A discussion on E-learning offered in Malaysian universities: Pros and Cons from the students perspective

E-learning is the online delivery information for the purpose of education, training or knowledge management. It includes the acquisition of knowledge and skill using electronic technologies such as computer and internet based coursework and local and wide area networks. Multimedia University had started introduces e-learning strategies and it is important for them as e-learning provide distance education and accessibility to students irrespective of their residence.

Pros of E-learning from students’ perspective

Save Costs

Students are able to save up their transportation fees and time to travel to school for classes. Students can straight away having classes in front of computer after wakes up and no need to worry about late for classes. Besides that, it also reduce off the traffic on roads too as student s does not need to drove to school and scare off traffic jam.


Convenient
Student can get online resources, communicate with his tutor or classmates, and get clarifications regarding their subjects and study and access teaching materials through e-libraries. Besides that, student will able to send his query and sit for mid term paper at any time which he can get to access to internet.

Flexibility
In tradition, students need to finish their given assignment in a particular of period, but while E-learning was introduced, it provides flexibility to students as they can finish their projects at whatever time as they find flexible within that particular deadline. Online students have the capability to study at their own pace as students would not be lazy to study on as they need to manage their own time well for studying at own not dependent on any other people.

Fear-free environment
E-learning cans facilities learning for student who may not wish to join face-to-face group discussions or participate in classes. This behavior usually can feature off the reluctance to expose their lack of knowledge in public. E-learning provides a fear-free environment which students can put forth any idea without fear of looking stupid in front of others.

Cons of E-learning from students’ perspective

Lack of face-to-face interactions
First of all, there is the downside of there being no face-to-face interactions between students and tutors. Even thought, they can meet outside the World Wide Web but it just does substitute for the entire social interactions that take place in normal settings. Tutors and students are not getting to know each other way they do in a traditional classroom.

Technology
Internet connection can be frustrating some time causes slow and unreliable connection because of limited bandwidth. It requires professional skills to adapt in procedures.

High Cost
Some tutors are not competent in teaching by electronic means and may require additional training. It cost money to provide such training. Future more, additional funds are needed to purchase multimedia tools to provide support services for e-learning, creation and maintenance.

E-Government in Malaysia: Its implementation so far and citizen’s adoption strategies.

The fast development of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) derived the rapid growth in the number of websites as well as the variety of services offered. Various countries, including Malaysia, are implementing electronic government, which generally known as ‘e-government’. Malaysia’s implementation of e-government was initiated by the introduction of Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) in 1996. It was initiated to improve the government operation internally as well as how it delivers services to people of Malaysia. The improved coordination and enforcement would enable government to be more responsive to the needs of its citizens.

The myGovernment Portal (http://www.malaysia.gov.my/EN/Pages/default.aspx) acts as the one-stop source of Malaysian government information and services for the citizens.

The 7 pilot projects of the Electronic Government Flagship Application are as follows:

1. Project Monitoring System (SPP II)

– monitor the lifecycle of country’s national development programs to make effective decisions

2. Human Resource Management Information System (HRMIS)

– provide single interface for government employees to perform human resources functions effectively and efficiently.

3. Generic Office Environment (GOE)

– a fully web-based system which enables users to manage their office environment effectively and efficiently.

4. Electronic Procurement (EP)

– a system that allows suppliers to sell gods and services to the Government through the Internet.

5. Electronic Services (E-Services)

– allow public to conduct transactions with government agencies.

6. Electronic Labour Exchange (ELX)

– one-stop-centre for labor market information.

7. E-Syariah

– a case management system that incorporates the processes related to management of cases for the Syariah Courts.

The adoption of E-Government is still not famous among Malaysian. For instance, I seldom access to e- government services. The recent used is where I used is to check my status of Mykad application when I renew my Mykad (Semakan Status Permohonan Mykad) last May. Oh ya! I used the e-government service to check the National Service status through its official portal (http://www.khidmatnegara.gov.my/) in 2006 too. It was the first time I used such a government e-service and it gave me a bad experience as data were not up-to-date and the site is closed for maintenance most of the time.

In order to make better decision and avoid falling behind, government should identify and resolve the different issues that have arisen from the transaction period during which traditional and e-government co-exist.

Following are a few worth reading sources which tell more on e-government flagship application:

1. Electronic Procurement Leading The Way For Connected Government

2. HRMIS: A New Paradigm in Public Service Human Resource Management

3. Govt of Malaysia and Speed Sign Agreement to Undertake E-Government

4. A career fair for today’s choosy job-seekers

Review a local ecommerce site

There are many local e-commerce sites in Malaysia; the local e-commerce site our group chose is Malaysia Airline. Malaysia Airline is the flag carrier of Malaysia which provides airline services to its customers. Malaysia Airline provides domestic and international flight services, majority of the customers of Malaysia Airline are international flight customers. It offers stimulus packages and holiday packages or even promotions which including return airfare, accommodation, airport transfer and daily breakfast to attract customers, so that they can choose the best package for their trips.


Malaysia Airline provides a convenient way for customers to do online reservations through the internet. It also offers the lowest price and the best domestic fare. All customers can now check-in online for free. Customers can easily book tickets with multiple payment options and it only takes a few minutes for the whole process to be done.


1. Customers need to register themselves as a member of MAS. This can be done by clicking on the sign up link on the homepage.

2. Then, visit the light booking page at https://book.malaysiaairlines.com/itd/itd to choose favorable destination and specific information which include date, one way or return flights, class and the amount of adults or children from it.

3. Customers are required to choose their preferred date and fare combination. The prices are set as per adults without the taxes. The availability of seats and fare only will be confirmed only upon payment confirmation.

4. Next, the best price will be automatically chosen by the MAS and click ‘Next’ to proceed.


5. Customers need to confirm their personal details, traveler seating or buy insurance. After filling all the information, click on the “Review Your Purchase” to proceed.

6. After that customers also need to fill in the credit card number to buy ticket. Once it is done, then customers can get their e-ticket. Then, the whole process of ticket booking is completed.

Malaysia Airline provides travel services information in order for customers to make all arrangements for their travels from departure. It contains MHinsure, hotels, apartments, transfers & shuttle services, car for hire, sightseeing, firefly and MASwngs. For more information, please visit http://www.malaysiaairlines.com/my/en/bkinfo/trvlsvc/travel-services.aspx#.

Besides that, Malaysia Airline also offers education to the public which is the Malaysia Airline Academy. It offers services that provide a training ground for their employees and also for other organizations and individuals regarding the airline operations and other related sectors. There are four faculties such as Operations management, Business and Finance, People and Technology and lastly is the Quality Training and Education. It also offers 2 courses which are Jeppesen Training and Service Training. For more information, please visit to http://www.malaysiaairlines.com.my/my/en/bizsvc/bizsvc/maa/malaysia-airline-academy.aspx.

Malaysia Airline is always the first choice for most of the people simply because Malaysia Airline is one of the world’s best and most comfortable airline services and the price is reasonable. There is also free food and drinks provided which you could have whenever you ask for. Passengers may ask for drinks even though the stewardess does not bring them around. There are choices for the main meal and it is unlike others airline, only provide a standard meal for everyone.

In addition, in the back of every chair, there is a small TV screen with a head set which is for the entertainment of passengers. There are a large selection of entertainment such as film, music and games. Passengers can choose different type of films with different type of channels. There are also different radio stations provided and a selection of albums that passengers can choose to listen to. Passengers are also entertained by games channel which offers a choice of different types of games. Thus, passengers can enjoy the services provided and will not feel boring for a long journey in the flight.

Moreover, the staff and stewardess are very friendly and always seemed pleased to help you. Passengers will feel comfortable for their services and may come back Malaysia Airline in future.

Come and fly with Malaysia Airline, You will feel as if you never left home.

Corporate Blogging: A new marketing communication tool for companies.

Blogging has grown exponentially on the Internet. Today, many organisations are involved in corporate blogging as it most innovative and fastest growing marketing and communication tools. A corporate blog is published by an organization to achieve its organizational objectives.

Blogs allow corporations to connect with their stakeholders in a more personal way and thus strengthen their image, brand, and customer loyalty. Comments posted on the corporate blog allow instant feedback. It’s also a good way for a company to deal with criticism and other crises. In return, the blogger can respond which creates a close relationship. This will save these organizations large sums of money otherwise spent on market research.

Blogs are great for search engine marketing. By writing an article a day, a business can very quickly build up a massive blog archive packed with keyword rich articles. Thus, blogs are easily found by search engines. It can indirectly achieve the purpose of marketing.

Corporate blogging can help in increasing a firm's transparency in the market. In Steven Warren’s article entitled. The Benefits of Corporate Blogging, he says, "Passion sells. People will read and follow you if you are passionate and really love what you are writing about. A passionate blog will reach more people than any high-dollar ad campaign.” It allows increasing awareness and getting out their message and personality.

In conclusion, more and more companies are enjoying the benefits of corporate bloggingas it serves as an effective and new marketing communication tool. Nokia, Microsoft and Dell are the examples of developers of best standards for corporate blogging.

Credit Card debts: Causes and Prevention

Debt results when a client of a credit card company purchases an item or service through the card system and accumulates and increases via interest and penalties when the consumer does not pay for the money he or she has spent. Unaffordable credit card debt is a heavy burden.

Causes

The low security of the credit card system presents countless opportunities for fraud. Identity theft is the most common way in committing fraud. It is done by stealing Id’s, Credit cards and checking accounts so they can access into finances. One of the most dangerous threats is the spyware. Spyware can be used to gatherall types of confidential information and the user usually has no idea the information is being taken. It spies the access everything you do online including usernames, passwords, online shopping purchases and e-mail or chat correspondence. Another fraud is phishing which is designed to steal your identity. It is carried out by sending spam e-mail that appears to come from websites such as bank or Credit Card Company.

The fraudster will then use the stolen identity to do purchasing or apply for loans. It causes the client to go in debt even they did not make any transactions or could not even use the account. However, it may be worse when it comes to physical identity theft such as stolen wallet or stolen mail.

Example of phishing.

Prevention

To reduce online threats, it is a now common practice to require a shipping address to match the billing address on the credit card. It is used as a security measure to minimise fraudulent purchases as thieves who may steal the account number will not have access to the billing address. There is a need to contact the concerned bank or company and confirm the email which is sent. It is critical to monitor the credit report on a regular basis. Clients should use only one low-limit credit card for online transactions. It is important to watch the monthly billing statements for errors or unusual activity. Anti-virus as well as anti-spyware should be updated regularly. Lastly, users have to change passwords often to avoid theft.

There are also third party systems in place for ensuring online credit card security. VeriSign's SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) technology is the leader in the field. It can be used to encrypt information to nearly un-guessable number of possible combinations of codes.

Other methods to prevent online payment fraud include:

• Address Verification Systems - The system will check the billing address of the credit card provided by the user with the address on file at the credit card company.

• 

• Card Verification Number - Possession of the physical card number is needed in order to use the card even if someone gets possession of the credit card numbers.
• Fraud screens and decision models - Use various automated rules which merchant can easily change to reflect changing trends in the fraud.

Overcoming past identity theft is necessary to save your self from hassle because if you become an identity theft victim you will fight for the rest of your life to restore what is rightfully yours with little if any help in between.

Mobile payment systems in Malaysia. Its Potential and Consumers' Adoption Strategies

The creation of mobile payment systems provides a convenient way for users to make payment using mobile devices such as cellular telephone, a smart phone, or a personal digital assistant (PDA). It brings advantages as people can use mobile phone to pay a wide range of products or services, instead of paying with cash.

Potential

In Malaysia, mobile payment services become important electronic payment channel considering that 88 percent of the Malaysian population are subscribing to mobile phone services. The mobile phone network is a popular channel to perform activities beyond voice communication, encompassing all forms of digital communication, commerce, payments and banking. For example, payments via text messaging have become more popular.

There were immense opportunities to leverage on mobile phones to widen the reach and appeal of electronic payment services, and to deliver innovative mobile payment products that offer speed and convenience at minimal cost for the public. It allows anyone to pay to or receive money from anytime, anyone from anywhere securely. Moreover, mobile payments help users to save time as consumers can just use SMS to do payment transaction and do not need to take a long time to make payments. It also allows consumers to do money transaction with ease. They can send or receive money in their accounts from their friends or family in other country through SMS.

Malaysian mobile solutions provider Com2U Sdn Bhd has launched ‘moneyMe’, Malaysia's first operator-independent mobile remittance service, which allows mobile subscribers of Maxis and Digi to securely transfer money within Malaysia and to Indonesia. The services allows immediate money transfer using SMS and there is no fees registration and subscription requires. The first phase of the e-pay integration with moneyMe service has been completed enabling over 5,000 e-pay terminals in book stores, photo shops, mini markets, restaurants, pharmacies and so on, with the moneMe cash-in facility.

Consumers’ Adoption Strategies

There are four primary models for mobile payments which are Premium SMS based transactional payments, Direct Mobile Billing, Mobile web payments (WAP) and Contactless NFC (Near Field Communication). There are few steps to implement mobile payment systems which are discussed as below.

1. Educating consumer about the functions of mobile payments and introduce any new things in the market. For example, bill payments and mobile purchase.


2. Enhancing security of mobile users in order to build consumers’ confidence in the services provided. The security systems must be handled well as consumers are afraid of losses of money during transactions.

3. Collaborating with more banks and merchants to widen the ability to pay via mobile. Mobile payment system collaborates with different banks and merchants which provide a convenient way for consumers to do money transaction with any banks with their choice. In the same time, it also increases consumers’ loyalty and satisfaction in mobile payments.

4. Maintaining customers’ loyalty as companies will reward consumers by giving gifts or vouchers at certain level of purchasing or certain points of redemption. This may encourage consumers continue using the services that are provided.

The Application of Prepaid Cash Card for Consumers

Nowadays, people prefer prepaid card more than using cash in hand. Prepaid cards look like credit and debit cards and they have the same ability to purchase products and services. But the only difference is users can only spend the balance that has been preloaded onto the card. Users can not borrow money with prepaid card; they can only spend money which is loaded onto the card. Users will be given a Pin number when they purchase a card and once money has been credited, it can be used in the same way as a debit or credit card.

Prepaid card is useful when users would like to buy a gift for someone. Prepaid cards are more widely accepted rather than vouchers.

It’s convenient to be used when travelling overseas as prepaid card is more secure without carrying cash and traveler’s cheque. If prepaid card has lost, it can be blocked. It often have good exchange rates.

It also helps people to manage their money by allocating money in different places for different purposes. Users are also limited to the amount they put on the card which can help them to do budget for their spending.


Besides that, prepaid cards are widely use for everyday shopping. Users do not need to carry much cash in hand but a card; then they can purchase products or goods they wish to. It is also used for internet shopping where users can make payment through internet.


Prepaid cards also can be used to make mail order and telephone order. Users can purchase products or goods through mail or by making telephone calls. It is frequently quicker, safer and cheaper to accept if compare to payment methods such as delivery, cheques and invoicing.


It also can be used to top up mobile phone’s credit. It provides a convenient way where users do not need to walk out to buy a top up card from shops but just top up mobile phone through the internet.


Users can use prepaid cards to pay their bills and monthly subscriptions. Those bills can be paid through internet. For example, purchasing a laptop from Dell.com, users only have to pay the bills through internet and do not need to pay cash or cheque to the company personally.

Lastly, users can withdraw money from ATM by using prepaid cards. Users are required to enter the password and withdraw money that is loaded into the account.

There are many benefits of using prepaid cards as it can be used at anywhere in the world that accepts MasterCard. Prepaid card are safe and secure to use. It is also convenient and easy to use as people need not have to carry much cash to do purchases. You may find out more information about how to use prepaid card by the link provided as below.
http://www.ehow.com/how_4474822_use-prepaid-credit-card.html