Professor Christine Goh, Director, NIE
Distinguished Guests and Colleagues
Ladies and gentlemen
1. A very good afternoon. It is really my pleasure to join you today to witness the launch of your five–year AI@NIE initiative.
An Era of Artificial Intelligence
2. This is a very timely initiative. The transformative effect of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on our lives is undeniable.
- Indeed, we are living in era where computers and systems can see, hear, and speak – much to the amazement and fear of some of us too. Technologies like computer vision and deep learning – concepts that would have firmly belonged in the pages of science fiction books a decade ago – are now very much a real part of our lives.
- We unlock our phones using facial recognition technology – but with COVID I think they have to be slightly smarter than that, seeing through our masks. Instant translations are available at the tap of a screen. Search engines predict our queries before we even complete them. Maps can tell us real–time traffic conditions, and suggest the fastest way to get to work.
3. I believe that constructive applications of AI can improve the way we live, work, and play. Singapore is already in a good position to tap into the opportunities created by AI.
- Our digital infrastructure is well developed. We are highly connected to the Internet. Smart phones are widely available and used, and most Singaporeans are digitally literate.
- We are exploring new applications of technology, including the application of AI technology across sectors ranging from transport and municipal services, to healthcare and of course, education.
Education Is Key
4. MOE is already using AI tools such as text–to–speech and speech evaluation engines in the learning of Chinese language, for example. We are doing likewise for Tamil and Malay, in tandem with our students' savviness with IT and learning tools. Moving forward, we are developing a wider range of AI solutions that will enhance our students' learning, and provide teachers with data–driven insights that help them better target their students' learning gaps.
- For Mathematics for example, we are developing an AI–Adaptive Learning System that will provide all upper primary and lower secondary school students with customised learning pathways using machine learning based on how each student responds to the learning materials and activities.
- As students use the Adaptive Learning System, an AI–Learning Companion will keep them motivated and engaged by sending them encouraging messages or suggestions to reflect on their learning experiences.
- We are also developing an AI–Learning Feedback Assistant for English Language that will provide students with immediate feedback on their writing practice. This encourages students to write more, hopefully, and more often, and to be more self–directed in their learning.
- We are also experimenting with AI methodologies like text analytics to examine and glean insights from students' reflections on their Character & Citizenship Education (CCE) learning and experiences.
5. These AI technologies will complement our teachers' professional practice. To fully maximise the effectiveness of these AI tools, we will need to equip our teachers with the necessary skills to use AI technology in their classrooms confidently and effectively.
AI@NIE a Timely and Significant Initiative
6. In this respect, I believe that the AI@NIE initiative will be an important roadmap towards achieving our mission of education.
- As the national institute for the education and training of teachers, NIE plays a crucial role in training a new generation of digitally skilled educators.
- I am glad that under the AI@NIE initiative, AI-related topics will be offered at all levels of NIE's teacher training programmes. By facilitating the mastery of technological tools, NIE "trains the trainer", and equips our educators to harness technology for good.
- Through the initiative, NIE's academics will also have a front row seat in studying and advancing research of educational technology. Your work in this field is particularly vital, especially as we navigate potential issues such as the ethical and safe use of AI.
7. A key enabler of the AI@NIE initiative is the development of a data strategy and building a data culture and infrastructure, to achieve a systematic approach to harnessing data.
- To enable this, NIE has launched the Data Empowerment Programme and Data Strategy, that aims to equip NIE staff with modern data skills and tools while opening opportunities to allow cross–discipline collaborations with other domains.
- By building the facilitative infrastructure and developing a data culture, innovations can feed into training for our educators, which in turn, can help to transform our education system.
8. Collaboration at NIE has already borne fruit.
- With us today is Associate Professor Chen Wenli from the NIE's Learning Sciences and Assessment Academic Group (LSA AG). Together with her team, she developed AppleTree, a set of learning technologies which has won two awards at international conferences.
- By using AI to gather and display real–time analytics to provide and feedback on learning, AppleTree allows teachers to adjust their teaching to close students' learning gaps. Appletree is now being piloted in six schools. I am sure that this project was shaped by A/P Chen's extensive experience within and beyond academia, together with her collaboration with experts and practitioners in education here at NIE. I look forward to how the connections forged through the AI@NIE initiative will bring about more exciting developments very soon.
Conclusion
9. To conclude, I congratulate NIE for its vision in developing the AI@NIE Initiative. I am heartened by their plans to harness AI for innovation in education, to the benefit of children in Singapore. I look forward to seeing collaboration between NIE and other institutions and many more exciting applications and products that can transform education in Singapore.
10. Thank you very much.