Redesigning Pedagogy International Conference 2024

The tenth Redesigning Pedagogy International Conference (RPIC) – a three-day education research conference organised by the National Institute of Education (NIE), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore – took place from 28 to 30 May 2024.

The conference programme included four keynote addresses and over 300 paper and symposium presentations, workshops and poster sessions. These sessions provided an engaging platform for the conference delegates to forge new directions in educational research practice and broaden professional networks.

The RPIC 2024 opening ceremony took place at the Nanyang Auditorium, NTU. The ceremony started with an introductory video about RPIC 2024, which was put together by NIE's Centre for Innovation in Learning, followed by a welcome address by NIE Director, Professor Christine Goh. 

Welcome address by NIE Director, Professor Christine Goh

In her welcome address, she explained that the conference theme "Growing future-ready teachers and learners: Collaborative research for collaborative change” isn't solely about discussing research importance, but also catalyses a dynamic knowledge exchange ecosystem, explores translating research into practice, as well as fostering empathy, understanding and resilience in education amidst adversities.

She highlighted the role of education in building teacher capacity where NIE's research focuses on addressing local and global challenges, informing evidence-based practices, and enhancing education's effectiveness and relevance in Singapore. She also shared that with a future-oriented approach, NIE supports the development of future-ready learners and teachers, informs policy formulation, and designs programs to meet future challenges head-on.

After the welcome address, the Festival Drums group (students from Rainbow Centre Yishun Park School and Chung Cheng High School [Yishun]) put on an invigorating drums performance which captivated the audience.

Opening Ceremony performance by Festival Drums

Following the drums performance, Minister for Education, Mr Chan Chun Sing, gave an opening speech to the delegates. In his opening speech, he talked about the pace and scope of how education should transform given that technology evolves faster than our adaption. With more technology available, learning needs to be and can be more finely calibrated. 

Mr Chan emphasised that AI will not replace teachers, where teachers are the key gatekeepers to exercise judgement on what tools to use, who to use them, how to use and when to use. He also shared on the need for new pedagogies, new dispositions for teachers to explore new ways to help students learn independently, and partnerships for education research to look out for and capitalise opportunities to bring in new perspectives – to reach out to the world beyond and bring the world into our classrooms.

The conference was attended by close to 1,000 delegates across the three days. The delegates comprised teachers, educators, practitioners, researchers and policymakers. 

The keynote addresses by renowned speakers are listed below:

• "Bridge over troubled water: Thoughtful engagement with research in education" by Professor Elaine Munthe, 4th Dr Ruth Wong Professor in Teacher Education, Professor and Director of The Knowledge Center for Education, University of Stavanger, Norway
• "DREAMS, a Longitudinal Study of Adolescents in Secondary Schools: Insights from Students in Secondary One" by Professor Kenneth Poon, Lien Foundation Chair Professor in Education (Psychology and Human Development), Dean, Education Research, Office of Education Research, Centre Director, Centre for Research in Child Development, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
• "Reimagining Teaching and Learning in Schools with Research-Practice Partnerships" by Professor William Penuel, Distinguished Professor of Learning Sciences and Human Development, School of Education and Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, United States
• "Beyond the Hype of AI in Education to Visions for the Future" by Professor Mutlu Cukurova, Professor of Learning and Artificial Intelligence, University College London, England

Check out the Opening Ceremony and keynote addresses on NIE’s YouTube channel here!