Centre for Instructional Technology
Enhancing teaching and learning through digital and audio-visual technologies
eLearning Week
Core Services
Look & Listen
Conferencing
Web 2.0
Support Services
- Audio Recording
- Breeze DIY Courseware
- Screen Recording
- Plagiarism Prevention
- Classroom Response System
- Teaching Facilities
- Mac Users
- Software Resources
Outreach
eLearning Week - Students
Frequently Asked Questions
- General
- What lessons are involved?
- Who are involved?
- About online lectures
- Computer and internet access
- Download speed and internet connection
Click on the questions to read the answers.
General
1. When is the eLearning Week?
The eLearning Week will take place on Week 8 of Semester 1 AY2009/2010, from Monday, 5 October 2009 to Saturday, 10 October 2009.
2. What is the purpose of the eLearning Week?
The objective of instituting an eLearning Week is to test the systems that have been set up to ensure minimal interruption to our teaching functions in the event of a major disruption, for example during a pandemic where faculty staff and students may be required to stay away from campus. It also aims to familiarise staff and students with our online learning tools and modules , and to stress test the hardware and software systems used to conduct eLearning in NUS.
3. How will the eLearning Week stress test these systems?
During the eLearning Week, lectures will be delivered online and this will impose significant load on the various eLearning systems, simulating a situation that requires a higher level of resources and bandwidth. While efforts have been made to mitigate possible system failures during this first campus-wide eLearning Week, we seek your patience and understanding should you encounter temporary accessibility issues.
4. Will the University be holding an eLearning Week every semester from now on?
The University is looking into this. Ideally, an eLearning Week should be held every semester so that staff, students and systems are adequately prepared should an emergency arise. We are also looking into expanding the eLearning Week exercise to include online tutorial sessions.
5. How will I be involved?
During this eLearning Week, most lectures will be delivered online. You can access your lectures through IVLE either from home or on campus. All other lessons – such as tutorials, laboratory sessions or workshops - will take place as usual on campus.
What lessons are involved?
6. Will all lectures be conducted online?
During the eLearning Week, most lectures will be conducted online, with the exception of some seminar-style lectures. Your lecturers will inform you if their lectures will NOT be conducted online.
7. Will the eLearning Week affect mid-term tests, assessments or examinations?
Mid-term tests, assessments or examinations scheduled to take place during lecture periods in eLearning Week will not be affected. Students will sit for these tests on campus.
8. Will language labs/workshops be affected?
No, language labs and workshops will not be affected. These sessions will carry on as usual on campus.
Who are involved?
9. Will the eLearning Week involve both undergraduate and postgraduate students?
Yes, the eLearning Week is applicable to all undergraduate and postgraduate modules involving lectures. Please refer to Question 6 for exceptions.
10. Are graduate research students involved in the eLearning Week?
Graduate research students will not be involved in the eLearning Week unless you are taking coursework modules involving lectures. You can continue with your normal research activities, but lectures for your coursework modules may be affected. Your lecturers will inform you if their lectures will be conducted online. If you are unsure, please check with your lecturer.
11. Are students staying in the Halls of Residence required to participate in the eLearning Week?
Yes, during the eLearning Week, students staying on campus will participate in the eLearning Week. Please refer to Question 6 for exceptions.
12. I am not sure if my lesson is involved in the eLearning Week exercise. Who do I check with?
Your lecturers will inform you, via email or IVLE announcements, if their lessons will NOT be conducted online. The eLearning Week is not applicable to seminar-style lectures, tests and examinations, and students are required to attend these sessions on campus. Whenever in doubt, check with your lecturers. Tutorials, laboratory sessions and workshops will also carry on as usual on campus.
About online lectures
13. How will the online lectures be delivered?
Your lecturers will deliver online lectures in various ways, such as webcasts, presentations + lecture notes, presentations + audio files, Flash-based presentations or video screencasts. Your lecturers may also take questions via online chat or discussion forums. Please check with your lecturers for more details.
In most cases, these lectures are accessible via IVLE, and you will need a computer with internet access.
In most cases, these lectures are accessible via IVLE, and you will need a computer with internet access.
14. When will the lecture materials for the eLearning Week be uploaded?
Lecturers have been advised to post their materials early. Please check with your lecturers for more details.
15. Will the lecture materials for the eLearning Week be available after Week 8?
Yes, materials for the online lectures conducted during the eLearning Week will be available after Week 8. Please contact your lecturer if you are not able to access the materials after Week 8.
16. Do I need to learn any software to access the online lectures?
Most of the online lectures are conducted using one-way tools, so it would not be necessary for students to learn new software in preparation for the eLearning Week.
17. When can I view the online lectures?
Lecturers have been advised to post their materials online early. The online lectures can be viewed any time after they have been posted, not necessarily only during your normal lecture timing. It is advisable to download the lectures during the day, as a large number of students access IVLE and other eLearning services from 8pm to 2am daily. You may experience slow download speeds when the online user traffic is high.
18. Where can I view online lectures?
You can choose to view the online lectures anywhere - at home, on campus, in a computer cluster or in your hall of residence – from a computer that is connected to the internet. If you are bringing a laptop to campus, you can access your lecture material via the campus network. If you know of any students who are taking the same module as you, and may not have a computer or internet access, please offer to watch the online lectures with them.
19. What if IVLE is inaccessible?
You may encounter problems accessing the IVLE when there is heavy online traffic, so please try again later.
Computer and internet access
20. I do not have a computer or internet access. What should I do?
You can access a computer in one of the computer clusters on campus. Please refer to Question 21 for the location of the computer clusters. Alternatively, you can arrange to view the online lectures with classmates who have computers with internet access.
21. Where are the computer clusters on campus?
You can access a computer at any of the following computer clusters:
| Location | Opening Hours |
|---|---|
| ThinkLab - 108 PCs Computer Centre, Level 3 |
24 hours daily (closed on Public Holidays) |
| YIH CBLC 1 - 30 PCs Yusof Ishak House, beside toilets |
Mon to Fri: 8.30 am - 9.00 pm Sat: 8.30 am - 5.00 pm Closed on Sunday and Public Holidays |
| YIH CBLC 2 - 16 PCs Yusof Ishak House, beside Students' Lounge |
|
| CDTL Training Cluster - 24 PCs Centre for Development of Teaching and Learning, Central Library Annex, Level 7 |
Mon to Fri: 8.30 am - 6.00 pm (except Fri, 'til 5.30 pm) Closed on Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays |
| InfoCommons CBLC - 60 PCs Central Library, Level 4 |
During semester: Mon to Sat: 8.30 am - 9.00 pm Sun: 10.00 am - 4.00 pm |
| CJ Koh Law Library CBLC - 10 PCs CJ Koh Law Library, Bukit Timah Campus |
|
| Hon Sui Sen Memorial Library CBLC - 10 PCs Hon Sui Sen Memorial Library |
|
| Medical/Science Library CBLC - 20 PCs Medical/Science Library |
|
| Central Library Training Room - 30 PCs Central Library, Level 6 |
8.30 am - 9.00 pm daily |
| Medical/Science Library Training Room - 30 PCs Medical/Science Library |
|
| Note for computer clusters at schools/faculties: These may be reserved for lessons at various times. |
|
| BIZ Computer Lab 1 - 50 PCs BIZ1-01-13 |
Mon to Fri: 8.30 am - 8.00 pm Sat: 8.30 am - 1.00 pm Closed on Sunday and Public Holidays |
| Engineering PC4 - 40 PCs E2-03-06 |
Mon to Fri: 8.00 am - midnight Sat: 8.00 am - 6.00 pm Closed on Sunday and Public Holidays |
| Engineering PC5 - 40 PCs E2-03-07 |
|
| Engineering PC6 - 40 PCs E2-03-08 |
|
| Engineering PC7 - 40 PCs E2-03-09 |
|
| SDE/Computer Room 1, CR1 - 29 PCs SDE1-04-01 |
Mon to Fri: 9.00 am - 9.00 pm Closed on Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays View unavailability schedule |
| SDE/Computer Room 2, CR2 - 25 PCs SDE1-04-01 |
|
| SDE/Computer Room 3, CR3 - 30 PCs SDE1-04-01 |
|
| SDE/Computer Room 4, CR4 - 35 PCs SDE1-04-22 |
During semester: Mon to Fri: 9.00 am - 9.00 pm Sat: 9.00 am - 12.45 pm Closed on Sunday and Public Holidays View unavailability schedule |
| SDE/E-Studio 2, ES2 - 29 PCs SDE2-03-13 |
Mon to Fri: 9.00 am - 9.00 pm Closed on Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays View unavailability schedule |
| SDE/GISLab - 25 PCs SDE2-03-13 |
|
| ECS Graduate Centre - 13 PCs AS1-01-01 |
7.00 am to 11.00 pm daily |
| Institute of Systems Science - 10 PCs 25 Heng Mui Keng Terrace |
9.00 am - 6.00 pm (extended to 10.00 pm if there are night classes) |
| Geoetch Lab PC Cluster - 8 PCs EW1-03-02C |
Civil Engineering students only Mon to Fri: 8.30 am - 6.00 pm Closed on Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays |
| Structural Lab Computer Room 1 - 23 PCs EW1-IM-03 |
Civil Engineering students only Mon to Fri: 8.30 am - 10.00 pm Closed on Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays |
| Structural Lab Computer Room 2 - 23 PCs EW1-IM-02 |
|
| Department of Mathematics - Hyperlab 1 - 36 PCs S14-01-15 |
Mon to Fri: 8.30 am - 12.00 noon Closed on Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays |
| Department of Mathematics - Hyperlab 2 - 30 PCs S14-01-16 |
Mon to Fri: 12 noon - 6.00 pm Closed on Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays |
| Department of Physics - CSD Lab 1 - 80 PCs S13-04-16 |
5, 6, 7, 9 Oct: 9.00 am - 5.30pm 8 Oct: 9.00 am - 3.30pm Closed on Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays |
| Department of Biological Sciences - LS Lab 5 - 50 PCs S1A-04-06 |
Mon to Fri: 9.00 am - 5.30 pm Closed on Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays |
| FASS PC Lab - 77 PCs AS7-02-04 & AS7-02-08 |
Mon to Fri: 9.00 am - 9.00 pm Closed on Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays |
22. What if the computer clusters are full?
You may return at another time or arrange to view the online lectures with your fellow classmates.
23. Will students have access to specialised computing/programming labs (e.g. at the School of Computing)?
No, specialised computing and programming labs will not accessible to students during the eLearning Week.
Download speed and internet connection
24. It is taking a very long time to download my lecture. What should I do?
The download speed is affected by the number of users accessing the online services. If you experience slow download speeds, please try again later. You are encouraged to download the lectures during the day as a large number of students access IVLE and other eLearning services from 8pm to 2am daily.
25. I encounter problems with internet connection at one of the computer clusters. Who should I contact?
Please contact ITcare at 6516 2080 or email .
26. I have a problem connecting to the internet using my laptop when I am on campus. What shall I do?
If you are using wireless connection, you may want to try connecting to the campus network using a LAN cable at one of the physical access points on campus. If your connection problem persists, please contact ITcare at 6516 2080 or email .
27. I am accessing the online lectures from home and the download speed is slow. What should I do?
Please try to access the online lectures at a different time of day. If your internet connection at home is slower than usual, please contact your internet service provider.
