e-learning week: CNM goes virtual

Fabius Chen | fabiuschen@nus.edu.sg
the ridge news
A NUSSU Publication

Feb. 20 2008

Story Highlights:

• Communications and New Media classes conducted online for a week
• Exercise to test readiness of faculty staff to face emergency situations
• Lectures to be podcasted, some tutorials on virtual classroom program - Centra
• Teaching staff receptive to exercise, reserved about long-term possibilities
• Students looking forward to flexible schedule

From Feb. 18 to 22, the Communication and New Media Programme conducted their lessons virtually as part of the inaugural e-learning week.

The initiative is headed by the Office of Safety, Health and Environment (OSHE) and the Centre for Instructional Technology (CIT) to test the readiness of faculty staff in handling emergencies where on-campus teaching is not available.

Programme head Associate Professor Rivera Milagros dispelled the worry that this exercise would disrupt students’ learning.

“This is the perfect time to do it. Emergency situations are seldom perfect in their timing,” she said.

This view was echoed by teaching assistant Aaron Ng.

He said that measures are being taken to “minimise levels of disruption” for both students and the teaching staff.

Centra is a virtual classroom software programme used during e-learning Week. It creates a cyber-chat-room-like environment for holding tutorials.

Tutors can hold open discussions with their students, or have them divided into groups for increased participation for individual students.

CIT has organised training for all staff and students who are required to use the software during the exercise to ensure a problem-free session.

Ng described Centra as “a sophisticated program with an interesting interface”. Although he said that not everyone would get used to it quickly, it serves to provide a good experience for all participants.

In addition, lectures take the form of either podcasts or webcasts, coupled with the usual lecture notes.

Students will not only avoid missing any lectures but are also able to access them at their own convenience.

This allowed the department to build an archive of lecture webcasts or podcasts for future use.

However, virtual classroom is unable to replace the face-to-face communication.

“There is no substitute for face-to-face interactions as far as I am concerned and I think many lecturers in CNM agree,” she said.

“[It is] faster to get messages across and have discussions face-to-face,” Ng added.

For students, it feels as if recess week has come early.

Second-year CNM student Joshua Chen likened the e-learning week to “an extension to midterm break”.

Another CNM undergraduate, Jeremy Teo shared his sentiments.

“E-learning week also gives me more freedom in planning my time for my academic commitments, as I can choose when and where I view the podcast lectures,” he said.