This BackPack makes school fun

DON'T fret when your child gets answers for her homework or school research from Windows Live Messenger.

Two Ngee Ann Secondary School physics teachers, Mr Alvin Tan and Mr Lee Chin Teck, observed the prevalent use of instant messaging among students and decided to use it as a teaching tool.

So, with help from Microsoft and a local software developer, they developed a virtual instant messenger buddy that the students can add to their contact lists.

Enhanced with artificial intelligence, "Hola Newton" can answer simple physics questions.

Hola Newton has been a hit with school children, with 99 per cent of students surveyed saying they had learned more about Newton's Law of Motion with it.

Such projects that enhance education with the use of IT will be the cornerstone of a collaboration between the Ministry of Education, the Infocomm Development Authority and Microsoft.

The BackPackLive! initiative will benefit 500,000 primary, secondary and junior college students.

This is "phase two" of BackPack.NET, a previous five-year, $20-million collaboration between the three organisations launched in 2003, said Ms Jessica Tan, managing director of Microsoft Singapore, to innovate the use of IT in education.

Over the next four years, $5.5 million will be pumped into BackPackLive! to help teachers develop ways to integrate infocomm technology in their curriculum.

Said Ms Tan: "The main aim is to make teaching and learning engaging and fun."

The aim is also to get local software developers involved in the education market, and put the spotlight on cyber-wellness issues such as security and intellectual property.