By Andreas Dewanto. Special Programme in Science (SPS) is a scholastic programme under the purview of Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore. The programme annually admits 30-40 bright and motivated students to go through Integrated Science Curriculum, an innovative multi-faceted curriculum with the objective of (1) grooming budding science students toward research excellence, and (2) exposing them into multidisciplinary aspect of science. This curriculum is accomplished through innovative pedagogical techniques which incorporate elements of peer-learning and blended-learning. Crucial in this effort is the support from the Faculty in providing the programme with access to Active Learning Room. My presentation is thus to elaborate on these initiatives and how these initiatives are implemented in Active Learning Room setting, bringing up examples on how teaching and learning are actually executed in various SPS courses.

1. EXPLORING TEACHING AND LEARNING IN
ACTIVE LEARNING ROOM WITH
SPECIAL PROGRAMME IN SCIENCE
Andreas Dewanto
Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore
Block S16 Level 3, 6 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117546

3. Acknowledgement:
Special Programme in Science Staff
Dr. Adrian M. Lee
(Director)
Dr. Chammika
Udalagama
Dr. Leslie Gapter
Mr. Andreas Dewanto
(Assistant Director)
Dr. Linda Sellou
Dr. Lim Zhi Han

4. Outline
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SPS in a Nutshell
Active Learning Room Setup
Teaching and Learning in ALR
Student Feedback
ALR in the Future
Photos courtesy of Sum Yuheng

5. SPS in a Nutshell
• Established in 1996 to
expose talented science
students to multidisciplinary
science and train them
toward research excellence
• Practice Integrated Science
Curriculum, which cultivates:
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Scientific methodology
Computation skill
Communication skill
Collaboration through peerlearning and mentorship
in problem-solving.
Photos courtesy of Andreas Dewanto

6. Integrated Science Curriculum
Year of Study
1 (Freshmen)
Semester 1
Semester 2
SP2173 Atoms to
Molecules
SP2174 The Cell
SP2171 Discovering Science
2 (Sophomore)
SP3175 The Earth
SP3176 The Universe
SP3172 Integrated Science Project
3
Junior mentorship
4 (Honors)
Senior mentorship
• Run in addition to student’ respective core programme
• 2-year programme, consists of 4 thematic-based modules
(73, 74, 75 & 76) and 2 research-based modules (71 & 72)
• Dynamic and intensive teaching and learning environment,
involving staff, students, and mentors (3rd, 4th, and postgrad)

7. Active Learning Room
Students’ desks.
Each desk is able
to accommodate
up to 6 students
Semi-circular layout to maximize
instructor-students interaction
Instructor’s desk
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•
•
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Located in S16 Level 3
Commissioned in 2011, under the purview of Science Dean’s Office
Co-funded by FoS and Centre for Instructional Technology
Max capacity: 42 students. Ideal capacity: 20 – 30 students

8. A Closer Look at ALR’s Facilities: Students’ Desk
40” screen, to display
input from instructor’s
desk or other students’
desks
Visualizer, to present
students’ work to the
main projector or other
desks
Each desk is also equipped with the standard
Audio-Video I/O for
students to connect
their laptops to.
Photo courtesy of Lim Zhi Han
Apart from the instructor’s desk, the whiteboards and projector, other furniture in ALR is
movable. This allows fluidity and mobility in the class, which in turn encourage interaction.

9. A Closer Look at ALR’s Facilities: Instructor’s Desk
AV panel enables
instructor to control
what is being cast
into projector screen
and/or individual
monitors on students’
desk, which input
that comes from
either the instructor
desk or individual
students’ desk.
Photo courtesy of Lim Zhi Han
Instructor is also equipped with visualizer and standard Audio-Video I/O.

10. A closer look at ALR’s Facilities: Layout
Secondary screen mirrors the main
projector for instructor’s reference
Whiteboards along the wall for
students’ use
Photos courtesy of Lim Zhi Han

11. Utilizing ALR’s Facilities:
A typical Day in SP3176 Lecture
• Significant portion of the lecture is
dedicated for problem solving.
• Problems are usually given in the
midst of introducing a new
concept.
• Students are given 5-10 minutes
to discuss within the group.
• A group is randomly chosen to
present the answer from their
desk.
• Alternative answers from other
groups (if any) are discussed.
Example of SP3176
Lecture Problem:
Reason that the cosmological principle1 implies that any observer
looking at the motion of galaxies will
find the radial velocities proportional
to the distance between her and the
galaxy.
[10 + 5 min]
1The
cosmological principle: The Universe
is homogeneous and isotropic.

12. Dr. Lim Zhi Han in Action during SP3176 Lecture
A student presenting his
solution, a typical scene in
SP3176 lecture
Photos courtesy of Lim Zhi Han
Getting close and personal
with the students

13. Students in Action during SP3176 Lecture
Photos courtesy of Lim Zhi Han

14. SP3176 Internal Student Feedback on ALR (1)
SD: Strongly disagree
D: Disagree
SA: Strongly Agree
A: Agree
Reference: Z.H. Lim, C. Udalagama, L. Gapter, A. Dewanto, L. Sellou, A.M. Lee (2013) Active and Collaborative Learning in
an IT-enhanced Interactive, EDULEARN13 Proceedings, pp. 3997-4004.

15. SP3176 Internal Student Feedback on ALR (2)
SD: Strongly disagree
D: Disagree
SA: Strongly Agree
A: Agree
Reference: Z.H. Lim, C. Udalagama, L. Gapter, A. Dewanto, L. Sellou, A.M. Lee (2013) Active and Collaborative Learning in
an IT-enhanced Interactive, EDULEARN13 Proceedings, pp. 3997-4004.

16. The mobile desks are convenient to be
moved around to set simple table-top
experiments up anywhere in the room
Making use of the whiteboard for discussion
Photos courtesy of Andreas Dewanto
Dr. Adrian Lee in Action during
Interactive Tutorial Group Discussion

17. The Role of ALR in the Future
• Con: not suitable for conventional teaching
en-masse, resource intensive.
• Pro: ideal for seminar-style, problem-based
and collaborative teaching and learning
• ALR is ideal for flip teaching.
• ALR facilitates university’s iBLOC (Internal
Blended Learning Online Course) initiative
• Is ALR going to be a norm in future?
I believe it is just a matter of time 

18. Photo courtesy of John Ouyang
Thank you
Contact:
Dr. Adrian Lee (chmaml@nus.edu.sg)
Mr. Andreas Dewanto (andreas.dewanto@sps.nus.edu.sg)