Multimedia University Research Articles

Development of a ground-based radar for scattering measurements

A ground-based C-band scatterometer system has been constructed at the Multimedia University, Malaysia. This is an inexpensive FM-CW radar that was efficiently constructed from a combination of commercially available components and in-house fabricated circuitry. The system has full polarimetric capability for determining the complete backscattering matrix of a natural target. It will be used to conduct in-situ backscatter measurements on Earth terrain, such as vegetation fields, forests, and soil surfaces. This paper presents the system design and the evaluation results of the scatterometer system. The system was tested at a football field. A metal sphere was used as the calibration target. The backscattering matrices of an 8 trihedral corner reflector and of a 4 /spl times/ 8 dihedral corner reflector were measured. The dihedral was rotated at different angles to provide different sets of polarimetric data. The results were compared with the theoretical values to verify the effectiveness of the calibration technique. The external calibration and internal calibration procedures, as well as the approach used in measuring the relative phase response, are discussed.

Higher Education Reform: Challenges towards a Knowledge Society in Malaysia

AbstractThe Malaysian government regards highly skilled human capital as the nucleus of a knowledge-based economy and has been attempting to reform higher-educational policies in both the public and private sectors since the mid-1990s. The research reported here seeks to evaluate higher-educational policy reform as it relates to the development of human resources in an era of information and communication technologies (ICT). This research has three goals: first, to determine how Malaysian higher-educational policies have changed by looking at socioeconomic backgrounds; second, to examine case studies of the Malaysia Multimedia University (MMU), Malaysia National University (UKM), and University Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas); and third, to discuss whether ICT is affecting access and course selection in higher education in terms of gender equality. The analysis reported here concludes that the new challenges facing Malaysia offer possibilities not only for bridging the digital divide, in some aspects, nationally, but also for Malaysia to emerge as fundamental to a South-South Corporation and as a Center of Excellence internationally. It will be pointed out how, and to what extent, the government of Malaysia should reconceptualize the Malaysia Super Corridor project (MSC) in order to become a fully developed nation, equipped as a knowledge society.

Multimedia learning systems: a future interactive educational tool

The authors outline in this paper the enhancement of a learning technique by the deployment of a novel multimedia learning system (MMLS). An overview of MMLS starting from the content development flow to the implementation stage is discussed in detail. This project is currently being launched at the Multimedia University (MMU) Malaysia. Macromedia Dreamweaver and Macromedia Flash were used to develop the interactive environment within the two campuses in MMU. In addition, a borderless education scenario is proposed by accessing the MMLS web site at http://mmls.mmu.edu.my/, through a T1 connection and Internet browser at the office as well as through slower connection speeds such as the common 28.8 kbps dial-up connection from off-campus sites.

Multimedia textbook for virtual education environment

This paper discusses a proposed multimedia textbook to be implemented in a virtual education environment (VEE) at the Multimedia University in Cyberjaya, Malaysia. The aim of the multimedia textbook, which is targeted at engineering courses, is to bring out a student's creative abilities and to minimise basic study and learning time so that more subjects can be provided to prepare students for future interdisciplinary R&D and industrial work. The multimedia textbook is designed both for students on-campus and for those scattered locally and internationally. Shorter learning times have already been confirmed using an experimental multimedia textbook having a limited set of interfaces (see, hear, click). The remaining interfaces will be implemented next and AI software included to enable a students learning behaviour to be monitored and to customise learning materials according to the student's level of understanding.

A constructivist learning experience: Reconstructing a web site using web based multimedia authoring tools

<span>This paper focuses on using multimedia to create a constructivist learning experience as well as to innovate a multimedia mediated constructivist learning (MMCL) model based on a course given to students at the Faculty of Creative Multimedia, Multimedia University, Cyberjaya, Malaysia. Students were required reconstruct any existing website of their choice in the Internet that they thought required improvements. The purposes of the project were to assess problem solving skills and ability to evaluate a website's design, creativity and navigational structure. The students were required to enhance the site by adding sound and animation and to improve the overall look and feel of the site, using Web based multimedia authoring tools, Macromedia </span><em>Dreamweaver</em><span> and </span><em>Flash.</em><span> The course was structured for constructivist learning whereby students constructed their own knowledge of the project, determined their own learning outcomes, and worked in a collaborative and cooperative manner, thus taking an active part in the processes. A survey used to obtain feedback from the students indicated that using multimedia in a constructivist learning environment helped them to become more analytical and critical thinkers, more apt to seek information, and more motivated in their learning.</span>

Verwaltung, Erschließung und Archivierung multimedialer Dokumente in UrMEL

Within the setup of a Thuringian Digital Library project, the Thuringian University and State Library of Jena has been developing a practical system of management, indexing and archiving of multimedia material. This University Multimedia Electronic Library, called UrMEL, provides a system of local services into which all sort of information resources published by the university can be optimally integrated, thus enabling the user an efficient access to materials that support both, searching and teaching. Based on this data model and in close coordination with other DB 2 partners, we have started to develop a technical-program solution for business administration. Thus far, we have already arranged all necessary procedures from the acquisition to the archiving into a system, which works efficiently, even with increasing quantities. The objective is the optimization of the whole process in order to guarantee a professional setting that fulfills our users' demands for reliable information, that respects copyrights, which can be easily handled, but nevertheless meticulous from a technical point of view. This requires most of all a competent and critical handling of the data.

Fostering IT human resources in Asia-Malaysia. Multimedia University in Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) Project.

マレーシアは知識型社会構築のためのビジョン2020を国家計画として策定し，その実現を推進する戦略としてマルチメディアスーパーコリドーを実施している。最新の通信インフラとサイバー法を装備したインテリジェント環境のもと，外国の企業も誘致して，世界市場でのマレーシアのIT産業の競争力を高め，ひいては国内産業を発展させるというものである。マルチメディアスーパーコリドープロジェクトでは知識型社会構築のための人材開発も目標としている。このためマレーシア政府は質の高い高等教育を提供するための法律も新規に制定した。こういった環境下でのマルチメディア大学の果たす役割を述べる。大学の概要，大学院教育，4学部のうちエンジニアリング学部，情報技術学部について，その課程の特徴，両学部のマルチメディア専攻それぞれのコースの内訳を示す。

Verwaltung, Erschließung und Archivierung multimedialer Dokumente in UrMEL

Within the setup of a Thuringian Digital Library project, the Thuringian University and State Library of Jena has been developing a practical system of management, indexing and archiving of multimedia material. This University Multimedia Electronic Library, called UrMEL, provides a system of local services into which all sort of information resources published by the university can be optimally integrated, thus enabling the user an efficient access to materials that support both, searching and teaching. Based on this data model and in close coordination with other DB 2 partners, we have started to develop a technical-program solution for business administration. Thus far, we have already arranged all necessary procedures from the acquisition to the archiving into a system, which works efficiently, even with increasing quantities. The objective is the optimization of the whole process in order to guarantee a professional setting that fulfills our users' demands for reliable information, that respects copyrights, which can be easily handled, but nevertheless meticulous from a technical point of view. This requires most of all a competent and critical handling of the data.

The Cambridge University Multimedia Document Retrieval Demo System.

The Cambridge University Multimedia Document Retrieval (CU-MDR) Demo System is a web-based application that allows the user to query a database of radio broadcasts that are available on the Internet. The audio from several radio stations is downloaded and transcribed automatically. This gives a collection of text and audio documents that can be searched by a user. The paper describes how speech recognition and information retrieval techniques are combined in the CU-MDR Demo System and shows how the user can interact with it.

Domain name and site hosting preferences: empirical evidence

At the Multimedia University, Malaysia, a first‐year undergraduate course in electronic commerce was given the task of evaluating commercial Web sites. The existence of the host was verified when it was added to the sample, and again six months later. The sample was then analysed for correlation between domain names and regional allocation of IP addresses. Three characteristics of the sample stand out. First, in many cases the top‐level domain name does not correspond to the location of the host; there is a noticeable bias toward hosting sites with regional domain names in North America. Second, dot COM and certain regional domains seem to dominate the Internet commercial landscape. Finally, there is a measurable rate of attrition over time, which may or may not be truly significant.

図書館システムの現状と問題点 学習院大学図書館システム ＧＬＩＭ稼動状況（ＩＬＩＳ／Ｘ‐ＷＲ導入事例）

図書館システムの現状と問題点 学習院大学図書館システム ＧＬＩＭ稼動状況（ＩＬＩＳ／Ｘ‐ＷＲ導入事例）

The International Multimedia University

The advent of the new information technologies is revolutionizing the possibilities of distance education. Thus the International Multimedia University of Italy has been created. A commercial entity, it will serve as a clearinghouse for the electronic delivery of courses taught by experts from all over the world to learners located all over the world. These courses will strive to educate rather than to train and will complement rather than supplant traditional universities. They will also serve as a sounding board for the evaluation of multimedia teaching materials and techniques.

A global distance learning course

SHARON GOODMAN describes the creation of a multimedia university course about English worldwide for students worldwide

Expert opinion on the future of multimedia based education

Rapid advances in the domain of science and technology are having an unprecedented effect upon the provision of higher education in universities throughout the world, the pace of change often being so fast as to make planning for the development of the “classroom of the future” an extremely difficult task. The Mobile Multimedia University (MMU) project, a collaborative action between four leading UK based research facilities, has been established to investigate these issues. Included amongst its aims is the use of novel research methodologies to determine the factors which will influence the shape and form of future education provision, and thus the distribution of knowledge to society, such as mobility, telecommunications and multimedia services. This paper describes the use of a Delphi survey in predicting the technological trends and innovations which will affect university education in the near future. It describes the theory underpinning the Delphi method, illustrating this with examples of how such a technique has been successfully used in the past. It then details the specific application of the Delphi approach within the current MMU research project, detailing the preliminary results and discussing the implications of these findings for the future of universities and other institutes of higher education.

The virtual Meiji village

In January of 1995 museum staff and the Kinjo Gakuin University Multimedia Center agreed to design a multimedia project to boost attendance at Museum Meiji Mura. Under the leadership of Hitoshi Nakata, Kinjo Gakuin University professors, Taisei Construction Co. Ltd. computer graphics technicians and Kinjo Media Mix students (a university club for computers and media) worked together to create the Virtual Meiji Village Project. This type of collaboration, though common in the United States, is rarely done in Japan.

Production-quality video over broadband networks: a system description and two interactive applications

The Washington University MultiMedia eXplorer (MMX) is a complete, host-independent multimedia system capable of transmitting and receiving JPEG-compressed video, CD-quality audio, and high-resolution radiographic images over the Washington University broadband ATM network. If the host is equipped with an ATM interface card, normal network traffic can be supported via an ATM extension port on the MMX. The major components of the MMX are an ATMizer and three multimedia channels. The ATMizer implements the host interface, the interface to the ATM network, and the interface to the three multimedia channels. This paper describes the architecture of the MMX, the software used with the system, and two applications that have been developed to demonstrate the capability of broadband ATM networks for multimedia applications. >

The Washington University multimedia system

The Washington University multimedia system (MMS) is a complete multimedia system capable of transmitting and receiving JPEG-compressed video, CD-quality audio, and high-resolution radiological images, in addition to normal network traffic, over the Washington University broadband ATM network. The MMS consists of an ATMizer and three multimedia subsystems. The ATMizer implements the host interface, the interface to the ATM network, and the interface to the three multimedia subsystems. This paper describes the architecture of the MMS, the software used with the system, and the applications which have been developed to demonstrate the capability and applicability of broadband ATM networks for multimedia applications.