Educational Resources / Open Source Physics @ Singapore"

Overview:

This document provides a briefing on the N3 Cluster 8th ICT Symposium, held on July 24th, 2018, at Edgefield Secondary School in Singapore. The symposium focused on the theme "Discover, Experience and Engage with Educational Technology," with a specific emphasis on customisable mathematics applications for primary school students. The Open Educational Resources / Open Source Physics @ Singapore (OER/OSP@SG) initiative was invited to present on their work in developing and sharing these resources.

Main Themes and Important Ideas:

1. Focus on Educational Technology and 21st Century Learning: The symposium's overarching goal was to explore and promote the use of technology to advance teaching and learning in the 21st century. As stated in the invitation letter, it aimed to be "a platform that changes how Educators perceive, think about and understand the role of ICT in today’s technological and globally connected environment."
2. Customisable Math Apps for Primary Schools: A key focus was on the development and application of customisable mathematics apps for primary school education. Mr. Lawrence Wee from ETD presented on "Using apps in primary Mathematics" as a concurrent session presenter.
3. Open Educational Resources (OER) and Open Source Physics @ Singapore (OSP@SG): The OER/OSP@SG initiative played a significant role, showcasing their development of accessible, adaptable, and affordable interactive resources as both website and mobile applications. The platform aims to provide resources that are free for educational use, aligning with the principles of OER.
4. Teacher Professional Development and Competency Building: The symposium aimed to enhance teachers' skills in designing learning experiences using technology. The invitation letter highlights the goal of enhancing "teachers’ competencies as designers of learning who are guided by learning principles and sound pedagogical approaches to plan for their lessons. Teachers harness ICT to design for active learning and monitor and to provide feedback to advance learning."
5. Alignment with Singapore's Educational Initiatives: The development of the math apps appears to be aligned with national educational initiatives, specifically referencing the "SLS Pedagogical Scaffold" and examples found in "OPAL lessons." This suggests an effort to create resources that are relevant and easily integrated into the existing Singaporean curriculum.
6. Collaborative Development and Teacher Input: The development of the 15 interactive math resources was a collaborative effort, with ideas originating from various educators including those from the Educational Technology Division (ETD), Academy of Singapore Teachers (AST), and classroom teachers from different primary schools (Anchor Green Pri, Yio Chu Kang Pri, Teck Whye Pri, Jing Shan Pri). This is evidenced by phrases like "based on ideas from..." and "...and teachers in our workshops." This collaborative approach ensures the resources are practical and meet the needs of educators and students.
7. Variety of Mathematical Concepts Covered: The 15 developed resources cover a range of primary school mathematics topics, including:

• Number sense (Odd/Even, Multiples, Factors)
• Time telling
• Mass/Weight
• Geometry (Nets of Cubes/Cuboids, Pyramids, Symmetry)
• Speed
• Inequalities (More than/Less than)
• Addition
• Fractions (Comparing, Adding, Subtracting, Multiplying)
• Volume

1. Features Designed for Teaching and Learning: Each applet includes different modes designed to support both teacher-led instruction and student-centered exploration. Common features include:

• Teaching Mode: For teacher demonstration, often showing concepts visually. For example, the "1 to 100" app "shows odd, even, multiples and factors up the number 100, great for teacher demonstration."
• Practice Mode: For student exploration with automatic feedback. The "1 to 100" app "affords for student exploration with automatic targeted feedback."
• Game Mode: To engage students through interactive challenges, as seen in the "Telling Time" app which "affords for a random time to be set... and dragging the both clock hour and minute hands to correct position for feedback with sound."
• Customisation: Many apps offer customisable parameters to suit different learning needs and teaching scenarios, such as the "Target Math Addition Game" with "adjustable deck of number cards, even or odd sets and different starting card numbers and final addition target."

1. Emphasis on Visualisation and Multiple Representations: Several apps utilise visual aids and multiple representations to enhance understanding. For instance, the "Comparing Fractions" and "Add and Subtract Proper Fractions" apps "shows 1. circular parts of a whole, 2. horizontal bars of a whole and 3. vertical bars of a whole for multiple representations and synergistic learning."
2. Accessibility and Affordability: The resources are designed to be accessible as both websites and mobile apps, and are "adaptable and affordable on the Open Source Physics at Singapore digital library," underscoring the commitment to open educational resources.
3. Broader Scope of OER/OSP@SG: While the symposium focused on primary math apps, the website also hosts a vast collection of physics simulations and interactive tools, indicating a broader commitment to open educational resources across STEM fields. This is evident from the long list of "PICUP" (Physics Instructional Computer Use in Undergraduate Physics) and other physics-related applets listed on the page.
4. Licensing: The content on the OER/OSP@SG platform is licensed under a "Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 Singapore License," promoting sharing and adaptation with appropriate attribution.

Quotes:

• (Invitation Letter - Theme): "#### Theme: Discover, Experience and Engage with Educational Technology"
• (Invitation Letter - Purpose): "The N3 ICT Symposium is an annual event which brings together thought leaders, teacher practitioners and educational researchers for a noble purpose- to share their insights, practices, experiences and research studies in the use of technology to advance 21st century teaching and learning."
• (Invitation Letter - Enhancing Competencies): "This Symposium seeks to enhance teachers’ competencies as designers of learning who are guided by learning principles and sound pedagogical approaches to plan for their lessons. Teachers harness ICT to design for active learning and monitor and to provide feedback to advance learning."
• (Description of Resources): "A total of 15 (instead of the intended 4) interactive resources are developed as Website and Mobile Apps, accessible, adaptable and affordable on the Open Source Physics at Singapore digital library."
• (Example App Feature - 1 to 100): "Teaching mode shows odd, even, multiples and factors up the number 100, great for teacher demonstration (direct link)"
• (Example App Feature - Comparing Fractions): "shows 1. circular parts of a whole, 2. horizontal bars of a whole and 3. vertical bars of a whole for multiple representations and synergistic learning"

Conclusion:

The N3 Cluster 8th ICT Symposium served as a valuable platform for educators to explore the use of educational technology, particularly customisable mathematics apps, to enhance primary school learning. The presentation by OER/OSP@SG highlighted the potential of open educational resources, developed through collaboration and aligned with national curricula, to provide accessible and effective tools for both teaching and student engagement in mathematics. The diverse range of applets developed demonstrates a commitment to addressing various mathematical concepts through interactive and visually engaging methods. The symposium underscores the ongoing efforts within the Singaporean education system to integrate ICT effectively to foster 21st-century learning skills.