13 May 2008 - Opening Remarks By RADM(NS) Ronnie Tay, Chief Executive Officer, Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore, At FutureSchools@Singapore Call-For-Collaboration Award Media Briefing And Networking Session, At Suntec International Convention & Exhibition Centre
Opening Remarks By RADM(NS) Ronnie Tay, Chief Executive Officer, Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore,
At FutureSchools@Singapore Call-For-Collaboration Award Media Briefing and Networking Session on 13 May 2008 At Suntec International Convention and Exhibition Centre, Room 325
1. Good afternoon, members of the media, principals, industry partners, ladies and gentlemen.
Transforming the Way We Learn With Infocomm
2. Welcome to this media briefing on the award of the FutureSchools@Singapore Call-for-Collaboration. With infocomm, learning possibilities will indeed be limitless. In the classroom, teaching can be web-based with virtual learning environments that allow teacher-to-student interaction, online assessments and monitoring of students’ progress. Web 2.0 technologies, such as Wikis, video sharing and Instant Messaging can expand the horizons of students, allowing them to collaborate on projects among themselves as well as with peers from across the globe.
3. The benefits will be enormous. With today’s FutureSchools Call-for-Collaboration, or CFC, in short, we’re setting the stage for the future to take place. Toward this end, I am pleased to announce the award of the FutureSchools CFC to innovative industry partners, who will deliver on next generation infocomm solutions that will transform the way our students learn, and the way our teachers impart their knowledge.
FutureSchools@Singapore and Its CFC
4. Before I introduce the successful FutureSchools consortia, let me share with you the background of this CFC, and its significance to the education sector in Singapore.
5. This CFC is part of the FutureSchools@Singapore programme announced by IDA and Ministry of Education or MOE, in May 2007. FutureSchools@Singapore aims to develop 15 FutureSchools by 2015 that will serve as pathfinders for the wider Education and Learning sector in Singapore. They will lead the way for other schools in providing possible models for the seamless and pervasive integration of infocomm into the curriculum and pedagogy, for engaged and interactive learning, in our schools.
6. In conjunction with the launch of the FutureSchools@Singapore programme in May last year, IDA issued the FutureSchools CFC. This S$80 million CFC called for industry to propose innovative infocomm solutions and environments that will transform the education experience in five schools by 2012. We will be announcing plans for the other FutureSchools at a later date.
7. This CFC saw 20 highly interesting and innovative proposals coming from industry. We thank all our industry members for putting in their proposals and sharing with us their exciting ideas. After much deliberation, we awarded the CFC to four consortia. The consortia were selected based on their innovative solutions for the schools and their proven track record. At this juncture, it gives me great pleasure to present the winners of the FutureSchools CFC, which are represented on this panel.
8. Not in any particular order, they are firstly, the consortium led by Civica. Its members are G Element, Heulab, Learning EDvantage, Microsoft Singapore and Playware Studios. The Civica consortium will be supporting Jurong Secondary School in its Problem-Based Learning approach to teaching and learning to challenge students to work collaboratively with peers to solve problems.
9. The second consortium is led by Hewlett Packard. Its members are Amdon Consulting, ASKnLearn, Heulab, Inchone, Microsoft Singapore, Pearson Education South Asia and Zepth. The HP consortium will be supporting Crescent Girls’ School in its ecosystem of students, teachers, administrators and parents, who will interact and contribute to the students’ progress, both inside and outside of the classroom using Interactive Digital Media.
10. Next is the consortium led by SingTel. Its members comprise ACP Computer Training and Consultancy, Heulab, Learning EDvantage, Microsoft Singapore, NCS and Playware Studios. The SingTel consortium’s proposal for Canberra Primary School is focused on educational gaming, and uses an integrated virtual learning environment to bring about engaged learning to students.
11. Last but not least, ST Electronics (Training and Simulation Systems) is the lead for the fourth successful consortium. This consortium with its members, Addest Technovation, FIF Technologies, Microsoft Singapore, Sky Media, Temasek Polytechnic and Vantage Portal Systems, will be working with Beacon Primary School and Hwa Chong Institution.
12. For Beacon Primary School, the consortium will be developing an immersive and interactive 3D Virtual Learning Environment called Beacon World, where young learners can participate in immersive 3D learning environments that will challenge their understanding and deepen their learning.
13. The proposal for Hwa Chong Institution, or HCI, caters to the multi-dimensional learning needs of its web-savvy students by leveraging web 2.0 technologies such as blogging and videoconferencing in its learning curriculum. Through a virtual campus called the Hwa Chong Nexus, HCI students will be able to collaborate via social interactions, share information for brainstorming sessions and gather feedback through peer reviews.
People-Private-Public Collaboration Key to Success of FutureSchools@Singapore
14. The infocomm-enabled learning journeys of these five FutureSchools will reap benefits not just for themselves but also for the wider education sector. IDA will continue to work with industry partners, schools, and the Ministry of Education to ensure that the potential of infocomm can be unleashed to not only better the way our students learn and play, but also work and live as well. Such People-Private-Public collaboration will contribute to the success of programmes like FutureSchools@Singapore, as it ensures that our education system and programmes can remain relevant in preparing our students for the future.
15. Indeed, today’s FutureSchools@Singapore CFC marks yet another significant step forward in the transformational journey of the education scene. IDA looks forward to the continued support of our industry partners, schools and teachers, as we work together to realise the benefits of infocomm for education and learning in Singapore.
16. Thank you.
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