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SINGAPORE: Learning at home days will soon become a regular part of the school year at high schools, colleges and the Millennia Institute, with some grade levels adopting a new third quarter “blended learning” model next year Education Minister Lawrence Wong announced. on Tuesday (December 29).
The blended model aims to help students develop “the mindset and habits for self-directed learning,” Mr. Wong said.
On home learning days, students will have time for curriculum work, as well as time and space for them to pursue their own interests, Mr. Wong said.
“HBL (home learning) days will also be less structured than a typical school day to allow students to exercise initiative in learning. Students who require closer supervision and those who lack a home environment conducive to learning or need access to certain school facilities can return to school at HBL, ”he added.
All high schools, colleges and the Millennia Institute will implement blended learning at all levels by Period 4 of 2022, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said in a separate press release.
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EVERY FIFTEEN DAYS
There have been calls for learning at home to become a regular part of school life to complement classroom teaching, after educators noted the benefits for students during full learning at home during the period of COVID-19 “circuit breaker” earlier this year.
“The question now is how we can ensure these achievements, incorporate the new practices, and take advantage of the progress made by our teachers and students during learning at home,” said Mr. Wong in a speech at the naming and appreciation ceremony for the directors. in MOE.
Blended learning, he said, combines independent learning and exploration with experience in school, helping students develop their ability to be “self-directed, passionate, and lifelong learners.”
Under the new model, learning at home will account for about 10 percent of the curriculum time in high schools and up to 20 percent in colleges and the Millennia Institute, according to the press release from the Ministry of Education. .
This translates to approximately once every fifteen days throughout the periods, excluding the examination periods. Junior colleges and the Millennia Institute will also have the option of adding a few shorter home learning days or another full-day home learning day per fortnight.
Teachers have asked for more support with training and resources, Wong said. The Ministry of Education has implemented a professional development program to help teachers design effective blended learning experiences for students, he added.
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PERSONAL LEARNING DEVICES
To facilitate blended learning, the Ministry of Education will ensure that all students are “well equipped” with a personal learning device and Internet connectivity, Mr. Wong said.
All high school students will have a personal learning device by the end of 2021, under the National Digital Literacy Program, Wong said, reiterating Chief Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s announcement in June.
This will be implemented in two phases: 86 schools will receive the devices for Term 2 of 2021 in the first phase, and 66 schools will receive the devices for Term 3 in the second phase, the Ministry of Education said in the press release.
The launch comes seven years before the original goal announced by former Education Minister Ong Ye Kung in March.
A small-scale pilot test with personal laptops and tablets will also be carried out with upper elementary students in five schools next year, said Mr. Wong.
The Ministry of Education is taking a “calibrated approach” for primary school students because they are younger, he added. “And through this pilot, we hope to better understand how the use of such devices could affect younger students and improve their learning outcomes, before deciding on the next steps.”
The five schools are Chua Chu Kang Elementary, Frontier Elementary, Junyuan Elementary, River Valley Elementary, and Yio Chu Kang Elementary.
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While teachers and parents welcome these initiatives, they also have several concerns, including how to make internet connectivity and devices affordable for all students and ensure they are used appropriately for education, Wong said.
The massive tender from the Ministry of Education will also reduce the cost of personal learning devices for students, the ministry said in the press release.
Noting that the Ministry of Education has provided a one-time S $ 200 Edusave recharge for all eligible Singaporean citizen students, Wong said this would ensure that most students have enough in their Edusave accounts to pay for the device.
There may also be students from low-income households who may still need help, Mr. Wong said.
“Schools can help them by further subsidizing the cost of the PLD, and if their accounts are insufficient, then they will be given additional financial support so that no out-of-pocket payment is required for the PLD,” he said. .
The ministry is also working with Infocomm’s Media Development Authority (IMDA) to provide subsidized broadband access to students from lower-income households, he added.
To ensure that the devices are a “facilitator for learning” rather than a distraction, device management applications will be installed on each device to “provide a secure and more regulated digital environment,” said Mr. Wong.
Students will also learn to stay safe and be respectful and responsible users in the digital landscape during cyber wellness education in citizenship and character education lessons, he added.
“Our school curriculum will continue to provide a wide range of learning experiences, including a balanced proportion of technology-enhanced learning activities. The amount of time students spend on their devices will be managed. This will be reinforced by the rules and routines of the classroom, ”said Mr. Wong, adding that the Ministry of Education will also work with parents to help their children use the devices in meaningful ways.
Students graduating in 2021 will not be included in the roll out of personal learning devices because they have less than a year left in school, the Ministry of Education said in the press release.
“However, schools will have the flexibility to decide whether they want to facilitate the purchase of PLD for their graduate students,” he added.
The Ministry of Education is also working with special education schools to develop and implement plans to strengthen students’ digital literacy through the use of personal learning devices, it said in the press release.
“These schools will customize their plans to address the special educational needs of their students and, in the same way, arrangements will be made for those who receive financial assistance to receive additional support for a PLD prescribed by the school,” reads the statement from press.
“As we embrace a more empowering future of learning, we will support students who may come from less supportive homes or who are struggling to progress in school,” said Mr. Wong.
“Over the years, we have implemented many programs for these students … We will continue to do more in the years to come.”
