ITE 06/21
Press Release No. 17/07
TAY ENG SOON SYMPOSIUM 2007
GET REAL WITH AUTHENTIC LEARNING!
Authentic Learning – that mirrors the real-world environment, is both the buzzword in education, and increasingly, the pedagogy of choice for educators the world over.
2 “Authentic Learning in Technical Education: Communities of Practice, Issues and Challenges” is the theme of the Tay Eng Soon Symposium 2007, to be held at ITE Headquarters on Friday 30 November 2007. The Symposium is organised by the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), together with the five Polytechnics - Singapore Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Temasek Polytechnic, Nanyang Polytechnic and Republic Polytechnic.
3 Reflecting the wide interest in academia and industry, this year’s Symposium, the sixth in a series of symposia held under the auspices of the Tay Eng Soon Scholarship Fund, has attracted more than 500 participants from ITE, the Polytechnics, industry and personnel from government agencies.
Profiles of Symposium Speakers
4 Keynote speaker, Professor Ron Oliver, hails from Australia’s Edith Cowan University. A proponent of innovative and effective use of info-communication technology in teaching and learning, Professor Oliver is a much sought-after speaker at international conferences. He will be speaking on “Exploring the Opportunities, Issues and Challenges of Authentic Learning in Vocational and Technical Education”.
5 The second speaker, Dr Moira Lee of Temasek Polytechnic, will share insights on "The Heart of Authentic Communities of Practice" and will relate this in the context of staff development and problem-based learning at the polytechnic.
6 Oracle Corporation’s Mr Andrew Crow will round up the event with his presentation, “Connecting the Dots – Fostering Enhanced Learning Pathways”, providing an industry perspective to the subject.
7 Profiles of the Speakers are detailed at Annex A.
Presentation of Tay Eng Soon Scholarship Awards
8 Another highlight of the event will be the presentation of the Tay Eng Soon Scholarship Awards to s ix outstanding ITE graduates. These graduates, who are currently pursuing further studies at the Polytechnics, have been chosen based on their outstanding academic performance, as well as leadership in and contributions to their Co-Curricular Activities. (Please refer to Annex B for brief profiles of the Award recipients).
9 Members of the media are cordially invited to attend and cover the Tay Eng Soon Symposium 2007 to be held on Friday 30 November 2007, at the ITE HQ Auditorium, from 1400 to 1730 hours (The Symposium programme and a location map of ITE HQ are at Annex C).
10 For further information and/or interview arrangements, please contact Ms Joycelyn Seet, Head/Online Communications, on Tel: 6772 0744 or Email: Joycelyn_Seet@ite.edu.sg.
Released on: 29 November 2007
About the Tay Eng Soon Scholarship Fund Established in 1993 by ITE and the Polytechnics, the Fund is supported by numerous employers, friends and members of the public in honour of the late Dr Tay Eng Soon, who was formerly the Chairman of ITE and Minister-in-Charge of technical and polytechnic education. The Fund was established to promote technical education and training through the provision of scholarship awards, as well as the sponsoring of seminars, symposia and other activities relevant to technical and polytechnic education. |
ANNEX A
PROFILE OF SPEAKERS
Professor Ron Oliver
Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning)
Professor of Interactive Multimedia
School of Communications and Contemporary Arts
Edith Cowan University, Perth, Western Australia
Professor Ron Oliver is the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning) at Edith Cowan University, the second largest University in Perth, Western Australia. He is a Professor of Interactive Multimedia in the School of Communications and Contemporary Arts.
Prof Oliver is a distinguished teacher who is well known for his innovative and effective use of information and communications technologies (ICT) in learning and teaching. He has been actively using and researching authentic learning as a delivery strategy in higher and technical education for the past ten years. Other projects in which he is currently involved include the use of technology to promote learner engagement in large classes, the reusability of e-learning resources, and factors influencing the uptake and use of digital repositories and learning objects.
He has won many awards for his innovative teaching and research and has given keynote addresses describing his work to audiences throughout the world. In 2006, Prof Oliver was awarded a highly prestigious Carrick Fellowship by the Australian Government in recognition of his outstanding scholarship and excellence in learning and teaching. In 2007, he was awarded a Fellowship of the Association for the Advancement of Computers in Education.
Dr Moira Lee
Acting Director, Learning Academy &
Acting Director, Temasek Centre for Problem-Based Learning
Temasek Polytechnic
Dr Moira Lee is Acting Director of the Learning Academy at Temasek Polytechnic, and Acting Director of the Temasek Centre for Problem-Based Learning. She also teaches part-time at the National Institute of Education in the area of educational psychology.
Dr Lee obtained her PhD in Education from the University of Nottingham, UK, focusing on collaborative learning. She is committed to academic professional development and is active in publishing and conducting seminars in adult learning, collaborative learning, problem-based learning, teacher mentoring, leadership and research methodologies.
In 2004, Dr Lee was awarded a Fellowship of the Staff and Educational Development Association, United Kingdom.
Mr Andrew Crow
Education Industry Director – ASEAN
Oracle Corporation
Mr Andrew Crow is the Education Industry Director for the ASEAN region at Oracle Corporation and is also the Asia Pacific Industry Professional Community Lead for the Oracle internal education community of practice.
Prior to Oracle, Mr Crow has held a number of education related roles in Australia including that of state education Chief Technology Officer, higher education Chief Information Officer and as the regional education solution specialist for Unisys. He has also held representative positions on Australian State and Federal government working parties, established UN commercial type II partnership launched at the Johannesburg World Summit and been an invited speaker at several international conferences on the application, delivery and development of new technologies in the education arena. Before 2000 he was a director in the Asia Pacific operations for a UK-listed technology services multinational.
ANNEX B
2007 TAY ENG SOON SCHOLARSHIP AWARD RECIPIENTS
Miss Ho Si Lin 何思琳
Course of Study in ITE: Higher Nitec in Mechatronics, ITE College Central
Polytechnic enrolled in: Nanyang Polytechnic
Course Pursuing: Diploma in Mechatronics Engineering
Age: 19
Si Lin’s demure appearance belies her talent in traditionally-masculine sports, such as taekwondo and basketball. She was the Chairperson of the Taekwondo Club for two years and has participated in the 2005 and 2006 Inter-Varsity and Polytechnic (IVP) sports meet.
Soh Xin Ren 苏信仁
Course of Study in ITE: Nitec in Communications Technology, ITE College Central
Polytechnic enrolled in: Singapore Polytechnic
Course Pursuing: Diploma in Information Communication Technology
Age: 19
Xin Ren scored a perfect Grade Point Average (GPA) of 4.0 when he was in ITE. He was also the President of the ITE College Central Student Council and Project Leader of the Community Service Club in 2006. He has volunteered in various projects such as Project SPHERE, accompanying senior citizens during Chinese New Year and organising picnics for them. He received many awards, including the ITE College Central Outstanding Student Councillor Award (2006) and North West CDC Outstanding All-rounder Student Award (2006).
Miss Nurshahidah Bte Roslie
Course of Study in ITE: Higher Nitec in Business Studies (Sport Management),
ITE College East
Polytechnic enrolled in: Republic Polytechnic
Course Pursuing: Diploma in Sports & Exercise Sciences
Age: 20
Nurshahidah, the Lee Kuan Yew Gold Medal winner at this year’s ITE Graduation Ceremony, had chosen to study Sports & Wellness Management in ITE even though her GCE ‘O’ level grades could have given her a place in a Polytechnic. As President of the Interact Club at ITE College East, Nurshahidah led a group of ITE students to represent Singapore at the Model United Nations Assembly Conference, in 2006, held in the Philippines.
Lim Wai Sian 林伟祥
Course of Study in ITE: Nitec in Electronics (Computer & Networking), ITE College West
Polytechnic enrolled in: Singapore Polytechnic
Course Pursuing: Diploma in Electrical & Electronic Engineering
Age: 19
Not only is Wai Sian an outstanding performer in his studies, he also excels in sports. He received the ITE Sports Excellence Award in 2005, and participated in numerous local and overseas basketball competitions, such as the 19th PIBA Asia Championship 2006, Melbourne Cup 2006 and SEABA 2005-2006.
Miss Lim Jin Ru 林津如
Course of Study in ITE: Nitec in Electronics (Computer & Networking), ITE College West
Polytechnic enrolled in: Singapore Polytechnic
Course Pursuing: Diploma in Electrical & Electronic Engineering
Age: 19
A dedicated student leader who does well in and out of the classroom, Jin Ru was the Chairperson of the House Committee of ITE College West’s Student Council and Vice-Chairperson of the Entrepreneurship Club. She was also awarded the Youth Service Award (Merit) for her “SafeHome” project, in which she joined other ITE students in visiting the homes of senior citizens and helping them install safety features, such as handlebars. Despite her many CCA commitments, Jin Ru managed to score a perfect GPA of 4.0.
Mohamad Juzazwan Bin Jumari
Course of Study in ITE: Higher Nitec in Business Studies (Administration), ITE College West
Polytechnic enrolled in: Temasek Polytechnic
Course Pursuing: Diploma in Hospitality & Tourism Business
Age: 19
A young man with a passion for the arts, Juzazwan was Co-Chairman of the ITE Centre for Music & the Arts (CeMTA) from 2005 to 2007. During this time, he performed in numerous events, including the ITE Musical Extravaganza "Joseph & The Amazing Technicolour Dream Coat" as one of the lead cast, the Pharaoh, and “Flowers in the Desert”, directed by Gerard Fang of Les Thespians Drama Company.
ANNEX C
TAY ENG SOON SYMPOSIUM 2007
Friday 30 November 2007
1400 hours
ITE HQ Auditorium
Programme
1300 hrs |
Arrival of Guests and Participants |
1400 hrs |
Opening Address by Mr Bruce Poh Director & CEO, ITE and Management Committee |
1410 hrs |
Presentation of 2007 Tay Eng Soon Scholarship Awards |
1420 hrs |
Keynote Address: “Exploring the Opportunities, Issues and Challenges of Authentic Learning in Vocational and Technical Education” Question & Answer Session |
1520 hrs |
Tea Reception |
1545 hrs |
“ The Heart of Authentic Communities of Practice” Question & Answer Session |
1630 hrs |
“Connecting the Dots – Fostering Enhanced Learning Pathways” Question & Answer Session |
1715 hrs |
Presentation of Mementoes to Speakers |
1730 hrs |
End of Programme |
ITE HQ LOCATION MAP
