Editor's Note

Once upon a time in China, a monster destroyed the people's crops and homes. It turned up after the sun had appeared 365 times. It feared three things: light, noise and the colour red. So, on the 365th evening, the people lit up their homes, displayed red objects, struck drums and performed lion dances. The monster disappeared. This is the legend behind the Chinese New Year celebration.

The slaying of "monsters" still takes place in China today. There are factories which employ people to play computer games. Their job is to kill monsters and win battles in the early rounds of a game. In return, they get paid by affluent online gamers abroad, who lack the time and patience to work their way up to the higher levels of gamedom.

From this, we could say that technology reaps profits, even in play. The game players used online resources to earn offline remuneration. The great thing about technology is that it comes in various forms and could be used in a range of fields for diverse purposes. At OUM, technical knowledge, skills and tools could be used for the benefit of the teaching and learning process.

Themed "Tutor and Technology," this current issue of TCX focuses on the use of technology by both tutors and learners. Emerging applications are highlighted as well, as OUM aspires to be at the frontlines in making use of the latest technological tools to provide quality higher education.

Technology plays a crucial role in increasing understanding of a subject matter among learners. Furthermore, computer-related activities together with the use of the latest gadgets and devices in the teaching and learning process prepare learners for the upcoming challenge of living up to the expectations of the modern world, which is mainly dependent on technology. This is a development we cannot deny and instead, must accept and embrace.

Thus, we hope the articles we have presented here will inspire and motivate our tutors to optimise the use of technology in reaching out to our learners. Do read the articles and drop us a line on what you think - you could e-mail us at tcx@oum.edu.my.