UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG

FACULTY OF COMMERCE
Assessment 3: Service Encounter Analysis (Report) Part A: Part B: Lecturer / Tutor: Jason Ho

Done By: Lim Yan Qing Amanda (3979878)

AY 2011 Trimester 3

Case Study Report: Republic Polytechnic E-learning

Table of Contents
Table of Contents........................................................................................................................2 Chapter 1: REPUBLIC POLYTECHNIC...................................................................................3 Chapter 2: E-LEARNING...........................................................................................................4 Chapter 3: E-LEARNING PROCESS IN RP.............................................................................5 Chapter 4: SWOT ANALYSIS OF E-LEARNING IN RP........................................................8 Strength...................................................................................................................................8 Weakness.................................................................................................................................8 Opportunities...........................................................................................................................8 Threat.......................................................................................................................................8 Chapter 5: CONCLUSION.........................................................................................................9 References.................................................................................................................................10

Page 2 of 11

Case Study Report: Republic Polytechnic E-learning

Chapter 1: REPUBLIC POLYTECHNIC

Republic Polytechnic (RP) is the first school in Singapore to have a total different education system. Instead of the tradition teaching method, whereby students have to bring heavy text books and notes for class and having a lecturer in front of the theater giving lecture, RP lessons are paperless and wireless. All learning and necessary interaction are done thought RPs e-learning system. Students use Problem Base Learning (PBL) to learn concepts and theories from solving problems. It is mandatory for all students in RP to have a personal notebook.

Page 3 of 11

Case Study Report: Republic Polytechnic E-learning

Chapter 2: E-LEARNING RPs e-learning system is known as Learning environment online (LEO) to students and facilitators/staff. LEO is a Learning Management System/platform for both students and facilitator/staff in RP to interact. LEO provides information and feedback about the module taken during the student course of study. Thru LEO, students are about to work on and discuss their daily module problems. Discussion board in LEO allows students to both interact with other students and facilitator. Other functions such as module summary and attendance summary allows students to see their grades and comments left by their facilitator and to check the number of time they are either attended, late or absent from lesson.

Page 4 of 11

Case Study Report: Republic Polytechnic E-learning

Chapter 3: E-LEARNING PROCESS IN RP It is mandatory that all RP students must login into LEO day. Since all problem statement and worksheet are uploaded and students are allocated into their group/team daily into LEO each morning by the facilitator. Once problem statement and worksheet are being downloaded, in a group/team of five, the maximum number of student in a class is twenty-five; each group has to come up with a First Meeting Template (FMT) or also known as Problem Definition Template (PDT). FMT/PDT are a must for the students to do during the first meeting, in the table there are three main question they have to ask themselves are, What we know? Based on our prior knowledge and by reading/observing the content of the problem closely, What we dont know or are unsure of? and What do we need to find out? and type out the answers to respective question. Once it is done, upload into their team folder in LEO into LEO and presented, they are required to research via online to find the answer to the question in the worksheet. During the start of the second meeting, they are required to upload into their team folder in LEO and present their answer via through the projector in class. Thereafter, each group will then focus on their research via online for the information which is they need to find out for the rest of their time till either the start of third meeting or when their group presentation slides are done. They are required to create a presentation using PowerPoint with their research information. Upon completion, each group has to upload their presentation slides (PPT) into their team folder in LEO. During third meeting, each team is required to present and other groups/classmates are required to ask questions about what they have presented. Once every team have presented, the facilitator will then present to the class the last presentation which is known as 6 presentations (6P). After 6P, the facilitator will open up the online quiz, evaluation and reflection journal (RJ). Students are advice to complete the quiz Page 5 of 11

Case Study Report: Republic Polytechnic E-learning and evaluation of their teammates before they leave the class. RJ is to be completed within the time frame given to them by the facilitator. Evaluation allows the students to rate themselves and their peers. Both quiz and RJ allows the facilitator to gauge if the student does understand todays problem. All 3 will be factors which will be consider when the facilitator grades each student. All students doing Portfolio Development Module (PDM/PP) will be sent for attachment and each student is required to write a report about their learning experience there. While writing the report students will communicate with their facilitator via email. Once the report is completed, each individual have to upload in to a portal in LEO. Students doing Final Year Project (FYP) will receive a generated email providing them a link and explanation for them to do with the link. Once students have decided who are in their team, each groups leader will access into the given link to register each team mate and project choice. Students will receive a personal email from their assessor stating the time, place, FYP portal link and the project that they will be taking up as their FYP. Each week, team leader are to send a meeting request via email to their assessor. Each team member of the team is required to access in to the FYP portal and submit a weekly RJ which contain three question, What have you done/completed this week?, What can be improved and What so you plan to do next week?. Their assessor will comment on the work done, their performance and their RJ. Once done, there are to upload their FYP in to the FYP portal. In RP, exams are known as Understanding Test (UT). During UT, all students are required to access into the UT Client. At the start of the test, facilitators in each class will flash the UT Key on the screen. Once students have key in the UT key, in their personal notebooks, the UT client will appear with the questions and the time remaining. Once the time on their screen is up, the client will automatically end the test and upload the answer into RPs server.

Page 6 of 11

Case Study Report: Republic Polytechnic E-learning Lastly, grades of individual student for each lesson, UT and final grade of each module will be published into LEO, by their facilitator. In LEO, students will be able know their total cumulated Grade Point Average (GPA).

Page 7 of 11

Case Study Report: Republic Polytechnic E-learning

Chapter 4: SWOT ANALYSIS OF E-LEARNING IN RP Now we will analysis the Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threat of E-learning in RP. Strength Paperless Environmental friendly Facilitate feedback between students themselves and the facilitator/staff Students are able to access into LEO anytime, anywhere to access Facilitator are able to track each students progress Lesser miscommunication between team members Students are exposed to both independent and collaborative online learning Prepared for work life

Weakness When there are too many people accessing LEO at the same time, the internet connection will be down. Reliant on technology after gradation Plagiarism of work Students misuse of internet Unfair grading by the facilitator

Opportunities Threat Viruses are spread throughout RP Hackers trying to breach into RP system Will have better understanding of information found on their own Able to learn at own pace

Page 8 of 11

Case Study Report: Republic Polytechnic E-learning

Chapter 5: CONCLUSION RP e-learning has have benefited both facilitators and students. Facilitators are able to track and gauge each students progress accordingly. E-learning allows more interaction between other students and facilitator online. Students are able to access into LEO anytime, anywhere they want to access. All learning are done base on individual student own pace. This in turn allows the students to have a better understanding of each module. Through e-learning students are being exposed to both independence and collaborative online learning, which will help them at work in future. Some students will plagiarise work of others and claimed it as their own. During lesson student will misuse the internet, such as going into websites such as Facebook to play games. During submission of the PPT during end of second break, and UT internet connection will be down. Some facilitator will grade unfairly to the students during lesson. Viruses are easier spread throughout the RP, as information is shared around. There are constant hackers trying to breach into RP system. RP graduate are more reliant on technology. RP is always constantly improving its e-learning system. They have come up a system to check for plagiarism of work. Grading system has change from fifty percent of daily grade to thirty percent and seventy percent of the total grades of the three UT. By doing so, the final grades given will be based more on the amount of hard work each student have place into studying for the test. Till data RP system have not been breach is due to the constant upgrading of its system.

Page 9 of 11

Case Study Report: Republic Polytechnic E-learning

References 1) Republic 2011. 2) Republic Polytechnic. (2011). Learning Enviroment Online (LEO).Available: Polytechnic. (2011). Academic Information. Available:

http://www.rp.edu.sg/studenthandbook/Acad_Acad_Info.asp. Last accessed 6 Jun

http://www.rp.edu.sg/studenthandbook/Acad_LEO.asp. Last accessed 8 Jun 2011.

3) Republic Polytechnic. (2011). Understanding Test (UT) Rules and Regulations for Students. Available: http://www.rp.edu.sg/studenthandbook/Acad_UTRulesAndReg.asp. Last accessed 10 Jun 2011. 4) Republic 2011. Polytechnic. (2011). Living Expenses. Available:

http://www.rp.edu.sg/admissions/intl_students/ovs_living.asp. Last accessed 7 Jun

5) Republic

Polytechnic

(2011). Republic

Polytechnic

Prospectus

2011/12.

http://www.rp.sg/courses/RP_Prospectus_2011_12.pdf. p4-15.

6) Republic

Polytechnic. TEACHING

PBL

WITH

PBL.

http://myrp.edu.sg/ced/research/papers/teaching_pbl_with_pbl.pdf.

7) hhisprincess, 2011

RP's

E-learning

system,

SGClub,

26

Jun

2009,

http://forums.sgclub.com/singapore/rps_e_learning_178744.html. Last assessed 20 Jun

Page 10 of 11

Case Study Report: Republic Polytechnic E-learning 8) guangjin, can anyone tell me about RP's system?, SGClub, 13 Jan 2009 http://forums.sgclub.com/singapore/can_anyone_tell_125162.html Last assessed 22 Jun 2011

Page 11 of 11