Information Communication Technology in Education

Singapore's ICT Masterplans 1997–2008

KOH Thiam Seng, LEE Sai Choo

• Editorial: WSPC
• Año: 2008
• ISBN:
  9789814470810
• Categoría: Education
• Categoría: Education Technology

This book seeks to present a comprehensive review of Singapore's ICT Masterplans in education, providing a rare behind-the-scenes look at policy planning, as well as the lessons learnt and insights gained from the past decade of the use of ICT in teaching and learning. Since 1997 (when the First Masterplan was launched) to 2008, schools and teachers have made great strides in their use of ICT for education at all levels: primary, secondary and junior college. The seeds of this change were planted in the Pioneer Years (1980–1996) which marked the pre-Masterplan period, and they began to germinate in the momentous Foundation Years (1997–2002) when the First Masterplan got underway. The subsequent period of the Engaging Years (2003–2008) outlines the growth of the Second Masterplan, while the Future Years present the vision of what the future of ICT will look like in Singapore schools in 2009 and beyond.

This comprehensive coverage of the evolution of ICT use in Singapore schools includes views and reflections from key individuals involved in the planning and implementation of the two ICT Masterplans, students, teachers, ICT experts, and policy makers. It also includes articles detailing significant projects and programmes of the First and Second ICT Masterplans.

Contents:

• The Masterplans:
  • Pioneering Years (1980 to 1996)
  • Foundation Years (1997 to 2002)
  • Engaging Years (2003 to 2008)
  • Future Years (2008 and Beyond)
• Iconic Programmes:
  • Teacher Training: The Backbone of the ICT in Education Masterplans
  • edu.MALL: A One-Stop Service Portal
  • Digital Media Repository (DMR), iSHARE and Digital Exchange: Lessons from a Digital Content Journey
  • Infrastructure: Building the Backbone to Support ICT in Education
  • eduPAD: A School-Industry Partnership Scheme Project
  • BackPack.NET: Mobile Learning Places Singapore on the Global Map
  • LEAD ICT@Schools and FutureSchools@Singapore: Supporting New Peaks of Excellence
  • Learning Sciences Lab: Research and Capacity Building in Pedagogy with ICT

Readership: Educators, researchers and government/ministry officials from Middle East countries (e.g. Qatar, Dubai, Kuwait), UK (e.g. BECTA), US, South East Asia (e.g. Thailand, Malaysia).
Keywords:ICT;ICT Integration;ICT in Education;Educational Technology;Technology Planning;Technology Policy;Singapore Education;Singapore Schools;Trends in Education;MasterplanReview:0

SECTION II

ICONIC PROGRAMMES

5

Chapter

Teacher Training: The Backbone of the ICT in Education Masterplans

“Teachers are the key to the success of this programme. The Masterplan therefore provides for a comprehensive teacher-training programme — all teachers will be trained to use ICT in their lessons by 1999.”

— Teo Chee Hean, Former Minister for Education
(1997–2003), at the launch of the
First Masterplan for ICT in Education, July 1997.

SETTING THE STAGE

Basic ICT Skills Training

One of the key dimensions under the First Masterplan (mp1) was Human Resources Development or Teacher Training, identified as the backbone of the plan. Teacher training comprised two components: ICT skills training and ICT-based pedagogical training. In 1996, the Ministry of Education (MOE) saw the need to equip teachers with basic ICT skills to meet their individual administration and teaching requirements. IT POWER21, a compulsory ICT skills training programme for all teachers was implemented for this purpose. As this training involved mainly ICT skills, it was outsourced to ICT training companies. Under this programme, as many as 22,000 teachers were trained in the use of the Internet, MS Office Suite, and various other language font sets such as Chinese and Tamil.

Introduction of ICT-Based Pedagogical Training

The ICT-based pedagogical training implemented in 1997 involved the effective use of technology in teaching and learning. Teachers had to be equipped with a new set of skills, attitudes and knowledge in the use of ICT. The ICT Training Branch of MOE’s Educational Technology Division (ETD) oversaw the implementation of ICT-based teacher training for all schools. It was responsible for developing an effective and sustained strategy and timetable for training teachers in the integration of ICT into the curriculum. This was a colossal task as there were about 24,000 teachers in over 300 Primary schools, Secondary schools and Junior Colleges in Singapore. Hence, the implementation of training was carried out in three phases over three years from 1997 to 2000.

From the outset, ETD saw the importance of providing a training programme that was rooted in pedagogy and customised to the Singapore curriculum to ensure that teachers were able to use technology effectively as well as see the relevance of the training to their current teaching practices. ETD ensured that the basic ICT skills teachers learned in the IT POWER21 programme were integrated into pedagogical training so they could use them effectively. For example, ETD incorporated the use of Internet search skills in the context of sourcing for information for subjects like English Language, History and Science, as well as project work. The training sessions conducted were generic, with specific subject-based examples cited for the benefit of teachers teaching different subjects.

The first phase of ICT-based pedagogical training was conducted within each school to develop a sense of ownership and common vision among the teachers. This school-based approach also encouraged teachers in the same department to support one another in the planning and development of ICT-based lessons.¹

Recruitment of Trainers

As the training of teachers in ICT use was deeply rooted in pedagogy, MOE did not consider it effective to engage commercial vendors to provide training on the integration of ICT into the curriculum for the teachers. Hence, the ICT Training Branch of ETD had to create its own group of trainers to implement ICT training for all teachers. Trained in-service teachers mainly from Primary and Secondary schools who were pedagogically sound and had an aptitude for change and an interest in technology were recruited by the ICT Training Branch as Senior ICT Instructors. Most of those recruited were Heads of Departments, Subject Heads and Level Heads who possessed both subject mastery and management skills.

The first group of Senior ICT Instructors was recruited in late 1996 and deployed to train the 22 Primary and Secondary Demonstration schools in 1997. That year, more Senior ICT Instructors were recruited in preparation for the Phase 2 training of about 100 schools and Phase 3 training of 250 schools. Subsequently, the branch conducted an annual recruitment exercise as part of its renewal process.

Training the Trainers

The Senior ICT Instructors were key trainers and mentors for all schools coming on stream during the phased implementation. Hence, the first tier of training was carried out with 60 Senior ICT Instructors and it was completed in late 1996. Two consultants were engaged to train these key trainers in core areas. The Senior ICT Instructors were also given initial training in a variety of pedagogical approaches to enhance their repertoire of teaching and learning strategies so they could adopt or adapt to technology more effectively. Over the years, experts in areas such as cooperative learning, thinking skills, brain-based learning, constructivist learning and digital portfolios were invited to conduct training workshops for Senior ICT Instructors. In addition, they were given exposure to strategies that supported ICT infusion in the school curriculum, approaches to adult training and current ICT infused teaching and learning practices.

Most of the training carried out for the Senior ICT Instructors was experiential and on the job and included the development of training materials. As pioneers, the Senior ICT Instructors had to develop these training materials from scratch for which they explored a variety of ICT tools such as mind mapping software and educational CD-ROMs. Besides the training materials, the Senior ICT Instructors used strategies such as cooperative learning and thinking skills which they had acquired during the training sessions they had attended.

Good teamwork was essential as the Senior ICT Instructors had to regularly engage in group discussions to generate training ideas and evaluate training materials in teams. They were also involved in workshop simulation exercises and dry runs together with their teams. All this was done to ensure that the delivery of training and the materials produced were of a high standard.

As the Senior ICT Instructors trained Demo school teachers, they learned through their experience and their collective wisdom led to refinements made to the training materials and approaches. The ICT Training Branch adopted the fan model in the core training of new Senior ICT Instructors. In this approach, experienced Senior ICT Instructors trained and mentored new instructors who later went on to train other new recruits. Just like the first group of Senior ICT Instructors, learning largely took place on the job through their involvement in developing training materials, training teachers and providing support to school leaders in ICT planning and evaluation.

Besides formal training and experiential learning, the Senior ICT Instructors also attended conferences and seminars. They were involved in these events in various capacities such as organisers, presenters and facilitators. In addition, some ICT Instructors were involved in overseas study trips to learn from counterparts in the educational fraternity as well as to share Singapore’s experiences in ICT implementation.

Experience was also garnered from several collaborations with the industry and educational organisations such as the National Institute of Education (NIE). For example, Senior ICT Instructors worked collaboratively with ICT companies in the adoption of ICT tools such as the Geographical Information System (GIS), Global Positioning System (GPS) and data loggers.

Teacher Training Programmes in First Masterplan

The ICT Training programme² for teachers in the First Masterplan covered skills and knowledge in the integration of ICT into the curriculum. It was implemented in Primary and Secondary schools in three phases from 1997 to 2000.

Training for the Demonstration schools in 1997 was carried out in a generic one-size-fits-all approach with numerous hands-on activities at the workshops. Annex B provides a list of Demonstration Schools. Teachers, regardless of the subjects they specialised in, were trained in a standard set of ICT pedagogical skills such as using the Internet and Open tools such as MSWord, MSExcel and MSPowerPoint.

Most teachers completed eight to 10 core modules over 30 to 50 training hours. The training aimed to help them integrate ICT effectively into the curriculum. Hence, they were introduced to various types of ICT resources, and learnt to evaluate and select appropriate ICT resources for their teaching. They were also introduced to appropriate teaching and learning strategies, including thinking skills and cooperative learning strategies. Furthermore, in line with the move towards project work, teachers were shown how ICT could be integrated in the various stages of project work. These included using ICT resources to research, organise, analyse and present information.³

The training programme was revised annually to incorporate new technologies as well as to allow for refinement of the training materials and delivery. For example, with feedback from Demo schools, the training for Secondary schools and Junior Colleges was changed from a generic approach to a subject-based one to better meet the needs of teachers. The subject-based approach also allowed for greater depth of coverage for each subject area. Training took various forms such as face-to-face workshops for the core subjects (e.g. Languages, Humanities, Mathematics and Science), sharing sessions for non-core subjects (e.g. Art, Design & Technology, Home Economics, Music) and dialogue sessions for the exchange of ideas and experiences amongst Heads of Departments.

To further assist teachers in their transfer of learning, handholding sessions were provided to all schools as part of the core training. Senior ICT Instructors attached to the schools demonstrated the effective use of ICT in lessons and supported teachers in designing and co-conducting the lessons. These sessions were usually subject based with the trainers specialising in different subjects working with teachers in their respective departments. At the Primary level, such sessions were more generic as Primary school teachers teach more than one subject in school.

When core training ended in 2000, handholding continued to be one avenue of support offered to schools or clusters. The services available to schools included consultancy for key personnel, coaching and lesson participation, as well as support for special ICT-based projects. To develop a sharing culture within and across schools, Senior ICT Instructors also provided support for schools or clusters in organising sharing sessions, workshops or ICT-in-Education seminars.

At the school level, the schools were generally proactively initiating their own professional development systems to develop their staff in ICT pedagogies. Some schools implemented the Buddy System where they paired ICT savvy teachers, who were relatively new in service, with their less ICT savvy but more pedagogically strong teachers. This system allowed for the teachers to mutually benefit from the partnership. Besides the Buddy System, some schools also appointed a group of teachers who enjoyed learning and experimenting with technologies as ICT champions. These teachers not only experimented with technologies for teaching and learning but also developed lessons to share with other teachers and allowed them to observe their lessons.

The next phase of training offered to schools from 2001 onwards was the elective workshops. This phase focused on helping schools sustain what they had begun and stretch schools and teachers who were ready to explore new technologies and strategies.

The electives were designed to cater to teachers at various stages of ICT use. The sessions were conducted at different times of the year for greater flexibility in terms of scheduling. Teachers and key personnel who were keen to explore and experiment with different ICT resources could apply to attend the electives on a voluntary basis.

The electives supported teachers in using ICT open tools that allowed for infinite customisation and inquiry based learning. The electives also supported teachers in maximising the schools’ physical and technological infrastructure for lesson delivery and collaboration, e.g. there were elective workshops on the use of the school network for collaborative learning. Teachers were supported in designing and implementing ICT-based lessons in different learning environments, including the classroom, the computer laboratory, on the World Wide Web, and in fieldwork.

The Fieldwork in Geography elective module for example, introduced the use of the Geographical Information System (GIS) software, Global Positioning System (GPS) and dataloggers into activities that incorporated the constructivist and problem b...

Índice

• Cover page
• Title page
• Copyright
• Acknowledgements
• Foreword
• Contents
• Introduction
• SECTION I: THE MASTERPLANS
• SECTION II: ICONIC PROGRAMMES
• Index