ICT reform initiatives in Singapore schools: a complexity theory perspective

The past two decades have witnessed an exponential growth in the use of technology in our daily life. Notwithstanding its phenomenal influence, the use of technology in education remains sporadic and disjointed. The promise that technology will bring deep-seated changes in the way that educators teach and students learn remains, disappointedly, elusive. This paper argues that the lack of systemic frame of reference may have explanatory power over such less than impressive performance of ICT in education. Tracing the trajectory of Singapore’s ICT-related policies in the educational sector, this paper adopts the complexity lens to study the systemic policy changes that are imbued in the different stages of Singapore’s ICT-based reforms. In particular, the paper delves into the three constructs of complexity theory: self-organisation, coevolution and fitness landscape. By juxtaposing the interdependencies of these three concepts against the backdrop of Singapore’s educational landscape, the paper contends that the complexity theory perspective has the potential to help policymakers understand the dynamic and complex nature of reforms so as to devise multi-faceted solutions that will address the concerns of all key stakeholders in the learning ecology. Implications for policymaking are also discussed.     

Creating thinking schools through authentic assessment: the case in Singapore

Using Singapore as an example, we argue that schools need to equip and encourage teachers to adopt authentic assessment in teaching and learning so as to develop the students’ higher-order thinking. The importance of teaching and assessing higher-order thinking in Singapore classrooms is encapsulated in the vision of ‘Thinking Schools’ launched by the Ministry of Education in 1997. Underpinning this vision is a shift from conventional assessment to authentic assessment. Unlike conventional paper-and-pencil tests that focus on knowledge reproduction and low-level cognitive processing skills in artificial, contrived contexts, authentic assessment tasks underscore knowledge construction, complex thinking, elaborated communication, collaboration and problem solving in authentic contexts. However, the creation of thinking schools in Singapore remains a constant challenge as many teachers tend to rely on conventional assessment and are often ill-prepared to implement authentic assessment. By presenting the findings from a recent empirical study, we propose that schools build teacher capacity by providing ongoing and sustained professional development on authentic assessment for teachers.     

The nature of Chinese Language classroom learning environments in Singapore secondary schools

This article reports findings from a classroom environment study which was designed to investigate the nature of Chinese Language classroom environments in Singapore secondary schools. We used a perceptual instrument, the Chinese Language Classroom Environment Inventory, to investigate teachers’ and students’ perceptions towards their Chinese Language classroom learning environments using six dimensions, namely, Student Cohesiveness, Teacher Support, Involvement, Cooperation, Task Orientation and Equity. The investigation was carried out using a sample of 1,460 secondary three (Grade 9) students from 50 Chinese Language classes in 25 Singapore government secondary schools. The nature of the Chinese Language classroom learning environments was interpreted from analyses of the perception scores obtained, as well as from various comparisons of the perception scores between different groups. Although both the Chinese Language teachers and students perceived their present classroom learning environments positively, they would like improvements in all the six dimensions of the classroom learning environments under investigation. Also teachers perceived a more positive classroom learning environment than their students in the same class. In addition, female students perceived their actual and preferred classroom environments more positively than their male counterparts.     

新加坡高中生物学教材评析

本文初步总结了新加坡高中生物学教材《Advanced Biology for You》的主要特点，提出了值得借鉴的三个方面。     

一种面向企业的语义Mashup平台

Mashup是一种允许用户糅合多种服务形成新服务的一种WEB应用程序开发技术.目前的Mashup工具均需要用户具有编程经验和对相关资源比较了解才能构建有效的Mashup程序.提出一种面向企业的语义Mashup平台（enterprise semantic mashup platform,ESMP）.它提供了对资源进行语义标注、连接的方法,同时提供工具帮助用户实现Mash应用程序的开发和发布,使用户能快速构建有效的企业解决方案.     

理解、交流与学习——建构主义在中学政治课教学中的运用

本运用建构主义的观点，对目前中学政治课教学中的理解、交流与学习进行了反思，认为理解是知识意义的建构，交流是意义的共享与协商，学习是自主体验的过程，并提出了相应的教改思路。     

职业学校生命教育的内容与方式

生命教育是职业学校学生人生观、世界观教育的一个部分,通过生命教育、心理辅导工作及生命体验活动的开展,使学生能够珍惜保护自己和他人的生命,体现人生的意义和价值。     

对中小学德育内容的思考

德育内容是德育整体工作的重要组成部分。探究确定中小学德育内容的依据,在总结继承传统德育内容的基础上,从学生可接受的角度对德育内容进行筛选和分类分层,并针对当前确定德育内容方面存在的几个问题提出了具体解决措施。     

日本中小学的综合学习时间概述

为了培养年青一代面对国际化、信息化社会所必备的素质和能力,日本在中小学新设置了综合学习时间,通过综合学习时间培养学生的综合运用知识及解决问题的能力即发展学生的生存能力.     

基于互联网的智能英语听写系统设计

针对互联网智能英语听写自动校正系统设计的两个要素,即语音合成系统和自动校正系统。结合产品使用的特定人群,即小学高年级学生其语音资源库数据容量较小的特点,本文运用共振峰合成技术构建语音合成系统。在此基础上,利用SQL Server搜索引擎和Visual J#技术实现自动校正功能。实验结果表明,系统的运行速度和精确度良好,具有一定的商业价值。     

新加坡学校德育的特色对我国高校辅导员德育方法的启示

在短短40多年里新加坡发生了重大变化,成为西方人赞誉的＂人间天堂＂,重要原因之一是得益于其学校德育的建设。新加坡根据不同的形势变化进行改革,通过德育成功地加强了新加坡的精神文明建设。新加坡学校德育建设富有成效,其成功的经验对我国高校辅导员开展德育活动有一定的启示。     

A Web-based machining process monitoring system for E-manufacturing implementation

INTRODUCTION Recently, the application of the information technology into manufacturing fields gets more and more importance on the whole manufacturing shop floors. Currently, many researches reflect the effec- tiveness of knowledge-based production system re- lated to the exchange and management of various manufacturing information using information tech- nology via the Internet in order to increase the com- petitive power of industries. This research suggests a Web-based machining proce…     

网络案例教学的评价指标研究

案例教学是以学生由被动接受知识转变为主动参与学习为条件的协作学习方式,与传统教学相比有着自身的特点,其评价过程也体现出与传统教学迥异的特征.本文试图从基于网络案例库建设的角度出发,分析其系统特点,建立网络案例教学评价指标体系,使评价着眼于学习过程、互动和反馈,进一步完善评价指标.     

一种基于流媒体技术的网络课程解决方案

以昆明师范高等专科学校开设的《计算机文化基础》课程为例,简要分析了课程的教学现状,给出了一种基于流媒体技术的网络课程的解决方案,该方案包括流媒体系统的构建、网络课程模型两个部分,并且结合我校的校园网应用环境阐述了几个关键技术问题。     

设计远程教育网上虚拟实验室的一种方法

本文说明了实现远程网络实验教学的紧迫性和必要性,结合一个简单的实例介绍了用VRML（Virtual Realitx Modeling Language）设计虚拟实验室的思路和方法,说明了用VRML设计软件时应该注意的问题,为远程教育网络资源建设提供了一定的参考。     

School context,principal leadership,and achievement: The case of secondary schools in Singapore

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship among school contextual indicators in Singapore, principal leadership in managing the secondary school's governance and work structures, and achievement outcomes. Already established is that the context may enable or constrain how the school as a workplace affects student learning. Less clearly understood, however, is how the principal may contribute to the link between the school's context and important school processes that influence student achievement. The results of the study are discussed in terms of their theoretical and practical significance.An earlier version of this paper was presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, April 1992. The author wishes to acknowledge the contribution of Poh Tin Kok, who collected the data used in the study.     

Institutionally incorporated,symbolically un‐remade: state reform of Chinese schools in postwar Singapore

When Singapore underwent decolonization after World War II, its government—keen on constructing a Singapore‐centered identity—sought to replace Chinese schools, which taught a China‐centered worldview. This attempt provoked tough resistance from the local Chinese. Succumbing to this pressure, the ruling regime accommodated Chinese schools as part of the state education system. Afterward, the authorities, eager to make sure the now‐incorporated Chinese institutions would not unleash symbolic effects detrimental to their position, endeavored to transform the curriculum of Chinese schools into a locally centered one. This attempt, however, failed, because the state was unable to curb influences from non‐local pedagogic agents and, without a strong indigenous intellectual tradition, the Singapore authorities found it difficult to produce a genuinely local curriculum. This historical case suggests that we should consider the incorporation and remaking of subordinated culture as two distinct processes of hegemonic strategies necessitating analytical distinction. It also urges us to differentiate conceptually the institutional and symbolic dimensions of culture when using a theory of hegemony to examine education and power.