Maximum eKelas Challenges Malaysian Students To Explore Space

Maxis has launched Malaysia’s first STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) competition, Misi Jelajah Digital, which has drawn over 2,700 young competitors since it launched earlier this month. eKelas is Maxis’ community outreach program that offers students the chance to develop critical thinking and creativity through the coding and creative thinking skills that are increasingly becoming the tools of the digital future.

As part of the kick-off webinar for the launch, experts such as Dr Mazlan Othmann, Malaysia’s first astrophysicist and former Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, gave a special talk. Scientists are increasingly turning to space exploration for scientific advancements, as well as STEM skills for future success.

“For generations, I have envisioned young Malaysians reaching for the stars as the pinnacle of science achievement. A wonderful aspect of Misi Jelajah Digital is how it uses STEM to educate students in a fun and engaging manner, while encouraging creativity, exploration of space, and expanding their imagination. It has an added benefit of helping to close the STEM gap between students in urban and rural areas, as the competition is open to students in all parts of the country,” explained Professor Dato’ Seri Dr Mazlan.

Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) #mydigitalmaker and Lenovo Technology Sdn Bhd (Lenovo Malaysia) are collaborating on the initiative at Misi Jelajah Digital. Under the direction of the Educational Resources and Technology Division (BSTP), the competition has been approved and is being conducted according to International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Standards under two pillars:

Missi Bumi: Students will complete an obstacle course within an eKelas Roblox world developed specifically for Maxis. As a result of the course, students can join a Roblox Game Development series in the eKelas portal to learn how to code and build their own world.

Missi Marikh: Students will create spacecraft designs and plans for human colonies in an effort to discover space travel. Alternatively, they can use Scratch, a visual programming language, to complete the tasks by hand drawing their design.

Students aged 10-17 years old (from fourth to fifth grade) are eligible to participate in the competition. The contest runs for two months until 31 October 2021. A contest to win laptops, mobile devices, and online vouchers awaits those who register. Participants will also receive Physical Activity, Sports and Co-Curricular Assessment (PAJSK) credits.

In the coming weeks, challengers will continue to be able to learn coding and design basics through a series of explainer videos, notes, and modules. As part of the STEM event, there will be lectures about key STEM topics as well as live tutorial workshops for those who want to learn how to complete the challenges and explore the walkthroughs for the games. Furthermore, Form 5 challengers will be invited to a special sharing session by Maxis, MDEC, and Lenovo representatives on 23 October about careers in STEM.

If you wish to learn more about Misi Jelajah Digital and sign up, please visit https://www.maxis.my/ekelas-stem