From Singapore to Michigan, and back: An Educational Studies alumnus remembers his academic year

I had the pleasant and fruitful experience of pursuing the master’s in Educational Studies program at the School of Education in the U-M in 1998/1999. My studies were supported by the Ministry of Education in Singapore under its overseas scholarship scheme.

Before I began this program, I had completed my certification as a trained teacher in Singapore as well as my university studies in English language and literature at the National University of Singapore. I had also gained four years of teaching experience in an elementary school, and another four years in a high school. In the last four years before I joined U-M, I served as an Assessment Officer in the Ministry of Education, overseeing many national examinations in Singapore. National examinations are mandatory at key stages of schooling (years 6, 10, and 12) and are an integral feature of the national educational system in Singapore. My work organization, the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board, helms the activities related to these centrally coordinated examinations, which play a key role in the selection for higher education and recognition for employment.

As a postgraduate student at U-M, I benefited greatly from the knowledge and experience of faculty members, as well as the interaction with fellow students who came from diverse backgrounds. The program facilitated and encouraged me in both formal and informal settings to deepen my understanding of curriculum development and evaluation. It equipped me with the opportunity to acquire the foundational knowledge to understand and value different educational systems, including the Singapore system.

I have many fond memories of my year at the U-M. It was the first experience for my family and me to live abroad on a different continent and to experience the four seasons. I was fortunate to be among supportive faculty members and fellow students. I still recall receiving a phone call from my academic supervisor, Robert Bain, at my hotel in Ann Arbor, who introduced himself and offered to help me move to my newfound place of residence. I also have vivid memories of my fieldwork project on the bilingual literacy programs in two schools in Detroit. It was also at U-M that a few faculty members encouraged me to pursue a PhD, which I eventually completed in 2013—albeit on yet another continent, Australia.

After my master’s program, I returned to the same work organization, and I have been there ever since. I began to contribute progressively at higher levels of responsibility over the years: from Assessment Officer to Assessment Specialist and then Senior Assessment Specialist and now Lead Assessment Specialist. As the titles suggest, I began to take leadership roles in the design and implementation of summative and formative assessments, and helmed many examination review committees. I have also mentored a number of my junior colleagues, and trained elementary and high school teachers in the area of language assessment. The Singapore educational landscape is continually evolving to adapt to the challenges of the 21st century, and I look forward to continuing to play a humble role in reviewing how assessment can contribute to addressing these challenges.