Impact of ICT Masterplans as a teacher and student

As a primary school student in the phase of Masterplan 1, I am very thankful for the exposure to ICT we had in the class, be it having a desktop in class that I could put my floppy disk into to make mini-presentations, or the opportunities I had to learn basic IT skills such as Microsoft word and excel, that I could use these applications more proficiently. I remember distinctly learning how to use excel through an interactive real-life simulation of a stock exchange where we had to understand a little about finances, the stock market and learn how to compute our profits and gains as the stock market changed, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

With Masterplan 2 (MP2), I was already a secondary school student. I had many opportunities to be the recipient of many MP2 initiatives, including having an e-learning week in the middle of each school term, having the occasional use of data loggers in chemistry/biology practicals, and participating in the national junior robotics competitions. However, I found e-learning then not as helpful as classroom teaching. It came across somewhat that teachers were having to churn out e-learning assignments for the sake of having e-learning. For most subjects, e-learning comprised of assignments, worksheets and lecture slides being placed online rather than being given out as a worksheet, with the occasional applet and website to look through. Not much guidance or feedback was given for these assignments either online or thereafter either, hence I found that it was more helpful for that particular topics to have been taught in class. The use of data loggers also seemed rather forced, as there were other methods available for the same function.

With MP 3, one of the enabler goals focuses on the need for teachers to have the capacity to plan, as well as deliver ICT-enabled learning experiences that will foster self-directed and collaborative learning among learners as well as guiding them in using ICT safely and responsibly (http://ictconnection.edumall.sg/).

As a beginning teacher, one of the basic things I’d have to do would be to keep up to date with new applications, new ways of communication, new technologies, as well as be well read in terms of information in digital media, blogs, movies etc. Personally, I find the old saying to be true that the “older” one gets, the more resistant one is to change. I used to think my parents as old-fashioned for not converting to handphones from pagers, emails to Microsoft messenger; but now I seem to be thinking the same way that non-smartphones are actually sufficient, emails better than social networking sites. However, this saying cannot be true especially in the area of education – one always need to be moving forward and keeping up with the latest technologies that the next generation is using to communicate and learn. On one hand, whatever ICT skills we expect students to demonstrate, the teacher has to demonstrate it in lessons so as to teach it to students.

Furthermore, incorporating commonly used ICT will enable me to relate and teach concepts in a more effective way to students. For example, many new interesting scientific research are presented in the form of blogs rather than journals that require subscriptions, an example would be io9 mad science (http://io9.com/mad-science/). In order help students to take charge of their own learning, my role would be to provide such resources and guide students in using them to source for information to aid their learning rather than to give them the relevant information needed as may be done before. . this case, I can direct students to read such blogs as a form of learning may pique their interest in the relevant topic that I am teaching and possibly lead them to want to learn beyond the syllabus too. Clearer guidelines and feedback can be also given in the process of e-learning so as to guide students in their own usage of ICT. With the massive amounts of resources available, I would also need to be teaching students to think critically about the information they see online rather than passively acquiring information via such means

As the enabler goal suggests, there is a need to focus on how to use ICT so as to help students to learn better, both independently and as a group, rather than merely using ICT for the sake of it as in some of my previous experiences. A recent article in the Sunday times questioned the need for digital calendars compared to pen and paper calendars. An interesting example was cited where a businessman, who used google documents, social networking sites and almost all other online tools, but still uses a pen and paper calendar as it served his purposes best. A similar analogy can be drawn in education where there is a need to tailor ICT usage according to the students’ profile and needs. Some of the best teachers I’ve had in my experience often used almost no ICT except overhead transparencies/ visualisers. As I am exposed to the many ICT tools developed for teaching, there is the danger of using ICT just because it is novel or saves work on my part. I would thus have to be discerning on the merits of a certain ICT tool in teaching effectively, and focus on how a certain tool will help students to learn better.

For example, for collaborative learning, there is the possibility in using online documents and social networking sites in place of face-to-face discussions. However, my personal experience in work is that ICT (for example video conferencing, google docs) is usually only used to aid collaboration in situations where one cannot meet face to face. Hence, I’d have to consider how to use online collaborative tools in a face-to-face setting in the classroom, and how to make it an integral part of a lesson rather than an add-on component. My role too would be to facilitate such online collaborative learning with the appropriate ICT tools both in and outside of the classroom.

With the increased focus on using ICT to aid self-directed and collaborative learning, there is a need to be able to accurately measure students’ development in such qualities. Such formative assessments usually come in the form of rubrics; however it can come across as didactic at times and makes students focus more on the rubrics than the learning process. Therefore, my role as a teacher would also be to develop forms of assessment, be it self-assessment, peer-assessment or my own feedback that will be constructive in guiding the students towards developing these qualities.

References

S.C., Divaharan, S., Tan, L., & Cheah, H.M. (2011). Self-directed learning with ICT: Theory, Practice and Assessment. Singapore: Ministry of Education. Retrieved 08 02 2011 from http:ictconnection.edumall.sg/ictconnection/slot/u200/mp3/monographs/self-directed%20learning%20with%20ict.pdf)

Chai, C.S., Lim, W.-Y., So, H.-J., & Cheah, H.M. (2011). Advancing collaborative learning with ICT: Conception, cases and design. Singapore: Ministry of Education. Retrieved 08 02 2011, fromhttp:ictconnection.edumall.sg/ictconnection/slot/u200/mp3/monographs/advancing%20collaborative%20learning%20with%20ict.pdf)

Why the need for the 3 Masterplans in education?

Compared to the past, where knowledge was passed down orally or in the form of pen and paper, a wealth of knowledge is being made available through the internet (e.g. Google) and digital media. Such is the power of these media that “google” has become a common definition in the dictionary (Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary) for the finding out of information. Hence, there was a need to prepare the students in using information and communication technologies (ICT) to be able to take advantage of this wealth of information in approaching problem-solving and learning.
The first masterplan provided both teachers and students with the resources such as computers, and the skills to be able to use relevant Internet resources and digital media for teaching and learning.

Masterplan 2 focused on setting a baseline standard for the use of ICT in the curriculum and assessment in schools as well as providing support for research and implementation of ICT in schools. Masterplan 3 (MP3) extends this vision. This is especially relevant in light of recent developments.

The younger generation is increasingly being exposed to various ICT tools from a young age. It is common to see a 10 year old carrying a smartphone typing furiously or playing an applet game; common recreational activities for children are also forms of interactive digital media such as the Nintendo Wii, Playstation and Xbox. Hence, the new generation also learn in slightly different ways from the past.

Investment in research studying the use of interactive and digital media such as (immersive virtual environments, educational games, EduLab) in MP3 reflects this need to be able to help students most effectively in this digital age.

Also, the development in social media such as Facebook, Twitter, MSN (Microsoft messenger) and Skype has allowed people to communicate with almost anyone, anywhere. Emails and online documents rather than physical communication (phone calls, face to face interaction) are also increasingly favoured as the mode of communication and discussion in the workplace.

Due to this high connectivity amongst people, it has led to workplaces and societies to become increasingly fast-paced and fast-changing. Hence, there is a need to prepare students to be able communicate and collaborate effectively using ICT, as well as nurture a disposition that allows them to continually learn and adapt even as they work.

The increased connectivity has also led to an increased exposure to different cultures and beliefs, some of which are highly influential. Recent incidents where many independent terrorist attacks, (be it Islamic fundamentalists or right wing extremists such as the incident in Norway), seem to stem from ideologies being put forth in blogs and websites. Thus, there is a need to be train students to think critically of the knowledge and beliefs they may be exposed to, as well as to be sensitive to different cultures and beliefs in how they express themselves through such media. The phone hacking incident that is bringing down to Murdoch empire, and concern over intellectual property, also suggests the need to educate our students in the ethics of this new knowledge era as well as how to protect themselves against the people who threaten to misuse the ICT.

In MP3, there is an increased focus on incorporating ICT enriched learning experiences in the classroom as well as for assessment. This allows students to learn how to find out knowledge for themselves through such media, and develop a healthy curiosity for acquiring new knowledge. One of the goals of MP3 is to allow learning to take place wherever and whenever the learner chooses through the use of ICT (http://ictconnection.edumall.sg/), which would increase students’ ability to adapt and learn in different situations, as well as allow students to take charge of their own learning.

Increased use of ICT in collaborative learning, such as group discussions, projects, and interdisciplinary projects, would also help students to learn how to be sensitive to different ideas, as well as work effectively in teams through such media.

The emphasis on cyberwellness in MP3 is also important in ensuring that students are able to use ICT in a safe way and are able to take responsibility for their own well-being (http://ictconnection.edumall.sg/).

Overall, there is a need for MOE to continually keep up to date with the needs of society and equip students with the relevant ICT skills through such masterplans to prepare them for the future.

Pre-session 1: Classroom Observations of ICT Use

(I)                     Specific Observations

School Name:  Nanyang primary school (Haig Girls’ School for school visit/attachment)

Class: 4P (not sure of class name but also in primary 4)

Profile of the class: (For e.g., the students’ academic abilities, stream and other characteristics) Gifted education programme, generally curious to learn (Express class, generally weak in the topic of fractions)

Subject: Mathematics

What ICT tools are used in the lesson? Interactive white board (IWB) Tablet PCs Digital applets/games

Describe how ICT is used for teaching and learning in the lesson. At Nanyang primary, my former school, at the time of starting phase of Masterplan 1, my classroom was equipped with a computer, though it was not as commonly used. Occasionally we went to a computer lab to try out a certain math applet, however, the main form of ICT use in teaching was to present and write concepts via overhead transparences (OHTs). Sometimes, in-class assessment of a certain concept taught was done via powerpoint, where a powerpoint slide with a fill-in-the-blank question or multiple choice question (MCQ) was flashed onto the whiteboard. Anyone from the class could go up to fill in the blanks on the whiteboard, or we would put up our hands if we thought a particular multiple-choice answer was correct, which was slightly more interactive in nature. Approximately a decade after, when I visited Haig Girls school as part of my attachment, I observed that the teaching of mathematics using ICT had vastly changed. It was a class on fractions, specially crafted by Mrs Eileen Own as part of the “A-Fractionally Yours” project where primary 6 students were given opportunities to design, with their teachers’ help, tools and games to help those in primary 4 to learn concepts on fractions. The lesson started out with Mrs Ong using an IWB to teach; certain pictures were flashed, as in my own experience, to illustrate the concept of fractions. For example, a pie that was cut into a different number of slices or a ruler with different points of marking. However, students could go up to the board to colour a certain number of slices or change the point of marking on the ruler and thereafter deduce what the fraction occupied was. Students hence had to think and work out an answer on the spot. Also, instead of putting their hands up to answer questions flashed, students also had a digital device that allowed them to key in what they thought was the correct answer to the question, which made assessment of their learning more accurate and efficient. Thereafter, students were broken up into groups of 2-3 and went around to explore different stations with different games and tools associated with fractions. At one of the stations was a game on a tablet PC to assess the students’ learning. The game was complete with cartoon characters, audio and sound effects to engage the students. In each game, students were presented with fill-in-the-blank questions or MCQs on the topic of fractions. The game had a “learning” and “assessment” option as well. In the “learning” option, one was unable to move on from a question until one had answered it right; explanations were given when the wrong answer was entered, hence real-time feedback was given to the students as they attempted the questions. In the “assessment” option, students had to answer as many questions correctly within a certain time, hence leveraging on the students’ competitive and playful nature in playing games. Students could also choose the particular subtopic of fractions they wanted to attempt questions on, and hence chose to improve on the particular subtopics they were weaker at. As the old saying goes, “own time, own target” – the game allowed students to take charge of their own learning and learn at their own pace with adequate assessment and feedback given. This complemented the other learning tools such as board games, real life puzzles and shapes at the other station, to help engage the students as well as give them to space to direct their own learning in terms of what, how they wanted to learn and how they want to evaluate their own learning. This also exposed the students to basic ICT tools in learning how to operate computers and applications. (II)                     General Observations: Generally, how did the teachers in the school use ICT for teaching and learning? [At Haig Girls School] Generally teachers were able to use ICT meaningfully to cater to different learning needs of students, encourage self-directed learning, and broaden their knowledge. For example, in the primary 3 Chinese language bridging module, catered to those weaker in Chinese or other races who want to learn Chinese, a device called “dumbo can read”, which comprises of a special picture storybook and digital reader, was used to help them to learn how to read and pronounce Chinese characters. Each student was given a reader, which will pronounce the words in the storybook as the student hovered the reader over the character. It was an interactive way to learn how to read compared to merely listening to someone else read or reading it out to others in the class. As each student progressed at a slower pace, it also gave students the flexibility to learn how to pronounce and read at their own pace. Other teachers also used basic tools such as the internet and powerpoint to broaden students’ knowledge. An interesting use of this was in art class. Students were exposed to art history, different artists and their works, something not in the curriculum, via images of their works and their biographies over the internet. They then got to choose which of their works they wanted to imitate the style of in their own class, allowing them to take ownership of their own learning.