In the 30 January 1999 in-house SGT seminar organised by the Faculty’s Teaching Committee, participants decided that the desired profile of a NUS graduate would be one who:

• is an independent and effective learner who values life-long learning;
• shows confidence and initiative in solving problems; and
• possesses analytical, communication, presentation and interpersonal skills.

These desirable characteristics were deemed to be achievable through the practice of active/interactive learning, and that such learning could possibly be conducted even in large classes.

When the seminar recommendations were presented to DVC Prof Hang Chang Chieh during the 2nd Meeting of the University’s SGT Taskforce on 12 February 1999, he consented to the shifting of emphasis from a small group tutorial size to a tutorial setting that captures the active/interactive learning spirit of SGT. In line with this new emphasis which accommodates the Faculty’s large student population, novel forms of tutorials have been conducted:

• In the Core Group within the Peripheral Group (CPG) or ‘fishbowl style’ tutorial format, about 6-7 students (i.e. the Core Group) interact closely with the tutor and with each other while the rest of the tutorial group members (i.e. the Peripheral Group) simply observe. The latter group may be asked to comment on or clarify certain issues, or may even be excused from attending if the session has no continual assessment. Students take turns to form the Core Group in each tutorial. For a typical module, a student will get to be in the Core Group about 2-3 times.
• In Buzz Group (BG) tutorials, students are divided into small buzz groups of 3-4 students for discussion and interaction among themselves and the tutor.

Number of Modules Modified for Small Group Teaching

Further action plans for implementing SGT and Interactive Learning include the following:

• TMEEC and CDTL will organise workshops and seminars to persuade more Engineering staff to embrace this new learning mode and train them in conducting CPG/BG/SGT. The first workshop was conducted on 13 May 1999 and attended by 65 people.
  
• Staff members are urged to sit in these new-style tutorials conducted by colleagues to learn and provide feedback for refinement. To improve the interactive tutorial forms, students are also asked for their feedback.
  
• Staff members are encouraged to award incentives, e.g. a nominal assessment mark, to students for their active participation in tutorials.
  
• Staff members should re-examine their tutorial questions to make them more open-ended and inject some unfamiliar problems.
  
• Tutors will train students in oral communication and presentation, rather than depend solely on Technical Communication teachers who teach these skills outside the students’ own learning context (and may thus have limited effectiveness).
  
• The Faculty Management Committee must recognise and accept that initial feedback from students about this new form of learning may be negative.
  
• At the Dean’s Welcome Tea, Year 1 Students will be informed about what is expected of them as NUS students so that they are aware they are no longer required merely to reproduce what they were taught as before. They are now supposed to learn independently, understand the subject matter comprehensively, think critically and apply their knowledge to new problems.
  
• Tutors should encourage students to revise their lectures, complete their readings and attempt tutorial questions before hand so that they can participate actively and meaningfully in tutorials.

Concluding Remarks

The academic year 1999/2000 has seen a significant increase in the number of classes (both small and large) promoting SGT/interactive learning. In fact, the Chemical Engineering Department has become totally SGT/interactive learning compliant. This surge in implementing SGT/interactive learning is due to:

• The expansion of the graduate tutor programme with proper training conducted by CDTL;
  
• The availability of more classroom space in the newly completed Engineering buildings;
  
• More staff members coming forward to conduct active/interactive tutorials; and
  
• The encouragement given by the Faculty Management Committee.

The Faculty will continue to improve its SGT/interactive learning efforts so as to make our students become more independent learners and enhance their analytical and communication competency, such skills being absolutely essential for NUS graduates to work and compete in the new millennium.