News

Singapore university employs self-service portal

September 18, 2003

SINGAPORE -- The Institute of Technical Education is using a Web-based eStudent system to manage the 17,000 full- and part-time students taking the 30,000 courses it provides.

According to an article in ComputerWorld Singapore, the school developed the system for $3.5 million (U.S.). The portal is primarily for students, but staff can access a personal-information management segment.

The service is built on PeopleSoft's Student Administration ERP. Accenture is the lead vendor. Students can access services with any device with an online connection, including kiosks.

The services include applications for course of study, selection of modules, class schedules, examination results, electronic payment of fees, as well as academic advice and application for counseling, the article said.

An e-learning platform, eTutor, will be responsible for up to 50 percent of the academic theory lessons, on top of the normal classroom sessions. To support eTutor, the university installed an inter-campus network back in 2002.

Network connectivity is provided by an ATM (asynchronous transfer mode) link of 10 megabits per second. The connection links classrooms, a resource center and multimedia development center, the article said.