Dr Elizabeth Nair first discovered the Integrated Virtual Learning Environment (IVLE) as an information technology novice. She now uses it to help manage and deliver the courses she teaches.
Each semester, she engages a variety of tools in IVLE to enhance classroom teaching and communication amongst her students.
Dr Nair, who teaches research on personality and individual differences at the Department of Social Work & Psychology, describes her IVLE experience on Faculty Voice.
Q: How did you get to know about IVLE?
"I heard of it through the usual internal e-mail notices. I recalled that several years ago, e-mails and instructions conveyed by the head of department stated that the use of IT would be considered for teaching performance evaluation."
Q: Why do you use IVLE, and what are some of the tools you use?
"I use the lesson plans, workbins, webcast lectures, forums, announcements and send e-mails to students.
The use of IVLE is an efficient way to file and make available information to students, send announcements and have it filed on the course web-site. It provides a good opportunity for students to write down messages, pose questions to each other – which they do not have a chance to do in a large class or discussion group which could number from 25 to 29 per "small" group.
IVLE also saves paper when students submit assignments to the Workbin, which I retrieve, grade and return it to them through my course e-mail account. Excellent continual assessments (CAs) are posted (with permission) in the Workbin together with lecture outlines for students to refer to as examples for their learning from peers.
I can check easily which students have been accessing the Workbin to read assignments, lecture outlines, etc, and I know who has been spending time on the module in the IVLE site. I can easily check who has submitted CAs, the date of submission and who did not submit by the deadline.
With IVLE lesson plan, I can update references, readings, notices, load up webcasts etc. I find that it gives a good evolving report card of the accessories and items used in a module. It alerts students as to what lies ahead in real time. In this way, students know what to expect."
Q: Would you consider IVLE easy to use?
"I spent a lot of time at first but less now since I’m more familiar with IVLE. Initially I learnt by trial and error and depended on the IVLE support team.
The worst experience was using chat-rooms. It used to “crash”, students and I were left stranded and blocked out. I do not use this any more since I suspect the class size ("small" group) of up to 29 students may still be too large to manage if everyone chose to "speak up" at the same time , this happened in my earlier attempts to use this tool.
Another "worst" experience was when I attempted to use a combination of media such as PowerPoint, web-links, and video clips during lessons. Connection problems, "hanging" screens and slow load time for videos were a nightmare. Students were not forgiving when this happened in class. They expect lecture deliveries without hiccups. These were later translated into negative comments in annual appraisal.
Now, I have reduced the complex task of alternating between multimedia types and use one media at a time during class."
Q: Did using IVLE influence a change in your teaching style?
"Yes, especially with the webcast lectures. I’m much more careful with what I say and how I appear since I do not want to be "documented" forever looking and sounding like a fool. Moreover, I do not feel guilty about not giving handouts and spoon-feeding since students can always revise with the webcast lectures whenever they want."
Q: Have your students benefited using IVLE?
"I would say yes, though it would be better to ask them directly. They value the flexibility to view the webcasts as and when they please."
