Team TryHards, led by Kwan Jun Er, a Year 2 Software Engineering student at the Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU), has made a remarkable impact at HackINSAN 2024, hosted by Permata Insan College, Islamic Science University of Malaysia.

Under the mentorship of Mr Amad Arshad, Senior Lecturer and Corporate Trainer at the School of Computing, the team secured an overall third place and first place in the Pemuda GEMA Problem Statement.

The team, consisting of Jun Er and his coursemates Gabriel Herman Augustine, Tan Yann Shaw, and Wilbert Cornelius, embraced the unique challenges of a 24-hour hackathon.

This format, a departure from the longer competitions they were accustomed to, demanded intense focus, quick problem-solving, and efficient teamwork. The limited time added an extra layer of challenge, requiring them to rapidly prototype and iterate their solutions.

The judging criteria emphasised creativity, entrepreneurial skills, usefulness, and quality of presentation, with percentages of 15%, 25%, 40%, and 15% respectively. The team’s specialities in mobile app engineering, particularly with the low-code platform FlutterFlow, significantly aided the development process, especially under the hackathon's time constraints.

The team attributed their success to continuous discussions and active communication with their mentors. “The mentors’ valuable insights helped us refine our solutions,” Jun Er remarked. “Additionally, the dedication and unwavering effort of our entire team played a crucial role in our victory. By building our solution around mentor feedback and maintaining a strong collaborative spirit, we were able to excel in this intense competition.”

Their proposed solution, PemTeach, is a teacher support tool designed to enhance the capabilities of volunteer teachers working in underserved areas. It focuses on improving cultural insights, teaching styles, and learning styles unique to different regions across Malaysia. PemTeach offers two core components:

The training component of PemTeach offers personalised learning paths tailored to individual teachers' needs and encourages collaboration through shared projects and best practices. It incorporates gamification to engage and motivate teachers, rewarding their progress with certificates and badges. The insights component provides AI-driven insights into local cultures, student behaviour, and learning styles while offering guidance on adapting teaching methods to local contexts, thereby enhancing teacher-student engagement.

The judges praised the insights component, noting its address of a critical gap in equipping volunteer teachers with the necessary cultural understanding and adaptability for effective teaching in diverse communities. The team received an RM500 cash prize and a physical certificate for overall third place, and RM250 and a physical certificate for first place Pemuda GEMA Problem Statement Prize.

This award was a testament to the members’ dedication and perseverance, especially since it was their first time participating in a 24-hour competition. "It highlights our resilience and innovative spirit and underscores the quality of education and support we receive at APU. This experience has been significant, enhancing our business acumen, communication, teamwork, and networking opportunities," said Jun Er.

Mr Amad Arshad commended the team, stating, "These brilliant students showcased admirable skills in mobile app engineering, particularly in Flutter-based development. Their openness to feedback and problem-solving skills during the hackathon were instrumental in their success. Based on their exemplary teamwork and commitment, I anticipate their continued success and more glory for APU in future hackathons."