NIE, Amazon Web Services set up AI-focused innovation hub for edtech research
[SINGAPORE] The National Institute of Education (NIE) and Amazon Web Services (AWS) on Thursday (May 29) announced the launch of the Technology for Education Centre (TEC) – a new initiative aimed at driving applied innovation and research in the space of education technology.
A three-year memorandum of understanding was signed between the two organisations for this venture. The partnership is expected to facilitate research and experimentation with emerging technologies in education, including artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing.
NIE is an autonomous institute within Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
TEC will be located on NIE's campus, and is designed as a collaborative hub where student teachers, academics and education researchers can prototype and test new learning tools.
It will be housed in a new annex building at NIE, as part of an initiative to refresh the campus, and will be ready around the same time as the opening of Nanyang Crescent MRT station, which will serve the NTU Smart Campus.
The centre is fundamentally intended to provide an environment for both the development of edtech and its application in real-world settings.
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The initiative supports Singapore's broader ambitions under the National AI Strategy 2.0 to develop an AI-ready workforce. It also aligns with the community pillar of AWS' ongoing AI Spring Singapore programme, which is designed to equip 5,000 individuals with AI skills from 2024 to 2026.
In May 2024, AWS announced that it would be investing S$12 billion in Singapore's cloud infrastructure by 2028, with its expected contribution to Singapore's gross domestic product at S$23.7 billion, while supporting more than 12,000 jobs annually.
One of TEC's early goals will be to advance cloud-based learning and upskilling for educators. Resources such as AWS Skill Builder and cloud simulations will be made available to help participants strengthen their digital competencies.
Additionally, the centre will support applied research projects that seek to integrate AI and analytics into teaching practices and policy development in Singapore.
NIE director Professor Liu Woon Chia said the partnership will help to 'shape the future through ethical and inclusive use of technology' at a media briefing.
'We must teach our teachers differently so they can ensure students learn differently, paving the way for an education that is future-ready.'
The venture also includes student-driven service-learning initiatives that leverage generative AI tools such as Amazon Bedrock and Amazon Q Developer to address community challenges.
TEC will serve as a training ground through workshops, hackathons and forums that explore ethical issues related to AI in education, such as data privacy and bias, in addition to prototyping and research.
When asked about the number of students that will benefit from this initiative, Prof Liu said every student teacher at NIE will have the opportunity to experience the process of learning and solutionising with AI at TEC.
'Not all students may be involved in the creation of prototypes, but we are confident that many will want to be involved.'
Elsie Tan, AWS' country manager, public sector (Singapore), said the partnership highlights the role of educators in preparing future-ready workers.
'We are helping to equip the education sector for the digital age by combining NIE's pedagogical leadership with AWS' cloud capabilities,' she said.
Position on industry partners
While AWS is the first industry partner, Prof Liu noted that it would not be the only one.
'Right now, AWS is a front runner in terms of technology expertise. At NIE, we know the pedagogy and our students, so this collaboration will allow us to accelerate a tech-enabled education we envision,' she said.
Prof Liu said 'an experimental space' setting is envisaged for the TEC, where students, faculty and AWS specialists can collaborate in an environment where solutions can be developed to meet the needs of students and society at large.
'We want some student teachers working on certain projects to be able to work with the people at TEC to build their prototypes and create solutions with the technology available,' she said.
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