From interactive quizzes to AI learning: How to create confident learners for tomorrow's world

Mr Ng Zhi Qiang worries for his son’s future. Will his 11-year-old be able to thrive in an environment that is even more competitive than today? What kind of jobs will be available when his son grows up?

To ensure that Arvis did not lag behind his peers at school, he started looking for enrichment classes when he was in Primary 2.

After some research, he chanced upon online learning portal Superstar Teacher, and liked that its courses were highly relevant to the Ministry of Education’s syllabus and national examination standards.

“Compared to other learning providers, Superstar Teacher is more comprehensive since it covers all the subjects my son is taking and the lessons are very interactive with a user-friendly interface,” he says.

Besides textbook knowledge, Superstar Teacher also exposed Arvis to a diverse curriculum, helping him to build a strong foundation, and become more confident in his learning. In 2021, Arvis was even selected to join MOE’s Excellence 2000 (E2K) programme, designed for students with an interest and aptitude for mathematics and science.

Says Mr Ng: “Superstar Teacher has moulded my child into a more independent learner. Before subscribing to Superstar Teacher, he found learning a chore, especially when he had difficulties keeping up in class. 

“With a flexible self-learning platform, he can learn based on his schedule. His time management skills have also improved, allowing him to free up more time for his own leisure activities.”

As schools move away from using the one-size-fits-all model, teachers need to be equipped with the right tools and training to curate engaging and personalised lessons for students, says Superstar Teacher’s chief operating officer Benjamin Tan. 

He notes that at present, the primary focus in schools is still largely on content delivery through traditional mediums to prepare students for academic success. Teachers and students may also have different expectations with regards to the use of technology, as the latter are digital natives whose entire lives revolve around technology, while most educators are digital immigrants who have to learn how to use technology and may not be as tech-savvy.

This is where Superstar Teacher comes in to plug the gap, with a mission to enable students to attain subject mastery and ace their examinations by adopting an integrated approach to optimise their learning. It has an online course library packed with bite-sized content modules covering the entire MOE syllabuses for primary and secondary level students, as well as a homework help function which helps students to develop critical thinking skills and become good problem solvers.

Currently into its 10th year of operations, Superstar Teacher is the highest-rated online learning platform (rated 4.8 out of 5 by over 300 parents on Google and Facebook) in Singapore. Over the past decade, the platform has sought to keep pace with rapid technological advancements and learning trends, and undergone numerous iterations.

“We recognise that every child has their own unique learning style and learns at their own pace, so our goal is to build an integrated platform to personalise learning for every child,” says Superstar Teacher's Mr Tan.

Arvis, who has been a student of the platform for four years attests to how Superstar Teacher has changed his attitude to learning. 

He says: “Superstar Teacher allows me to learn through the internet, which means I can go at my own pace. It helps me to understand concepts easily because I can always go back to previous lessons or do practice questions. 

“It also uses interesting tactics to teach me important concepts, such as the supplementary pop-up notes during lessons and useful tips which allow me to understand complex concepts in a fun way. I am also able to earn stars to redeem rewards and this encourages me to study harder.”