Local software boosts learning experience

Sarut Pongkanissaraporn

Sarut Pongkanissaraporn, a Prathom Three student at Chanpradittharam Witthayakhom School, on Bangkok's Phetkasem Road, enjoys his English lessons.

At first glance, though, the nine-year-old seems to be playing a computer game with his classmates. In fact, he and his friends are practising their English with their teacher interactively, via a computer screen projected on to a whiteboard.

Sarut says he likes learning with his friends by using locally-developed computer software called Microsoft MultiPoint, and he is happy that his school will implement the technology in the coming semester.

"This kind of technology helps us to learn more easily and to understand the subjects - especially maths. That is a tough subject for me. It also helps us to enjoy learning because it's like my friends and I are playing a game together and we get along with one another much better," he said.

A younger student at the same school, Mattunyu Jama-rathara, 8, is also quick to praise the new style of learning. Her favourite subjects are English and computer studies, and she believes Microsoft MultiPoint technology will make her studies more enjoyable, and she will learn better.

"For me, science is a tough subject, but I think that learning with our classmates, using Microsoft MultiPoint, will help us to understand it more easily," Mattunyu said.

Microsoft MultiPoint software was developed by Microsoft (Thailand). It allows large groups of students to take part in lessons at the same time, using the same electronic courseware on just one computer.

Currently, about 500 schools in 16 provinces run by the Office of the Basic Education Commission are using the technology. Microsoft (Thailand) is also extending the new learning experience to 340,000 students attending 435 primary schools run by the Education Department of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).

Last week, the company signed a memorandum of understanding with the BMA to allow its 435 schools to use Microsoft MultiPoint technology and courseware free of charge for the next three years. As a part of the package, called the Microsoft Education Alliance, teachers working in the BMA system will also receive training courses.

Microsoft (Thailand)'s managing director Patama Chantaruck said the beauty of Microsoft MultiPoint was that it allowed schools with very few computers to enhance the capabilities of their computers to serve many more students.

Using the technology, between three and 50 students can have mouse access and control over one computer at the same time. This allows all students in one classroom to learn together, although there is only one computer in the room.

Patama said the project was part of Microsoft's Partner in Learning scheme, which had already been operating in Thailand for five years and had been extended for a further five.

The Microsoft Education Alliance will involve courses for 80,000 teachers working in BMA schools and the development of courseware specifically for the BMA system.

Bangkok governor Sukhumphan Boriphat said the BMA planned to introduce Microsoft MultiPoint in all of its 435 schools in the next semester and had set aside Bt7 million to buy computer mouses for schools. Under the plan, each school will have one computer room equipped with Microsoft MultiPoint.

"We will roll out this kind of technology in all eight main subjects - one by one until all subjects are covered," Sukhumphan said.