Chang (second from right) looking at tech on display at the AI Education Hub in Tech Dome, Penang. — CHAN BOON KAI/The Star
AI education hub, community-based learning portal set to enhance children’s skills in Penang
The country’s first AI (artificial intelligence) Education Hub in Penang is designed to enhance the skills of younger and future generations.
Deputy Chief Minister ll and state human resources development, science and technology committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo said the hub was expected to be a transformative force in AI education.
“The hub’s four objectives are to enhance awareness and knowledge, become a source of quality education, research and development, as well as harness local talent.”
A collaboration with Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry, the hub located at Tech Dome in Komtar, is supported by 13 members of the AI Education Consortium.
The consortium comprised higher education institutions, professional bodies, industries and government-linked bodies.
Jagdeep said Tech Dome Penang had been involved in various AI programmes, workshops and initiatives since 2022.
“The effort is aligned with Penang2030 vision of ‘A family- focused green and smart state that inspires the nation’,” he said at the launch of the hub at Tech Dome.
Smart machines: Guests checking out the AI technology at the launch of the Artificial Intelligence Education Hub at Tech Dome Penang. —CHAN BOON KAI/The Star
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang, who was present at the event, commended the state for being the first in creating an AI Education Hub, saying it would be a catalyst for talent development.
“As we are all aware, many international tech companies are investing billions of ringgit for the significant transfer of technology, which would help Malaysia in its infrastructure and human talent development.
“The ministry believes in the development of economic opportunities by encouraging entrepreneurship, attracting investment and creation of high-value job opportunities supported by AI, which is developing rapidly in the country,” he added.
Key industry players, sponsors and supporters of the AI hub are 88 Captains, Intel Malaysia, iKEY Technology and Cyton Technologies, who have been instrumental in equipping the hub.
Also at the event were Tech Dome Penang chief executive officer Khoo Boo Wooi, Penang STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) chief executive officer Datuk Richard Chung, 88 Captains chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ooi Eng Hock, Intel Corporation senior director Dr Ngoo Seong Boon and Chief Minister Incorporated general manager Datin Bharathi Suppiah.
Real-life relevance
Elsewhere, local non-profit organisation Arts-ED is seeking to bring real-life experiences and awareness into classrooms all over the country.
Its recently launched community-based learning action portal (CLAP) is a free online resource that offers community-based learning kits for primary and secondary school teachers and educators.
The portal contains concise, project-based resources modelled on programmes the organisation has carried out in Penang over the last 25 years.
It details in-depth, hands-on ideas for schools to enhance learning for children, while also creating good global citizens.
“Much of the teaching going on in classrooms is not related to the children’s real-life experience.
“Our children don’t know their communities and are not connected to the people around them.
Lee says our children are not connected to the people around them.
“They lack a sense of belonging to their kampung, residential area, age group and cultural roots.
“The question is how do we cultivate that among our students?” asked Arts-ED president Dr Molly Lee during the launch of CLAP at Bangunan UAB in George Town, Penang.
The arts, culture and heritage organisation decided to pull from the hundreds of projects that they have conducted over the years to create an online database with a fresh face and easy-to-implement approach.
Arts-ED senior manager Chen Yoke Pin said preparation started in early 2021, with the group looking at which past projects could be highlighted.
“We have a lot of content and we had to look at how to present it in the best way.
“It was important that we offered a range of different topics and also creative tools that teachers could choose from to approach these subjects,” Chen said.
At the time of launch, the portal contained 11 projects with another seven in preparation to be put online.
Ranging from topics such as food and sustainability to migration and settlement, the topics touch on existing school subjects like art and design, life skills and social studies.
“Take the ‘Secrets of coconut’ project, for example.
Chen says the free online kits can be tweaked to suit whatever resources and time available.
“The original workshop we did was a half-day event where the students got to see where the local produce could be obtained from, what kind of dishes could be cooked and how the whole coconut could be used.
“The children went to the market and then cooked a dish with a local chef.
“They saw the importance of the coconut in the daily lives of Penang folk and also learned where coconuts are being grown,” Chen said.
The workshop went one step further, bringing the project into a regional perspective with the children learning about the country’s need to import coconuts to meet the local demand.
“We looked at how we import coconuts from Indonesia and Thailand and asked the children to consider the carbon footprint inflicted.
“This workshop ran face-to-face with groups of 20 to 25 secondary students, five to six times a year for three years.
Arts and crafts are used as creative tools in Arts-ED workshops. — Courtesy photos
“With all the information obtained from these sessions, we came out with an online kit for CLAP so schools can get ideas on how to approach the topic themselves,” Chen added.
The online kit, which can be downloaded for free, lists the creative medium needed (cooking), the community involved (Campbell Street Market), timeframe (seven hours) and relevant subjects touched (home sciences, social studies and geography) in the project.
The kit can also be tweaked to suit whatever resources and time educators have on hand.
Chen said: “We want to start with these projects as a catalyst and then, spend some time reaching out to more educators to see whether it meets their needs and what other kinds of content they want us to put online.
“The next step is also to get teachers to upload what they have done with the information and how they have adapted it to their own situations.
Secondary school students learning how to open a coconut during a workshop in Penang. — Courtesy photos
“We actually have a long list of topics that we want to put online but we need to look at the feedback and reception of what we have done first to see how we can improve.”
CLAP, which is supported by Yayasan Sime Darby, was launched by foundation chief executive officer Dr Yatela Zainal Abidin and Penang youth, sports and health committee chairman Daniel Gooi.
Penang heritage stalwart and noted activist Datuk Seri Dr Anwar Fazal gave the keynote address.
Lee, Yatela, Chan and Education Ministry social science sector, curriculum development division deputy director Dr Fazlinah Said also participated in an accompanying forum.
Fazlinah said if the content on the portal proved successful with schools, the ministry could link CLAP’s website to the official curriculum through QR codes in textbooks.
CLAP can be accessed at clap.arts-ed.my.
