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Scholars propose that students should be empowered when using social media in problem-based learning (PBL) as it is expected to provide positive learning experiences. Nonetheless, even though the use of social media has been described as empowering in PBL, not much research has measured students' experiences of the empowerment offered by multiple scaffolders through social media. In this study, 84 final-year undergraduate management students from a private university in Malaysia participated in a simultaneous within-subject experimental design to solve a business decision-making problem on Facebook. For eight weeks, multiple scaffolders, including an instructor, two business experts, and three to four peers, were present in each closed Facebook group. The students then answered a questionnaire following the PBL activity. Anchored on the Structural Empowerment (SE) Theory, this study evaluated the students’ perceptions of the SE provided by these scaffolders. Subsequently, the relationships among the scaffolders were measured. The results were analysed descriptively and inferentially. Overall, the students reported positive learning experiences but perceived that the instructor and peers provided more SE than the business experts. However, the business experts’ comments on the students' work and discussion points accelerated their problem-solving tasks. Furthermore, the SE provided by peers, instructors, and business experts correlated significantly, suggesting each scaffolder relied on each other when scaffolding. The findings indicate that all scaffolders, including the more experienced ones, should depend on the SE provided by other scaffolders to enable students to complete the complex business problem-solving tasks in PBL.

The deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for free space optical communications is an attractive solution for forwarding the vital health information of victims from a flood-stricken area to neighboring ground base stations during rescue operations. A critical challenge to this is maintaining an acceptable signal quality between the ground base station and UAV-based free space optics relay. This is largely unattainable due to rapid UAV propeller and body movements, which result in fluctuations in the beam alignment and frequent link failures. To address this issue, linearly polarized Laguerre–Gaussian modes were leveraged for spatial mode diversity to prevent link failures over a 400 m link. Spatial mode diversity successfully improved the bit error rate by 38% to 55%. This was due to a 10% to 19% increase in the predominant mode power from spatial mode diversity. The time-varying channel matrix indicated the presence of nonlinear deterministic chaos. This opens up new possibilities for research on state-space reconstruction of the channel matrix.

In the era of digital learning, multimedia-based classroom has been commonly used in higher education including Malaysian higher education institutions. A case study has been performed to evaluate web-based learning using Level 1 to 3 of Kirkpatrick’s model in a multi-disciplinary course at Multimedia University, Malaysia. In this study, mixed method research was employed in which triangulation was performed from multiple sources of data collection to give deeper understanding. Instruments used in this study were guided by Kirkpatrick’s model that involved survey, questionnaire and test. Results showed that student reaction was positive in the web-based learning environment. Students perceived that learning with multimedia was enjoyable. They were also motivated in learning and engaged through the use of web module as multimedia was perceived to motivate them and make learning fun. Students showed significant improvements in their knowledge based on the pre-test and post-test results on learning evaluation. Students were perceived to transfer the learning from web-based learning into the learning outcome. The systematic evaluation can provide the feedback that educators and institution as a whole need to improve the learning environment and programme quality. This study contributes to the research field by adding another perspective in evaluations of web-based learning. It also provides empirical evidence on student perspectives, learning and behaviour in a private university. It demonstrated that the Kirkpatrick’s model is useful as an evaluation tool to be used in higher education. The model may be used to evaluate other types of learning environments as well as different types of study domain that exist in higher education.

Radio over free space optics (Ro-FSO) systems have previously relied on the signal intensity, wavelength and polarization for multiplexing data streams in order to increase to the signal quality and achievable link range. This work leverages on optical space division multiplexing by using novel three-core photonic crystal fiber (PCF) mode group multiplexers and hexagonal mid-gapped tiered PCF mode group equalizers for improving the signal quality and increasing the achievable link range in a rural environment. At the transmitter, a three-core PCF mode group demultiplexer converts the fundamental mode into three distinct mode groups used as carriers for independent transmission of three radio frequency signals. At the receiver, the three PCF successfully equalizes the power from the received signal, with the channel impulse responses showing an improvement in the signal quality. An increment between 13.6% and 31.1% in the achievable link range for all channels is evident under medium and heavy fog conditions at the same bit error rate level, using the designed PCF mode group multiplexers and equalizers.

Background: Studies have acknowledged that social media enables students to connect with and learn from experts from different ties available in the students’ personal learning environment (PLE). Incorporating experts into formal learning activities such as scaffolding problem-solving tasks through social media, allows students to understand how experts solve real-world problems. However, studies that evaluate experts’ problem-solving styles on social media in relation to the tie strength of the experts with the students are scarce in the extant literature. This study aimed to explore the problem-solving styles that the experts portrayed based on their ties with the students in problem-based learning (PBL) on Facebook. Methods: This study employed a simultaneous within-subject experimental design which was conducted in three closed Facebook groups with 12 final year management students, six business experts, and one instructor as the participants. The experts were invited by the students from the weak and strong ties in their PLE. Hinging on the Strength of Weak Ties Theory (Granovetter, 1973) and problem-solving styles (Selby et al., 2004), this study employed thematic analysis using the ATLAS.ti qualitative data analysis software to map the experts’ comments on Facebook. Results: The experts from strong and weak ties who had a prior relationship with the students showed people preference style by being more sensitive to the students' learning needs and demonstrating firmer scaffolding compared to the weak ties' experts who had no prior relationship with the students. Regardless of the types of ties, all experts applied all manner of processing information and orientation to change but the degree of its applications are correlated with the working experience of the experts. Conclusion: The use of weak or strong ties benefited the students as it expedited their problem-solving tasks since the experts have unique expertise to offer depending on the problem-solving styles that they exhibited.

Wearable fitness technology (WFT) is a device worn physically on the human wrist to track body activity through the calculation of one's heart rate and calories burned from the number of footsteps walked. Users of WFT utilise the device for the monitoring of body fitness. As WFT devices are popularly owned, the adoptive behaviour needed further understanding. Therefore, the attempt to extend the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2) with additional determinants retrieved from aesthetics appeal would further examine the use of WFT. A recent study of Malaysian University students found that the general prevalence of university students' obesity is higher than in other Asia countries. This study focuses on investigating Malaysian university students' adoptive behaviour and factors contributing to sustained use of WFT. The use of UTAUT2 with aesthetics appeal perceived the outcome of students' physical health as the significant result in relation to adoptive behaviour and sustained use of WFT. Problem confronting by the country of university students’ obesity must be addressed meticulously. Shaping the future of healthy lifestyle and self-care advocacy is essential through the assistant of technology.

This paper presents a 2×2 channel mode-wavelength division multiplexing (MWDM) scheme for a radio-over-free-space optics (Ro-FSO) system. The key features of the MWDM system are four dual-core PCF mode (de)multiplexers for the conversion of the fundamental mode to two mode groups at the transmitter/combination of two mode groups at the receiver, and four single-core PCFs for equalization of the modal power in the received signals to compensate for mode coupling from the FSO channel. The PCFs are designed and analyzed using the full-vector finite element method at a wavelength of 1550nm. Numerical results demonstrate that the dual-core PCFs at the transmitter successfully convert the fundamental mode into two distinct mode groups at a ratio of 46.4% to 41.2%, and 43.6% to 44.5%. At the receiver, a single-core PCF equalizer restores the output power to 96.7%, 96.3%, 95.4% and 95.1% of the maximum transmitted power in the designated mode group for each channel. The improvement in achievable distance for the MWDM Ro-FSO system at the same BER level is evident under medium and heavy fog.

This research discusses how the independent Malaysian film KL24: Zombie uses the attention economy with a minimum budget to promote their film on internet. Attention has a value of real currency in business and individuals. It relates to the use of social media. Films promotion no longer needed to wait after their creation. For Malaysian films industry, attention is very crucial and it literally means to have the audience watch the film. A in depth interview with James Lee – independent film director in Malaysia been conducted in this research paper. The director only spent around RM500 on buying Facebook ads. The social media platform-YouTube allows him to keep track how long he manage to keep the audiences’ attention. Viral marketing is a strategy based on social media networks to increase awareness about a brand, product, or an event before the item it launched- basically word of mouth marketing, but through social media. Malaysian film makers should start opting on imitating the similar process of marketing and start promoting their movie earlier. Although they might not have enough budgets to produce a movie at that moment, making the public aware of their upcoming movie would grab the attention of not only the potential audience but also potential investors that would want to invest their money to the movie.

World Conference on Educational Technology Researches, WCETR-2011 -- 5 July 2011 through 9 July 2011 -- Nicosia/Kyrenia, [No abstract available]

The inclusion of digital multimedia into teaching and learning has changed instructional strategies in the classroom. While this course has been traditionally given in lecture-based environment, an attempt was made to move it towards a more multimedia-mediated environment to provide a student-centred approach in teaching the principles of animation. The aim of this project is to incorporate Gagne’s 9 Events of Instructions in a multimedia-mediated student-centred learning environment to teach an animation course and to study its impact on student learning. The study assesses the effects the learning environment has on the students’ learning outcome as well as their perceptions in this learning environment. Therefore, data was gathered through various research instruments including surveys and questionnaires to garner their perceptions and their feedback on the learning environment. Furthermore, tests were administrated to the students to gauge their learning outcome. The results were later analysed using a paired t-test. The results were positive and encouraging. They show that the students were motivated and were actively pursuing their learning at their own pace. They enjoyed this self-directed learning approach and liked using multimedia to stimulate and enhance their learning process. The paper also provides evidence that will benefit those wanting to switch from traditional classroom to a more technological and multimedia oriented student-centred learning environment as this learning environment proves to be a viable alternative teaching approach to learning the principles of animation.

In this paper a multimedia project was incorporated into a problem‐based learning environment to examine how learning in multimedia could be enhanced through the use of problem‐based learning. Students in a second year course in the Faculty of Creative Multimedia (FCM) were assigned the problem‐based multimedia project, they worked in groups, solving the problem using the multimedia authoring process (MAP). This paper reports on the structuring of the student learning process, the impact of the problem‐based learning environment on student learning and the important skills such as creative and critical thinking, teamwork, communication, collaborative and problem‐solving skills that arose as the result of this intervention. In the process, a multimedia‐enhanced problem‐based learning (M‐PBL) model was created. The interrelationships between the teacher, students and technology in this learning mode were also established. A survey was conducted to assess the reactions and attitudes of the students towards t...

With the infusion of the multimedia technology into the education arena, traditional educational materials can be translated into interactive electronic form through the use of multimedia authoring tools. This has allowed teachers to design and incorporate multimedia elements into the content to convey the message in a multi‐sensory learning environment. The focus in education is thus moving towards using multimedia as the instructional media and a platform in teaching and learning. This paper focuses on using the multimedia design process to enable educators to re‐design their educational curricula into an interactive and media‐rich learning environment. This multimedia educational design process will reinforce and strengthen the traditional instructional communication process and foster a number of innovative methods to communicate knowledge to the learners. In this context, there is a need to adjust the educator's approach to teaching, preparing content and delivering learning materials.

In a diverse work environment, it is important to have diverse leaders, managers, and people with different talents and intelligence in order to deal with different problems. In this case, each individual can know their own strength and weakness, and know which position works best for them. The concept of learning styles is used to describe individual differences in the way people learn. According to Kolb (1984), each person has a unique way to absorb and process experiences and information. He has identified four statistically prevalent learning styles- diverging, assimilating, converging, and accommodating. On the other hand, Gardner's Multiple Intelligence Theory is very helpful to recognize that people have differing aptitude in different subject areas. This chapter documents a study in which the participants consisted of 153 bachelor students of Management from the Multimedia University of Malaysia. They were given two questionnaires, one for Kolb's learning style and other for Gardner's Multiple Intelligence inventory and a correlation was conducted. The results showed that there was a significant relationship between Kolb's Learning Style and Multiple Intelligence. The relationship could be seen particularly in Abstract Conceptualization (AC) and Multiple Intelligences which were Nature, kinesthetic, music, word, interpersonal, and picture. The results also indicated that the majority of the participants are between AC and AE which means they are convergers. Having the right information for companies can be beneficial since knowing how their employees learn can lead to a diverse workplace that would have significant results on organizational structure, planning, development, and operation.

With the strong emphasis of social constructivism, many educators are finding new ways to stimulate and enhance social activities within the classroom. One such method is the use of cooperative learning. A cohort of students worked in small teams cooperatively to complete an assignment while using blogs to document and reflect their work. Moreover, the students were required to use multimedia learning objects to enhance their knowledge in media production. The purpose of the study is to account for the students' perspective and experience learning in such an environment, known as Multimedia Integrated Cooperative-learning Environment (MICE) 2.0. A mixed method design approach was employed that included tests, survey and open-ended questions to gauge their learning ability, and attitudes about working in groups and using blogs in their learning process. The results showed that while the existence of the five cooperative components were crucial for a successful cooperative learning structure, the findings indicated that respect, tolerance and communication are important aspects in working successfully in teams. They also found using blogs as a good learning experience to use for reflecting upon their work. Overall, the learning environment showed that cooperative learning using technology allowed the students to gain lifelong learning skills that are important for their future endeavours.

A fast motion sensing algorithm for vision based mobile phones user interface design is proposed in this paper. In this paper, video frames captured using camera incorporated on mobile phone will be used to determine the phone's motion, instead of using the accelerometer motion sensor. In our proposed motion sensing algorithm, Gray-Level Grouping and Comparison (GLGC) is firstly used to reduce the number of possible feature blocks, followed by feature block selection using Cross First Order Image Derivative (CFOID). Our motion sensing algorithm is then followed by using Diamond Search (DS) incorporating Integral-Successive Elimination Algorithm (ISEA) for block matching. Lastly, Simple Dominant Global Motion Estimation (SDGME) is used to estimate a global motion. Compared with the existing motion sensing techniques, our proposed algorithm is able to reduce the number of computation significantly without sacrificing the sensing accuracy.