AMA Education Group to replace financial system with Oracle E-Business Suite

Corporate Updates

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March 20, 2009

The AMA Education Group (AMA), the pioneering and largest ICT university in Asia, has decided to replace its outdated financial system with Oracle E-Business Suite. AMA faced challenges as its corporate growth and restructuring activities rendered their present financial system unable to cope with new demands and requirements. The current system was also unable to provide reliable support, and made it difficult for AMA to upgrade or re-implement other applications or technology.

AMA needed an enterprise system that could grow when rolled out across the company's diversified interests. Oracle E-Business Suite is a comprehensive, industry-focused suite of business applications for the enterprise. It is an integrated and scalable solution that can be rapidly implemented. The entire AMA education system will implement a centralized, financial system through a 'shared services' environment that utilizes the Financial Shared Services capabilities of Oracle E-Business Suite, along with Purchasing and Inventory modules. Adopting the shared services delivery method, AMA also expects to benefit from the other capabilities of Oracle E-Business Suite to achieve significant cost savings, generate accurate financial reports, access timely and consistent information, provide better customer service, and provide a consolidated end-to-end view of AMA's diverse lines of business. After a successful implementation of the Financial System, a roll-out into a shared service model for AMA's franchisees is also expected to take place. AMA has chosen to implement the applications solutions through distributor Active Business Solutions, Inc.

Broadband essential for learning

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digitalLEARNING Network

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March 20, 2009

The UK government's recent interim report on 'Digital Britain' makes a powerful argument for universal access to modern technology as a key driver of the country's economic prospects. Universal access to high speed broadband by 2012 will be vital for business, not only to continue to transform business processes, but also to deliver the education and skills required. Connecting the last 40 % of the population to our digital society gives a huge opportunity to raise education standards and provide powerful incentives to continue learning throughout life, across the population. Never has it been more important to provide all of those facing the challenges of the labour market with the support they will need. It is clear that digital connectivity and discriminating use of digital technology have a vital role to play. Technology helps schools, colleges and universities to run themselves more efficiently; to make more effective use of data to monitor progress and tailor the curriculum to individual needs; to motivate learners to achieve and continue in education; and to communicate effectively and interactively with learners, parents and carers.

Becta research shows that schools which have achieved a key national benchmark for use of technology for learning, the ICT Mark, are four times more likely to be rated as outstanding in the overall effectiveness category of Ofsted inspection reports. And pupils at ICT Mark schools achieve better results. We see similar benefits in further and higher education, and in learning in the workplace. Our ITC Test Bed programme showed that using technology in further education programmes increased learner satisfaction from 50 to 99%. For those in employment, in particular, there is a huge opportunity to promote anytime, anywhere access to online training and development which can be built around busy working lives

MTN Donates 50 Generators to Education Ministries

Corporate Updates

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digitalLEARNING Network

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March 20, 2009

MTN Rwanda on Wednesday donated 50 second-hand generators worth US$500,000 (Approx Rwf 280m) to the ministries of Education (MINEDUC) and Health (MINISANTE). 20 of them will go to the MINEDUC while the rest were donated to MINISANTE for use in schools and health centres, respectively. According to the MTN Rwanda CEO, Themba Khumalo, the generators have only been used for less than a year and are in perfect working condition. While announcing the donation, he explained that the increased capacity demands on networks required MTN to upgrade the power generation at base stations. 'This is why we have decided to give away the generators to these institutions given the power shortage currently characterized due to the current insufficient electricity supply,' said Khumalo.

He added that breaking from the tradition of disposing of used property through public auction, the company has shown commitment through its Corporate Social Responsibility Programme by donating the equipment. Speaking at the ceremony, State Minister for Education Theoneste Mutsindashyaka, acknowledged the development and urged MTN to keep up the spirit. 'Many schools lack electric power and with the newly introduced ICT education on the curriculum, the generators will definitely have an impact,' said Mutsindashyaka. Twenty head teachers from some of the remotest schools attended the ceremony and their schools will be among the beneficiaries. On behalf of MINISANTE Steven Karengera commended the donation and accepted it was a life saved in case of danger. The ministries on their part made the selection where best to allocate the generators.

IIT Kharagpur develops INR 1 lakh artificial heart

Higher Education

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digitalLEARNING Network

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March 20, 2009

The artificial heart gadget has been successfully trialed on small animals and is being perfected on goats. A team of IIT Kharagpur's School of Medical Science and Technology developed the 'Total Artificial Heart (TAH),' after a research of four years. The institute has applied for the consent of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to conduct this trial on humans as well. The artificial heart is much better and is quite affordable as compared to the heart developed in the US that showed a high rate of failure and was priced at INR 30 lakhs which was in no way affordable for a common man. 'The 13-chamber heart is working very well in small animals,' said a team member.

The team is expecting to fit the heart into a human body within a few months time after seeking permission from ICMR. Human tests will be conducted at the Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata. Senior cardiac surgeons who will conduct the human trials include Madhusudan Pal, Bhaskar Ukil, Tarun Saha and Kalishankar Das from MCH and Rajiv Narang of AIIMS. 'Former AIIMS director and one of the leading cardiac surgeons of the country are expected to be a part of the team,' said Sujoy Guha, IIT-K faculty member and bio-medical engineering expert, who is also leading the team. 'TAH will act as a rescue for patients having heart ailments, especially with very weak heart muscles that require immediate transplantation of the heart,' added Guha.

Rally for encouraging education of girl child

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digitalLEARNING Network

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March 20, 2009

The Heritage Motoring Club of India is organizing the rally for the education of girl child. The intra-city classic and vintage car drive is being organized to celebrate Delhi as a heritage city and to encourage its citizens to protect their girl child against any kind of discrimination and educate the female child. On Sunday, Delhi will witness a huge number of precious vintage and classic cars like the Buick, Mercedes 170v, 1937 and Series 90L on their streets. Women and other members of the Heritage Motoring Club of India will also drive few motorcycles and scooters manufactured till 1969, apart from the vintage cars. The chief guest of the event will be Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit and will flag off the drive from Red Fort at 10:30 a.m. The participants will drive down their beauties to India Gate where a special exhibition will be organized to display the unique heritage automobiles.

The club has also invited 20 girls between the age group of eight to twelve years from Chaman, a non-government organization (NGO) that runs a recreational and educational centre for underprivileged children. The Club will sponsor the education of the 20 girls for at least one academic year, which are invited for the event. The entire earnings from the entry fee of the drive will also be gifted to Chaman.

Mix of old and new media enriches mathematical understanding

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digitalLEARNING Network

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March 20, 2009

By combining the trusty old book, pen and paper with the possibilities offered by the computer and the interactive whiteboard, ICT can help to improve students' understanding in maths education. So conclude a team of researchers led by Koeno Gravemeijer and Paul Drijvers from the Freudenthal Institute for Science and Mathematics Education (Utrecht University, The Netherlands). The researchers studied the interaction between learning, teaching and the use of technological tools. To this end they developed so-called applets, small interactive software components that can be accessed through an Internet browser. The applets are embedded in an electronic learning environment. Working with applets can help students gain a better understanding of the mathematical concept of function and the applications of this.

A new learning arrangement for students in the 13-14 year age group was developed by the researchers and tested by 700 students and 16 teachers. The researchers established that the lessons worked best when the teachers combined different didactic approaches, when they used different media and when they clearly explained the connection between all of the methods. As the students learn in pairs or in groups using both pen and paper and the digital environment, their learning experiences in the ICT environment are neither isolated nor individual. In the applet entitled 'AlgebraArrows' the students learn to make and understand chains of operations, to vary input, to form relationships between representations and to study families of functions. The programme is embedded in an electronic learning environment, so that students can work with it both in the class and at home. The combined method of working offers opportunities for informal representations of a function and encourages students to look critically at their own work. This is in line with the basic principles of realistic mathematics education. The researchers also conclude that students develop a much better understanding of the mathematical concept of function. The evidence for this came from observations of the students' reasoning and from how they apply the techniques they have learned.

JNU all set to march towards electronic age

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digitalLEARNING Network

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March 13, 2009

One of the first universities in India, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) is undertaking an e-Governance project to digitalise all the processes and procedures related to administration and admission. < ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

The project is partly funded by the UGC and about Rs 90 lakh has been set aside for this project. This e-Governance focused project is aimed at improving the productivity, adaptability and overall effectiveness of the university. JNU is looking for a software that is fully integrated, user-friendly, reliable, rugged, customisable, modular, data-secured, upgradeable and web-based. Chennai-based Accel Icim Frontline Limited has been engaged to develop the software-based solution and applications to suit the specific administrative and academic needs of JNU. Through the e-Governance project the university is looking forward to connecting all its departments relevant to the university's functioning like accounts, finance, security, sanitation, maintenance etc. While Accel is going to provide the applications, Wipro has been appointed as the consultants. The contract with Accel, also includes a two-year maintenance warranty and then a three-year maintenance contract. As part of this project, the company will also train JNU officials to ensure optimum usage of the technology on a long-term basis.

Sibal Explores IDEA of Meta

Higher Education

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digitalLEARNING Network

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March 13, 2009

The Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Shri Kapil Sibal has discussed with his German counterpart, a consortia approach of twinning between universities of the two countries where two to three Indian Universities could partner with two to three German Universities for conducing degree level courses. The Minister was speaking on the occasion of his meeting with the German Federal Minister of Education and Research, Dr. Annettee Schavan in New Delhi today. The Minister said that setting up of such Meta

One-day training programme in ICT for teachers in Tamil Nadu (India)

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digitalLEARNING Network

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March 13, 2009

A one-day training programme in ICT was organised by SHEPHERD, St Joseph's College, in in Tiruchy, Tamil Nadu on July 27, 2006.

The workshop was arranged, considering the need for equipping the panchayat school teachers and panchayat staff in the handling of computers. SHEPHERD, in collaboration with Fr Jerome Centre for Information and Communication Technology of SJC, started a venture to educate the teachers in computer handling. It identified that the 90 computers provided by the Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited to the government school in Thogamalai block of Karur district, are left without any work on it due to the lack of computer knowledge of teachers. In first phase, 22 panchyat assistants from Andanallur block and 15 from Manikandam block benefitted from the training programme. Apart from that, 85 teachers from six middle schools and eight primary schools of Thogamalai block took part in the programme. Assistant Educational Officer of Thogamalai M Ilanchezhiyan, SJC Vice-principal Rev M Elias, Principal Rev R Rajarathinam and others participated in the programme.

Unaffected campus placements at National Law School

Higher Education

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digitalLEARNING Network

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March 13, 2009

Average domestic salary, however, fell to INR 7 lakh from INR 9 lakh last year. NLSIU not only managed to place almost all its students who wanted jobs, it even got new recruiters such as law firms Norton Rose Group and Ashurst. Students of NLSIU secured 18 foreign jobs this year, three more than last year. UK law firms that have been hiring from the institute for years such as Clifford Chance Llp, Allen and Overy Llp, Linklaters Llp, Simmons and Simmons Llp and Herbert Smith Llp offered students annual salary of UK

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