Faculty of Architecture, Building & Real Estate
NUS campus turned safari

Architectural design comes to life in the form of portable shelters.

Last semester, some forty portable life-sized shelters were on display at NUS. They were the works of more than one hundred first-year Architecture students who, for the first time, were required to construct life-sized structures as one of their four projects for assessment; previously, they needed only to build scaled models. Portable shelters were chosen for their relevance to our tropical climate. The structures had to be functional, aesthetically pleasing and in keeping with an assigned theme such as “Night Safari” or “Earth Day”. Earth Day shelters had to be made from eco-friendly materials and Night Safari shelters had to be functional yet comfortable for occupants to view wildlife outside while protected from the elements. Students worked in groups, putting their knowledge and technical skills to practice: the results proved the buildability of their designs.

Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences
MPP’s case method develops substance and skills

Real-world problems challenge MPP students.

The case method is a discussion method used in the Master in Public Policy (MPP) classroom to actively engage students in analytical and critical thinking. Public policy cases—narratives depicting real policy or management problems faced by public officials—are used to stimulate discussion. Students consider what decisions are needed to address a problem and how to justify those decisions given particular social, economic and political conditions. Public policy education requires students to have a strong foundation in theoretical knowledge and yet be cognisant of the real-world so that they can adequately and effectively respond to a dynamic situation. When we think of the case method, words such as enquiry, analysis, critical thinking, risk taking, innovation, motivation and interesting come to mind. So too does hard work because it requires more preparation from both students and lecturers.

Faculty of Dentistry
State your case…in treatment planning seminars

Treatment planning seminars in the faculty have three main objectives: case presentations by students, critique of the treatment plans, and multidisciplinary discussion of each case for comprehensive patient care. Using a multimedia presentation of his/her choice, each student must present at least one clinical case to the entire class and four to five academic staff from various disciplines. After each presentation, students and staff join in the discussion of the case; students soon learn the importance of an evidence-based treatment plan (or face the firing squad!), and multidisciplinary input from the specialists helps them understand a case comprehensively. In the process, students develop not only knowledge but also self-confidence and communication skills—important qualities for examinations and professional practise.

Faculty of Engineering
Cross-faculty module on creative problem solving

The faculty recently introduced a cross-faculty module aimed at stimulating students to approach engineering and science problems in a more creative, and sometimes unconventional, manner. We considered two approaches for arriving at such solutions: conventional and unconventional. In the former, we presumed that there is always a “current solution” for any problem and made no explicit attempt to change the concepts therein. We described the desired state and listed the components of the solution together with their functional links in order to express the essential logical requirements. We focused attention on conflicting requirements as the choices or schemes that can resolve such conflicts often lead to creative solutions. The second approach involved finding ways to break away from conventional lines of thinking to generate ideas (e.g., brainstorming, coordinated thinking, provocation, challenging) and explore possibilities (e.g., unification, elimination, changing scale, substitution, rearrangement). As a hands-on activity each student had to identify an
irritation of his/her choice, work towards a creative solution and finally make a presentation.

Faculty of Law
Environmental Law—Training the trainers programme

For the second year running, the Asia-Pacific Centre for Environmental Law (APCEL) teamed up with the Commission on Environmental Law of the World Conservation Union and the United Nations Environment Programme to conduct a Training the Trainers Programme for environmental law processes in the Asia-Pacific region. This intensive four-week training course brought together thirty participants from fifteen countries in the Asia-Pacific and over forty resource people from the region and around the world. Funded by the Asian Development Bank and NUS, the goal is to help developing countries in the region build their capacity to introduce, prepare and teach courses in environmental law. Highlights from the training included role plays, mock trials, alternative dispute resolution, research on the Internet, panel discussions, luncheon and dinner talks by experts like Prof Tommy Koh, and site visits to the Ministry for the Environment, CRISP, Pure Chemical Industries and the Bedok Reservoir and Treatment Plant.

Discussion with Mr John A Boyd, Senior Counsel in the Asian Development Bank.

School of Computing
S-modules for enhanced learning

S-module students sign on for more work, tougher standards.

Last year, we introduced special S-modules into our curriculum. A fast-track alternative to the regular introductory programming sequence (IC1101/2), the S-module versions (IC1101S/2S) featured a different programming language, more challenging assignments and greater emphasis on independent reading. The S-modules were more demanding but promised an enhanced learning environment and longer-term benefits for students. We started with proper resources and strongly motivated teachers. With advertisements, briefings, encouragement and interviews, we recruited about sixty motivated students. Both staff and students felt a sense of adventure and the smaller class size helped us quickly build group rapport. A recent survey of participants drew many favourable responses on the S-module learning experience. With this initial success, we hope to incorporate the concept into our Talent Development Programme and our new four-year Bachelor of Computing programmes.

Faculty of Science
STARH: Quality control in teaching

The faculty recently established a STARH (for Science Teaching Assurance Review) task force to review all teaching and learning activities in the faculty. Comprised of resourceful teachers with outstanding track records in teaching, the group’s mandate is to review present practices, identify strengths and weaknesses, formulate strategies to meet challenges facing the faculty and make recommendations for implementation. Areas under review include: environment and infrastructure; manpower and workload; teaching evaluation and recognition; promotion of creativity and critical thinking; quality of teaching programmes; teaching methodologies and course assessment. The goal is to ensure that the faculty offers quality programmes of sufficient rigour and intellectual content and that courses are taught by quality staff in an environment that promotes creative thoughts and stimulating ideas. The committee is looking for ways to improve the learning environment and welcomes your ideas.