Octava Knowledge Series

Octava Knowledge Series aims to bring together research, evidence base and foundational knowledge that informs the design, implementation and measurement of services and programs serving all children to thrive in the family, school and community.

 

We will be bringing leading thinkers to deliver expert overviews and synthesised specialised subject matter to the frontline professionals such as social workers, educators, social innovators and education-focused funders working to close the disadvantage gap in education for all children.

Nov
14

Socioemotional Competencies and Socioemotional Learning: Understanding Key Concepts and Theories

14 November 2024, Thursday

Octava Foundation is excited to launch the 2024/2025 edition of the Octava Knowledge Series, an invite-only learning community dedicated to advancing equitable educational outcomes for children from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. In this series, we will focus on key program elements impacting children’s learning and development, with an emphasis on socioemotional competencies and socioemotional learning. Through expert-led sessions, facilitated dialogues, and immersive learning journeys, we will explore these key questions: What is socioemotional competencies and socioeomotional learning? How can we foster it? How can we measure it?

 

In this first session with Professor Rebecca J. Collie and Research for Impact, we will:

  • Unpack core principles of socioemotional competencies and socioemotional learning.
  • Explore what drives socioemotional competencies, with a focus on perceived socioemotional competence as a motivational foundation
  • Clarify distinctions between socioemotional competencies and socioemotional learning—what they are, how they differ, and their respective applications.
  • Examine the significant role that adults play in nurturing these skills and their transformative impact on young learners.
About the Speakers
Rebecca J. Collie

Rebecca J. Collie, Ph.D.

Professor Collie is a Scientia Associate Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of New South Wales, Australia. Rebecca conducts research in the broad areas of wellbeing, motivation, and social-emotional development using quantitative research methods. Previously, Rebecca worked as a primary school teacher in Melbourne.

 

Research for Impact

Research for Impact

Research for Impact is a Singapore-based think-tank dedicated to making the behavioural and social sciences accessible, inclusive, and transformative for all. Their multidisciplinary team offers research, monitoring and evaluation, advisory, and capacity-building services to organisations with social purpose goals across diverse sectors, including health, education, social protection, finance, and community development.

Nov
16

Closed Door Dialogue: Supporting learning and development of children in out-of-school settings

16 November 2023, Thursday

In 2023, Octava Foundation focused on deepening our understanding of the current support available and the gaps that remain for children’s foundational literacy and numeracy development, especially in the out-of-school settings. Through engagements with diverse stakeholders across the sector, we have gained collective insights into the challenges and opportunities in this space. These conversations have sharpened our understanding of what more needs to be done to support children’s learning. We look forward to deliberating together on the significance and implications of these insights for enabling higher impact for our children as we collectively build the best opportunities for them to succeed at home, at school, and in communities.

Nov
29

Webinar: Towards Greater Equity Among Young Learners in Singapore

29 November 2022, Tuesday
3:00 – 5:00 pm

Octava Foundation, together with Research for Impact, recently launched the White Paper: Towards Greater Equity Among Young Learners in Singapore. In this webinar, lead researcher, Dr Joanne Yoong will share findings around possible interventions that enable academic achievement and positive learning disposition for primary-school aged children from low socio-economic status. This session is especially relevant for those involved in the public education system, service organisations working to support schools and/or children in community settings, as well as funders targeting children and youth in Singapore. Participants will have an opportunity to discuss insights from this global evidence review and its influence on the development of solutions in Singapore.

About the Speaker:

Dr Joanne Yoong

Dr Joanne Yoong

Dr Joanne Yoong, PhD, is the CEO of Research for Impact and an applied micro-economist and interdisciplinary researcher working on consumer and household decision-making in vulnerable populations. Dr Yoong holds multiple faculty appointments and is the author of over eighty peer-reviewed articles in leading economics, medical and public health journals. She has worked on projects around the world including Singapore, the United States, India, China, Ghana, Kenya, Cambodia, Indonesia and Iraqi Kurdistan.

If you missed the webinar, you can watch the recorded presentation here

Oct
25

Science of Learning Masterclass

25 October 2022, Tuesday
2:30 – 5:30 pm

In 2020, Better Purpose developed the ‘Science of Learning’ report, a synthesis of evidence about how children learn. During this 90-minute session, you will have the opportunity to learn more about the report and the key cognitive processes which inform learning – perception, attention and memory. Through exploring these processes in more depth, you will be introduced to Cognitive Load Theory and will have the opportunity to explore how this concept influences the design of effective learning experiences. Finally, in the masterclass, there will be the opportunity to discuss some other influences upon learning, including motivation and self-belief.

 

Objectives:

By the end of the masterclass, participants will:

  • Know some of the key cognitive processes that influence learning
  • Understand how teachers and instructional designers can design learning experiences with the Science of Learning in mind
  • Know some other influences on learning (including motivation and self-belief)
About the Speakers
Cate Noble

Cate Noble

Cate is the Managing Director and one of the co-founders of Better Purpose. She leads Better Purpose’s work on strategy and operational effectiveness and has a particular interest in supporting the growth of the EdTech sector. She was previously CEO of the Varkey Foundation and a Director at PwC.

 

Alice Cornish

Alice Cornish

Alice is a Director and one of the co-founders of Better Purpose. She is an education specialist and has held senior leadership positions in the sector, overseeing significant education programs designed to provide quality education at scale across multiple countries.