Dunia December 2020

December 2020

LEVERAGING

LESSONS FROM

LOCKDOWN

page 10

REIMAGINING

LEARNING AT

UWCSEA

page 6

UNIVERSITY

ADVISING IN THE

AGE OF COVID-19

page 20

Subjects that make students learn how to work with people,

the human related subjects that build character, that are able

to build empathy, ethical behavior, empowerment, efficiency,

gender equality. For me, these subjects will make the base of

what true learning and true education is.”

Musimbi Kanyoro, Chair of UWC International speaking at

the launch event in the Kishore Mahbubani Speaker Series

Reimagining Learning: Navigating learning in the 21st century

on 29 October.

Read more on page 8.

CONTINUING

OUR

REMARKABLE

JOURNEY

Carma Elliot CMG OBE,

College President

MADAN MENON

An interview with

Board Chair

REIMAGINING

LEARNING

Graham Silverthorne

on rethinking our

education

NAVIGATING

LEARNING IN THE

21ST CENTURY

Kishore Mahbubani

Speaker Series launch

event

SPOTLIGHT ON …

Hyper-local Outdoor

Education

LESSONS FROM

LOCKDOWN

Liam Isaacs looks to a

digital future

IS THE SKY STILL

BLUE?

Engagement in

Activities says yes

CONNECTING

ONLINE

Reflecting on remote

service with Child at

Street 11

UNITED

WORLDWIDE

A global showcase of

UWC stories

INNOVATIVE

SPACES

Explore our Super Low

Energy Dover Campus

EVOLVING THE

PERFORMING

ARTS

Extending the reach

of creativity at East

Campus

PREPARING FOR

AN UNCERTAIN

FUTURE

University advising in

the age of COVID-19

TAKING A

NEW SEAT IN

THE UWCSEA

CLASSROOM

Alumni extending

their learning journey

A LETTER TO MY

COMMUNITY

Farewell from Graham

Silverthorne

CAMERON

HUNTER

Dover Middle School

Principal returns

HOPE AND

OPPORTUNITY

Amala’s High School

Diploma for Young

Refugees Takes Flight

WORLD OF

LEARNING

Stepping stones to

university and the

world of work

HER JOURNEY

Young Aurora finalists

SCHOLARSHIP

SNAPSHOT

Where are they now?

OPINION

Finding joy in our safe-

distanced classrooms

COVER IMAGES

Front: East Campus

UWC Day

Back: Dover Campus

UN Night

December 2020

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Editors: Sarah Begum, Courtney Carlson, Sinéad Collins, Tara Diong and Kate Woodford

Photography: Sabrina Lone, Janrius Rogers, Joseph Tan and members of the UWCSEA community

Design: Nandita Gupta

UWCSEA Dover is registered by the Committee for Private Education (CPE), part of SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG)

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By Carma Elliot CMG OBE

College President

Several weeks ago, Board Chair Madan

Menon and I were in conversation

with two of our remarkable students,

Lavanya and Tejas. The conversation

was online and just under 100 parents

tuned in to hear us answer some

challenging questions on topics ranging

from the future of education, to issues

of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, to

why we have each found ourselves

in leadership roles at UWCSEA. We

were both struck by how impressive

our students were, and so many of the

comments which came in reinforced

this. It is not surprising; I am regularly

reminded of what a privilege it is to

work with UWCSEA students, and

Madan and I look forward to more

such sessions.

Just two days after our conversation,

on 20 November, we celebrated the

anniversary of the day in 1959 when

the UN General Assembly adopted the

Declaration of the Rights of the Child.

The Declaration (later Convention) is

the most widely ratified international

human rights treaty, and sets out a

number of children’s rights, including

the right to education. It is important

that we keep the commitments made

by the signatories of this Declaration

uppermost in our minds, particularly as

the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

on education and inclusion becomes

more evident.

Against the backdrop of COVID-19,

UNICEF’s statement that “children

are not the face of this pandemic.

But … children’s lives are nonetheless

being changed in profound ways”

gives us pause for reflection. Speaking

with students, it is clear that they

understand deeply the need for their

learning programmes to be adaptable,

contextual and responsive to the

individual needs of students with

so many different experiences and

abilities. This follows the thinking from

our Reimagining Learning session in

October with Tom Fletcher, Parag

Khanna and Musimbi Kanyoro, which

also emphasised the changing face

of education and learning. These

conversations about the future of

learning at UWCSEA will continue in

the coming months; they are more

important than ever as we respond

to the global changes that have been

accelerated by the pandemic, and as we

develop our plans for the College’s 50th

anniversary year next school year.

Over the past several weeks, the UWC

International Board and International

Council have held their annual

governance meetings. During these

meetings, the Heads and Chairs of

all the schools and colleges in the

UWC Movement, along with the

International Board and Council,

meet to discuss both strategic and

operational issues that affect the

Movement as a whole. For UWCSEA,

as the largest member school, these

meetings are an opportunity to both

learn and contribute; and with 18

schools and colleges across the world,

we know that the global impact of

the UWC Movement as a whole is

greater than the sum of its parts, and

that our impact manifests in different

ways, depending on the schools’ very

different contexts.

With the rights of the child at the heart

of all discussions, and education and

students at the core, the movement

faced some deep and existential

questions about the post-COVID-19

world. Hearing Gabriel Abad, Head of

UWC Dilijan in Armenia (and former

Director of Residential Life on East

Campus), talk about the impact on

his college of both the pandemic and

the conflict between Armenia and

Azerbaijan was humbling; as were

discussions of the operational challenges

of running a UWC in China when the

students were forced to leave the school

Continuing our remarkable journey

2 | Dunia December 2020

OPINION

last February and where so many of

the international students have not yet

been able to return. We celebrated the

Movement coming together, as scholars

transferred between colleges: UWCSEA

sent a small number of scholars who

could not get to Singapore to UWC East

Africa, and welcomed to Singapore some

who were originally assigned to China.

We are grateful that all our scholars

are now safely in the boarding houses,

adjusting to life on campus.

Much time was spent on the economic

challenges some schools are facing;

and with our peers, we were thrilled

to be able to formalise the partnership

between UWC and Rise (funded

by Schmidt Futures), an education

programme for young refugees at a

camp in Kenya that will lead, in some

cases, to a full scholarship to one of the

UWC schools. For us at UWCSEA, this

was an especially proud moment as the

programme in the refugee camp will

be delivered by Amala. Our UWCSEA

teachers were heavily involved in

developing curriculum for the Amala

programmes and our students have

been champions of Amala since it was

first formed as Sky School some years

ago. We retain a close connection

with Amala to this day (read more on

pages 26–27).

The conversations that were most

exciting however, were the ones where

we collectively addressed the future of

learning at a UWC. As mentioned in our

webinar, the movement has a history of

innovation in education, and our close

relationship with the IB is providing

new opportunities for renewal and

reinvention. As a movement, we are

embarking on a time of intense planning

and preparation for the future that has

been accelerated by events of 2020. It

is not enough that we respond to these

challenges; we must anticipate them

and prepare our students to be leaders

and drivers of necessary change.

The governance discussions were a

powerful reminder of where the ideals

we hold dear originated. More than 70

years ago, Kurt Hahn, the founder of

the UWC Movement said “I regard it

as the foremost task of education to

insure the survival of these qualities: an

enterprising curiosity, an undefeatable

spirit, tenacity in pursuit, readiness

for sensible self denial, and above all,

compassion.” As you will know, Hahn’s

attendance at the 1958 NATO Staff

Conference inspired him to create the

United World Colleges Movement. The

Declaration of the Rights of the Child

followed a year later, with the first UWC

opening in Wales in 1962. These big

developments then were driven by

strong ideals, and common purpose, to

create a more peaceful and sustainable

future for everybody. Our original

mission and Kurt Hahn’s vision remain

as valid today, as seven decades ago.

Last week we had the pleasure and

privilege of announcing initial plans

for our 50th anniversary celebrations

in the 2021/2022 year. Connected by

the theme There is more in us, it will

be a year of celebrating our past and

reimagining our future, together with

our students, staff, parents, alumni and

global partners. Along with community

celebrations, we plan to host a forum

in April 2022 on the theme of Learning

to Shape the Future and expect to host

such luminaries as Kishore Mahbubani,

Distinguished Fellow, Asia Research

Institute, National University of

Singapore; Howard Gardner, Hobbs

Professor of Cognition and Education,

Harvard Graduate School of Education;

Musimbi Kanyoro, Chair of UWC

International Board; and Forrest Li,

Founder and Group CEO of sea Ltd. It

will be an exciting year, an opportunity

to reaffirm our shared mission and

articulate our hope for the future that is

so perfectly expressed in students like

Tejas and Levanya.

December 2020 Dunia | 3

MADAN MENON

Meet the Chair of the Board of Governors

The role of the Chair of the Board

is a volunteer role with lots of

responsibility. Why did you agree to

take it on?

My life philosophy is grounded in being

of service to others and a belief in the

importance of social purpose. My wife and

I chose UWCSEA for our children because

the College’s values align so closely with

our own and I saw this as an opportunity

to give back to an institution that has

given my family so much. You’re right

that the role of Chair brings with it a lot

of responsibility: I am fortunate to have

the expertise and support of my fellow

Governors and the College leadership.

You’ve just completed one round of

Board meetings. What are your first

impressions?

Well, first I can say that the quality

of conversation and thought at the

Board level is truly humbling. We have

an exceptional group of committed

volunteers who are paying careful

attention to the long-term future of the

College so that future generations can

benefit from the world-class education

we provide. Second, I am really pleased

to be able to have conversations with

our outstanding educational leadership

about the next iteration of a UWCSEA

education in Singapore. Anyone who has

tuned in to our Reimagining Learning

series will know that the College is really

engaged with the future of education.

You mention the role of the Board of

Governors as securing the College for

future generations. Can you say a bit

more about that?

I am very clear on one thing: the overall

In September 2020 Madan Menon took up his role as Chair of the UWCSEA Board of Governors. Madan is a banker with 30 years’

experience in large, complex international financial services environments and currently leads Scotiabank’s business across the

Singapore, ASEAN, Australia and India regions.

Madan has been a parent at UWCSEA East since 2011, when his younger daughter joined Grade 3, followed by his older daughter

the following year. He is now the proud father of one graduate and one Grade 12 student. After his first round of Board meetings in

September 2020, Dunia sat down with Madan to explore what his new role of Chair means to him.

4 | Dunia December 2020

responsibility of the Board is to be

of service to students. Of course, we

have significant fiduciary and strategic

responsibilities, but these are all centred

on what is best and right for students

of the past, present and future. Part of

that is ensuring good governance and

compliance, managing the financial

health of the organisation for the long

term, managing risk and so on; and at

first glance these might not seem to be

functions that are focused on student

learning. But in fact, all of these activities

have students, their learning experience

and their wellbeing at their centre.

People who start new roles are often

asked about “the first 100 days”.

Given that this is a volunteer position,

let’s give you a year. What are your

goals for your first year as Chair?

Thanks for the extra time to make

a difference! My first responsibility

is to continue to build a strong and

positive partnership with the College

President and ensure that the Board

and leadership are fully aligned on

the direction of the College and our

various responsibilities. I also want to

support and amplify the College’s role

in Singapore. We were opened by then

Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew nearly 50

years ago and in many ways our growth

and success has played out alongside

that of Singapore. It’s important to

me that we strengthen our ties to our

host country. The ongoing and critical

work on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

(DEI) will require the Board’s attention.

Finally, I really want to continue to build

a transparent Board environment. I

hope to be able to host more regular

communication between the Board and

various community stakeholders. And

all of that is in addition to the many

projects and initiatives that are already

on the table as a result of the UWCSEA

Strategy 2018–2023 and, increasingly,

the milestone 50th anniversary that is

coming up in 2021/2022.

What are the big topics on the Board

agenda at the moment?

The biggest and most important one

is the future of learning at UWCSEA.

The global pandemic has accelerated

thinking about the next iteration of

an international education, and it’s

important we participate in, and indeed

lead parts of, that conversation. Our

senior educators are in conversation with

the IB about pathways to graduation;

and the recent conversations about DEI

have demanded that we consider how

to become a more inclusive school. It is

the Board’s responsibility to ensure we

provide the appropriate infrastructure

and support to foster and nurture

the energies of those engaged in this

strategic change, and help make these

decisions and implement them.

At the same time, we are looking at

important governance issues, such as

Board succession planning and a review

of our constitution and governance.

Along with the rest of our community,

we are engaging with the next iteration

of the Guiding Statements, particularly

our restated values and the behaviours

that accompany them. This is alongside

our ongoing responsibilities of budget

approval, internal audits and support for

key College operations.

The Chair of the Board helps to

create culture and set tone at Board

level. How do you approach this part

of your responsibility?

I always think of the College as an

aspirational institution. Our mission is so

idealistic and at the same time so relevant

and so necessary. There are four words

that I think complement our mission and

guide me in my thinking as I try to fulfil

the mission, both in my personal capacity

and as Chair of the Board.

The first word is boundless hope and

conviction for our children and the

future, and an ongoing optimism that our

students and the educational experience

they have at the College will help to

create a more peaceful and sustainable

future. At the same time, we must provide

assurance to students and parents that,

while we are hopeful, we are also realistic:

our first priority is for students to be safe

and secure and we have reflected on

most, if not every, conceivable risk.

The second is harmony, that we aim to

be a harmonious community, with all

stakeholders united in common purpose

and living the mission and values. That

is not to say that we all speak with

the same voice, or that we don’t seek

diversity of viewpoint but rather that we

are at optimal harmony, where our voices

together create a common message.

The third is humanism, a belief in

the power of humanity, the critical

importance of making a contribution

to society and the importance of our

individual actions. In the words of

Margaret Mead, “Never underestimate

the power of a small group of committed

people to change the world. In fact, it

is the only thing that ever has.” This is

especially important on the topic of DEI;

we must hold ourselves to the highest

standards here.

And finally, humility, that we remain

aware of our privilege and of all the

things we do not yet know, that we

continue to learn from others and that,

as a Board, we live the mission and

values with respect and care for the

voices of everyone.

Words to live by indeed. Any final

thoughts?

Just that it is an enormous honour to

become Chair of the Board. When I

think back over my time as a parent at

the College, I feel enormously grateful.

I hope my tenure as Chair will give me

the opportunity to make a positive

difference in this great community.

INTERVIEW

December 2020 Dunia | 5

REIMAGINING LEARNING AT UWCSEA

This is a prototype of the revised UWCSEA Guiding Statements, being used in community consultation in the 2020/2021 school year.

Look for invitations to contribute in College communications during this year, or send feedback to uwcsea@uwcsea.edu.sg.

6 | Dunia December 2020

Learning and mission competencies

The new prototype of our guiding statements illustrates a

journey that begins with our mission, and the values that derive

from it, and culminates with students (of any age) on the way

to developing mission competencies that help them to enact

the mission throughout their lives.

While the term competency may well be very familiar, the

idea of mission competencies bears some exploring. Using

the OECD work on ‘Transformative Competencies for 2030’,

the UWCSEA leadership team have developed our thinking

and define a mission competency as: the summation of skills,

knowledge, attitudes (dispositions) and values that will lead the

individual to take action, to become a changemaker and to use

their education as a force for the benefit of society, not simply

as a vehicle for personal success.

Mission-aligned curriculum development

Between 2011 and 2018, UWCSEA completed a project of

major significance in articulating our K–12 curriculum across

four of our five learning programme elements: Academics,

Outdoor Education, Personal and Social Education and

Service. This was the first time an international school had

undertaken such an ambitious curriculum development

project, and in particular to develop a written curriculum

for Outdoor Education and Service. This work led to the

development of a set of UWCSEA Guiding Statements, which

included the Learning Programme, Learning Principles, and

the identification of the skills and qualities of the our Profile.

As the Learning Leadership Team has continued a process to

review and refine our curriculum, our guiding statements have

evolved to encompass the idea of mission competencies, and

to become more explicit about the journey of learning that all

of our students are on.

Our journey is towards a fuller realisation of the spirit of an

holistic learning programme in a contemporary context. As

a result, our learning programme will become increasingly

aligned to our mission, intentionally guided by high-level

concepts derived from the mission competencies we have

identified. This will lead to significant developments in

interdisciplinary learning, as the lines between different

disciplinary areas are blurred (but not eradicated), and the

use of concept-based and experiential learning approaches

deepen and consolidate transfer of learning across all five

elements of the UWCSEA Learning Programme.

Moving past an industrial model

As we continue our evolutionary process, over the next

few years we will take the parallel step of developing new

pathways and new credential systems that acknowledge

the achievements of our learners in the context of fulfilling

our mission. This means that we will measure all the

achievements of our learners, rather than being bound by

the narrow frameworks created by the standardised testing

of the current industrial-age model of education–which, it is

becoming clear, will not fulfil the needs of tomorrow.

Events during 2020 have exposed the limitations and the

fragility of the current approach, which has been widely and

enthusiastically adopted as best practice by much of the

world. Not only is standardised testing a one-sized product

when we know that learning does not take place in a linear

or age-related manner, it has also been shown to be fallible

when global events interrupt assessment structures.

Expanded definitions of success

The College is already investigating and developing new

approaches to credentials and the celebration of learning.

We will continue to embrace standardised tests such as the

IB Diploma where learners need that qualification to take the

next steps in their life journey. Importantly, however, we will

respond to the needs of all learners, by providing alternative

pathways. To do this, our intention is to develop a much

more agile credit framework that allows us to move credit

towards the skills, needs and attributes of individual learners,

rather than to continue to move all learners towards the

requirements of a single set of standardised tests.

There will always be standards attached to the credits

and there will always be challenge at a high level—the

attainment of a mission competency will never be an

‘easy’ thing. However, there must be greater agility, greater

agency, greater personal choice in the way we recognise the

extraordinary talents of our young people.

By Graham Silverthorne, outgoing Head of UWCSEA East

The future is an uncertain destination for our UWCSEA learners. Our responsibility is to equip all our students with the tools

they need to navigate the faster flow, the ever-changing tides and the hidden currents which we know they will encounter when

they leave us.

The journey ahead will be one of challenge, and also one of great opportunity. Our students will not simply need tools–

knowledge, understanding, skills–but will rely on deeply embedded values to help them make choices in often complex

and ambiguous environments. In reimagining learning for the unimaginable future our students will live and work in, we are

returning to our mission and guiding statements to help us find a path.

FEATURE

Navigating learning

in the 21st century

Exploring the possibilities for UWCSEA

As the College looks towards our next 50 years, the Kishore

Mahbubani Speaker Series: Reimagining Learning is an

invitation to engage in discussion and exploration around

some of these increasingly urgent questions. While the

changing nature of the world of work is an obvious place to

start, global shifts in society are creating a need for deeper

reflection on how education might best serve the future of

the planet and humanity.

Series patron, former Chair of the UWCSEA Board of

Governors, Professor Kishore Mahbubani framed the

importance of these discussions in his opening remarks,

“The world of work is transforming and it is now less routine,

more flexible and characterised by dynamic networks of

individuals working together. As old hierarchies break down,

our young people will join a workforce that is redefining both

the purpose and practicalities of work. We know we must

prepare our young people with the knowledge, understanding,

skills and, most importantly, values that will help the next

generation make decisions in often complex and ambiguous

environments—decisions that will fulfil a mission for a more

peaceful and sustainable future.”

The launch event on 29 October, Navigating learning in

the 21st century, featured guest speakers Tom Fletcher, a

former diplomat and Project Director of the UN’s Towards

Global Learning Goals and Parag Khanna, a global strategy

advisor, author and futurist, who together unpacked some

of the forces shaping the challenges facing humanity and

influencing our future. Musimbi Kanyoro, Chair of the Board

of UWC International, then joined Tom and Parag for a panel

discussion that engaged our global audience in an exploration

of how education might evolve to meet the needs of

humanity, and the planet, in the 21st century.

In describing three mega-trends in society; the rise of

distrust, the rise of the perception of inequality, and the rapid

Learn more, watch the webinars and

technological transformation around us all, Tom called for an

urgent response through education. His belief is that while

these trends continue to shape the global environment, the

current systems of education will fail to equip young people

to thrive, saying that, “it is a sad truth at the moment that

most young people on the planet are learning the wrong

things in the wrong ways. Too often, we fail to spark the kind

of delight in the magic of learning. Instead, we’re forcing

kids into a system based on how we learned in previous

generations, without recognising how different their lives will

actually be. The content we teach, the assessment that we

put in front of kids focuses on classic academic knowledge

rather than character and skills. It focuses on the head and

not the hand and the heart.”

The second event, Digital learning and disruption on 9

December featured UWC Adriatic alumnus Bharat Anand,

Vice Provost for Advances in Learning at Harvard University,

who shared some of the learnings from his involvement in

Harvard’s rapid move to online learning in the Spring of 2020

and discussed how they might apply in a K–12 school context.

In our first event Tom Fletcher outlined a compelling

argument that, “We need a revolution in how and what

humans learn.” Join UWCSEA as we continue to engage

pioneers and thinkers in education as we reimagine learning

at UWCSEA with the goal to better align our mission-inspired

education with the needs of our students—and in the process

equip them to help their communities and the planet to not

just survive, but to thrive.

The need for change in education to respond to our changing world raises questions not just economic, but existential.

What is the purpose of an education? Who should it serve? What is it worth? And what does this mean for the future of

learning? These are urgent questions that we hope our Reimagining Learning series will help to answer.

FEATURE

8 | Dunia December 2020

This year’s hyper-local focus in our outdoor education programme saw Junior School students undertake a series of adventures on

campus, working towards ‘outdoor education activity passports’. The passports combine age-appropriate experiences to develop

learning in outdoor education and personal and social education, while drawing links with other areas of the learning programme.

Grade 3 students worked their way through a two-day programme based on three of the five passports: Navigation, Survival

and Nature, with opportunities to explore new areas on campus. Pictured here, a student is concentrating on a water filtration

exercise, part of the Survival Passport activities which focused on developing skills as well as awareness of basic needs, self

management, resilience and creativity.

SPOTLIGHT

GRADE 3

CAMPUS ADVENTURE

SPOTLIGHT ON …

Lessons from lockdown

By Liam Isaac, Head of Digital Learning

Technology, Dover Campus

In March, Singapore went into

lockdown, bringing with it an abrupt

shift to our lives as we all switched to

‘remote’ models—learning, working,

gathering and supporting. Whilst SARS

in 2003 meant that the notion was

not completely unprecedented, the

extent of the impact of the current

pandemic will no doubt be viewed as

a pivotal moment for existing trends

towards technology-led changes in

so many areas of our lives. Historians

documenting the factors influencing

changes to the industrial educational

model of the 20th century will no

doubt point to the necessity of adapting

to the pandemic as an accelerator in a

long-overdue digital transformation of a

sector that had been largely unchanged

by the rising tide of technology.

During the circuit breaker (lockdown), our

community worked tirelessly to positively

influence the learning and wellbeing of

our students during what was a truly

challenging time. Our students developed

new levels of resilience as they somehow

managed to motivate themselves each

and every day to attend classes online

and continue to engage with their

teachers and peers. Parents and carers

performed an all-too-often herculean

balancing act; meeting the ever-shifting

needs of their children whilst continuing

to juggle demanding professional and

domestic responsibilities.

And then there were the teachers,

who years from now with the luxury of

hindsight, will no doubt cite their own

experience of implementing remote

learning as one of the most challenging

periods of their career. They juggled

the challenges of continuing to fulfil

their professional roles while supporting

student wellbeing, working to ensure

that the students within their care

remained physically and psychologically

happy and healthy.

It would be easy to reflect on what our

community achieved during that period,

consider it a job well done and, at least

within our Singapore context, thank

our lucky stars that (very) slowly, things

are beginning to return to ‘the way it

was before’.

However, as a learning institution

in a sector that is ripe for digital

transformation, it’s important that we

use the lessons from this experience

to understand how technology can

be used to contribute to the future of

learning. As Tom Fletcher said at the

UWCSEA-hosted Navigating learning for

the 21st century event on 29 October,

“We face technological, environmental

change at a pace we can’t understand

or control at the moment. We’ll have to

be brave enough to master technology,

rather than be mastered by it.”

And so UWCSEA is looking to leverage

the lessons from lockdown to improve

our future provision and practice. Here

are just some of the ways in which

our response to the pandemic might

ultimately lead to our evolution:

On-demand learning

Pre-pandemic days, all teachers

diligently uploaded learning resources

used in class to our digital learning

platforms, informing students that,

should they wish to revisit the material,

they could. This was—and still is—good

practice. However, our use of these

digital tools has rapidly evolved over

the course of the last 10 months to

better leverage their potential as tools

that will deliver opportunities for

learning that suit the needs of more of

our students.

One of the great advantages of online

learning is that resources, once shared

online, are available for learners to

access as and when the need arises.

This ease of access, along with the

flexibility to work through the resources

and revisit and revise at their own pace,

makes the learning process increasingly

flexible and equitable for all students.

In a UWCSEA context, where all

students have access to devices, all

students therefore enjoy access to

learning at their own pace using online

resources, which support face to face

instruction. This blended learning model

has long been recognised as an integral

approach to learning at UWCSEA, led

in particular by a focus in the Middle

School on East Campus which has

seen the development of extensive

professional learning resources to

facilitate implementation over the past

several years.

The circuit breaker accelerated the

adoption of an increasingly blended

approach to teaching and learning at

all levels at UWCSEA. Increasingly,

teachers are tailoring the learning

resources they share online to reflect

the needs of the students in their

class. For example, instead of simply

sharing the slide decks used in a class,

teachers are now sharing screencast

presentations of these slides which

provide a short, sharp micro-lesson

format. This mode of delivery then

allows students to engage with this

rich material outside of the classroom,

freeing up more time in class for

discussion, project-based work or

personalised feedback and guidance.

Opportunities for personalisation

Historically, the orientation for new

Middle and High School students has

been almost entirely face-to-face; with

families coming onto campus to collect

laptops, attend sessions and meet staff.

This year, safe distancing measures

meant that the August 2020 orientation

for new families moved online in a

format that allowed families to complete

the set-up independently at a time and

pace that suited their schedule.

FEATURE

10 | Dunia December 2020

Definitions

Blended learning: using

technology to bridge the divide

between online learning and face-

to-face instruction, leveraging the

advantages of both.

Networked learning: a method

of collaborative internet-based

education whereby learners can

connect with resources, teachers

and other students.

Gamification: the use of

gaming techniques to encourage

engagement.

Through custom learning modules,

students were able to set up their devices

to be ready for the first day of school.

Importantly, students and families

were introduced to our educational

philosophy and provided guidance on

how to maintain a balanced home life

in the presence of potentially disruptive

devices. These independent learning

modules—which are available online to

be revisited as necessary—were followed

up with a series of live workshops on

related topics such as ‘Managing Digital

Distractions’ and ‘Social Media’.

Feedback from families was

overwhelmingly positive, and we have

gathered rich data that will allow us to

adapt our ongoing provision in a very

intentional way. This adapted approach

proved so successful that, regardless

of what the world looks like at the

start of the next school year, we will

continue to run some aspects of digital

onboarding and orientation for families

using this model.

What’s more, we are currently exploring

opportunities to employ similar

approaches in other contexts, for

example connecting our current High

School students with our extensive

alumni network to share valuable

information for learning in specialist

areas as they pursue topics of individual

interest. This networked learning

approach greatly extends the power of

the existing network of alumni mentors

who to date have shared information on

career and university choices.

Engagement through

gamification

Whilst the term may be new–and

perhaps quite alarming for some–in an

educational context, the concept is not.

For example, students and families have

long created flash cards to support their

learning of everything from spelling or

multiplication tables, to key political

figures in history or the periodic table.

The use of online quick-feedback

apps such as Kahoot and Quizizz are

well established in classrooms across

the College.

A natural consequence of the increase

in use of digital tools as a way to

enhance learning, gamification is

an increasingly effective strategy to

motivate consistent participation and

long-term engagement by students of

all ages. However, the extended period

of home-based learning during circuit

breaker prompted more teachers to

apply creative gamification as a means

of consolidating or enhancing student

learning in their virtual classrooms.

This resulted in the emergence of

increasingly interactive and immersive

strategies. One example is a digital

escape room, where students need to

‘escape’ from a carefully constructed

Google form by applying their

subject-specific knowledge in tandem

with their problem-solving skills to

answer questions.

Gamification strategies such as

this have the potential to challenge

conventional assessment. For example,

in one IB Diploma Programme class

last year, escape rooms were trialled

as an alternative means of formative

assessment. Replacing an end of topic

test, students needed to ‘escape from

the unit’ before progressing to the next

topic. Students are incredibly positive

about the potential long-term impact

that this requirement to apply their

learning in new ways might have on

their learning.

Augmented and Virtual Reality

There are exciting potential future

applications of how both AR and VR

could be used to enhance student

experience. In the Primary School, for

example, teachers are exploring how

to use VR to create immersive learning

environments that allow students

to use their iPads to take virtual

expeditions around the world—all while

in their own classroom.

During the circuit breaker, a virtual

art gallery was constructed ‘on’ Dover

Campus where, despite not being able

to physically visit campus, parents, staff

and students were still able to enjoy a

visual art exhibition in virtual reality.

What next?

As the world continues to adapt in

response to the pandemic, UWCSEA will

continue to explore how we can leverage

technology to empower our students to

engage and learn beyond the confines of

their immediate borders and boundaries.

December 2020 Dunia | 11

IS THE SKY STILL BLUE?

Life on campus continued in Term 1

By Mike Staples, Director of Sports and Activities,

Dover Campus

With restrictions on movement still in place as a result the

global pandemic, and the resultant impact on personal

wellness added to the list of stresses that test us all daily, it

is perhaps not surprising that our community have looked

to the College to support students with opportunities to

continue developing physical and mental wellbeing, including

connection and community.

At UWCSEA Dover, the Activities Programme in Term 1

continued to play a big part in maintaining that healthy

balance for many. In a typical school year, 96% of Dover

students participate in the programme at lunchtime, before

or after school or even on the weekend. This year, the start

of the activities programme was a welcome opportunity for

our students to re-engage in passions, pastimes and pursuits

that were severely curtailed outside school as COVID-19

safety requirements limited most options, in some cases

ceasing them altogether. With the usual connectedness

that our children experience with friends and loved ones

restricted to a limited ‘pod’ of the ‘usual suspects’ and an

uncharacteristically cold and rainy September following the

news of cancellation of so many anticipated Arts and sports

events on the annual calendar, many in the community could

have been forgiven for wondering “Is the sky still blue?” by

the time Activity sign-up opened for Season 1.

Statistics alone can partially answer that question: yes!

Activity participation numbers paint a rosier picture for our

children—one that was perhaps not so visible to parents and

carers who were not able to come onto campus and therefore

had limited opportunities to see their children in action. On

Dover Campus, there were 5,800 weekday spaces offered

across the full breadth of the Activities programme, which

includes the extensive Instrumental Teaching Programme

(ITP) and our bespoke Home Languages Programme (HLP). A

further 550 opportunities were offered in the evenings and on

weekends through our Community Activities programme.

The average student at Dover takes part in 2.3 activities a

week for a total of 3.8 hours. Many activity groups continued

to run with the same capacity as in pre-COVID times. These

include music groups and the ITP which collectively account

for 954 places each week; non-selective and representative

sport and fitness options add an additional 2,545 places; our 11

HLP languages offer 271 students a place; student leadership

groups, including MUN, Initiative for Peace and student

societies, cater to 521 students; environmental initiatives

engage 197 students, and a further 1,163 places are filled in

our somewhat catch-all category of ‘enrichment’ which is a

diverse collection of interests ranging from BioChem or Law

Society for High School students to Debate and Coding which

are offered in different ways across the school sections.

Looking past the statistics there are Activities that continued

to see increased enrolment; perhaps inspired by the state of

world politics, greater numbers signed up for student leadership

groups that provoke discussion on social, political and global

issues. Initiative for Peace, MedSoc and Epiphany Arts saw

consistent membership, while the long running Debate and

Model United Nations (MUN) activities were in high demand.

In August, 123 students trialled for the Dover Campus Debate

OPINION

12 | Dunia December 2020

teams inspired by the growing Debate calendar and team

success in local competition. Undeterred by the cancellation of

international conferences, new student leadership and virtual

conferences have buoyed MUN numbers to all-time high levels.

While these activities are designed to stretch minds, the

Latin phrase mens sana in corpore sanum (a healthy mind in

a healthy body), gives a nod to the equal importance the

Romans put on the physical as part of our all-round wellness.

Correspondingly this year’s investment in leadership and

facilities that promote physical wellness could not have been

more fortunate or timely. An extended, refurbished and

re-equipped Fitness Centre coupled with the recent addition

of a specialist instructor, has given us the expertise and the

capacity to meet the growing fitness and performance needs

of the wider Dover community. With the previous two fitness

rooms miraculously expanded into four inviting spaces,

fully equipped with new cardio, weights and core strength

equipment, both students and staff are able to access a menu

of general exercise, strength and conditioning, performance

training, injury prevention and rehabilitation programmes.

When our doors can finally reopen to parents, we promise to

share these ‘new toys’ with our community as well!

Our Performing Arts programme has been impacted more

heavily than many other areas of Activities, with group sizes

reduced, voice and wind instruments restricted and larger

productions curtailed in music, dance and drama. It was

Frederick Nietzsche that said, “Without music, life would be a

mistake” and so students have continued to find a way, with

student-led productions presented in innovative ways through

small-scale live performances and the online presentation of

key events such as our beloved UN Night.

In the meantime, as we wait for those bright cobalt blue

South East Asian skies to return, it is worth taking a moment

to recalibrate and remind ourselves of what is working. Our

facilities are bursting from sunup to sundown, seven days a

week with young people seeking what UWC founder, Kurt

Hahn labelled their ’grand passion’ as they seek to extend

the possibilities of the ‘new normal’ we’re living in. Every

day, our students strive towards excellence in our practice

rooms, theatres and sports halls. And they forge long-lasting

connections in their community that will help to sustain them

through, and well beyond, these character-forming times.

Beyond Fixtures

By Gavin Dinsdale, Head of High School Activities,

East Campus

Beyond Fixtures is an East Campus initiative to provide

intentional opportunities for students to reflect on

why they choose to participate in sport. The focus is on

aspects of fitness, developing cross-sport skills through

training, overcoming challenges and, of course, fun. While

competitive sport will not always be available in life, and

is not something everyone even wants to pursue, our

goal is to take the opportunity to develop life-long habits

through participation for enjoyment and health.

At UWCSEA, success is not purely based on results and

broader measurements such as student participation

and engagement count, and this term participation rates

have been as high as in the past. However, with no team

selections to make (due to the cancellation of fixtures), all

students have had an opportunity to benefit from being

coached as part of a team.

Without the intensity of the results-driven rounds of

fixtures and finals, coaches have been able to renew a

focus on coaching the skills of the sport. No fixture list

has given coaches the time to include activities that will

develop core skills to support a student’s participation

in sport, such as physical literacy. Beyond Fixtures has

encouraged coaches to share ideas and practices that

work across all sports, such as prehabilitation to prevent

injuries, training to jump higher, and working with our

Sports Science students to measure, collect and track

data on athletes’ performance. Other examples include

using expert knowledge from gymnastics to train core

strength and core chain mobility in football, or applying

gymnastics skills to movement on the volleyball court.

Whilst fixtures will return and students and coaches

will enjoy the excitement these bring, this period has

provided an important opportunity for coaches and

students to reflect on the learning, and to reframe their

involvement in sport in a more holistic way.

CONNECTING

ONLINE

A new perspective on compassion

By Soren Jensen, Grade 11,

Dover Campus

UWCSEA has long-standing

partnerships with around 65 Voluntary

Welfare Organisations and charities

in Singapore. Across the College, we

use our skills and interests to enrich

the lives of the local Singaporean

communities in which we live and learn,

and vice versa. One of the organisations

that we have worked with for over two

decades is Child at Street 11, a childcare

centre supporting children from diverse

family backgrounds. Their mission

is to educate and help children from

low-income families break out of the

poverty cycle in one generation.

In my past experience, one of the

most valuable aspects of local service

is the human interaction that comes

with it. Over the years, I have formed

relationships with people from walks

of life that I never would have had the

chance to meet, had it not been for the

Service programme. For example, in

Grade 8 I was involved with a service

where I did arts and crafts lessons with

intellectually disabled young adults.

Having the opportunity to interact

personally allowed me to see their

capabilities and strengths, as well as

understand some of the difficulties

that they face in daily life. I also got

the chance to travel to the care home

where they lived which was truly

an eye-opening experience, coming

face to face with a Singapore I didn’t

know existed.

Given this past experience, built on

personal connection, when I signed

up for Child at Street 11 this year, I

was somewhat sceptical. I wasn’t sure

I could have meaningful interactions

with the students online. However, I

very quickly realised that this wasn’t

the case! Our service group of 10 High

School students meet weekly to lead a

combination of both synchronous and

asynchronous learning opportunities

with the children who attend the

centre. Each week, we create a series

of short videos that focus on teaching

a new skill and engaging the children

in learning. In addition, we lead half-

hour ‘live sessions’ on Zoom with the

children that include storytimes, action

games, songs and rhymes.

Although the activities we run revolve

around the children’s learning, I

have also learned so much. I was

initially very surprised; their family

backgrounds are so different from mine,

and I was shocked by some of their

circumstances. This insight allowed my

perspective to widen and compassion

to grow. When we got the chance to

interact, they were amazingly cheerful

and open, despite their circumstances,

and I found myself delighted to connect

with them each week. Seeing their joy

when meeting them online helped me

realise that in a time like this, when

circumstances seem less than ideal

to many of us, that it is worth making

the effort and taking the time to show

people that you care. Even the less

personal online medium can be used

to bridge the gap and can help all of us

to make the most of life in just the way

life is.

COMMUNITY NEWS

14 | Dunia December 2020

UNITED

WORLDWIDE

A global voice for UWC

By Aryan Sahai, Grade 12, East Campus

The plethora of students arriving at my

school each morning carry within them

countless untold stories and I realise

each day how fortunate I am to be able

to meet these people who vary in race,

culture, colour, background, beliefs, and

experiences. I also realise that there are

17 other UWCs hosting thousands of

students with millions of stories that

may never be heard.

In pursuit of finding these stories and

sharing them with as many people as

possible, I decided to create an online

UWC magazine, United Worldwide,

featuring student-written and personal

articles that reflect what it means to be

a UWC student. In order to truly realise

our mission to make education a force

to unite people, nations and cultures for

peace and a sustainable future, we need

to first be united amongst ourselves.

I started by looking for contacts on

each of the UWC websites, and social

media platforms such as Google and

LinkedIn. The first campus to reply was

UWC East Africa’s Arusha Campus, and

I connected with passionate writers

who wanted to be part of this initiative.

To be able to meet peers who showed

interest in this global initiative was so

heartwarming; their welcoming smiles

and polite greetings made me realise

that there is a whole world unexplored,

filled with kindness and unique people.

Scrolling through my social media I

saw that one UWC had gone live on

Instagram and I was able to find more

connections through the school’s page.

I was overwhelmed with the warm

reception I received, despite being a

stranger emerging from nowhere, all

because I am a part of the UWC family.

From debate prodigies, Shakespeare-

esque poets, football fanatics to

budding world leaders, and—most

importantly—fabulous writers, I have

had the opportunity to meet such

motivational people. I have been

left speechless at how helpful and

compassionate every person I have

communicated with has been. I have

looked forward to sending every email,

To truly work toward our mission to make education a force to unite people, nations

and cultures for peace and a sustainable future, United Worldwide is a student-led

initiative that brings together UWC students from around the world.

United Worldwide is an online magazine that captures the essence of what it means

to be a student of the United World College Movement. Spanning all the UWCs,

United Worldwide is a common platform and was created by East Campus student

Aryan Sahai as an avenue to truly unite the 18 schools and colleges across the

movement. The publication has gone on to offer internship opportunities among

students of UWCs from all over the world. United Worldwide’s global audience

consists of students, staff, parents, alumni and a range of people beyond the

immediate UWC community as well. The goal is to share stories that may remain

otherwise untold. Here, the founder shares the magazine’s origin story.