NEWS Last autumn, students Ida Stjernström and Marcus Smedsén travelled to Singapore on exchange studies to Nanyang Business School — one of Asia’s leading universities — which has invested strongly in active learning platforms and flexible classrooms.
Business students Marcus Smedsén and Ida Stjernström are a couple that has travelled together a lot. They wanted to test how it would be to live in one place for a while. Ida had already decided that she wanted to go on an exchange during her studies. At Nanyang Business School, they also had the chance to go together.
A great deal was new and different when they came to Singapore. For instance, the first two weeks of term was called ‘Add and drop’. That meant everyone got to try courses they had been accepted to, and also different teachers, before finally deciding on the schedule for the rest of term.
In Singapore, several courses were taken simultaneously. Each course consisted of one four-hour long lesson per week. There were about twenty students in each class. Classes were set up as workshops where students held short presentations to one another.
“Sitting at the back of class being anonymous was not an option. Group work and problem-solving exercises meant you always had to come prepared. More students wanted to be seen and contribute in class than at home,” says Marcus Smedsén.
“We never wrote any essays, unlike here in Sweden, where the set-up is more theoretical — instead our work was more practical there. Participation in class formed the basis for grade assessment. In that way, the set-up resembled compulsory school.
Other than that, students graded each other’s efforts as a further basis for assessment. You become more proactive and more involved in Singapore,” explains Ida Stjernström.
At Nanyang Technological University, great effort has been made to develop modern educational environments with active learning platforms and flexible classrooms.
“Sound, light and picture were controlled from a lecturer’s desk. Walls, chairs and tables stood on wheels and could easily be moved around to change the shape and function of the room depending on needs. There were whiteboards everywhere and several digital screens were used to display tasks for groups to solve or for presentations,” says Marcus Smedsén.
Ida Stjernström and Marcus Smedsén describe how teachers interacted and led discussions and debates during class. It helped in creating a close relationship with the teachers.
At Nanyang Business School, teachers often have great experience from working life, boards, committees and corporations and they bring all of that back into the classroom. In Ida Stjernström’s experience, being a teacher had high status in Singapore.
“The educational set-up made me really motivated to study and I thought it was great fun. Every week started with a quiz on the previous week’s work. The results were shown on screens for everyone to see. I didn’t want my name at the bottom of the list,” says Ida Stjernström:
“Students study really hard and the competition was noticeable, both between students and teacher colleagues. The ‘Add and drop’ weeks at the beginning of term probably led to increased competition between teachers who obviously wanted their own courses to be picked.”
Competition for grades was also high between students.
“Everyone couldn’t get the highest grade and retakes didn’t exist. Therefore, there were no incentives for fellow students to study together like we are used to doing in Sweden,” says Ida Stjernström.
Both Marcus Smedsén and Ida Stjernström are impressed with Nanyang Business School, the education there and the environments that encouraged activity and creativity. The exchange semester also made them see clearly what is really good about their study programme at Umeå School of Business and Economics at Umeå University. For instance, they are talking about thinking outside the box, the nice collaborative climate and not having to compete with fellow students back home.
“Imagine if we had the same set-up of education and environments as Nanyang Business School here. What a fantastic combination that would be!” says Marcus Smedsén.
They are grateful for everything they learnt during their exchange studies and gaining a deeper understanding for another culture.
“But it’s also nice to come home to the culture I’m used to. Fellow students in Singapore studied all the time. After exam parties, barbeques and everything that is associated with student life here didn’t exist in Singapore. It’s nice to meet up with fellow students back home simply to have a good time,” says Ida Stjernström.
Text: Kristina Forsman Lindmark
Translation: Anna Lawrence
Top photo: The Hive – an architectonic symbol and Nanyang Technological University’s centre for education. The building was first taken into use when Marcus Smedsén and Ida Stjernström were there. They had some classes in the building. During exam periods, it was entirely opened up for students to hit the books. Photo: Nanyang Business School (Hufton and Crow).
Editor: Anna Lawrence