eTuition – the future of education

PETALING JAYA: The Star’s eTuition programme which provides content via video is the future of education.

eTuition consultant Sunny Yee (pic) says the programme is different from other online learning platforms because it focuses on input learning and teaching subjects relatable and applicable to students’ daily life.

“In education, to impart know­ledge to a student, there are two main components, which are input learning and output learning.

“The former is crucial because it’s where students are taught fundamental concepts, to understand and know theories and formulas – where we teach them the ‘why, how and when’ to use these concepts.

“After teaching them these pillars, then we do output learning, which is teaching them the techniques of answering questions,” he said.

The Star’s eTuition programme – its latest education offering which covers all subjects from preschool to secondary school – is now available on the video-on-demand service dimsum.

“There are many in the market who provide question banks; there is no point providing tuition where I go straight to questions when students don’t even know the basics yet,” Yee said, adding that the platform does not focus on exam format and marking schemes.

Yee, who is partnering Star Media Group to provide eTuition, has been an educator for 37 years.

He believes when students see how concepts relate to their daily life, they’d become more meaningful to them.

“Our platform focuses on this – input learning.

“It’s like building a house where the foundation of the house must be built first.

“(What’s the point) of decorating your house beautifully but the foundation is weak and will cause the house to collapse?

“So it’s important to educate students on the fundamentals first because without that, there is no point giving them questions they can’t understand,” he added.

A world of knowledge: a screencap of The star’s eTuition videos.

Under Star Media Group’s education offering, a new Education tab is now available on The Star Online, housing not just the eTuition programme which is available via dimsum, but also education industry news and sponsorship opportunities with webinars and workshops in the works.

Yee said that providing content via video is the future of education to cater to the current mode of content delivery.

He believes eTuition will prepare and expose secondary school students to digital learning before they enter varsity, as most universities and colleges today deliver their content online.

“eTuition will make education more accessible to students and convenient for busy parents.

“It saves time and is safe for students because many conventional tuition classes are held at night.

“It’s also an economically cheaper option for parents, especially with today’s high cost of living.”

Students can access the site in the calmness of their school computer lab or in the comfort of their home, he added.

dimsum has apps available on its website as well as mobile devices, Yee said, enabling students and parents to log in while stuck in traffic or while students are waiting for their bus home.

“eTuition allows students to learn at their own pace, anytime and anywhere.

“The videos go topic by topic and students can watch an unlimited number of times. It’s like a buffet!” Yee said, describing eTuition as an affordable, attractive and competitive package.

Students and parents can expect improvement in results and interest in learning if they sign up for eTuition, he said.

He believes the platform will be beneficial to both teachers and students.

As the topics on eTuition follow the national curriculum, Yee said teaching and learning between teachers and students would be in sync, if teachers encouraged students to learn through the platform.

Maths and Science subjects on the platform are taught in Bahasa Malaysia and English.

The topics on eTuition, he said, are updated according to the national curriculum.

With his accumulated in-depth understanding and knowledge of the syllabus content over the years, Yee is able to teach students the keywords and phrases examiners look for, and the type of possible exam questions to expect.

“Students are good at memorising formulas, especially for Additional Maths and Physics but they find it difficult to apply them during exams.

“What we should emphasise here is application rather than memorising formulas for Maths and Science, especially for the upper forms.

“Therefore by helping students understand certain concepts, they will have no difficulty in tackling questions, such as Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) questions,” he added.

To suit HOTS and 21st century learning, Yee said eTuition’s content teaches fundamental concepts.

Once students know the principles, it will be easy for them to answer HOTS questions.

“Without input learning which must be taught in a fun way, students won’t be able to answer HOTS questions.”

Moving forward, Yee plans to team up with dimsum to have workshops once a month for Form Five students, for Additional Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology.

“It’s important for students to have face-to-face interaction with their educators.

“I am still in discussion with dimsum on this,” he added.

dimsum’s eTuition programme is now available to all dimsum subscribers.

Visit dimsum.asia or thestar.com.my/education to subscribe or to find out more.

From now until May 31, all users can enjoy free preview access when they sign up for a new account or log in to dimsum.

dimsum education content is currently available in Malaysia and Brunei via web and mobile applications.