SYNTH IT! THE USE OF COLLABORATIVE NETWORK TECHNOLOGIES TO ENGAGE STUDENTS AND TRANSFORM THE TEACHING AND LEARNING IN SOCIAL STUDIES

Ngee Ann Secondary School (Singapore) is committed to strengthening the profession of education and help to raise students’ achievements through improved classroom practices using new network technologies and web-based applications. This paper describes how an innovative piece of technology called Photosynth - a Microsoft software application from Microsoft Live Labs and the University of Washington - can be harnessed to engage students in a deeper understanding on the principles of governance in Singapore in the social studies curriculum.

Students collaborate and capture digital images of distant landmarks that reflect aspects of good governance in Singapore. The students created synths by transforming two dimensional images into three-dimensional, 360-degree experiences. The transformation of two-dimensional images into a three dimensional photographic collection in cinematic quality worthy of a movie is made possible by tapping on the innovative technology of Silverlight, Microsoft’s rich web application technology.

The ‘synthing’ of students’ experiential learning are shared on the web, visible and available to all online users, allowing them to learn and partake of students’ learning with details, clarity and scope that is unattainable by conventional videos or static photos. The technology provides the perfect social networking environment that allows students to learn collaboratively as they worked towards merging their images into a common synth and constructing their own learning content that would enable them to improve in their areas of curriculum. Students are now more responsible for their own learning, moving away from teacher-created content and delivery, towards student-centered learning that provides deeper and richer learning experiences for themselves as the school prepares them to become 21st century citizens.