SINGAPORE: Singapore is transforming how teachers teach and how students learn by harnessing the power of new technology, enriching learning spaces, and through community and industry partnerships.

The Ministry of Education (MOE) is rolling out tools like artificial intelligence (AI) in schools to boost digital proficiency and customise learning experiences.

It has also enhanced the 21st century competencies (21CC Framework), which guides the design of the national curriculum and school programmes, to place greater emphasis on adaptive and inventive thinking, communication, and civic literacy.

The initiatives are part of measures to prepare students to thrive in a rapidly-changing world.

TRANSFORMING LEARNING SPACES

MOE is offering a grant totaling some S$64 million (US$47 million) for schools to transform their teaching and learning spaces.

From next year, primary and secondary schools, as well as junior colleges, can tap the grant to convert existing areas into new spaces like vegetable gardens or urban farms.

The ministry is also making additional funds available for schools to purchase new furniture and equipment to enhance the functionality of learning spaces.

“To support the schools, we need to give them opportunities to develop their programmes. Students have to be able to do hands-on experiential learning,” Ms Liew Wei Li, MOE’s director-general of education, told CNA’s Singapore Tonight on Wednesday (Sep 20).

“The fund will give the schools opportunities to redesign spaces to support their programmes that support real world context by using equipment and different types of flexible learning spaces, so that students can get together in groups to exercise and practise the 21CC.”

The changes were among those announced at MOE’s Schools Work Plan Seminar at Singapore Expo on Wednesday.

The ministry will guide teachers on the changes through workshops, documents, sharing opportunities and other resources.

MOE is also setting up a platform to bring schools together with industry players and community partners to help give students and educators broader exposure.

Its new partnerships engagement office will match schools with those in sectors such as engineering, manufacturing, and research and development, and offer workshops and talks.

MOE is already working with more than 80 industry partners on this.

“The intent is to enable meaningful, sustainable partnerships that can offer real life learning, authentic experiences for our students, as well as broaden professional development opportunities for teachers,” said Mr Saravenan Tanapal, engagement director at MOE’s communications and engagement group.

AI & CUSTOMISED LEARNING

At Lakeside Primary School, students use AI-powered technology to get personalised learning recommendations based on how they respond to questions.

Known as the Adaptive Learning System (ALS), the concept is designed to give students feedback immediately, and adapt to suit their different learning styles.

It is able to capture answers and tailor the assignments to suit a student's level of understanding of the subject.

For example, when a student correctly answers a question, the student will be given tougher questions subsequently. If a question is answered wrongly, the next questions will then be less challenging.

Teachers say this is more engaging for students because they no longer feel stuck when they are unable to solve a maths problem.

“In a traditional setting, if my ten questions are too difficult for the children, then it is a bit meaningless because the child cannot do the questions. But in this case, the child doesn't waste his or her time as the system adapts to their readiness level,” said Mr Chan Kok Hong, a teacher at the school.

Students, too, say the system allows them to plan their own time and learning journey.

“It's actually very helpful and I can do it whenever and wherever I want as long as I have a mobile device with me,” said one student.

“I prefer learning with the ALS because when we do worksheets, we don't have a choice, but if we do the ALS, we can set our own timing and goals,” said another student.

Thirty-three schools across the country are currently testing the system out.

At Dunman Secondary School, students work with community partners to discuss solutions to real-world challenges under an integrated interdisciplinary project curriculum.

For instance, one student team learned that senior citizens with dementia have difficulty navigating around a neighbourhood. They applied coding skills learnt in school to create a senior-friendly mobile application, with bold texts and pictures of landmarks, so that these residents could be aided in finding their way home.

Dunman Secondary principal Toh Thiam Chye said the school plans to use the grant to upgrade their technology, and purchase mobile furniture for its canteen so that the space can be optimised for co-curricular activities (CCAs) and out-of-classroom learning.

KEEPING EDUCATION ON PACE WITH EVOLVING WORLD

Learning systems and app development are just a few ways the sector is adopting new technology in the classrooms to keep up with rapidly-evolving times.

In the pipeline are also programmes to help students with spelling and grammar, and teachers with feedback and grades.

They are all part of the MOE’s Transforming Education Through Technology (EdTech) Masterplan 2030 for students to be more adaptive and inventive.

“We believe that using technology will allow all of us to move forward together faster and further,” said Education Minister Chan Chun Sing at the work plan seminar.

“Importantly, that sharing of good ideas will allow us to proliferate the best practices, and enable every student to have the best resources possible in the time that they have with us in the school.”

The ministry also wants to put greater emphasis on better communications and civic literacy, so students can better connect with the community, and play a bigger role in the country and the world.

“Now that our kids are very good with using IT tools, the moment you teach them an application, they run with it and they are able to apply in so many different ways,” said Ms Liew.

“That is what we hope to do - give them context that enables them to practise the skills. Then, teachers observe, reflect and give them feedback so that they can continue to hone and enhance their skills.

“It is not difficult for students to be motivated, especially when it's a real life context, when they have to deal with an opportunity where they can communicate with a segment of society, it is very enabling.”

Please check the link below for more details;

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/moe-education-ministry-technology-learning-spaces-industry-partnerships-21cc-framework-3790921