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South African Journal of Education
On-line version ISSN 2076-3433
Print version ISSN 0256-0100
S. Afr. j. educ. vol.30 n.4 Pretoria Jan. 2010
An analysis of the alignment of the grade 12 physical sciences examination and the core curriculum in South Africa
Nazeem Edwards*
I report on an analysis of the alignment between the South African Grade 12 Physical Sciences core curriculum content and the exemplar papers of 2008, and the final examination papers of 2008 and 2009. A two-dimensional table was used for both the curriculum and the examination in order to calculate the Porter alignment index, which indicates the degree of match between the two. Alignment indices of 0.8 and 0.6 for Physics and Chemistry, respectively, were computed and remained constant for Physics, but fluctuated initially for Chemistry before levelling off. Using the revised Bloom's taxonomy, discrepancies were found in terms of cognitive levels as well as content areas in both Physics and Chemistry. The cognitive level Remember is under-represented in the Chemistry and Physics examinations, whereas the cognitive levels Understand and Apply were over-represented in Chemistry. It is argued that the shift to higher cognitive levels is in line with the reported increase in cognitive complexity of the Physical Sciences curriculum. The significance of the study for Physical Science teachers is highlighted, and the potential for further research is also indicated.
Keywords: alignment; assessment; Chemistry; cognitive level; curriculum content; Physics; revised Bloom's taxonomy
South African Grade 12 learners wrote their National Senior Certificate (NSC) examination based on the outcomes-based education (OBE) system for the first time in November 2008. This was also the first time that a nationally set public examination was written in all subjects. Only 62.5% of all the candidates obtained their NSC at the first attempt, while the results of the 2009 cohort of learners showed a decline to 60.6% (DoBE, 2010:41). The new curriculum is designed to embody the values, knowledge and skills envisaged in the constitution of the new democratic South Africa. It provides learners with the opportunity to perform at the maximum level of their potential and focuses on high levels of knowledge and skills, while promoting positive values and attitudes (DoE, 2008a:2).
The introduction of OBE in South Africa was intended to redress the legacy of apartheid by promoting the development of skills throughout the school-leaving population in order to prepare South Africa's workforce for participation in an increasingly competitive global economy (Le Grange, 2007: 79). The move towards standards-based assessment practices internationally has been incorporated into the OBE system in South Africa, with learning outcomes and assessment standards being specified for each school subject. The adoption of a radical change of policy on the curriculum was contested and underwent a review in 2000. The current curriculum for Grades R to 9 is a revised version that has been in place since 2002 (OECD, 2008:131). The new curriculum for Grades 10 to 12 was implemented in 2006 and culminated in the NSC examination in 2008.
A Learning Outcome is a statement of an intended result of learning and teaching. It describes knowledge, skills and values that learners should acquire by the end of the Further Education and Training band (Grades 10 to 12). Assessment Standards are criteria that collectively describe what a learner should know and be able to demonstrate at the end of a specific grade. Such standards embody the knowledge, skills and values required to achieve the Learning Outcomes. Assessment Standards within each Learning Outcome collectively show how conceptual progression occurs from grade to grade (DoE, 2003:7).
The Physical Sciences subject area has been divided into six knowledge areas consisting of physics and chemistry components - one of these is an integrated knowledge area spanning both components. Approximately forty-five percent (45%) of the Grade 12 learners who wrote the Physical Sciences NSC examination in 2008 did not achieve the required pass level (DoE, 2008a: 13). This figure increased to 63.2% in 2009 (DoBE, 2010:49). This presents a huge challenge to all science teachers in the country if we are to reach adequate levels of scientific literacy in South Africa. The performance of South Africa's Grade 8 learners in both the 1999 and 2003 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) was disappointing (OECD, 2008:54). The TIMSS study showed that learners attained the lowest average test scores in both mathematics and science than all other participating countries. The poor performance of Grade 12 learners in science is perhaps unsurprising if viewed against the TIMSS study. These international comparison studies have played a major role in identifying critical factors impacting on student achievement and have contributed to some extent to the current standards-based science education reforms in the United States and many other countries (Liu, Zhang, Liang, Fulmer, Kim & Yuan, 2009:780).
In an era of accountability and the potential for schools to receive monetary rewards for good achievements in mathematics and science, exit examinations that are not aligned to the assessment standards of the curriculum could have serious consequences for those schools. The learners could be assigned grades that are not indicative of their true abilities, or instruction may be misguided when inferences are drawn about the extent to which learners have mastered the standards when the test has not adequately covered the content standards (Liu et al., 2009:780). Glatthorn (1999:27) has argued for the reconciliation between advocates and dissenters of alignment to see it as a tool that should be used wisely in a time of high-stakes testing by making it teacher-friendly and teacher-directed.
This study is important as South Africa is a developing country with disparities of educational access that learners throughout the educational system experience as a result of inequitable policies of the past. Mapping the alignment of the assessment standards of the curriculum with the assessment in the Grade 12 Physical Sciences exit examination could provide examiners with a tool with which to look at shortcomings of the examination question papers or the assessment standards. Herman and Webb (2007:3) argued that it is only when assessment is aligned with both standards and classroom instruction that assessment results can provide sound information about both how well learners are doing and how well schools and their teachers are doing in helping students to attain the standards. Olson (2003:2) underscores this point by stating that "when a test is used to measure the achievement of curriculum standards, it is essential to evaluate and document both the relevance of a test to the standards and the extent to which it represents those standards. Studies of alignment measure the match, or the quality of the relationship, between a state's standards and its tests. That match can be improved by changing the standards, the tests, or both."
Curriculum change in South Africa
Changes in the educational system in South Africa have been driven by constitutional imperatives and were characterised by policy changes influenced by international perspectives and global economic trends (OECD, 2008:75). Curriculum policy changes were followed by an implementation phase and currently revisions are taking place to address problems that have arisen. Curriculum 2005 (C2005) was launched in 1997 and was informed by principles of OBE as the foundation of the post-apartheid schools' curriculum (Chisholm, 2005:193). C2005 was revised and in 2002 the Revised National Curriculum Statement (RNCS) became policy to be implemented in 2004, and culminated in the phasing in of the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) in Grade 12 in 2008 (OECD, 2008:81). The DoE also published content frameworks in each subject as well as work schedules and subject assessment guidelines in response to Grade 10 to 12 teachers' concerns about the content to be taught (ibid., p.177). Rogan (2007:457) has argued that it is not enough to merely publish a new curriculum and assessment standards, particularly in a developing country. Detailed attention must be given in terms of how things will unfold in practice.
Green and Naidoo (2006:79) studied the content of the Physical Sciences NCS and found that:
It reconceptualises valid science knowledge.
It values the academic, utilitarian and social-reconstructionist purpose of science.
It is based on a range of competences, from the metacognitive level through to the simple level.
There is a shift to greater competence complexity, and thus to corresponding higher expectations for teachers and learners.
The introduction of OBE in South Africa purportedly brought about a move away from norm-referenced testing to criterion-referenced testing. Less emphasis on summative assessment practices (assessment of learning) to more formative assessment (assessment for learning) was envisaged. In reality the final examination in Grade 12 constitutes 75% of the pass requirement in most subjects and thus represents a summative assessment. Baker, Freeman and Clayton (1991) contended that the underlying assumptions regarding the assessments, such as norm-referenced tests and normally distributed achievement, can result in misalignment with standards that are targeted for all students (cited by Webb, 1999:1).
Alignment Studies
Alignment studies are important in the context of a changed curriculum as it may give an indication of the reform efforts when the assessment results are published. Schools also use the performance results to reflect on areas that need improvement. If there is no alignment between what is taught as specified in the curriculum and what is tested, then schools may well teach to the test and ignore the desired assessment standards. On the other hand if schools teach according to the desired assessment standards and the tests are not aligned, it may well give a false impression of the students' performance relative to those tests. The negative impact on remedial action is great because the real cause of the problem may not be addressed. La Marca (2001: 1) maintained that it is unlikely that perfect alignment between the test and content standards will occur and this is sufficient reason to have multiple accountability measures. In supporting alignment measures he concludes that "it would be a disservice to students and schools to judge achievement of academic expectations based on a poorly aligned system of assessment".
Alignment in the literature has been defined as the degree to which standards and assessments are in agreement and serve in conjunction with one another to guide the system towards students learning what they are expected to know and do (Webb, 1999:2). The emphasis is on the quality of the relationship between the two. A team of reviewers analysed the degree of alignment of assessments and standards in mathematics and science from four states in the United States using four criteria: categorical concurrence (or content consistency), depth-of-knowledge consistency (or cognitive demands), range-of-knowledge correspondence (or content coverage), and balance of representation (or distribution of test items). The alignment was found to vary across grade levels, content areas and states without any discernable pattern (Webb, 1999:vii). The study developed a valid and reliable process for analysing the alignment between standards and assessments.
Systematic studies of alignment based on Webb's procedures have been completed across many states in the United States (Bhola, Impara & Buckendahl, 2003; Olson, 2003; Porter, 2002; Porter, Smithson, Blank & Zeidner, 2007; Webb, 1997; 2007). Essentially it involves panels of subject experts analysing assessment items against a matrix comprising a subject area domain and levels of cognitive demand. Martone and Sireci (2009:1337) reviewed three methods for evaluating alignment - the Webb, Achieve, and Surveys of Enacted Curriculum (SEC) methods. They focused on the use of alignment methodologies to facilitate strong links between curriculum standards, instruction, and assessment. The authors conclude that all three methods start with the evaluation of the content cognitive complexity of standards and assessments with the SEC methodology including an instructional component. The latter method is useful to understand both the content and cognitive emphases whereas the Webb and Achieve methods help to better understand the breadth and range of comparison between the standards and assessment (ibid., p.1356).
Porter, Smithson, Blank and Zeidner (2007:28) have shown that several researchers have modified Webb's procedures to measure alignment. They outline a quantitative index of alignment, which is a two-dimensional language for describing content. The one dimension is topics and the other cognitive demand. The two content dimensions are analysed by experts in the subject field. The cognitive demand was categorized into five levels, ranging from the lowest to the highest: memorize (A), perform procedures (B), communicate understanding (C), solve non-routine problems (D), and conjecture/ generalize/prove (E). An alignment index is produced by comparing the level of agreement in cell values of the two matrices, both of which were standardized by converting all cell values into proportions of the grand total (Liang & Yuan, 2008:1825). Porter (2002:10) also contended that content analysis tools provide information that may be useful in developing more powerful programmes for teacher professional development. The proposed continuing professional development of in-service teachers in South Africa could potentially benefit from an analysis of alignment of the curriculum and examinations. Areas of over- or under-representation either way could be addressed.
Purpose of the study
Following the recommendations of Liang and Yuan (2008:1824) that international studies be done of different countries' curriculum standards and assessment systems, in this paper I analyse the extent to which the Grade 12 Physical Sciences exemplars of 2008 (DoE, 2008c) and the examination papers of 2008 (DoE, 2008d) and 2009 (DoE, 2009) are aligned with the core knowledge and concepts embodied in the NCS for Physical Sciences (DoE, 2003). The DoE published exemplar papers in 2008 to give an idea of what standard and format learners can expect in the final examination. This initiative followed widespread concern that the Grade 12 learners would not be adequately prepared for the final examination in 2008.
In this study the following research questions and sub-questions are investigated:
(a) What is the overall alignment between the Physical Sciences core curriculum and the Grade 12 national Physics and Chemistry examination?
i. How does the alignment between the Chemistry and Physics examination differ?
ii. How does the alignment of the exemplars of 2008 differ from the final examination of 2008 and 2009?
(b) How do the Chemistry and Physics examinations differ from the core curriculum in terms of cognitive levels?
(c) How do the Chemistry and Physics examinations differ from the core curriculum in terms of content areas?
This study employs document analysis as a research method as it involves a systematic and critical examination, rather than a mere description, of an instructional document such as the National Curriculum Statement (IAR, 2010:1). Document analysis is an analytical method that is used in qualitative research to gain an understanding of the trends and patterns that emerge from the data. Creswell and Plano Clark (2007:114) have argued that the researcher must determine the source of data that will best answer the research question or hypotheses by considering what types of data are possible. Merriam (1988) also pointed out that "documents of all types can help the researcher uncover meaning, develop understanding, and discover insights relevant to the research problem" (cited by Bowen, 2009:29). The justification for using document analysis also stems from its efficiency in terms of time, accessibility within the public domain and cost effectiveness (ibid., p.31).
A slightly modified version of Porter's method is used to analyse the core knowledge and concepts of the curriculum by employing a revised Bloom's taxonomy (RBT) which includes the cognitive level categories Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyse, Evaluate and Create (Liang & Yuan, 2008:1826). To facilitate the process, keywords were used to classify items and learning outcomes into the different cognitive levels. This was done for the curriculum as well as all the question papers in Chemistry and Physics.
Rationale for using the revised Bloom's taxonomy
The use of the RBT, which is a two-dimensional table, was a move away from the restrictive hierarchical original taxonomy. The notion of a cumulative hierarchy has been removed so that a student may use a higher-order cognitive skill without a lower-order one (Anderson, 2005:106). For example, a student may be applying a law (say Newton's first law) without necessarily understanding the law. The cognitive complexity at a lower level may be greater than at a higher level. These points are emphasised by Krathwohl (2002:215) when he states:
However, because the revision gives much greater weight to teacher usage, the requirement of a strict hierarchy has been relaxed to allow the categories to overlap one another. This is most clearly illustrated in the case of the category Understand. Because its scope has been considerably broadened over Comprehend in the original framework, some cognitive processes associated with Understand (e.g. Explaining) are more cognitively complex than at least one of the cognitive processes associated with Apply (e.g. Executing).
Mayer (2002:226) posited the idea that the revised taxonomy is aimed at broadening the range of cognitive processes so that meaningful learning can occur. This can be achieved by not only promoting retention of material but transfer as well which entails the ability to use what was learned to solve new problems. This is particularly relevant in Physics where the learner must solve problems that they have not encountered before by applying their prior knowledge. Näsström (2009:40) has also shown that the revised taxonomy is useful as a categorisation tool of the standards for the following reasons:
1. It is designed for analysing and developing standards, teaching and assessment as well as of emphasising alignment among these main components of an educational system.
2. It has general stated content categories which allow comparisons of standards from different subjects.
3. In a study where standards in chemistry were categorised with two different types of models, Bloom's revised taxonomy was found to interpret the standards more unambiguously than a model with topics-based categories.
This particular alignment study focuses on the range of competences per content area within Physical Sciences using the RBT. The two-dimensional structure of the RBT allows for teachers to increase the cognitive complexity of their teaching which may lead to meaningful learning (Amer, 2006:224-225).
Data collection procedures
Analysis of core knowledge and concepts in Physical Sciences In South Africa the NCS for Physical Sciences (Grades 10-12) has been divided into six core knowledge areas:
two with a chemistry focus - Systems; Change;
three with a physics focus - Mechanics; Waves, Sound and Light; Electricity and Magnetism; and
one with an integrated focus - Matter and Materials. (DoE, 2003:11)
A Physical Sciences content document was published in 2006 to give depth to the NCS (DoE, 2006). Table 1 is an extract from this document which shows that column one corresponds to the NCS and column two gives the depth to the concepts.
The Physical Sciences Grade 12 examination guidelines give specific details regarding the themes to be tested in each of the knowledge areas (DoE, 2008b:14). It outlines the format of the question papers in Chemistry and Physics, knowledge that is required from content in Grades 10 and 11 and the core content that will be assessed in the final examination. The latter corresponds to the first two columns which show the core knowledge and concepts in Table 1. There are 32 themes in Physics including force, momentum, projectile motion, work, energy, power, Doppler Effect, electrostatics, electric circuits, optical phenomena, etc. Chemistry has 20 themes including organic chemistry, electrochemistry, rates of reactions, chemical industries, etc.
The themes for Physics and Chemistry resulted in a 32 × 6 table and a 20 × 6 table, respectively, for the core knowledge and the 6 cognitive levels within the revised Bloom's taxonomy. The themes were then collapsed into the knowledge areas for ease of comparison with the examination later. The examination does not necessarily include all the themes, but all the knowledge areas are covered. Liu et al. (2009:782) motivated similarly in their study that "in order for standardised tests to properly guide instruction, it was necessary to focus attention on broader topics or big ideas instead of isolated and specific topics". Two coders with a combined experience of more than 30 years in teaching Physical Sciences independently classified the curriculum content using the tables to achieve an inter-coder reliability of 0.97 and 0.98 for Physics and Chemistry, respectively. These relatively high coefficients can be ascribed to the use of the keywords to classify the curriculum content. The assessment statements ("the learner must be able to ...") were unambiguous and straightforward to classify. The differences were resolved through discussion.
Analysis of the Chemistry and Physics exemplar and examination
In 2008 the DoE published exemplars and preparatory examination papers for many subjects in anticipation of the final examination in November. In this article the Chemistry and Physics examination papers of the exemplar of 2008 and the final examinations of 2008 and 2009 have been analysed. Each examination paper is worth 150 marks and together they contribute 75% of the pass mark in the subject. A variety of questions including multiple-choice questions, one-word answers, matching items, true-false items and problem-solving questions were included. The same two coders analysed the examinations along with the marking memoranda using a matrix identical to the one used for the core curriculum. An average inter-coder reliability of 0.88 and 0.92 for the Physics and Chemistry examination respectively was obtained. Differences were again resolved through discussion.
Calculating the Porter alignment index
The cell values in the curriculum table and examination table are standardised to make them comparable, that is, converted into ratios totalling to 1 (Liu et al., 2009:781). The Porter alignment index is defined as:
where n is the total number of cells in the table and i refers to a specific table cell, ranging from 1 to n. For example, for a 3 × 4 table, there are 12 cells, thus n = 12. Xi refers to the ith cell of Table X (e.g. the standardized test table) and Yi refers to the corresponding cell (ith cell) in Table Y (e.g. the content standard table). Both Xi and Yi are ratios with a value from 0 to 1. The sum of X1 to Xn is equal to 1, so is the sum of Y to Y . The discrepancy between the ith cells of the test table and the standard table can be calculated as
The total absolute discrepancy is then calculated by summing the absolute discrepancies over all cells (Liu et al., 2009:781-782).
The values of the Porter alignment index ranges from 0 to 1, which indicates no alignment or perfect alignment respectively (Liang & Yuan, 2008: 1829). The alignment indices as well as the discrepancies between corresponding cells, by cognitive levels and knowledge area, were all computed using Microsoft Excel. Liu and Fulmer (2008:375) have also argued that Porter's alignment model has two advantages over other models: (a) it adopts a common language to describe curriculum, instruction and assessment; and (b) it produces a single number as the alignment index.
A. Core knowledge and concepts in Physical Sciences
Table 2 presents the core knowledge and concepts of the Grade 12 Physics curriculum according to knowledge themes and cognitive levels within the revised Bloom's taxonomy. Within the cognitive level categories Remember constitutes the largest proportion (38.9%), followed by Understand (29.9%) and Apply (26.4%). The last three categories have by far the lowest percentages as is evident from the table. The knowledge area Electricity and Magnetism contributes 40.3% of the total cognitive categories while Mechanics makes up 27.1%. The knowledge theme that spans both Physics and Chemistry (i.e. Matter & Materials) contributes 13.2% of the total.
Table 3 presents the core knowledge and concepts of the Grade 12 Chemistry curriculum according to knowledge themes and cognitive levels. The cognitive level Remember again has the greatest emphasis (48.8%) compared with Understand (29.9%). Apply contributes 26.4% with the other three cognitive levels making insignificant contributions.
B. Overall Porter alignment index
The overall Porter alignment indices are shown in Table 4. The alignments between the Physics curriculum and the exemplar as well as the 2008 and 2009 final examinations are statistically significant, with a mean of 0.783. The mean alignment index for Chemistry is lower (0.628) and not significant at the 0.05 level. Liu et al. (2009:781) have shown that an alignment of 0.78 is significant at the 0.05 level.
Figure 1 shows the difference in alignment between the Chemistry and Physics paper and the change from the exemplar to the two final examinations. Physics had consistently higher alignments than Chemistry and remained constant from the exemplar to the final examination in November 2009. The increase in alignment for Chemistry from the exemplar to the final examination in 2008 is steep. There appears to be a levelling off from 2008 to 2009.
C. Cognitive level differences
Table 5 presents the mean discrepancies bycognitive level for the Physics exemplar and November examinations. These represent the differences between the ratios in the curriculum table and the examination table. Negative numbers indicate that the curriculum is under-represented. The discrepancies ranged from +0.8% (Understand, Apply, Analyse) to -3% (Remember) for the Exemplar; from +0.8% (Understand & Analyse) to -3.3% (Remember) for the November 2008 examination; and ranged from -0.3% (Evaluate) to -3% (Remember) for the November 2009 examination. The largest discrepancy is in the Remember category for all three examinations. There appears to be no overall discrepancy in terms of cognitive complexity amongst the three examinations.
Table 6 presents the cognitive-level differences in Chemistry. Remember as a cognitive level is again under-represented (-6.6%), while the Apply level is over-emphasised (+2.9%). The cognitive level Evaluate is also over-emphasised (+1.1%).
The discrepancies within the Exemplar ranges from +0.7% (Create) to -8.7% (Remember); within the November 2008 examination it ranges from -0.3% (Analyse & Evaluate) to -6% (Remember); and it ranges from -0.3% (Analyse & Evaluate) to -5% (Remember) for the November 2009 examination. The exemplar and two final examinations across all levels only marginally under-represent the curriculum in terms of cognitive demand.
Figure 2 graphically illustrates how the curriculum in Physics is underrepresented in the Remember category, but over-represented in almost all the other categories.
The same scenario obtains when looking at Figure 3 which presents a graph of the discrepancies in Chemistry. The Remember cognitive level is again under-emphasised, while in most of the other categories there is an over-emphasis.
D. Discrepancies by content areas
Table 7 shows the discrepancies by content areas for the Physics examinations, while Figure 4 illustrates this graphically. In Mechanics the biggest discrepancy was +1.3% for the November 2008 examination while in the November 2009 examination it was marginally under-represented. The knowledge area Waves, Sound and Light had a discrepancy of +1.8% in the November 2009 examination. Electricity and Magnetism was slightly underrepresented in both the final examinations. Marginal under-representation also occurred in the Matter and Materials knowledge area in all three Physics papers.
Table 8 presents the discrepancies by content areas for Chemistry. In the knowledge area Matter and Materials there is an over-emphasis (mean = +4.3%) in all the examination papers. Chemical Change and Chemical Systems are both under-represented (mean = -2.3%) in all the Chemistry examination papers. Figure 5 graphically shows this under-representation for Chemical Change and Chemical Systems.
Discussion and implications
The classification of the core curriculum content in this paper has been relatively straightforward in that verbs are used to describe what a learner must be able to do. By using a list of keywords in each cognitive level, it is a matter of classifying according to the verb. Hence, the relatively high inter-rater correlations achieved by the coders can be understood, and any differences are minor and easily resolved through discussion. Classifying the exemplar and examination items for Physics and Chemistry is a more tedious process. Having experienced teachers also helped to achieve good inter-rater correlations. Differences of opinion do arise and so the resolution through discussion takes much longer.
The Porter alignment indices for Physics and Chemistry have been shown to be about 0.8 and 0.6, respectively. This is similar to what Liu and Fulmer (2008:379) found in their study. There is little variation in Physics and an initial fluctuation in the index for Chemistry which then becomes constant between the final examinations. The Physics alignment index is also consistently higher than the Chemistry alignment index. The degree of alignment depends on the table matrix, because it would be more difficult to find exact matching in the corresponding cells if the table is larger, but having more specific categories helps. The tables that are used for Physics and Chemistry have specific themes under each knowledge area, which also helped with the coding of items. An insignificant alignment index is not necessarily a bad thing if this is due to the examination including more cognitively demanding items. There has been a differentiated impact of testing on teaching due to the relative emphases of the topics and cognitive demands (Liu et al., 2009:792). Teachers may use the items to adopt more student-centred pedagogies or they will use it to drive their lessons in a teacher-centred way.
The adoption of a two-dimensional table to calculate the Porter alignment index is in line with the revised Bloom's taxonomy. This allows for a non-hierarchical approach so that cognitive complexity can occur across levels. Science concepts may be mastered at different cognitive levels, but recall (Remember) is essential for problem-solving since it taps into long-term memory. The higher-order cognitive levels promote transfer of knowledge as opposed to formulaic methods where learners are adept at substituting numbers into formulae. This study has found that the Remember category was under-emphasised in the exemplar and final examinations for both Physics and Chemistry. In the Physics final examinations of 2008 and 2009, Apply as a cognitive level is over-represented. This could simply be an indication that there is a shift away from simple recall to more demanding skills in Physics. The final examinations of 2008 and 2009 in Chemistry emphasised the cognitive levels Understand and Apply. Krathwohl (2002:215) highlighted that some cognitive processes associated with Understand are more complex than those associated with Apply. Green and Naidoo (2006:79) also showed the shift in cognitive complexity of the Physical Sciences curriculum overall. There is clearly a need for Physical Science teachers to improve the skills of learners to handle more complex items in the examination if the Grade 12 final examination results are anything to go by.
A look at the examiners' reports (WCED, 2008a:1-2; WCED, 2008b:1-2) for the final examination in Physics and Chemistry highlights the following:
candidates are unable to explain phenomena by applying principles;
new work in the curriculum is poorly answered;
candidates struggle with concepts requiring higher-order reasoning to solve problems;
candidates lack basic understanding (comprehension); and
higher-order questions that also occurred in the old curriculum are well answered.
The lack of emphasis on higher-order cognitive skills could possibly lead to teachers not preparing Grade 12 learners adequately for the examination. Where teachers appear to be familiar with the work from the old curriculum, the learners are doing well. However, it would seem that a lack of development of teachers in the new materials is hampering the progress of learners. The learners are also doing worse in the Chemistry paper overall and a lower alignment index is one possible explanation for this. The exemplar and examinations in Physics maintain a balanced emphasis across the knowledge areas, whereas for Chemistry instances of over- and under-representation occur. Within the knowledge area Matter and Materials in Chemistry there is a 5% over-representation in the final examination. This contains a lot of new material in Organic Chemistry that learners struggle to understand. Perhaps there is also a need to develop teachers in this area as many of them do not have an adequate background in Organic Chemistry.
The 2009 Grade 12 Physical Sciences results that were released in January 2010 showed a drastic increase in the failure rate. One possible explanation for this is that no new exemplars for Physical Sciences were made available in 2009. This study has shown that on the whole the final examinations of 2008 and 2009, and the exemplars of 2008 were fairly consistent across cognitive levels and content areas. What needs to be researched is the issue of test familiarity, since other preparatory examinations were also released in 2008. Umalusi (2009:121) compared the NCS with the old curriculum and concluded that it is far more difficult in terms of breadth of content than is the old curriculum, but is midway between the Higher and Standard Grade levels of the old curriculum in terms of the levels of difficulty of the content topics. The Physical Sciences panel also estimated that up to 35% more classroom time is needed for the NCS content compared with the old curriculum.
There are huge gaps inherent in the South African education system as far as implementing the new curriculum is concerned. Teachers utilise the published policy documents to give direction to their teaching. The curriculum documents themselves should be clear and give a balanced weighting across cognitive levels. If this situation obtains, then teachers can have a reasonable expectation that the examination should be aligned to the curriculum content. Alignment studies would thus be important to elucidate the differences in the intended curriculum and the enacted curriculum. They could also be used as a tool for the professional development of teachers to analyse their internally-set examinations. This study makes a first contribution towards establishing the quality of the relationship between the Physical Sciences curriculum and the examination in the South African context. It also has potential to be utilised in other subjects such as Mathematics and Life Sciences. A further area of research, which has been beyond the scope of this study, would be to examine the cognitive complexity within each knowledge area in Physics and Chemistry.
I thank Lucille Phillips and Andrew Fair for their participation in this study, the teachers for their contribution at a workshop on the revised Bloom's taxonomy, Prof Lesley Le Grange for useful comments on an earlier draft, and the reviewers for constructive feedback.
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Liu X & Fulmer G 2008. Alignment between the Science curriculum and assessment in selected NY State Regents exams. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 4:373-383. [ Links ]
Liu X, Zhang B, Liang L, Fulmer G, Kim B & Yuan H 2009. Alignment between the Physics content standard and the standardized test: A comparison among the United States-New York State, Singapore, and China-Jiangsu. Science Education, 93:777-797. [ Links ]
Martone A & Sireci SG 2009. Evaluating alignment between curriculum, assessment, and Instruction. Review of Educational Research, 79:1332-1361. [ Links ]
Mayer RE 2002. Rote versus meaningful learning. Theory into Practice, 41:226-232. [ Links ]
Näsström G 2009. Interpretation of standards with Bloom's revised taxonomy: a comparison of teachers and assessment experts. International Journal of Research & Method in Education, 32:39-51. [ Links ]
Olson L 2003. Standards and tests: Keeping them aligned. Research Points: Essential Information for Education Policy, 1:1-4. [ Links ]
Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development 2008. Reviews of National Policies for Education: South Africa. OECD, Paris. [ Links ]
Porter AC 2002. Measuring the content of instruction: Uses in research and practice. Educational Researcher, 31:3-14. [ Links ]
Porter AC, Smithson J, Blank R & Zeidner T 2007. Alignment as a teacher variable. Applied Measurement in Education, 20:27-51. [ Links ]
Umalusi 2009. From NATED 550 to the new National Curriculum: maintaining standards in 2008. Part 2: Curriculum Evaluation. Pretoria: Umalusi. [ Links ]
Rogan JM 2007. How much curriculum change is appropriate? Defining a zone of feasible innovation. Science Education, 91:439-460. [ Links ]
Webb NL 1997. Criteria for alignment of expectations and assessments in mathematics and science education (Research monograph No. 6). Washington, DC: Council of Chief State School Officers. [ Links ]
Webb NL 1999. Alignment of science and mathematics standards and assessments in four states (Research monograph No. 18). Washington, DC: Council of Chief State School Officers. [ Links ]
Webb NL 2007. Issues related to judging the alignment of curriculum standards and assessments. Applied Measurement in Education, 20:7-25. [ Links ]
Western Cape Education Department 2008a. Physical Sciences -Paper 1. Available at http://wced.wcape.gov.za/documents/2008-exam-reports/reports/physical_science_p1.pdf. Accessed 26 February 2010. [ Links ]
Western Cape Education Department 2008b. Physical Sciences -Paper 2. Available at http://wced.wcape.gov.za/documents/2008-exam-reports/reports/physical_science_p2.pdf. Accessed 26 February 2010. [ Links ]
Nazeem Edwards is a science education Lecturer in the Department of Curriculum Studies at Stellenbosch University and has 22 years teaching experience. His research interests are in developing pre-service science teachers' conceptual understanding, science teachers' pedagogical content knowledge, argumentation in science education and alignment studies.


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text:
COVID-19: travel health notice for all travellers
Vietnam travel advice
Latest updates: The Health section was updated - travel health information (Public Health Agency of Canada)
Last updated: ET
On this page
- Risk level
- Safety and security
- Entry and exit requirements
- Health
- Laws and culture
- Natural disasters and climate
- Need help?
Risk level
Vietnam - Exercise a high degree of caution
Exercise a high degree of caution in Vietnam due to increasing petty crime targeting foreigners.
Safety and security
Petty crime, such as pickpocketing and purse snatching, occurs from time to time, particularly in larger cities. Instances of petty crime may increase before major public holidays, especially Tet (Lunar New Year). Pick-pocketing is common in:
- tourist areas
- markets and shopping centres
- crowded buses and trains
Motorcyclists grab bags and other valuables from pedestrians and from passengers or drivers on motorbikes. This often results in injury to the victim.
Criminals are more likely to target hotels and tourist areas.
Bag slashing is a frequent occurrence in crowded streets and markets.
Avoid showing signs of affluence and ensure that your personal belongings, including your passport and other travel documents, are secure at all times.
Although violent crimes such as armed robbery are still relatively rare in Vietnam, perpetrators have grown increasingly bold. Knives and razors have been used in attempted robberies in Ho Chi Minh City.
Threats of physical injury related to personal disputes occasionally occur. If you are in this position, contact the local police and the closest Canadian government office immediately.
At the airport
Individuals posing as taxi drivers have targeted foreign visitors at Nội Bài International Airport in Hanoi and robbed them by forcing them to withdraw money from ATMs.
Travellers have also been robbed by drivers who greeted them upon arrival with a placard showing their name.
If you're expecting to be picked up, confirm your driver's name, phone number and licence plate number before you travel.
When leaving the airport, you should only use authorized airport taxis or hotel transportation. Authorized taxi companies usually have operators posted at airports who are responsible for monitoring taxi services. These companies publish the taxi driver's name and vehicle number on a card that should be affixed to the windshield (in front of the driver's seat).
Spiked food and drinks
Never leave food or drinks unattended or in the care of strangers. Be wary of accepting snacks, beverages, gum or cigarettes from new acquaintances. These items may contain drugs that could put you at risk of sexual assault and robbery.
Don't purchase liquor from street vendors, as the quality cannot be assured.
Women's safety
Women travelling alone may be subject to some forms of harassment and verbal abuse. Sexual assault and harassment do occur.
Local authorities may not always respond adequately to reports of sexual violence and harassment. If you are the victim of a sexual assault, you should report it immediately to local authorities and to the nearest Canadian office.
- Avoid travelling alone, especially at night
- Remain particularly vigilant in less populous areas
- Be careful when dealing with strangers or recent acquaintances
Both tourists and expatriates have been targeted by credit card forgery crime. Avoid using your credit card in smaller establishments, and pay careful attention when others are handling your card. Consider obtaining a second card, with a low credit limit, for use during your stay in Asia. To minimize risks:
- pay careful attention when your cards are being handled by others
- use ATMs located in well-lit public areas or inside a bank or business
- avoid using card readers with an irregular or unusual feature
- cover the keypad with one hand when entering your PIN
- check for any unauthorized transactions on your account statements
Tourists have been victims of gambling scams in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (particularly in the Pham Ngu Lao neighbourhood). This scam usually starts with a friendly invitation to someone's home to meet a relative interested in visiting or studying in Canada. While the visitor is waiting for this individual, a casual game of cards will begin. Even though they started with only a small wager, victims have lost thousands of dollars over the course of an evening.
Public demonstrations are generally not tolerated in Vietnam and can carry heavy penalties, including lengthy jail sentences.
- Avoid areas where demonstrations and large gatherings are taking place
- Follow the instructions of local authorities
- Monitor local media for information on ongoing demonstrations
Mass gatherings (large-scale events)
Restricted areas
Travel near military facilities in some parts of the central highlands and in some border areas is restricted.
If you wish to visit a village, commune or ward that is close to the border, you must obtain permission from the provincial police department. Contact the relevant local authority for more information.
Unexploded landmines
Unexploded landmines remain a hazard in some rural areas of central Vietnam.
Hotel rooms and electronic communications may be monitored.
Hotel staff must register your passport with local authorities. The staff may insist on keeping your passport until your departure, but there is no legal reason for them to do so. You may request the return of your passport once it has been registered.
Road safety
Traffic accidents occur frequently, often causing death or serious injury. Motorcycle riders and pedestrians are common victims.
Driving standards are poor, vehicles and roads are often badly maintained, and roads in major cities are congested. Rain can flood potholes and roads, especially those in the north, can become impassable during the rainy season. Travelling after dark is dangerous.
You should hire a car and driver for personal transportation.
Rent a motorcycle only if you hold a valid Vietnamese driver's licence and you are accustomed to local driving standards. Be aware that insurance may not be included with these rentals.
Public transportation
Motorcycle taxis (known as "xe oms") are unsafe. Avoid this method of transportation.
Be familiar with your hotel's address and neighbouring landmarks. Taxi drivers have taken unaware visitors to the wrong establishment, in order to receive a commission.
Never share a taxi with a stranger.
Bus and coach accidents are common.
A number of fatal boat accidents have occurred in past years, including in Ha Long Bay. Ensure that your tour operator follows up-to-date safety regulations.
Retain your ticket stub when travelling by train, as it is required to exit the train station. Passengers without a ticket stub will be required to pay the fare again.
Pirate attacks and armed robbery against ships occur in coastal waters. Mariners should take appropriate precautions.
Live piracy report - International Maritime Bureau
Air travel
We do not make assessments on the compliance of foreign domestic airlines with international safety standards.
Entry and exit requirements
Every country or territory decides who can enter or exit through its borders. The Government of Canada cannot intervene on your behalf if you do not meet your destination's entry or exit requirements.
We have obtained the information on this page from the Vietnamese authorities. It can, however, change at any time.
Verify this information with the Foreign Representatives in Canada.
Entry requirements vary depending on the type of passport you use for travel.
Before you travel, check with your transportation company about passport requirements. Its rules on passport validity may be more stringent than the country's entry rules.
Regular Canadian passport
Your passport must be valid for at least 1 month beyond the expiry date of their visa.
Passport for official travel
Different entry rules may apply.
Passport with "X" gender identifier
While the Government of Canada issues passports with an "X" gender identifier, it cannot guarantee your entry or transit through other countries. You might face entry restrictions in countries that do not recognize the "X" gender identifier. Before you leave, check with the closest foreign representative for your destination.
Other travel documents
Different entry rules may apply when travelling with a temporary passport or an emergency travel document. Before you leave, check with the closest foreign representative for your destination.
Useful links
Tourist visa: required
Business visa: required
Student visa: required
Work visa: required
You should obtain your visa prior to arrival. You can request an extension from:
- the Vietnam Immigration Department in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City
- certain local travel agencies and tour companies (for a fee)
Vietnamese visas in expired Canadian passports are not valid. The visa needs to be transferred to the new passport.
Overstaying your Vietnamese visa without authority or having the wrong type of visa is a serious matter and you may be delayed from onward travel until a fine is paid. Check the visa validity and conditions carefully.
For visits of multiple entries or longer than 30 days, you must get a visa from the nearest Vietnamese embassy before travelling to Vietnam.
A visa may be issued on arrival in emergency situations. Contact the Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in Canada for more information on this and other visa requirements.
Foreign diplomatic missions and consulates in Canada
Many travel agencies submit visa applications in batches. Some have returned visa approval confirmations containing personal details to multiple clients. If you apply for a visa through a travel agency, be aware that some of your personal information may be shared with other clients.
Electronic visa authorization
Holders of a valid Canadian passport are eligible to apply online for a single-entry electronic tourist visa (e-visa), valid for a maximum of 30 days. Some restrictions apply.
Those who have an e-visa can only enter Vietnam via the port of entry indicated in their visa approval notice.
Apply for an e-visa - Immigration Department of Vietnam
Visa exemptions
Family members
Canadians who are spouses or children of Vietnamese citizens can apply for a visa exemption certificate. The certificate is valid for 5 years and allows multiple entries into Vietnam, each for a 6-months stay. Applications can be made at the nearest Vietnamese embassy or the Immigration Department in Vietnam.
Phu Quoc Islands
You may visit the islands of Phu Quoc without a visa if:
- your visit does not exceed 30 days
- your passport is valid for at least 6 months beyond the date of entry into the country
- you are not transiting or visiting other parts of Vietnam
Travellers must register with the local police upon arrival, even if staying with relatives. Hotel guests are automatically registered.
Health screening
Travellers entering the country are subject to a body temperature check and, in some cases, may be quarantined for medical observation if they show flu-like symptoms.
Children and travel
Learn more about travelling with children.
Yellow fever
Learn about potential entry requirements related to yellow fever (vaccines section).
Relevant Travel Health Notices
- Global Measles Notice - 8 September, 2022
- Zika virus: Advice for travellers - 28 June, 2022
- COVID-19 and International Travel - 17 March, 2023
- Dengue : Advice for travellers - 10 March, 2023
This section contains information on possible health risks and restrictions regularly found or ongoing in the destination. Follow this advice to lower your risk of becoming ill while travelling. Not all risks are listed below.
Consult a health care professional or visit a travel health clinic preferably 6 weeks before you travel to get personalized health advice and recommendations.
Routine vaccines
Be sure that your routine vaccinations, as per your province or territory, are up-to-date before travelling, regardless of your destination.
Some of these vaccinations include measles-mumps-rubella (MMR), diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, varicella (chickenpox), influenza and others.
Pre-travel vaccines and medications
You may be at risk for preventable diseases while travelling in this destination. Talk to a travel health professional about which medications or vaccines may be right for you, based on your destination and itinerary.
Yellow Fever - Country Entry Requirements
Yellow fever is a disease caused by a flavivirus from the bite of an infected mosquito.
Travellers get vaccinated either because it is required to enter a country or because it is recommended for their protection.
- There is no risk of yellow fever in this country.
Country Entry Requirement*
- Proof of vaccination is not required to enter this country.
- Vaccination is not recommended.
* It is important to note that country entry requirements may not reflect your risk of yellow fever at your destination. It is recommended that you contact the nearest diplomatic or consular office of the destination(s) you will be visiting to verify any additional entry requirements.
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A is a disease of the liver spread through contaminated food and water or contact with an infected person. All those travelling to regions with a risk of hepatitis A infection should get vaccinated.
Rabies is a deadly illness spread to humans through a bite, scratch or lick from an infected animal. Vaccination should be considered for travellers going to areas where rabies exists and who have a high risk of exposure (e.g., are children, have an occupational risk, or in close contact with animals, including free roaming dogs in communities).
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease. It can spread quickly from person to person by direct contact and through droplets in the air.
Anyone who is not protected against measles is at risk of being infected with it when travelling internationally.
Regardless of where you are going, talk to a health care professional before travelling to make sure you are fully protected against measles.
Japanese encephalitis
Japanese encephalitis is a viral infection that can cause swelling of the brain. It is spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. Risk is very low for most travellers. Travellers at relatively higher risk may want to consider vaccination for JE prior to travelling.
Travellers are at higher risk if they will be:
- travelling long term (e.g. more than 30 days)
- making multiple trips to endemic areas
- staying for extended periods in rural areas
- visiting an area suffering a JE outbreak
- engaging in activities involving high contact with mosquitos (e.g., entomologists)
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is a disease of the liver spread through blood or other bodily fluids. Travellers who may be exposed (e.g., through sexual contact, medical treatment, sharing needles, tattooing, acupuncture or occupational exposure) should get vaccinated.
- There is a risk of malaria in certain areas and/or during a certain time of year in this country.
- Malaria is a serious and occasionally fatal disease that is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. There is no vaccine against malaria.
- Protect yourself from mosquito bites. This includes covering up, using insect repellent and staying in enclosed, air-conditioned accommodations. You may also consider pre-treating clothing and travel gear with insecticides and sleeping under an insecticide-treated bednet.
- Antimalarial medication may be recommended depending on your itinerary and the time of year you are travelling. See a health care provider or visit a travel health clinic, preferably six weeks before you travel to discuss your options.
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious viral disease. It can spread from person to person by direct contact and through droplets in the air.
It is recommended that all eligible travellers complete a COVID-19 vaccine series along with any additional recommended doses in Canada before travelling. Evidence shows that vaccines are very effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalization and death from COVID-19. While vaccination provides better protection against serious illness, you may still be at risk of infection from the virus that causes COVID-19. Anyone who has not completed a vaccine series is at increased risk of being infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 and is at greater risk for severe disease when travelling internationally.
Before travelling, verify your destination's COVID-19 vaccination entry/exit requirements. Regardless of where you are going, talk to a health care professional before travelling to make sure you are adequately protected against COVID-19.
Safe food and water precautions
Many illnesses can be caused by eating food or drinking beverages contaminated by bacteria, parasites, toxins, or viruses, or by swimming or bathing in contaminated water.
- Learn more about food and water precautions to take to avoid getting sick by visiting our eat and drink safely abroad page. Remember: Boil it, cook it, peel it, or leave it!
- Avoid getting water into your eyes, mouth or nose when swimming or participating in activities in freshwater (streams, canals, lakes), particularly after flooding or heavy rain. Water may look clean but could still be polluted or contaminated.
- Avoid inhaling or swallowing water while bathing, showering, or swimming in pools or hot tubs.
Travellers' diarrhea
Travellers' diarrhea is the most common illness affecting travellers. It is spread from eating or drinking contaminated food or water.
Risk of developing travellers' diarrhea increases when travelling in regions with poor standards of hygiene and sanitation. Practise safe food and water precautions.
The most important treatment for travellers' diarrhea is rehydration (drinking lots of fluids). Carry oral rehydration salts when travelling.
Typhoid is a bacterial infection spread by contaminated food or water. Risk is higher among children, travellers going to rural areas, travellers visiting friends and relatives or those travelling for a long period of time.
Travellers visiting regions with a risk of typhoid, especially those exposed to places with poor sanitation, should speak to a health care professional about vaccination.
Insect bite prevention
Many diseases are spread by the bites of infected insects such as mosquitoes, ticks, fleas or flies. When travelling to areas where infected insects may be present:
- Use insect repellent (bug spray) on exposed skin
- Cover up with light-coloured, loose clothes made of tightly woven materials such as nylon or polyester
- Minimize exposure to insects
- Use mosquito netting when sleeping outdoors or in buildings that are not fully enclosed
To learn more about how you can reduce your risk of infection and disease caused by bites, both at home and abroad, visit our insect bite prevention page.
Find out what types of insects are present where you're travelling, when they're most active, and the symptoms of the diseases they spread.
There is a risk of chikungunya in this country. The risk may vary between regions of a country. Chikungunya is a virus spread through the bite of an infected mosquito. Chikungunya can cause a viral disease that typically causes fever and pain in the joints. In some cases, the joint pain can be severe and last for months or years.
Protect yourself from mosquito bites at all times. There is no vaccine available for chikungunya.
- In this country, dengue is a risk to travellers. It is a viral disease spread to humans by mosquito bites.
- Dengue can cause flu-like symptoms. In some cases, it can lead to severe dengue, which can be fatal.
- The level of risk of dengue changes seasonally, and varies from year to year. The level of risk also varies between regions in a country and can depend on the elevation in the region.
- Mosquitoes carrying dengue typically bite during the daytime, particularly around sunrise and sunset.
- Protect yourself from mosquito bites. There is no vaccine or medication that protects against dengue.
Animal precautions
Some infections, such as rabies and influenza, can be shared between humans and animals. Certain types of activities may put you at higher risk of contact with animals, such as travelling in rural or forested areas, camping, hiking, and visiting wet markets (places where live animals are slaughtered and sold) or caves.
Travellers are cautioned to avoid contact with animals, including dogs, livestock (pigs, cows), monkeys, snakes, rodents, birds, and bats, and to avoid eating undercooked wild game.
Closely supervise children, as they're more likely to come in contact with animals.
Avian Influenza
There have been human cases of avian influenza in this country.
Avian influenza is a viral infection that can spread quickly and easily among birds. In rare cases, it can infect people.
Protect yourself:
- avoid high risk areas such as poultry farms and live animal markets
- avoid areas where poultry may be slaughtered
- avoid contact with birds (alive or dead)
- avoid surfaces that may have bird droppings or secretions on them
- ensure all poultry dishes, including eggs, are well cooked
Person-to-person infections
Stay home if you're sick and practise proper cough and sneeze etiquette, which includes coughing or sneezing into a tissue or the bend of your arm, not your hand. Reduce your risk of colds, the flu and other illnesses by:
- washing your hands often
- avoiding or limiting the amount of time spent in closed spaces, crowded places, or at large-scale events (concerts, sporting events, rallies)
- avoiding close physical contact with people who may be showing symptoms of illness
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV are spread through blood and bodily fluids; use condoms, practise safe sex, and limit your number of sexual partners.
Hand, foot and mouth disease
Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a common viral illness that mainly affects infants and children. Travellers are at increased risk if visiting or living in overcrowded conditions. There is no vaccine or medication that protects against this disease.
Tuberculosis is an infection caused by bacteria and usually affects the lungs.
For most travellers the risk of tuberculosis is low.
Travellers who may be at high risk while travelling in regions with risk of tuberculosis should discuss pre- and post-travel options with a health care professional.
High-risk travellers include those visiting or working in prisons, refugee camps, homeless shelters, or hospitals, or travellers visiting friends and relatives.
Medical services and facilities
Health-care service standards are below what you might expect in Canada. Both medical facilities and supplies are limited outside of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Serious medical problems may require evacuation.
Make sure you get travel insurance that includes coverage for medical evacuation and hospital stays.
Laws and culture
You must abide by local laws.
Learn about what you should do and how we can help if you are arrested or detained abroad.
Vietnamese law requires everyone to carry photo ID at all times. You should carry a photocopy of the pages from your passport with your personal details and visa for ID, and leave the original passport in a safe place.
Penalties for possession, use or trafficking of illegal drugs are severe and include the death penalty.
Useful links
Illegal or restricted activities
Gambling outside of licensed casinos is illegal in Vietnam.
Photography of military installations and border crossings is prohibited.
Involvement in politics, possession of political or sexually explicit material, or involvement in an unsanctioned religious activity can result in detention. Participation in a public demonstration is generally not tolerated in Vietnam and can carry heavy penalties, including lengthy jail sentences.
Visitors are not allowed to invite Vietnamese nationals of the opposite sex into their hotel rooms to stay overnight. Visitors are allowed to stay with a Vietnamese family, providing they have obtained permission from local authorities.
Vietnamese law restricts the export of antiques, but these laws are vague and unevenly enforced. If you purchase non-antique items of value, retain receipts and confirmation from shop owners and/or the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Vietnam General Department of Customs to prevent seizure of your items upon departure.
Dual citizenship
Dual citizenship is not legally recognized in Vietnam.
If local authorities consider you a citizen of Vietnam, they may refuse to grant you access to Canadian consular services. This will prevent us from providing you with those services.
Travellers with dual citizenship
International Child Abduction
The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction is an international treaty. It can help parents with the return of children who have been removed to or retained in certain countries in violation of custody rights. It does not apply between Canada and Vietnam.
If your child was wrongfully taken to, or is being held in Vietnam by an abducting parent:
- act as quickly as you can
- consult a lawyer in Canada and in Vietnam to explore all the legal options for the return of your child
- report the situation to the nearest Canadian government office abroad or to the Vulnerable Children's Consular Unit at Global Affairs Canada by calling the Emergency Watch and Response Centre.
If your child was removed from a country other than Canada, consult a lawyer to determine if The Hague Convention applies.
Be aware that Canadian consular officials cannot interfere in private legal matters or in another country's judicial affairs.
Useful links
- International Child Abduction: A Guidebook for Left-Behind Parents
- Travelling with children
- Canadian embassies and consulates by destination
- Emergency Watch and Response Centre
You must hold a valid Vietnamese driver's licence to drive a vehicle with an engine of 50CC (cubic centimetres) or more, including most motorcycles.
Contact the Department of Transport in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City for licensing information.
Department of Transport in Ho Chi Minh City (in Vietnamese)
If you are involved in a traffic accident, you may face criminal charges as a driver. You may have to pay compensation if someone is injured. You may be prohibited from leaving the country before paying this compensation.
There is zero tolerance for drinking and driving or cycling. If you're convicted of driving or cycling under the influence of alcohol, you can be fined and have your driver's licence revoked for up to two years.
Motorcycle drivers and passengers must wear a helmet.
If driving, ensure that the vehicle has proper insurance.
There are restrictions on vehicles crossing into neighbouring countries.
Declaration upon arrival and departure
Upon arrival, you must declare if you have:
- 15 million Vietnamese dong or more, or US$5,000 or more (or the equivalent in any other currency), in cash
- more than 300 grams of gold, including jewellery, gold bar and raw gold
Upon departure, you must declare if you have 15 million Vietnamese dong or more, or US$5,000 or more (or the equivalent in any other currency), in cash. You must also present one of the following documents:
- written confirmation of carrying foreign currency or Vietnamese dong in cash abroad, issued by an authorized Vietnamese credit institution in accordance with the laws on foreign exchange control
- written approval to carry foreign currency or Vietnamese dong in cash abroad, issued by the State Bank of Vietnam
The currency is the Vietnamese dong (VND).
Credit cards are accepted at major hotels throughout the country, as well as at an increasing number of restaurants and shops.
Automated banking machines are available throughout Vietnam.
Natural disasters and climate
Rainy season
The rainy (or monsoon) season extends from June to September in the north and south, and from October to December in central Vietnam. Severe rainstorms can cause flooding and landslides. Seasonal flooding occurs in October and November in central Vietnam. Flooding is common in and around Hanoi, particularly along the Red River, and in the Mekong River Delta regions in the south.
Typhoons usually occur between June and December and affect primarily central and northern Vietnam. These storms can result in significant loss of life and extensive damage to infrastructure, and can hamper the provision of essential services. Monitor local news and weather reports, avoid disaster areas and follow the advice of local authorities.
Need help?
Local services
Emergency services
In case of emergency, dial:
- police: 113
- medical assistance: 115
- firefighters: 114
Consular assistance
Hanoi - Embassy of Canada
Ho Chi Minh City - Consulate General of Canada
For emergency consular assistance, call the Embassy of Canada to Vietnam, in Hanoi, or the Consulate General of Canada, in Ho Chi Minh City, and follow the instructions. At any time, you may also contact the Emergency Watch and Response Centre in Ottawa.
The decision to travel is your choice and you are responsible for your personal safety abroad. We take the safety and security of Canadians abroad very seriously and provide credible and timely information in our Travel Advice to enable you to make well-informed decisions regarding your travel abroad.
The content on this page is provided for information only. While we make every effort to give you correct information, it is provided on an "as is" basis without warranty of any kind, expressed or implied. The Government of Canada does not assume responsibility and will not be liable for any damages in connection to the information provided.
If you need consular assistance while abroad, we will make every effort to help you. However, there may be constraints that will limit the ability of the Government of Canada to provide services.
Learn more about consular services.
- Date modified:


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Rebecca Greenfield / The Atlantic Wire: Kenyan Controversy Shows Google Not Immune to Scandal
Greg Sterling / Search Engine Land: Google's SPYW, Kenya Imbroglios An "Ink Blot" Test For Google As Good Or Evil?
Chris Davies / SlashGear: Google raided our business database says Kenyan startup
Soulskill / Slashdot: Google Caught Misbehaving By Kenyan Startup 18
Robert Andrews / paidContent:
Updated: Google To Act Against Staff For Poaching Kenyan Rival's Clients — Google (NSDQ: GOOG) has "apogised unreservedly" after its Kenyan outfit poached customers from a rival business directory by systematically accessing its database. — The CEO of local business directory startup Mocality …
Discussion: SiliconFilter
Frederic Lardinois / SiliconFilter: Is Google Really Trying to Scam Kenyan Business Owners?
Jim Forsyth / Reuters:
Author of U.S. online piracy bill vows not to buckle — (Reuters) - The lawmaker behind a bill to combat online piracy vowed on Thursday to press ahead in the face of fierce criticism from Internet giants such as Google and Facebook. — "It is amazing to me that the opponents apparently …
Discussion: PC Magazine, Fortune, VentureBeat, Inquirer, TechEye and New York Times, more at Mediagazer »
Chloe Albanesius / PC Magazine: As SOPA Debate Rages, Leahy Considers Changes to Senate Version
JP Mangalindan / Fortune: Today in Tech: Should SOPA be stopped?
Tom Cheredar / VentureBeat: Rep. Lamar Smith is amazed SOPA opponents "don't want to protect American consumers and businesses"
Dave Neal / Inquirer: PIPA needs work, says Senator Leahy
Nick Farrell / TechEye: SOPA: How to stuff up your political career
Becca Aaronson / New York Times: Texan's Anti-Piracy Bill Gets Home State Pushback
Jamie Lee Curtis Taete / Vice:
The Author of SOPA Is a Copyright Violator — Wanna spend your Thursday night looking for hypocrites on the internet? Help us expose other SOPA-supporting, copyright-flaunting hypocrites here. US Congressman and poor-toupee-colour-chooser Lamar Smith is the guy who authored the Stop Online Piracy Act.
Discussion: DSLreports and TorrentFreak
Jennifer Valentino-DeVries / Digits:
Author of Controversial Piracy Bill Now Says 'More Study' Needed
Author of Controversial Piracy Bill Now Says 'More Study' Needed
Discussion: Techdirt, ReadWriteWeb, Threat Level, ReadWriteWeb, Policy Blog, Business Insider, Social Media, Computerworld, Electronista, CircleID, VentureBeat, Ars Technica, The Domains, Patrick Leahy and GigaOM
Mike Masnick / Techdirt: Don't Be Fooled: Leahy Is NOT Removing DNS Blocking Provisions, Merely Delaying Them
Scott M. Fulton, III / ReadWriteWeb: Ex Post PIPA: What Happens to Anti-Piracy Now?
Scott M. Fulton, III / ReadWriteWeb: Leahy Recommends Setting Aside Controversial PIPA Court Provision
John Bergmayer / Policy Blog: Senator Leahy's Promise to "Fix" PIPA Falls Short
Dylan Love / Business Insider: The Senator Behind The Controversial PIPA Legislation Is Thankfully Starting To Backpedal
Paul Tassi / Social Media: PIPA Weakens as SOPA Gets Hypocritical
Michael H. Berkens / The Domains: While You Are Watching SOPA, Leahy Presses On With Protect IP (PIPA)
Patrick Leahy: Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy On Internet Service Providers And The PROTECT IP Act
Stacey Higginbotham / GigaOM: A senator backtracks a bit and sites go dark in SOPA fight
Mike Masnick / Techdirt:
As SOPA/PIPA Becomes Toxic, Frantic Congress Test Runs Dropping DNS Blocking Provisions
As SOPA/PIPA Becomes Toxic, Frantic Congress Test Runs Dropping DNS Blocking Provisions
Discussion: Techdirt
Liz Gannes / AllThingsD:
Facebook Finds Quieter Ways to Complain About Google's Search+ — While Twitter lead the charge this week in publicly and unequivocally blasting Google's new promotion of Google+ in its search results, Facebook stayed quieter. — Well, on the surface. Multiple stories about Google …
Discussion: Search Engine Watch, MediaShift and VoIP & Gadgets Blog
Steven Levy:
Is Too Much Plus is a Minus for Google?
Is Too Much Plus is a Minus for Google?
Hayley Tsukayama / Washington Post: FAQ: Google's social search and its antitrust, privacy implications
Kashmir Hill / The Not-So Private Parts: The Most Annoying Thing About 'Google Search, Plus Your World' (Beyond Its Awful Name)
Marshall Kirkpatrick / ReadWriteWeb: The Good News About Google's New Search Plus Your World
Todd Bishop / GeekWire: Google runs into backlash over latest search changes
Thomas Hawk / Thomas Hawk Digital Connection: As a Person, Publisher, News Organization and Twitter User, I Think Google's New Personalized …
Sarah Kessler / Mashable!: Google: Sorry, Twitter, We Don't Index the @ Symbol
Josh Constine / @joshconstine: I don't get to read as many books as I'd like. But who has time when there are pressing debates developing in real time http://t.co/8Cb7Sjyo
Danny Sullivan / Search Engine Land: To Understand Google Favoritism, Think "If Google+ Were YouTube"
John Battelle / John Battelle's Search Blog:
Google Responds: No,That's Not How Facebook Deal Went Down (Oh, And I Say: The Search Paradigm Is Broken)
Google Responds: No,That's Not How Facebook Deal Went Down (Oh, And I Say: The Search Paradigm Is Broken)
Discussion: All Facebook, Digits, Forbes, WebProNews, Google Operating System and Mashable!
David Cohen / All Facebook: Facebook And Google Tussled Over Search Results
Scott Cleland / Forbes: The Google+ Antitrust Smoking Gun
Dave Winer / Scripting News:
Could Bing seriously challenge Google?
Could Bing seriously challenge Google?
Discussion: Business Insider
Christina Bonnington / Gadget Lab:
Why Windows Phones Are the Most Exciting Handsets at CES — LAS VEGAS — There's a curious thing happening in the smartphone space at this year's CES. Two Windows Phone devices — the HTC Titan II and the Nokia Lumia 900 — are the most hyped, talked-about phones at the show. Yeah, that's right: Windows Phones.
Discussion: CNET, BetaNews, IntoMobile, GottaBeMobile, mobilegroove, CNET, Fonehome, @maximbark and @dannysullivan
Steven Musil / CNET: Microsoft bids adieu to CES
Tim Conneally / BetaNews: Hands-on: Nokia Lumia 900, THE Windows Phone [video]
Stefan Constantinescu / IntoMobile: Video: Microsoft experts peg March 18th as the Nokia Lumia 900 launch date
Chuong Nguyen / GottaBeMobile: Nokia Lumia 900 for AT&T LTE Confirmed with Tethering
Marguerite Reardon / CNET: What's the best Windows Phone from CES 2012?
Maxim Barkhatov / @maximbark: Cuz no one has actually seen them in the wild? RT @Techmeme: Why Windows Phones Are the Most Exciting Handsets at CES http://t.co/2eqlt3kp
Danny Sullivan / @dannysullivan: see if android 4 was out for more phones by now, it would have competed better with windows phone for CES attention http://t.co/T4mhhcQm
Dieter Bohn / The Verge:
Lumia 900 to be released in March, says Nokia developer newsletter
Lumia 900 to be released in March, says Nokia developer newsletter
Discussion: VentureBeat, WMPoweruser, Engadget, Softpedia News, SlashGear and PhoneArena
Devindra Hardawar / VentureBeat: Nokia's Lumia 900 rumored to land on March 18
Tim Stevens / Engadget: Nokia Lumia 900 coming to retail on March 18?
Chris Davies / SlashGear: AT&T Lumia 900 due March tips Nokia newsletter
Ben Rudolph / Windows Phone Blog:
VIDEO: Windows Phone wins 88% of #smokedbywindowsphone challenges at CES 2012!
VIDEO: Windows Phone wins 88% of #smokedbywindowsphone challenges at CES 2012!
Discussion: Neowin.net
John Paczkowski / AllThingsD:
iPhone 4S Sales Cancelled at Beijing and Shanghai Apple Stores — Apple has decided to postpone the retail availability of its new iPhone 4S at some stores in mainland China after a rowdy crowd disrupted the device's debut at its Sanlitun store in Beijing. — Would-be customers …
Discussion: Computerworld, 9to5Mac, New York Times, Macworld, VentureBeat, Bloomberg, Forbes, Guardian, China Real Time Report, Engadget, TechEye, NBC Bay Area, MobileWhack.com, Unboxing Asia Blog, Fortune, O'Grady's PowerPage, Tech in Asia, IntoMobile, Neowin.net, The Next Web, Softpedia News and iLounge
Christian Zibreg / 9to5Mac: No more iPhones in Beijing and Shanghai 'for the time being', Apple warns as analysts criticize China launch delays
Sharon LaFraniere / New York Times: Apple Suspends iPhone 4S Sales in Mainland China Stores
Devindra Hardawar / VentureBeat: iPhone 4S sales suspended in China after launch draws unruly, egg-throwing crowds
Owen Fletcher / China Real Time Report: Watch: iPhone Violence at Beijing Apple Store
Nick Farrell / TechEye: Beijing Apple shop shelled in rioting
Barbara E. Hernandez / NBC Bay Area: iPhone 4S Causes Riot in China
Edwin Kee / MobileWhack.com: iPhone 4S launch in China canceled
Hana Stewart-Smith / Unboxing Asia Blog: Apple suspends iPhone 4S sales at Beijing, Shanghai stores
Philip Elmer-DeWitt / Fortune: Overwhelmed by crushing demand, Apple halts Friday's iPhone 4S launch in China
Chris Barylick / O'Grady's PowerPage: Apple delays iPhone 4S China retail launch as result of unruly lines, crowds
Kelly Hodgkins / IntoMobile: Apple suspends retail store sales of the iPhone 4S in Beijing and Shanghai
John Callaham / Neowin.net: iPhone 4S launch in China greeted with egg throwing
Matthew Panzarino / The Next Web: Apple to stop selling the iPhone 4S in Beijing and Shanghai due to safety concerns
Charles Starrett / iLounge: Apple Store pelted with eggs over iPhone 4S delay
Zachary Lutz / Engadget:
iPhone 4S launch in China draws large crowds, unnecessary violence and SWAT teams (video)
iPhone 4S launch in China draws large crowds, unnecessary violence and SWAT teams (video)
Discussion: BBC, PC World, Financial Times, Reuters, The Tech Trade, MacRumors, GigaOM, M.I.C. Gadget, BGR, Guardian, MacRumors, The Register, Phones Review, ifoAppleStore, The Tech Herald Technology …, Fudzilla, Inquirer, Wall Street Journal, iClarified, DigiCha, TUAW, Gizmodo, iDownloadBlog.com and 9to5Mac
Kathrin Hille / Financial Times: Apple halts sale of iPhones in China
Chris Chang / M.I.C. Gadget: BREAKING: Beijing's Flagship Apple Store Not Selling iPhone 4S After Fight Breaks Out Between Scalpers
Zach Epstein / BGR: Chaos at Beijing iPhone 4S launch causes sales halt [video]
Maddy / Phones Review: News on iPhone 4S
Gary Allen / ifoAppleStore: Scalpers Reappear for China iPhone 4s Debut
Steven Mostyn / The Tech Herald Technology …: China: iPhone 4S launch cancellation causes crowd trouble
Nedim Hadzic / Fudzilla: Apple almost causes riots in China
Dave Neal / Inquirer: Eggs are hurled at Iphone 4S launch in China
Owen Fletcher / Wall Street Journal: Fracas Curtails China iPhone Sales
Michael Rose / TUAW: China launch of iPhone 4S goes awry as crowds overwhelm Beijing flagship store (Updated)
Andrew Tarantola / Gizmodo: Irate Customers Egg an Apple Store When the New iPhone Is a No-Show (Updated)
Zech / iDownloadBlog.com: Fight Breaks Out at Apple's Flagship Beijing Apple Store Over the iPhone 4S
Ex-Apple boss Sculley sets record straight on Jobs — Former Apple boss John Sculley said he enjoyed a great working relationship with Steve Jobs during 'the good times' — Apple's former chief executive John Sculley is perhaps best known as the man who first mentored and then clashed with Steve Jobs …
Discussion: PC Magazine, AllThingsD, Computerworld, Macgasm, 9to5Mac, mocoNews, Softpedia News, SlashGear, CNET, MacNN, T3 News and The Next Web, Thanks:zackwhittaker
Leslie Horn / PC Magazine: Former CEO Sculley Says He Didn't Ruin Apple
John Paczkowski / AllThingsD: Former Apple CEO Says Newton "Scribble Thing" Was 15 Years Ahead of Its Time
Christian Zibreg / 9to5Mac: Sculley: If anyone is going to change television, it's going to be Apple (Murdoch agrees, too)
Staci D. Kramer / mocoNews: Ex-Apple CEO Sculley: 'Newton Was Probably 15 Years Too Early'
Chris Davies / SlashGear: Apple Newton "15 years too early" says ex-CEO; High hopes for Apple television
Steven Musil / CNET: Sculley happy Jobs' biography 'cleared up myths'
Luke Johnson / T3 News: Former Apple CEO predicts company will revolutionise TVs
Drew Olanoff / The Next Web: Former Apple CEO Sculley: 'When I left Apple it had $2bn of cash', it now has $82bn
Arnold Kim / MacRumors:
OnLive Desktop for iPad Now Available on App Store — OnLive's virtual Windows 7 / Office app for the iPad has arrived on the App Store. As we reported earlier this week, OnLive Desktop offers iPad users access to full-featured versions of Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
Discussion: GigaOM, BetaNews, 9to5Mac, Gizmodo, PadGadget, Softpedia News, Phones Review, The Verge, SlashGear, The Register, Apple Bitch, PhoneArena, Engadget, MacNN, ZDNet and Redmond Pie
Darrell Etherington / GigaOM: Hands on with OnLive Desktop: Windows works surprisingly well on the iPad
Mark Wilson / BetaNews: Need Microsoft Office on iPad? Try OnLive Desktop
Christian Zibreg / 9to5Mac: OnLive Desktop hits App Store, letting you stream Microsoft Office onto iPad
Jamie Condliffe / Gizmodo: Virtual Windows App For iPad Is Now Available, and Free
Sean Hollister / The Verge: OnLive Cloud Desktop app now available for download on the iTunes App Store
Chris Davies / SlashGear: OnLive Desktop for iPad released
Bill Ray / The Register: OnLive sneaks Windows 7 into the iPad
Sean Buckley / Engadget: OnLive Desktop hits the iTunes app store
Charlie Osborne / ZDNet: OnLive Desktop app now available from iTunes App store
Paul Morris / Redmond Pie: OnLive Desktop Brings Windows 7, Office Apps And More To iPad - Download Now
Frederic Lardinois / SiliconFilter:
Hands-On With OnLive's Windows 7 iPad App: Nice Tech Demo, Not That Useful Yet
Hands-On With OnLive's Windows 7 iPad App: Nice Tech Demo, Not That Useful Yet
Discussion: Wired Enterprise and WinBeta
Ernesto / TorrentFreak:
The Pirate Bay Will Stop Serving Torrents — After half a decade of loyal service, The Pirate Bay shut down its tracker in November 2009. — The Pirate Bay argued that BitTorrent trackers have been made redundant by technologies such as DHT and PEX. In addition, The Pirate Bay team …
Discussion: Inquirer, The Verge, Ars Technica, PC World, The Next Web, Neowin.net, TechSpot, WebProNews, Softpedia News and SlashGear
Kate O'Flaherty / Inquirer: The Pirate Bay will stop offering torrent files
Jamie Keene / The Verge: The Pirate Bay set to kill torrent files, keep its service running with magnet links
Duncan Geere / Ars Technica: Pirate Bay to abandon .torrent files for magnet links
Daniel Ionescu / PC World: Pirate Bay Veers from Torrent Tactics
Matt Brian / The Next Web: The Pirate Bay says it will no longer serve Torrents, shifts to Magnet links
John Callaham / Neowin.net: The Pirate Bay to stop offering torrent file links
Jose Vilches / TechSpot: The Pirate Bay will stop serving .torrent files, switch to magnet links only
Shaylin Clark / WebProNews: The Pirate Bay Stops Hosting Torrent Files
Shane McGlaun / SlashGear: Pirate Bay changes from torrent file hosting to magnetic links
Rupert Murdoch / @rupertmurdoch:
Many questions and jokes about My Space.simple answer - we screwed up in every way possible, learned lots of valuable expensive lessons.
Discussion: BetaNews, Inquirer, PC Magazine, Digital Trends, SlashGear, London Calling Blog, The Next Web, Epicenter and WebProNews, more at Mediagazer »
Kate O'Flaherty / Inquirer: Rupert Murdoch admits on Twitter that buying Myspace was a mistake
Leslie Horn / PC Magazine: Murdoch: News Corp. 'Screwed Up' With MySpace
Rick Marshall / Digital Trends: Rupert Murdoch admits News Corp. "screwed up" with MySpace
Chris Davies / SlashGear: Murdoch on MySpace: "We screwed up in every way possible"
Zack Whittaker / London Calling Blog: Murdoch on MySpace: "We screwed up in every way possible"
John C Abell / Epicenter: Murdoch on MySpace: 'We Screwed Up In Every Way Possible'
Harrison Weber / The Next Web:
Apple reveals a list of its suppliers for the first time — For the first time ever, Apple has released a list of its official suppliers on its supplier responsibility page. This is significant because Apple has previously been notoriously secretive about who supplies its components.
Discussion: MacRumors, 9to5Mac, GigaOM, New York Times, Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, Engadget, AllThingsD, MacRumors, MacDailyNews, SlashGear and WebProNews
Eric Slivka / MacRumors: Apple Releases 2012 Supplier Responsibility Progress Report and Supplier List
Jordan Kahn / 9to5Mac: Toshiba Mobile Displays outed on Apple's production suppliers list, factories open doors to labor group inspectors
Darrell Etherington / GigaOM: Apple lists suppliers, highlights audits in 2012 Supplier Responsibility Report
Jessica E. Vascellaro / Wall Street Journal: Apple Details Working Conditions at Factories
Mat Smith / Engadget: Apple wants to be responsible, progress report details changes to worker conditions and environmental practices
Jessica E. Vascellaro / AllThingsD: Apple Reveals Its Suppliers for First Time
Eric Slivka / MacRumors: Apple Partners with Labor Group to Monitor Workplace Conditions at Suppliers' Factories
Chris Davies / SlashGear: Apple details supply chain in annual responsibility report
Shaylin Clark / WebProNews: Apple Publishes List of Suppliers For The First Time
Don Reisinger / CNET:
RIM hires Goldman Sachs to field buyout offers? — Talk of Research In Motion being acquired just won't go away. But this time, it might be RIM's fault. — The BlackBerry maker has hired investment bank Goldman Sachs to help it field potential buyout offers, according to the rumor mill on the Wall Street trading floor.
Discussion: The Verge, SlashGear, mocoNews, Between the Lines Blog, FierceWireless, AllThingsD, PhoneArena, Bloomberg and Reuters
Jacob Schulman / The Verge: RIM reportedly hires Goldman Sachs 'to explore strategic options'
Ingrid Lunden / mocoNews: Has RIM Hired Goldman Sachs To Explore A Merger Or Sale?
Zack Whittaker / Between the Lines Blog: RIM hires Goldman Sachs? Sell-off likely, but not soon
John Paczkowski / AllThingsD: RIM Rumors Resurface
Amit / Digital Inspiration Technology Blog:
This is the New YouTube Player with Storyboards — The next version of YouTube video player will have one very useful feature - you can hover your mouse to any point in the video, without actually moving the playhead, and the YouTube player will show you an image thumbnail of the video frame at the position.
Discussion: VentureBeat and The Next Web, Thanks:labnol
Sean Ludwig / VentureBeat: YouTube player adds Netflix-like storyboard feature for easier navigation
Darren Murph / Engadget:
Texas Instruments demos first OMAP 5, Android 4.0-based reference design, promises it in laptops next year (video) — Texas Instruments promised us a new helping of OMAP right around a year ago, and sure enough, OMAP 5 processors will be sampling to partners as early as next week.
Discussion: 9to5Google, Electronista, Liliputing, India's Technology News …, PhoneArena and AnandTech
Élyse Betters / 9to5Google: TI debuts first ICS OMAP 5 reference design demo at CES 2012, VP says it's 'way ahead of Apple'
Brad Linder / Liliputing: TI OMAP 5 processors coming soon(ish)
Roydon Cerejo / India's Technology News …: Texas Instruments promise OMAP 5-based notebooks next year
Phone Arena: Texas Instruments demonstrates OMAP 5 reference hardware, says it's the "greatest platform on Earth"
Anand Lal Shimpi / AnandTech: TI Shows Off OMAP 5 & ARM Cortex A15 at CES
Nicole Perlroth / Bits:
Malicious Software Attacks Security Cards Used by Pentagon — Chinese hackers have deployed a new cyber weapon that is aimed at the Defense Department, the Department of Homeland Security, the State Department and potentially a number of other United States government agencies and businesses, security researchers say.
Discussion: CNET, The Register, Computerworld, Alienvault Labs and Softpedia News
Lance Whitney / CNET: Chinese hackers targeting smart cards to grab U.S. defense data
John Leyden / The Register: US military access cards cracked by Chinese hackers
Lucian Constantin / Computerworld: Sykipot Trojan hijacks DoD smart cards
Jaime Blasco / Alienvault Labs: Sykipot variant hijacks DOD and Windows smart cards
Tricia Duryee / AllThingsD:
Xbox Accounted for 40 Percent of All Videogame Sales in 2011 — Microsoft dominated the videogame industry last year, with the Xbox capturing nearly half of all consumer spending from physical sales in 2011. — According to NPD data released today, about $6.7 billion …
Discussion: CNET, VatorNews, TechNet Blogs, Forbes, GeekWire, VentureBeat, SlashGear and Neowin.net
Lance Whitney / CNET: Xbox 360 scores big but gaming sales dip in 2011
Nathan Pensky / VatorNews: Microsoft Xbox dominates a sluggish 2011 gaming market
Jeffrey Meisner / TechNet Blogs: Xbox 360 Extends Win Streak to 12 Straight Months with Banner Holiday Sales
Todd Bishop / GeekWire: Xbox 360 dominates December in U.S., capping a big year
Dean Takahashi / VentureBeat: Video game sales drop 21 percent in December and fall 8 percent in 2011
Shane McGlaun / SlashGear: Xbox 360 gobbled 40% of all 2011 video game and hardware sales
John Callaham / Neowin.net: Microsoft sells over 1.7 million Xbox 360s in Dec. 2011 in US
Jason Kilar / Hulu Blog:
2011, 2012 and beyond. — We just closed the books on a big 2011 for Hulu. As a team, we recently reflected on our 2011 investments in innovation and thought it would be an appropriate time to share some of those thoughts via this post. — First, some results:
Discussion: PC Magazine, Tech and China, TechSpot, WebProNews, Engadget, paidContent, The Appside, ReadWriteWeb, The Tech Trade, Electronista, Neowin.net, VentureBeat, The Next Web and Pulse2, more at Mediagazer »
Leslie Horn / PC Magazine: Hulu Plus Hits 1.5 Million Subscribers
Eric Jackson / Tech and China: No Wonder Hulu Couldn't Sell Itself
Matthew DeCarlo / TechSpot: Hulu has 1.5m subscribers, commits $500 million to 2012 content
Zach Walton / WebProNews: Hulu Is A Big Deal And They're Getting Bigger
Staci D. Kramer / paidContent: Hulu Plus Claims More Than 1.5 Million Subs; Commits $500 Million To Content In 2012
John Paul Titlow / ReadWriteWeb: Hulu Grew Revenue 60% Last Year, Still Blocks Google TV & Boxee
Eric Savitz / The Tech Trade: Hulu Says 2011 Revs Rose 60% To $420 Million
John Callaham / Neowin.net: Hulu Plus reaches 1.5 million paid subscribers mark
Jennifer Van Grove / VentureBeat: Hulu to drop $500M on content in 2012, more than it earned in 2011
Anna Heim / The Next Web: Hulu now has 1.5 million paying subscribers
Amit Chowdhry / Pulse2: Hulu Makes $420 Million In 2011 Revenues
Peter Kafka / AllThingsD:
"Soft" Ad Sales Ding Hulu's 2011 Growth
"Soft" Ad Sales Ding Hulu's 2011 Growth
Discussion: Business Insider, Betabeat and ClickZ, more at Mediagazer »
Christopher Heine / ClickZ: Hulu Reports $420M in 2011 From Ads and Subscriptions
Anand Lal Shimpi / AnandTech:
AMD's Lightning Bolt: Low Cost Thunderbolt Alternative for USB 3.0/DP — One of the things I love the most about AMD is the balance it provides to Intel. While I've spent much of CES looking for Thunderbolt products and lamenting the cost of controllers and devices, AMD put together a concept it calls Lightning Bolt.
Lawrence Latif / Inquirer: CES: AMD shows its Lightning Bolt interface behind closed doors
Terrence O'Brien / Engadget: AMD strikes CES with brand new APUs and Lightning Bolt
Edward Berridge / TechEye: AMD comes up with answer to Thunderbolt