Asia

Studying for an undergraduate degree in science and technology requires sound foundations in mathematics and physics, alongside strong learning skills.

Every year, we welcome thousands of new students from varied backgrounds with diverse academic qualifications, many of whom are returning to education after two years of national service, which is mandatory in Singapore, or after a few years in industry.

To keep up with the sudden migration online, many institutions rushed to implement virtual classroom solutions as quickly – and cheaply – as possible.

However, with e-learning here to stay, the time has come to think about how to incorporate these solutions effectively into educational offerings for the long term.

At the most basic level, the technical elements that make an online classroom are:

1. Video recording

2. Audio recording

3. Screen capture

How do you get students working with other students to develop the intercultural skills necessary for the 21st century? Global virtual exchange, although not a new idea in higher education, has fresh impetus. For anyone wanting to set up a global virtual exchange, our experience with Universidad Continental in Huancayo, Peru, offers a good example of some key things to consider.

A problematic trend I notice when conversing with students is how many of them struggle to remember what they did in modules from previous semesters.

These discussions got me thinking about how to design learning activities that are unforgettable. Albert Einstein, among other figures credited with the quote, famously said that “education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school”. I want to ensure my students remember what they have learned from me, especially after all the hard work they put into the course.

Online repositories of educational resources have been developed gradually, usually by people who are passionate about their subjects. Some of them have built vibrant, collaborative communities of users. These online libraries and the communities they gather can support active learning and help inform our assessment tasks.

How can we develop passion in our students for a discipline? How can we come up with assessment tasks that help them master new skills?

Over the past two decades, international student mobility has exploded, transforming both universities and national economies. While the rise of international education has been a global story, it does have one outsized player. China has accounted for the majority of international enrolment growth in the major English-speaking study destinations, with rapid economic growth, a large youth population and a shortage of university places fuelling a prolonged surge in outbound study.

Exchanges with Asian universities and the movement of Asian students to study in Western countries have for a long time been taken as a given. However, this is starting to change as more Asian universities build reputations to match their international peers.

Technology has become indispensable at all levels of education, from kindergarten to universities. In Asia, most higher education institutions embrace a bottom-up teaching approach, which focuses on practices. The past year, with the pandemic, has brought a number of major developments in digital solutions, improving the learning experience and performance.

The rise of the East is reshaping global higher education. It ignites curiosities, challenges assumptions and triggers debates. But, first, where is “the East”?

We see many varied examples and incidents of cyberbullying around the world. As many students enter their second year of online schooling, it’s an even more important, timely topic, especially for the younger generation. Because they all live with this technology, the first thing they do when they wake up is check social media. With increasingly online lifestyles, cyberbullying can take on many different forms.