Smart phones and Big Data driving growth of mobile learning in Asia

Global technology innovators will join senior education experts from across the region at the Bett Asia Leadership Summit 2015, a leading education technology conference taking place next month in Singapore. Delegates will discuss global advancements in education, challenges and key trends such as the disruptive technologies that are blurring the boundaries between classrooms and workplaces in Asia.



Held from 17-18 November 2015 at the Marina Bay Sands Singapore, the conference will feature more than 100 speakers from across 30 countries. One of the key themes explored will be how recent advances in technology have now extended the reach of education to previously under-served populations, making learning more inclusive for both children and adults.

Infocomm Development of Authority of Singapore (IDA), a key supporting partner, who will be showcasing at the Summit’s exhibition, believes that there is a big push in education technology, particularly towards the use of mobile learning technologies and big data in continued learning.

Mr Adrian Lim, the Director for the Education Technology Industry Sector Development at IDA said, “For Singapore, we are exploring and studying the use of learning analytics, big data in education and how we can harness the Internet of Things for teaching and learning. Singapore has the highest penetration of smartphones in the world at 148%[1], we are looking at how mobile learning technologies can support assessment on demand. With on-demand availability and increased flexibility of materials; working adults could learn at their convenience, whether during daily commute or breaks where bite-sized learning could be dished out on their mobile devices to develop new and deep skills for the future. ”

Arcot Desai Narasimhalu, Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship from Singapore Management University added: “It is about blended learning. Students can learn a lot online before they even come to class.  We will see a trend towards people learning via their phones in Asia, but governments will need to support this.”

Bett’s worldwide partner Microsoft will be one of the lead speakers at the conference which will feature several top education experts speaking on various trending topics including:

The Internet of Things (IoT) and transmission of data: Preparing students for the future through interaction with day to day data
Bruce Thompson, Director of Asia – Worldwide Education, Microsoft Corporation (Singapore)

Transforming Lifelong Learning through Technology
Cher Pong Ng, Chief Executive, Singapore Workforce Development Agency (Singapore)

Teaching 21st century skills with technology: How peer to peer learning can nurture problem-solving, collaboration and rapid knowledge improvement
Chee Kit Looi - Professor, Learning Sciences and Technologies National Institute of Education (Singapore)
       
Distance education technologies for improving access: Overcoming challenges associated with connectivity in remote areas
Jonghwi Park- Programme Specialist, ICT in Education, Asia Pacific Programme of   Educational Innovation for Development, UNESCO Bangkok (Thailand)
         
Jobs for the digital economy: Ideas for encouraging communities to experiment with non-traditional employment areas”
Yam-Shing Leung - Deputy Executive Director, Vocational Training Council (Hong Kong)

The ‘Maker Movement’ in challenging contexts: A toolkit for solving problems and encouraging inquisitiveness by creating ‘DIY’ technologies
Susan Crichton, Director, Innovative Learning Centre (ILC), and Director, Faculty of Education, University of British Columbia

A number of edutech startups, including EDUCATION4SIGHT and VivaLing, will also be showcasing their creations along with the latest, most innovative products, services and insights shaping the education technology sector, at the Bett Asia Expo which is the free-to-attend component of the Bett Asia Leadership Summit.

Bett Asia Leadership Summit is part of the international Bett series that promotes the discovery of education technology resources and acts as a change enacting platform, making a difference in the way people teach and learn. Now in its 32nd year, Bett’s flagship show in London continues to be a huge draw for educators and innovators alike who share in the vision of transforming education in the world.


Ms Grace Hardy, Head of Content for Bett Asia Leadership Summit said:  “The demand for an event like this has been growing for many years, with education across Asia moving from strength to strength. Emerging markets are gradually implementing more technology to complement their education systems, whilst more developed markets are discovering which innovations can best improve student outcomes and prospects. It is critical that we make Bett Asia Leadership Summit as relevant and topical as possible, by considering what is influencing education in Asia today.”

Delegate registration for Bett Asia Leadership Summit is now open. Admission for all educators to the
Bett Asia Expo, a feature of the Summit, is for free.

For more information on Bett Asia Leadership Summit
Visit: https://asia.bettshow.com/