Singapore has made efforts to promote the implementation of information and communication technology (ICT) in education, Minister of State for Education Gan Kim Yong said Wednesday.

"Generally, the use of ICT has expanded learning opportunities for our students, bringing them beyond their classrooms into authentic learning environments," Gan said at the opening of the 13th International Conference on Computers in Education (ICCE).

Apart from adopting the approach of top-down support for bottom- up initiatives to implement innovative ICT-based pedagogical practices in schools, the Education Ministry will also encourage inter-school collaborations to use ICT for teaching and learning, according to the minister.

During the three-day conference, participants will discuss topics such as the development of ICT in administration, the use of blogs and e-learning in a series of panels and workshops.

The ICCE series has been organized by the Asia-Pacific Society for Computers in Education (APSCE), which evolved from the Asia- Pacific Chapter of the Association for the Advancement of Computers in Education (AACE) based in the United States.

The aim of the conferences is to foster the creation and dissemination of knowledge about the use of information technology in education throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

Source: Xinhua