Fact Sheet: Key NE Initiatives on New Media Platforms

Ministry of Defence (MINDEF)

PIONEER on iPad

The PIONEER app was released on the Apple App Store on 25 Sep 10. With this app, readers of PIONEER (the SAF’s monthly in-house magazine) can access videos, photos, soundbites and links to other MINDEF new media content. The PIONEER app can be found via http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pioneer-magazine/id393279818.

cyberpioneer

cyberpioneer was launched in July 1996 to allow readers to receive the latest stories on MINDEF and the SAF available online. Today, its brandname has connections on various social media channels like cyberpioneerTV on YouTube, cyberpioneer on Facebook, cyberpioneer Flickr, as well as Twitter. It can be found via https://www.mindef.gov.sg/cyberpioneer.

YouTube

Launched in December 2008, the cyberpioneerTV YouTube channel carries video clips on the SAF, ranging from NS life to SAF vocations, military hardware and capabilities of the SAF. To date, it carries more than 200 videos with over 2.1 million cumulative views. The channel also hosts "Every Singaporean Son", an 18-part series that documents the journey of 15 recruits through Basic Military Training. This reality-based web series has received about 700,000 views to date and generated wide ranging and in-depth conversations on NS. The channel also shows "Basic Military Talk" which gives viewers a better understanding of the different facets of military life, through the eyes of three women who represent the girlfriends, wives and mothers of servicemen. The videos can be found on http://www.youtube.com/cyberpioneertv.

Facebook

The cyberpioneer Facebook, launched in March 2010, rides on the most popular social media network to carry content on SAF events, stories and videos and to engage its fans in an interactive and friendly way. The cyberpioneer Facebook currently has over 4000 fans and can be accessed via http://www.facebook.com/cyberpioneer.connect.

Flickr

The cyberpioneer Flickr channel was launched in February 2008. It contains photographs of different facets of the SAF including events such as National Day Parade and Navy Open House. The photos can be found on http://www.flickr.com/photos/cyberpioneer

Twitter

Soft-launched in mid-August 2010, Twitter aims to provide timely and quick updates on MINDEF and SAF news. Subscribers can receive these updates via www.twitter.com/cybpioneer.

Nexus

Connexion.sg

Connexion.sg was launched in January 2009 at the first Connexion Seminar. It is an e-space for NE practitioners in Singapore to share NE-related knowledge and network with one another. Since its inauguration, it has close to 4,800 members who are mostly NE practitioners from government ministries, statutory boards, the Singapore Armed Forces, schools and the private sector. Members can also leverage on new media technology to facilitate collaboration and sharing among themselves. Connexion.sg will be expanded to better reach out to all Singaporeans and allow students to interact freely with teachers. The expanded portal will become the one-stop website where all Singaporeans can visit to find out, or share knowledge and ideas, about NE. It will also offer the students a richer experience in accessing NE resources and exchanging ideas with their teachers. By providing regular opportunities for NE expression and ground-up participation, this website will strengthen trust between teachers and students as well as between the government and the people. Connexion.sg can be accessed via www.connexion.sg.

N.E.mation!

Launched in 2007, N.E.mation! is a competition for youths to express their ideas on Total Defence through animation. Students with no prior experience in animation are given training to equip them with skills to convert their stories into one-minute animation clips for public viewing and voting. The winning clips are then screened island-wide on free-to-air television and some winning clips have been honoured at international film award ceremonies. The N.E.mation! website is www.nemation.sg.

Safeville

Safeville is a decision-making game for students to better understand the need and importance of defence and NS. Through role-play, students undergo a self-learning discovery as they draw the relevant parallels to Singapore on their own. The game is designed for students in post-secondary education institutions (PSEIs) and secondary schools.

"My Pledge" Short Film Competition

"My Pledge" is the inaugural project of the "Short Films @ SG" series which is led by Nexus and in partnership with Temasek Polytechnic and the National Day Parade 2009 Executive Committee. “My Pledge” encourages Singaporeans to reflect, discuss, express and embrace our Singapore identity through film.

National Education Gaming Championship (NEGC)

NEGC is the first gaming competition organised by Nexus and supported by the Ministry of Education. It is open to Secondary School, ITE, Junior College and Polytechnic students. It is a fun and engaging way for students to learn about defence and the 3rd Generation SAF. The official game used in NEGC is the Virtual Battlespace 2 (VBS2), which is a PC-based virtual simulation training software used to train the Third Generation Army in the SAF. The finals of the NEGC will be held from 24-27 Nov 10. More information on NEGC can be found on www.negc.sg.

Admiralty Primary School Digital NE Village Learning Trail

The Digital NE Village Learning Trail is the online version of the NE Village, a physical trail in the school which allows the pupils to appreciate and celebrate Singapore’s diverse cultures and heritage, understand the Singapore Story and forge a spirit of bonding and camaraderie. It allows teachers to monitor the pupils' learning process and assist them when they face difficulties without being physically present.

Digital Story Telling

Since 2008, the school has tapped on the power of new media to give traditional storytelling another dimension. Students are able to combine narratives with digital content, including images, and sound and video, to create short movies. These stories can be persuasive, historical or reflective.

National Heritage Board (NHB)

World of Temasek

World of Temasek is a multiplayer online game. This project will bring historically significant places, such as Fort Canning, Empress Place and the Raffles landing site, alive. To be rolled out next year, this game invites students to a virtual world of 14th century Singapore, where they can learn about our rich past in an imaginative and fun way.  

**The above social media accounts are correct at the time of publication. For an updated list, pls see here.

More Resources

Transcript of Minister for Education and Second Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen's Keynote Address at the 2nd Connexion Seminar

Transcript of Door-Stop Interview with Minister for Education and Second Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen at the 2nd Connexion Seminar