Role of Science Education in knowledgebased economy: Experiences from Singapore

1
Role of Science Education in knowledge-based
economy Experiences from Singapore

• R. Subramaniam and Leo Tan Wee Hin
• Singapore National Academy of Science

2
Factors driving innovations in science education

• Globalization
• Information and Communication Technologies
• Capitalism
• Downsizing
• Outsourcing
• Off-shoring
• New developments in science technology

3
Need for Innovations

• In knowledge-based economy, creativity,
  innovation, inventiveness and entrepreneurship
  are crucial
• Curricula need to prepare students to be
  effective participants in new economy
• For a country to remain relevant in this age of
  globalization, science curricula has to be
  internationally competitive

4
Inquiry learning

• Learning of science has often little to do with
  the way science knowledge is created
• Inquiry learning mirrors the way scientists work,
  and so can be useful in getting students to be
  interested in science

5
Institutional-based inquiry learning initiatives
in Singapore

• Young Scientist Badge primary students can get
  the requisite I am a Young Scientist Badge in
  any of 15 disciplines by engaging in project work
  that entails completion of a set of investigative
  tasks
• Tan Kah Kee Young Inventors Award annual event
  to ferret out inventions lurking in students
  minds
• Sony Creative Science Award annual event to
  encourage primary students to invent toys based
  on scientific principles

6
Young Scientist Activity Card
7
Aeroponics Technology Project-based inquiry
learning

• Method of growing plants whereby roots are
  suspended in mid-air and sprayed with a fine mist
  of nutrients
• Singapore has achieved landmark recognition in
  using this technology to grow crops in its
  land-scarce island under protected conditions
  using minimal water
• School-based projects on aeroponics help to
  reinforce the point that thinking out of the
  box can provide unorthodox solutions to problems

8
Aeroponics Technology (contd)
9
Sowing seeds of entrepreneurship among students

• Challenges of new economy
• Because of globalization, downsizing, corporate
  restructuring and outsourcing, jobs are taking
  flight
• Many jobs are moving up the value chain while
  scopes of other jobs are coalescing to create
  less number of jobs
• Jobs may not be that easy to get in the new
  economy
• Those who are creative, entrepreneurial and
  inventive will ride the new wave in the economy

10
Inculcating entrepreneurship and research among
students in Singapore

• (a) Rise of student entrepreneurs
• (b) Setting up of research laboratories in
  schools

11
Student Businessmen!
12
DNA test kit developed by students
13
Orchid Hybridization Program

• Nurtures scientific temper and technopreneurship
  among students
• Trains teachers in simple genetic techniques
  first
• Students then taught to create new strains of
  orchids
• Rewards available

14
Rewards in Orchid Hybridization Programme

• Students can register new strain of orchid at the
  Royal Horticultural Society in London
• Can name it after themselves
• Can name it after their school
• Can sell it to orchid nurseries
• Can auction it in order to raise funds for the
  school
• Can sell it to organizations wishing to boost
  their corporate identity further

15
Orchid named after a school
16
Research internships for school students

• National University of Singapore and Nanyang
  Technological University in Singapore represent a
  concentration of talent and expertise
• Scientists are natural role models for science
  students
• Two initiatives in place for school students to
  work with scientists on their research Science
  Research Programme of NUS and Technology,
  Engineering Research Programme of NTU

17
Summarizing comments

• Science education needs to prepare students to be
  active participants in new economy
• Nation building is very much dependent on having
  people with skills in science, mathematics and
  technology
• Innovations in teaching and learning can
  stimulate the mind and promote interest in the
  sciences
• Science offers immense opportunities to create
  new products and ideas which can provide a
  country an economic advantage
• In the knowledge-based economy, people with
  ideas, those who can create new products, and
  those who are entrepreneurial will help their
  countries to move forward