Education Commons^™

First 'Highly Cited Researcher’ In Singapore In The Field Of Economics And Business, Singapore Management University

SMU Press Releases

Singapore Management University’s (SMU) business school dean, Professor Gerard George, has been globally recognised as a ‘Highly Cited Researcher’ in the field of Economics and Business in 2019. Professor George, who is Lee Kong Chian Chair Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Dean of SMU’s Lee Kong Chian School of Business, is the first business professor in Singapore to have received this accolade which recognises the significant and global impact of his research in academia.

Short- And Long-Run Effects Of Early Grades, Luca Facchinello

Research Collection School of Economics

Does early grading affect educational choices? To answer the question, I exploit the staggeredimplementation of a reform which postponed grade assignment in Swedish compulsoryschool. I identify short- and long-term effects of early grading, for students with differentacademic ability and socioeconomic status (SES). When graded early on, high-ability students(especially if high-SES) perform better, and are more likely to choose academic coursesduring compulsory school. Low-ability students react in the opposite way, in particular iflow-SES. While high school attainment increases for high-ability low-SES students, collegeattainment decreases for low-ability low-SES students. None of these effects carry over tothe labor market. This suggests that early …

Smu Teaching Bank: Case Study Of A Multiyear Development Project Utilizing Student Resources, Alan Megargel, Terence P. C. Fan, Venky Shankararaman

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

A domain refers to a business sector such as banking, healthcare, insurance, manufacturing etc. For an IS student, it is imperative that the domain knowledge includes a comprehension and understanding of business processes, technology and data related to the chosen domain. For example, when learning the retail banking domain, an IS student must have an understanding of the transactions concerned with retail banking such as fund transfers and loan repayments. The student must also gain a strong foothold in transaction fulfilment processes, the various application services that are used, the data that is transferred, etc. Teaching domain knowledge is very …

Peer Effects In Education: When Beliefs Matter, Luca Facchinello

Research Collection School of Economics

Recent literature explains the puzzling finding of zero or negative peer effects in aca- demic achievement assuming that better peers negatively affect beliefs about ability (self-concept), motivation or peer interactions. This paper provides new evidence on such negative mechanisms, and on their impact on educational choices and attainment for students randomly assigned in compulsory school to classes with different cognitive ability. Using detailed longitudinal data on a nationally representative sample of Swedish compulsory school students, I find that students exposed to higher ability peers systematically underestimate their ability and are less likely to choose advanced subjects throughout compulsory school. While …

Rethinking Education Choices: The Effect Of Surveys, Luca Facchinello, Juanna Schroter Joensen, Gregory Francisco Veramindi

Research Collection School of Economics

Can surveys affect human capital investments? This paper examines whether individual education choices and outcomes are affected by a survey posing questions related to expectations and forward-looking behavior. We have administrative data for the whole Swedish population to which an extensive education survey was administered to randomly drawn samples of 3rd graders. This constitutes a randomized social experiment for testing whether responding to survey questions alters behavior. We observe complete educational and labor market histories until the individuals are 31-41 years old. We have exogenous variation in the timing of first surveys and when an additional survey was administered to …

Examining Learning Transformation In Project-Based Learning Process, Gary Pan, Poh Sun Seow, Grace Koh

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

This paper presents a learning transformation framework for analyzing how learning evolves during project-based learning process. Here we adopt Lewin’s (1951) change theory as an analytical lens to examine the project-based learning curriculum at a University called UNI-X. This is a major contribution to PBL literature as little is known about the dynamics of learning during PBL process. In fact, the learning transformation framework can serve as the basis for further research in PBL process. For educators, this study provides them with useful insights on how to break project members’ escalating commitment to previous failing ideas and accept alternative workable …

Education And Innovation: An Interview With Charles Chen Yidan, Charles Yidan Chen

Asian Management Insights

Education and innovation are not only the engines of economic growth in an increasingly knowledge-based global economy, but they also lead us to the solutions of the crises we face today.

Ntu Singapore And Smu Launch Phd Exchange Programme, Singapore Management University

SMU Press Releases

From January next year, PhD students from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) and the Singapore Management University (SMU) will be able to enrol for postgraduate courses in both universities.

Under the new NTU-SMU PhD Student Exchange Programme, eligible PhD students from NTU Singapore and SMU can attend classes at the other university, the first such graduate academic programme tie-up between the two universities.

The programme combines the unique strengths of both young universities, allowing students from both universities to benefit from the wide-ranging PhD course offerings.

Writing And Reasoning: A Guide For Facilitators, Justyn Olby

Research Collection Centre for English Communication

This book is intended to be a guide for educators engaged in the Writing & Reasoning (WR) module offered by the Centre for English Communication (CEC) at the Singapore Management University (SMU). As such, the book should be seen as a resource to be dipped into when required, rather than to be read cover-to-cover. Inside you will find some background information, suggested lesson plans, and advice on how to approach different parts of the module.

Future-Proofing Students In Higher Education With Uav Technology: A Km Case Study, Thomas Menkhoff, Siew Ning Kan, Eugene K. B. Tan

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

In this paper we report experiences in implementing a new course ‘Understanding Drone & Robotics Technology – History, Usage, Ethics & Legal Issues’ at the Singapore Management University (SMU) framed as a strategic knowledge management initiative in an institution of higher learning aimed at capturing, sharing and creating new knowledge about disruptive technologies such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). We posit the new course as a knowledge innovation initiative (similar to a KM-enabled business case in a corporate setting) in support of the university’s mission and vision so as to deliver new value to students and to stay ahead of …

What Should Business Schools Be For?, Howard Thomas, Kenneth Starkey

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Howard Thomas and Kenneth Starkey report on a new initiative that looks to business schools to re-orient themselves to a challenging new future.

Counselling Referral For University Students: A Phenomenological Study From The Teachers’ Perspective, Poh Yaip Steven Ng, Yee Lin Ada Chung

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This small-scale pilot study analysed the input of two university teachers regarding their approaches, attitudes and understanding regarding counselling referrals for students in a university setting in Singapore. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, four main categories of themes were defined from the findings: referral procedures, challenges/difficulties, support and awareness. The academic teaching staff has an important role in the holistic development of students by helping them obtain counselling referrals. The key issues raised are outlined for consideration by policymakers, academic teaching staff and practitioners both within and outside of Singapore. The findings are discussed, including …

Oral History Interview With Timothy Clark, Timothy Clark

Oral History Collection

The interview covered:

• Starting at SMU
• Concepts and Value
• Challenges and Future
• Teaching and Curriculum
• Campus - Prinsep Street going forward
• Faculty
• Challenges & Future
• Advise for Students

Setting The Stage For Special Needs Theatre, Chandran R

Social Space

When I was a child, my special ability was in sports. I was good at football, badminton and sprinting, and even had aspirations of being a professional sportsman when I grew up. However, in terms of pursuing a sustainable sporting career, I was ahead of my time by a few generations.

School Of Law Annual Report 2018: Embracing Change In An Evolving World, Singapore Management University

SMU Corporate Reports

The Annual Report highlights the School of Law’s modest achievements and developments over the past year, as well as the substantive impact of these initiatives.

Mr Lim Chee Onn Appointed As Chancellor Of Smu, Singapore Management University

SMU Press Releases

The Singapore Management University (SMU) is pleased to announce that Mr Lim Chee Onn (林子安) has been appointed Chancellor (名誉校长) of the University with effect from 1 August 2019. His appointment will be for a term of five years. He was previously the Pro-Chancellor (名誉副校长) of SMU.

The positions of Chancellor and Pro-Chancellor are key and important positions within the University structure. Mr Lim, together with the Pro-Chancellor of SMU, Mr Eddie Teo (张赞成), will share the important role of presiding over all major formal University ceremonies, and will officiate at the University’s Commencement and Academic Year Opening Ceremonies.

Art Works: Ang Kay Sing, Ishan Singh

Social Space

Meet Ang Kay Sing, Senior Occupational Therapist and Art Therapist at the Institute of Mental Health. The 34-year-old runs inpatient art therapy groups with children and adolescents, as well as for individual outpatients. Over a session involving some sketching pencils and paints,ISHAN SINGH chatted with Kay Sing about how art can be used to express thoughts and feelings when words fail us.

Bilingualism Narrows Socioeconomic Disparities In Executive Functions And Self-Regulatory Behaviors During Early Childhood: Evidence From The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Andree Hartanto, Wei Xing Toh, Hwajin Yang

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Socioeconomic status (SES) and bilingualism have been shown to influence executive functioning during early childhood. Less is known, however, about how the two factors interact within an individual. By analyzing a nationally representative sample of approximately 18,200 children who were tracked from ages 5 to 7 across four waves, both higher SES and bilingualism were found to account for greater performance on the inhibition and shifting aspects of executive functions (EF) and self‐regulatory behaviors in classroom. However, only SES reliably predicted verbal working memory. Furthermore, bilingualism moderated the effects of SES by ameliorating the detrimental consequences of low‐SES on EF …

An Intelligent Platform With Automatic Assessment And Engagement Features For Active Online Discussions, Michelle L. F. Cheong, Yun-Chen Chen, Bing Tian Dai

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

In a universitycontext, discussion forums are mostly available in Learning and ManagementSystems (LMS) but are often ineffective in encouraging participation due topoorly designed user interface and the lack of motivating factors toparticipate. Our integrated platform with the Telegram mobile app and aweb-based forum, is capable of automatic thoughtfulness assessment of questionsand answers posted, using text mining and Natural Language Processing (NLP)methodologies. We trained and applied the Random Forest algorithm to provideinstant thoughtfulness score prediction for the new posts contributed by thestudents, and prompted the students to improve on their posts, thereby invokingdeeper thinking resulting in better quality contributions. In addition, …

Rejoinder To “Confronting The Crisis Of Confidence In Management Studies: Why Senior Scholars Need To Stop Setting A Bad Example” From The Asian Perspective, Toru Yoshikawa

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Critical issues that Bill Harley discusses such as the lack of value in management research output can possibly be amplified by the diffusion of the same research practices, goals, and norms around the world and in Asia. Although the issues raised by Bill Harley touch on three levels - university, business school, and the management field - this rejoinder focus on research at Asian business schools in general and also specifically research in the management field to share an Asian perspective.

Applying Case-Based Learning For A Postgraduate Software Architecture Course, Eng Lieh Ouh, Yunghans Irawan

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Software architecture remains a difficult subject for learners to grasp and for educators to teach given its level of abstraction. On the other hand, case-based learning (CBL) is a popular teaching approach used across disciplines especially in business, medicine and law where students work in groups apply their knowledge to solve real-world case studies, or scenarios using their reasoning skills and existing theoretical knowledge. In this paper, we provide how we apply case-based learning to address the challenge in teaching a postgraduate software architecture course. Our learners are postgraduate students taking a master’s program in software engineering. We first describe …

Chen Yidan: Educating For The Future, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

Tencent’s co-founder commits to education and calls for increased collaboration between academia, policymakers and industry to tackle future challenges

The Future Of Business Schools: Shut Them Down Or Broaden Our Horizons?, Ken Starkey, Howard Thomas

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Ken Starkey and Howard Thomas report on a groundbreaking workshop that debated the mounting criticism of business schools and where they might go from here.

Uniquely U: The Effects Of Tertiary Education Disciplines On The Development Of Dual Self-Construals And Its Impact On Conflict Management Tendencies, Wan Yee Choo

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

While the effects of self-construal on one’s conflict management tendencies are well-documented, the effects of dual self-construals on conflict management tendencies are under-explored. In present paper, two studies were conducted to explore how tertiary education disciplines could influence the development of dual self-construals among Singaporeans which, in turn, determine their conflict management tendencies, as well as, how context influences the switch of different self-construals and conflict management styles. Our findings revealed that individuals from business disciplines displayed greater competitive conflict management tendencies than their peers from social science disciplines and this relationship is mediated by their endorsement of independent self-construal. …

Micro-Coaching As A Blend To Make E-Learning More Effective, Krishnan Narayanan

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

While e-learning has taken a stronghold as the de-facto training medium in knowledge intensive technology sector organizations, several factors have been hypothesized to influence the efficacy of training efforts, such as educator presence, interaction levels and individual motivation for development. This dissertation looks at one blended learning intervention that organizations can make use of to significantly improve the learning outcomes. The paper introduces micro-coaching, a new construct referring to brief coaching and mentoring interventions, that in conjunction with the e-learning sessions can improve cognitive as well as behavioral changes in individuals, which are key to improving learning and the resultant …

Smu Partners With Citi Ventures To Offer Experiential Learning In Financial Technology In Singapore, Singapore Management University

SMU Press Releases

Singapore Management University (SMU) and Citi Ventures have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to offer the Citi® University Partnerships in Innovation & Discovery (CUPID) programme to SMU’s students. Participating students will get to earn one credit unit towards their undergraduate degree upon successful completion of the programme. This partnership marks the first time that CUPID is extending the programme to a university in Asia.

The CUPID programme was officially launched in January 2018 in the United States as a joint initiative between Citi Ventures and the Citi Human Resources team to build a pipeline of new and diverse talent …

Toward A Holistic Approach Of Evaluating Higher Education Institutes, Yidan Chen

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

In this thesis, I argue that higher education institutes generate significant positive externalities and other virtual benefits to the society they embedded in, which often dwarf the direct economic returns created. It would be an unfortunate oversimplification to throw economic theories developed from the private sector directly to higher education institutes without acknowledging their unique social values. Following a long tradition of integrating social and economic perspectives, I proposed a conceptual paradigm for higher education system to cover its social as well as economic role. An institute sets strategic intents to live up to stakeholders’ expectations and then develops an …

The Global Learning Crisis, Claudia Costin

Asian Management Insights

In September 2015, the UN General Assembly approved the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), one of which, the SDG-4, focuses on the educational goal of ensuring free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education that will lead to relevant and effective learning outcomes. This goal, which is to be achieved by 2030, is ambitious. Even today, there are too many children without access to a school, or those who are not learning the basics, or dropping out of school.

Perspectives On The 21st Century Urban University From Singapore: A Viewpoint Forum, Jean-Paul D. Addie, Michele Acuto, K. C. Ho, Stephan Cairns, Hwee-Pink Tan

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

In this Cities viewpoint forum, we argue that there is a need to rethink U.S./U.K.-centric approaches to the urban university in policy and practice. Gathering three critical commentaries by practitioners from within the Singaporean higher education system, the forum responds to the challenges of: (1) broadened expectation placed on higher education institutions; (2) the pressures and possibilities of global urbanization; and (3) the provocation to theorize the urban, and thus the urban university, from beyond the 'Global North'. Following an introduction detailing the history and relevance of the Singaporean case, the three viewpoints seek to illustrate the various dimensions of …

Aacsb International Recognises Smu Lee Kong Chian School Of Business For Promoting Impactful Research, Singapore Management University

SMU Press Releases

The complex needs of business, government, and society must be addressed through multidisciplinary, dynamic, and impactful partnerships. Today, AACSB International (AACSB)—the world’s largest business education network—recognised SMU Lee Kong Chian School of Business among 21 business school collaborations as highlights of its 2019 Innovations That Inspire challenge.

An annual initiative, the challenge recognises institutions from around the world who serve as champions of change in the business education landscape. This year’s focus emphasized co-creation of knowledge—one of five opportunities identified in AACSB’s Collective Vision for Business Education. With research and thought leadership as a foundation, the highlighted institutions …