By GOH YI HAN

NAN Chiau Primary School (NCPS) and the National Institute of Education (NIE) have joined hands to set up an on-site research centre for education.

Called the Centre for Educational Research and Application (Cera), it is aimed at developing the use of Information and Communication Technology in schools here.

Located in Sengkang, the centre is the first of its kind to be launched in a primary school, and will explore teaching and learning methods such as the use of handheld devices and computers in classrooms.

It will also work with teachers and pupils on implementing and testing the new initiatives at the school.

At the signing ceremony between NIE and NCPS yesterday, Mr Tan Chun Ming, the school's principal, said that the integration of Cera would provide researchers with a 'ready test-bed for research initiatives'.

'The coming together of practitioners and researchers will develop critical insights into the use of educational technology and better align research to actual classroom practices,' he added.

Several integrated learning initiatives have already been rolled out by the school as part of the project.

These include the use of software tools on iPod Touch devices for Primary 1 and 2 pupils, as well as a Seamless Learning programme for Primary 3 classes involving 3G mobile phones, which allows pupils to explore activities outside the classroom.

Professor Lee Sing Kong, the director of NIE, stressed that practical applications are the most important offshoot of educational research.

'The true impact of educational research lies not in publications and conferences, but in whether it results in classroom practices that bring about new forms of learning and improved learning outcomes among students,' he said.

This article was first published in The Straits Times.