Hung, David

Cultivating teachers to be active and agentic learners is crucial for contemporary teacher education (Lipponen & Kumpulainen, 2011). Those teachers’ qualities are essential in preparing students’ future readiness in an increasingly complex world (P21 Framework Definitions, 2015). In fact, both learning principles and evidence from practice inform us that purposeful collaboration in networked learning communities (NLCs) encourage teacher agency to learn (Lieberman & Wood, 2003; Muijs, West & Ainscow, 2010). As a complement to the literature, we are interested in the development of social relationships among teachers, which enables and facilitates their learning. We propose “laterality” – the relations and networks among peers (e.g., teachers) as an important concept to characterize NLCs.
Studies on laterality, which have shown to support teacher learning, are usually found in the decentralized systems where individuals are the best entities to form these networks to support each other’s growth (Hargreaves & Goodman, 2006; Muijs et al., 2010). Thus, developing laterality from the bottom-up becomes natural in the decentralized contexts (Granovetter, 1973). Despite considerable theoretical promise of laterality and its increasing prevalence in practice, we wonder whether teacher laterality matters in the centralized education systems, and if it does, how it grows.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the more recent conceptions of learning in the light of more traditional conceptions which we are familiar with. These recent conceptions differ from traditional conceptions of individualistic thinking to a more collaborative and social nature towards learning. From these recent notions of learning and cognition, we discuss how the National Institute of Education is currently formulating e-pedagogies along the vein of these conceptions.

"This project is a case study of building communities of practice (CoPs) among Heads of Departments of Information Technology ((HOD(IT)s) in Singapore schools. As part of the second MasterPlan for Information Technologies in Schools initiated in 2002, there has been a stated goal to employ the CoP approach as a key strategic initiative to develop a more integrated "IT across the curriculum" approach in schools. As part of the same plan it was hoped that there would be a slowing changing pedagogical model that the learning environment might become more learner-centred through the effective integration of the technology. "-- [p. 1].

In current literature, there are many interpretations of constructivism – from the radical views individualistic cognition to the other side of the continuum where mind is simply social in orientation. In essence, we argue for a balanced and pragmatic view of the mind bridging both the individual and social levels of cognition – balancing between Vygotskian and Piagetian views. From such a perspective, we propose the design of e-learning environments where both personalization of learning (individual) and affiliations to the community of learners (social) are complemented. Both a collective and individual understanding of knowledge and meanings are important.

This article describes the development of an online education biomechanics module that is based on two pedagogical theories, namely, information processing and constructivism. A hybrid (blended)pedagogical approach was planned for the course so as to facilitate a supportive and affirmative learning environment, as well as to enable participants to have hands-on, real-life experiences in the applications of biomechanical concepts to human motion. Learners may then be able to tap on such experiences when perusing the online content as well as to actively engage in the electronic discussion forums. The module is offered for the first time in the Virtual lnstitute of Training and Learning (VITAL) management system of the Ministry of Education (MOE), Singapore. In subsequent implementations, refinements would be made to the pedagogical stance of the course based on students' feedback and research findings.

This article discusses the role of technologies that facilitate mobility in demand-driven learning situations. The focus is not on the technologies such as mobile devices per se, but to bring sense to the pedagogical dimensions of learning through such technologies. With all the hype on mobile technologies, there are few frameworks underpinning their educational applications. We propose a framework in which learning can be grounded on proximity of time, tasks, and usage (in terms of relevance); and proximity of peers, experts, appropriate materials, tools, and locality (in terms of access). This article is conceptual in nature and attempts to provide an educational rather than technical perspective on how mobile and wireless technologies can be adopted meaningfully for learning.

This article provides an overview of research in the Learning Sciences from a Design Research perspective, as it has been framed in Singapore by the National Institute of Education (NIE). The initial research agenda is considered in the light of challenges and the subsequent re-casting of objectives, based on the working out of a tripartite relationship between the NIE, the Ministry of Education, and local schools. A conceptual model is proposed as an attempt to provide structure for new research interventions going forward.