Innergy award 2016 HQ

Briefing Document: Open Source Physics at Singapore (OSP@SG) Initiative

1. Introduction

This document provides a review of the Open Source Physics at Singapore (OSP@SG) initiative, based on information extracted from the website detailing its 2016 Innergy Award. The document highlights the project's goals, evolution, innovative approaches, and impact, as well as listing the vast array of interactive resources produced by the initiative.

2. Overview of OSP@SG>

OSP@SG is an initiative within the Singapore Ministry of Education (MOE) that focuses on developing and distributing open-source educational resources, primarily in the field of physics. It was recognized with a Gold Innergy Award in 2016, acknowledging its significant contribution to education. The core idea of the initiative is to empower educators to create and utilize interactive resources, moving away from reliance on commercial vendors.

3. Key Themes and Ideas

• Open Educational Resources (OER): OSP@SG is fundamentally built on the principles of open education. It emphasizes freely accessible, adaptable, and shareable resources for educators and students. This philosophy is evident in the Creative Commons license attached to the materials.
• Teacher-Led Innovation: A core strength of the OSP@SG is the involvement of education officers from various MOE divisions (ETD, CPDD) and schools in creating interactive resources. This direct engagement of educators in the development process is seen as a crucial factor for success by the Innergy Award judges, who "particularly valued the fact that making interactive resources was done by education officers... networking with experts in the world, as opposed to paying vendors to make them."
• Mathematical Modeling as a Pedagogical Approach: The project emphasizes a pedagogical approach the project lead has coined as "mathematical modeling," where interactive simulations help illustrate abstract mathematical concepts in physics. This approach goes beyond simple visualization, aiming to foster a deeper understanding through the integration of mathematical representation. The team acknowledges that "not all physics can be mathematically modelled meaningfully for learning like random motion," suggesting they are employing mathematical modelling for cases in which it is most appropriate.
• Evolution and Expansion: The project has significantly grown since a 2012 submission focused on "4 Java based simulations." The 2016 submission featured a much larger collection which includes "100+ HTML5 simulations... 100+ Java Tracker video analysis resources... 2 e-books," demonstrating the scale and ambition of the project's expansion.
• Inclusivity and Equity: The OSP@SG project is explicitly geared towards advancing "an inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning for all." This suggests a vision of technology empowering all learners regardless of their background, which is also reflected by its open-source nature.
• Global Collaboration: The initiative actively networks with experts globally to create high-quality resources. This collaboration suggests a global perspective and commitment to best practices in educational technology.
• Focus on practical application for teachers: The project aims to create resources that teachers can effectively implement. The description of their approach includes providing visual aids, and clear instructions for teachers, such as "Tracker 6/6 Check Out Task using Model Builder to create Simplify Graphs for Secondary School".
• Variety of Tools and Technologies: OSP@SG leverages a wide variety of technologies including HTML5 simulations, Java Tracker video analysis, Easy JavaScript Simulations (EJS), and other interactive tools. This variety reflects the project's adaptability and willingness to employ the most effective tools for each learning objective. The wide variety of topics addressed with these tools is also very notable.

4. Resources Produced

The source material includes a very extensive list of the kinds of interactive resources produced, many of which are listed with descriptive titles. The resources broadly cover:

• Physics Simulations: Interactive simulations of various physics concepts, including kinematics, dynamics, electromagnetism, optics, waves, and quantum physics, covering both O and A Level topics.
• Video Analysis Tools: Java Tracker resources that enable students to analyze videos of physical phenomena, allowing for hands-on investigations.
• E-books: E-books on advanced physics topics, further solidifying the initiative's commitment to high-quality resource creation.
• Math Tools There are also resources that appear to focus on mathematics skills that are used in physics, such as "Primary Maths 3D view of Objects Cone, Pyramid, Cylinder, Sphere on Cuboid"
• Chemistry Tools A few tools for chemistry are also listed, such as "Acid Strong Base Titrations JavaScript Model" and "Learning Chemistry with wRiteFormula".

5. Impact and Recognition

• Innergy Award: The Gold Innergy Award highlights the project's innovative nature and the significant benefits it brought to its stakeholders, particularly teachers and students.
• UNESCO Validation: The resources are UNESCO ICT pedagogically validated, demonstrating the project’s commitment to quality and effectiveness, as well as its adherence to international standards.
• Multiple awards: The project has also won many other awards, including the Ministry of Education Service Excellence Award in 2012 and the Public Service 21 ExCEL Awards Best Ideator in 2012

6. Key Quote

• The core objective of OSP@SG is “to advance an inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning for all and i hope that more educators will join OSP@SG so that they can also find happiness in the service of others.”

7. Conclusion

The Open Source Physics at Singapore (OSP@SG) initiative is a highly innovative and impactful program that demonstrates a commitment to open education, teacher-led innovation, and high-quality resources. Its success and wide range of activities show it to be a significant contributor to physics education in Singapore.

 

Open Source Physics at Singapore (OSP@SG) Study Guide

Quiz

Instructions: Answer each question in 2-3 sentences.

1. What is the Innergy Award, and what was the specific recognition that Open Source Physics at Singapore (OSP@SG) received?
2. What was the main difference in scope and scale between the 2012 OSP project submission and the 2016 submission?
3. What was a core pedagogical approach implemented in the OSP@SG 2016 project, and what did it involve?
4. Besides the simulations, what other types of resources were part of the OSP@SG 2016 submission?
5. What is the stated main point or goal of Open Source Physics at Singapore (OSP@SG)?
6. What was the purpose of the presentation invitation after submitting the Innergy Award project application?
7. What kind of visual aids were permitted for the presentation, and what were the requirements?
8. According to the quote on the slides, what should be the ultimate goal of public service?
9. What are some of the subject areas, besides physics, where OSP@SG has developed resources?
10. What types of devices are the OSP@SG HTML5 applets compatible with?

Quiz Answer Key

1. The Innergy Award is administered by the Ministry of Education (MOE) to recognize innovative projects that significantly benefit stakeholders. OSP@SG received a Gold Innergy Award in 2016 for their open-source physics resources.
2. The 2012 submission focused on four Java-based simulations for a small A-level Physics topic, while the 2016 submission included over 100 HTML5 simulations, 100+ video analysis resources, and two e-books covering a wide range of O and A level Physics.
3. The core pedagogical approach was "mathematical modeling," which involves using mathematical models in the simulations to help students understand and learn physics concepts more deeply.
4. The 2016 submission included over 100 HTML5 simulations, over 100 Java Tracker video analysis resources, and two e-books covering advanced physics topics.
5. The main point of OSP@SG is to advance inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning for all through open educational resources in physics.
6. The presentation was an opportunity for the evaluation panel to gain a deeper understanding of the project beyond the application form and to clarify any questions.
7. Teams could use visual aids like mobile apps or physical toolkits if it was within the time limit and they provided their own WiFi access if necessary.
8. Public service should be a complete dedication to the people and the nation to strive not to be the best in the world but best for the world.
9. OSP@SG has developed resources in mathematics, chemistry, and primary school science, beyond just physics.
10. The HTML5 applets are compatible with various devices such as Windows, MacOSX, Linux laptops/desktops and Android/iOS devices like phones, tablets and iPads.

Essay Questions

Instructions: Answer each question in essay format. There is no required word count for each essay, but make sure to include detailed information from the text in your response.

1. Analyze the evolution of the OSP@SG project from 2012 to 2016, detailing the key changes in its scope, pedagogical approach, and resources. How do these changes reflect the project's overall goals?
2. Discuss the significance of using open-source resources and educator-created content in the context of the OSP@SG project. Why does the source text emphasize this approach, and what advantages does it offer?
3. Evaluate the impact of mathematical modeling as a pedagogical approach in the OSP@SG project. How is this different from more traditional teaching methods and what kind of deeper learning does it support?
4. Examine the OSP@SG project within the broader context of educational innovation and access. How does it aim to contribute to an inclusive and equitable learning environment?
5. Explore how the OSP@SG project's various resources (HTML5 simulations, video analysis, e-books) work together to support a comprehensive physics education. How might educators implement these different elements for more effective teaching and learning?

Glossary of Key Terms

Open Source Physics (OSP): An approach to creating and sharing physics education resources that are freely available for use, modification, and distribution, often involving the use of simulations and interactive tools.

Innergy Award: An award administered by the Singapore Ministry of Education (MOE) to recognize innovative projects that significantly benefit stakeholders in the education sector.

HTML5: The latest evolution of the standard that defines HTML. It is used for structuring and presenting content on the World Wide Web, including multimedia, without the need for plugins.

Mathematical Modeling: A pedagogical approach that uses mathematical equations and concepts to simulate physical phenomena, allowing students to interact and engage with the abstract ideas in a more concrete way.

Video Analysis Resources: Tools that enable the analysis of motion and other physical phenomena in videos, allowing students to investigate concepts through experimental observation.

e-books: Electronic books, often interactive, that cover various subject areas. In the context of the document, they are focused on Advanced Level Physics topics.

Java Tracker: A specific software tool used for analyzing video footage, allowing for measurements of position, velocity, and acceleration. The document makes specific reference to "Tracker" video analysis.

Pedagogical Approach: The method or style of teaching, including the strategies and techniques used to facilitate learning.

UNESCO ICT Validation: Recognition from UNESCO that a project aligns with their standards for the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in education.

Easy JavaScript Simulation (EJS): A tool that simplifies the creation of interactive simulations, particularly for science and mathematics.

update 29/8/2016

MOE administers the Innergy Awards to recognise innovative projects from that have brought about significant benefits to stakeholders. This award is administered for MOE HQ, Schools and Stat Boards. total of 47 applications and 15 Innergy Awards (HQ) winners.

Project	Division	Award
Open Source Physics at Singapore (OSP@SG)	ETD/CPDD	Gold

I would like to thank the project team of Lily and Victor for their support who gave lots of valuable inputs to strengthen the write-up in this INNERGY award which I believe presented ETD projects in the best light. The judges particularly valued the fact that making interactive resources was done by education officers in ETD, CPDD and schools, networking with experts in the world, as oppose to paying vendors to make them. 
I also thank Mr Chua for his vision and timely suggestions to brand the amazing work we do in TFL, service schools and MOEHQ. 
I also want to thank Ms Chan, aka my savior in 2008-09 for putting me and Mr Thong into the works of harnessing open technologies which took root in ETD .
Finally, I am really grateful for such a friendly and open leaders including Dr Chee, of course, to nurture this project. 

highlight the innovative aspect of your project and how it has benefited the intended stakeholders.

This 2016 submission is vastly different and an expanded from my earlier Gravity Physics by Inquiry in 2012 submission as the innovativeness is on just 4 Java based simulations to address learning needs of a small topic in the A level Physics.

This OSP@SG 2016 submission is UNESCO ICT pedagogically validated, all 100+ HTML5 simulations covering large topics in O and A level Physics, 100+ Java Tracker video analysis resources covering O and A level kinematics and dynamics, 2 e-books covering 2 Advanced Level Physics topics funded by eduLab21, most of them(why not all?, not all physics can be mathematically modelled meaningfully for learning like random motion, constant rotation easier to visual than to model by students themselves etc) have the pedagogical approach called and coined by me as "mathematical modeling".

So you can see, 4 inquiry enabled Java simulation in 2012, is not the same as 100+ HTML5, 100+video analysis and 2 ebooks ,with mathematical modeling pedagogical approach.

Right?

Anyway, the main point about Open Source Physics at Singapore (OSP@SG) is to advance an inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning for all and i hope that more educators will join OSP@SG so that they can also find happiness in the service of others. 

Thanks 

Leongster for giving a great presentation with the epub on oscillators and my partner in OSP@SG.

lily, victor, chor huat and shirleen for supporting this!

Email invite

Hi Innovators! Thank you for submitting your team’s project for the Innergy Awards (HQ). The Evaluation Panel would like to invite your team to give a brief presentation of your project to understand the project further, beyond what was presented in the application form. Please note that this invitation to the presentation does not automatically guarantee an award.
Each team will be allocated 15 minutes:
· 5 minutes - presentation
· 5 minutes - Q&A
· 5 minutes – pack-up by your team and set-up by the next team

Details

Date: 24 May
Venue: iStudio@Ghim Moh (285 Ghim Moh Road, Block C, Level 1)
Time: 1300-1315Please check the time of your presentation in the attachment and arrive at least 15 mins before your scheduled time.

Format of Presentation

a. Format - The format of the presentation will be a 5 mins presentation, followed by a 5 mins Q&A segment for the panel to clarify and understand the project further.
b. Slides - We prefer if you were to use your submission slides (PDF version submitted earlier) for the presentation and no additional preparation is necessary on your part. Your slides will be loaded on our laptop and we will pass you a clicker. In the unlikely event that you are changing your slides, pls remember that the 9 slide limit will still apply and email me your revised slides by 5pm on 19 May. Revised slides received after the deadline will be disregarded. Pls also PDF your slides before sending them over (all slides used on evaluation day will be the PDF versions submitted) 
c. Visual aids - You may also present other visual aids to complement your presentation so long as it is done within the allocated time, e.g.mobile apps, physical toolkits, online systems, etc. (pls provide your own WIFI access if necessary)
d. Presenters - We suggest that you limit your team representation to 4 members for this presentation.

Slides

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Public service must be more than doing a job efficiently and honestly. It must be a complete dedication to the people and to the nation so that we NOT the best in the world but best for the world."

 

Reference:

http://weelookang.blogspot.sg/2016/06/innergy-award-2016-hq.html