Faculty of Architecture and Building:
A design workshop on Tropical Architecture
When it comes to teaching through the medium of project work, the School
of Architecture has long experience with its value, as the greater part
of the students' work is in the form of design drawings, models and design-related
assignments. Since students are expected to have individual portfolios
of their work, projects are usually done on an individual basis but last
semester's design workshop on tropical architecture was an exception to
the rule.
From 6 to 11 January 1997, over ninety students were engaged in creative
group work under the guidance of Malaysian architect Jimmy Lim of CSL
Associates. The underlying theme of the workshopand Jimmy Lim's area of
expertise--was tropical architecture. The challenge was how to make a
building comfortable and efficient in the heat, glare and tropical rainfall
that Singapore experiences year round.
Students were given an intriguing and thought provoking range of design
topics, including a Japanese-style "Love Hotel" and "Centres
for Stressed Executives". These themes were further varied by designating
a range of locations, such as a green-field site, downtown plot and even
the penthouse of an existing building, so that each group was able to
exploit the differences of their allocated building type and its unique
location. Groups had to examine environmental strategies, appropriate
building forms and detailed methods to provide shade and shelter. Simple
modelling tools were widely used (e.g., using the Heliodon to simulate
the sun's impact on a window). Analysis, by brainstorming and collective
discussion, was a vital part of their work. Final designs were presented
to a panel of tutors and visitors for the "Crit", which is the
established method of feedback and assessment in most schools of architecture.
Our students proved very effective in group work. The way they organised
the exploratory as well as the production side of their projects is something
that merits further analysis. All too often, the need for individual assessment
denies students the chance to work in groups to a common end; but, in
the real world, it is the individual's ability to work effectively within
a larger team or organisation that is often the most critical.
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences:
The Teaching and Learning Resource Unit
The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences is the only faculty on campus
with its own Teaching and Learning Resource Unit (TLRU). Established
in 1991 with Dr Daphne Pan as the first coordinator of the unit, the mission
of TLRU is to develop and maintain standards of excellence in teaching
and learning in the faculty. Associate Professor Augustine Tan is the
current coordinator. He is deputised by Dr Tan Ngoh Tiong who is also
Sub-Dean.
Located at AS7 Level 2, the unit complements CDTL's work by offering
a variety of faculty-based services and activities including organising
seminars and workshops, setting up a resource center with selected materials
on teaching and learning for easy access by FASS staff; spearheading research
and facilitating matters pertaining to teaching and learning such as reviewing
skills in leading group discussions, use of audiovisual aids, continuous
assessment, self-appraisal and evaluation.
Recent TLRU workshops topics have included student-centred teaching and
learning, public speaking and using web pages for teaching (academic staff
actually posted their course material on the web at this hands-on workshop).
Panel discussions have covered topics like small group teaching, open
book exams, student feedback and the use of computer technology. TLRU
also plans to hold induction courses for new faculty members.
FASS' new Multimedia Laboratory comes under TLRU and the Foundation Course
Unit of the Dean's Office. Services provided by the Multimedia Laboratory
include: multimedia applications development using Macromedia Director,
scanning of photos, notes and pictures, digitising videos tapes to compact
discs (CDs) and writing files and programs to CDs. Although the laboratory
was opened only recently to staff and students, the response has been
good with many people requesting services.
Faculty of Dentistry:
Project work presentations
Recently, much attention has been directed towards the quality of teaching
in the university. As part of the Faculty's academic audit and quality
assessment, the project work format was revamped this year. This was to
address the need to move from a superficial approach to learning where
students act in passive roles, to a more thought provoking and exploratory
approach that motivates students to be involved.
Instead of conducting the "traditional literature review" as
project work, research was emphasized. This research option was taken
up by sixty percent of the final dental year students. To facilitate these
projects, students were divided into small groups of four or five and
assigned to selected staff of various specialities at the beginning of
their third year. This gave the students twelve months to complete their
projects. The research projects undertaken were specially designed to
be applied to clinical dentistry. In this way, students were able to relate
their research to the daily practice of dentistry, thus creating a new
and innovative learning environment. Students were also given the opportunity
to develop a range of interpersonal skills that they will need in post-graduate
work and in the professional field that they will eventually enter. Such
skills include leadership, teamwork, communi-cation, planning, time management,
literature searching, economic and logistic awareness, problem solving
and analysis.
We held our first faculty-based final-year project work presentations
at the NUH Kent Ridge Wing Auditorium on 18 January 1997. The event drew
about one hundred participants, ranging from staff members and students
to private practitioners. Students presented their project work to the
entire dental faculty; they were given fifteen minutes for their presentations
and five minutes for the question and answer session. A panel of independent
assessors was selected to evaluate the quality of the projects and presentations.
The results of this assessment will be factored into the progressive assessment
scores for the final profession examinations. Two of the research projects
were selected to represent Singapore at the 23rd Asia Pacific Dental Students
Association Congress (APDSA) and the faculty is proud to have clinched
the top two prizes at APDSA's scientific competition.
Faculty of Engineering:
Highlights from Civil and Electrical Engineering
The university has encouraged the concept of virtual classroom teaching
using the Internet for some time. In the Department of Civil Engineering,
Dr Ang Kok Keng took the challenge by introducing a virtual computing
class in EG1101 Computing. Students needing additional lessons on the
subject can surf the class web page at any time of day. The site includes
colourful graphics, which can enhance the student's understanding of difficult
topics. Students can also download FORTRAN source codes and evaluate the
efficiency and robustness of their own programs against the code provided
when both are run on the computer. Students can also email their queries
or comments to the lecturer using the class web page. Since the "opening"
of the virtual computing class on 21 August 1996, there have been over
2,500 visits to this page or about 34 visits per student. To experience
virtual classroom teaching first hand, visit the virtual computing class
website at http://www.eng.nus.edu.sg/civil/Class/EG1101.
In the Department of Electrical Engineering, the Faculty Teaching
Methodology Committee has organised ten in-house seminars to promote informal
discussion and the exchange of ideas among staff on matters related to
effective teaching and learning. Senior staff were appointed as facilitators
and 34 staff members were assigned to participate in each of the seminars.
Also, in line with the Deputy Vice-Chancellor's directive on small group
teaching and developing our student's creative thinking potential, the
department undertook a pilot program, implemented during the 199697 academic
year. Seven elective modules were selected for this project, based on
the staff strength and student enrolment. The aim of the project was to
encourage active participation by all students and to promote the culture
of independent learning. Assignments consisted of one or more of the following
categories: topics requiring independent literature search and the ability
to extract the salient features, challenging questions, questions requiring
critical appraisal and creative thinking, open-ended questions and group
assignments requiring teamwork in presenting a collective report and short
presentation to the class, followed by a question and answer session.
Faculty of Science:
Cultivating leaders with the Special Programme in Science (SPS)
The Special Programme in Science (SPS) was launched in July 1996 for
a selected cohort of bright and talented undergraduates. The objectives
of this programme are to foster small group learning and enhance studentmentor
interaction. The programme also enables students to participate in creative
interdisciplinary projects, learn science in an interactive environment,
develop interpersonal and communication skills, attain a broad perspective
in science and cultivate leadership qualities. The programme's philosophy
and teaching style are reflected in the following activities.
Science update. SPS students are required to read up on current
developments in science which interest them. They then present at a seminar
the type of work done in a particular field of science, its current status,
advancement and impact. They also answer questions from their mentors
and peers after their presentations. The students are self-motivated and
self-directed. They set the tone and level of discussion and, through
these sessions, students (and mentors) acquire and are stimulated by new
knowledge. The topics are usually multidisciplinary in nature to show
the many facets of the problem and different approaches that can be taken.
Updates have included teletransporting, AIDS cure, cell ageing and cryonics.
Essay writing and critique. Each student must also write a research
essay with critical input. Selecting topics approved by the mentors, they
must present their arguments and discussions in a logical and critical
fashion. The essays usually require some in-depth understanding of the
topic and references are needed to support each case. Topics have included
life on Mars, continental drift, animal communication and artificial intelligence.
The science update is a group effort. Team members (usually three) have
different backgrounds in their major disciplines and they must integrate
their expertise for the task. The essay requires individual effort and
in-depth understanding. The update is similar to a bulletin report while
the essay requires more language and organisation skills. Both activities,
however, train students in effective communication skills and the ability
to ask and answer questions. The activities also require students to exercise
their investigative and analytical skills. In addition, they learn from
each other as they explore new knowledge. All SPS students are trained
to make professional multimedia presentations.
The Centre for English Language Communication:
Meeting communication needs today and tomorrow
November 30, 1996 was a red-letter day for the Centre for English Language
Communication (CELC). On that day, CELC Director Dr Wong Lian Aik announced
the official change in the name of the centre from the English Language
Proficiency Unit (ELPU). The change reflects a new and more dynamic role
which the centre performs within the university and society at large.
When the centre was formed as ELPU in 1979, its main goal was to offer
proficiency courses for undergraduates who were weak in English. Today,
it caters to the needrøf a wider population, including those highly proficient
in English. The centre aims to increase students' English proficiency,
develop students' communication skills for academic and professional purposes
and conduct research on issues related to language teaching and learning.
One of the greatest challenges for the centre has been the increasing
number of postgraduate students from ASEAN countries and beyond. To better
meet their needs, the centre offers courses that cater to the diverse
proficiency levels and enable students to conduct research and write academic
papers in English. The increased demand for tertiary graduates with strong
communication skills has prompted the centre to conduct communication
courses to prepare students for the workplace. In addition, CELC continues
to run, in conjunction with the Ministry of Education, intensive English
courses for pre-matriculation students from Indonesia and the People's
Republic of China.
In the 199697 academic year, over forty full-time teaching staff and
many regular part-time teachers conducted twenty courses for almost seven
thousand students campuswide. Despite their full-time commitment to teaching,
the staff have undertaken research in relevant areas. Research findings
are disseminated through the centre's Working Papers, as well as
in regional and international journals. As part of its staff development
programme, the centre runs regular in-house seminars, which have included
guest speakers from other institutions.
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