Smart Classroom to Support Flexible and Engaging Learning

Smart Classroom


To enhance support for student-athletes, Singapore Sports School has introduced a Smart Classroom, primarily used by International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme student-athletes as a pilot. The Smart Classroom facilitates hybrid learning, engaging both in-person and remote learners. It supports both synchronous and asynchronous learning, enabling the school to deliver academic lessons and support that adapt to students’ training and competition schedules.

One of the key goals of Sports School is to enable aspiring national athletes as well as youth and national athletes to effectively balance sport and studies. The school maintains small class sizes and provides structured academic support to help student-athletes balance sport and studies. Student-athletes also have access to online materials and can attend make-up lessons when they return from training or competitions. Athlete-friendly academic support, flexible learning, and its strong support structure make Sports School unique and an enabler for talented athletes to balance sport and studies.

The Smart Classroom strengthens these efforts by providing greater flexibility and continuity in learning, ensuring student-athletes can pursue sporting excellence without compromising their education.

The introduction of the Smart Classroom has transformed teaching and learning possibilities. While the school has traditionally provided asynchronous learning for student-athletes who are away for competitions or training, the Smart Classroom now integrates both real-time and self-paced learning in a more structured and interactive way.

Depending on their training or competition schedule, student-athletes can join classes live or access recorded lessons at a later time. This flexibility has expanded the school’s ability to support student-athletes as they pursue high performance sport alongside their academic studies.

Two student-athletes who have benefited from this initiative are swimmers Reagan Cheng Kuo Shiong and Zackery Tay Quan Long, both based in Sydney, Australia, to pursue high performance sport. The Smart Classroom has enabled them to continue their Singapore-based education while training overseas.

For Reagan and Zackery, the Smart Classroom has been a game changer. They joined Sports School after their secondary school education as Sports School was able to support their learning needs while they pursued high performance sport in Australia. Reagan joins lessons in real time, while Zackery engages primarily through asynchronous learning by viewing recorded lessons. Despite their different learning modes, both are able to remain connected to classroom learning and receive timely academic support.

The Smart Classroom is equipped with multiple screens at the front and sides of the room. For remote learners like Reagan, this setup allows them to view the teacher, interact with classmates, and participate in discussions in real time. Communication tools integrated into the system also enable active engagement between in-person and remote students.








For in-class learners, the classroom supports a more collaborative and interactive learning experience. Smart whiteboards with stylus input allow students to participate in discussions visually and save their work digitally for future reference.

Teacher Support and Engagement









While the Smart Classroom supports overseas-based student-athletes, teachers and mentors also play a key role in ensuring their overall well-being and academic progress. Regular check-ins help ensure that students are coping well with both academic and sporting demands.

Amanda Loh, Reagan’s mentor and a member of the Smart Classroom development team, has seen how the system has transformed teaching and learning at the school. She also emphasises the importance of student well-being and makes time to check in with student-athletes while supporting their academic progress.

Having taught at Singapore Sports School for six years, Amanda values the opportunity to support student-athletes holistically - academically, personally, and in their sporting journeys.

Using the Smart Classroom has also been an evolving experience for her. She has adapted her teaching strategies to keep remote learners engaged through intentional questioning and structured discussions. Collaboration with colleagues has also encouraged experimentation with new tools and pedagogical approaches, as the School continues to refine its use of educational technology.

The Future of Smart Classroom

The Smart Classroom was initially introduced as a pilot initiative to test how technology could better meet the learning needs of student-athletes. Over time, Sports School envisions expanding this model, with more smart classrooms that support both interactive in-person learning and seamless participation for students based overseas.

These developments aim to further strengthen the school’s ability to deliver flexible, inclusive, and future-ready education for student-athletes balancing sport and academics.