbed the “Olympics” of pupil technology competitions, gives an possibility for younger people to apply their creativity, passion and know-how of technology to assist resolve international demanding situations and make a difference inside the world, stated Ananth Lazarus, managing director of Microsoft Malaysia.
The organisation, which this yr celebrates its 20th anniversary in Malaysia, has developed what it calls its “National Plan” for Malaysia, he said.
This is a long-status dedication to assist accelerate Malaysia’s transformation into a technologically advanced, excessive-income united states of america, based totally on three strategic pillars -- reworking education, agencies and Malaysian lives via the energy of technology, he introduced.
“As part of our commitment to help Malaysia rework training, a number of the most crucial matters we are able to do are to offer the possibility as well as the tools to unharness your creative and revolutionary capability, to assume a better global.
“This is precisely where the Imagine Cup is available in: It is an funding into the destiny recreation-changers of the united states of america,” Ananth stated.
A remarkable second in this yr’s countrywide finals was the 4GM group from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), which developed “Recycle Bingo” a system at the Windows Phone platform that tackles environmental sustainability and power wastage.
Sirius, but some other UPM crew, got here in 0.33 with their invention called “Hooray Hubby,” a pregnancy information sport that goals husbands who need to higher apprehend pregnancy in an informative and a laugh manner. The crew additionally took home the supplementary Presentation Superstars Award for his or her teamwork and presentation.
Other winners of the Malaysian leg include:
* Team SLIM from Tunku Abdul Rahman College (TARC) received the Windows Phone 7 Mobile Development Award for “Gavida,” an answer that helps lessen the maternity mortality fee and enhance the healthcare of conceiving mothers by way of offering them with one-of-a-kind approaches to make sure that they may be organized for the duration of childbirth.
* Team KIHECT from Universiti Teknology Malaysia (UKM) received the Kinect Fun Life Award for the “Kinect Hand-Eye Coordination Trainer.”
* Team Beyond Imagination took home the Social Cause Award for “1 Bid, One Hope” that works as a donation point and a bidding hub, similar to e-Bay or lelong.com.
Since the creation of the Imagine Cup in 2003, the variety of members worldwide has been developing step by step, Microsoft said. This year, greater than 350,000 college students are anticipated to compete in the international finals in Sydney, Australia in July.
Malaysia has always achieved properly in inside the Worldwide Finals. In 2009, Team Cosmic and Team Capricorn, each from University Science Malaysia, took home the first and third prize within the Unlimited Potential Design for Development Award.
In 2010, Team HDC from APIIT-UCTI have become the first Malaysian group to ever end up one of the Top 6 finalists inside the Software Design Category, at the same time as in 2011, Team Cyber Knightz, from APIIT-UCTI, were part of the Top sixteen inside the Software Design Category.