How does COTF promote student-centered learning?

In the cafe style learning environment, each student will have this UMPC (ultra-mobile personal computer). With that, simultaneous participation in discussion and sharing of views and ideas is enabled. Students are also able to look for information from the Internet with the wireless network in the cafe. Besides that, with a online communication program that it allows the translation of foreign languages to English, thus enable the students to communicate freely with people around the world

With the UMPC, student can also do their assignment at home or anywhere and teachers can send reminders to students to remind them of certain lessons the next day

In the Biology laboratory, data of laboratory specimen can be sent over the globe and even can enable students to enquire from Professors overseas. The students will be able to learn from other people and not restricted to only their teachers and peers.

At home, we can see how technology helps the disabled students to also learn. Voice control jukebox and lights and even who is present in the house, can be determine. Video conferencing allowed peer to peer learning to take place especially if the project requires participation from other people.

In the classroom, teacher take attendance by asking the students to place their UMPC on their lap and the information of who is present in class will be immediately shown on the teacher’s UMPC. The students are able to copy what their group had done into this “table PC” where more editing and simultaneous sharing can be done. The teacher will act as facilitator and guide the students in their discussion. The concave walls of the classroom enable the projection of the information to be projected onto all the walls and not restricted to only the front. Add richness and enable the students to fully “experience” and “immersed” into the whole lesson and learnt from it.

But I can see COTF is really relying very much on technology. What if there is a power failure or virus attack? A back-up plan is definitely needed to minimize these problems. The Classroom of the Future is student-centred to a certain extent but I am very confident to say it focus very much on ICT based learning. But I am not too sure how our students are prepared for this kind of learning. Can it accomodate all the students in Singapore? It sure need much more improvement.