What awaits the graduating Class of 2022 as they enter the workforce? The recent easing of COVID-19 safe management measures (SMMs) and reopening of borders suggest that, on some level, a sense of normalcy is being restored. Employees used to working from home are now reacquainting themselves with office life. While some companies are mandating a full return to the office, others are opting for a hybrid work model that leverages video conferencing software and online collaboration tools to allow employees to work remotely part of the time.

This year’s NUS Commencement — held in person with SMMs such as mask-wearing indoors and verification of vaccination statuses for all graduands and guests — similarly comprises a mix of old and new. Back for the first time since the pandemic began are ceremonial traditions such as the full academic procession, balloon drop and taking of class photos. “Commencement is one of the most significant milestones for students as it marks the completion of their studies,” says Mr R. Rajaram (Affiliate Alumnus ’20), NUS Registrar. “A virtual ceremony cannot offer the same experience as a physical ceremony — from wearing the graduation gown and receiving the degree scroll on stage to celebrating the occasion with fellow classmates and loved ones.”

That said, the University is also taking a leaf from last year, when it held two Commencement ceremonies — a first-ever virtual one, followed by a pared-down physical event a few months later — for both the Classes of 2020 and 2021. Some online features will be retained, such as YouTube livestreaming of ceremonies and augmented-reality Instagram filters, to enable wider and deeper participation and engagement. For instance, students can tune in to multiple Commencement sessions live on YouTube and post congratulatory messages to friends from other courses, while relatives living abroad can also watch the e-ceremonies.

No matter the situation, one cannot refute that technology is seeping into almost every aspect of our lives. At NUS, this is evident not only in the shift to an interdisciplinary curriculum — where all undergraduates are taught concepts like data literacy and computational thinking — but also in the increasing use of educational technology (edtech) to promote blended learning and give students greater control over their own learning journeys. These changes lay the groundwork for students to develop digital know-how and adaptability, which will be invaluable once they graduate into the real world.

Going All in on Edtech
From the lockdown during the circuit-breaker period to the pendulum swings between easing and tightening of SMMs, and now to a, hopefully permanent, lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, the Classes of 2020, 2021 and 2022 have endured all the upheavals wrought by the pandemic over the last two-and-a-half years. They had to quickly adjust to home-based learning, accessing Zoom ‘live’ classes and pre-recorded lectures, and sitting for online proctored exams. As the economy gradually reopened, NUS likewise took a phased approach to resuming campus operations. Students as well as staff had to initially stay within designated zones to prevent cross-infection, and hybrid teaching meant that in-person classes were capped at 50 students with the rest joining virtually from home. Only lately have group size limits — including for co-curricular activities (CCAs) — been removed, and unvaccinated individuals are now allowed on campus if their self-swab antigen rapid test (ART) result is negative.

Although these changes were unprecedented, NUS had to some extent already prepared itself for such a crisis. “After the 2003 SARS epidemic, we instituted an e-Learning Week in 2008 to test our readiness in the event of another outbreak,” says Professor Bernard Tan (Science ’89), Senior Vice Provost (Undergraduate Education). Beginning with certain schools and faculties, all classes and assessments were conducted online for one week, with NUS Information Technology (NUS IT) and the Centre for Instructional Technology (CIT) providing the necessary IT infrastructure. The initiative was subsequently extended to the entire University in later years.

As such, when COVID-19 struck in 2020, the impact on teaching and learning activities was manageable. Electronic conferencing and meeting systems as well as video management platforms were already in place. Most faculty members were utilising the campus-wide learning management system LumiNUS for their modules, be it to conduct online quizzes, post class timetables or upload web lectures. Many students were also reliant on LumiNUS to keep track of their assignments and deadlines. What the pandemic did was accelerate the adoption of these technologies among the NUS community.

NUS’ e-learning needs have since stretched way beyond one week, and CIT’s work has concomitantly grown manifold. While university campuses around the world stayed closed, CIT partnered Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) providers such as Coursera and edX to give NUS students free access to MOOCs and encourage remote learning. Then, in anticipation of students’ phased return to campus, CIT had to quickly scale the retrofitting and conversion of existing classrooms into hybrid-ready mode. The Centre procured webcams, speaker phones, visualisers and writing tablets for loan to teaching staff. It also set up self-recording studios and a lightboard room, equipped with digital and audio-visual technologies, for the recording of lectures. With CIT’s assistance, faculty members became bolder in jazzing up presentation slides with 360° videos, animations, voice-overs and other elements to make their lectures more interesting and engaging.