1. 1
FINAL
ASSESSMENT
WSQ
SELECT
NEW
TECHNOLOGY
PLATFORMS
FOR
BUSINESS
Business
Plan
for
incorporating
new
technology
platforms
into
the
CET
Curriculum
of
Human
Capital
Singapore
for
Blended
Learning
By
Magdalene
Tan
3
September
2016
Executive
Summary
• In
this
paper,
I
will
map
out
the
current
business
model
of
Human
Capital
Singapore
(HCS),
the
CET
(continuous
education
and
training)
centre
of
the
Singapore
Workforce
Development
Authority
(WDA)
for
its
Human
Resource
WSQ
(Workforce
Skills
Qualification)
Framework.
• WDA
has
instituted
a
new
requirement
to
convert
all
WSQ
courses
to
blended
learning
by
2018.
In
order
to
maintain
its
CET
status,
HCS
has
to
introduce
blended
learning
into
its
curriculum.
• I
will
look
into
the
e-­‐learning
technology
options
available
for
conversion
to
blended
learning
and
their
feasibilities
based
on
implementation,
applicability,
scheduling
and
budget.
Business
Model
Canvas
KEY
PARTNERS
KEY
ACTIVITIES
VALUE
PROPOSITIONS
CUSTOMER
RELATIONSHIPS
CUSTOMER
SEGMENTS
-­‐
Government
agencies
-­‐
WSQ
qualifications
for
HR
professionals
-­‐
Only
CET
centre
endorsed
by
WDA
for
WSQ
HR
courses
-­‐
Partner
corporations
that
sponsor
employees
for
the
courses
-­‐
Singapore
corporations
-­‐
Corporations
that
sponsor
employees
for
the
courses
-­‐
Marketing
of
HR
courses
through
partnerships,
advertising
and
promotion
-­‐
High
quality
of
teaching
and
curriculum
-­‐
SMEs
-­‐
Professional
organisations
in
the
HR
trade
-­‐
HR
advisory
services
-­‐
Strong
partnerships
with
government
agencies
-­‐
Singapore-­‐
registered
MNCs
-­‐
HR
trade
publications
VWOs
KEY
RESOURCES
CHANNELS
-­‐
Curriculum
that
adheres
to
WDA's
HR
WSQ
Framework
-­‐
Online
sales
through
website
-­‐
B2B
sales
to
corporations
-­‐
Referrals
from
WDA
and
other
government
agencies

2. 2
COST
STRUCTURE
REVENUE
STREAMS
-­‐
Administrative
staff
(sales,
marketing,
business
development)
-­‐
Course
fees
from
participants
-­‐
Trainers
-­‐
HR
advisory
-­‐
Rental
of
premises
for
courses
and
events
-­‐
Forums
-­‐
Annual
HR
360
Awards
USPs
(Unique
Selling
Points)
of
HCS
• Current
curriculum
adheres
to
the
strict
requirements
of
the
Human
Resource
(WSQ)
Framework
established
by
WDA.
• It
is
the
WDA-­‐appointed
CET
centre
for
WSQ
Human
Resource
courses.
This
ensures
a
ready
pool
of
candidates.
• Strong
connections
with
government
bodies,
which
gives
the
curriculum
credibility,
recognition
and
ability
to
attain
substantial
funding
for
technological
enhancements.
• Course
structure
is
modular
–
gives
flexibility
in
introducing
e-­‐learning
technologies.
Current
Situation
(Porter’s
Five
Forces)
• Other
education
providers
and
professional
organisations
introducing
WSQ
HR
courses
o HCS
needs
to
innovate
with
new,
advanced
e-­‐
learning
technologies
to
stay
ahead
of
competitors.
• Customers
are
demanding:
o Greater
flexibility
in
scheduling
their
learning
pace.
o Option
to
complete
courses
outside
of
the
classroom,
due
to
work/travel
schedules.
• New
WDA
regulatory
requirements
o 50%
of
courses
to
be
converted
to
blended
learning
by
January
2017;
o 100%
of
courses
to
be
converted
to
blended
learning
by
January
2018.
• More
professional
certification
and
qualification
tracks
in
HR
available
o HCS
needs
to
value-­‐add
by
enhancing
curriculum
with
blended
learning
options.

3. 3
Types
of
Technology
Options
Available
Traditional
Learning
Technology-­‐based
Learning
• Face-­‐to-­‐Face/
On-­‐Campus
Learning
o Physical
interaction
between
teacher
and
student
at
the
same
place,
same
time.
o HCS
currently
adopts
face-­‐to-­‐face
learning.
• Distance
Learning
o Self-­‐study
from
course
materials
o Assessments
are
completed
with
independent
research
and
submitted
by
mail
for
marking.
o Only
examinations
may
be
conducted
at
the
same
place,
same
time.
• Online
Learning
o Learning
takes
place
online
and
therefore
requires
connection
to
the
Internet.
• E-­‐Learning
o Use
of
ICT
to
enhance
learning.
It
can
take
place
on-­‐campus
or
other
contexts,
e.g.
simulation
of
a
situation
for
learning.
• Mobile
Learning
o Learning
through
mobile
devises
designed
to
make
use
of
a
student’s
context
and
surroundings.
HCS’
teaching
and
competency-­‐based
learning
takes
place
on-­‐campus
and
with
face-­‐to-­‐face
interactive
between
trainers
and
students.
This
mode
of
traditional
on-­‐campus
learning
has
worked
well
for
HCS
for
over
6
years.
But
in
order
to
adapt
to
the
new
digital
environment
and
demands
by
students,
as
well
as
new
regulatory
requirements,
HCS
will
develop
technology-­‐based
learning
modules
that
aims
to
supplement
and
enhance
on-­‐campus
learning,
but
not
supplant
it
altogether
–
this
will
be
blended
learning.
Criteria
in
Selecting
Technology
Platforms
We
will
use
the
weighted
point
evaluation
method
in
selecting
the
technology
platforms
for
blended
learning
agreed
upon
by
HCS’
management
and
a
steering
committee
to
drive
the
project.
This
steering
committee
will
have
a
representative
from
WDA
as
it
will
be
WDA
which
will
co-­‐fund
the
blended
learning
transformation
for
HCS.
COST
DELIVERY
FEASIBILITY
SCHEDULE
VENDOR
TRACK
RECORD
Cost
quoted
vs
value
of
services
provided
To
include
retainer
(if
viable)
Executable
on
dynamic
platforms
(website,
mobile
app,
pod-­‐casts)
User-­‐friendly
and
intuitive
Ease
of
adoption
Value-­‐add
to
current
curriculum
Modular
RAD
(Rapid
Application
Development)
systems
environment
Roll-­‐out
and
implementation
by
mid-­‐Dec
2016
Successful
track
record
in
e-­‐learning
technology
No
conflict
of
interest
1. Cost
As
part
of
the
funding
is
from
the
WDA
(which
is
tax-­‐payers’
contributions),
discretion
must
be
exercised
in
determining
cost
effectiveness
vis-­‐a-­‐vis
value
of
services
provided
by
the
vendors
tendering
for
the
project.
The
cost
should
include
a
one-­‐year
retainer
fee,
if
deemed
viable.
2. Delivery
The
e-­‐learning
technologies
chosen
must
be
executable
on
dynamic
platforms
for
ease
of
adoption
by
both
teachers
and
students
alike
–
website,
mobile
app,
pod-­‐casts).
Interface
must

4. 4
be
user-­‐friendly
and
intuitive
to
facilitate
ease-­‐of-­‐adoption
and
minimize
training
time
and
costs
to
train
the
teachers
and
students
in
using
the
technologies.
3. Feasibility
Adopt
technology
that
can
adapt
within
a
modular
RAD
(Rapid
Application
Development)
systems
design
environment:
• Allows
incremental
upgrades
–
easier
to
introduce
new
innovations
at
a
later
stage.
• Allows
“exit
strategy”
–
out-­‐moded
technologies
can
be
replaced.
4. Applicability
Level
of
engagement
–
HCS’
courses
necessitate
on-­‐the-­‐spot
group
work,
which
eliminates
the
applicability
of
video
streaming
technology.
5. Scheduling
Control
scheduling
of
technology
platform
roll-­‐out
with
a
modular
RAD
systems
design
environment
to
meet
the
tight
deadline
for
conversion
(by
January
2017).
This
allows
easier-­‐to-­‐
implement
technologies
to
be
made
first,
and
enhancements
made
later.
6. Budget
The
key
cost
elements
of
the
technology
roll-­‐out
are
the
IT
developer/vendor
project
quotations,
scale
of
projects,
and
use
of
talents
(voice-­‐overs
for
teaching
videos).
To
manage
the
budget
well,
we
will
apply
for
available
funding
options,
for
example,
IRAS’
PIC
(Productivity
and
Innovation
Credit)
grant
for
IT
investment.
Types
of
E-­‐Learning
Technology
We
will
survey
the
types
of
e-­‐learning
technologies
offered
by
the
vendors/
available
in
the
market
and
use
the
weighted
point
evaluation
method
in
selecting
the
technology
platforms
for
blended
learning.
Type
Cost
Delivery
Feasibility
Schedule
Webinars
(‘live’)
Low
Website
only
Low
Fast
Video
Lectures
(pre-­‐
recorded)
Low
Website,
mobile
app,
pod-­‐casts
Low
Fast
Animated
Teaching
Videos
Medium
Website,
mobile
app,
pod-­‐casts
High
Medium
Simulated
Role
Play
High
Website,
mobile
app,
pod-­‐casts
Low
Slow
Learning
Games
High
Website,
mobile
app,
pod-­‐casts
Low
Slow
E-­‐Book
Library
Low
Kindle,
Scoop,
Magzter,
iPad
News-­‐Stand
High
Fast
Electronic
Diagnostic
Tests
Medium
Website,
mobile
app
High
Medium

5. 5
Recommendation
of
Technology
Platforms
for
Blended
Learning
1. Animated
Teaching
Videos
with
a
voiceover
to
illustrate
the
learnings
from
the
course
–
these
videos
aim
to
add
value
by
reinforcing
students’
learnings
from
HCS’
face-­‐to-­‐face
quality
teaching,
but
not
replace
face-­‐to-­‐face
teaching.
In
addition,
for
students
who
miss
certain
classes,
these
videos
allow
them
to
catch
up
on
core
course
content.
Reasons
to
select
Animated
Teaching
Videos
rather
than
just
video
lectures
(which
would
be
less
costly
due
to
less
edits
necessary
and
without
the
use
of
talents)
are:
• Direct
video
recording
of
classroom
lectures
are
not
practical
as
classroom
activities
involve
on-­‐the-­‐spot
group
work,
activities
which
cannot
be
well
captured
on
video;
• Pre-­‐recorded
video
lectures
may
not
be
engaging
due
to
lack
of
human
interaction.
The
benefits
of
Animated
Teaching
Videos
are:
• Online
and
mobile
accessibility
–
students
can
access
the
videos
on
HCS’
website
or
through
a
podcast
prepare
before
class
and/or
to
reinforce
learnings
after
class;
For
students
who
miss
class,
they
can
access
videos
to
catch
up
on
course
content
and
self-­‐learn.
• Possibilities
for
monetisation
through
paid
subscription
to
videos
from
HR
professionals,
HR
researchers
and
HR
educators.
2. Install
an
E-­‐Book
Library
for
the
courses
that
can
be
accessed
via
Kindle,
iPad
News-­‐stand
or
SCOOP.
The
benefits
are:
• Fast
implementation
and
scheduling
–
the
conversion
of
books
to
e-­‐book
format
is
easy
and
can
be
done
very
quickly
within
a
month.
In
fact,
some
of
the
books
may
already
be
available
for
purchase
on
Amazon,
so
implementation
is
easy
and
fast.
• Online
and
mobile
accessibility
–
the
students
can
easily
access
and
reference
the
e-­‐books
via
mobiles
or
Kindle
anywhere
for
additional
research.
• Possibilities
for
monetisation
by
charging
rentals
on
the
e-­‐books
to
students.
3. Incorporate
Electronic
Diagnostic
Assessments
for
teachers
to
track
students
progress,
and
for
students
to
reinforce
learnings.
Benefits
include:
• Enhancement
of
teaching
pedagogy
–
regular
diagnostic
assessments
help
both
students
and
teachers
to
identify
areas
of
learner
misunderstandings.
They
also
increases
student
engagement
with
the
use
of
multimedia
and
graphics.
In
addition,
as
the
test
results
are
immediate
available,
teachers
can
make
constant
revisions
and
updates
to
their
teaching
formats
to
optimise
learning
outcomes.
• Saving
of
time
and
resources
–
the
instant
grading
system
of
electronic
diagnostic
assessments
saves
time
and
resources
for
the
trainer
which
can
then
be
used
for
planning
and
instruction.
Electronic
Diagnostic
Assessments
will
be
done
via
HCS’
learning
mobile
app.
Operational
Plan
–
Gannt
Chart
(see
Appendix
A)
Implementation
of
the
new
technology
platforms
must
be
accomplished
before
the
deadline
of
1
January
2017.
I
have
drawn
up
a
Gannt
Chart
to
map
out
the
scheduling
of
each
technology
platform
roll-­‐out.
The
most
extensive
roll-­‐out
will
be
the
Animated
Teaching
Videos
due
to
development
of
ICT
for
the
animation
as
well
as
the
voiceover,
and
the
fact
that
video
production
requires
substantial
edits
and
re-­‐edits.

6. 6
The
Electronic
Diagnostic
Assessments
also
require
a
fair
amount
of
time
due
to
the
programming
of
the
questions
and
answers,
but
not
as
extensive
as
the
Animated
Teaching
Videos.
The
E-­‐Book
Library
requires
the
least
amount
of
time
due
to
the
fact
that
many
of
the
books
are
available
in
e-­‐book
format,
and
conversion
of
the
books
to
e-­‐book
format
can
be
done
fairly
quickly
with
new
types
of
scanning
technologies.
Budget
The
cost
of
the
Animated
Teaching
Videos
will
be
the
highest
due
to
hiring
of
skilled
talents
in
animation
and
voice-­‐overs.
The
next
highest
will
be
the
Electronic
Diagnostic
Assessments
due
to
the
programming
skills
required.
It
is
the
E-­‐Books
conversion
that
will
cost
the
least.
Task
Budget
(S$)
Cost
of
Animated
Video
production
(11
videos
-­‐
50%
of
modules)
50,000
Cost
of
e-­‐Book
conversion
5,000
Cost
of
Electronic
Diagnostic
Assessments
Programming
10,000
Enhancements
to
HCS
website
and
app
to
accommodate
new
technologies
3,000
Total
Technology
Investment
68,000
Less
PIC
grant
(40%
of
total
technology
investment)
-­‐27,200
Finalised
Budget
40,800
Critical
Success
Factors
1. Endorsement
by
trainers
and
students
• Usability
tests
will
be
conducted
on
all
new
technology
platforms
to
ensure
ease-­‐of-­‐use.
• To
ensure
widespread
adoption
and
utilization,
HCS
will
make
it
a
requirement
for
trainers
to
utilize
the
technology
platforms
as
part
of
their
core
teaching
tools
for
the
modules.
2. Rapid
adoption
• It
is
important
for
the
new
technology
platforms
to
be
adopted
quickly
and
widely
by
the
students,
and
therefore,
the
design
and
layout
of
these
platforms
must
be
Intuitive
and
easy-­‐to-­‐navigate,
following
a
hierarchical,
logical
structure.
• In
addition,
these
new
technology
platforms
must
be
highly
accessible
online
and
via
mobile
devices,
for
example,
on
the
HCS
website,
learning
mobile
app,
or
on
popular
mobile
channels
such
as
pod-­‐casting
and
Kindle.
Expansion
Plan
1. Monetisation
–
subscriptions
to
these
learning
technology
resources
should
be
marketed
to
HR
professional
associations,
corporations
and
other
educational
institutions.
2. Exit
Strategy
–
all
new
technology
platforms
must
be
developed
within
a
modular
RAD
(Rapid
Application
Development)
systems
design
to
enable
quick
exit
of
technologies
that
become
obsolete
and
to
make
way
for
new
technological
enhancements.