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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT

FROG VLE APPLICATION

Valerie Sinti

December 2013

1.0 1BestariNet Program

1BestariNet is a project initiated by the Ministry of Education (MOE). It is a

project to equip all public schools in Malaysia with high-speed internet access and a

virtual-learning environment. Under this project, 10,000 primary and secondary public

schools in Malaysia will be equipped with 4G1 networks and VLE

2.

1BestariNet will be used as a central platform for consolidating all data. This will

entail identifying the key datasets (at the student, school, and system levels) that the

system leaders require in making critical decisions, assessing the present database’s

ability to meet these requirements and augmenting them as need be, and training database

1 Fourth-generation wireless is a type of technology that can be used with cellular phones, wireless computers, and

other mobile devices. This technology gives users faster access to the internet than most previous third-generation

(3G) networks can offer, and it also offers new user options such as the ability to access high-definition (HD) video,

high-quality voice, and high-data-rate wireless channels via mobile devices. 2 Virtual-learning Environment (VLE) is an e-learning education system based on the web that models conventional

in-person education by providing equivalent virtual access to classes, class content, tests, homework, grades,

assessments, and other external resources such as academic or museum website links. It is also a social space where

students and teacher can interact through threaded discussions or chat. It typically uses Web 2.0 tools for 2-way

interaction, and includes a content management system.

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staff to ensure that they are capable of providing the required data entry and data

synthesis services. The goal is to ensure easy and timely access to data to inform

decision-making at all levels.

The 1BestariNet project has been awarded to YTL Communications Sdn. Bhd.

and FrogAsia Sdn. Bhd. with a total value of RM1.32bil. The contract is for a five-year

period, with an option to extend for another five plus five years, totaling 15 years, and

this would include installation, maintenance and provision of a VLE. YTL and FrogAsia

will provide the latest in learning methodologies in the form of connectivity to the

Internet and use of the Frog Channels.

YTL Corporation Berhad (YTL) is one of the largest

companies listed on the Bursa Malaysia. The company was

listed in 1985 and has a secondary listing on the Tokyo Stock

Exchange since 1996. YTL was the first Asian non-Japanese

company to be listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The YTL

Group’s core businesses are ownership and management of

regulated utilities and other infrastructural assets, serving 12 million customers in three

continents. YTL selected Frog to be the learning platform provider for the whole of

Malaysia as part of the 1Bestarinet Project. Set-up by the Malaysian Government, the

1Bestarinet Project was developed to provide internet access to all the state schools in

Malaysia. Since then YTL have acquired a majority share in Frog3.

Frogasia Sdn. Bhd. (FrogAsia) is a joint

venture between FrogTrade Ltd. and Malaysia’s YTL

Group, and is the licensed reseller for the award-

winning Frog learning platform. FrogAsia leverages

on track record and expertise in integrating

technology into schools, while working hand-in-hand with local educators and education

organizations, to deliver a world-class learning system that is relevant to the Asian

3 Beyond just implementing technology, FrogAsia provides solutions focused on harnessing the Internet to transform

education in a meaningful way. Its virtual learning environment (VLE), Frog, developed by sister company

Frogtrade in the UK, is simple, fun, and engaging – which is why schools all around the world have made Frog their

platform of choice. Frogtrade was named ICT Company of the Year at the 2013 BETT Awards in the UK. Source:

http://www.frogtrade.com/

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region. FrogAsia will deliver and support latest technology in 10,000 state schools in

both Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia, serving a total of 6 million users from YTL

Communications’ purpose built data centre in Sentul, Kuala Lumpur.

YES, a brand under YTL Communications, offers the fastest 4G mobile internet

with voice. Winner of ‘Broadband InfoVision Awards 2011’ under ‘Best New Service’

category, Frost & Sullivan’s ‘Most Innovative Service Provider of the Year 2012’ and

‘Most Promising Telecom Service Provider of the Year 2013,’ Yes is a global frontrunner

in mobile 4G and is the first mobile operator in Malaysia to bring the worlds of mobile

internet and voice together in one plan. Yes offers among the lowest mobile rates in the

market and currently covers over 85% of the population in Peninsular Malaysia with on-

going network expansions in East Malaysia. With its robust 4G network as a backbone

and a fully-converged mobile service, Yes is one of the most advanced wireless networks

in the world. As a Mobile WiMAX4 provider, Yes uses Yes ID, a username

authentication method that does not require the use of SIM cards. Yes is a product of

YTL in partnership with Cisco, Clearwire, GCT and Samsung. Yes sources their dongles

and modems from Infomark Korea, the same company which Clearwire sources their

devices from.

Through the 1BestariNet project, FrogAsia brings the future of education to every

student, teacher and parent in Malaysia. Combining high-speed 4G internet access, a

world class learning platform, and access to ‘best-in-class’ resources and technology,

Malaysia is the first country in the world to bring its entire education community together

on a single converged network designed specifically to meet the needs of teaching and

learning. The 1BestariNet project connects all schools across the nation on a single

platform through the Frog Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) that's powered by Yes

4G5.

4 WiMAX is Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access.

5 Yes is the world's first nationwide converged 4G service that offers data, calls and SMS in one simple plan.

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2.0 Frog VLE Application

FROG is a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)6. The UK-based Frog was

adopted by MOE as a web-oriented, tablet-based e-learning system that replicates real-

world learning by integrating virtual equivalents of conventional concepts of education. It

is a place where students can log into a secure school site to follow up their learning

outside of school. Students may be able to complete tasks set by teachers, blog and

develop their own web pages about themselves and their learning and it is a place to share

learning ideas with their peers. For example, teachers can assign lessons, tests, and marks

virtually, while students can submit homework and view their marks through the VLE.

Parents can view school news and important documents while school administrators can

organize their school calendars and disseminate school notices via the Internet.

Frog’s easy-to-use system allows students and teachers to search for almost

anything on the internet (videos, images, educational resources) and build it into a sleek-

looking Site, without needing any technical expertise. The Frog VLE is also a gateway to

a plethora of educational resources and cool apps from around the web, all accessible

within a safe, filtered environment.

1. Teachers –Frog is simple, easy-to-use, and designed to take teaching to a whole new

level. Assign and keep track of students’ work and marks, create teaching resources,

and connect with other educators. To plan time better with the calendar which allows

viewing, creating, joining or adding events.

2. Students – Learning is fun and personalized with Frog. Explore exciting videos,

games, and posts on The Pond, personalize own home page, upload and save files on

the cloud, complete assignments anytime, anywhere, and share ideas with classmates

and teachers.

6 An application development platform, with a learning platform built into it – (Scripting functionality).

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3. Parents – Keep track of school events, PTA reports and school notices with the

calendar and school notice board, find all the contact details in need on the Contact

School page, and download permission forms and other important documents at own

convenience.

The Internet is acknowledged as a source of vast, diverse, and unique resources

for both students and teachers of all disciplines. Combined with the specifically

customized applications of the Frog Channels, they provide a valuable tool for teaching

and learning. The Services are being provided to Frog Users7 in schools across the nation

to promote educational excellence by facilitating access to the infinite resources of the

Internet and coupled with the benefits of resource sharing, innovation, and

communication through the Frog Channels.

The Internet is an electronic information highway connecting thousands of

computers all over the world and millions of users. The Frog Channels8 provides

innovative, Internet-based learning solutions designed to help teachers create more

engaging lessons from resources available on the internet as well as foster a culture of

flexible, self-directed learning among students that will enhance their skills and

knowledge. Students, teachers and parents will, among others things, have access to:

Electronic mail (e-mail) communication.

Forums for sharing ideas.

Information and news.

Public domain software and graphics of all types for educational purposes.

Graphical access to the World Wide Web, the newest and most exciting access tool

on the Internet.

7 Means all authorized users of the Frog Channels in the permitted MOE schools who have been issued the

1Bestarinet Yes IDs and password under the 1Bestarinet program who is permitted to access to the Services on and

through the Frog Channels. 8 Means any and all interfaces between a Frog User of FrogAsia and YTL and/or the Services and FrogAsia and

YTL from which the Services can be made available.

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Only students and staff at SK Berungis have access to the school Frog VLE.

Students have a secret password which they must not share with anyone else. As part of

all the ICT lessons they discuss e-safety and as they are using Frog VLE they discuss

many of the potential risks and pitfalls of using the internet but in a safe and controlled

environment.

The user interface provides easy access to the many features and applications of

the school Frog VLE. The Interface provides different user options whether being viewed

by a teacher, student, administrator or parent. This guide is based upon a teacher login

and so may include tools and features not available to other users.

Figure 2-1

Frog starts with a unique

1BestariNet Yes ID, which

gives an access into the

Frog VLE.

Figure 2-2

My Dashboard is the first

page is presented with

upon logging into the VLE.

It may be customized to

show the school calendar,

RSS feeds, or notifications.

User may also add personal

content such as

photographs, videos or

links to favorite websites.

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Figure 2-3

The School Dashboard

displays notices and

information vital to the

smooth running of the

school. Here user can view

notice boards, images,

videos and download

important files. It also

contains an MOE RSS feed

to keep users informed of

any education news or

information that is of

interest to schools and

teachers.

Figure 2-4

This section will walk

users through the main

work areas of the VLE.

Links to these areas can be

found in the Quick Launch

menu in the Frog Bar.

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3.0 IT Development Life Cycle

The Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC), also referred to as the Application

Development Life-Cycle, is a term used in systems engineering, information systems and

software engineering to describe a process for planning, creating, testing, and deploying

an information system.

1BestariNet is the first program on this scale worldwide. The MOE introduced the

Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013-2025 as part of its effort to help students in an

increasingly competitive global economy. As part of the blueprint, 1BestariNet will equip

all primary and secondary government schools across Malaysia with high-speed 4G

Internet connectivity (Yes 4G networks) and a proven cloud-based virtual learning

platform, the Frog VLE.

YTL Communications that are in charge of creating Frog VLE application often

have the job title of System Analyst. The major steps in creating the application include

the following and start at Planning step. During the Design phase the System Analyst

will document the inputs, processing and outputs of each program within the application.

During the Implementation phase programmers would be assigned to write the specific

programs using a programming language decided by the System Analyst. Once the

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system of programs is tested the Frog VLE is installed for schools to use. As time goes

by, things change and a specific part or program might need repair. During the

Maintenance phase, it goes through a mini planning, analysis, design and

implementation. The programs that need modification are identified and programmers

change or repair those programs. After several years of use, the system usually becomes

obsolete. At this point a major revision of the application is done. Thus the cycle repeats

itself.

YTL Communications which deploy a nationwide 4G network service signed a

Wholesale Ethernet Service and Master Tenancy for Infrastructure Sharing Agreement

with Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM)9, thus bringing the promise of a truly converged

seamless broadband connectivity one step closer to reality. The 15-year agreement inked

by two of Malaysia’s most recognizable brands will enable YTL to leverage on TM’s

nationwide Wholesale Ethernet service, while riding on the High Speed Broadband

(“HSBB”) infrastructure, and TM’s other telecommunications facilities, to deliver 4G

services nationwide.

YTL Communications has obtained approval from the Malaysian

Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to operate a 2.3 GHz WiMAX

wireless broadband network in Malaysia and is using this privilege to provide, in the near

future, state-of-the-art mobile connectivity with some of the biggest global technology

pioneers such as Cisco, Clearwire, GCT Semiconductor and Samsung.

With TM’s Wholesale Ethernet infrastructure, YTL can gain from the scalability

of bandwidth through TM’s integrated solutions and can also leverage on the sustained

and reliable bandwidth of TM’s Wholesale Ethernet to access large volumes of data and

utilize bandwidth intensive applications. Through these agreements as well, YTL will tap

on to more than 200 TM telecommunications towers across the country to facilitate the

roll-out and installation of its 4G network radios.

9 Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM), Malaysia’s leading integrated information and communications group, offers a

comprehensive range of communication services and solutions in broadband, data and fixed-line.

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4.0 Frog VLE Architecture

The 1Bestarinet solution is a connectivity-cum-cloud10

based software services

solution which covers the following key components:

Last Mile Connectivity

Back Haul

Cloud Services for Virtual Learning Environment

Cloud Services for Managed Security

Hosting Services

Internet Connectivity

10 A variety of computing concepts that involve a large number of computers connected through a real-time

communication network such as the Internet.

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The Virtualization Infrastructure provides the Virtualized Environment used by

the VLE Architecture and parts of the YTL Infrastructure. The Virtualization

Infrastructure uses Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization (RHEV)11

as the hypervisor. The

Frog VLE solution has the following components:

The Community site provides an interactive portal for teachers to communicate and

share with each other, as well as providing facilities for the MOE to create notices

that are displayed within each schools VLE.

The Content store provides centralized resources which can be accessed through the

VLE.

The SCORM services provide access to the Icodeon SCORM Engine for running

SCORM based content.

The community site, content store and SCORM are each a single clustered Frog

Platform and operate independently of the other VLE instances. This will facilitate the

sharing of resources developed within the VLE as well as any additional content agreed

and provided independently.

11 Red Hat is the world’s leading provider of open source software solutions, using a community-powered approach

to reliable and high-performing cloud, Linux, middleware, storage and virtualization technologies. As the connective

hub in a global network of enterprises, partners, and open source communities, Red Hat helps create relevant,

innovative technologies that liberate resources for growth and prepare customers for the future of IT.

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1. When school computers boot into windows or when SEP’s communication interval is

effective, The Symantec anti-virus client installed on the computers in the school

request for an updated anti-virus signature from the network.

2. The school computers connect to the wireless endpoint device (Zoom) placed in the

school by YTL.

3. The Zoom connects to 4G broadband via the 4G base station (macro network) to the

Symantec anti-virus servers placed in YTL data center.

4. The servers (in YTL data center) provide an updated signature and the school

computers get the update via the same path.

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5. (NOTE: The servers in turn should have received the updated anti-virus signature

from Symantec (internet). This happens via scheduled communication in between the

servers and Symantec).

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The content filter is one of the key components of the solution. It is used to ensure

that inappropriate content is being blocked from the students in the schools. YTL will be

deploying 2 units of the content filter. They will be configured in a fault tolerant

configuration to ensure that there is no disruption during an equipment failure:

The Content Filter appliance enables service providers to better manage excessive

increases in network traffic and subscriber growth by using a caching technology. By

utilizing highly effective caching technology, CacheFlow is able to dramatically

accelerate the delivery of rich Web 2.0 content including large files and video.

CacheFlow appliances also save bandwidth on expensive international links and backhaul

traffic, which greatly reduces infrastructure costs by controlling bandwidth consumption

and improving customer satisfaction.

Highly skilled engineers operate in secure

state-of-art 24/7/365 Network Operations

Centers (NOC), equipped with the best

monitoring and automation tools and

processes designed as per ITIL framework.

The service offerings can be tailored to

accommodate:

Flexibility in the components of the infrastructure being monitored and managed.

Availability of competency levels from L0 to L4.

Shift coverage to accommodate “follow-the-sun” model.

Setup and economies of scale of a NOC: Shared NOC or Dedicated NOC.

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Data Center

Sentul Data center is located in a Kuala Lumpur

suburb (Sentul), offering excellent opportunities for

both cost effective hosting and high speed

transaction connectivity solutions into and out of

Kuala Lumpur. Sentul has tier 4 data center

capabilities to support critical high performance and

high volume business applications with resilience and availability expected of world class

IT services. Sentul also offers variety of other data center specifications for non-critical

hosting needs

Data Center Capabilities

Sentul’s 24/7/365 operation center has full visibility of all

our data centers using enterprise-level systems monitoring,

environmental systems control and access to live visual

feeds. Experienced round-the-clock operators manage an

extensive range of technologies from virtual UNIX /

Windows servers to storage area networks to tape libraries; global wide area networks to

local point of presence. The Data Center is regularly tested to ensure the inbuilt resilience

is working to the specification. This gives the customer the necessary assurances that the

facility is operating and being maintained to the required Data Centre standard.

5.0 IT Performance Evaluation

The key thing to remember is that like all things IT, the VLE market place is

constantly changing and adapting. Every school is different, with particular needs and

outcomes they want from their VLE, and there is no magic bullet or perfect platform that

will work for everyone. The key thing when undertaking a review of the school VLE

provision or planning its implementation is to go through, in detail, a process like the one

outlined above of identifying what the school primary and secondary objectives are from

the project, and then exploring the full breadth of the marketplace, read all the literature,

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speak to the reps, but also contact other schools using the platforms and speak to the

teachers as well as the technical staff.

For me the key properties I’ve seen in successful Frog VLE deployments is a

clear and well-articulated reason for why the school wants a VLE, and a system which is

easy enough for the average member of staff to use without having to undergo significant

training.

PROS CONS

1. All-in-one package.

2. Seemingly forward thinking and

proactive company.

3. Good design skills.

4. Very easy to use.

5. AD integration.

6. Social networking element.

7. Flexible parental reporting.

8. Hosted on site.

9. Relatively low on-going costs.

10. Good technical support – Malaysia

phone line 7:00am-10:00pm five days

a week.

11. Offers off-site access to software via

Secure Gateway.

12. Flexible ‘FrogVLE’ concept allows

for drag and drop creation of complex

pages.

1. Limited online testing/quiz functions.

2. No integration with exchange data.

3. No display for Maths/Science notation

– e.g. Latex etc.

4. Weak forum tools.

5. Large initial outlay although financing

is available to spread this cost.

There are several pluses and minuses to Frog as a solution, and in some cases

some of the features are likely to be seen as pluses to some and minuses to others. A

single product – Frog is the only one stop shop solution we considered, this has potential

benefits in terms of integration between the VLE elements and the Parental

Reporting/Engagement elements. It also has the advantage that schools should be able to

roll out a complete solution in one go, although this may be seen as a disadvantage to

some as you loose the modular element.

For me the bottom line of what I like about Frog is the simplicity mixed with

flexibility. It is simple to create a page, throw up some resources, add in some media and

away you go. However underneath this is a very powerful system of Frog VLE which

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enables the user to create various different types of resources and ideas. I personally

think that Frog is the only product I have seen that would enable almost any teacher to

quickly get up and running and be able to create resources without having to undertake

significant INSET training. The Parental reporting side of Frog I think is a real strength,

as it purports to offer us significantly more flexibility. I felt that the setup of the parental

portal element of Frog had the potential to achieve more than simple reporting but more

along the lines of increased dialogue between teachers and parents.

There are several other features of Frog that I felt would be useful and engaging

for students. One of the biggest hurdles to getting engagement with students will always

be giving them a reason to visit the Frog VLE. If the communication is all one way (i.e.

we push stuff out to the students) then they are likely to lose traction as soon as there is a

period where nothing is added. By also making it a controlled ‘social’ environment we

stand a chance of students using it as a social medium as well as a learning medium

which has many positive benefits. Also the ability to embed a live website quickly and

easily into another page has interesting potential for those departments (like my own)

who already subscribe to other web-based resources as we could in theory just embed the

page directly into Frog so pupil need never really leave the Frog environment. The

bespoke element of Frog I think is huge benefit of their approach. I have been very

impressed by the quality of the graphical design work which Frog do and feel confident

that we would end up with a product that not only offers us the facilities we need but does

using a design that encourages people to use the site.

There are however some shortfalls with Frog. The current implementation

doesn’t offer us the level of ‘multiple-choice testing etc’ that we would necessarily want

but we have assurances that they know this is a short coming and that it is being worked

on. Also the current forums are quite limited no allowing for rich-text entry, or much in

terms of management. For me one of the most impressive elements of Frog has little to

do with the product directly but come from comments from other users. Frog is seems to

be consistently spoken of highly by its users.

From a personal perspective, I admire to the philosophy of Frog as a product, and

the open nature of the company (they have several blogs, twitter, and customer forums

etc where they communicate directly with their customers), and this means that I think

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they are a company and a product that a school could form a very productive relationship

with. These opinions are solely my own and reflect the considerations within a particular

set of constraints, which may not apply in another school. All of these products have

their own relative merits and in different scenarios each may be a sensible and

appropriate solution.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

http://1bestarinet.net/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_technology

http://www.frogasia.com/v3/

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/support/endofsupport.mspx

http://www.moe.edu.my/btp/

http://www.moe.gov.my/

http://www.mohe.gov.my/educationmsia/

http://www.ytl.com/

http://www.ytlcommunity.com.my/

Norzaidi, M.D., and Intan Salwani, M. (2008). Information Technology (IT) Management

Models: An Introduction, University Publication Centre.

Turban, Leidner, Mclean, and Wetherbe (2010). Information Technology for Management, 7th

Ed., John Wiley.