Tamkang University (TKU) has begun to engage in the establishment of teaching support platform and is expected to put all the courses on cyber network by expanding the teaching activities from classrooms to network by the end of 2004.
TKU President Chang Horng-jinh summoned last Wednesday Deans of Colleges, related administrative units and Chairs of departments to a meeting where they listened to a special report on “ the Review of TKU E-Generation Teaching Environment—Teaching Support Platform” by Prof. Huang Ming-dar, Director of Information Processing Center (IPC). They reached a common consensus and had decided to set up two ad hoc committees to push the installation and experiment of teaching platform. At the initial stage, it will select a course from each department to be put on the network and let the course teacher and students to make the test. We hope that more than 4,500 courses will be completely digitalized by the end of 2004.
TKU Founder Dr. Clement C. P. Chang hoped that the “moderate methods should be adopted when carrying out this revolutionary action” and said that the implementing time should not delay too long. He suggested that we offer some incentive measures to make it best if we decide to do.
Prof. Huang pointed out that although TKU has equipped with sufficient broadband —ADSL, in order to accommodate the data of 4,500 courses, the line would gradually change to GIGA line (1,024 Mbps) by the end of 2003. TKU will increase GIGA lines to connect the Academia Sinica, Taipei Campus and Lanyang Campus. The interface of proposed teaching platform will use “quick place” software. As to the function of platform, it will include the briefing of teacher, teaching plan, the data and drafts searching, download of student works, examination subjects and interaction area. In student area, it will carry out themes of Master and Doctoral Degrees, the personal calendar, examination timetable, selected courses table, personal homework table and personal academic records.
The participants of the meeting have submitted a lot of opinions. Prof. Huang Hung-chu, the university’s librarian, said that we should pay attention to the legality of uploading data. She suggested that the faculty use more of the database and E-periodical of Chueh-sheng Memorial Library. Prof. Wang Ying-hung of Computer Science and Information Engineering reminded that we should pay attention to the world standard. Wang Chien-hua, Chair, Department of Educational Technology, said that we should have complete accompanying methods—the cultivating and training plans when implementing the project. Tsai Yi-chia, Chief of Division of Educational Quality Management, said that the interface may be very simple but function may not be so easy. Kuo Ching-hua, Chief of the Division of Distance Education, said that according to his personal experience, there would not be a formula for the all. The proposed platform should meet various demand of each department, Kuo added.
