Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine                                                         
Faculty Training Workshop 2005

The Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine recognises that faculty training is imperative to implementing an assessment system that is beneficial to both students and teachers alike. The latest component in faculty training is the Key Features (KF) Test, a new assessment format based on clinical scenarios. It comprises a description of a problem followed by two or three questions focusing only on critical, challenging actions or decisions. KF is believed to assess a person’s essential clinical decision-making skills more accurately.

The Medical Education Unit of the School recently organised a two-day workshop ‘Developing Key Feature Cases and Examinations’ (March 7–8, 2005). Professor George Bordage (University of Illinois, Chicago) and Dr Zubair Amin facilitated the workshop for 20 enthusiastic faculty members. The workshop was highly rated for its usefulness, interactivity and practicality.

This is one of the several ongoing faculty development workshops on assessment. Other workshops implemented recently include Multiple Choice Questions, Extended Matching Item, Objective Structured Clinical Examination, Standard Setting and Blue Printing.

Faculty of Science                                                                        
The Art-and-craft of Research in SPS

One of the key objectives of the Special Programme in Science (SPS) has been and is to nurture talents among aspiring scientists. Since its inception in 1996, the programme has strived to foster a culture that imbues creative and critical thinking among its participants. To facilitate this, peer learning and teaching form the basis on which many of the academic activities are run.

Leveraging on a strong mentorship programme, participants are engaged in academic pursuits by senior students and faculty, from attending interdisciplinary seminars to undertaking advanced research projects. Being primarily a faculty programme, students undertake focused literature surveys on topics that straddle various disciplines in science. For instance, in the last semester, students examined the theme of ‘Symmetry’ from diverse perspectives. This then served to initiate them into the arena of scientific investigation where they design and conduct laboratory experiments on a topic within the theme. With its interdisciplinary flavour, the programme provides an avenue for students from several disciplines to work together and it also lays the foundation for further research activities.

School of Business                                                                     
Classroom @ Au Jardin, Les Amis

Au Jardin, one of Singapore’s finest French restaurants located in the heart of the Botanic Gardens, became the classroom for 58 undergraduates taking the course, GEK1030 “Service Work—Winning Hearts and Minds”, on March 25, 2005. It was indeed a ‘good’ Friday as students soaked in the exquisite ambience of a fine French restaurant. The restaurant’s staff shared their personal experience and provided students with first-hand knowledge of what it takes to excel in the service industry. The fine dining experience also provided an opportunity for students to participate, observe, evaluate the whole experience and relate them to what has been learnt in class. Indeed, the IVLE discussion forum was full of diverse insights after the outing! Beyond learning and dining, what did students value most from the experience? Fond memories of friendship and bonding @ Au Jardin!

Faculty of Engineering                                                                        
Industrial Participation Enhances Students’ Learning Experience
from the Design Project

The capstone Design Project (DP) is carried out by about 300 final-year undergraduates in the B.Eng. (Chemical Engineering), B.Eng. (Environmental Engineering) and B.Tech. (Chemical Engineering) programmes in their final semester. They are divided into teams of 4–7 students, each designing a process plant with different specifications. The DP challenges students to solve an open-ended and realistic problem, to take initiative and to develop creative solutions. In addition to applying knowledge gained from previous modules, students also learn new techniques, learn how to work independently and in teams, as well as hone their communication skills. The DP thus includes several aspects of integrative problem-based learning—students get to appreciate the interplay between chemical engineering principles, performance tradeoffs, safety issues, environmental impact, economic implications and so on. The academic staff act as facilitators of the project.

The DP not only provides a wholesome and realistic educational experience to students but also enlists Singapore’s thriving chemical and pharmaceutical industry to train future engineers. Consequently, the DP is often tied to problems of local interest (e.g. students designed a plant to produce potable water from sea water and municipal wastewater in AY 2002–03). Industry practitioners have been contributing to the DP for many years and their involvement has increased significantly in the recent years. For example, Mr. Aspi G. Vania and his team from Singapore Refining Company helped us with a DP on a crude distillation unit during AY 1998–99. Dr Larry June and his team of engineers (all of whom are NUS alumni) from Seraya Chemicals Pte Ltd participated actively in the DP involving a styrene plant during AY 2003–04. For AY 2004–2005’s DP, we have enlisted the help of Mr Wong Chee Seng (NUS alumnus and currently Manager of the Technical Support Section) of Ethylene Glycols Singapore Pte. Ltd.

The industry practitioners help us in defining the project scope and contribute by providing industrial data, giving technical talks to all students, being available for weekly meetings with team leaders, participating in the IVLE forum and so on. Indeed, the industry practitioners’ involvement, participation and support in the DP have enhanced and enriched the learning experience of both students and faculty as they tap on the expertise and knowledge of practising engineers. We are hopeful of continued strong support from Singapore’s chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical and related companies for the DP and indeed, for our overall educational mission.