WRITING SINGAPORE'S NARRATIVE ON NEW MEDIA

In just one year, military training went from the field to the tube, and games were used to educate students on National Education (NE).

These are some of the new media intiatives that were introduced since the inauguration of the Connexion seminar in January last year, said Minister for Education and Second Minister for Defence, Dr Ng Eng Hen, at the 2nd Connexion Seminar at Yishun Junior College on 2 Nov.

Citing the example of a reality-based web series titled Every Singaporean Son that was produced by the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), Dr Ng noted that the series generated much public interest and thoughtful discussions among netizens as it showcased recruits' experiences at Basic Military Training.

Referring to the series, he said: "It has provided a platform for the sharing of opinions and experiences that allowed viewers to internalise their own learning points and conclusions about what they value in our nation. This is the goal for National Education."



Other new media initiatives that Dr Ng mentioned include the Ministry of Education and Nexus, the central coordinating agency for NE, using games to teach students about NE.

In addition, Singaporeans were asked during the 2009 and 2010 Total Defence campaigns to share what they would defend through video clips.

Noting that recent surveys of National Servicemen and the public showed more than 90 percent of respondents saying they felt a sense of belonging to the country and that they would defend Singapore should she come under threat, Dr Ng said: "Through the use of new media tools, we encourage more voices, greater participation and ownership in writing a narrative for Singapore.

"We need to keep on finding innovative ways to directly engage students and all Singaporeans on important matters of national and social concern."

This year's Connexion seminar, organised by Nexus in collaboration with MOE, was themed NEw Dreams, NEw Challenges, NEw Opportunities. With about 500 NE practitioners from MOE, the Singapore Armed Forces, various statutory boards and the private sector, the seminar focused on using new media to better engage Singaporeans.

Highlights of the seminar included presentations by new media experts, sharing sessions, and an "NE Marketplace" which showcased new media and NE resources from government ministries, statutory boards, non-government organisations and vendors.

One of the booths at the NE Marketplace was by MINDEF, which showed some of the platforms through which defence news is shared.



Said Ms Clara Tan, Head of MINDEF's Internal Media Department, who is involved in MINDEF's new media initiatives: "When it comes to new media, what we've done is only half of the equation. We provide the content and platforms to create common spaces for discussion, but it's only when Singaporeans share their experiences that the equation is complete."

Another booth by Nexus showcased features on the Connexion.sg website www.connexion.sg. Launched last year as a portal for NE practitioners to share resources on NE, the website will soon be accessible to all Singaporeans, announced Dr Ng in his speech.

Explaining the rationale of opening up the portal to the public, Ms Bina Rai, Assistant Director (Research and Analysis) in Nexus, said: "NE shouldn't just be left to the government and NE agencies. We hope that by opening up the Connexion.sg website, we can draw the public into the NE process as well."

The slew of NE resources and meaningful exchanges at Connexion 2010 made the event an eye-opener for Mr Andy Mickey, Head of the Humanities Department and NE coordinator at Tanglin Secondary School.

Intending to include games as a means of imparting NE to his students, he said: "It's a very good seminar because besides addressing the new directions in new media, it also introduces us to new NE products which we can bring to our schools."