The role of eLearning Advocates will developed as integral to the project. The initial goal will be to support staff with a demonstrated interest in eLearning (as advocates) to develop useful eLearning tools and activities for their own students which can then be shared more widely with PolyU teachers.
This is H. Baki Iz from the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics (LSGI). I am one of the blended learning advocates representing FCLU. Over the years, I have been teaching numerous subjects, namely; spatial data analysis and mining, geospatial data mining and knowledge discovery, satellite and physical geodesy, mathematics for geomatics, site surveying, geodesy, geodetic control, deformation analysis, analysis of observations, advanced analysis of observations, survey adjustment, satellite positioning, and computing for geomatics. My research area involves kinematic geodesy and earthquakes, polar motion and Earth rotation, global mean sea level change, satellite orbits, gravimetric geodesy and recently selenodesy (geodesy and mapping of the moon).
Partly because of my heavy teaching load, partly for enhancing my delivery of a broad range of topics at LSGI, I have resorted using non-traditional teaching tools such as scratch pads for problem based learning, videos, and a number of other digital resources and tools as early as 1995. Thanks to my online teaching facilities and teaching tools, I was able to teach during the SARS period to the dismay of my students, who were expecting a break from studying like the most of the other students in PolyU.
I experimented with WEBCT, SMILE, LSGI repository, and finally settled on using a no-cost web platform (based on Windows Share Point Services-one of the backbone of Microsoft's cloud computing), I designed for web-assisted teaching (currently I am experimenting with Windows Live http://lsgi.org for a no maintenance internet based workspace).
I have found the use of discussion boards for mass communication with my students in near-real time, online delivery of assignments, use of extensive links for students' access to web resources helpful for reducing the impact of my heavy teaching load and supporting studentsˇ¦ learning. I created an online bibliography of over 10,000 items and additional reading material in response to my students' complaints about lack of reference in the subject of space and physical geodesy and an online dictionary for technical terms.
I experimented with online after-lecture Q&A and assays during tutorials, and carried out quizzes and multiple choice online tests for formative and summative assessments. I delivered a number of subjects online as well as in a blended mode. I have investigated successfully detecting student learning difficulties by timing studentsˇ¦ answers in an online assessment environment and analyzing them in the context of "Bloom's Taxonomy". I have enforced a no-hardcopy practice for my lecture notes, supporting material, project assignments, assignments and assessments.
I used online computational tools for teaching mathematics related topics (computer assisted-algeabra tools; Mapple; Derive, Mathcad and recently Matlab add-ons) and easy to use scientific and engineering programming tools (Mathcad, Statsoft).
Some of my experimentation with new information technology and new teaching and learning paradigms were fruitful, some were not. I had to go through the process as a lonely academic during the last decade. Today, fortunately, for those who are interested in enhancing their teaching delivery in PolyU, the 3C project on eLearning / blended learning is a place to get support for your particular needs.
Of course, I am also at your disposal to share my experience with you over a dim-sum lunch that you will pay!
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