Embracing Technological Advancement in Education

NachammaSockalingam, Founding Program Director of Learning Sciences, Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD)

Nachamma Sockalingam, with her keen interest in establishing connections with students and knowledge of curriculum design and successful teaching, ensures the continual excellence of faculty members and students at SUTD. Hervast background in pedagogical research, faculty, instructional, and curricular development allows her to collaborate with faculty members andsupport them in a range of academic development activities.

In an interview with Education Technology Insights APAC, Sockalingam talks about the industry’s need to embrace innovations in technology to improve teaching methodologies.

Can you share your journey in the education sector so far?

For the last 20 years, I have been in the field of educational development. I started as a teaching assistant during my university days and moved to teaching at a polytechnic following that. I did my Ph.D. in education on problem-based learning, and that led me to faculty development. Since then, my focus has been on technology-enhanced learning and problem-based, student-centered teaching strategies.

What are your roles and responsibilities at SUTD?

My primary role at SUTD is to help faculty members excel in teaching.I also work on different areas,like the scholarship that we provide for teaching and learning. It is in place to encourage the teachers to take a reflective approach to their teaching method within the classroom and then to document it. These documents will provide the studentswith literature references and adopt evidence-based practices to analyze the effectiveness and ensure student satisfaction. With changes in the education landscape, we are shifting our attention to technology-enhanced learning.We incorporate various technological tools that are important for higher education.

“We keep an open mind to the possibilities of technology in education, such as creating a simulated environment that is highly collaborative. We look forward to adding technological advancements to our method of teaching.”

What are the challenges prevailing in the field of edtech?

There are many challenges, but to understand them, we need to take the contextual factors into account. To find out where our organization struggles, we did extensive surveys among students, faculty and other membersin 2022, which showed that the interactivity and effectiveness ensured by on-campus teaching are lost in online or a blended format of education. To tackle the challenge, we employ better tools and are co-developing tech tools to enhance the process of teaching. We keep an open mind to the possibilities of technology in education, such as creating a simulated environment that is highly collaborative.We look forward to adding technological advancements to our method of teaching.

What are some of the trends that willchange the edtech industry for the better?

Augmented reality and generative AI are recently in trend, and it is a welcome change. The pandemic has undoubtedly aided the growth of such platforms in the educational sector, and denying its prevalence is not a solution. We need to embrace its prospects and implement immersive learning technologies while teaching online. There are numerous possibilities that these platforms could open, such as Zoom and Teams integrating immersive learning techniques.Students are going to use these platforms, and it will be wise for educators to incorporate them into their teaching practices as well.

Generative AI also comes with a fair share of challenges. There are many ethical implications for students using AI tools like Chat GPT to churn out content. However, it could be beneficial for teaching by helping to generate structured reports or emails. We already use tools like Grammarly while writing, so finding a way to co-exist is the way forward. Having all these factors in place, this is an exciting time to be working in the industry.

What advice would you like to share with the young professionals in the field?

Teaching is a profession of lifelong learning, and being open to helping students is as essential as being actively involved in teaching. Include novel ways of teaching and stay updated, as it would increase the interest of students as well as yourself. Attending conferences, collaborating with peers, documenting teaching practices, finding areas where you lack and learning from others can help you evolve as an educator.