Tag Archives: eLearning week

by Ravi CHANDRAN

Abstract
This   article   provides   an   overview   of   the   rationale   for   conducting   a   large   scale  University-­wide  e-­learning  week,  the  preparations  done  by  the  National   University   of   Singapore   (NUS)   to   get   its   staff   and   students   ready,   the   key   IT   tools   used;;   the   usage   statistics   of   the   University’s   information   and   communications   technology   (ICT)   infrastructure   during   e-­learning   week,   and   the   lessons   learnt   from   successfully   implementing   this   campus-­wide   exercise.

Paper in Technology in Higher Education: The State of The Art, CDTL, 2011.

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in NUSSU - The Ridge Online, 21 July 2010

by Meera Nair

eLearning: A concept all too familiar to students. With our lectures webcast, tutorials submitted online and discussions taking place on forums or chatrooms, there is no need for us to move an inch from our comfortable perches at home.

It is extremely convenient for us, but have you ever wondered what went on in the background? How do your lecturers cope with the demands of an eLearning week?

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By Ravi CHANDRAN

Abstract
The National University of Singapore (NUS) implemented a campus-wide eLearning Week (eLW) from 4th to 10th October (week 8 ) of Semester I, AY 2009/2010. ELearning was meant to test the University’s ability to leverage on IT resources to maintain business continuity in the eventuality of a disruption to normal teaching activities. One aim of eLW is to understand how the University and staff could recover from the loss of interactivity and face-to-face contact when normal ‘services’ resume again. A second point is that eLW would allow staff to get better acquainted with the educational content development tools available at NUS. This will allow them to consider using these content development tools in future to complement their face-to-face teaching. The third point is to allow Computer Centre and Centre for Instructional Technology (CIT) to use eLW to stress test campus network infrastructure and internet bandwidth, course management system and streaming resources.

Paper presentation at Global Learn Asia Pacific 2010 in Malaysia. 17-20 May 2010.

Potential Research Project Topics

Xinyu, a student taking ES2007S Professional Communication, ruminates about potential research topics. She is aware of the inaugural eLearning Week at the Communications & New Media Programme earlier this year. So, her proposed question is:

Do students in Science Faculty at NUS support the introduction of an eLearning week to its curriculum?

The objective of my study is to determine if a majority of students in the Science Faculty support introduction of eLearning week. My aim will also be to present a report on the responses of the students in Science Faculty at NUS towards introduction of the eLearning week, to curriculum administrators in NUS science course.

My colleagues and I at the Centre for Instructional Technology would love to know the answer to that question! And if it is a 'yes', it will be both exciting and daunting for us. We started small with CNM, so ramping up eLearning Week for an entire faculty would be a challenge. Nevertheless, it is a challenge that we look forward to, if it comes to pass.

I would imagine that a full-scale eLearning Week would necessitate very simple tools. An issue we grappled with in terms of the technology being used is that in a real life situation, a forced eLearning situation might come very suddenly. With no time to prepare, we have to fall back on what we are familiar with. Faculty staff will not have time to learn new techniques/tools (some of which have a significant learning curve). The same goes with students. For example, virtual classroom solutions which we tried on a small scale may not ramp up well.

From my understanding eLearning Week in other institutions involves mostly uploaded lecture slides, with or without accompanying narration, in place of physical lectures. Tutorials are replaced with discussion forums or text chat.

I seem to be getting ahead of myself. Xinyu, if you read this and you decide on this research topic, do let us know your findings. =)