Technology to Level Playing Field for Disadvantaged Students

Debated in Parliament on 16 Oct 2012.

Summary written by AI (learn more)

Denise Phua asked how MOE uses technology to help disadvantaged students and if it will produce or distribute online learning materials like Khan Academy to support mainstream and special schools.
MOE responded by highlighting its teacher training, online resources like edumall2.0, and Learning Management Systems, while emphasizing that teachers are crucial in adapting resources and that technology does not replace teachers.
MOE also noted its ongoing work with Special Education schools to customize ICT and its measured approach to selecting high-quality materials, while acknowledging interest in exploring further online learning potential.
Phua agreed with the response and urged MOE to study how ICT can provide more accessible online lectures and resources to reduce reliance on costly tuition, thereby creating a level playing field.
MOE agreed to watch developments like Khan Academy and Open Lectures, prioritize quality in online resources, and expand access to curated materials for students and parents through initiatives like a parent portal.

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Full Transcript

Denise Phua Lay Peng

Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng asked the Minister for Education (a) how does the Ministry use technology as a tool to level the playing field for students who may not have access to good quality teachers and resources; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider producing and distributing online learning curriculum materials to support our mainstream and special schools, learning from examples such as Khan Academy and Open Lectures.

Page: 970

Summary written by AI (learn more)

Denise Phua asked how MOE uses technology to help disadvantaged students and if it will produce or distribute online learning materials like Khan Academy to support mainstream and special schools.
MOE responded by highlighting its teacher training, online resources like edumall2.0, and Learning Management Systems, while emphasizing that teachers are crucial in adapting resources and that technology does not replace teachers.
MOE also noted its ongoing work with Special Education schools to customize ICT and its measured approach to selecting high-quality materials, while acknowledging interest in exploring further online learning potential.
Phua agreed with the response and urged MOE to study how ICT can provide more accessible online lectures and resources to reduce reliance on costly tuition, thereby creating a level playing field.
MOE agreed to watch developments like Khan Academy and Open Lectures, prioritize quality in online resources, and expand access to curated materials for students and parents through initiatives like a parent portal.

Questions identified by AI (learn more)

Technology to Level Playing Field for Disadvantaged Students

Debated in Parliament on 16 Oct 2012.

Summary written by AI (learn more)

Denise Phua asked how MOE uses technology to help disadvantaged students and if it will produce or distribute online learning materials like Khan Academy to support mainstream and special schools.
MOE responded by highlighting its teacher training, online resources like edumall2.0, and Learning Management Systems, while emphasizing that teachers are crucial in adapting resources and that technology does not replace teachers.
MOE also noted its ongoing work with Special Education schools to customize ICT and its measured approach to selecting high-quality materials, while acknowledging interest in exploring further online learning potential.
Phua agreed with the response and urged MOE to study how ICT can provide more accessible online lectures and resources to reduce reliance on costly tuition, thereby creating a level playing field.
MOE agreed to watch developments like Khan Academy and Open Lectures, prioritize quality in online resources, and expand access to curated materials for students and parents through initiatives like a parent portal.

Questions identified by AI (learn more)

Full Transcript

Denise Phua Lay Peng

Page: 970

Summary written by AI (learn more)

Denise Phua asked how MOE uses technology to help disadvantaged students and if it will produce or distribute online learning materials like Khan Academy to support mainstream and special schools.
MOE responded by highlighting its teacher training, online resources like edumall2.0, and Learning Management Systems, while emphasizing that teachers are crucial in adapting resources and that technology does not replace teachers.
MOE also noted its ongoing work with Special Education schools to customize ICT and its measured approach to selecting high-quality materials, while acknowledging interest in exploring further online learning potential.
Phua agreed with the response and urged MOE to study how ICT can provide more accessible online lectures and resources to reduce reliance on costly tuition, thereby creating a level playing field.
MOE agreed to watch developments like Khan Academy and Open Lectures, prioritize quality in online resources, and expand access to curated materials for students and parents through initiatives like a parent portal.

Questions identified by AI (learn more)

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education (Ms Sim Ann) (for the Minister for Education)

Sir, MOE is committed to ensure that all our students are well taught through careful recruitment of teachers. Our teachers receive comprehensive pre-service and in-service training in order to maintain quality learning and teaching in all classrooms. In addition, MOE is also committed in providing quality online resources for teachers such as training videos, instructional materials and lesson exemplars which are available in an online platform called edumall2.0.

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On top of these resources, every school has a Learning Management System. This system provides resources which teachers can use to scaffold students' learning through modules such as lesson builders, quizzes and assessment tasks, collaboration work spaces and student learning portfolios.

Having said that, teachers play the critical role of selecting, adapting and blending appropriate resources based on the learning needs of their students. Strong pedagogical knowledge is necessary for teachers to design suitable teaching and learning activities. Sharing of resources, lesson designs and online lectures by teachers has always been encouraged and there are various platforms to facilitate such collaboration and sharing.

For Special Education (SPED) schools, ICT has to be customised to meet the varied learning needs of the students. MOE is working with SPED schools to harness ICT for teaching and learning. MOE also facilitates ICT training and supports SPED schools in implementing innovative ICT projects to make learning more interactive and engaging for students.

Sir, technology in itself does not transform learning and cannot replace teachers. Hence, MOE will continue to focus on developing a quality teaching force to ensure that ICT is effectively deployed for teaching and learning. MOE will also keep an open mind, but take a measured approach in selecting suitable and high quality material to support our teachers.

Denise Phua Lay Peng (Moulmein-Kallang)

Sir, I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the comprehensive answer. I agree with everything said, and I have to thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for always being very supportive to the children with special needs. I had the opportunity in recent years to come face to face with "live" good private tutors and lecturers, for example in subjects in General Paper (GP). They are private tutors with big followings of pre-university students. I also saw good online lectures available overseas and locally. Open Lectures is one of them; Khan Academy is another one of them; and also, all the Ivy League Universities. Considering that Singapore is one of the most wired nations in the world, I think there is great opportunity for online teaching and learning resources to be made available, not just to teachers but also to students and their families. I would like to ask the Senior Parliamentary Secretary if MOE could consider conducting a full study on how ICT can be harnessed even further to make more accessible good online lectures and resources so that those who cannot and do not want to pay hefty tuition fees could have access to and benefit from these, and so that there is a more level playing field.

Sim Ann

I thank the Member for her supplementary question. Indeed, developments such as those she had named are initiatives that we in MOE are watching with great interest. We do keep abreast of such projects and I agree with the Member that there is a lot of potential, especially being a very wired nation, for us to leverage more on such technology. I think as with our overall approach to teaching and pedagogy, the quality of the materials, whether delivered by a teacher in a classroom or delivered via an online platform, remains of paramount importance. So, in terms of looking at and exploring these various avenues in order to enrich teaching, we will also keep quality at the forefront of all considerations.

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I am also happy to update the Member that we also agree that putting more resources in the hands of not just teachers, but also students and their parents, would be key to further improve education. It is in this spirit that we have launched a portal for parents, as part of on-going parent engagement to help them help their children, and to help them keep abreast of developments in schools. We are constantly on the lookout for quality resources that can be curated and put online so that more families, more households can have access to such resources.

Page: 972

Technology to Level Playing Field for Disadvantaged Students

Summary

Questions Identified

Full Transcript

Denise Phua Lay Peng

Summary

Questions Identified

Technology to Level Playing Field for Disadvantaged Students

Summary

Questions Identified

Full Transcript

Denise Phua Lay Peng

Summary

Questions Identified

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education (Ms Sim Ann) (for the Minister for Education)

Denise Phua Lay Peng (Moulmein-Kallang)

Sim Ann