Personalised Digital Learning Programme (PDLP) @ Swiss

At MOE’s Committee of Supply Debate in March 2020, MOE launched the National Digital Literacy Programme (NDLP) for our schools and Institutes of Higher Learning to help students strengthen their digital literacy. One of the components of the NDLP is the introduction of the Personalised Digital Learning Programme (PDLP) for all secondary school students, whereby every secondary school student will own a school-prescribed Personal Learning Device (PLD) by end-2021.

The intended outcomes of PDLP@Swiss are:

1. Enhance teaching and learning – PLDs harness technology for greater effectiveness in teaching and learning, enabled by teachers’ use of e-Pedagogy to provide learning experiences for students.

2. Support self-directed and collaborative learning – PLDs enable students to learn online according to their needs and interests and to collaborate with each other, anytime and anywhere.

3. Support the Development of Digital Literacies through the PACKAGE FRAMEWORK– PLDs provide an immersive environment for students to develop the dispositions, knowledge and skills to thrive in the digital environment. The PACKAGE Framework (see below) guides the school in:

   1. Designing tiered skill development of students;

   2. Designing learning experiences that are focused on enabling students to participate in both Synchronous and Asynchronous learning;

PACKAGE Framework

Personal Learning Device (PLD)

Swiss Students will be using the Apple iPad as their personal learning device. Every iPad will come bundled with the Apple Pencil and casing with smart keyboard to maximise the affordances of the iPad as a learning tool.

Not only is the iPad a portable device that offers students the convenience of learning on-the-move, it also allows for a seamless learning experience alongside existing learning technologies such as the Student Learning Space (SLS) as well as other educational technology to personalise and enhance students’ learning. In addition to apps within Apple’s eco-system, students will also gain access toa wide range of software from other developers (e.g. Google Suite and Microsoft Office etc), making it the device of choice in developing students’ application and creative skills.

For Swiss Cottage, each PLD bundle consists of:
1) Apple iPad 10.2″ 8^th Generation (2020) 128 GB Wifi
2) Logitech Rugged Combo 3 (keyboard with casing)
3) Apple Pencil 1

Digital Citizenship and Cyber Wellness (CW)

As the students develop the digital skills that support their learning, it is also imperative that they are empowered to take responsibility for their personal well-being when using technology.

The school adopts MOE’s Cyber Wellness Framework to develop students into responsible digital citizens. The students’ attitudes and behaviour on the use of technology will be guided by the three Cyber Wellness Principles. These principles are constantly reinforced when students engage in the “Sense-Think-Act” process. The process serves as a guide for them to use technology safely and meaningfully for their learning and interactions.

To support you in keeping your child safe online, you may refer to these resources:

• gov.sg/moe-cyber-wellness
• https://beta.moe.gov.sg/programmes/cyber-wellness/
• gov.sg/better-internet-sg
• nlb.gov.sg/
• help123.sg

Financial Assistance

To ensure affordability of this device, there was a one-time Edusave top-up of $200 in your child’s Edusave account in April 2020. For students who need additional funding support:

• Singapore Citizens students whose gross household income (GHI) is $4,000 and below or whose per capita income (PCI) is $1000 and below, can apply for subsidies via the school. Students who are currently on MOE FA and school-based FA need not apply as the subsidies are provided to them automatically.
• Permanent residents (PR) and international students (IS) should also approach the school for more information on financial assistance.

Device Management Application (DMA)

In rolling out the PLD, MOE is acutely aware of concerns regarding students’ cyber-wellness. The DMA allows the school to manage this by

• collecting data on usage by the student, such as the amount of time spent on each application,
• monitoring, filtering and limiting the type of websites accessible to the student, and
• placing restrictions on students’ screen time in order to prevent cyber addiction.

When you purchase a PLD, the PLD will be pre-installed with a Device Management Application (DMA). The DMA has a variety of functions that will support the use of the PLD in the classroom, as well as safeguard students’ cyber-wellness. The DMA has 3 main components:

(a) Classroom Management Service. This enables teachers to actively monitor and control the student’s use of the PLD during lesson time to improve student management and deliver effective teaching.

(b) Mobile Device Management Service. This facilitates the remote deployment of teaching and learning applications and comes with security patches. Schools may also leverage the Mobile Device Management Service to install the school’s teaching and learning resources.

(c) Usage Management Service. This addresses the stress to the student’s eyes from prolonged use and cyber wellness concerns, such as excessive and inappropriate use of the PLD.

Roll-Out of IT Applications as part of National Digital Literacy Programme (NDLP)

As part of the NDLP, schools will progressively roll out IT applications that will be vital to students’ learning experience and educational journey. In the following months, MOE will roll out some or all of the following applications:

(a) Student iCON: MOE will give every secondary school student an email address. This is a service provided by Google as part of Google Suite.

(b) Microsoft Pro Plus: every secondary school will be granted a licence to use Microsoft Office tools that include Word, PowerPoint and Excel.

(c) Zoom: MOE will set up Zoom free account with 40 minutes time limit using Student iCON for the schools’ video conferencing needs.

The school will need to use your child/ward’s personal data such as his/her name and class to set up user accounts. Please refer to our Frequently Asked Questions section for more information on the collection of data via these applications.

Data Protection

DMA. The Device Management Application (DMA) which will be installed in your child/ward’s PLD collects data on usage by the student, such as the amount of time spent on each application. The DMA data will only be used for MOE’s cyber-wellness measures and technical troubleshooting. MOE will not disclose the data to any person otherwise than permitted under the law.

I.T. Applications. For the IT Applications (student iCON, Microsoft ProPlus and Zoom), the school will use your child/ward’s personal data such as his/her name, birth certificate number and class to set up user accounts. This data will also be used for the purposes of authenticating and verifying user identity, troubleshooting and facilitating system improvements. In addition, the commercial providers of these platforms (e.g. Google, Microsoft) will collect and deal with user data generated by your child/ward’s use of these applications. The collection use and disclosure of such data are governed by the commercial provider’s terms of use, which can be found here:

• Student iCON: https://workspace.google.com/terms/education_terms_japan.html
• Microsoft Pro Plus: https://portal.office.com/commerce/mosa.aspx 
• Zoom: https://zoom.us/docs/en-us/schools-privacy-statement.html

All user data which is collected by MOE will be stored in secure servers managed by the respective vendors of our systems. The Government has put in place strong personal data protection laws and policies to safeguard sensitive data collected by public agencies such as MOE. Please refer to this website for more information on these laws and policies: https://www.smartnation.gov.sg/why-Smart-Nation/secure-smart-nation/personal-data-protection

References

• Parents Handbook on 1_1 Learning (MOE)
• FAQs on PDLP@Swiss Cottage