Zhiqiang Amos Tay
I am a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Education at the Queensland University of Technology. My research interest revolves around digital equity in higher education.
Location Australia
Activity
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
Looking to understand the difference between natural (human) intelligence and artificial intelligence and understand how AI can augment or erode natural intelligence.
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
I think natural intelligence differs from artificial intelligence in the sense that natural intelligence is the result of meaningful experiences with the environment. Artificial intelligence doesn't make meaningful experiences that evoke emotions (yet). It only perceives these experiences as data (structured and unstructured) and using algorithms, produces a...
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
I sometimes use Wikipedia as a basic source of fact. But, knowing that it is a peer-based contribution website, it might be subjected to bias especially in political views. Every information website would have their political agenda. Every news website as well. Thus, it is important to look at websites from the perspectives of different countries (e.g. USA and...
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
I use Google as it is the default search engine since I am using Google Chrome web browser on my laptop and Android mobile phone. I am not sure if I will be able to get a comprehensive set of information as it does seem to provide search results within the area where I am living. In addition, companies paying for their listings to be shown on the first page of...
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
Such a complex influence might be better represented using venn diagrams. The equity issues are co-existing and are multi-directional.
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
AI in mobile assistants in phones. Facial recognition in phone and for payment options in China
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
I think the mentality that we should have about AI is not to be too optimistic and not too pessimistic about it. We should be excited about the potential of AI and yet understand that there are still things that AI cannot currently do.
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
I am concerned about the ethical aspects of AI.
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
As with any technology integration, there will be some resistance due to low confidence in it. I guess when one learns more about it, there should be greater confidence in performing in an AI-powered workplace.
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
I am looking to further demystify my understanding of AI and think about how it can be applied in my field of study.
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay replied to Laurie Bond
There needs to be greater empathy. How can we inculcate this value in the current and future generations?
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay replied to Linda Wallace
@LindaWallace Yes, the male colleagues would most likely think that it is her fault that she is often late for work and thus denies her the right to contribute in meetings.
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
Such workplace prejudice against single working mothers should not be condoned and needs to be reported to the HR department of the company. There needs to be a clear framework to ensure equitable treatment to working parents. I was a school teacher with childcare issues and my principal allowed me to report to work 45 minutes later than the rest. All my...
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay replied to Carly Sojka
I guess the point is that we cannot and should not make sweeping statements about people who have different religions, from different races and ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, etc, as then we would be the ones who are being discriminatory in the first place.
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay replied to Katherine Baker
Talking about the youngest person, I am the youngest in the family and sometimes I do feel that I am being belittled. I somehow used this as a form of motivation to work harder.
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay replied to David Davis
That's great! Some people might find debating offensive while some find it intellectually enriching.
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
I got to know a friend through the compulsory military conscription. It was perhaps the only period of my life in which I got to know people from other backgrounds. This particular someone was from a different ethnicity. I learnt a lot about their culture and realized that we do have some things in common. I think people from different nationalities just need...
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay replied to [Learner left FutureLearn]
@BeatriceGrotto Ye, it is for the human race to progress. The majority of the education systems around the world reproduces inequality. Elitism in education remains and has even adopted the business model of running things. What are the ways to change this?
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay replied to [Learner left FutureLearn]
Can economic competitiveness grow in tandem with the holistic development of our young learners? Can economic competitiveness translate into equitable societies? Unfortunately, capitalism that is prevalent in many modern societies is inherently unequal. What we can do is to support the disadvantaged as much as possible, yet, at the same time, those in power...
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay replied to Zhiqiang Amos Tay
@ElenaKalinina So sorry, can you please try again. I have set the privacy to public and it should work. Do give it some time for the padlets to show up on the screen.
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
I am not entirely convinced by these two views: Problematisation of girls' achievements, and exams playing to girls' strengths. The generalisation does not give an accurate picture of the situation. I don't think it is right to suggest that the exam format is putting girls at an advantage. That is just a convenient way of coming up with a reason behind boys'...
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
Based on my personal experience as a primary school teacher, I agree with the point that boys generally do worse than girls at school. It might have something to do with the difference in maturity and learning development. I do not understand why are girls then being bullied at school? In a global modern society that we live in, gender inequity is still very...
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
I have created a snapshot of some of the inequities in education using Padlet. Here's the URL:
https://padlet.com/amostayz/h38rvvcsqkpp -
Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
1. Education in relation to economic competitiveness being brought up the political agenda
2. Dramatic increase in technological capacity led to over-emphasis to use large educational data to measure school and student performance
3. Instrumentalisation of education led to measure the outcome and not the processI think these are the 3 points that I...
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
I think the combination of privatization of education adopting business-like models and standardized testing outcomes as a means of accountability are counter-productive. An increasing trend in universities is to have micro-credentials that can be completed online through MOOC-like platforms. This allows universities to have a wider reach of students...
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
Education and economic growth are intricately linked to each other in a symbiotic manner. They are interdependent of each other. One of the products of education is that it produces a knowledgeable and innovative workforce that contributes to the economy. With a strong economy, new technologies can be brought in to further advance education. Having said that,...
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
1.
Expectations
The expectations instilled in the students in option A is high. It has been emphasized upon them that they are required to put in lots of effort and to develop the right habits for life. In option B, it is unknown what the expectations are since it is not shown in the video. I believe the expectations should be similar to the school in... -
Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
1. Greater gender equity
2. From fixed mindset to an emphasis on growth mindset
3. Changes in pedagogical approach from individual learning to collaborative learning and individualized learning with technologies -
@francespatterson Your experience is exactly the same as what I, as a father, has given to my daughter.
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
1. A combination of the major philosophies of education is needed. It is difficult to adopt a single philosophy due to the different stakeholders in education.
2. The idea that the educational fraternity is being guilty of reproducing social inequality. I think there needs to be a clear distinction of what it is in education that reproduces social inequality.... -
Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
Democracy Empowerment Rights
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
They prescribe a combination of essentialism and progressivism. There is an emphasis on a core curriculum consisting of traditional subjects. Writing, reading and arithmetics are important. At the same time, the pedagogical approach is moving towards student-centred learning in which the teacher becomes the facilitator of learning. Strategies such as...
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I feel that reconstructionism is the ideal purpose that education systems would have hoped for. Educationists tend to want to believe that education is a tool for social leveller. But, many of our education systems simply reproduces inequality. Similarly, existentialism is an ideology that is being overrun by economies which thrive on efficiency and doesn't...
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Fully agreed!
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
1. Universal Human Rights
Students should learn about their rights beginning from primary school. Their rights to education and other basic rights should be explained to them. This would allow learners to feel empowered about their lives.2. Meaning of a Good Life
This unit is about allowing students to explore the definition of a good life. What is... -
@MichaelZahr Unfortunately, governments around the world feel that the approach of using standardized tests is the most efficient in identifying the top ability students who can then contribute to the economy. It is not wrong until we all realize that this approach has also led to generations of young learners to become demoralized individuals with low...
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay replied to Elyse Barker
Yes in Chinese culture, it's called filial piety. Children are morally obliged to take care of their parents when they are old. Having them to be left at aged homes are often seen as abandonment and has a negative connotation. But in the Western world, elderlies might relish the idea of being independent are free from the shackles of taking care of their...
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
Religious and non-religious beliefs. Everyone, according to their birthplace and cultural interactions, would have their own set of religious and non-religious beliefs. This is related to the creationism-evolution controversy. There have been lots of debates and arguments regarding this controversy. How do consolidate this diversity? Do government policies...
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@JessS You are right. We can have projects, simple oral interviews with the students, drawing of diagrams or concept maps to test their conceptual understanding.
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay replied to Julia Cave Smith
Nice speech
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
Schools have been trying to improve and be inclusive to attend to students with a large diversity of abilities. Educational research has been ongoing, working with teachers to design evidence-based pedagogies for their students. The vicious cycle of poverty can't be entirely blamed on schooling. Schooling reflects these social inequalities. Schooling in...
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
There are definitely positives in education. The passion that many teachers (not all) evoke in their work is an example. I know of teachers who are really motivated to help their students learn. They are the ones who, regardless of the educational policies implemented, will remain passionate in education. However, education reflects life. Education is...
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
3 characteristics specific to education:
- Critical thinking/Questioning knowledge
- Self-directed learning
- Philosophical connotation3 characteristics specific to schooling:
- Transmission of knowledge
- Gaining knowledge and mastery of skills
- Acceptance of knowledge as being authoritarian3 characteristics common to both education and...
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
The glossary has definitely helped frame the essential terminologies used within the data analytics field.
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Yes, legislations and investment in cybersecurity are crucial in safeguarding the data of billions of people.
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
I think fields of study like big data analytics and artificial intelligence is still towards the betterment of society. Even though it is fraught with adversities that could derail the path taken, I think we have to be positive and understand that the mass majority want to do good using these technologies. The minority who are planning on adversarial attacks...
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay replied to Adam Bartley
I am also doing my self-study in AI and machine learning through Coursera. It is revolutionizing education (the field that I am in) and I am motivated to learn about how AI and data science will play a significant role in education.
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
Hi, I am Amos, a Singaporean ex-school teacher currently pursuing a PhD in education at the Queensland University of Technology. I am taking this course to understand more how data analytics be used in education for greater educational equity. My PhD research is in higher education, specifically digital equity. With universities having so much data, what is...
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Education and Schooling. Schooling is more about acquiring a desired set of knowledge and skills. Education is more about the experience of learning. Schooling is a subset of education. Consider an undergraduate in university. The undergraduate is to enrol and complete compulsory modules, specialized modules and some electives. These modules form the...
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
The political climate of the speaker's time would, I believe, have a significant impact on their thoughts about education. Therefore, it is clear that the purpose of education would change over time depending on various external factors such as politics and technologies.
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I have also chosen B with a critical stance.
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Your take on B is quite different from mine. Look at my post above.
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
B resonates with me the most due to my experience with education. I perceive B as a race to get to the top. Whoever is equipped with the most amount of resources will have a higher chance of reaching the skies. Those who have little or no resources will be left behind or struggling to keep up. When there are small changes made to the education systems, the...
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
With regards to formal education experience, my positive experience was in secondary school. I could feel my teachers' efforts in wanting to help me improve my understanding and grades. Ironically, the teacher whom I can remembered the most in my secondary school was the one who meted out a punishment as I was late for her class due to playfulness. I guess it...
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Same here!
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Rote learning was what I have experienced throughout my education including my Bachelor degree. It was only when I did my Masters degree and currently PhD when I really felt motivated to learn something that I am passionate in - Education.
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
The first thing that I can remember learning is learning how to cycle. It was through riding the bicycle with my father supporting the bicycle. The first few times when he let go of the bicycle, I was still unable to balance. However, it wasn't long before I was able to somehow learn how to balance the bicycle by peddling to prevent the bicycle from falling. I...
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@LindaGraham https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/education/three-new-schools-for-students-with-special-needs
When news reporting use such non-inclusive language, it is indeed a challenge to change the mindset of the masses in the country. -
The challenge is to have enough courage to have a conversation with someone in the diverse group.
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
The conversation was rich. I found myself trying to be as open as I can be yet at the same time knowing my limits and showing empathy when necessary. Having conversions with diversity groups can be enriching and also helps you to know yourself better.
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay replied to Labake A
Being able to adapt requires a lot of conscious effort.
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay replied to David Davis
I think all it takes is to respect one another's differences.
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
I have this colleague who will make adjustments to the food she eats when there are Muslim colleagues around. She acknowledges them and respects their beliefs.
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
Hi, I am Amos, an ex-school teacher and currently doing my PhD in education at the Queensland University of Technology. I am here to learn how blended learning can be designed and implemented effectively in a higher education context.
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
I think many of the questions posted indicate that we know what the problems are in education. Implementing the changes needed to overcome these problems realistically is the main challenge. External factors such as politics, technologies, globalisation mean that education will always be filled with challenges.
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
I would say C and D. C because examination is a narrow mode of assessment. If we look at higher education, online degrees and micro-credentials have spaced-out applied projects and assignments rather than a single examination. I placed C ahead of D because I feel that subject knowledge and employability skills will still be relevant in the future. Even though...
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
1. What if we can remove high stakes examinations for young learners?
2. What if traditional subjects like English, Math and Science can be changed to theme-based topics such as Global Warming, History of places that cut across language and Mathematical abilities?
3. What if primary school students can be taught and scheduled to play the role of teachers... -
Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
Theme-based subjects like what Finland is doing in their primary schools. This will develop the student's global awareness and citizenry. Should there be evolutionary or revolutionary changes? Many education ministers are hesitant to make revolutionary changes as it will disrupt the status quo and affect their political position and the popularity vote. As a...
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
Less emphasis on examinations, more emphasis on the development of SEL and emotional intelligence. Removal of high stakes examination at a young age. In Singapore, high stakes exam begin when the child is at 10 and 12 years old. Children at that age should be developing their SEL and emotional intelligence instead of competing against each other in...
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
Government policies are vague guidelines which rarely solve the root of the problems in education. Due to political reasons, more funding is awarded to private schools than public schools to gain the popularity votes, which is ironic since there are usually more public schools than private schools. The rich and powerful are usually in private schools, which...
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
The teachers could allow him to join a club in the school which is aligned to his interests. The club would most likely have older children whom he can relate to. This way, he would have an outlet for him to express his ability without any inhibition.
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I am also concerned over the reliance on technologies in primary education among the students. How does the use of online learning tools affect young learners' SEL? The child is essentially interacting with the computer and might have less interactions with other children. This could adversely affect their SEL.
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Schools place emphasis on students' academic excellence. There has been a lot of research on the modes of assessment on their academic knowledge. Summative and formative assessment have mostly been geared towards finding out how much knowledge the student has learnt. There is also increasing on problem-solving skills as it is seen to be an important competency...
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
1. Educational Inequity
2. The relevance of Education to meeting industry needs
3. Impact of Technology in Education
4. Assessment in Education
I think the most significant issue is about how education perpetuates social inequalities advertently and inadvertently. Educationists usually talk about how education is the most powerful tool to enact upward... -
Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
Negatives of the current state of education
1. Increasing educational inequity that contributes to social and income equality, thus creating a poverty cycle
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/apr/03/educational-inequality-widening-australias-rich-poor-gap-report-finds
2. Unequal distribution of academic resources between private and public... -
Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
Positives of the current state of education
1. Move from individual training to social learning platforms and apps such as Edmodo and Google suite of collaborative platforms / Google Classroom
https://elearningindustry.com/social-learning-tools-every-online-educator-should-know-about
2. Move towards MOOCs in higher education to reach out to larger... -
Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
I am looking forward to learning through this course as I see so much relevance to my research interest.
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay replied to Gemma Lyness
@KatherineBaker Hi Katherine, yes I think you are right. It is better to acknowledge the diversity rather than just be quiet and think it doesn't exist.
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
It is important to question our assumptions and perceptions about education. Is there a need for an overhaul? If so, why?
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
I am an ex-school teacher from Singapore currently doing my PhD in education in Australia. I am researching on digital equity in higher education and hope to gain more insights from this course.
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay replied to Elyse Barker
Yes you are right. But I think if the law changes in the country, so will the mindset of women in which they are equal to men.
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
Religion is a diverse group that may not share the same core values as me. Me being an atheist is the result of loss of reading into religions and their history. It is an informed decision whereas people with religions are either indoctrinated when they were young or have found comfort in times of struggle. Now, I have come to terms with religious people....
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay replied to Gemma Lyness
As a Chinese male, I sometimes think of successful white people as having the so-called white privilege. What do you think of this term? Would you feel offended if someone says you are successful simply because of your skin colour?
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay replied to Carly Sojka
I think it can be a double edged sword. On one hand, based on the concept of minimization, people are trying to say that we don't judge people based on their colour. Yet, this might offend the minority. How can we promote inclusion and yet preserve the different cultural identities?
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
I knew of someone who was like me, except that he did not attain tertiary education. I would say that due to his educational background, he wasn't able to have higher aspirations. It could be due to his family's low SES. The result of the difference is in terms of career options. I might have wider career options than him.
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay replied to Zhiqiang Amos Tay
@MatleenaJärviö Welcome.
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay replied to Zhiqiang Amos Tay
@MatleenaJärviö Hi, sorry. It stands for Zone of Proximal Development. It is a concept developed by Vygotsky. It is the idea that a more knowledgeable other is able to support the "weaker" child.
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay replied to Maite Andrés
Yes, the homeless are often a neglected group which politicians seemingly want to forget. The challenge is how can we help them move up the social ladder. Can education through work-integrated learning help?
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay replied to David Davis
@DavidDavis I agree, politics with democracy can be divisive. It empowers people with the ability to voice out and protest against policies and yet, at the same time, it can lead to the society being divisive up to the point of hurling insults at one another, as seen in US politics. Such gutter politics can influence the masses to adopt a similar stance.
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
I think the LGBTQIA is a diversity group that I sometimes grapple with. I used to not understand why there would be people who would have a sexual preference someone of the same sex and also why would they want to undergo a sex-change operation. I believe it is due to a mixture of genetics and environmental factors. I have interacted with gay people. My...
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay replied to Hannah Dale
The effect of religions on humans' attitudes and behaviours is deeply profound and interwoven in every aspect of our lives. How about also researching on non-religious beliefs?
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay replied to Maite Andrés
I think learning about the history of different religions would really help to change our thinking and not judge people based on their religion.
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
Another one that I would like to highlight is race/ethnicity/national origin. After I have relocated to a foreign country, I was trapped in this mindset that there would be racism towards me and my children due to my ethnicity and accent. But, I realized one day that by thinking this way, I myself was being racist as I was already judging people based on their...
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
People with different religions. At a young age, I often wondered why do people believe in Gods. If there are so many different Gods that people believe in depending on your geographical locations, which is the truth? I researched online and learnt about Abrahamic religions which consist of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Learning about the history of...
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Thank you for sharing this. I think it is a mindset that is more common than we think it is. Is this a natural instinct to have such a thinking as a defensive mechanism when we experiencing something unfamiliar and new?
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@LindaWallace Yes politics and religions seem to be two difficult differences that we want to avoid? By avoiding, are we perpetuating any prejudice and stereotypical views?
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As a result, do you think you will form certain negative perceptions because that individual has religious beliefs that are different from yours? Will you not want to be associated with that individual?
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It is a paradox that the freedom of speech is proudly mentioned in the western world but yet when it comes to political views, many people feel circumscribed in their ability to speak up.
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Zhiqiang Amos Tay made a comment
I think it is political belief as having opposing views from the establishment is often being scorned upon in my country. Personally, though I feel everyone is entitled to share his or her own political stance without fear of any form of retribution.
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It's great that you have such an open view about religion diversity. I have a scenario to ask for your opinion: Imagine a public school teaches students about a certain religious event (a religion that is different from yours) as a fact. Would you feel the need to inform the school that it is not right to indoctrinate the students with religious views? Or...
