Ebooks Software

Picture: Schoolchildren publishing their own works using the KooBits authoring software

February 2008: With a computer and some smart authoring software, anyone can produce and publish their own books, even kids.

Local software developer Personal e-Motion is doing just that, with an online application for children to produce their own online works, complete with graphics, voice, video and animation.

Founded in 2003 as an IT spin-off from the National University of Singapore, its KooBits Author software enables children to create digital books quickly and conveniently, using media fusion.

“We want to bring e-publishing to the classroom with contents that are alive,” says general manager Stanley Han. “We want to mould a generation of e-publishing adopters. Our software, Koobits, offers students the publishing tools, as easy as child’s play, that have similar features and functions as good as those of high-end, expensive authoring applications.”

Personal e-Motion develops these powerful, yet friendly interactive tools, organise workshops, and supports competitions for schools to promote online publishing.

Twenty primary schools and three secondary schools in Singapore and a few primary schools in Indonesia and Vietnam have adopted the KooBits software in their writing programmes. The software can also be customised to cater to different languages.

Encouraged by the feedback and projects being e-published, Personal e-Motion is starting a new online e-publishing Web site for community sharing this month.

“We hope that this site will provide a platform for young authors to share ideas and learn from each other. It will also provide a venue for those who have limited resources to get inspiration and references, and simply to read and enjoy stories published by others,” says Mr Han.

The company has also supported writing for British Council to organise Digital Art competition and launched a story-writing contest that is open to all Singapore primary school students. Participants develop a digital story-telling book making use of images, video clips, animation and sound in the KooBits software. The contest is co-organised by Zhonghua Primary, supported by the Ministry of Education, Media Development Authority, Nexus and the National Youth Achievement Award Council.

Winners will get cash vouchers and educational Ebook Reader Software products, and their works will be showcased at various educational events and at www.koobits.com.

More on Personal e-Motion.

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