Media PlayLab International Network

The Media PlayLab International Network is an education ecosystem initiated by Innova Junior College Centre of Excellence for New Media that serves to build Communities of Practice amongst educators and researchers, as well as to connect community and industry partners from the fields of digital media with education. Adopting a multi-agency approach, this network aims to streamline the sharing of resources and expertise in the dynamically evolving areas of new media to encourage reflective research on innovative pedagogies as well as the global sharing of best practices in education.

Innova Junior College (IJC) will leverage on its Second Life Educators’ Campus to provide outreach and showcase platforms for all partnerships within the Media PlayLab International Network.

Major partnerships within the network include Singapore Media Academy Continuing Education and Training Centre for The Media Industry on promoting a Media Savvyness Sponsorship Programme, SHOOOT a new media learning initiative supported by Ministry of Information Communications and the Arts on promoting virtual world education, as well as The Association of Machinima Arts & Sciences on promoting machinima in education

Discussions are still in progress with other major partners to develop programmes that will value add to the network.

With a view towards collaboration and open sharing, the Media PlayLab International Network aims to develop into a global collective of leaders in innovative pedagogies to ultimately benefit our children in the next century.

Innova Junior College (refer to http://www.innovajc.moe.edu.sg/) was endorsed as the COE for New Media since February 2007 and aims to support the Singapore Media Fusion Plan in the nation’s intent on becoming a “Trusted Global Capital for New Asia Media”. The COE functions in two capacity: as a Research Think-Tank Centre that looks into enhancing pedagogical models through new media technologies, as well as a Media Centre that seeks to equip students with new media literacies as well as media competencies for creative self expression and social commentary.

As a Media Centre, the COE organizes a range of activities to achieve its objectives. Our annual events include sCene 3, a series of new media-centric events, the first of which is a week long New Media Academy during the March holidays, where secondary school students learn various digital media disciplines from industry professionals as well as embark on learning journeys to studios, galleries and production houses. This is followed by the National New Media Challenge, where the students put their new-found skills to practice by creating digital productions mounted on self-designed website to promote worthy social causes.

Internally within Innova JC, the COE manifests itself as the New Media Arts CCA, integrating creative thinking and problem solving skills within its well-structured curricula. Its 160 strong membership looks into members specializing in areas of their interest, ranging from digital photography and design to digital filmmaking, 3D animation and digital audio broadcasting. Our members learn specific, new media-related skills that prove highly relevant in their engagement with an increasingly media-saturated environment, and aid them in both their academia and career. Project-based experiential learning ensures that each and every member graduates from the college with rich hands-on-experience as well as an exciting portfolio.

As a Research Think-Tank Centre, teachers constantly and actively look into infusing new media into the curriculum. Our action research projects have been presented at various conferences and seminars, such as the inaugural International Conference on Teaching and Learning with Technology (2008) organized by MOE and ISTE, and in 2009 the 9th Convention of the International Confederation of Principals organized by the Academy of Principals Singapore, International Science Education Conference organized by the National Institute of Education, as well as the Adobe Education Leadership Forum organized by Adobe Systems. We continually pursue research to further the teaching and learning of teachers and students.

In 2008, we embarked on a study trip to Helsinki, Finland, where interviews and discussions were conducted with Dr Sarah Sintonen, Chair of Finnish Society for Media Education, Professor Teemu Leinonen, Head of Media Lab, University of Art and Design Helsinki (now Aalto University), Mr Antti Pentikäinen, Media Educator at Tikkurilan Lukio etc on media in education.

An addition, a Singapore-Finland Exchange Programme with Tikkurila Upper Secondary School (Vantaa, Finland) was established.

In furthering objectives of promoting innovative pedagogies, the inaugural Festival Di’Arts was launched in September 2007 as a national platform for the sharing of best practices among educators. The second installation of Festival Di’Arts is taking place in September 2009, featuring the launch of the Media PlayLab International Network and the COE’s Second Life Virtual Campus. In addition, a digital magazine Mediate on new media in education was produced in 2008 and circulated to all schools in Singapore.