Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) has launched the Openbook@UMS platform, a new online resource providing free access to educational materials, including textbooks. The initiative, unveiled, is designed to support students and families from the B40 income group.
Developed in collaboration with the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) through a memorandum of understanding signed on September 8 last year, the Openbook@UMS platform aims to bridge the digital divide by offering digitalized educational materials accessible on basic mobile devices.
Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan, Chairman of the UMS Board of Directors, emphasized that the platform aligns with the government’s goal of ensuring equitable educational opportunities. “Openbook@UMS provides quality educational resources and supports the drive for inclusive education”, he stated during the launch event.
UMS Vice-Chancellor Prof Datul Dr Kasim Mansor noted that the platform’s user-friendly design is expected to encourage lecturers to create interactive multimedia materials, enhancing the quality of course content and reinforcing UMS’s global standing in educational innovation.
Prof Dr Fong Soon Fook, Director of UMS’s eLearning Centre, highlighted that this initiative forms part of a broader global effort to expand the use of open educational resources. Supported by the Higher Learning Institute and the Malaysian Public Universities eLearning Council (Meipta), Openbook@UMS is licensed under Creative Commons.
The platform aims to serve as a model for other public universities in Malaysia, fostering greater collaboration among higher education institutions nationwide.
