Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences
‘Borderless Classroom’: A NUS Collaboration with University of Hawaii, Manoa

In semester 1 (AY2001/02), the Department of Geography collaborated with the University of Hawaii, Manoa (UHM) in a five-week ‘borderless classroom’ exercise. A total of 180 students (130 from a level-2000 tourism geography module in NUS, and 50 undergraduates enrolled in geography/anthropology courses in UHM) were involved. The objective was to provide students with a ‘no-walls classroom’ experience in which exchange of ideas could take place virtually between students in the two campuses. The main assignment involved exchanging information on Hawaiian/Singaporean culture and tourism developments through a shared Internet site—the Blackboard (UHM’s equivalent of the Integrated Virtual Learning Environment) that served as a ‘virtual classroom’. Through the site, students could post questions and photos, answer queries, watch videos, access websites, chat ‘live’ with other students and faculty members as well as submit assignments.

To encourage peer learning and review, students were also encouraged to read and comment on the works submitted by other students on the Blackboard. They also voted for the best group assignment, and the results of the poll tabulated. Many students feedback that they benefited from the information exchange with their American counterparts. What better way to learn more about geography and tourism in Hawaii by interacting with the UHM students? The Blackboard had certainly provided a convenient and user-friendly environment that facilitated trans-border collaborations and cross-cultural dialogues. We look forward to more of such interactions in the future.

Faculty of Medicine
Medical Education with Wireless Handheld Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs)

An on-going trial in the Faculty of Medicine is aimed at evaluating the use of wireless PDAs in medical education, using the NUSNET 802.11b wireless network. The compact size of PDAs is especially convenient for clinical students who move from place to place to see patients.

Wireless PPCs (Pocket PCs) have been successfully implemented for curriculum delivery and online assessment of medical students by the Department of Neonatology since November 2001. In July 2002, ITU (Information Technology Unit) Medicine launched a mobile version of MEDNet, the medical curriculum intranet, for wireless PDA access. The installation of NUSNET 802.11b wireless network points in the National University Hospital is expected to enhance the scope of wireless PDA applications for clinical students in the future.

University Scholars Programme
Teaching in the Socratic Method: Teaching by Asking Instead of Telling

The Socratic method is one of the many student-centred teaching methods used by teachers in the University Scholars Programme. The teacher puts forth an initial viewpoint for a particular topic, and thereafter asks questions that challenge the students to move from one solution to another until they arrive at a reasonable answer. The process by which teacher and student collaborate on arriving at an answer is considered to be more important than the answer itself.

While the Socratic method may be less successfully applied to content-based modules, it can be used in a greater variety of modules than most would imagine, including disciplines such as mathematics. Most faculty members in the Scholars Programme use it to some degree. Examples are Dr Kenneth Tan, in his module “Democratic Possibilities in Singapore” (see article on page 7), and A/Prof Anh Tuan Nuyen, in his module “The Quest for Moral Excellence”.

NUS Business School
The Asia-Pacific Executive MBA for the Senior Executive

The Asia-Pacific Executive MBA (APEX-MBA) Programme, offered by the NUS Business School since January 1997, has just opened applications for its 12th intake. The latest ranking of Executive MBAs (EMBAs) in Asia by the Chief Executive China Magazine confirms its success. APEX-MBA was ranked 3rd after the HKUST-Kellogg and Chicago (Singapore) Programmes and top of the ‘all Asian’ EMBA programmes.

From the Faculty’s perspective, teaching these mature and experienced executives is a growth, networking and research opportunity all at the same time. Participants come from the best-practice blue chip companies, more often than not have global work-experience, and are experts in their own fields. Some even have a Ph.D.! The instruction philosophy is focused on drawing from the vast experience of the participants, while at the same time introducing the latest concepts and ideas from the field. Visit www.apexmba.com for further information on the programme.

Faculty of Science
Teaching & Learning Seminar 2002

For the third consecutive year, the Department of Mathematics organised the Teaching & Learning Seminar on 6 November 2002. The annual event provides an open, informal and conducive environment for staff to share with one another their teaching philosophies, experiences and methodologies. Staff found the seminar interesting, beneficial and informative. In particular, two speakers from the Faculty of Engineering who shared their views on the teaching of engineering mathematics provided the staff with new perspectives on teaching. The following staff presented talks at the seminar:

“Teaching Mathematics and Training Mathematicians” by Prof Lee Seng Luan, Department of Mathematics;

“Experiences in Teaching Engineering Mathematics” by A/Prof Jacob Coetzee, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering;

“Equilibrium and Optimum: How to Kill Two Birds with One Stone” by A/Prof Ajay Kumar Ray, Department of Chemical & Environmental Engineering;

“Motivating and Engaging Student Interest in a Mathematics Lecture” by A/Prof Tay Yong Chiang, Department of Mathematics; and

“The Joy of GEM” by A/Prof Helmer Aslaksen, Department of Mathematics.

Breakout!

One of the great challenges of General Education Modules is that they call for a multidisciplinary integration of wide-ranging topics in an up-to-date fashion. However, it is difficult to find suitable tutors with sufficient domain-knowledge to conduct constructive discussion-based tutorials. Hence, a novel approach was tested out for GEM1530K—Life as a Complex System—where available extra lecture slots were used for hybrid large/small-group in-class tutorials. Modelled upon the breakout sessions adopted by business consultants, students were divided into teams to discuss a certain topic and then asked to give presentations afterwards. The sessions were very lively and the students were able to engage comprehensively with the subject. Encouraged by the students’ learning and enthusiasm, this method will be refined further for future use.

School of Design & Environment
Scripting Spaces: Film, Architecture, Time & Spaces

Film and architecture are closely related visual art forms by virtue of their similar emphases on time and the use of various spatial devices to create perceptions that stimulate both the sensorial and the intellectual. Throughout the history of modern architecture, architects have always been inspired by the rich reservoir of spatial imageries used in film masterpieces to choreograph their architectural spaces. In a design project in the first-year architecture course, students were asked to explore such intriguing and inspiring connections between film and architecture. They were to design a small urban dwelling for different film directors, drawing inspirations from the directors’ works. The students were given a list of films (chosen for their evocative representations of spaces and places in different cities) such as Wim Wenders’ Wings of Desire and Wong Kar Wai’s Chungking Express. In the design processes, related modes of representations such as video-captures, montages and narratives were used, culminating in a refreshingly rich variety of spatial experiences expressed in the final design.