Singapore Polytechnic (SP) was established 50 years ago in 1954, to train middle-level professionals to support the technological and economic development of Singapore. SP provides training in a wide range of practical, work-oriented fields of study. These include courses in engineering, media and design, information technology, health sciences, chemical and life sciences, maritime studies, building and construction, and business, finance and law.
While it is well recognized that SP has been very effective in teaching students in the traditional classroom learning environment, as evidenced by the successful graduates it has produced in the last 50 years, changes are taking place in the economic and social landscape, which necessitate change in educational provision and practices in order to maintain the viability and quality of the education SP provides.
Since 2004, the polytechnic has embarked on a number of new initiatives and approaches to ensure that our graduates are adequately prepared to meet the needs of the industry and to live and work in a changing world. Some of the new initiatives include the teaching of critical reasoning, innovation and design, values and ethics, a broad-based approach to knowledge building, and an integrated and experiential approach to teaching and learning. While developing this new educational model, SP joined CDIO as a collaborator when we realised that there were many similarities between what SP and CDIO were trying to achieve. In this paper, we will discuss the initiatives SP has adopted in reformulating its engineering education in relation to the CDIO standards and principles. Also, the CDIO plan and achievements will be elaborated.
2nd International CDIO Conference, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden, 13 – 14 June 2006
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