THE STRAITS TIMES, DATED SATURDAY 21 NOVEMBER 2015
DPM THARMAN, on the wisdom in letting children daydream in order to move an economy driver by innovation and creativity
Definition
Knowledge base environment or Community
Knowledge base environment or Community
A key element of
the continuous improvement, in which members of an organization are taught and
encourage to work together to identify and resolve defects and to improve
output quality in an ongoing process. Also called knowledge community or
learning community.
Learning or Lifelong Learning Environment or Community
Learning or Lifelong Learning Environment or Community
A concept which
over an entire lifetime, transforms experience into knowledge, skills,
attitudes, values, emotions, beliefs and sense (Jarvis 2002)
Singapore have had always been the top
in many areas such as in economy, GDP growth, housing, transport and education.
Singapore’s education system, have been highly recognized to have produced high
level of academic achievers. Our formal education have been supplying and
equipping highly skilled labour for our economic needs. The system worked well
in the past. The skills to perform work with understanding in manufacturing and
service sector in the export base economy.
At present, the system is still admirable and producing high level of academic achievers apart from that it have stifled highly creative and innovatively skilled people. With the rapid transformation of the economic environment that have had transit to knowledge base economy, we are still in the unchanged educational learning environment. It is becoming a huge problem.
The
present situation
At present our environment is moving
into a transition period. We are moving from a fixed mindset to a growth
mindset culture. Though we are in a transition we are falling back to the old
basics of formal learning objectives. We are prepared and well planned for
manual work jobs. Our education is the
best suited for these jobs. We are not ready for the better jobs or knowledge
base work.
Our environment is obsessed in having
courses and attaining certificates. Our institution which includes employment
is stigmatized with certificates. Our homes are still in the mindset of not
learning but educating ourselves in terms of economic remunerations,
materialistic wants and status quos in chasing after paper qualifications.
Fixed
mindset compared Growth mindset.
“Did I
win? Did I lose? Those are the wrong questions. The correct question is: Did I
make my best effort?” If so, he says, “You may be outscored but you will never
lose.”
Fixed
Mindset
Fixed Mindset have the attributes :-
-
Intelligence
is static
-
Leads
to a desire to look smart
-
Avoid
challenges (look for easier challenges/courses that they could succeed)
-
Many
tend to give up easily (looking for the comfort zone)
-
Conditioned
mindset
-
Think
they cannot change the world or environment so follow system
-
Fixed
mindset people stop learning once they reach their destination in the system
-
Aim
for easy targets of benefits
-
Ignores
useful negative feedbacks
-
Feel
threatened by the success of others
Growth Mindset
Growth mindset have the attributes :-
-
Leads
to a desire to learn
-
Embrace
challenges
-
Not
afraid of setbacks
-
Failure
is a positive view to learn
-
Wants
to change the world
-
See
efforts to grow and master
-
Learn
from criticism
To know more about fixed mindset and growth mindset elements please do read
Our
Education and Meritocracy – FIXED and GROWTH Mindset
These two mindsets can be in any environment but due to the policies in our environment to direct the path of education we have massively promoted learning in the FIXED MINDSET SENSE. Our environment have cultivated to the FIXED MINDSET by mapping learning experience to streaming, classifying, segregating through means of test results.
These policies make many individuals
FIXED MINDSET. As soon as children go to primary school, policies, parents,
teachers even the institutions, start the profiling of kids in accordance to
results. This is how MERITOCRACY system works.
A good read on this Would be :
“I don't divide the world into the weak and
the strong, or the successes and the failures, those who make it or those who
don't. I divide the world into learners and non-learners.”
― Benjamin
R. Barber
Our Singapore society based on the
division of the weak, the strong, the successes, the failures, those who can
make it and those who do not. We streamline them to those categories. We did
that for economic success that have change many times but not our mindset or
our education system.
If we continue to have this mindset :-
-
Belief
that students with high ability are more likely to display mastery oriented
qualities. This is not right.
-
Belief
that the success in school fosters mastery qualities. This is not right.
-
Belief
that praise, particularly praising intelligence, encourages mastery qualities. This is not right.
-
Belief
confidence in individuals intelligence is key to mastery. This is not right too.
How do we change to a knowledge base and
Lifelong Learning environment?
1. Are we ready to change?
2. Are our institutions and leaders able to hear criticism to be the first and centre of growth mindset?
3. Are the people beginning with grandparents, parents, teachers ready to accept the new change?
4. Are employers and businesses ready to accept, change to the knowledge base environment?
5. These are the questions that are needed to be answered.
Are
we ready?
We are neither here or there in terms of
changing the environment. The leaders are trying to do the right things but in
the process are simply doing things right (managing). The people stakeholders are not
ready for the change as parents, teachers and institutions are struggling to
make the change a reality. As for the businesses and employers, the entities led by parents and people who fear change, does not cater well for the change.
What
and how is change possible?
Change is said to be in a solid state to
a liquid stated moulded back to the change needed to a solid state.
How
can we do that in an organic environment?
Policies have to be revamped. Campaign
to make the people think and understand should be held, rather than conditioning them like
having “priority seats” in public transport must be put to a stop.
We need to have lots of campaigns on understanding the changes and developments. Not those of propaganda strategy or that of changing by conditioning but change by understanding that all seats are priority seats for those who are old and weak. We must make people think not obey or do things by commands or creating policies having posters for priority seats. There is a need to cultivate leadership attributes to the people and not a mentality of doing things by rules, regulations and fines. We need to cultivate people to think and do the right things.
We need to have lots of campaigns on understanding the changes and developments. Not those of propaganda strategy or that of changing by conditioning but change by understanding that all seats are priority seats for those who are old and weak. We must make people think not obey or do things by commands or creating policies having posters for priority seats. There is a need to cultivate leadership attributes to the people and not a mentality of doing things by rules, regulations and fines. We need to cultivate people to think and do the right things.
·
Nature the
environment
Change the educational policies on
streaming. Streamlining should be by interest of individuals rather than the system.
Allow learning into motion for technology, designing, creating computer games.
·
Curriculum
In order to create a Lifelong Learning
concept the curriculum framework needed to be change to acquisition of
competencies, team teaching and a inclusive learning experience that encourages
feedback.
·
Teachers
Teachers need to be Lifelong Learners as
well.
·
Parents
Parents need to understand the whole
change perspective.
·
Students
Develop students and lead them in
learning. Teachers should be mentors. Self-management should be encouraged.
Learning must not be in fear.
·
Alumni
Alumni programmes to enhance lifelong
learning and knowledge base environment. These entities would play a bigger
role in future parents that will inculcate future children.
·
Leaders, business
people and recruiters
Leaders not just political but business
people or Human Resources, should not use terms like “You don’t need a degree”
or Degrees are not what we want or need”. When this is being promoted, you stop
lifelong learning and growth.
Recruitment selection test should be
change to Selection Assessment and clearly explained that it is not a result
base but more of understanding individual learning capabilities to provide them
guidance and growth in the future.
·
Ministries in
Manpower, Union, WDA and e2i or the Tripartite
Must make the changes first through
negotiations and with policies in the later stages. These changes must be made
in order to proceed to the Lifelong Learning and knowledge base learning community.
·
Create mentors
not trainers
We should all stop calling course trainers and
call them mentors. And they should and must mentor adult learners not train
them.
·
Create Career
Mentors and not Coaches
There is a need
to change career coaches, approach in handling individuals. They could be doing
better as Career Mentors. They should be send for Mentorship courses and
leadership course and even to some basic psychological courses before setting
them to handle unemployed individuals.
There are very
much differences between two career coaches in two different institutions that
at time unemployed individuals who are lacking in confidence and even moral
will get psychologically affected by these individuals.
New
educational model or approaches
1. Create a
non-judgemental, collaborative learning environment with commitment on quality
2. Adapt
flexibility in approach, creating a new communication skills in different
arenas and interaction with a diverse school of thought.
3. Allow room for
exploration and failure in order to increase confidence not only to the
individual but to the culture perspective.
4. Create
entrepreneurial and innovative school of thought in the culture and community.
5. Allow ideas to
flow without discrimination.
6. Integrate all
learning platforms including those of adult learning to give better choices and
interest in lifelong learning.
We would be able to move forward with
confidence to the society in its abilities to learn. We must give both the
younger and the older people to be mingling together without prejudice and
judgemental and learn to understand one another with diverse interaction to
learn.
CONCLUSION
Personal
experience in learning.
Learning
experience
In my time teachers simply were result
oriented. We were beaten by rulers, dusters made to stand on chairs and tables.
I feared going to school. The environment back than was such that it
discouraged me from wanting to learn and simply learning to produce the result
that teacher expect. I remembered studying hard for one objective, not to stay
back in primary school to be punished by teacher(s).
I love art subjects, literature or
reading in primary school. I also love playing or physical exercise which had
football.
Bullied
in primary school
I always got bullied and had my lunch
money taken away from me. Get beaten up by bullies and due to reason that
teacher beat me in classes, I was the bulk of abuses from the kids as well.
The bullying stopped when I was playing football in primary four. Since I was good at football, the older boys who stayed back a year or two protected me. I still remember their names and faces because they made my life better in school.
The bullying stopped when I was playing football in primary four. Since I was good at football, the older boys who stayed back a year or two protected me. I still remember their names and faces because they made my life better in school.
Subjects
I was good in certain subjects like in
English, literature, reading, composition writing. I was not good in maths or
Tamil. And these were the subjects that I feared attending classes as the
teachers would hit me with metal rulers and dusters on my hands and head. It
was replicated by the other kids when they bullied me.
Secondary
school
Since I was found to be good in sports,
I made lots of friends and there was no bullying. I was put in a class where
there was only Indian students for the reason that it was easy to administer
process for Tamil classes.
It was in this environment we found bias
even race related situation. In any case my results which was good in the final
year but terrible in the mid-year and preliminary test combined made me a
failure. I was then posted to VITB.
VITB
VITB was a better place. I was doing well in soccer, athletics, English and even Maths. I was good at theories of technical subject but was not well interested in doing it. The environment also encourage sports and that was a reason I love to go to school
VITB was a better place. I was doing well in soccer, athletics, English and even Maths. I was good at theories of technical subject but was not well interested in doing it. The environment also encourage sports and that was a reason I love to go to school
Continuation
of Education after Army (National Service)
As I came out of army it was a year of
recession and so I worked in the construction site in the day and took up night
classes. Attending secondary one to N and O levels.
After completing my O levels I worked in
a manufacturing company as a costing accounts assistant. As the environment was
changing into IT, I took up Computer Science course and attained a diploma. In
the events I took up Business Administration and other courses.
Graduate Degree
Loughborough University in 2012.
In 2012, I graduated from Loughborough
University held by PSB. The course open up many ideas, issues and solutions. My
learning process was extremely good as I not only learned from books but from
real experiences too. My knowledge has greatly advanced but there are lots more
to learn.
Education
System
If the education system did not have
selective streaming as earlier on like when my cousins before, who simply
failed every class from Primary six to Secondary three and doing well in
Secondary four going on to be aircraft engineers and ship builders, I could
have done better too.
The environment and policies simply
change as I went through my learning experience and I had to go through the
norm that was created. It was needed at the time in its perspective.
As time went on we have to change to a
knowledge base and lifelong learning environment and our community need to grow
out of the mindset that learning stops at the end of getting a degree. The
education system, policies, parent mindset, teachers mindset, leaders mindset
including business entrepreneurs and employability mindset must be ready to accept
the changes ahead to cultivate the culture of knowledge base and lifelong
learning environment and community.
Reference
Is meritocracy outmoded in a knowledge-based economy?
Is meritocracy outmoded in a knowledge-based economy?
Why has Singapore failed to prepare its citizens adequately for the knowledge economy? Part 2
COMMENT:
Future-proofing Singapore for the knowledge economy
IS
MERITOCRACY OUTMODED IN A KNOWLEDGE-BASED ECONOMY?
The
Role of good governance in the knowledge-based economic growth of East Asia ‒ A
study on Japan, Newly Industrialized Economies, Malaysia and China Debnath
Sajit Chandra ＊ and Kenji Yokoyama ＊＊
http://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/acd/re/ssrc/result/memoirs/kiyou22/22-02.pdf
http://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/acd/re/ssrc/result/memoirs/kiyou22/22-02.pdf
Adopting
evidence-based practice in clinical decision making: nurses' perceptions,
knowledge, and barriers
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3133901/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3133901/
Leadership in Knowledge Sharing: Creating Value through
Collaboration Thomas MENKHOFF Singapore Management University,
thomasm@smu.edu.sg Yue Wah CHAY Singapore Management University,
ywchay@smu.edu.sg Hans-Dieter EVERS Singapore Management University, hdevers@smu.edu.sg
Benjamin LOH Singapore Management University, benjaminloh@smu.edu.sg .
Information
Management for the Intelligent Organization:
Roles and Implications for the Information Professions
Roles and Implications for the Information Professions
Paper
presented at the 1995 Digital Libraries Conference, March 27-28, 1995,
Singapore
http://choo.fis.utoronto.ca/fis/respub/dlc95.html
http://choo.fis.utoronto.ca/fis/respub/dlc95.html
HUMAN
RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT FOR COMPETITIVENESS: A PRIORITY FOR EMPLOYERS By Sriyan
de Silva International Labour Office January 1997
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/dialogue/actemp/downloads/publications/srshrd.pdf
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/dialogue/actemp/downloads/publications/srshrd.pdf
The
problem with Singapore’s education system
ZEF
Working Paper – Governing Knowledge for Development
The
Influence of Causation and Effectuation Logics on Targeted Policies: The Cases
of Singapore and Israel Kaufmann Dan Ben Gurion University Business
Administration
http://druid8.sit.aau.dk/acc_papers/cql3k3q1t4hl6krg5yt6vlvy3dfm.pdf
http://druid8.sit.aau.dk/acc_papers/cql3k3q1t4hl6krg5yt6vlvy3dfm.pdf
|
The
Role of ICT in a Constructivist Approach To the Teaching of Thinking Skills
David Chan – Director, School of Information & Communications Technology,
Ngee Ann Polytechnic
PROBLEM-BASED
LEARNING: THE FUTURE FRONTIERS Tan Oon Seng National Institute of Education,
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
http://www.tp.edu.sg/staticfiles/TP/files/centres/pbl/pbl._tan_oon_seng.pdf
http://www.tp.edu.sg/staticfiles/TP/files/centres/pbl/pbl._tan_oon_seng.pdf
Singapore: Rapid Improvement Followed by Strong Performance
LIFELONG
LEARNING ENVIRONMENT IN CONSERVATORIES -
https://www.hanze.nl/assets/kc-kunst--samenleving/lifelong-learning-in-music/Documents/Public/lifelonglearningenvironmentsinconservatoiresrinekesmilde.pdf
https://www.hanze.nl/assets/kc-kunst--samenleving/lifelong-learning-in-music/Documents/Public/lifelonglearningenvironmentsinconservatoiresrinekesmilde.pdf
FIXED MINDSET VS
GROWTH MINDSET -
http://michaelgr.com/2007/04/15/fixed-mindset-vs-growth-mindset-which-one-are-you/
http://michaelgr.com/2007/04/15/fixed-mindset-vs-growth-mindset-which-one-are-you/
