WDA pilots e-learning courses for adults seeking skills upgrade

SINGAPORE — Already a feature of universities worldwide, online classes may soon be part of the adult learning landscape here, complementing the various Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) courses for working adults seeking to upgrade their skills.

The Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) is now planning for e-learning to be a permanent feature of the Republic’s future Continuing Education and Training (CET) system, beginning with 40 free online CET courses for adult educators on topics such as workplace literacy and instructional methods.

The pilot started last month and will conclude by next year with a wider range of online courses for adult educators. The trial could pave the way for e-learning to be infused into the WSQ framework, which covers a wide range of sectors from retail to tourism.

Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin, who announced this pilot at the Adult Learning Symposium yesterday, said that “e-learning will become a staple that underpins our future CET framework”. The Government is reviewing the CET Masterplan and recommendations are expected later this year.

Added Mr Tan: “E-learning enables our workers to skill up in a more targeted and effective manner and offers companies more possibilities to enhance the capabilities of their workers … E-learning also makes learning easier by making the learning process flexible, mobile and efficient.”

The 40 courses at the Institute for Adult Learning (IAL) are designed to be short and easily picked up by adults balancing work and skills upgrading. Professional actors were hired to role-play and inject humour into short instructional video clips and the courses also include quizzes and discussions. Each course lasts between one and three hours.

WDA chief executive Ng Cher Pong said e-learning could encourage higher participation rates as time-starved working adults can learn at their own time and pace. “We hope to … take a critical look at all the CET programmes over time and ask ourselves which ones can we delivered more effectively using technology (and) online platforms,” he added.

The IAL will also be setting up a learningspace.sg online portal to collate CET modules for adult educators, among other initiatives that capitalise on technology.

Adult educator Linda Ng, who was among those involved in the WDA pilot, said e-learning allowed her to access content at her convenience, but there could more engagement. Learners should be incentivised to participate in online discussions as part of the courses, she suggested.

Chua Chu Kang GRC Member of Parliament (MP) Zaqy Mohamad, who sits on the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Manpower, felt that e-learning in CET will be applicable for the Professionals, Managers, Executives and Technicians group as they would have a certain level of computer literacy. However, to cater to varying skill levels and ensure access to such courses, an e-learning system must be user-friendly, he said.

Ang Mo Kio GRC MP Seng Han Thong, who also sits on the Manpower GPC, said online courses would be helpful in trying to attract new entrants to manpower-crunched sector. For example, stay-home mothers could start off by taking classes online, before attending physical classes, he said.

He added: “There still needs to be face-to-face interaction so that learners can deepen their skills and knowledge through discussions and hands-on practice.”