We are creating some awesome events for you. Kindly bear with us.

DOST-STII Philippines signs agreements to expand reach and increase content of digital science library kiosks

DOST-STII Philippines signs agreements to expand reach and increase content of digital science library kiosks

The Department of Science and Technology-Science and Technology Information Institute (DOST-STII) in the Philippines formed two separate partnerships with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and Frontlearners, Inc. to further develop the content and base of of STARBOOKS beneficiaries in the country.

STARBOOKS, or Science and Technology Academic and Research-Based Openly Operated Kiosk Stations, were developed by DOST-STII as the first digital science libraries in the country. STARBOOKS contains thousands of digitised science and technology resources in a range of formats (text/video/audio) placed in specially designed “pods” set in a user-friendly interface.

Along with interactive courseware and other material for science and mathematics, STARBOOKS provide disaster preparedness and mitigation materials information and livelihood videos to promote entrepreneurial activity.

The kiosks can operate offline; hence internet is not required for information access. Information available is read-only. Currently, there are installations at 1,358 sites all over the country. There is a version available online and a mobile application is under development to make STARBOOKS more accessible to more people.

Local Government Units (LGUs), non-government organizations, educational Institutions as well as private corporations can contact STARBOOKS for setting up a kiosk. The installation requirements in terms of equipment are basic.

Expanding reach

The first Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with DICT is focused on developing the reach of STARBOOKS. DICT will provide STARBOOKS-enabled computers to selected beneficiaries as part of its Tech4ED (Technology for Education, Employment, Entrepreneurs, and Economic Development Project) Program.

Tech4ED aims to provide affordable or free-of-charge access for citizens in rural and underserved areas to various communication resources, with focus on the internet. Hence, it neatly ties in with the focus of STARBOOKS to disseminate scientific information.

While, DICT will bear the expenses on the deployment of STARBOOKS to beneficiaries, DOST-STII will be responsible for the installation and maintenance, of the STARBOOKS system through DOST Regional Offices. It will also handle the mandatory training of technical staff/ librarian/kiosk clerk for the operation of the Kiosks.

DOST-STII will update the contents of the STARBOOKS system every six months.

Chief of DOST-STII’s Information Resources and Analysis Division, Alan C. Taule emphasised the synergy,“This collaborative effort of DOST-STII and DICT, through the Tech4ED Program, is about synergy. DOST-STII has the content and DICT has the Tech4ED centers nationwide. Through this partnership, both parties will be able to have a greater impact to their respective end users which are mainly students.”

DOST-STII has also partnered with Children’s Hour, a non-profit organization that supports projects on education, health and nutrition, and child welfare and development for the benefit of disadvantaged Filipino children nationwide. The Children’s Hour will donate STARBOOKS-enabled computers in LGUs and public schools in the southern regions of the Philippines.

Adding content

The second agreement signed between DOST-STII and FrontLearners, Inc. will focus on providing additional content for STARBOOKS.

Frontlearners is described as a ready-to-use, cost effective e-School-in-a-Box with interactive K12 lessons that can be used without internet. It enables classes to held and students to study anytime, anywhere.

According to the agreement, Frontlearners, Inc.  will provide DOST-STII the digital copy of its BlendEd Learning collection. This will be added to the STARBOOKS database. DOST-STII will ensure that proper attribution is followed, featuring Frontlearners BlendEd Learning as a special collection.

Frontlearners, Inc.  will also promote the use and disseminate the benefits of using STARBOOKS. The institution will also be responsible for the collection of S&T materials of their affiliated institutions or agencies and libraries for possible inclusion in STARBOOKS.

Leo De Velez, Founder of FrontLearners, Inc. commented on the partnership,“This partnership with DOST-STII will allow us to add the Frontlearners' e-Learning materials into the STARBOOKS servers. These will be installed in more than 1,000 public schools nationwide this year through the partnership of DOST with DICT Tech4Ed and Children's Hour."

PARTNER

Qlik’s vision is a data-literate world, where everyone can use data and analytics to improve decision-making and solve their most challenging problems. A private company, Qlik offers real-time data integration and analytics solutions, powered by Qlik Cloud, to close the gaps between data, insights and action. By transforming data into Active Intelligence, businesses can drive better decisions, improve revenue and profitability, and optimize customer relationships. Qlik serves more than 38,000 active customers in over 100 countries.

PARTNER

CTC Global Singapore, a premier end-to-end IT solutions provider, is a fully owned subsidiary of ITOCHU Techno-Solutions Corporation (CTC) and ITOCHU Corporation.

Since 1972, CTC has established itself as one of the country’s top IT solutions providers. With 50 years of experience, headed by an experienced management team and staffed by over 200 qualified IT professionals, we support organizations with integrated IT solutions expertise in Autonomous IT, Cyber Security, Digital Transformation, Enterprise Cloud Infrastructure, Workplace Modernization and Professional Services.

Well-known for our strengths in system integration and consultation, CTC Global proves to be the preferred IT outsourcing destination for organizations all over Singapore today.

PARTNER

Planview has one mission: to build the future of connected work. Our solutions enable organizations to connect the business from ideas to impact, empowering companies to accelerate the achievement of what matters most. Planview’s full spectrum of Portfolio Management and Work Management solutions creates an organizational focus on the strategic outcomes that matter and empowers teams to deliver their best work, no matter how they work. The comprehensive Planview platform and enterprise success model enables customers to deliver innovative, competitive products, services, and customer experiences. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, with locations around the world, Planview has more than 1,300 employees supporting 4,500 customers and 2.6 million users worldwide. For more information, visit www.planview.com.

SUPPORTING ORGANISATION

SIRIM is a premier industrial research and technology organisation in Malaysia, wholly-owned by the Minister​ of Finance Incorporated. With over forty years of experience and expertise, SIRIM is mandated as the machinery for research and technology development, and the national champion of quality. SIRIM has always played a major role in the development of the country’s private sector. By tapping into our expertise and knowledge base, we focus on developing new technologies and improvements in the manufacturing, technology and services sectors. We nurture Small Medium Enterprises (SME) growth with solutions for technology penetration and upgrading, making it an ideal technology partner for SMEs.

PARTNER

HashiCorp provides infrastructure automation software for multi-cloud environments, enabling enterprises to unlock a common cloud operating model to provision, secure, connect, and run any application on any infrastructure. HashiCorp tools allow organizations to deliver applications faster by helping enterprises transition from manual processes and ITIL practices to self-service automation and DevOps practices. 

PARTNER

IBM is a leading global hybrid cloud and AI, and business services provider. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Nearly 3,000 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM’s breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and business services deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM’s legendary commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service.

Send this to a friend