Physical Education and Sports Science Academic Group hosted the 10th E. W. Barker Professor, Prof Laurence Chalip from George Mason University, USA. Professor Chalip presented three public lectures on long-term athlete development at the Singapore Sports School, retention and commitment of athlete through sports experience at Sport Singapore, and strategic leveraging to amplify value of sport at NIE. The events provided invaluable opportunities for students, faculty and academic industry partners to interact and learn from a highly acclaimed sport scholar and practitioner, and further strengthened NIE’s partnerships with Singapore Sports School, Sport Singapore, and the E.W. Barker family.

NIE student teachers and NIE NTU Sport Science & Management undergraduates showcased their final year projects on posters at the annual symposium held in honour of the late sport educator, Dr Lau Teng Chuan. Highlights of this year’s event included an exhibit of research projects by the Deakin University, Australia, and three guest speakers from National Youth Sports Institute, Football Association of Singapore and Physical Education and Sports Teacher Academy who shared their insights on Conceptualising Future Employment Opportunities.

The American Educational Research Association is the world’s largest national interdisciplinary research association devoted to the scientific study of education and learning. At this year’s conference, some 14,000 education researchers worldwide gathered in Toronto, Canada, to showcase groundbreaking research and to advance new directions in research and learning. NIE was represented by a delegation of 20 faculty members, who presented conference papers and posters, and took part in round tables and symposiums at the event.

The first batch of BA (Ed) students majoring in Tamil Language graduated from NIE. This is a full-time degree programme offered by the Asian Languages and Cultures Academic Group, with specialised modules, such as Translation and Singapore Education and Singapore Tamil Literature, in the curriculum. Congratulations to our newly minted Tamil Language teachers!

The inaugural CTFest on “Sharing and Learning about Computational Thinking in Education” was organised by the Office of Education Research, and sponsored by the Google Data Centre Community Fund. Computational thinking (CT) education has been of growing importance in view of the need to nurture the next generation with creativity and problem solving skills. The conference, featuring talks and discussions on best practices in the teaching of computational thinking, was well-attended by teachers in computing-related programmes as well as participants from MOE, Singapore Science Centre and polytechnic lecturers. Industry partners, including Apple Inc, Codomo, and ThyCoding, were invited to present their work in computing education.

Students from various schools pitched interesting projects, such as documentaries, websites and mini-museum exhibits, at this year’s Singapore History Day. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, MP for Jalan Besar, graced the event, and highlighted the importance of history in shaping civilisation. Humanities and Social Studies Education Academic Group organised the Singapore History Day, with the support of the Curriculum Planning, Development (Humanities Branch) and Academy of Singapore Teachers (History Chapter).

Professor George Siemens, Professor of Psychology at University of Texas in Arlington and Director of Centre for Change and Complexity in Learning at University of South Australia, is NIE’s 14th C J Koh Professor. The eminent scholar on technology, networks, analytics and society was at NIE from 7 to 18 October to share his expertise with faculty members, and to deliver a public lecture titled “The Future of Digital Learning: What Technology Can and Cannot Do”. His work on Connectivism and Massive Open Online Courses have been widely profiled in global newspapers, radio and television. Professor Siemens has also lectured audiences in more than 35 countries on the influence of technology and media on education, organisations and society.

NIE received the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Award (MBRKA) 2019. The Knowledge Summit 2019, held in Dubai this year, hosted the Award’s sixth annual instalment to honour individuals and organisations that have had significant accomplishments in producing and disseminating knowledge.