Mr. Haxa Does The Blogs

Kedah: Negeri Jelapang Padi

My Comment on Abedib's Posting on Digital Contents in Education

Lack of interest to develop digital educational content? Yes, especially those concerning indigenous knowledge. While Ministry of Education (MoE) is extensively digitizing English, Science, and Mathhematics in phases, the problem lies in the lack of digital content for arts and humanities subjects for which there are humungous opportunities for development and creation of more dynamic content in the electronic form.

Credits are due to MoE for creating a boom in the e-learning industry, where the last tendering process have some big names like multinational corporations getting into this market. For start-ups who have been in this line, this project opens up to more creativity, new job opportunities (new skill sets: instructional designer, graphics designer, and multimedia developer), and expansion.

However, the momentum at MoE thus far restricted to few divisions. Things could be better there.

With all due respect to the arts and humanities subjects, I hope that there are exciting things will happen soon. Subjects such as Bahasa Melayu, Sejarah, and Geography will open up to LOTS of preservation of local culture. With the integration of local studies into the curriculum in the last decade, I do hope that local agencies will play an active role to promote such content to the masses.

In a nutshell, I do agree on the lack of interest. But if you are an opportunist, go tap on the DAGS grant which have so far funded projects that initially looks good on paper but tuned out to be crappy and failed to churn out quality local indigenous content. In the end, the it became system-centric; pushing out unncessary features of technology and at the same time, doing less on content.

Despite that, there are some good DAGS projects that you might want to check out for references.

In the university arena, content are mostly deemed intellectual property of the respective institution. It probably takes us more years for our universities to establish on its faculty and research quality before they will be able to open up content like what MIT OpenCourseWare is providing.

New DVDs Collection

1. Six Feet Under (SFU): The Complete Second Season

After like three months looking around, I finally found this box set. Now I can't wait for the third season (SFU) DVD box set. I finished all 13 episodes of this 5 DVDs box set over the weekend. I just love the show. Alan Ball is a genius. Although I had watched the last 2 finale episodes on HBO at friend's place, it was still a great show. Wonder when is this one will make it big at Emmy.

2. Super Size Me
Morgan Spurlock funny adventure of daily three-meal (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) binging McDonald's food. I just couldn't believe that there are like 83 McD's in Manhattan alone! Man, I am so scared of drinking soda and fast food burgers and fries after only after watching half of this documentary.

If you wanna find out why Fat is the Next Tobacco (A Fortune mag. headline), this one really does a good job on it through self-experimentation, statistics, health advice, legal perspetcive (on the lawsuits), interviews, some ads, and images that will make you think!

3. Last Tango In Paris
Watched half. Marlon Brando and Maria Schneider saucy and erotic acquaitance and adultery as they crossed each other path in Paris.

4. Here Come Polly
Let's see, after Drew Barrymore and some other romantic comdies, this time Ben Stiller partners with Jennifer Aniston. I was really disappointed at the storyline. Aniston and Phillip Seymour Hoffman really steal the show.

5. The Terminal
Haven't finished yet. But, Tom Hanks is convincing as ever.

6. Kill Bill vol. II
Can't wait to finish this sequel. Is it good? Or is it worse than the first one?