Eclass

Background
I'm currently working at a Secondary School. The headmaster doesn't pay a lot of attention in adopting ICT in education. However, The school have purchased an e-learning platform called "Eclass". I'll introduce the function of Eclass and how the user's attitude about Eclass.

Introduction
Eclass is developed by Dr. Charles Cheung in 1998. It is an integrated web-based learning platform including: course management tool, student management tool, assessment management tool, etc. Eclass system is widely adopted by secondary school nowadays.

Usage of Eclass in my working place

The Teachers use eclass as a supplementary teaching resource as they seldom use eclass system during the class. Students are required to login to the system and do some online exercise (as their homework).  Language subject teachers will put some articles and multi-choice questions regularly on the Eclass. The system will log student's participation and result. At the end of the year, the marks will be add up and count as daily mark.

Although Eclass provides plenty of functions such as sending intra-mail, forum, calender , the  teachers seldom use them.

Feedback


1. Inconvenience.
As Eclass is a web-based application, it is not as convenient as standalone software. One of the supporting staff has shared her experience: She was asked to input students' conduct grade into the system and generate the examination result sheets. After two hours working, she pressed the submit button but the browser didn't RESPONSE! The data was all missed and she was furious. She swore she wouldn't use Eclass again and use Microsoft Excel instead.

2. New to try
Many teachers didn’t want to try to use Eclass. Teachers bring their own USB memory sticks. They won’t upload the in-class teaching material on eclass because they didn’t trust the Eclass. Eclass depends on internet connection. If there is no internet connection, they cannot access their recourses. Teachers did not want to take risks so they did not use Eclass.

Tsoi Hang Sang
2006053839

Lesson 1 Activity: The mini evolution of On-line Teaching and Learning systems I experienced

With the rapid development of Information Technology and the accelerating adoption rate of technology in modern society, Information Systems or information platforms are now widely used in the area of teaching and learning which enormously enhance the quality and efficiency of education.

I remember the first time I got in touch with on-line learning was in my last year of senior high school. I bet you all know the fierce competition of College-entrance-examination in Mainland China; every student went to different “Private Tutors” after school in order to get good grades for that exam. Instead of go to “Real Tutors”, I went to “Virtual Tutors”. It was like an on-line tutoring school, there were always best teachers for different subjects there for you; if you got a problem or cannot figure out a particular question, just go to their website and write down your questions, they will get back to you with detailed answers in few hours. Now, this kind of tutoring is not unusual, and some even will say that is not efficient. I absolutely agree with that. But think about it in China 10 years ago, no one could deny that this kind of on-line tutoring platform is new and effective, and of course making good profit. (You need to pay 1000RMB/semester for such services.)

When I began my UG study in Hong Kong, I got a chance to experience a more dynamic on-line learning system. The system I used was called “WebCT”, professors will upload the lecture notes and all kinds of learning materials on that system for students to download and student can take small quizzes on that system too. I believe the functionalities are more that these two I just described, but as a user of “WebCT”, I am not that benefit from it.

Later in year 2007, our University announced that they will no longer use “WebCT” for teaching and learning platform, and they gonna switch to another internally developed system called “Learning Management and Evaluation System”. I guess it was not only the expensive license fee the University needs to pay for “WebCT” that bothers, also the effectiveness and system control needs to be improved by using the new system. It was not an easy task for both faculties and students to transfer from “WebCT” to “LMES”, though the new system provides more functionality. Users were confronted with totally new interfaces and there are lots of new functions you need to learn how to use.

(Picture Source: The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology LMES 2.5 All rights reserved.)









After a painful transfer phase, users are gradually adopted the new system and try to utilize all the functions. LMES, as an internal developed teaching and learning system, is more integrated with HKUST’s teaching and learning style and quite innovative in terms of interface design.

As what I have experienced from using on-line teaching and learning systems, I realized that when the communication through systems become smoother and user generated contents are become more effective, the system then can be fully utilized.


By Sophie Gu Jiaying