SINGAPORE - Students from the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) may each get a touch-screen device to help them learn in and out of classrooms, in a few years' time.

On Monday, IT company Microsoft Singapore signed a memorandum of understanding with ITE aimed at giving students access to the company's Surface touch-screen devices, as well as to cloud-based software and digital educational resources.

In a pilot programme to start early next year, more than 1,000 students across four courses and their teachers will test the use of the devices in school.

The students will share 42 touch-screen devices in the iLAB at ITE Central College, a technology-enabled classroom that Microsoft has helped set up.

Microsoft Singapore's senior public sector director, Ms Stephanie Hung, said that besides enhancing learning for students, the partnership would also give them a shot at IT-related internships with Microsoft and its partners.

She added that ITE educators would also get access to the Microsoft Educator Network, allowing them to collaborate with more than 12 million other educators worldwide. They will also benefit from IT skills training and be able to use tools such as the interactive e-learning platform HeuX and multi-platform application Spectrum in their classes.

More than 20,000 ITE students and 1,500 staff members from ITE's three colleges are expected to benefit from this partnership.