My learning journey - technology in education 

The History of Singapore's ICT Integration

This is a very brief overview.  For a more complete review please refer to the Singapore's Ministry of Education website or the book Information Communication Technology in Education  Singapore's ICT Masterplans 1997-2008 Editors: KOH Thiam Seng & LEE Sai Choo 

 

 

Singapore's Ministry of Education laid out a systematic plan for technology integration in a series of ICT Masterplans.

 

Masterplan 1: 1997 - 2003

The focus of the first masterplan in 1997 was to lay the foundation by teaching teachers basic ICT skills such as basic computer literacy and Microsoft Office along with equipping the schools with the basic infrastructure   Evelyn remembers when all teachers were initially trained.  "There wasn't enough room in the schools, so the MOE hired out to private companies to train us."  By the end of the training, most teachers were well versed in the use of powerpoint which became a standard to use in a lot of classrooms. A confining factor was a lack of computers available for teachers.  This would be partially solved during Masterplan Two.  

 

The MOE realized that to help schools transition into the new technological era, they would need a great deal of support.  To facilitate this, the MOE clustered schools, bringing a few on at a time, giving teachers further professional development and support.  Some schools became 'Future Schools' and the models for others to follow.  The curriculum needed to change as well.  When new Syllabi were developed and textbooks written, the content was diminished and new pedagogical strategies for using ICT were included.  The MOE expected 30% of curriculum time to be ICT based.  This expectation continues today and is roughly accounted for by the HOD at the school by tracking lab and Computer cart time.  Lynn, HOD of ICT at Rulang told me, no one really checks anymore but it is still really an expectation.  To assist teachers, the MOE developed ICT lessons and worked with industry to develop additional resources.  

 

Masterplan 2:  2003- 2008

Masterplan 2 continued with the goals of the first but shifted a focus to curriculum and instruction.  The MOE developed the Educational Technology Division (ETD) whose main purpose was to develop a repository of resources for teachers.  The ETD pulled together educators interested in technology and who had a solid background in pedagogy   This group became the champion of technology in schools.  ETD became the go-to location for professional development and support for teachers and schools.  During this time, the MOE made grants available to schools that wanted to take technology further.  This created many niche schools like Fuhua and Rulang.  The money was used to buy additional equipment.  Fuhua has their own green room where students can create professional videos.  Rulang went in a different direction implementing a strong robotics curriculum.  The money allowed schools to customize their learning to meet the needs of their population.  

 

During this time, Singaporean schools also began to focus on student-centered learning.  Technology was seen as a useful tool in implementing this type of learning.  

 

 

Masterplan 3:  2008 - 2015

 

Mr. Goh, a director at ETD described Masterplan 3 as the scaling up plan.  Masterplan 3 is all about improving upon what has been learned and solidifying the student-centered approach.  More money has been made available to schools through grants, professional development has continued.  A Future Lab was set up at NIE to allow teachers to see new technologies in action before bringing them on their campus.  The eduLab@AST was developed as a place where educators could share what they have learned and brainstorm solutions.  This plan has continued to add technology resources to schools, focused on professional development and allowing schools to solidify their approaches to integration.  

 

 

As I was leaving Singapore, technology leaders were waiting for the announcement regarding Masterplan 4.  It is expected to be announced in the coming months of 2015.  

 

 

The Masterplans have been systematic and ensured that all schools begin the journey into ICT integration.  On paper, it looks amazing.  Some of the schools are much further ahead than others.  Masterplan 3 saw a lessening of oversight of technology use which may account for why some teachers have taken a step back from technology.  Another key reason is the Wi-Fi.  The Wi-Fi system is old and slow.  The MOE leases school's computers, which allows them to be updated every 5 years.  The teachers have the computers or tablets, but the Wi-Fi is slow or not working.  Some schools have attempted to solve the problem buy purchasing an additional Wi-Fi network.  This has helped some but many of the programs must be run from the MOE owned Wi-Fi.  The MOE strictly regulates their Wi-Fi system and has a solid firewall to block any unapproved applications.  This has frustrated many teachers as well.  The MOE wants teachers to only use authorized textbooks and web-resources.  This has lead some teachers to use their own network (via their cell phones) to bring resources into their classrooms.  Teachers who believe technology is a meaningful, useful tool have found a way to make it work in their classrooms.